Comforter - The Holy Spirit

TEMPERANCE - Fruit of the Spirit

2021-08-08T17:30:00.005-07:00

A Dual Nature - It would be helpful to remind ourselves of each Christian’s dual nature. Let us consider each “side” of a Christian’s whole personality. 2 Cor 5:17 describes his new nature: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new”. We find similar language in Eze 36:26, “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh”. On the other hand, Rom 7:21-25 and 8:1-2 delineate how sin is still a present reality in our bodies, which have not been redeemed: “I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man [or the soul]: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members [or my body”. This internal dualism is the true Christian’s greatest spiritual struggle, bar none, as Rom 7:24 pinpoints, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”. The apostle Paul, under divine inspiration, reveals in Rom 7:25 the Scriptural assessment that a child of God must constantly keep in mind, “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin”. Gal 5:16-18 and verses 24-25 further add: “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh [our bodies]... And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit”. We find this wonderful truth in Rom 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit”.

Rom 7:21-25 “I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man [or the soul]: 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members [or my body]. 24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin... ”

Rom 8:1-2 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”

Gal 5:16-18, 24-25 “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh [our bodies]. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law... And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

Jesus was in All Points Tempted like as We are, Yet Without Sin - In John 3:6 the Bible declares, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” and verse 7 continues, “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again”. The Bible informs us in Rom 6:16 that we cannot serve two masters: “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” As God saves His people and they grow in grace, one thing they quickly recognize is that the Christian life is a battle as we saw above. Even after a person is redeemed he struggles with sin because his body still remains unsaved, even though in his soul he has received eternal life. Mat 26:41 adds, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak”. Also in Eph 6 and throughout the Bible one learns that the only “real” strength that one can possess is that which God alone gives to each of His redeemed children. “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might” highlight the supremacy of God’s everlasting power in bestowing His salvation upon His elect when He saves them and sustains them by His grace. Eph 6:10-13 explains who the real enemy is in this spiritual warfare, and states that a believer is to “put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil”. 2 Cor 2:11 tells why this is: “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices”. These verses also outlines the various parts of the Christian’s armor. 2 Cor 10:3-6 further adds that this spiritual battle is to be fought with spiritual weapons. The words “wiles”, “power”, “darkness”, and “wickedness” found in verses 11-12 highlights the Deception of the Devil. Eph 6:10-18 highlights the objective for wearing the pieces of armor, which are defensive in nature – except for the Sword of the Spirit (or the Word of God) which is the only offensive weapon in the Christian’s armory. This weapon – the Truth as revealed in the Word of God, the Bible – along with all the rest of the armour of God can overcome Satan's Deception. The Bible clearly reveals in 1 John 2:16, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world”. These were the very same temptations that Satan successfully used against Eve in the Garden of Eden and against the Lord Jesus Christ when He was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights. But Jesus did not succumb to Lucifer, as Adam and Eve did, instead he combated Satan with the the Sword of the Spirit – the Word of God.

Cor 10:3-6 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

Matt 4:1-11 “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread [lust of the flesh]. 4But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 5Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down [pride of life]: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 8Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them [lust of the eyes]; 9And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.”

Heb 4:12-16 “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. 14Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

Temperance is the Fruit of the Spirit - Pro 23:7a sets forth an important principle: “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he ...”. The thoughts of one’s heart reveal a person’s true nature, as the Lord Jesus proclaimed in Mark 7:21, “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders”. Yes, the heart of unsaved, natural man is “desperately wicked” as stated in Jer 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”. Of course, the answer to that question is, “Only God knows the full extent of the wickedness of man’s heart”. However, the true believer, by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, can overrule his evil nature and focus his thoughts on the things of God, as we read in Php 4:8-9: “... whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report...”. “Temperance”, or “self-control”, is a remarkable fruit of the Spirit that motivates the true follower of Jesus Christ to forsake sin and follow the commands of Scripture. The Greek root word is translated as “power” in Eph 6:10, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might”. 1 Cor 9:24-25 reminds us: “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things”. A Christian can have victory over evil and wickedness because, amazingly, he has the “mind of Christ”, as declared in 1 Cor 2:16 “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we [believers] have the mind of Christ”. Rom 12:21 commands, “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good”. And in 3 John 1:11 we read: “Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God”. May God cause us to demonstrate agape love in our lives by being unselfish, controlling our anger, and focusing our thoughts on the things of God.

1 Cor 9:24-27 “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

Php 4:8-9 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”

GOODNESS - Fruit of the Spirit

2012-10-21T11:08:00.009-07:00

The Goodness of God - At the completion of the first Temple and after Solomon’s prayer dedicating it, we learn this in the first three verses of 2 Chr 7, all the children of Israel “... worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever”. Indeed, God’s goodness as well as all His other divine attributes reveal His magnificent, glorious, and inscrutable majesty. His goodness is portrayed throughout the Bible in hundreds of verses. We know from Jesus’ words in similar verses in Matthew, Mark and Luke that only God is “good”. We read this in Mark 10:18, “And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God”. Of course, by that statement Jesus did not mean that He is not God. Jesus is identifying Himself as God and the Messiah. Rom 3:12 (which quotes Psa 53:1) also emphasizes that there is none good: “They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one” . God’s goodness is also uniquely associated with His mercy in a number of passages, like Psa 86:5, Psa 145:9: “The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works”. Rom 2:4 immediately helps us to see the reason for this: “... the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance [or salvation]?”. Not only is God inherently good, but He bestows His goodness upon His creatures, and salvation is the highest expression of His infinite goodness, as Jam 1:17-18 insists. Salvation is the greatest gift anybody can receive because no human being deserves it. In fact, we deserve the opposite, which is eternal damnation. Isa 52:7 announces the greatest demonstration of God’s goodness as found in the Gospel – that is, the whole Bible: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!”

Jam 1:17-18 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 18Of his own will begat [made us born-again] he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”

Psa 86:5 “For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.”

Psa 145:8-9 “The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. 9The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.”

Psa 107:1 “O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”

God’s Goodness Repents Him of the Evil - God Himself does not repent, or change His mind, according to Num 23:19: “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” and 1 Sam 15:29: “And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent”. Now on the surface, this can be a bit confusing. Didn’t God “repent” when He did not bring judgment against Nineveh? It is not the repentance in Ninevites that brought out Goodness in God but it is the goodness of God that worked repentance in Ninevites. The first point we have to come to grips with is that even before the foundation of the world, God had planned to save the Ninevites. This was very difficult for Jonah to comprehend. Why would God show this degree of kindness and mercy to such rebellious, wicked individuals and sworn enemies of Israel? Note what he says in Jon 4:1, “But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry”. However, God was also teaching Jonah an “object lesson”, even as He did with Peter many hundreds of years later about His plan to save a people for Himself which included both Jews and Gentiles. In Jonah’s case, it involved a gourd which God had graciously provided to shield Jonah from the burning sun which was beating down on him in Jonah 4. God’s answer to Jonah in Jon 4:9-11 helps us see God’s love as the motivating force behind this wonderful salvation account, even though God had warned of impending judgment previously.

Jon 3:10 “And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented [comforted] of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not”

Jon 4:9-11 “And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death. Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?”

Exo 33:19 “And he [God] said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.”

Rom 9:15-16 “For he [God] saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.”

Joel 2:12-13 “Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.”

God’s Goodness Lead us to Repentance - Rom 2:4 makes this beautiful declaration: “…the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance”, which is synonymous with salvation. Rom 2:4 emphasizes God’s sovereign power and grace to save His elect people: “Or despisest thou [speaking about at unsaved man] the riches of his [God’s] goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance [or salvation]?”. God’s Goodness is closely is associated with God’s mercy as we have seen in Psa 86:5: “For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee”. Psa 52:1-7 paints a similar picture of human depravity and God’s goodness, despite of man’s rebellion. God is merciful to His elect and saves them because of His goodness; and He works all things “together for good” in their lives, as we read in Rom 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose”. Heb 13:21 brings out the incomprehensible reality that God is working to accomplish His divine will in the lives of His people: “Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ”.

