What do you do with sin??

By Steven L. Pogue

The IRS received an anonymous letter:

Gentlemen:

Enclosed you will find a cashier’s check for $150. I cheated on my tax return last year and have not been able to sleep ever since. If I still have trouble sleeping I will send you the rest.¹

Each of us wants to feel forgiven for the wrong things we have done. The question is, where does this forgiveness come from?

As a Christian, all of your sins are forgiven. You probably believe that from the Bible. But how do you respond to it? A friend who counsels many believers commented: “Some Christians don’t really believe they have sinned; others don’t believe they are forgiven.”

I would like to help you appreciate both the reality of your sin and the reality of Christ’s forgiveness.

What Sin Is

Ernest Hemingway once said that if something is moral, you feel good afterwards; if immoral, you feel bad afterwards. That’s a popular view of sin – many have lived by it. But it’s not a biblical view. Biblically, sin is an attitude of wanting your way instead of God’s way.

How much does sin matter to God? He cannot tolerate it. “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong.” (Habakkuk 1:13a) “God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5a)

That may seem unimportant. Hasn’t Jesus paid for all your sins? Why be concerned about sin when God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life? Perhaps you should view sins as mistakes, mere miscues in life.

God never views sin as such. Because of one sin, Adam and Eve were exiled from paradise. Because of sin God brought a flood upon the earth’s inhabitants in the days of Noah. He brought fire upon the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because of their blatant immorality. Sin kept the original children of Israel in the wilderness for forty years.

God hates sin. Yet to us, sin feels good, and we do it. Like Adam and Eve, we think we can know evil and yet not be overcome by it. But we do not become like God. God knows of the existence of evil, yet God is not evil nor does He give in to evil. We, on the other hand, are attracted to it, and we give in to it.

The Guilty Party

Whenever you sin, God’s Spirit inside you is grieved. Sometimes He’ll cause you to feel guilty. In sinning, you are choosing at that instant to live independently of the Lord’s will for you. That doesn’t cause God to hate you. He still loves you. But it saddens Him: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30) To understand how sin does affect you, let’s look at the difference between your relationship with God and your fellowship with God.

Sin does not affect God’s eternal relationship with you – that was established when you trusted in Christ’s payment for your sins. Christ died for all your sins – past, present, and future. At that time, your entire life was in the future. Because of your faith in Jesus, you are totally forgiven. Your relationship with God is secure.

However, sin affects your fellowship with God. (Fellowship means your earthly, moment-by-moment association.) Sin affects your communication with Him and your usefulness in doing His will. Sin dulls you to the things Christ wants you to be thinking about and to be doing.

Psalm 32:3-5 says: “There was a time when I wouldn’t admit what a sinner I was. But my dishonesty made me miserable and filled my days with frustration. All day and all night your hand was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water on a sunny day until I finally admitted all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide them. I said to myself, ‘I will confess them to the Lord.’ And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.”

This is the correct response to sin. He didn’t deny sin. He didn’t become preoccupied with it. He confessed it.

Confessing Sin and Repenting

What does it mean to confess sins and repent? First, confession means to agree with God. He already knows you’ve sinned, so you might as well be honest! “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) Confession means freely admitting our sin and accepting God’s attitude about our sin.

Confession does not mean begging God for forgiveness. Christ already paid the penalty for all of our sins, and God’s forgiveness is available automatically when we confess. The reason God can make this forgiveness available to you instantly is Christ’s death on the cross, not the strength or humility with which you confess your sin.

Repentance means to change your actions concerning your sin. It involves agreeing with God that you were wrong and that you do not want to continue to commit that sin.

But I Still Feel Guilty!

There will be times when you still feel guilty even after you’ve confessed your sin. It somehow seems spiritual to berate ourselves for committing such an awful sin, and we think that if we can lower ourselves in our own eyes, God will be pleased with our humility.

But that’s not the way God sees us. Part of confession is thanking God that all of our sins have been paid for by Christ. On that basis God says, “I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” (Hebrews 8:12) Thanksgiving involves faith because you are responding to what God’s Word says is true about you instead of how you feel. To berate yourself focuses on your sin rather than on Christ and His forgiveness.

