Guaranteed Promises

As believers we are told one thing that we often overlook; it is that we have been given a guarantee in the form of the Holy Spirit when we accept Jesus Christ for salvation.

²¹ It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, ²² and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 (NLT)

This gift we have received is provided so that we can come to know Christ better and to work in accordance to His will. The Holy Spirit in us is evidence of our relationship to Christ and allows us to show love that is beyond our own personal abilities. However, the first thing we need to understand is what the primary goal of the Holy Spirit really is and that is best explained by this sentence from Wayne Grudem.

“The work of the Holy Spirit is to manifest the active presence of God in the world, and especially the church.” I add one portion to this and that is in the life of the believer.  

This idea is simple everything that goes on in and around the church should bring glory to God. For this to occur it must be done under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The same thing can be said for the Christian who desires to live a righteous life; it cannot be done separate from the working of the Holy Spirit in their lives. As I looked for examples of this I realized that not everyone is walking at the same pace so what might be considered sinful by one person the other has not yet reached a point in which the Holy Spirit has revealed or convicted them of it as something that is sinful. I know some will not agree with me on that but in my own life it has been my personal experience. Paul also talks of this condition as he writes to the Romans;

⁷ Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.” ⁸ But sin used this command to arouse all kinds of covetous desires within me! If there were no law, sin would not have that power.⁹ At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life, ¹⁰ and I died. So I discovered that the law’s commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead. Romans 7:7-10 (NLT)

As you can see Paul recognized the fact that for many of us we do not understand what we are doing is sinful until we are confronted by it either through God’s Word or His Holy Spirit convicting us of it. For many people today even some who call Jesus Lord; they do not know or trust God’s Word enough to allow it to penetrate to their heart and mind showing them their sin. Instead the live by the old saying, “Ignorance is Bliss” there by denying the opportunity to grow closer to God. Too many Christians today are comfortable with just getting by and in the meantime are missing out on what God really called them to do.

In allowing God’s Word to penetrate beyond the surface of our lives He empowers us for service not only to Him but to one another. I pray that today you will spend time in God’s Word asking him to show you that sin that you have hidden away that is keeping you from the promises he has guaranteed to each of us through the Holy Spirit.  Have a Blessed Day.

 

The Word of Salvation

Do we understand how we come to salvation in Christ Jesus? Depending on your personal convictions and your level of understanding about the conflicting theologies that have penetrated Christianity you might believe that salvation comes from having faith in Jesus alone as Luther taught that only through faith can we come to Christ and salvation. The other alternative is to look at it from Calvin’s view of election that and the concept of TULIP that he taught his followers. However, if you look at John 6:44-45 Jesus explains to the disciples what is required for salvation.  

44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— John 6:44-45 (ESV)

For us to learn and be taught about Jesus we must be spending time in God’s word. We understand from John that:

“‘1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God’ John 1:1 (ESV).”

So the more time we spend in God’s word the more we will understand who God is. As we understand scripture we see everything was created as God spoke it into existence.

Paul reinforces this idea as he tells the Romans that:

“¹⁷So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Romans 10:17 (ESV)”

Every day as we walk in the light of God’s Word we understand that God is drawing us to salvation, justification, sanctification in His Son Jesus. We see that that drawing comes from the teaching of God’s word to those we meet and then the application of it into our lives. So the question for you today is how much time are you currently spending in God’s word and hoe much influence does it have on your life. When your use of scripture in your life flows into every area of your life it will impact all those who you come in contact with. Much of what we learn in life is trickled down from those we associate with. The truth is what we allow in then flows out in our actions, word and deeds. This is understood because we all have influence on the people around us the question is what type of influence it will be. Does Jesus flow out of you or does the world?  Be blessed as you walk in the light of God’s Word.

Puzzled

As Paul was sitting in a prison waiting on the emperor to decide his fate he wrote many of his letters to the churches. The one that I have been reading this week is to the Philippians this morning as I was reading the passage that struck me deals with the striving in Christ. It is found in Philippians 1:27;

“27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,” Philippians 1:27 (ESV)

You know within the church today there is no longer a strong sense of unity. As we look around on Sunday mornings we often see the individual who comes in the back door and takes their seat and as soon as the pastor says Amen they walk back out and leave the church without a second though till their next appointed time. I have to ask do you believe those individuals are striving side by side with a heart for what God has called his church too. Often while faithful on Sunday morning they have no more connection to the work of the church than the CEO (Christmas Easter and Other special occasions) Christians that we see a few times a year.

Personally I believe when we experience church in this manner we are missing out on some of the most beneficial parts of why we are members of a local church to begin with. We read throughout scripture the importance of being like-minded and living in one accord;

10 I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. 1 Corinthians 1:10 (NLT)

I guess the question becomes do we have enough of an understanding of who Jesus is and what he has called us to; as to live lives worthy of the calling and salvation we have received. Today does the church you serve in have a singular purpose? Do you know what that purpose is and are you living in accord with it or are you doing your own thing making your own path to righteousness. Paul gave the Christians at Corinth an instruction at the end of his first letter to them and I believe it is appropriate for us today.

13 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done in love. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (ESV)

Each of us has a part to play in the local church body. Just like a puzzle with many pieces without all the pieces the puzzle is incomplete. However, when all the pieces are joined together as designed by the creator of the puzzle it reveals a beautiful picture with a specific purpose. If for some reason you find yourself feeling like an outsider; maybe it is because you are in the wrong puzzle. However, I want you to know something that I have found to be true you only get out of life what you are willing to put into it. The church is no different are you living worthy of your calling today? I pray that if not than you will begin to as you walk in the light of God’s Word.