Psa 52:1-7 “Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually. 2Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. 3Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah. 4Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue. ”

2 Pet 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

Heb 13:20-21 “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

The Fruit of the Spirit is Goodness - We need to understand that God must first raise us from spiritual death before we can be “good” and “upright” in God’s eyes. Psa 65:4 pinpoints how God “draws” a person to salvation and is another beautiful illustration of God’s mercy in making His people as holy as Himself: “Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple”. Only those whom God has saved can “be good” and “do good” in His eyes because their sins have been paid for by the Lord Jesus Christ at the cross; and whatever “good works” they do is only because God is working in them to accomplish “His good pleasure”, according to Php 2:13: “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure”. Eph 5:9 and Gal 5:22-23 gives us an excellent description of “goodness” as one of the fruit of the Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Gal 5:22-23). With the continual work of grace – the operation of God – in the Christian’s life, God gives to those who are “new creatures in Christ” – this command in Jam 1:22, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves”. If God has saved you, He will give you an earnest and ongoing desire to do His will, as set forth in His Word, the Bible. God’s people will receive His “goodness and mercy” all the days of their lives – which is forevermore: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever” (Psa 23:6). Salvation is life eternal and, once received, can never be lost or taken away: “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” (Php 1:6). Eph 2:7 gives us a glimpse of what God has planned for believers in eternity future: “That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus”.

Luke 11:9-13 “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 11If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 12Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”

Eph 5:8-11“For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.”

Eph 4:32 “And be ye kind [Good] one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

2 Chr 6:41 “Now therefore arise, O LORD God, into thy resting place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests [the children of God], O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints [the children of God] rejoice in goodness.”

GENTLENESS - Fruit of the Spirit

2012-10-17T23:05:00.012-07:00

Agape Love [God’s Love] is Kind [Gentle] - The second characteristic of love in 1 Cor 13:4 – kindness or Gentleness: “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up...”. We see that God is “kind” to even unthankful and evil people [all of us sinners] in Luke 6:35: “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil”. Neh 9:19 illustrates God’s constant, protective and faithful care for His Sheep, despite of their rebellion: “Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go”. Jer 32:18 illustrates both God’s mercy and God’s justice: “Thou shewest lovingkindness unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the Great, the Mighty God, the LORD of hosts, is his name”. God in His magnanimous kindness grants an individual divine, eternal pardon and reconciliation as Psa 103:3-4 declares: “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies”. The Hebrew word for “mercy” is checed (H2617), is also rendered as “kindness” or “lovingkindness”. The Hebrew word for “everlasting” is olam (H5769), and both words appear together in almost 60 verses.

Neh 9:16-17 “But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments, And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not. 18Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This is thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations; 19Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go.”

Isa 54:8 “In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting [H5769] kindness [H2617] will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.”

Isa 55:3 “Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting [H5769] covenant [or Gospel] with you, even the sure mercies [H2617 lovingkindness] of David.”

Jer 31:3 “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting [H5769] love: therefore with lovingkindness [H2617] have I drawn thee.”

Psa 103:17 “But the mercy [H2617 lovingkindness] of the LORD is from everlasting [H5769] to everlasting [H5769] upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children;”

Kindness toward Us through Christ Jesus - In Eph 2:4-10 we read about God’s wonderful mercy, which in Greek is eleos (G656) and expressed His love by sending the Lord Jesus to be the only Savior: “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ”. All the God’s Kindness we have seen above typified, or pointed, to “the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus”. Heb 10:16-18 [also Psa 103:3-4, as we have seen above] emphasizes the total forgiveness that God bestows upon those whom He has elected to save from sin and eternal damnation: “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin”. God, not only magnified His Word: “I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth: for thou [God] hast magnified thy word above [as] all thy [God’s] name” (Psa 138:2) but also cleanses the elect with the “washing of water by the word [the Gospel]” through the salvation process because of His “kindness and love” for His people, as we read in Tit 3:3-7: “after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost”. Isa 63:9 speaks of God’s care for the nation of Israel (as they typify the true children of God): “In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel [or messenger] of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old”. Man’s spiritual deadness requires that God do all the work needed to regenerate man’s dead soul, including drawing the man to Himself, as Jer 31:3 asserts: “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee”. Because God does all the work of Salvation, all the glory must go to Him, as Jer 9:24 proclaims: “But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD”. There is only one kind of boasting that meets with God’s approval – it’s the boasting by believers about the mercy of God for His glory, as we read in Gal 6:14: “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”

Eph 2:4-10 “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

Tit 3:3-7 “For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

The Fruit of the Spirit is Gentleness - Those to whom God has graciously given the gift of salvation do not, in any way, merit such eternal kindness and blessing nor can they claim any credit for it. In Eph 4:32: “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” and Col 3:12-13: “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye”, true believers are instructed to mirror the kindness that God has shown to them by being kind to one another. Following the pattern of their Master, those who are part of the eternal church are equipped with the fruit of “gentleness”, or kindness. We will look at one of Jonathan’s sons, Mephibosheth, to whom King David showed much kindness in 2 Sam 9:3-8 and 13. David loved Jonathan dearly, and in the historical context he desired to express that in a tangible way to Saul’s relatives. He wanted to “shew the kindness of God” to “any of the house of Saul”. King Saul was Jonathan’s father and David’s former enemy. This is a beautiful representation of the biblical injunction to “love your enemies”. May the Holy Spirit empower us to exhibit patience, kindness, and the good kind of zeal in our lives for God’s honor and glory.

Gal 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

2 Sam 9:3-8 and 13 “And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet. And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar. Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar. Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant! And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?. …So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king’s table; and was lame on both his feet.”

Psa 40:11 “Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.”

MEEKNESS - Fruit of the Spirit

2012-10-13T09:07:00.017-07:00

I [God] am Meek and Lowly in Heart - “Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass” (Mat 21:5). Meekness is a wonderful reminder of the two-fold description of the Savior, Lord Jesus Christ, Who said in Mat 11:29, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls”. We must bear in mind that when the Lord speaks of Himself as “meek” and “lowly”, we are talking about eternal God the Creator, His Eternal Majesty, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords! “Who [Jehovah God] humbleth [shaphel:H8213] himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!”. Here we see to what extent Christ had to empty Himself of His divine glory as He humbled Himself by taking on a human nature: “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men” (Php 2:6-7). In order to be the only Savior for sinners the Lord Jesus had to first take on a human nature. Secondly, he had to become sin, as 2 Cor 5:21 so emphatically announces: “For he [God the Father] hath made him [God the Son] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him”. Thirdly, He had to suffer the equivalent of spending eternity in Hell for every single child of God: “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Php 2:8). The Savior not only epitomizes the very essence of humility in His life but in His death as well as He suffered the equivalent of eternal damnation in the “lake of fire” for each of His elect people. In Acts 8:30-35 we are faced with the account of the Ethiopian eunuch who asks Phillip to explain a passage in Isa 53: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: 33In his humiliation his judgment was taken away”. These passages substantiate the infinite degradation that the Lord Jesus subjected Himself to in experiencing the shame of sin and the “lowest Hell”.

Acts 8:30-35 “And Philip ran thither to him (eunuch), and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? 31And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. 32The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: 33In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. 34And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? 35Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.”

Php 2:5-11 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

God Giveth Grace unto the Humble - The Hebrew word for “meek” (‘anav:H6035) is found some 26 times, and is generally translated as “meek”, “humble”, “poor”, and “lowly”. Num 12:3 affirms: “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth”. We should remember that Moses is a great “type”, or representation, of the Lord Jesus. One of the main themes in the Bible is the pride of Satan and man, which underlies all sin. The contrast between pride and humility is found throughout the pages of Scripture; and one such example is the historical parable of the Pharisee and the publican, found in Luke 18:9-16. Notice in verse 16 that the Lord pinpoints “little children”: “But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer [allow] little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God”, who in their naiveté represent those who have become “children of God”. We see the same “little children” in Mat 18:3: “And [Jesus] said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven”. Also Mat 21:5 that declares, “Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass”. The two donkeys pictured here represent the true believers who have been made “meek” or “saved” by their King. He sits upon them as He rides triumphantly into Jerusalem, typifying the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband (Rev 21:2-4). To “sit” is figuratively associated with “ruling”, or “reigning”, as Christ most certainly does over His eternal church.

