God’s Chosen Fast Is Spiritual, Not Physical

It is not denying yourself of earthly food.

The fast that God has chosen is not one of physical abstinence from food, but of spiritual abstinence from falsehoods. In Isaiah 58, Yahweh defines His kind of fast, emphasizing the rejection of false doctrines and the corrupt influences of the world.

By turning away from false teachings, He has promised us power to “loose the bands of wickedness” and “undo the heavy burdens” (v. 6). This spiritual fast grants us divine strength as we align our thoughts and actions with the mind of Christ. He is an invisible Spirit. “And they that worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). This includes fasting.

Yahweh calls on His people to avoid consuming the tainted spiritual bread of insincerity, wickedness, and falsehoods. Unlike literal bread, this sustenance represents the invisible, harmful spiritual nourishment that corrupts the soul. God’s fast is a call to purity and truth, inviting us to seek His guidance and embody His teachings in our lives.

It is natural to think “fasting from food.” But that is the point. Yahweh’s fast is not natural but spiritual. His fast is not earthly but spiritual. It is performed in our hearts and minds.

When we hear the word “fasting,” we always think of abstaining from food. But Yahweh’s fast is abstaining from spiritual things like false precepts, false doctrines, and false concepts about Christ and His plan and purpose.

Fasting under Old Covenant and New Covenant

Fasting from earthly food aligns with the Old Covenant, which was an agreement with God using earthly, physical types and shadows.

However, we now live in the New Covenant, and the fast Christ has called us to is in an invisible, spiritual realm. In that realm, Christ is everything, and we are a part of Him; we are members of His spiritual body.

The New Covenant is a spiritual witness and enactment of the Spirit of Christ working in us. Instead of a physical type, we have a spiritual reality in Christ.

Spiritual fasting involves refraining from consuming the ‘bread’ of false doctrines and misleading teachings. To fast spiritually is to reject and distance oneself from doctrines that are untrue or harmful.

We have come a long way; we love Christ, for He has saved us from our sins (Romans 6). But we are not in the growth of the early apostles; we have faults and shortcomings. These things are to be abstained from in a spiritual fast.

You may ask, “What things must I repent of to bear 100-fold fruit?” You must “examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? (II Cor. 13:5).

[Next time the Spirit of truth will show us an example of spiritual fasting in the Last Church Age. It is what we are to repent of, in order to be invited by Christ to sit with Him on His throne. The ball is up in the air. The time of the end contest is upon us. Who of us will leap up and learn from the Spirit’s teaching. I said “us.” Who of us will answer the “high calling”? Who will bear 100-fold fruit, as in the Parable of the Sower? Who will “rule over ten cities” during His 1,000 year reign right here on earth? Who will stop playing church and be the church, which is His body? The Spirit is asking us, Who will help me? Who will be my yokefellow?

He is rooting for us. Christ already sees us as His mighty men and women of valor. We need His eye salve to see the same thing that He sees. God bless all of you with His grace and mercy as you go through the spiritual life cycle, bearing 30, 60, and 100-fold fruit. {Read more here: parable sower | Search Results | Immortality Road If this resonates with your spirit, please make a comment and share this article with just one person on your email list. We need to reach out and feed His lambs and sheep, to show Christ that we love Him (John 21:15-17). Study it out.]   Kenneth Wayne Hancock