Articles
Preparing for Spiritual Battle to Overcome the Equal and Opposite Errors: “I Don’t Need the Father” and “I Don’t Need the Son”
Barbara L. Klika, MSW, Undershepherd, Life Coach
June 2023
Written for Wisconsin Christian Newspaper
It is possible to be completely unaware of the depth of the war that is being waged in this world by the “kings of the earth” against our Messiah and His people. In what may appear to be simply secular, political battles, we are truthfully seeing the increasingly blatant nature of the spiritual war that began between satan and the Seed of the woman in the Garden of Eden. The authors and the readers of WCN are not oblivious. Unfortunately, others ARE unaware, or don’t want to believe, how seriously deep the changes around us are as they undermine our faith and our culture. Nor do they want to understand how deep the changes have been within the “church.” It is SO much easier to put your fingers in your ears and just focus on day to day living as though nothing has changed. Hmm, that sounds familiar….
…knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and sayig, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation. 2 Peter 3: 3-4 NKJ
…for the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires. 2 Tim 4:3 Berean Standard Bible
Last year, I explored what it means to have faith and how it comes about. Faith is a gift of God that none should boast, but His means of transmitting that faith from one generation to the next has been under direct assault in many ways, not least of them, from within the ranks of churched people.
This year, I have presented the Hebrew idiom of “take and eat,” referring to the need to be selective and aware of THIS teaching of THIS Messiah and His Father. I have reviewed and updated our understanding of what it means to be “poor, blind and naked” from Eden to the last assembly, Laodicea. Lacking spiritual vision, we become blind to our needs. When this behavior extends to our leaders it is the prelude to being left naked and vulnerable to our enemy, satan and its minions. America, as a whole, is showing all the signs of being poor, blind and naked while too many still believe we are wealthy and have no need. There are small bastions of faith here and there, thankfully…the Remnant! And Oh! How the remnant prays!!!
It is shocking to see how FAST, how FAR, and how MANY fell over these past few years, from outward appearance of Christian faith to a nation that harbors and rewards those who undermine our values and beliefs. It is appalling to have adults in our trusted professions fall prey to materialism while endangering the lives and wellbeing of our people, young and old. “Gender affirming care” is probably the most disgusting euphemism for mutilation and destroying procreation I have ever seen. It’s right up there with “Planned Parenthood” which really is about eugenics. Not to mention “Dying with dignity” or “medically assisted suicide” for euthanasia. Some even try to cover it with the kind of “faith” that says, “my God loves everyone.” (He does, but that is not the same as approving any kind of behavior!)
How did we get so far off course?
This didn’t happen as suddenly as it may have appeared. Truthfully, it is like the sheep without a shepherd that our Messiah lamented over! (Matthew 9:36, referring back to 1 Kings 22:17, Ezekiel 34:5 and Zechariah 10:2)..
Why does it matter?
It matters because we need to be able to walk in His authority in the face of the schemes of the adversary. It matters because we want to be found without spot or wrinkle, and ready for Messiah’s return in order to be with Him! To do that, we need to know in full what He is looking for in us, to honor Him so that He can pour out His power through us. We want to be known BY HIM so that we can enter in like the five wise virgins! We want to pray and act in His authority and strength, not our own.
We shouldn’t be too surprised when people who have no underpinnings of faith or comprehension of the Presence and teachings of an Almighty God fall for anything that will grant their desires. I believe it was Francis Schaeffer who observed the process over the span of two generations to fall from active faith, to appearance of faith, to no faith. The duplicity of that middle generation, who gives only lip service to honoring God, is not lost on the next generation who sees no reason to pretend.
Were they ashamed when they had committed abominations? No! They were not at all ashamed; Nor did they know how to blush. Therefore, they shall fall among those who fall; At the time I punish them, They shall be cast down,” says the LORD.
Jeremiah 6:15 and again almost verbatim in Jer 8:12.
HOW did we get to be so vulnerable?
One simple answer is that we have been compromised from within, just as it has been from the beginning. It really has always been this way. We just didn’t always “get it.” The accuser was right there in the garden. The tares are among the wheat. Judas was right there at the table.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; Psalm 23:5 NKJV
Beyond that, we live in a time when Biblical illiteracy is the norm. And for those who do try to walk together with Believers in our (DIFFERENT) churches, we have so much controversy among us that our message is lost in the shouting. Why would anyone be attracted to that, when all they can see is the frailty of humanity and NOT the power of our Elohim being expressed?