Psa 138:6 “Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly [shaphal:H8217]: but the proud he knoweth afar off.”

Psa 34:18 “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”

Psa 149:4 “For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.”

Luke 18:9-16 “And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14I tell you, this man went down to his house justified [or saved] rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. 15And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer [allow] little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.”

The Fruit of the Spirit is Meekness - Lord Jesus indeed manifested a “…contrite and humble spirit…” In turn, those whom God has elected to salvation will be “humbled” and will be “made contrite” as God gives them a new resurrected soul and saves them by His grace and for His glory. Before salvation God has to “break us down” spiritually, and humble us because by nature we are so proud and arrogant as we disdain God and His Word, the Bible. Jer 44:10: “They are not humbled even unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes, that I set before you and before your fathers”, relates to the rebellion of Judah and Jerusalem in the historical setting, but figuratively it explains what is transpiring in our day with the institutional churches and denominations, putting themselves over the authority of the Bible, which sadly are under God’s wrath. God “revives”, or “makes alive”, “… the spirit of the humble, and… the heart of the contrite ones”: “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones” (Isa 57:15). Thus, the “humble” are God’s elect. The trait of humility, which the Savior so perfectly demonstrated, is also found among His people, as the indwelling Holy Spirit produces the fruit, and they reflect His character of being “…meek and lowly in heart…”. 1 Pet 5:5-7 speaks of each Christian as being “clothed with humility” and highlights the essence of someone who is a true child of God. Eph 4:2: “With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;” and Col 3:12-23 admonishes believers, to pattern their life after their Master. Notice how God associates “humility” with the “fear of the LORD” in Pro 22:4 “By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life” and Pro 15:33 “The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility”. The Lord hears the prayers of the humble: “LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:” (Psa 10:17). God the Holy Spirit indwells the new Christian in his newly resurrected soul. In this wonderful new relationship (which the Bible likens to marriage) the child of God is both taught and led by God in the Scriptures. May God give us the grace to walk more humbly and more obediently before Him.

Gal 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

Jam 4:6 “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble [meek].”

1 Pet 5:5-7 “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

Col 3:12 “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye”

Worship God in Spirit and in Truth

2012-10-10T21:59:00.001-07:00

Thou Shalt Worship NO Other God - Man was originally created in the image of God and privileged to enjoy the highest blessing imaginable – that of knowing God intimately, fellowshipping with Him, and serving Him perfectly. The image of God was completely shattered, and Adam and Eve were spiritually separated from God, when man sinned and died spiritually. Even though he lost the fellowship with God after the fall of Adam, the need for worship is indelibly stamped upon his nature; thus we find people regardless of their race, culture, or social status who are deeply religious, even if this means embracing atheism or agnosticism. God illustrates this reality in Acts 17:23: “TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship ...”. Hence man’s need for worship also became perverted as Rom 1:25 underscores: “worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator”. Exo 34:14 declares “For thou shalt worship no other god”. This is a fundamental truth of Scripture; and yet, as we realize who this God is, and how glorious His characteristics are, and we stop to contemplate His indescribable majesty, we are awestruck over and over again. Is it any wonder the Bible poses the rhetorical question in Exo 15:11, “Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?”. By nature none of us have this fear of God as we have previously learned from other verses, such as Isa 29:13. This is a similar statement to what we find in Mat 15:9 where the Lord Jesus declares, “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men”. The doctrines of men, the love for the material things of this world have become man's idols. Eze 33:31 sadly emphasizes the same truth.

Acts 17:23 “For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.”

Rom 1:25 “Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.”

Exo 34:14 “For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:”

Lev 26:1 “Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God.”

Matt 15:7-9 [quoting Isa 29:13] “Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, 8This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”

Eze 33:31 “And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.”

Worship God in the Spirit - When we see the extent to which God is worshipped in Heaven, how careful we must be to worship Him on earth as He demands. So, how do we do that? In John 4:23-24 the Lord Jesus defines what true, or biblical, worship entails and those who practice it: “the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth”. But what does it mean to worship the Father in spirit? The Bible differentiates between the “spirit” and the “flesh”. To be “in the flesh” is not merely defining one’s physical existence, but is a statement of one’s spiritual condition – to be unsaved. On the other hand, to be “in the spirit” refers to someone who has become saved by the will and Word of God. If one has not been born “of the Spirit”, they are, by biblical definition still “of the flesh”, and hence they cannot worship God in spirit nor in truth. The fellowship with God's Spirit have to be restored, by rebirth. That is the only type God can accept from a human being, and only those who have been born “from above” have been qualified to worship God in the manner He prescribes as Php 3:3 affirms. We know that the “circumcision” in this verse is spiritual in nature because it is associated with true worship in which only “Spiritual Jews” or in other words, genuine Christians can engage, as Rom 2:28-29 indicates. Moreover, we are instructed in Deu 30:6, “And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart”.

John 4:23-24 “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

John 3:6 “That which is born [natural birth] of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born [born-again] of the Spirit is spirit.”

John 6:63 “It is the spirit that quickeneth [or makes alive]; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”

Rom 8:5-6 “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”

Rom 2:28-29 “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”

Deu 30:6 “And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.”

Php 3:3 “For we [born-again believers] are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”

Worship God in the Truth - Rom 1:25 states the nature of the fallen man, “Who changed the truth of God into a lie [or “the” lie], and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen”. Notice the emphasis that God is placing on “lies” and “changing the truth” in both these verses as man attempts to promote his own ideas and lusts. This passage is really an indictment against all who would attempt to “work” their way into Heaven. But notice that they do so while using a “form” of godliness – not genuine godliness, which is salvation – but merely a “form” of knowledge or a “form” of the truth of the law. In other words, what is missing is the spiritual reality, or substance. This is why 2 Tim 3:5 tells us that those who have “a form of godliness” are “denying the power thereof”. The “power” in view is the Greek word dunamis from which we derive our English word “dynamite”. It is God’s creative power of salvation by His Word, as we read in Rom 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth...”. We also just looked at John 4:23-24 that says: “true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth”. The phrase “spirit and truth” is referring to the Bible itself, as we can see from a passage like John 6:63: “the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life”. The Bible teaches that God is Truth (as we see in John 14:6a, “I am the way, the truth, and the life…”); and the Bible underscores that it alone is the Truth, according to John 17:17b, “… thy word is truth”. God the Holy Spirit is also called the “Spirit of Truth” in John 16:13-15. Worship implies Obedience and doing His Will. We could ask, “What is the will of God? And how does one “do it”? The fact is that the whole Bible declares the will of God. Moreover, a true Christian will want to obey what he learns from the Bible, as John 14:15 asserts, “If ye love me, keep my commandments”. Could it be that you and I might indeed be among that great throng in Heaven who will worship the Triune God throughout eternity, as Rev 4:13-14 so majestically asserts.

John 4:23-24 “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

John 16:13-15 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me [Christ]: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine [Christ’s]: therefore said I, that he [the Spirit of Truth] shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”

2 The 2:13 “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification [to be set apart by God] of the Spirit and belief of the truth [the Bible]:”

John 9:31 “Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.”

Rev 4:13-14 “And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.”

LONGSUFFERING - Fruit of the Spirit

2012-10-07T12:18:00.005-07:00

God is Longsuffering to Us-ward - Isa 59:2 reveals our true spiritual condition, our separation from God, that has been caused by our sin: “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear”. It is important to remember that God has obligated Himself to punish sin, and that man is completely accountable to God for his sin because he was created in the image of God. As a just Ruler, or Judge, God must punish “sin”, which the Bible defines as “transgression of the law” in 1 John 3:4: “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law”. Because God is extremely patient with mankind does not in any way diminish the fact that He hates sin and hates sinners: “God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day” (Psa 7:11). He absolutely will judge and punish all who are not His children: “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished” (2 Pet 2:9). Unbelievable as it sounds, forgiveness first originated with God Himself although we have rebelled against him: “To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him” (Dan 9:9). The Greek word for “suffereth long” in 1 Cor 13:4 “Charity(Love) suffereth long, and is kind” is also translated as “patience” and is closely related to God’s forgiveness. The “longsuffering”, or patience, of God can be readily seen throughout the Bible. The fact that God “went with” the rebellious Israelites, as He led them for 40 years through the wilderness, is indeed a picture of the longsuffering nature and lovingkindness of such a magnanimous God! 1 Pet 3:20-21 speaking of the ark, representing God’s salvation program, demonstrates God’s longsuffering. Actually, it is astounding that God is so patient with rebellious man, He is patiently putting up with mankind and their sin in order to save His people, His elect people.

