The Christian Life: Christians and the Law (4)

There are three wonderful uses of the Law in the lives of believers (and society at large):

First, the Law Drives Sinners to Christ for Grace.  As the Law reveals the holiness of God and the sinfulness of sinners, when a person is convicted by the Holy Spirit of his sinfulness before a holy God and is regenerated by the Holy Spirit, he will flee to Christ for grace.  This is why the Law must be preached evangelistically.  No one will run to Christ for grace if he does not first understand that, before a holy God, he is sinful, headed for judgment, and worthy of wrath [1].

Second, the Law Restrains Evil.  Because the Law has no power to change sinful hearts, some might argue that it has no power to restrain evil in society.  Although the Law and its threat of punishment for wrongdoing might not be the most noble reason to refrain from doing evil, the fear of punishment does keep some individuals from doing what they might otherwise do if it were not for the Law.  This is called God’s “restraining grace.”

Third, the Law Reveals God’s Holiness.  Paul states this point clearly in Romans 7:12.  The Law reveals God’s standards of holiness for mankind.  Even if a person could obey God’s Law perfectly, it would not make him sinless or innocent before God, since people not only commit sin but are born with a sinful nature (original sin).  In the lives of Christians, however, the Law reveals the principles of holiness by which believers are to live—not to earn salvation, but out of gratitude for having been saved by God’s grace alone, received through faith alone, in Christ alone, for the glory of God alone!

Footnote:
[1] One of the key reasons people do not understand the sinfulness of sin is that they do not understand the holiness of God.  Knowing God’s holiness instantly makes one aware of sin.  (See Isaiah 6:1-5.)

The Christian Life: Christians and the Law (3)

Although Christians are no longer under the condemnation of the Law, in what ways are believers still to embrace, rather than discard God’s Law? 

There are three aspects of God’s Law:

God’s Ceremonial Law.  This is the aspect of God’s Law that regulated the worship under the Old Covenant.  This aspect is no longer applicable since the Jewish religion (based on temples, priests, and sacrifices) ended in 70 AD, when the temple was demolished by the Romans.  All of the ceremonial law looked forward to and was fulfilled by Christ.

God’s Civil Law.  This is the aspect of God’s Law that regulated the civil government of ancient Israel. Ancient Israel no longer exists, and even if it did, we are not citizens of ancient Israel. The civil laws of ancient Israel are not the laws of modern, secular Israel either. Therefore, the ancient civil law is no longer applicable.

God’s Moral Law.  This is the aspect of God’s Law that addresses morality and ethics, which are timeless and not limited to ethic Jews, but are applicable to all people throughout time. Do not miss that there are moral principles found in both the ceremonial law and civil law for ancient Israel.

To summarize the Christian responsibility to these aspects of God’s Law: 

• Believers are no longer obligated to keep the ceremonial law because Old Covenant worship has been fulfilled by Christ (Colossians 2:16-17).

• Believers are no longer obligated to keep the civil law because the ancient nation of Israel no longer exists.

• Believers are very much obligated to keep God’s timeless moral law, particularly all ten of the Ten Commandments, which is a summary of the moral law of God.  This is true also of the moral principles found within the ceremonial and civil laws.  

But do not miss this: Christians do not keep any law for salvation, but out of gratitude for already being saved by grace alone, received through faith alone, in Christ alone, for the glory of God alone!

Next time we’ll consider the three uses of God’s Law in our lives.

The Christian Life: Christians and the Law (2)

So why does the Bible say New Testament (NT) believers “are not under the law” (Romans 5:18, and 6:14-15)?   This is an all-important question!

Jesus taught that He did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill the Law (Matthew 5:17-19).

Matthew 5:17-19 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus fulfilled the Law in at least two ways: 

First, He obeyed the Law perfectly—something that no one else ever has done, can do, or will ever do.  This was necessary because a law-breaker cannot atone for other law-breakers.  Jesus was not only sinless, He had to be our Savior.

Second, He fulfilled the Law in that everything in the Law (and indeed the entire Old Testament) points to and is about Jesus. Jesus not only fulfilled the Law, He IS the fulfillment of the Law!

