Puasa sareng doa kalebet dina kahirupan urang Kristen. Sanajan kitu, aya teu loba Kristen, anu rutin puasa. Ieu utamana alatan doktrin salah ngeunaan puasa. Kusabab doktrin palsu, loba urang Kristen boga persepsi salah naon puasa téh. Naon Alkitab nyebutkeun ngeunaan puasa dina Covenant Anyar jeung significance jeung tujuan puasa dina kahirupan urang Kristen?
Naon ceuk Yesus ngeunaan puasa?
Dina Mateus 9:16 Yesus nyarioskeun ngeunaan puasa ka murid-murid Yohanes, Waktu maranéhna nanya ka Yésus naha maranéhna jeung urang Parisi kudu puasa tapi murid-murid-Na henteu. Yesus ngawaler murid-murid Yohanes, anu salami Anjeunna (panganten lalaki) bakal sareng aranjeunna, Murid-muridna henteu kedah puasa. Tapi nalika Yesus bakal indit ti aranjeunna, mangka murid-murid-Na oge kudu puasa.
Lajeng murid-murid Yohanes sumping ka Anjeunna, nyebutkeun, Naha urang jeung urang Parisi sering puasa, tapi murid-murid anjeun henteu puasa? Jeung Yesus ceuk maranehna, Tiasa murangkalih panganten pameget, salami pangantenna aya sareng aranjeunna? Tapi poé bakal datang, lamun panganten lalaki bakal dicokot ti aranjeunna, terus kudu puasa. Moal aya nu nahan salembar kaen anyar kana pakean kolot, sabab nu diasupkeun kana eusian eta nyokot tina pakean, sareng nyéwa janten langkung parah. Kitu ogé lalaki teu nyimpen anggur anyar kana botol heubeul: lain botolna peupeus, jeung anggur runneth kaluar, jeung botol binasa: tapi anggur anyar disimpen dina botol anyar, sarta duanana dilestarikan(Mateus 9:16-17)
ceuk Yesus, supaya teu aya nu nahan salembar kaen anyar kana pakean kolot, pikeun nu diasupkeun kana eusian eta nyokot tina pakean, sareng nyéwa janten langkung parah.
Yésus ogé ngomong yén lalaki teu nyimpen anggur anyar kana botol heubeul. Sabab lain botol-botolna peupeus jeung anggurna béak jeung botol-botolna binasa. Tapi aranjeunna nempatkeun anggur anyar kana botol anyar jeung duanana dilestarikan.
Ngan lamun hiji jalma repents jeung maot ka daging jeung jadi lahir deui di Kristus jeung jadi a kreasi anyar, Roh Suci bisa datang, cicing, jeung gawé di hiji jalma.
Roh Suci teu bisa datang kana kahirupan lalaki heubeul (lalaki unregenerate, anu milik generasi ciptaan heubeul).
Ku sabab kitu hiji jalma kudu dilahirkeun deui dina Kristus; dilahirkeun tina cai jeung tina Roh Sanggeus hiji jalma jadi lahir deui jeung asup ka Karajaan Allah, puasa jeung solat maénkeun peran penting.
Naha anjeun henteu kedah puasa sabab Roh Suci aya dina anjeun?
Seueur urang Kristen, kaasup da'i, ngomong, yén anjeun teu kedah puasa deui, sabab Roh Suci dwells di anjeun. Ku sabab kitu Yesus (panganten lalaki) aya dina anjeun. Maranéhanana ngomong, yén murid-murid ngan ukur kedah puasa salami waktos Yesus naék ka Sawarga sarta Roh Suci lungsur. Tapi éta leres?
Nalika Yesus dibaptis ku Roh Suci, Anjeunna dipingpin ku Roh ka gurun, dimana Anjeunna puasa pikeun 40 poé. Upami éta leres yén ciptaan énggal henteu kedah puasa, naha Yesus puasa?
