You used to be dead because of your sins and acts of disobedience. You walked in the ways of the ‘olam hazeh and obeyed the Ruler of the Powers of the Air, who is still at work among the disobedient. Indeed, we all once lived this way — we followed the passions of our old nature and obeyed the wishes of our old nature and our own thoughts. In our natural condition we were headed for God’s wrath, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy and loves us with such intense love that, even when we were dead because of our acts of disobedience, he brought us to life along with the Messiah — it is by grace that you have been delivered. That is, God raised us up with the Messiah Yeshua and seated us with him in heaven, in order to exhibit in the ages to come how infinitely rich is his grace, how great is his kindness toward us who are united with the Messiah Yeshua. For you have been delivered by grace… Ephesians 2:1-10
He said, “Go and tell these people: ‘Yes, you hear, but you don’t understand. You certainly see, but you don’t get the point!’ “Make the heart of these people [sluggish with] fat, stop up their ears, and shut their eyes. Otherwise, seeing with their eyes, and hearing with their ears, then understanding with their hearts, they might repent and be healed!” Isaiah 6:9-11
It is interesting that God would show me these verses on the same day, but then with God it is always interesting. On one hand he is showing the one verse the saved by grace people push, although written or translated a bit different than the newer versions. It seems however if you read the first 2 lines it makes the point very clear we are evil people. All of us, Paul even says so. And we all must repent and change. Repent means to change to turn and go the other direction, the direction of God. Paul also makes it clear about the ruler of this earth who still is at work amongst us. Being truly born again, I see the devils work and how he tries to fool me and lead me back into sin and bondage. I know very well how he works.
This is key in defeating him, because if you do not know how he works and what he is capable of, you have no way to defeat him. An example comes to mind of when I was coaching my daughters basketball teams. We did tournaments all the time, and I did things a bit different than most every other team. One example, we ran a half court press. One of the main reasons it was so effective is no one else ran it so no one was ever prepared for it and how to break it. We caught these teams by surprise all the time and it gave us a big advantage. Keep in mind no one saw films and prepared for it. Your preparation was always practicing and seeing the same things, so teams were not prepared.
As a side note, and as with most of my coaching. It was not my defense, we faced a team who was running it and they killed us. As said no one ever ran it so we were not prepared either, and you cannot prepare while it is happening to you. So I adopted it. Same with the offense we ran, it was difficult to stop, but it was not mine, I saw it with another coach and adopted it.
Applying this to the things of the Spirit. When the Spirit of God starts to change your mind and teach you how Adonai expects things to be done, and then you live by them. You at the same time see the way you lived and how evil it is. We do not think we live an evil life, but when you see it from the eyes of God and not the eyes of men, then you will know just how evil you are. As Paul wrote “we all are” not some or most, but 100% of us.
Now to the verse by Isaiah, which the Lord teaches on all the time, seeing without seeing and hearing without hearing, so you never repent and are healed.
It is one thing to tell the ways of God, and support it with the bible, just like I am doing. It is another thing to actually understand. You see it and hear it, but then your fleshly mind along with men teachers who also have fleshly minds come up with their own doctrine from it, something totally different from the truth. And when someone like me comes along, we are the ones wrong.
I can tell you I used to be wrong while practicing the different religions I went to, but after the Spirit showed me how I was wrong and what to change, I did change or repent and turned to his “way” of doing things and away from my own “way” of doing things. (This is why Yeshua is the “way” because we must do it his way). This is when my eyes and ears were opened so I saw and heard the truth and repented and turned from my ways to God’s ways.
Isaiah only said what God showed him to say. I only tell people what God tells me to say. Paul also told the people the things of God. It is us in our fleshly life with evil hearts desires, that cannot understand and change. Something has to happen in us where we seek God. We must be called, and the call never comes when we are seeking to fulfill the lust of our flesh. It comes when we hate our life and want a new one (this is the call). And then we seek answers from God.
I seeked answers from God when my life totally crashed. I did not expect to hear his voice, but I kept seeking answers and then one day he spoke to me, woke me up in the night. The call came, I responded and kept seeking his truth and light (wisdom) ever since. It is these two things which keep me walking in his “way” so I was set free in his truth. His truth shows you how the evil one the devil works so you can overcome him. But there is work to be done on our end, a lot of work for me. Hopefully you are not as evil as I was so your effort to be right with God is easier to overcome. I had a lot of bondage.
But then again, as Yeshua said when the sinful whore was washing his feet with her tears. He who sins a lot is forgiven a lot and is more appreciative for it.
I gave the example of my aunt who is catholic. She has lived a pretty good life from what I can see. I have never heard a curse word out of her mouth, married to the same guy her whole life until he died, and has been single since. I would be surprised if she cheated on him… In looking at her, and her religious works, one would say she is a good woman. So if she ever seeked the truth which I tell her about, it seems her biggest issue with God would be idol worship, that one is easy to stop. The truth will stop it cold immediately.
What is not easy to stop is if you are a whore who liked to get drunk, like I was. Or a drug addict, or any kind of addict. Many times these things require the Lord Yeshua to set you free, and when he does your gratitude is much greater than stopping a sin he shows you like idol worship.
I see who I was, and I know on my own power I never would have been set free from those sins, I know it took the grace (real grace) of God to set me free. This is the good news, the Lord wants t o do this for us, it is his good pleasure to set the captives free. And it is my good pleasure to tell of these truths in hope others would seek the Lord and find the same outcome. The dilemma or issue is as it is written above, in seeing and hearing they do not see or hear. They ignore the wisdom or light and remain in the sin. And worse, some call the Holy Spirit I follow who was instrumental in setting me free an evil spirit because instead of accepting their religious beliefs as OK and not questioning their salvation. They hate me and the message. Where that person should love me and the message the Lord gives to me because of what happens to them when they seek God and find him.
But then Yeshua told us this would happen, because they first hated him, they will also hate you (the you being the ones who come to know him and obey him).
I can tell you it is frustrating being a true believer and seeing what God will do in any man’s life for the ones who seek him over the worldly lies. As Paul wrote he wishes he could be accursed to the cross or stake of Yeshua. It is easier to live and enjoy people when you are not wanting to help them when they do not think they need help. They like their sinful life and are OK with it and believe God is also OK with it, when he is not.
Man has his way and God has a different way he expects us to live life. The two do not even share a common point to build on. Your old life must be torn apart completely or as Yeshua said we must die unto ourselves. A great example is when I went through all my problems and the Lord said to move here to Baja Mexico. When I did that, I completely left all my old life behind. All of it. I did not keep some of my old life around, it all disappeared. Most of it all at once, some of it over time.
The Lord Yeshua is the cornerstone to build your life on, but he is also the stumbling block if you do not build your entire life on him and what he tells you. When you try to keep something back, things like the three biggest, religion, family or money concerns, and you do not let the Lord show you how to handle these things. Whatever those things are you keep, it becomes your stumbling block instead of a strong foundation on the cornerstone.