Note also in Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:18 that the Law will not be done away with until heaven and earth pass away when the new heaven and earth (Revelation 21-22) are established. Since that has not happened in this present age, the Law still stands.

Jesus also announced the error of teaching that the Law (when used properly) is no longer valid (v.19).

So in what way are the redeemed not under the Law? We are no longer under the condemnation of the Law. Why? Not because we are sinless, but because we are justified, or declared by God to be forgiven. Praise God the redeemed are not under the condemnation of the Law since Jesus took our condemnation and gave us His righteousness.

Although Christians are no longer under the condemnation of the Law, in what ways are believers still to embrace rather than discard God’s Law? 

Next time.

The Christian Life: Christians and the Law (1)

“I’m not under the law, I’m under grace!” So say many believers who do not understand what those words mean. Though those word are partially true, they are not the whole story. Understood as though they convey the whole truth, they convey untruth. Here is a brief consideration of the rest of the story.

Were Old Testament (OT) believers saved by keeping the law? No. Galatians 3:11 and Romans 3:19-20 make this crystal clear.

Galatians 3:11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for "The righteous shall live by faith."

Romans 3:19-20 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

The OT law was never intended to be a means of salvation. On the contrary, the law’s primary function is to condemn sinners by revealing God’s standard of perfection, which no one can ever meet, thereby condemning sinners, rather than saving them.

How then were OT believers saved? By faith, trusting in God to do for them what they were not able to do for themselves, namely to graciously forgive. OT believers believed God’s promise of a Savior who was yet to come. NT believers know that Jesus is that Savior who actually paid for the sins committed by every believer, both OT and NT.

Rom 8:3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do.

So why does the Bible say New Testament (NT) believers are not under the law (Galatians 5:18 and Romans 6:14-15)?   We’ll consider that next time.

The Christian Life: Temptation, Sin, Confession, Forgiveness, and Restoration (3)

We are all tempted. We all fail in our struggle with temptation—not always, but sometimes. When we sin, the indwelling Holy Spirit convicts us, which results in contrition, confession, and repentance. What is next?

Forgiveness and Restoration. All of the sins of all who trust in Christ alone for salvation are forgiven judicially at the time of conversion.  Practically and experientially, however, believers experience the forgiveness of their sins when we confess and repent of them (Psalm 103:12, Isaiah 38:17).  When confession and repentance take place, God not only forgives, but the Holy Spirit also cleanses His people from unrighteousness—including the guilt of forgiven sin (1 John 1:8-9).  God is so gracious that He forgives those who confess and repent, even if we confess and repent of the same sins over and over again.  That God is forgiving is by no means an endorsement, an encouragement, or an excuse to continue in sin (Romans 6:1-2). As we grow in sanctification, we ought to be growing in victory over temptation and sin!

One great aspect of forgiveness and restoration is that God removes our sins as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12), and He places our sins behind His back (Psalm 38:17), where He remembers them no more (Isaiah 43:25). He will never throw our sins back in our faces because forgiveness and restoration from God is complete, irrevocable, and forever.

Though we must not dwell on past sins once forgiven, let us remember our sins enough to (1) glory in God’s gracious forgiveness, and (2) become more victorious in our war against sin!

For a longer list of how completely and wonderfully God deals with the sins committed by the redeemed, check this out!

The Christian Life: Temptation, Sin, Confession, and Restoration (2)

Last time we considered temptation and sin. Because we are not 100% successful in our battles with temptation, we sin. What then? We were reminded last time that believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit who convicts us of our sin. Conviction, when acted upon, produces contrition, confession and repentance. Let’s consider these.

Contrition is heartfelt sorrow for sin (2 Corinthians 7:10). Because believers love the Lord (1 Corinthians 16:22), we not only know our sin is wrong, we know that our sin is always, ultimately against the God who loves us (Psalm 51:4). Christians are not merely sorry that we have been caught and may experience consequences for our sin, our hearts are broken for having sinned against God! This “godly sorrow” leads to confession and repentance.