Sometimes we mistake temptation for sin. But keep in mind that everyone is tempted. Even Jesus was tempted…but He didn’t give in to His temptations – He didn’t sin. If you are being tempted, don’t chastise yourself. You can choose not to dwell on tempting thoughts and you can ask God for the strength to avoid the sin. Don’t feel guilty about being tempted. A great verse to learn, to bring to mind when you battle temptation, is 1 Corinthians 10:13.

God has completely forgiven you of all the things you have done. “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1) He doesn’t look back now on your sins or your failures with condemnation, and neither should you. Again God says, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” (Hebrews 10:17) The cloud of guilt is gone! Accept God’s complete forgiveness.

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” (Romans 8:2) The Christian life is a life of freedom: freedom from guilt and freedom to live as God intends, which is ultimately the most satisfying life. It is a process of growth, of becoming like Christ and reflecting Christ. And it takes time to grow!

1. Charles Swindoll, Come Before Winter (Portland, OR: Multnomah Press, 1985), p.89.

by Steven L. Pogue

The Bible is not just for learning; it’s for living. –Lawrence O. Richards

Would you like to know what God really thinks about you? Or how you should think about God? You can find out… in the Bible!

The Bible is the very personal message of the One who created the universe. Because it is God’s living Word, it does more than grab your attention. It speaks to you. In a manner that’s almost uncanny, the verses you read today may apply directly to your problems.

For the Word that God speaks is alive and active; it cuts more keenly than any two-edged sword: it strikes through to the place where soul and spirit meet, to the innermost intimacies of a man’s being: it examines the very thoughts and motives of a man’s heart (Hebrews 4:12).

The Bible explains how it was written

“For no prophecy recorded in Scripture was ever thought up by the prophet himself. It was the Holy Spirit within these godly men who gave them true messaged from God” (2 Peter 1:20,21). Those verses apply specifically to the Old Testament prophecies, but the entire Bible is inspired: “All Scripture is God-breathed…” (2 Timothy 3:16).

The word inspiration literally means “God-breathed.” From God’s very life, His breath, came the words of the Bible. You may find other books inspiring to read because they are intellectually or emotionally moving, but they are not the very words of God. Only the Bible is.

The Bible reveals what God wants you to know about Him and about life. It contains promises: things that God says He will do for you. Here are just a few of God’s promises to you:

• God will use everything in your life for good, conforming you into the image of Christ (Romans 8:28,29)
• He will always be with you (Matthew 28:20)
• He will generously give wisdom if you ask (James 1:5)
• He will supply every need in your life (Philippians 4:19)
• He already knows your needs before you ask Him (Matthew 6:32)
• His peace will superintend you through life as you pray with thankfulness (Philippians 4:4-7).

With most books, you learn best by beginning at page one. You would think that the best place to start your study of the Bible would be on page one of Genesis. After all, Genesis means “beginnings.” But the Bible is not arranged in chronological order. The books of the Bible are placed in categories. You may want to follow the recommended order for reading the Bible at the end of this article. This order is designed to give you a good understanding of the major themes of Scripture and to acquaint you with much of its history.

The key to understanding the Bible is Christ

The Old Testament looks forward to His coming. The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) reveal Christ’s identity and mission, and the rest of the New Testament explains the implications of that new life in Christ. To understand the Old Testament, you have to begin with the New Testament.

Jesus said He came to give us life more abundantly and part of experiencing that is by knowing and following His Word. Jesus said, “If you continue in my word, then you are truly disciples of mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:31)

It was as someone shared God’s Word with us that we became Christians. “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.” (1 Peter 1:23) And we continue to grow the same way, through His word, which He refers to as our nourishment. “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” (1 Peter 2:2,3)

All of Psalms 119 talks about the value of studying God’s Word. Here are just a couple of reasons from it: “Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against you.” (v11) “O how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever mine. I have more insight than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation.” (v97-99) “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (v105)

Bible reading is an intellectual exercise, involving your mind. But to understand the spiritual teaching and apply it, you need the Holy Spirit’s leading. As you read the Bible, pray, asking God the Holy Spirit to make plain to you what He wants you to know: “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). Develop a spirit of expectancy – God wants to teach you through His Word. But don’t rely on feelings. I’ve had some of the best times of Bible study when I decided that I would continue reading for fifteen more minutes even though the previous fifteen minutes were “boring.”

If your Bible study is regular and daily, it will become a habit in your life. Find a place free from distraction. Be creative, and pick the time of day when you are most alert and able to spend time with God. Remember, you are pursuing a relationship with God and you want to be able to converse with Him. Keep a journal to record what God teaches you. Writing helps organize your thoughts, as well as giving you something you can return to several months later.