Num 14:18 “The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.”

1 Pet 3:20-21 “Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure [water = the Gospel] whereunto even baptism [the washing away of our sins] doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:”

Rom 9:20-23 “…O man, who art thou that repliest [disputes] against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath [non-elect or unbelievers] fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy [elect of God or believers], which he had afore prepared unto glory.”

2 Pet 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all [of the elect] should come to repentance.”

Put on therefore, as the Elect of God, Longsuffering - We learn in Rom 2:4 that God’s “goodness” and “longsuffering” leads His elect to repentance: “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?”. As we look to the Bible to learn about this wonderful forgiveness that God has provided, may we be compelled to examine our own hearts to see how we stand before God. Have we received His incomprehensible forgiveness? If we have, are we sharing the Gospel of Christ with others so they, too, may also come to know His marvelous forgiveness? “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God” (2 Cor 5:18-20). God admonishes believers in Col 3:12-15 and Eph 4:2 “With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;”, to pattern their life after their Master, as in the parable of the wicked servant in Mat 18. With the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, God admonishes us to be patient, likewise, towards one another by reproving, rebuking, exhorting with all longsuffering and doctrine.

Gal 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

Col 3:12-15 “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.”

Col 1:11 “Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness.”

2 Tim 4:2 “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”

Matt 18:21-35 “Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. 23Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. 24And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. 25But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 27Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. 28But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. 29And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 30And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. 31So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. 32Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: 33Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? 34And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. 35So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.”

FAITH - Fruit of the Spirit

2012-09-28T19:00:00.015-07:00

Faith “of” Christ - In 2 The 1:11, we find: “Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:”. The question needs to be asked, “Whose ‘work of faith’ is it?” Can a person’s works, or efforts, make some type of contribution to his eternal salvation? Absolutely not! The answer is very clear from the Scriptures in Tit 3:5-7: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us ... being justified [or saved] by his grace...”. Speaking of man’s works, Rom 11:6 adds, “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work”. The reason man is incapable of doing anything to alter his eternal destiny is because he is spiritually dead, as Eph 2:1-3 describes. “Faith” is synonymous with the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is called “Faithful” in Rev 19:11: “he [Lord Jesus] that sat upon him was called Faithful and True”. What was the “work of faith”, or rather, “the work of Christ” that He so faithfully performed? Isa 53:11 reveals the answer. The “travail”, or “work”, that Christ did is to bear our iniquities and endure the punishment for sin - eternal damnation which the Bible calls the “second death” in Rev 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death”. Isa 63:1-5 acknowledges that only the Lord Jesus was qualified to atone for the sins of His people: “And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me”. In John 4:34 we also find this statement, “Jesus saith unto them, My meat [food] is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work”. His perfect work was completed while on the Cross he uttered the words of John 19:30, “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost”. What was accomplished was the Atonement for the sins of all the elect. Christ was able to endure Hell with “Faith” in the promise to Him by His Father, that His soul would not be left in Hell and that His body would not be subject to “corruption”, or decay (Acts 2:25-28). Faith is the distinct property of the Savior. Keep in mind that Christ obeyed all of God’s Laws, the Bible, perfectly in thought, word, and deed, as Psa 40:7-8 indicates: “Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart”. In other words, faith is a person, and a person has “substance”. Thus, the faith [*Refer to original KJV: Gal 2:16-20, Rom 3:22, Php 3:9, Rom 3:3, Col 2:12, Gal 3:22] related to eternal salvation, the Saving Faith, is the “Faith of” Lord Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of [our] faith ! (Heb 12:2)

Tit 3:5-7 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified [or saved] by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

Isa 53:11 “He [referring to the Father] shall see of the travail [or work] of his [Christ’s] soul, and shall be satisfied: by his [Christ’s] knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he [Christ] shall bear their iniquities.”

Acts 2:25-28 “For David speaketh concerning him [Lord Jesus], I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: 26Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: 27Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption [quoting Psalm 16:10]. 28Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.”

Col 2:11-12 “In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.”

Php 3:9 “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ [refer to original KJV], the righteousness which is of God by faith:”

Faith “in” Christ - In Heb 11:5-6 we read, “… without faith it is impossible to please him [God]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him”. We learned in an earlier lesson that the definition of faith related to salvation in Heb 11:1 points altogether to the Lord Jesus Christ as God the Son and the Word of God made flesh. God is only pleased with His work. He is pleased with His salvation program that is centered around the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ, as Gal 2:16 “a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ” and 20 insist “I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me”. So, in light of what we have been discussing in the Bible, how does one “get” faith? And this is a both a fair and crucial question. Rom 10:17 teaches, “So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”. The Bible is the setting, or backdrop, by which one can hear with “spiritual ears” the words of eternal life. You might recall how frequently the Lord Jesus made the statement as found in Mat 11:15, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear”. So the Faith of Christ is a Gift according to Eph 2:8-9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith [the faith of Christ]; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast”. After salvation we are given “faith” along with the other eight fruit (or “products”) of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives, according to Gal 5:22-23: “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance”. Moreover, believers are exhorted to “walk [or live] by faith, not by sight”, as 2 Cor 5:7 admonishes. In our discussion of faith I cannot emphasize enough the place of prominence and supremacy that is held by the Bible, the Living Word of God. The example of the conversion of Timothy, Paul’s protégé, as 2 Tim 3:15-17 declares, should reinforce the total preeminence of the Scriptures, not only with respect to salvation, but in every area of our lives. We are to depend entirely upon the Bible by trusting each sacred word implicitly and by seeking divine motivation to be obedient to what we learn.

Gal 2:16 and 20 “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified… I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

2 Tim 3:15-17 “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, [or God-breathed] and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect [or complete] throughly furnished unto all good works.”

We Walk by faith, Not by Sight - This verse 2 Cor 5:7, has been all but abandoned in our modern, “Christian culture”, which sadly highlights a plethora of sight-based “gospels” that feature healings, visions, miracles, and financial prosperity. Faith is defined in Heb 11:1 as, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. What one sees physically does not produce faith. From Rom 8:24, We learn that one is “saved by hope”, but it is not something we can see physically and if we see something physically, there is really no need for hope: “For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it”. 1 Pet 1:3 speaks about being “begotten again” (or “born again”) to such a glorious hope: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again [born again] unto a lively [or living] hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”. In other words, faith is a person, and a person has “substance”. Thus, the faith related to eternal salvation is the Lord Jesus Christ! What is it that a child of God hopes for? 1 Cor 15:19 stresses the importance of a “living hope”: “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable”, for each believer who anticipates spending eternity – not just a few years on this earth – with the object, or substance, of his hope, the Lord Jesus Christ: “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Tit 2:13) . 2 Cor 4:18 also mentions the difference between “things not seen” and the “things which are seen”. The “things on the earth” are the things which can be seen – or temporal things: “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal”. This verse, like Heb 11:1, indicates that “the things which are not seen are eternal”. If we are a true Christian, things that are eternal in character should grip our minds and hearts and motivate us to greater obedience, as Col 3:1-2 asserts: “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”

Heb 11:7 “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”

Heb 11:9 “Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.”

Heb 11:17-19 “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18Of whom it was said, That in Isaac [figure of Christ] shall thy seed be called: 19Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.[Isaac figure of Christ, Gal 3:16]”

Heb 11:24-26 “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; 25Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 26Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.”

