THE WALLS OF OUR LIVES
God appears to reference the walls of our lives frequently in His Word. One of my cherished scriptures is found in Isaiah below:
“Can a woman forget her nursing child and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me. Your builders hurry; Your destroyers and devastators Will depart from you.” Isaiah 49:15-17
Before we move on, let’s contemplate this passage a bit. First, God cares so much about our lives that He inscribes our names on the palms of His hands. He puts Himself, God the Father, as the primary Parent figure in our lives. Secondly, He sees that the walls of our lives are just as important as those of Jerusalem.
By this point in our study, we should understand how important it is to keep the walls of Jerusalem repaired and strong. In this, God sends Nehemiah to conduct his business rebuilding the most important walls in the world.
The walls of our lives often lie in ruins through neglect, rebellion, and ignorance. Without question, the Leader ordained in our lives is none other than the Holy Spirit through the indwelling life of Jesus Christ. The Spirit accomplishes the Lord’s mission through the continuing work of reconstructing His protective walls from the inside out. The Spirit first brings our attention to the condition of our walls. While most of us are ignorant of hearing the voice of God from within, others simply dig in deep and rebel.
FACING THE FACTS
Most Christians today live with the walls of their lives surrounded by ruin, and it all began with a slow fade. Few Christians are taught how to discern the voice of the Spirit from their self-life. Others protest the mandates of God to remain secure within His boundaries. It all starts with a crack—a particular sin or bitterness that begins to rule one’s life. After the daily abuse from life itself, the crack turns into a hole, which creates a perfect opportunity for the enemy to enter. Satan then sends one of his demons, who gains access by creating a spiritual stronghold. Suppose further neglect becomes the norm for this believer. In that case, the weeds of carnal thinking align with the enemy’s thoughts and ideations, resulting from hearing the enemy's voice over the indwelling Spirit. Now idolatry is formed. The enemy not only gains access into your life but is assured that the believer hears his voice, which many labels as the voice of God. In this, Satan assaults the Living God, and the believer begins living by demonic doctrines.
You may be known for being a good Christian, but that does not guarantee you are one. People who follow Christian principles are not necessarily authentic believers indwelt by the Life of Christ. According to Revelation chapter three, these so-called believers put Satan’s words in God’s mouth, and thus, why Jesus must spit them out of His mouth.
The parallel is simple: most Jews during Nehemiah’s leadership were pure-bloodline Jews; however, few practiced Judaism. To make them authentic obedient Jews, the two must join as one force. The same is true about Christianity; believers must not only claim Christianity but also fulfill the second most important doctrine: be born-again and filled with the Holy Spirit.
DO AN INVENTORY
Before Nehemiah started rebuilding, he evaluated the wall and did an inventory of its condition. Conduct an inventory of your actual condition, including whether you are authentically born-again by and through Jesus Christ.
Many Christians tend to make light of the mandates of God. As our norm proves today, many hide behind the bush of Grace. Paul once said, “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” Then he went on to say, “May it never be!” Sadly, we live in a church culture where Paul’s fear has become the norm. Today, grace is used as a license to tear down the walls of God while worshipping the gods of Babylon. When caught, each one hides behind the rationalization that “we are all sinners” and “I am better than I used to be.” If this is your mindset, the enemy is living in your camp; your walls are down. Listen to the full podcast…
Narrator | Dr. Stephen Phinney
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Nehemiah: Rebuilding Your Walls