Who Is Your Daddy?

Knowing all about Jesus without knowing Him intimately throughout the course of our lives is troublesome and can cause a false sense of understanding when we read the Word of God.  Human beings are hard wired to manipulate from the time they realize they have, not only needs but, desires and through these desires comes the ability to sin.

Yesterday, we saw Martha run to Jesus questioning Him and being questioned by Him and while it appeared that she had a deep understanding of who Jesus was she was lacking the ability to rest in His presence.  Even when Jesus was about to raise Lazarus from the dead she warned Him that the body would no doubt smell horrible.

But let's back up a little and look at something I have never noticed before.  Immediately following the Lord's question; "Do you believe this?"  Martha answered that she did indeed believe that He was the Christ, the Son of God, who would come into the world.

What struck me as odd was how Martha turned from that conversation and went immediately to her sister and said,

"The Teacher is here and is calling for you."

For years I have passed by this scenario without noticing that, number one, the reader is unaware of Jesus calling Mary and, number two,  He was not 'here' yet.

So Mary quickly went to Jesus outside of the city.

Have you ever followed what someone said about Jesus because it seemed legitimate?

This lie, if it is indeed a lie, once again shows Martha's rebellious heart.

Lying is a forte of Satan's.  He is a liar.  Anytime we lie, even in the smallest way, we partner with his nature and his kingdom.

1 John 3:6-10

No one who abides in him keeps on sinning;  

not one who keeps on sinning has 

either seen him or known him.  

Little children, let no one deceive you.  

Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, 

as he is righteous.  

Whoever makes a practice of sinning 

is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning.  The reason the Son of God appeared 

was to destroy the works of the devil.  

No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, 

for God's seed abides in him, 

and he cannot keep on sinning 

because he has been born of God.  

By this it is evident who are the children on God, 

and who are the children of the devil:  

whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, 

nor is the one who does not love his brother.  

Notice that Martha had just left the presence of God.  She was face to face with him yet she ran to her sister and lied to her, more than likely because she just wanted to control her sister.  Martha was not abiding if she immediately turned and lied about the Lord to her sister.  No one who abides in Him keeps on sinning.

Isn't it strange that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil yet Martha ran to serve satan immediately following an encounter with the truth speaker.   When we lie to ourselves about our own sin or to others in any capacity we are serving satan as our father.

Jesus clearly defines that Satan is the Father of lies and you cannot act out his character and think that you are serving Jesus' Father.

John 8:42-45

Jesus said to them, 

"If God were your Father, you would love me, 

for I came from God and I am here.  

I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. 

 Why do you not understand what I say?  

It is because you cannot bear to hear my word.  

You are of your father the devil, 

and your will is to do your father's desires.  

He was a murderer from the beginning, 

and does not stand in the truth, 

because there is not truth in him.  

He lies, he speaks out of his own character, 

for he is a liar and the father of lies. 

 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.  

Interestingly enough, Jesus told Martha the truth about who He was out of His character but her immediate response seems to be one of deception.  This leads me to believe that she had no understanding of what Jesus was saying.  She could not bear to hear His word and so she immediately went outside of the truth to, in some way, fulfill her own desire for control and to fulfill the desires of her father, the devil.

Control and manipulation are damnable tools of Satan and when we operate in either of these we are in essence partnering with Satan.

Have you ever said something in a certain way to get what you want?  Maybe what you said was partially true like what Martha did.  Jesus was close enough for Mary to run out to but he certainly wasn't "here"  and He did not, from our vantage point, call for Mary to come to Him.

Martha convinced herself that what she was doing was good.  She, in essence, even lied to herself.  Lying is a deceptive thing because the human mind can really convince itself, if there is a thread of truth in the lie, that it is true or necessary but that is the great deception.

Revelation 21:8 makes it very clear that lying is not ok

But as for the cowardly, the faithless, 

the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, 

sorcerers, idolaters and all liars, 

their portion will be in the lake that burns 

with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.

I want to display the character of Christ, I want to understand what He says in His word, I want to put away all falsehoods all deception and all manipulation.  The good news is that our sinful nature can be transformed by the resurrection power found ONLY in Christ and His righteousness by which, we as believers have been justified!  

Father, thank you for cleansing us from our unrighteousness by the blood of Christ.  Show us the areas where we have lied to ourselves and others even in the seemingly minuscule ways.  We don't want to have any part of the works of Satan but we are powerless to even recognize the sin in our own hearts and minds without You illuminating truth to our spirits through Your word.  

Thank you that you have taken our 'righteousness', which is as filthy rags, and You have clothed us in Your righteousness.  

We ask that Your power and presence would hover over our hearts and minds today, bringing to our remembrance any deceptive ways and bringing swift conviction of sin so that as we confess to You, You are faithful and just and willing to forgive us of all of our unrighteousness so that we can stand before a Holy God pure and spotless, fully pleasing to Him through the great sacrifice of Christ Jesus our Lord.