Naha Yesus’ murid puasa sanggeus maranéhanana dibaptis jeung Roh Suci? (Lalakon 14:23)
Di 1 urang Korinta 7:5, Paul wrote ngeunaan puasa ka para wali di Kristus, saha éta ciptaan anyar. Upami puasa sanés bagian tina kahirupan Kristen, naha Paulus nulis ngeunaan puasa? Naha murid-murid puasa?
Naon alesan anu salah pikeun puasa?
Aya seueur alesan anu salah pikeun puasa. Anjeun teu kedah puasa pikeun diberkahan sareng nampi hal-hal ti Gusti atanapi ngalaksanakeun hal-hal ku Gusti. Anjeun teu kedah puasa pikeun kakuatan, nyageurkeun, terobosan, pasangan, artos, material things, destroying strongholds, jsb. Because that means that you starve yourself and force God to get your way and get something from God or to get things done.
But that is not what fasting is meant for according to the Bible. Fasting is not meant to get (material) things or to get something from God. Emut, Anjeun linggih di Kristus. God has already blessed you with every spiritual blessing di tempat mansa. And you certainly don’t have to fast for money or material things.
Many Christians fast for material things and many times they receive the things they fast for. But they forget that the devil can also do wonders. (Baca ogé: Abdi bakal masihan anjeun kabeungharan dunya).
If you fast for material things and bless your flesh to fulfill the lusts and desires of your flesh, then your flesh has not died in Christ and you don’t know the Kingdom of God. You focus on the carnal things of this world instead of the spiritual things of the Kingdom of God and manifesting the Kingdom of God on earth.
Do you need to fast to cast out demons?
No, you do not need to fast to cast out demons. Fasting is not meant to cast out demons or heal the sick. You cast out demons and heal the sick by faith in the Name of Jesus Christ (dina otoritas na).
Many people refer to Matthew 17:21. Dina Mateus 17:21 the disciples were not able to cast out a demon and deliver the child. But if we look at the previous Bible verse Matthew 17:20 we read the real reason, why Jesus’ disciples were not able to cast out this demon. It was due to their unbelief. Because of their unbelief, the disciples couldn’t cast the demon out, and not because they didn’t pray and/or fast enough.
If Jesus really referred with ‘this kind’ to the demon, then Jesus would contradict His own words in Matthew 9:15. Dina Mateus 9:15, Jesus said to the disciples of John that His disciples didn’t need to fast because the Bridegroom was with them.
And then there is another thing, namely that demons are one kind; Malaikat gugur. One demon can be more stubborn than the other demon and they can have different appearances and manifestations. But demons are fallen angels. They are of the same kind.
Therefore with ‘this kind’, Jesus didn’t refer to the demon, who held the child in bondage. I will tell you in a minute, what Jesus really was referring to with ‘this kind’. But first, let’s have a look at what the word fasting means.
What does fasting mean?
Fasting means not eating. Sometimes people fast by skipping one meal, or snacks, or people fast by not watching television or putting away their mobile phone or tablet for a few hours. But that’s not what fasting is about.
Skipping a meal, or a snack, or not watching television, or putting away your mobile phone or table for a few hours is not fasting. People can invent all sorts of methods of fasting, but the truth is that fasting means not eating.
What is fasting according to the Bible?
“Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?” (Yesaya 58:6)
God spoke these words to His people, who were still the old creation and bound by their flesh.
Di Perjangjian Old, we read many times about people, who fasted, because of their evil deeds; dosa maranéhanana, jeung iniquities.
They repented of their actions and humbled their soul for the Lord through fasting.
Through means of fasting they ‘punished’ their flesh, for what they and/or their ancestors, had done. They repented and asked, and sought forgiveness of the Lord.
By fasting, they mourned, humbled themselves, and repented, and turned back to God.
By fasting, they loosed the bands of wickedness, in which they were taken captive, and undone the burdens. They were freed, because they broke every yoke that was upon them, because of their sin and iniquity.
Why did David fast?
David fasted after he committed adultery with Bathsheba and killed her husband Uriah. When Bathsheba was expecting his child, Nathan went to David and told Him that because of what he had done, the Lord would take his son.