Rom 4:1-5 “What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? 2For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. 3For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. 4Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”

JOY - Fruit of the Spirit

2012-09-27T17:23:00.014-07:00

Joy of God - God chose His people that He might indwell them throughout eternity. The fellowship with God is broken when man sinned. God restored the fellowship again through the atoning work of Lord Jesus Christ. The good tidings of great joy that the “angel”, or messenger, announced in Luke 2 is referring to the Gospel of salvation that God joyfully performed: “unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord”. God goes to great lengths to emphasize the “joy” that He would ultimately experience in Lord Jesus after enduring the wrath of God. Christ sacrificed Himself upon the “altar of God” with exceeding joy for each child of God, as seen in Heb 12: “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame”. God and the heavenly host rejoice over a sinner that repents: “there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth” (Luke 15:10). We even read about God Himself singing with joy over His body of believers in Zep 3: “he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing”.

Luke 2:10-11 “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

Heb 12:2 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Zep 3:17 “The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.”

Luke 15:7, 10 “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance… Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”

Jude 1:24-25 “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”

Joy in God - This same joy God posses towards his children would also be the precious possession of every child of God. True believers are governed by the “fruit” (or product) of the Holy Spirit’s work in their lives. Each believer has been given “joy” as a fruit of the Spirit, which is a direct result of the incomprehensible salvation that God has granted. While the Unsaved find joy in the pleasures and riches of this world, a believer in Christ’s Kingdom finds Joy in righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost as Rom 14 points out. Also a believer finds Joy in the Word of God as Jer 15 points out: “thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart”. Those who have been born from above will experience the ultimate pleasure – knowing God Himself. Neh 8 declares, “... for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Isa 61:10 “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”

Gal 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."

Rom 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not meat [food] and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

Jer 15:16 “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.”

Rom 15:13 “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”

Joy Everlasting - For those who have become saved through the power of the True Gospel, there is much joy in their lives as they serve their Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ: “And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (Isa 35:10). Also, it seems that in our day one hears little about the trials and persecutions that believers have historically faced. Rather many are touting the harmful idea that the Bible promises physical well-being, financial prosperity, and political freedom as the unquestioned rights of each Christian. Nothing could be further from the truth! Indeed, Christians are called upon to suffer for righteousness’ sake, and never for evil-doing. After all, we are to pattern our lives after the Master whom we follow: “The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you”(John 15:20), “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). God uses trials and temptations in the lives of His children to test and strengthen their Faith. Jam 1 affirms that Christians can indeed rejoice in the midst of suffering: “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience” (Jam 1:2-3). The true child of God can look forward with joy to spending eternity with His Lord and Master in the highest possible bliss: “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Cor 2:9)

Mat 5:11-12 “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad : for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”

1 Pet 4:12-16 “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy . If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.”

1 Pet 1:6-8 “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory”

Psa 100:1-5 "Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. 2Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. 3Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. 5For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”

PEACE - Fruit of the Spirit

2012-09-20T19:05:00.013-07:00

Peace with God - As “the Prince of Peace” many people think that Jesus came to bring some kind of political or secular peace among nations or groups of people. But man-made wars, as the result of man’s sinful nature, and natural catastrophes will continue to take men’s lives on this earth right up to the moment of Christ’s return on the Last Day as Matt 24:6-7 states. Jesus dispelled all doubts about His purpose for coming to this earth in Mat 10:34-36: “I came not to send peace, but a sword”. God and His Word will in fact bring division and strife – even within families, the closest-knit social units in this world: “I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law”. This is due to the fact that salvation is on individual basis and it creates unequally yoked families. Why then is the Lord Jesus called “the Prince of Peace” in the Bible? Most people are unaware that a much more serious war than all the secular wars in the history of man put together is taking place right now. It is the spiritual war between God and rebellious mankind, as we read in Rom 8:7 “the carnal mind is enmity against God”. Jesus came to bring peace between God and His people. The peace that results from salvation is called “peace with God” in Rom 5:1 “being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”. True believers have peace with God because of the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ at the cross that has “reconciled” them to God, as explained in 2 Cor 5:19 “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself”. In other words, if we have truly become saved, we are no longer God’s “enemies”, and our war with God has ended, as we read in Rom 5:9-10. Conversely, God has this to say about the unsaved in Rom 3:10 and 17-18: “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one... And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Mat 24:6-7 “And ye shall hear of wars and rumours [reports] of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.”

Luke 2:13-14 “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, good will toward men.”

Mat 10:34-36 “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.”

2 Cor 5:19 “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation [the Gospel]...”

Rom 5:9-10 “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

Peace of God - When we have become reconciled to God by salvation, God also gives us the “peace of God” as the fruit of the Spirit. Christians are not to be anxious or worried about anything. For example, we see this demonstrated in the account of Martha and Mary in Luke 10:38-42. Martha was very worried about being a good hostess, and was “careful” (worried) and “troubled” (a word signifying uproar or tumult), but Jesus explained to her that her sister, Mary, had chosen that which was of supreme importance – to sit at Jesus’ feet and learn His Word. Oh, may God so compel us to recognize this comfort in the midst of our moments of anxiety and frustration – that we too, would rest at Jesus feet and learn from His blessed Word. That is the “one thing that is needful” for our lives. Not only are we not to be worried, we also learn this from Php 4:6, “... by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God”. Because of the assurance of the eternal salvation, Christians are to bring their concerns and petitions before the throne of Grace constantly. No matter how great our need, His inexhaustible grace is ever sufficient, plenteous, and overflowing as a mighty river. Also the believer’s life is to be a constant overflowing of thanksgiving for all of God’s daily benefits to him: “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving…”(Col 4:2). As the Christian learns to depend and rely more and more on God and to rest in Him alone, he finds the peace that Isa 26:3 speaks about, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee”. When we have the “peace of God which passeth all understanding”, our souls can rest quietly with God as we trust completely in Him with every aspect of our lives. May God give us His peace if we do not know Him today; and if we do, may He give us a greater and abiding trust to rest in His grace, in His strength, and in His power as He graciously works in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure.

Isa 32:17-18 “And the work of righteousness [salvation] shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.”

Luke 10:38-42 “Now it came to pass, as they went, that he [the Lord Jesus] entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

Php 4:6-7 “Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Peace with All Men - The war between God and man started in the Garden of Eden as a result of Adam’s sin; and because man is at war with His Maker, he is also at war with other men. Our sinful Adamic nature, with which every human being is born, is described in Jam 4:2 “[in Adamic nature] Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not”. 1 Cor 3:3 declares: “For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions...”. After God saves a believer, Peace begins to manifest itself in the life of this individual who truly has become a “new creature” (or creation) in Christ. True believers are God’s “workmanship”, which means “the fruit (or product) of a workman’s labor”. We also see in Gal 5:22-26 that true believers are governed by the “fruit” (or product) of the Holy Spirit’s work in their lives. If, Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace has reconciled us to God and set us apart to be His ambassadors, we are to proclaim this Gospel of Peace so that our neighbor might be reconciled to God too: “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” (Matt 5:9). This is how we love our neighbor as ourselves. May God give us renewed zeal to be about His business. Blessed are the peacemakers and beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things.

2 Cor 5:18-20 “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”

Rom 10:15 “And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”

Gal 5:19-26 “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.”

Rom 12:17-21 “Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 18If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. 19Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”

LOVE - Fruit of the Spirit

2012-09-19T11:13:00.013-07:00

God is Love - Let’s begin by looking at why the Bible claims that God is love. In essence, God is defining love by His very character. We get a glimpse in 1 Cor 13:4-8. Lord Jesus perfectly demonstrated these characteristics. The following verses illustrate some of the chief characteristics of love - longsuffering or patience, kindness, demonstrated by God. God carefully defines what love is in John 15:13: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends”. Please note very carefully in John 10:18, that Jesus is asserting that this power to lay down His life and take it again is a commandment that He has received from God the Father. The reason this statement is so significant is that throughout the Bible God closely associates love with obeying the commandments, as we can see from John 14:15, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” and John 15:10, “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love”. God demonstrates the fact that He is love through His salvation program. In principle, God’s love for His elect began before the foundation of the world. Those who are the recipients of God’s gift of salvation were in total rebellion against God, “dead in trespasses and sins” and were “children of wrath” (Eph 2:1-3), before He saved them. Yet Rom 5:8 makes this wonderful statement, “But God commendeth [exhibits] his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”. Lord Jesus has not only forgiven the sins of every child of God by suffering the equivalent of an eternity in Hell on their behalf, but He has also fulfilled the righteousness of the law for them, by perfectly obeying the Bible in thought, word, and deed.

