Lexzie in Christ

A lot of times, deception is subtle.

God has helped to lift the veil from my eyes with regards to false teachings. As I recall – or am made aware and convicted of – false teachings and statements, I will list them out.

Be sure to read all of Numbers 14!

Red Flag Teaching: The Israelites wandered for 40 years in the wilderness, failing to enter the Promised Land due to their fear.

Now, “fear” absolutely played a role in the Israelites initial failure to enter Canaan – the land flowing with milk and honey, which God promised them. In fact, the Israelites’ fear – amongst other qualities – often negatively shaped their perspective, causing them to question and grumble against God. And in our lives today, fear can certainly act as a paralyzing force.

So why is this a red flag teaching?

Well, it’s a shallow and partial take on a pivotal story. Additionally, this story is often mishandled to the point where its message may end up teetering on a “name it and claim it” prosperity gospel.

How many times have you heard a preacher emphatically remind his congregation that they’re, “Standing on the edge of a promise. Are you going to be like the Israelites and wander around for 40 years in fear? Or are you going to take what God promised you?”

Many of us have been caught in that cyclone of a message. First: the promise is never identified during these types of sermons. So it could be whatever you want: the job you’re going after, mending a broken relationship, healing from illness, being able to pay a bill. Every member of said congregation sits in anticipation of their own personal “promise from God,” with many looking to decipher if the promise is truly from God or from self. And, second: Many worry that if they let any negative or fearful talk slip from their lips, that they will be responsible for delaying what God wants to usher into their lives.

The pressure.

Word of Faith, Prosperity Gospel, or “name it and claim it” preaching, warps your understanding of who exactly is in control. It places a lot of meaning on your words. And instead of submitting to God… Instead of being led by Christ… you become led by “positive thinking” and “positive speak.” (There is a lot of mysticism involved there – but that is another topic for another day!)

The truth is: We are called to live in full submission to Christ Jesus. We are not guaranteed health and wealth – though we can and should pray for stability. (You are allowed to ask God to show you favor and to prosper you. But He will only do what is in alignment with His will and timing.)

The truth is: Scripture should always point to Jesus. Any personal message you take from it is secondary. That said, I came away with a super rich Gospel rendering of Numbers 14 that I want to share with you:

First, a recap: The 12 men who Moses sent to explore Canaan returned with their report. Ten gave a bad report which spread amongst the Israelites. But two – Joshua and Caleb – testified to the goodness of the land. They reminded everyone of the goodness and power of the Lord, and they reminded everyone of His promises. But instead of being receptive, the assembly threatened to stone them.

God told Moses that He would strike the Israelites down and make a new, stronger nation. But Moses interceded on the people’s behalf. The Lord forgave them but expressed that only Joshua and Caleb would enter the Promised Land; the rest of that generation would die in the wilderness. After this, some of the Israelites tried to head toward Canaan anyway:

⁴¹ But Moses said, “Why are you disobeying the Lord’s command? This will not succeed! ⁴² Do not go up, because the Lord is not with you. You will be defeated by your enemies, ⁴³ for the Amalekites and the Canaanites will face you there. Because you have turned away from the Lord, he will not be with you and you will fall by the sword.”

⁴⁴ Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up toward the highest point in the hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the Lord’s covenant moved from the camp. ⁴⁵ Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and attacked them and beat them down all the way to Hormah.

Gospel Rendering: The Israelites didn’t simply remain stagnant for 40 years. They did not sit trembling in fear for 40 years. No. God very quickly stripped them of the chance to enter. That alone should tell you that this story is deeper than fear. And when you’re pointing it to the Gospel, you can see that.

What is God’s promise to Believers, today? The good news, Gospel of Jesus, is that the souls of those who believe in Jesus are saved. Our sins have been forgiven and so we will get to spend eternity in Heaven; where there will be no more pain, sickness or suffering. We are spared from having to experience the wrath of God. While we are here on earth, we won’t be perfect, but we will be led by the Holy Spirit and we will be a light. That is the overarching promise of the Lord our God.

And what the Lord showed me is how Numbers 14 parallels the way in which the Trinity operates today:

God delivered His plans, promises and instructions to the Israelites, through Moses. After Moses sent out his men to spy on the land, Joshua and Caleb returned with a good report that echoed everything Moses previously explained. Unfortunately, the people rejected the testimony and that generation could not enter the Promised Land. When they tried to enter the Promised Land on their own terms, Scripture tells us that neither Moses nor God were with them.

God the Father has laid out His plans and promises for us, through Jesus; through the Word. Jesus exposited all of Scripture and left us with His commands during his earthly ministry. After Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, He sent the Advocate, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit testifies about the good news of Jesus Christ and about the truth of His words. If we reject the testimony of the Holy Spirit, we reject Christ and we reject the Father. If we reject the Holy Spirit, there is no way that we can be saved.

Let me just say: Throughout my life, reading Scripture has helped me as I’ve gone through breakups, or when I’ve struggled financially. It’s helped me when I was praying over a job, or when I was preparing to make a big decision. It’s helped me in traumatic times and it’s guided me through complex situations. Of course, God wants us to seek Him in all these things.

But, as I’ve said elsewhere on this site: We are to seek first the Kingdom of God. Not: Seek first the answer to our problems.

God wants us to keep our eyes on the promise, which is that we will one day spend eternity with Him in Heaven. Everything else that we do should flow out of that desire. We should be perpetually dedicated to learning God’s character; deepening our knowledge of what He loves and what He hates. We should be holding our decisions up against the Word to see if the two are in alignment.

We should be realizing that we do have agency. Yes, we have the Word which never changes. Yes, we have the Holy Spirit guiding us in a very personal and comforting way. Yes, we need to be in prayer over everything! But once all is said and done, we have agency and we need to use it. We are to integrate what we know of God’s will into our decision-making. You can spend your life leaning on signs and feelings, but the only way to know if you are being led by the One True God is to get to know the One True God.

Scripture needs to point to the Gospel.

The Gospel will always center around God’s mighty plan: salvation through Jesus Christ’s finished work on the cross.

That is the promise.

Without belief in Jesus Christ, you do not have salvation.

The simple emotion of fear, alone, is not what keeps you from salvation. If the Father is drawing you, the Holy Spirit will testify to the truth of the Gospel of Jesus.

The only thing that can keep you from the promise is by rejecting the testimony of the Holy Spirit. Ask God to soften your hardened heart. To make you receptive to the truth of His Glory. (If you are already saved, pray that He does so for your loved ones.)

If you are being called to give your life to Jesus, do not delay!