As a result, we have people in churches for many reasons OTHER than genuine personal faith, going through the motions, too often with a superficial understanding of the Whole Word. One study, entitled “Let Us Prey” exposed a large number of Canadian clergy who have varying degrees of narcissism and how it affects their ministry and members. I examined the question of passive aggressive behavior and whether or not it is found in Scripture in an article some years back. (It is.) Members and clergy have given intellectual assent without personal yieldedness and a heartfelt confession of faith…that is SO old fashioned!!!
But Paul DID tell us:
That if you confess with your mouth the LORD Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9 NKJV
Some have never heard the challenge that we are to mature and become more like Messiah in preparation for His return…sanctification. They take joy in their spiritual freedom believing that Jesus accomplished all things so that they are free to do whatever they want.
As we understand it, His atonement brought us out of bondage to sin and free to choose the bond of faith in Him…we will always serve one master or the other! His atonement paid the price to restore our relationship with our Creator/Father, but it is viewed as His work to release us from the bondage of the Law/Teachings of our Father. In effect, this is a living example of not “needing the Father” and His instructions on righteousness. Most people wouldn’t specifically SAY that but in effect, the way they live makes the statement.
It is not easy to recognize the distortions that led to this position until one begins to sort through the layers of Greek and Roman interpretation and misinterpretation that has put a wedge between the first century faith and how it is interpreted now.
And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law; Acts 21:20 NKJV
The word translated as “law” here is from the Greek word, “nomos.” It refers to the Whole of the Scripture known at the time, which today is called the Old Testament by Christians and the Torah by Jewish people. We might call them the First Century “Messianics” who kept the Law by walking after Messiah in keeping the Feasts and so forth. This has been called “the Acts 2 church” except that “keeping the Law” has been RE-interpreted to mean JESUS’ Law as being new and different from GOD’S Law.
Yet He, Himself, said otherwise:
Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. John 7:16 NKJV
Those with a Greek worldview and a Hebraic worldview often use the very same verses to support their positions yet interpret them very differently. Thus, our need for HIS discernment is evident! I do believe that our God allowed this division for His purposes for a season which is now coming to an end. We believe that the set time has come for Him to provide that understanding; for our Father to call all of His people to come together, as in Ezekiel’s prophetic picture of the two sticks becoming one in His hand (Eze 34) an entirely separate and exciting topic!
On the other hand, fears have been expressed that as people begin to explore the Hebraic heritage of our faith, they would “go right on through that and go back into Judaism” and deny Messiah Yeshua/Jesus. Unfortunately, that has happened. It includes denying the validity of the entire New Testament eye-witness accounts of Messiah’s fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies, with a special focus on hostility toward the Apostle Paul. These people say in effect, “we have no need of the Son, because we have the Father. “
There is a movement involving the “Noachide Laws” that some Christians are hailing as a positive thing, not realizing that it has a Rabbinic focus. They have already built “houses of judgment” among many nations: where those who profess belief in Jesus/Yeshua as Messiah will be offered the choice of renouncing Him or death as infidels who believe in an idol. We do not believe that this is consistent with a Torah teaching on righteousness and are concerned about those who unwittingly support it!
We in Set Apart Ministries are often challenged by people in each of these positions. We try to extend our hands and our understanding to both of them in what we believe to be their errors; equal and opposite though they are. Many of those who don’t think the Father is needed today have been led through the process of historical critical analysis of the Word to suspect that the OT couldn’t possibly be an inspired and true Word from God. A major difficulty is that those who renounce Yeshua as Messiah have often also renounced the very eye-witness testimony provided in the NT and thus, these arguments carry no “weight” of authority to them.
Do you hear the common theme? The challenge of the authority represented; rebellion! No matter which side of the aisle it comes from, the challenge has a similar effect. It moves us away from the solid footing of the Whole Word. There is a “fifth column” at work.
There are several directions I could take at this point:
- The challenge to authority. This way leads to consideration of the meaning of:
For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.
1 Sam 15: 23a
I was quite surprised when I did this study some years ago…briefly stated, learning that rebellion opens the door for witchcraft, and stubbornness from a Hebraic context is NOT just a personal strong opinion, but has to do with acting upon another to mis lead them away from God’s Truth. I do believe that there is an element of unholy spiritual warfare and witchcraft that has enabled this “suddenly” mad, mad world.
- “that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. John 5:23 NKJV
The strength of the understanding that the Father and the Son are One, and one in purpose; belief in one confirms belief in the other; denying one leads to denying the other.
Part two next time… or look on our website.
https://www.set-apart-ministries.org
Equal_Opposite_Errors_Father_Son__Part_1__WCN_June_2023.pdf