The Lion's Armyનમૂનો

Way #1: Approval

God the Father gives us approval.

Father God bestows His blessing on all His children, along with the right to be who He created them to be. Not only does He bless us, but He loves us, as Scripture shows.

"Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.…for the Father Himself loves you." —John 16:23, 27

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." —Ephesians 1:3

God the Father has openly declared His approval to His children. We have every right to be alive and blessed by Him. Because we are accepted through the beloved Lord Jesus, there is no such thing as a child of God who is unqualified to walk in the Spirit or conduct spiritual affairs. In Christ, we are unconditionally loved, accepted, valued, and approved by the Father.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved." —Ephesians 1:3–6

The approval I’m referring to here relates directly to the new birth and to who you are in the Spirit rather than what you do because of Him. Of course, the Father wants to approve of the attitudes and behaviors you display under the pressure of trials. As His child, you are mandated to grow through the sanctification process, proving yourself to be mature and steadfast, resisting sin’s temptations, and staying spiritually strong during life’s tribulations.

It’s been said that Christians are like unmarked tea bags. You don’t know what they are made of until you put them in hot water. James affirmed this notion when he wrote, “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12).

From a natural standpoint people need approval from their parents.

Parental love and approval help build strong, confident character in children. This approval becomes an anchor in children’s unstable worlds and adds meaning to their existences. Many adults struggle in life because they are trying to fill the approval receptors that weren’t filled by their parents when they were growing up. I’m grateful to God for giving me wonderful, loving parents; I’ve met scores of people who didn’t have that blessing.

In the Spirit, it’s the same way. We need our heavenly Father’s approval. This parallel is not exact, however, because God is always a good Father. How, then, do we know that we have His approval? We believe what He says to us and about us in His Word. Unfortunately, what He says can become distorted.

Carnal reasoning or incorrect Bible teaching can convince some believers that the Father is withholding His approval from them.

Devilish condemnation tells them that they made mistakes in life because they are mistakes. This attack against their inner beings suggests that the Father somehow messed up by leaving something out of the new-creation recipe or by not using enough of His power to perfect the job. But it’s time for us to realize that God doesn’t make mistakes. Traumas and missteps happen in life, but they cannot damage the Christ seed inside us.

One of the common errors believers can make is called transference. Subconsciously, the believer transfers an earthly parent’s face onto God the Father, in effect remaking God in the parent’s image. If you were fortunate enough to have loving, nourishing parents, as I was, this is usually not a big issue, although all parents fall short at times. But if your parents were abusive, emotionally distant, or addicted, or if they had other dysfunctional behaviors that caused you pain, transference can become a major obstacle by distorting your perception of God. The enemy can turn this false belief into a stronghold that keeps you from drawing close to the Father.

This is opposite to what the truth does. God is always a good Father. He loves His children, and He made each of us in His own image. He approves of His image in us, and so should we. He has already put His stamp of approval on our lives. Yes, He corrects us. But there is a difference between the enemy’s condemnation and how the Father convicts us of wrong attitudes or behaviors when we mess up.

The false accuser says, “You messed up again. Look at what a dirtbag you are. Because God is so disappointed, He could never love you. You can’t keep going back to Him. He’s tired of you.” Those thoughts are lies straight from the accuser. The Father never treats His kids that way. He never tires of us coming home. His forgiveness is unlimited and supernatural. The inner voice and feelings that come from the Father tell us that our mistakes are real but not consistent with who we are as His children. He then shows us how to address our missteps through repentance, without attacking the work He has done within us. “For [He is] good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon [Him]” (Psalm 86:5).

If you are His, you are approved.