When David heard the words of Nathan, David humbled his soul with fasting for the Lord. David hoped that through fasting, he had ‘punished’ his flesh (chastened his soul) sufficiently and that the Lord would spare his son and live. But the Lord punished David for his adultery and murder. David’s adultery and murder cost him his son (2 Sajiel 12:1-23).
I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayers returned into mine own bosom (Psalm 35:13)
When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach (Psalm 69:10)
My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness (Psalm 109:24)
In the Book of Nehemiah (Nehemiah 9:1) and Esther (Esther 4:3), we also read about fasting.
Should Christians fast?
Sumuhun, Christians should fast. Lamun anjeun jadi lahir deui di Kristus, you have become a new creation in Christ in the spiritual realm with the Holy Spirit dwelling in you. The old you has passed away and doesn’t exist anymore. A new life after the Spirit has come.
Although you have become a new creation in the spiritual realm, in the natural realm many times the flesh still reigns as king dina kahirupan anjeun.
Therefore it’s time for the prosés sundection, which is the transformation in the flesh to become like Jesus and walk after the Spirit. The transformation means that your spirit takes over and reigns in your life. It means that you lay down the works of the flesh and put off the old man and put on the new man. Jadina, you will continuously be led by the Spirit and walk holy and righteous before the Lord.
Ieu, ku sabab eta, time to fast. Fasting means ‘killing’ your flesh. When you fast, you make your flesh subject to the spirit. Your spirit shall become strong and shall reign over your flesh.
Why did Jesus fast for 40 poé?
Jesus is the Firstborn of the new creation and our example. Therefore let’s look at Jesus and how He made His flesh completely submissive to the Spirit.
When Jesus was baptized in water and received the Holy Spirit from the Father, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. The purpose of the wilderness was to make His flesh submissive to the Spirit. Jadina, during Jesus’ kementerian, the flesh wouldn’t play any role anymore but would be submissive to the Spirit.
During those 40 poé, Jesus was being prepared for the task that God gave Jesus to accomplish on earth. Through fasting and prayer, Jesus killed His flesh and His Spirit became strong and reigned over His flesh. Now Jesus could walk fully after the Spirit.
During those 40 poé, the devil tempted Jesus constantly. But Jesus didn’t give in to the temptations of the devil.
Kapan 40 days came to an end, Jesus was almost ready to go and preach and bring the Kingdom of God to the people of Israel. The only thing Jesus had to do, was to pass the final test.
God didn’t prevent this test from happening. God could have, but God allowed the devil to test Jesus
Jesus was tested by the devil
Sanggeus 40 poé, Yesus’ flesh became hungry (just like any other human being). At this moment of weakness, Yesus’ adversary; the devil came and tried to tempt Jesus to sin. How did the devil tempt Jesus? By using the words of God and His position to still His carnal hunger.
The devil tried to tempt Jesus by twisting the Word of God. So that Jesus would give into the craving of His flesh and obey His flesh.
If Jesus had done what the devil suggested, then Jesus would have given into the flesh. Daging, which is the territory, where the devil works, would have gotten the victory. The devil would reign as king in His life and the Spirit would be subjected to the flesh and the devil.
But Jesus resisted the devil with the Word of God, ku cara ngagunakeun firman Allah dina konteks anu bener.
Then the devil tempted Jesus again, by proving who Jesus was. But Jesus resisted the devil again with the Word.
Tungtungna, the devil tried to tempt Jesus, by showing Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and offering the kingdoms to Him.
The only thing Jesus had to do, was to bow down and worship the devil. But Jesus didn’t give into the lusts and desires of the flesh and resisted the devil with the Word. Jesus commanded the devil to go, and the devil left Jesus alone, samentawis
Jesus passed the test. The Spirit had full reign in Jesus’ hirup. Then the angels came and ministered to Jesus.
Sanajan Yesus éta (sareng) putra Allah, Jesus fasted regularly. Prayer and fasting were part of Jesus’ hirup.
What is the purpose of fasting in the New Testament?