Confession and Repentance.  When we sin, our first inclination is often to try to hide from God as Adam and Eve did in Eden (Genesis 3). But let us rather be encouraged to confess our sin. God assures us in 2 John 1:8-9 that when we confess our sins, God has pledged to “forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Think of it this way: God is more eager to forgive and cleanse us than we are to simply confess our sins to Him. What a great encouragement that is!

God’s remedy for sin is His forgiveness, which we receive when we confess our sins and repent of them (1 John 1:9, Proverbs 28:13).  Confession means to agree with God about our sin (it is wrong and it has to go!).  Repentance means to change our minds about, and turn away from sin. 

Yes, all of our sins were paid for by Jesus when He died on the cross.  But we experience the freshness of His forgiveness when, as often as we sin, we confess and repent.

Why do believers confess their sins and repent?  Again, not because we are so good, but because the Holy Spirit is so good to convict us!

Next time a few thoughts about forgiveness and restoration.

The Christian Life: Temptation, Sin, and Forgiveness (1)

Even though the Redeemed are saved, forgiven, and given new hearts and affections, a measure of corruption remains. Want proof? We still sin. Every day. Our sins do not undo our salvation; we are provided with means to deal with temptation and what to do when we do succumb and sin. Understand the path from temptation to sin, and from sin to restoration.

Temptation.  Before we sin we are tempted.  We cannot be tempted by anything that we, that is our flesh, does not desire (James 1:14).  Temptation is not sin, since we know that Jesus was tempted but did not sin (Hebrews 4:15).  We can be tempted with things that are inherently sinful or by things that are only sinful when they are abused. (Eating is not a sin, but overeating is.)  Prayerfulness helps us guard against sin (Mark 14:38), as does knowing and counseling ourselves with scripture when tempted (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10). How are we to resist temptation?

The number one way to resist temptation is to avoid circumstances that we know will be tempting. The first example of temptation and sin in the Bible illustrates this point. Since Eve knew she was not supposed to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, she would have been wise not to be hanging around that tree. What can you learn from this?

The second way to resist temptation is to fight it with the Word of God. Jesus provides the perfect example. In Matthew 4 and Luke 4, Jesus was tempted by the devil himself. What did Jesus do? He resisted temptation’s lies with the truth of God’s Word—He quoted scripture. Because our temptation is not likely coming from the devil himself, we quote scripture not to Satan, but to ourselves. This is why it pays to saturate our hearts and minds with God’s Word so that in the hour of temptation, we have pertinent scripture in mind.

Sin.  When we give in to temptation, we sin (James 1:15).  Sin is disobeying God’s law  (1 John 3:4).  Though the believer’s relationship with God cannot be severed by sin, his fellowship with God is damaged (Isaiah 59:2).  The result is guilt, condemnation, a lack of peace, and a disrupted prayer life.

Believers indwelt by the Holy Spirit will be convicted. Conviction, when acted upon, produces contrition, confession, and repentance. More on that next time.

The Christian Life: The Disciplines of the Faith (5)

As important as the disciplines of the faith (ordinary means of grace) are, they must not be misunderstood as being an end in and of themselves. Rather, they are a means to an end. What is that ultimate end? Greater love for and intimacy with Jesus. Let me state that two more times in two more ways.

The goal is not to be disciplined, but to know and love Christ more deeply, and walk in obedience to Christ Jesus more fully (John 5:39-40).

Our goal is devotion to the person of Christ, not devotion to a set of disciplines. 

When these concepts are reversed, we have become religious rather than those who are enjoying growth in our relationship with our Lord. And it is easy to do because the religion of “do” is more natural to fallen humans than loving and following the Lord Jesus.

When “doing religion” is one’s goal there are two equally disastrous results: (1) When one excels at religious disciplines, the result is damning pride. (2) When one fails at religious disciplines, the result is condemnation. Both are spiritually debilitating.

This is why Jesus said, “You must be born again!” (John 3). It is only as we are born again (forgiven and given new hearts) that we have the ability and desire to exercise the disciplines of the faith with the correct motive that will produce the proper result. The correct motive is loving gratitude. The proper result is an ever-growing love for Christ and an ever-deepening intimacy with Him.