1 Cor 13:4-8 “Charity [Love] suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up 4Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8Charity never faileth...”

2 Pet 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

Eph 4:32 “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

John 10:11,15,17-18 “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 15As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 17Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.”

Rom 13:10 “Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”

1 John 4:10 “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

Love for God - Let’s begin by looking at a believer’s love for God. We read of Jesus’ response to a question posed to him by a scribe in Mark 12:28 “Which is the first commandment of all?” “...thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength”. This verse is indicating that we are to love God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our might. How are we to do that? This is an impossible situation as far as man is concerned because it's a matter of heart. After all, God describes the condition of an unsaved person’s heart very early in the Bible in Gen 6:5: “...every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually”. We also know that man is spiritually dead from conception, as we find in Psa 51:5: “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me”. In all candor, only the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is God in the flesh and perfect, had the capacity to love God with all His heart, soul, mind, and strength. We see this very clearly in verses such as John15:10. Since the Bible makes clear that we must love God with our heart (that is, with our soul and spirit), the greatest miracle that God performs is to take a dead heart, or soul, and infuse it with His Word, which is eternal life, through His Holy Spirit. God’s Word penetrates people’s dead hearts or souls in order to bestow eternal life, as Heb 4:12 teaches. The Old Testament also uses the language of circumcision to illustrate the cutting that Heb 4:12 speaks about, as we find in Deu 30:6. When people have received eternal life, or salvation, in their souls, they have been made righteous as God Himself, and thus have been qualified through the sacrifice of Christ for their sins to love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Deu 6:4-6 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart…”

Heb 4:12 “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Deu 30:6 “And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.”

Eze 36:25-27 “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 26A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.”

Rom 2:29 “But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”

Love for Neighbour - Next we want to look at a believer’s love for others, which the Lord Jesus explains in context with` the second commandment in Mark 12:31-33: “...Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself”. Before we look at what it means to love one’s neighbor, we need to define what it means to love oneself: “...as thyself”. To love oneself is to desire that which is most beneficial – the highest possible good – for ourselves. And what could that be? The world would tell us we need a new house, a new car, a new job, a wife, a family, more money, a healthy lifestyle, religion, etc. Are these things really going to provide that which is of utmost importance to me? The Bible informs us in Mark 8:36-37, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul, Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” The reason God places so much importance on the soul is because it is that part of us that will last throughout eternity. Jesus gives us the answer in response to the lawyer’s question in Luke 10:29 “… and who is my neighbour?” by detailing the account of a man who was rescued after he had been robbed, beaten, and left “stripped” and “half dead”. This is a marvelous picture of unsaved man as we find in Eph. 2:1, “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins”. Luke 10:33-34 demonstrates what it means to love our neighbor – it is to share the Gospel of Grace - that has power to resurrect the dead soul to eternal life, with them. The oil in this verse, typifies the Holy Spirit and the wine points to the Gospel, which God can use to heal our sin-sick souls. Loving our neighbor as our self implies being our brother’s keeper, which Cain refused to do. After God saves a believer, Love begins to manifest itself in the life of this individual who truly has become a “new creature” (or creation) in Christ, in whom the Holy Spirit indwells. True believers are instructed to mirror the kindness that God has shown to them by being kind to one another. It is the mission of every true child of God as 2 Cor 5:18 affirms. We surely should look after the physical needs of our neighbour and especially unto them who are of the household of faith, but we see a need that is greater than the physical need, which is the spiritual need. If we had even a tiny portion of true love for our fellowman, we would never want to see them judged in Hell eternally. We would want their spiritual wounds healed by salvation. We would want to give them 100% of the life-saving, life-giving Gospel of the Bible.

Gal 5:22-26 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. ”

Mark 12:33 “And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Rom 13:10 “Love worketh no ill to his neighbour therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”

Luke 10:33-34 “But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.”

Rom 5:10 “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

2 Cor 5:18 “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;”

Luke 6:35 “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.”

Gal 6:9-10 “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”

1 John 3:16-18 “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 18My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”

The Fruit of the Holy Spirit

2012-08-19T11:49:00.002-07:00

The Fruit of the Holy Spirit - We see in Eph 2:10 that true believers are God’s “workmanship”, which means “the fruit (or product) of a workman’s labor”. We also see in Gal 5:22-26 that true believers are governed by the “fruit” (or product) of the Holy Spirit’s work in their lives. We can see the fruit of Spirit demonstrated in life of Paul in 2 Tim 3:10. Col 3:12-15 helps to define the qualities that God infuses into the life of each of His elect. There is “no law” against these nine fruit of the Spirit because they reflect the righteous nature of God Himself.

Gal 5:22-26 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.”

2 Tim 3:10 “But thou hast fully known my [Paul's] doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,”

Col 3:12-15 “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14And above all these things put on charity [love], which is the bond of perfectness. 15And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.”

2 Peter 1:5-10 “...giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity [or love]. 8For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. 10Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:”

Love - It is interesting how God starts off this list of “fruit” with “love”. Of course, the greatest demonstration of love is found in the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. There is no greater love than for God to become sin on behalf of His people, the elect, and to suffer the equivalent of eternity in Hell for them. As a result, God reveals that love is the chief hallmark of the Christian. Because love is a “fruit” of the Holy Spirit, God’s agape love, which is also translated as “charity” in the King James Bible, is manifested in the lives of His people in various ways, as described in 1 Cor 13:4-8a. There is also another aspect of God’s love as found in Rom 13:10, “Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”

John 15:13 “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

1 John 4:10 “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

Rom 5:8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Mark 12:30-31 “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”

1 John 5:3 “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.”

John 13:35 “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

1 Cor 13:4-8a “Charity [Love] suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth…”

Joy - God chose His people that He might indwell them throughout eternity. The good tidings that the “angel”, or messenger, announced in Luke 2 is referring to the the Gospel of salvation that God joyfully performed. God goes to great lengths to emphasize the “joy” that He would ultimately experience in Lord Jesus after enduring the wrath of God. This same “joy” God posses towards his children would also be the precious possession of every child of God, which is a direct result of the incomprehensible salvation that God has granted and as a fruit of the Spirit. While the unsaved find joy in the pleasures and riches of this world, a believer finds Joy in righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost as Rom 14:17 points out. A Christian finds within his soul a constant, overflowing appreciation for all that God has done for him in the past, at present, and for eternity. Not only a believer rejoices in Salvation, but also can indeed rejoice in the midst of adversity and suffering knowing that God uses trials and temptations in their lives to test and strengthen their Faith, as Jam 1 affirms.

Luke.2:10-11 “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

Heb 12:2 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Zep 3:17 “The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.”

Hab 3:18 “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”

Rom 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not meat [food] and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

Jam 1:2-3 “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.”

Peace - The Lord Jesus came to this earth on a mission of “peace” – but not in the physical sense that most people imagine. The reason Christ is named the “Prince of Peace” is because He came to bring eternal peace to fallen man by ending the state of perpetual warfare that exists between God and man. Christ has brought us Peace from the Guilt of Sin, Peace from Spiritual Death, Peace from Hell. The believer recognizes that God has saved him to serve – that is, to be a witness to those around him who remain prisoners in Satan’s kingdom and enemies of God. God commands all of His saints to “go ye into all the world” and to “shew mercy” to the lost by being “ambassadors for Christ” and proclaiming the “Gospel of Peace”. How is one to love their neighbours? By wanting the very best for them spiritually – the salvation of their souls.

Eph 2:14-17 “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.”

Isa 53:5 “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

Rom 5:1 “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

2 Cor 5:18-20 “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.”

Rom 10:15 “And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”

Longsuffering - The “longsuffering”, or patience, of God can be readily seen throughout the Bible. The fact that God “went with” the rebellious Israelites, as He led them for 40 years through the wilderness, is indeed a picture of the longsuffering nature and lovingkindness of such a magnanimous God! The Greek word for “suffereth long” in 1 Cor 13:4-8a, is also translated as “patience” and is closely related to God’s forgiveness. Actually, it is astounding that God is so patient with rebellious man. 1 Pet 3:20-21 speaking of the ark, representing God’s salvation program, demonstrates God's longsuffering. With the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, God admonishes us to be patient, likewise, towards one another by reproving, rebuking, exhorting with all longsuffering and doctrine.