Nalika anjeun lahir deui, the flesh can still play a major role in your life. Di awal, you can still be carnally oriented and led and ruled by your senses, émosi, parasaan, pikiran, bakal, birahi, kahayang, jsb. instead of being spiritually oriented and led by the Word and the Spirit. Instead of seeking those things, anu di luhur, you seek those things which are on earth.
But if you want to grow up into the image of Jesus Christ and walk as a new creation after the Spirit, then you have to change your life.
If you don’t change your life, then you will always stay a baby. Babies can’t walk and talk, but they only cry and scream if they need something, don’t get attention, something bothers them, or if they don’t get their way. Babies only want to eat, nginum, sleep, and be pampered.
Lamun anjeun geus narima Roh Suci, ngaliwatan baptisan jeung Roh Suci, then you have received everything you need to walk as a son of God (Ieu manglaku pikeun lalaki sareng bikang).
The only thing that stands in your way is your flesh, your carnal mind, and your unbelief (anu aya dina daging).
Jesus fasted before He began His ministry and walked after the Spirit. If you want to walk after the Spirit and do what Jesus did, then you also have to live like Jesus lived and do, naon anu dilakukeun ku Yesus.
Fasting means killing your flesh; lalaki yaman
When you fast, you make your flesh submissive and you ‘kill’ your flesh, by not eating. Fasting means ‘killing’ your flesh so that your flesh (awak sareng jiwa) becomes submissive to the Spirit.
When you fast, you don’t feed your flesh anymore. Kusabab éta, you silence your flesh. When you feed your spirit, kalawan Firman Allah, bongan, and speaking in tongues, your spirit becomes strong.
Therefore fasting definitely belongs in the lives of Christians.
If Christians never fast and live like the world, but prophecy and do signs and wonders, Anjeun kudu serius nanya ka diri, if they do these works from the Spirit or the flesh.
Fortune-tellers also prophecy over people’s lives and the future for money. And a lot of those prophecies come to pass. And what about illusionists, tukang sihir, lalaki ubar, jsb. They also do signs, mujijat, kaajaiban, and healings. But they do these signs and wonders out of the flesh and the spirits of darkness empower them.
ceuk Yesus, that in the last poé, many false prophets and false Christs shall come, who will perform great, tanda jeung kaajaiban, and deceive many. They’ll do such great signs and wonders, insomuch anu, Upami éta mungkin, aranjeunna bakal nipu pisan milih (Mateus 24, Tandaan 13).
Therefore it’s important not to focus on signs and wonders, they’re just side issues. You must focus on Jesus Christ; the Word of God and keep His commandments and walk after the Spirit. (Baca ogé: Nuturkeun Yesus pikeun tanda sareng keajaiban)
Ngan ngaliwatan Firman, you will be able to discern the truth from the lie and what is real (what is from God), sareng naon anu salah (what is from the devil), and stay faithful to God. (Baca ogé: A counterfeit Jesus produces counterfeit christians).
What is the power of fasting and prayer in the lives of Christians?
The adversary works through the flesh, that is his territory. Therefore it is important to silence and ‘kill’ the flesh. The only way to do that is through fasting and prayer.
Jesus told His disciples “Tapi jenis ieu teu kaluar tapi ku solat jeung puasa” (Mateus 17:21, Tandaan 9:29)
When Jesus said, ‘this kind’, Jesus wasn’t referring to the demon. But Jesus was referring to the generation of the old creation. Jesus referred to the old man, who is carnal and trapped in his sinful nature and his unbelief. The old man walks after the flesh and led his senses. The only way to kill this old carnal man is through prayer and fasting.
When you also renew your mind with the Bible (Kecap Gusti) sareng janten weer kecap, anjeun bakal ngagem lalaki anyar. You shall grow up into a mature son of God. And you shall walk after the Spirit and bear the fruit of the Spirit.
You will represent, ngahutbah, and bring the Kingdom of God to this earth; ka rahayat, without the flesh interfering. You will walk after the Spirit and fulfill Rencana Allah pikeun hirup anjeun, ku kituna Anjeunna bakal Maha Agung.
'Janten uyah bumi’