Understand the disciplines of the faith not as heartless religious duties, but as a means of growth in grace.

The Christian Life: The Disciplines of the Faith (4)

One of the least practiced disciplines of the faith is fasting. It is also one of the least understood. Let’s see if we can help make a little more sense of the discipline of fasting.

First, fasting is not merely about food. It is most often about food, but it is not limited to food. Fasting from food is but one way to accomplish the goal of fasting—a goal to be defined in a moment. We can fast from a variety of things such as entertainment, hobbies, or anything else that is both lawful and desirable.

That helps us define what fasting is and the goal of fasting. Fasting is temporarily denying ourselves what is lawful and desirable for the sake of concentrating on spiritual pursuits. For instance, one might fast from TV to given more attention to Bible reading and prayer. One might deny oneself dining out to give the money, that would have been spent on food, to feed the poor.

Be reminded that a legitimate fast must be from what is lawful. It isn’t a fast to forego a particular sin because we are supposed to repent and turn from sin anyway.

It isn’t a fast to deny oneself from what one doesn’t like. For me, it wouldn’t be a legitimate fast to stop eating bananas for a time since I do not like bananas at any time!

Be instructed as well that fasting does not turbo-charge one’s prayers or in any way obligates God to answer our prayers. Rather, fasting changes (matures) us. As we fast (in any legitimate way) to give ourselves more fully to the Lord, we progress in sanctification.

Next time: An over arching goal of practicing the disciplines of the faith…

The Christian Life: The Disciplines of the Faith (3)

  There are other disciplines of the faith (ordinary means of grace) that do not arrest the attention of most Christians. That is not so much because they are less valuable, though they are less obvious and therefore may seem less pressing. Here are a few examples.

Worshiping God with our finances. Jesus spoke much about money, maybe more than any other biblical writer. He made the connection between our money and our hearts (Matthew 6:19-21).

When speaking about money (and possessions), we might be tempted to think only about giving. Giving is a vitally important aspect of our stewardship of money and possessions. but it doesn’t end there. Let’s consider what we give and what we don’t.

Giving is a way we are to imitate God who gives us everything we have: from life, to possessions, to salvation. We are to give cheerfully and generously, (2 Corinthians 9:6-7); by faith (sacrificially) (Hebrews 11:4); regularly, proportionally, and responsibly (1 Corinthians 16:1-4). We give to worship God, though our worshipful giving is a means through which ministers and ministries are funded and the poor are assisted.

I’ll not get into whether Christians are obligated to tithe or not. Biblical scholars disagree. I’ll just say that for some, tithing is a sacrifice that requires faith, while for others, tithing requires little or no faith. Seek the Lord and respond by giving obediently in faith.

But biblical stewardship does not end with the small amount we give. It is also a matter of what we do with what we keep for ourselves. What we do not give is not ours, as it all comes from God and belongs to God. We will answer to Him not merely for how we give, but also for what we do with what we do not give.

Worshiping God with our finances is an important discipline of the faith (it requires discipline!) that impacts our sanctification.

More next time: fasting.

The Christian Life: The Disciplines of the Faith (2)

We are considering the disciplines of the faith (also called the “ordinary means of grace”). It is by actively practicing these things that we best cooperate with the Holy Spirit who is sanctifying us. Here are two more disciplines:

Telling others about the gospel of Christ (evangelizing).  Christ’s Great Commission to His disciples is a mandate to share the gospel with others and to lead them to saving faith in Christ (Matthew 28:18-20).  The Church is one generation from extinction if that generation fails to evangelize.  True evangelism presents the gospel, not merely as a means to a better life or the answer to a person’s problems, but as the only way to forgiveness of sin, victory over sin, and ultimately entrance into Heaven.  Evangelism is necessary at home, across the street and around the world. It is amazing how we grow in our faith, and in our love for Jesus as we tell others!