Num 14:18 “The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.”

1 Pet 3:20-21 “Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure [water = the Gospel] whereunto even
baptism [the washing away of our sins] doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:”

2 Pet 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

Col 3:12-15 “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another...”

2 Tim 4:2 “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”

Gentleness - Those to whom God has graciously given the gift of salvation do not, in any way, merit such eternal kindness and blessing nor can they claim any credit for it. We must never forget that these individuals were spiritually dead, under the wrath of God, and deserving of everlasting punishment in Hell until God saved them by the miracle of the New Birth, as we see from Eph 2:5 and 7. Following the pattern of their Master, those who are part of the eternal church are equipped with the fruit of “gentleness”, or kindness. We see that God is “kind” even to unthankful and evil people in Luke 6:35. In Eph 4:32 true believers are instructed to mirror the kindness that God has shown to them by being kind to one another.

Eph 2:5 and 7 “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)… That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”

Tit 3:4-5 “But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”

Luke 6:35 “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.”

Eph 4:32 “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

Goodness - Indeed, God’s goodness as well as all His other divine attributes reveal His magnificent, glorious, and inscrutable majesty. His goodness is portrayed throughout the Bible in hundreds of verses. God’s goodness is also uniquely associated with His mercy in a number of passages. Rom 2:4 immediately helps us to see the reason for this - God’s “goodness” leads His elect to repentance. Not only is God inherently good, but He bestows His goodness upon His creatures, and salvation is the highest expression of His infinite goodness. Salvation is the greatest gift anybody can receive because no human being deserves it. Isa 52:7 announces the greatest demonstration of God’s goodness as found in the Gospel – that is, the whole Bible. Eph 5:9 gives us an excellent description of “goodness” as one of three main categories of the fruit of the Spirit: Remember that “priests” and “saints” are both synonyms for the children of God. God’s people will receive His “goodness and mercy” all the days of their lives – which is forevermore, as Psa 23:6 declares.

Psa 86:5 “For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.”

Psa 145:9 “The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.”

Rom 2:4 “or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?”

Isa 52:7 “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!”

Eph 5:8-11 “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.”

2 Chr. 6:41 “Now therefore arise, O LORD God, into thy resting place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness.”

Faith - “Faith” is synonymous with the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is called “Faithful” in Rev 19:11. What was the “work of faith” in 2 The 1:11, or rather, “the work of Christ” or “the Saving Faith” or “the faith of Christ” that He so faithfully performed? Isa 53:11 reveals: “He [referring to the Father] shall see of the travail [or work] of his [Christ’s] soul, and shall be satisfied: by his [Christ’s] knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he [Christ] shall bear their iniquities”. Every believer receives “faith” as a result of salvation and is the fruit of the Spirit. In other words, everyone who has experienced the new birth will understand the meaning of Faith. After someone becomes saved, he is commanded to “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor 5:7).

Rev 19:11 “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.”

2 The 1:11 “Wherefore also we pray always for you [believers], that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power…”

Heb 12:2 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Col 2:11-12 “In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.”

Php 3:9 “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:”

Rom 10:17 “... so then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Heb 11:6 “without faith it is impossible to please him [God]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

1 Pet 1:5 “[Believers] Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

Meekness - The Bible gives us some wonderful pictures of the “meek”, or those who have inherited the quality of “meekness”. As we ponder this word “meekness”, we are reminded of the Lord Jesus, the Ultimate Servant, who uttered these words in Mat 11:29: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls”. Mat 21:5 also portrays the Lord Jesus in such a fashion. Moses, as a great type of Christ, is described in Num 12:3 as very meek, above all the men. “Meekness” is associated with those who are true believers - those who have received with meekness “the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls…”. The child of God is to exhibit the attitude described in Eph 4:2, “With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;”. Meekness is also one of the “the qualities of a servant” as set forth in 2 Tim 2:24-25.

Mat 21:5 “Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King [Lord Jesus Christ] cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.”

Num 12:3 “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.”

Jam 1:21 “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”

1 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:”

2 Tim 2:24-25 “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;”

Temperance - “Temperance”, or “self-control”, is a remarkable fruit of the Spirit that motivates the true follower of Jesus Christ to forsake sin and follow the commands of Scripture. Paul likens the Christian life to a race for which an athlete trains. Following the rules and employing self-control and discipline are key factors in athletic competition as well as in the “Christian race,” as Paul states, “… I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection”. There exists an internal struggle between the believer’s new, resurrected soul (in which he never sins) and his body (that still lusts after sin because it has not yet become saved), as Paul explains in Rom 7:18-19. Thus, the true Christian’s biggest obstacle is himself! The solution lies in the fact that God is at work in the believer’s life to “… will and to do of His good pleasure”, so that obedience reigns, and the lusts of our bodies are dominated by the Word of God, as is seen in the phrase, “… and bring it into subjection”. The idea expressed here is to make the body a “servant” (or a slave). Those who have been redeemed are the servants of God, and they live to do His divine bidding, as Rom 6:12 affirms, “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof”.

1 Cor 9:24-27 “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 26I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

Rom 7:18-19 “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me [in soul]; but how to perform that which is good I find not [in my body]. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.”

Eph 6:10 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.”

Eph 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ!”

The Role of the Holy Spirit in a Believer's Life

2012-08-17T18:34:00.000-07:00

Two Types of Spirits - As we study the Bible we see that the Bible speaks of two spiritual kingdoms – the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. These kingdoms are ruled by two distinct spirits – the Spirit of Truth (God and true believers) and the spirit of error (Satan and unbelievers). Eph 2:2 describes the natural state into which we are all born and in which the vast majority of mankind dies as they travel the broad road that leads to destruction.

1 John 4:6 “We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.”

John 14:17 “... the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”

Eph 2:2 “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air [Satan], the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.”

The Spirit and the Word at Work in Salvation - The Holy Spirit works through the words of Scripture. This is the means whereby a person receives the gift of salvation, or eternal life. This is what is in view in Luke 4:18 when Jesus spoke of being empowered by the Holy Spirit in order to accomplish the awesome task of saving His people from their sins. God vividly depicts the problem that man has brought upon himself, and the solution that only God can provide in Eze 36.

Rom 10:17 “... faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.”

Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised…”

John 3:5 “… Except a man be born of water [typifying the Word of God] and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”

John 6:63 “It is the spirit that quickeneth [make alive]; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”

Eze 36:26 “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.”

He Works Repentance unto Salvation - Unless God directly intercedes in an individuals’ life, he can never repent and become saved. One might repent from some outward sins but never can repent inside out, from his sinful nature, which is genuine repentance. “Repentance” is metanoeo (G3340), signifying a “change of mind or understanding or a renewed mind”. One can demonstrate remorse at what he had done (based on the “sorrow of the world”), but not repentance (based on “godly sorrow”), which is a gift from God and has everything to do with salvation. God utilizes His divine words of the Bible to give people spiritual life in their souls. As one reads the Bible, the Holy Spirit convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgment, as we find in John 16:8. As God opens our spiritual eyes and ears to comprehend our spiritually dead condition, we realize that we are sinners by birth and by nature, and that we have violated God’s Word, the Bible.

2 Cor 7:10 “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”

2 Tim 2:24-26 “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 25In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; 26And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”

Acts 11:18 “When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.”

Rom 2:4 “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?”

He Indwells the New (Resurrected) Soul - What actually takes place in salvation? God uses many analogies in the Bible to describe how and where one is born from above, or becomes saved. One such picture is circumcision. God informs us that physical circumcision could accomplish nothing in and of itself, but was merely a sign pointing to a far greater spiritual reality of circumcision of “heart”. When God refers to the “heart” and the “spirit” (as we read in Eze 36:26), He is speaking metaphorically of our soul, the invisible part of our personality that will exist forever. God often speaks of circumcision in terms that can only be properly understood to mean spiritual circumcision. That is the meaning of the “circumcision made without hands” mentioned in Col 2:11. And what “instrument” is used to perform this type of “surgery” on one’s heart (or soul)? It can only be the “Sword of the Spirit” – the Word of God, the Bible – as Heb 4:12 indicates.

