This is the fourth part of a series on having an “Orphan Spirit” which is defined as a person who, although being a child of God through the sacrifice of Christ, still lives as if they are disconnected from their Heavenly Father’s care and interaction. It is my experience that far too many confessing believers live lives less than God designed or desires. When Jesus said in the gospel of John chapter 14 that he would not leave them (the disciples) as orphans, it was due in part to their feeling of abandonment as Jesus was heading to the cross.

This is the third article asking the question of whether we are living like orphans as followers of Christ. For some people the question doesn’t make any sense. However, as you read what Jesus said to his disciples just before going to the cross in John 14:18 it makes a lot of sense and should give us pause to ask the same question. Am I living more like an orphan or like God is indeed my Heavenly Father who I can trust him no matter what. It is not about a “Works Thing” of trying to earn points with God but rather a “Relational Thing” because we have grasped the Father’s intent for our lives. If you have not read the first two articles on an “Orphan Spirit” please do so before reading this one.

In my first article on “Are We Living Like Orphans” I wrote about how so many believers live with the mindset and behavior of being an “Orphan” rather than thinking and acting like God is our loving Heavenly Father. I wanted to reveal what a lie and deception Satan has introduced into the body of Christ that keeps us at a distance from our creator rather than learning to being intimate with him as our Heavenly Father who loves us dearly. If you haven’t read part one please do so before continuing with part two.

Previously, I wrote about how so few believers in the body of Christ today demonstrate the kind of transformation that the apostle Paul wrote about in 2 Corinthians 5:17.  Today’s preaching and teaching tends to be about how God can help us overcome obstacles more than our privilege and opportunity to build an intimate relationship with Him.  This is often due, in part, to our culture promoting a self-centered lifestyle, which the church has bought into.  Also, many fathers desired to give their kids what they didn’t have as kids, which caused being a provider to supersede the importance of actually fathering their children. Even those who grew up with a loving and nurturing father figure also had authority figures in their lives that distorted their ability to develop healthy trust with those in authority, be it fathers or bosses.

The premise of this study is based in part on John 14:18 where Jesus said he would not leave us as orphans. The disciples had to be worried that Jesus was leaving and they had learned to trust and rely on his presence and his spiritual and practical leadership. Jesus was trying to comfort them by saying that he had already planned for his departure and it would include a “helper” who would follow Him.  This helper would guide them throughout their lives as they listened and obeyed him just as they had Jesus. There is the catch though. He reveals that they ( the disciples ) needed to “Obey” his instructions so that they could live in an ever deepening way.

John 14:18-21                                                                                                                                                                         

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. [19] “After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. [20] “In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. [21] “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” 

Jesus reveals that the purpose of their discipleship was not just to do good and obey rules, but to be intimate with our Heavenly Father. Obeying Christ’s commandments was an “Indicator” that we were living a loving relationship, just as the Father and Jesus were experiencing. Obeying rules don’t make us adopted sons and daughters.  Instead, they demonstrate our trust of the one who made them. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross opened the door for this relationship and bonding. When we chose to surrender to Christ for forgiveness we automatically start being transformed day by day into loving sons and daughters. However, if at any time we stop trusting Jesus the transformation stops as well. John 15 illustrates this perfectly and this was said by Jesus right after his promise that we would not be left to fall like orphans.

John 15:4-5                                                                                                                                                                       

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. [5] “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 

This is a key principle for our walk as sons and daughters rather than as orphans. He emphasizes that the ongoing relationship with God as our Heavenly Father is through choosing to abide. The responsibility comes on our part to want and choose relationship. This growing intimacy means the longer we grow in the Father’s love the more we understand Him and his ways. Ultimately, it is seeing the character of God that our love is meant to deepen and our relationship grows because we have great understanding of who He truly is.

The goal of our Christian life is to be centered around loving God as our “Abba”, not a distant creator. Paul brings this whole concept of chasing and enjoying intimacy with our Heavenly Father as Jesus did.

Romans 8:12-17                                                                                                                                                                       

So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— [13] for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. [14] For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. [15] For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” [16] The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, [17] and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. 