Spending time alone with the Lord (personal “quiet time”).  I was a Christian for over 7 years and had a year of Bible college under my belt before someone challenged and taught me about having a daily quiet time with the Lord.  What a difference this discipline made in my spiritual growth! Much more could be said than space allows here, but simply make a commitment to spend time reading through the Bible and praying every day (or at least five days each week).  It need not be a prolonged length of time to begin with—15 or 20 minutes to start.  But that time will grow (30-45-or even 60 minutes) when you realize how wonderful that time is and how much fruit will be born in your life!  I am an advocate for doing this first thing in the morning for practical reasons—like if it isn’t a “first-thing,” it often becomes a non-thing.

A bonus thought: Jesus’ Great Commission is to “make disciples” (Matthew 28:18-20).  What is the connection between being disciples and the disciplines of the faith? What do both words have in common? The root word: discipline.

More disciplines next time  

The Christian Life: The Disciplines of the Faith (1)

God’s work of sanctification of the redeemed is the life-long process by which we grow in holiness. Unlike justification, which is God’s work, sanctification is cooperative. We are responsible to “work out what God has worked in” (Philippians 2:12-13). How are we to work out what God works into us? By practicing the disciplines of the faith, sometimes referred to as the “ordinary means of grace.”

There are several disciplines that Christians should practice, not only as a matter of growing in grace, but out of obedience, since many are commanded in God’s Word. We’ll consider several in the following posts.

Feeding on God’s Word, the Bible.  We need the Word to live (Matthew 4:4).  We need to hear it read and preached (Romans 10:17).  We need to read it (Revelation 1:3).  We need to study it (Acts 17:11, 2 Timothy 2:15).  We need to memorize it (Psalm 119:9-11, Colossians 3:16).  We need to meditate on it (Psalm 1:2-3).

Communing with God through Prayer.  Through prayer we have direct communication with our Heavenly Father and receive provision for our needs.  As we pray, we show our dependence on and trust in Him (John 15:7, Philippians 4:6-7). A Christian prayer life includes individual prayer with God alone; family prayer (husbands and wives together and with children); and corporate [group] prayer in the local church.

Uniting in Fellowship with God’s People in a Local Church.  Christian fellowship is based on our common relationship with the Lord, not other temporal commonalities (1 John 1:3).  Fellowship centered around the Lord Jesus Christ provides the mutual encouragement, admonition, and stimulation we need.  Fellowship is commanded (Hebrews 10:24-25). Uniting with a local church includes joining as official members and serving.

More next time…

New Year's Mercies 2025

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23

I touched on these verses in last Sunday’s sermon, but they are a great word of encouragement for today, being New Year’s Day. Because of God’s great faithfulness to grant us loving mercy every day, let us rejoice that it is especially true every New Year’s Day!

I am neither encouraging or discouraging new years’ resolutions. I am simply pointing out that the new year is a great time to ask the Lord, “What do You want me to do?” (Acts 9:6 NKJV), or stop doing, as the case may be. The new year is a fresh start to start doing what we have neglected to do, and to stop doing what we shouldn’t be doing.

Ask the Lord to lead you and to empower you to identify at least one thing to start, and one thing to stop. And do not think you can do these things in the strength of the flesh. No! It is only possible by the mercies of God!

As an important footnote to these key verses in Lamentations, be reminded that Jeremiah penned these word when Jerusalem was in smoldering ruins after being routed by the Babylonians. I bring this point up to encourage us all not to allow troubles to keep us from embarking on a fresh start for 2025.

Recipe for personal peace (1)

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:6-9

Let’s drill down on the subject of personal peace—don’t we all need it?

Step One: The peace promised in (v.7) stems from being at peace with God before expecting to experience the peace of God. And by way of reminder, peace with God begins (a) by acknowledging one’s sin, and need for God forgiveness. It comes when (b) one receives forgiveness of sin by trusting in Jesus alone as the only way to be forgiven. That is what it means to be saved. The rest of these steps will not matter, much less “work,” unless Step One is in place.

Step Two: Understand that while life has it trials and tribulations, it is not God’s will for His people to be gripped by anxiety. Sure, we may experience a measure of nervousness about a job interview or a trip to the doctor’s office, but being gripped by anxiety is not God’s will.