Rom 2:29 “But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”

Php 3:3 “For we [believers] are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”

Col 2:10-11 “And ye are complete in him [Christ], which is the head of all principality and power: 11In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:”

Eph 6:17 “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:”

Heb 4:12 “For the word of God is quick [or living], and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Tit 3:5-7 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

He Causes the Christian to Believe and to be Sanctified - “Belief”, or “faith”, is indeed a gift that God bestows on all of His children in mercy, since the recipients of this wonderful gift are totally undeserving of it. We learn that in order to enter Heaven we must be “holy”; and the only way we can become holy is by being clothed with the holiness, or righteousness, of God Himself. The Greek word for “holiness” is translated as “sanctification”. It is vital to understand than man is born spiritually dead in trespasses and sins, and this deadness prevents him from doing anything in order to become saved. Thus, salvation is an impossibility for man – except by the wonderful grace of God alone.

Rom 10:17 “... faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.”

Gal 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

Heb 12:14 “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.”

2 The 2:13 “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.”

He Will Open Believer's Spiritual Eyes and Ears to Scriptures - Lord Jesus declared in John 16:13 that the Holy Spirit will guide believers into all truth. The Greek word for “guide” “hod” is also translated into English as “lead”. The Holy Spirit guides every true Christian into all truth from the Scriptures as they learn more and more about their blessed Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He not only teaches us the truth from the Bible, but also causes us to remember it.

He Moves the Child of God to Obedience - When someone becomes saved he is a “new creature” (creation) in Christ, and God works in his life “to will and to do of his good pleasure” according to Php 2:13. This means that he will increasingly have a genuine motivation to obey the Bible. This means that when God redeems somebody, he acquires a new set of thoughts, words, and actions, which could be compared to learning a new language in a different culture. Tit 3:5 informs us that this renewing has to do with salvation and is the work of God the Holy Spirit.

Rom 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Tit 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”

He Gives Us Access to the Father - In fact, the Holy Spirit is intimately involved in the Christian’s prayer life. Only He can help us pray “according to the will of God”. This gracious fellowship with the Father by means of prayer is such a wonderful comfort, since quite often we find ourselves worried and beset by our own sin as well as the problems we face on a daily basis.

Eph 2:18 “For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.”

1 Cor 2:11 “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.”

1 John 5:14 “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:”

Rom 8:26-27 “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”

Php 4:6-7 “Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

He is the Down Payment and Seal of Our Salvation - Last, but certainly not least, each “born-again” Christian has the incomparable awareness that his body is now the temple of God. As incredible as that may seem, a true believer has become the dwelling-place of the living God. The true believer has also been given the Holy Spirit as the “earnest”, or down payment, of their salvation. Our physical bodies are merely “tabernacles”, or tents that are used briefly during our earthly pilgrimage; but our eternal home is God Himself: May God give us a greater sensitivity to the Sword of the Spirit – God’s Word – as we strive for greater obedience and humility in our lives.

Rom 5:9 “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”

2 Cor 1:22 “Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.”

2 Cor 5:1-5 “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.”

The Role of Holy Spirit as the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity

2012-08-11T10:40:00.001-07:00

Reproving the World of Sin - In John 16:9, what is the connection between “sin” and “believe not on me”? We must always remember that whenever we study the Bible we must let the Bible teach us. With this principle in mind, in this verse we find that belief is equated with not abiding in darkness. This particular passage helps us to understand that spiritual light, or belief, is associated with spiritual life. This means that a person whom God draws to salvation will not remain in spiritual darkness because God will give him the faith of Christ as a gift. Spiritual darkness is intimately identified with spiritual death and eternal condemnation.

John 16:8-11“And when he [the Holy Spirit] is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me [Jesus Christ]; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.”

John 12:46 “I [Jesus Christ] am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.”

John 8:12 “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

John 3:19-20 “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.”

Reproving the World of Righteousness - The Lord Jesus is actually called “Righteous” in 1 John 2:1, and the Old Testament also makes this point. I want to highlight two aspects of why Jesus speaks of going to His Father. Firstly, He could only re-enter Heaven if He had successfully paid for the sins of His people, which He most certainly did. God goes to great lengths to emphasize the “joy” that He would ultimately experience after enduring the wrath of God. This same joy would also be the precious possession of every child of God, as these verses in John 16 so vividly point out. Secondly, Christians, as recipients of the Holy Spirit, would be qualified to be ambassadors for Christ in accordance with God’s plan to evangelize the world.

John 16:10 “... Of righteousness, because I [Jesus Christ] go to my Father, and ye see me no more…”

Jer 23:5-6 “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch [Lord Jesus Christ], and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. 6In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely [Judah and Israel typify Elect of God, circumcised in heart]: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

Heb 12:2 “… who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

1 Pet 1:8 “... ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.”

John 14:12 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do [greater work is evangelizing the world]; because I go unto my Father.”

Reproving the World of Judgment - Well, who is “the prince of this world” in John 16:11? The prince, or ruler, of this world is Satan himself. The Lord Jesus ascended into Heaven and will not appear again physically until Judgment Day. May God be pleased to convict us of sin, righteousness and judgment as we ponder on these verses.

John 16:11 “Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged”.

John 12:31 “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.”

Eph 2:2 “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.”

Acts 17:31 “Because he [God the Father] hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man [Jesus Christ] whom he hath ordained; whereof he [God the Father] hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him [Jesus Christ] from the dead.”

Psa 96:13 “… for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.”

He Will Guide You into All Truth - Also, the Lord Jesus declared in John 16:13 that the Holy Spirit will guide believers into all truth. The Greek word for “guide” “hod” is also translated into English as “lead”. It is used to refer to many of the religious leaders, whom Jesus characterized as being “blind leaders of the blind” in Mat 15:14 because they were not saved and were leading others away from salvation with their erroneous teaching. God gives us more information concerning the Holy Spirit’s wonderful ministry to every single Christian through the use of the word “guide”. Just as Phillip helped the Ethiopian understand the Gospel (which is a role of all believers), the Holy Spirit guides every true Christian into all truth from the Scriptures as they learn more and more about their blessed Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

John 16:13-15 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”

1 John 5:6 “And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.”

Acts 8:30-37 “And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? 31And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. 32The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: 33In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. 34And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? 35Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.”

He Will Show You Things to Come - What does that phrase mean? Actually, the same word “shew” is found in all three verses of John 16:13-15. The Greek word for shew “anaggell” is also found as “declare”. Paul is declaring what every Christian is supposed to teach – all of the Bible and only the Bible. The Holy Spirit not only teaches us the truth from the Bible, but also causes us to remember it. Bear in mind that the “all things” here mean all “spiritual things” in the Scriptures.

John 16:13-15 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”

Acts 20:27 “For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.”

John 14:26“ But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

1 Cor 2:13 “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”

John 12:16 “These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him.”

He Shall Glorify Jesus Christ - This section concerns the work of God the Holy Spirit in glorifying God the Son, even as the Son glorifies God the Father. We read in John 14:26 above that God the Father sent the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus Christ. How does the Holy Spirit testify and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ? The same Greek word is used in these two verses and is translated as both “testify” and “beareth witness”. God and His Word are “truth”. The Holy Spirit testifies and bears witness through every word in the entire Bible. I realize that we have been speaking of the Holy Spirit’s particular role within the Godhead today, but we must never forget that no Member of the Triune Godhead operates independently of the other Two.

John 16:13-15 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”

John 17:1 “These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee…”

John 15:26 “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me…”

1 John 5:6 “And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.”

John 5:39 “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”

1 John 5:7 “For there are three that bear record [or bear witness, or testify] in heaven, the Father, the Word [Word in flesh, Lord Jesus Christ], and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”

He is the Author of the Bible - It is important to understand that God the Holy Spirit is the Divine Author of the Word of God, the Bible. The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit. Why would God use the illustration of a “sword”, the only offensive weapon in the list of the Christian’s armor? Indeed, God’s double-edged Sword has the power to either cause spiritual death [judge] or spiritual life.

2 Pet 1:21 “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

Eph 6:17 “... And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

Heb 4:12 “For the word of God is quick [alive], and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”