I remember older Christians in my young days of walking with the Lord who consoled young believers that they needed to stand on and confess they were children of God.  It seemed odd to me to have to be assured of their relationship by confessing this truth. It seemed to me if they were having conversations with their Heavenly Father and reading scripture they would be confident of this fact rather than trying to convince themselves of their confession.

Everything Jesus did for us as our savior was to make available an intimate relationship with God. It wasn’t just to forgive.  It was meant to break down the barriers.  As we continue with this topic of overcoming an orphan spirit I hope you realize how much your Heavenly Father desires to be the father you always wanted.

Questions:

1. Do you feel like God is good but distant? Maybe you have adopted and “Orphan” mentality and settled for less than Jesus intended. Seek him with all your heart and you will find him close and intimate.

2. Are you walking in the security of Christ’s forgiveness yet have not loved him in return? John 15 illustrates that if you

don’t abide in His love you will wither and die in your relationship. Confess your wandering soul and return to the one who

loves you.

Loving God and pursuing a deeper walk.

Pastor Dale

I recently preached a sermon on how many believing Christians have what I believe is an “Orphan Spirit” that hinders them from trusting and truly enjoying an intimate relationship with their Heavenly Father. Jesus said that he came to give us “Abundant Life” and he did so because of the Father’s love. Yet,  it seems few believers experience such a life. Far too often professing Christians talk about what they believe without actually experiencing the reality of what they strongly agree biblically.

The last article on “Are We Running From God’s Purpose?” used the book of Jonah.  I used the text and story of Jonah to start partly because it’s a famous book that most people have heard in Sunday School or from a sermon. I wanted to show how Jesus would try to expose people’s excuses for not living for God when they called themselves God’s people. If you haven’t read part one on this topic, start there.

Jonah 1:1-3                                                                                                                                                                        

The LORD gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.”But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the LORD. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the LORD by sailing to Tarshish.

I have been amazed at how the “Testimony” of some people seems to be all that is needed to convince a group of people of some declared “Truth” with no or little evidence. I think we used to be more objective in our beliefs and persuasion but now we seem to be captivated by any strange idea or accusation. Maybe it’s because we are so used to “Instant” information with our technology that we no longer have the time or patience to “Verify” before we develop an opinion.

God created us with a “Soul” that is both living and active.  The question is whether we cultivate the right skills or perspectives needed to live as we were designed for or not.  Getting married is a good example. We travel through life expecting to pick up the needed “Equipping” along the way and yet at least 50% of marriages end in a divorce and those who stay married are often living substandard marriages, not because they desire to fail, but because they aren’t educated enough to gain the proper tools needed. As our souls are made of three parts, “Mind-Will-Emotions” each of these parts needs the right equipping to function as God designed. If one part is ill-equipped or crippled then that part will affect the whole soul. This article is part five in a series on “Maintaining a Healthy Soul.” If you have not read the previous articles please stop and read them or you will miss the connection between them.

In this series of articles we have been exploring the nature of man and focusing on his soul. We have defined the soul as having three parts, “Mind-Will-Emotions“, and our soul was meant to facilitate our spirit to be able to learn, grow and enjoy our relationship with God and others.  As we already know, our current experience in life is normally a bumpy one even for those that have established a relationship with God through the sacrifice of Christ. If you haven’t read the first three article in this series, please do so that you have the full discussion of the soul.

We have been discussing the important subject of the “Soul” and how many believers have not been taught much at all of its importance nor its operation.  In article one we discussed how most churches don’t teach on the soul anymore and therefore fail to deliver to the saints the “Multiple Keys” that such understanding would yield all of us if we just understood the soul. We talked about how the end game of such a study is a “Healthy Walk“, not just being blessed as many of the church teachings now revolve around. Lastly, we talked about the human experience is composed of “Spirit-Soul-Body“. These three do not work separately but in tandem with each other. Hebrews 4:12 speaks of the difficulty of dividing between soul and spirit.  In article two we talked about many Christians feel like they are “Shooting in the Dark” when it comes to walking in true healing for their lives based a lot on not understanding their own soul. Paul said that in coming to Christ we should be becoming a “New Creation” (1 Cor 5:17) yet few today can confess such a state or experience. If you haven’t read the first two articles the rest will make more sense if you go back and read them first.