Children of God should know that because of faith in Christ for what He has done to save us, we can rest in Him. Since He has forgiven our sins and saved our eternal souls, we ought to know we can trust Him with everything else in our lives. Consider Paul’s words in Romans 8. After writing about how glorious our salvation is, Paul reasons:

Romans 8:31-32 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (read the rest of that chapter for more!)

Personal peace for believers is based on the fact that we can trust Him—with everything!

Merry Christmas! Prince of Peace (with God)

Last time we considered (1) world peace between nations and peoples, (2) peace between individual people, and (3) inner peace with ourselves. Jesus did not come as the Prince of Peace to establish world peace. He did come to make peace available between (a) individuals (through forgiving others as God in Christ has forgiven us), and (b) within ourselves for those who are saved and who follow the instructions in Philippians 4:6.

The fourth kind of peace, which is supremely important and eternal, is peace with God.

First, all are sinners (Romans 3:10-12, 23). Second, every sin is a spiritual declaration of war against God, making every as sinner an enemy of God (Romans 5:10). For more on what it means to be an enemy of God, consider the following:

Philippians 3:18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:

James 4:4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

1 John 4:3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.

John 3:18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Jesus, the Prince of Peace, made peace with God through one way: Faith in Jesus who died on the cross to pay the penalty for the sons of all who trust in and follow Him. Trusting in Jesus results in being justified by God (Ephesians 2:8, Romans 3:28). And when a person is justified through faith in Jesus, that one is at peace with God:

Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

What does it mean to have peace with God? Our war (via our sin) with God is over. We are no longer children of darkness and God’s wrath, but children of the light and of God’s love. This means there is no longer any possibility of Hell in the future of the justified, but assurance of Heaven instead!

One last thing: while Jesus did not come to make peace between nations and people groups—and although peace between individuals and inner peace within ourselves, is conditionally possible and transient—peace with God for the redeemed is a sure thing. It is unalterable and permanent.

So in this fourth kind of peace, Jesus is the Prince of Peace as the Creator, Guarantor, and Sustainer of Peace with God. Hallelujah!

Prince of Peace?

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" Luke 2:13-14

How is Jesus the Prince of Peace, and how did His coming establish “peace on earth”?

Understanding this requires that we understand four kinds of peace.

Let’s start first with the big one: world peace, including the idea of all nations and peoples getting along. Jesus did not promise this kind of peace. In fact He said the opposite of this kind of peace is the norm:

Matthew 10:34 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.

John 16:33 “In the world you will have tribulation…”

Matthew 24:6-7 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.

Wars exist and people do not get along with one another because of sin. There is no escaping these kinds of strife in this life—only in Heaven.

Second, Jesus did come to enable those who trust in and submit to His lordship to be at peace with one another. That doesn’t mean we always will be at peace—but we are able. How? By forgiving others as we have been forgiven (Ephesians 4:32). By esteeming others better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3-4). If we all did these things, there would be peace among us. Why isn’t this peace widespread? Because we hold grudges instead of forgiving others, and because we esteem ourselves above others. It is no surprise that non-believers live this way, but sadly, we who are in Christ frequently also act this way. This kind of peace will not be fully realized until we are in Heaven.

Third, what about peace within ourselves? Again, sin wrecks this kind of peace but Jesus did make it available to those who trust in Him and follow Him as Lord by doing the following:

Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

To experience this promise of supernatural peace that the world cannot understand, one must be a believing follower of Jesus, and practice the discipline outlined in (v.6), or else the peace promised in (v.7) will remain elusive.

There is one more kind of peace that Jesus did bring to earth. We will consider that next time.

The Christian Life: Walking in the Spirit (2)

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.  Galatians 5:19-23

Why walk in the Spirit rather than in the flesh?  Beside the fact that God commands it, it is strong evidence that one is either saved or not.  None of us walk in the Spirit 24/7 because when we sin, at least in that moment, we are walking in the flesh.  Though not sinless this side of Heaven, the redeemed do not walk predominately in the flesh.

Additionally, the lives of those who walk in the Spirit will differ significantly from those who walk in the flesh.  Go back and re-read the description of the fruit of the Spirit.  

This fruit will be descriptive of the redeemed.  Fruit is the evidence of a union.  Where there is no fruit, one might ought to question one’s salvation.

Walking in the Spirit depends on what we do and on what God does. Because God always does His part, when we fail, the fault is ours. When we succeed, all glory belongs to Him.

The Christian Life: Walking in the Spirit (1)

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Galatians 5:16

All believers are filled with the Spirit of God since no one can call Jesus “Lord” except by the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 12:3).  Being filled with the Spirit does not guarantee obedience.  This is why Paul calls believers to “walk in the Spirit”.  As believers walk in the Spirit they will have victory over the lusts of the flesh (Galatians 5:16).  Successful walking in the Spirit consists of three steps.

First, Recognizing the Reality of the Conflict.  We must understand that there is a war going on inside of every believer as the Spirit and the flesh war against one another (Galatians 5:17).

Second, Saying “Yes” to the Spirit.  Walking in the Spirit is not accomplished by brute determination.  That will only lead to pride when one temporarily succeeds, followed by discouragement when one fails.  Victory is not attained by trying harder so much as by surrendering more and by abiding in Christ and in His Word (John 15:7-8).

Third, Saying “No” to the Flesh. Although walking in the Spirit is not accomplished by brute determination, we are called to deny ourselves, that is our flesh (Matthew 16:24).  A biblical picture of the relationship between saying ‘yes’ to the Spirit and ‘no’ to the flesh is seen in Paul’s words about putting off the old self and putting on the new self (Colossians 3:9-10). (See also Ephesians 4:20-24.)

Walking in the Spirit, which is the pathway to sanctification, requires our cooperation with the indwelling Holy Spirit. There is no victory if we are irresponsible to obey the Lord. Neither is there any victory apart from the supernatural empowerment by the Holy Spirit.

Because He always does His part: When we fail, the fault is ours. When we succeed, all glory is His.

The Christian Life: Assurance of Salvation (4)

God wants His children to know we are His children.  Think about it.  Only a bad father would not want his children to know who their father is.  God is not a bad Father! He is not only a good Father, He is the perfect Father.

He wants His children to have assurance, not only so we will know we are His children, but there are many blessing associated with having assurance of salvation.  Here are seven (there are no doubt more):

• Assurance affords a person joy instead of doubt and fear of damnation. Romans 8:15

• Assurance affords a person boldness in evangelism and missions, since he knows that the gospel he proclaims is true and that God will save His people. 2 Corinthians 5:18-21

• Assurance gives power and confidence in prayer, since the person knows that he has a relationship with God and that God hears and answers his prayers. 1 John 5:14-15

• Assurance promotes worship that springs from a truly grateful heart. Colossians 3:16

• Assurance encourages holiness and obedient living motivated by gratitude for salvation rather than as a means to earn salvation. 1 John 3:6-10

• Assurance helps a person face trials, knowing that his Heavenly Father who loves him is in charge of all things. Romans 8:17-18 & 28.

• Assurance gives Christians peace when facing death. Revelation 14:13, Isaiah 57:1-2

The Christian Life: Assurance of Salvation (3)

Another means by which believers may have assurance of salvation is the inner testimony of the Holy Spirit as stated in Romans 8:16:

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God…

Believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. One of the many ways the Holy Spirit ministers to believers is by testifying to our spirits that we are in fact saved.

Let me be quick to point out that this inner testimony can be a subjective self-deception. Mormons, for instance, frequently refer to a “burning in the bosom” as proof that what they believe is true and that they are “saved.” Though they do have a sense of assurance that they are saved, it is a false assurance because the entire Mormon religion is unbiblical, and therefore, false—no matter how sure they are in their hearts.

This does not negate that actual testimony of the indwelling Holy Spirit in the lives of true believers. What it does mean is that our assurance is based on obedience to the Lord Jesus—that is confirmed in the hearts of believers to whom the Spirit bears witness.

By the mouth of two witnesses… (Deuteronomy 19:15, 2 Corinthians 13:1). The two witnesses are (1) lives of obedience, and (2) the confirming testimony of the Holy Spirit.

Next time: The blessings of assurance.