God will honor the time you spend with Him, and you’ll find yourself growing in your faith. It will be time well spent.

Recommended order of Bible reading:

• John
• 1 John
• Romans
• Galatians
• Ephesians
• Philippians
• Colossians
• Luke
• Acts
• 1 Thessalonians
• 2 Thessalonians
• 1 Timothy
• 2 Timothy
• James
• Mark
• 1 Corinthians
• 2 Corinthians
• Genesis
• Exodus
• Joshua
• Proverbs
• 1 Samuel
• 2 Samuel

When you made that decision and invited Jesus into your life, it is important to know, did God hear you? Yes. Jesus promised that He would enter our lives, if we ask Him.

In Revelation 3:20 Jesus makes this offer, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Did you open the door of your heart to God? If so, what did He say He would do? Would God mislead you?

First John 5:14 says, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”

In John 6:37, Jesus said, “All that the Father gives me will come to me; and him who comes to me I will not cast out.” And in John 10:27-29 Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”

Jesus died on the cross for our sins, so that we could be in relationship with Him. He’s not indifferent to the issue. He went to great lengths to bring us into relationship with Him. Jesus took our sins on Himself and covered us with His righteousness, making us fully forgiven and fully accepted by Him. We don’t have to first live good lives, or perform religious rituals, or spend years begging Him. God is the one who made it possible for us to have a relationship with Him. And we come to Him based on what He did for us, rather than what we can do. He paid for our sins, in order to forgive us and come into our lives. First Peter 3:18 says, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.”

When a person asks Jesus into their life, it is exciting to know what God says is now true about your relationship with God:

• You are at peace with God — “Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1)
• You became a child of God — “to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God.” (John 1:12)
• You are no longer living in darkness — “for once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8)

  “He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:13,14)

• You are forgiven — “To him all the prophets bear witness that every one who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” (Acts 10:43)

  “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace which he lavished upon us.” (Ephesians 1:7,8)

  “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:9,10)

• You have been given eternal life — “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” (John 5:24)

  “And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who has not the Son of God has not life. I write this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:11-13)

• You are sealed with the Holy Spirit — “In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, which is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:13)
• You can begin to know God’s love for you — “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:7-11)

To grow in your relationship with God:

To get to know God better, spend time in His word (the Bible) asking Him to reveal more of Himself to you and for Him to build your relationship with Him. The Gospel of John (fourth book in the New Testament) is a great place to start.

And talk to Him freely. We are encouraged to “Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6,7)

How to know our relationship with God is secure.

There are many relationships in our lives that don’t last. We might see a divorce, friends we lose track of, or maybe even the death of someone we loved. So, maybe you are wondering about this new relationship with God…will this last?

God tells us, “I will never fail you, nor forsake you.” (Hebrews13:5). When we place our faith in Jesus, wanting Him in our lives, we become His child and forever can rest secure in His love. The following Scripture will help you see what is now true of your relationship with Him.

We did not earn a relationship with God, nor do we have to struggle to hold onto it. The Bible is clear about this. Once we placed our faith in Jesus Christ, we were accepted by God.

“We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous [in right standing, ok with him]. He did this through Christ Jesus when [on the cross] he freed us from the penalty for our sins.” (Romans 3:22-24)

The following Scripture will help you see what is now true of your relationship with Him.

Before we became Christians

You may not have been aware of the following. However, before becoming Christians, the Bible describes us as:

• enemies of God (Romans 5:10)
• helpless (Romans 5:6)
• ungodly (Romans 5:6)
• sinners (Romans 5:8)
• lost (Matthew 18:11)
• poor (Revelation 3:17)
• blind (2 Corinthians 4:4)
• under God’s judgment (John 3:36)
• dead through our sins (Ephesians 2:1)
• foolish, slaves to passions (Titus 3:3)
• doing evil deeds (Colossians 1:21)
• far from God (Ephesians 2:13)
• without hope (Ephesians 2:12)
• walking in darkness (John 8:12)

Now that we are Christians

From the moment we receive Christ into our lives, we have a new relationship with God, and a new life. Here is how the Bible describes us now that we have Christ in our life. We are:

• at peace with God (Romans 5:1)
• a child of God (John 1:12)
• completely forgiven (Colossians 1:14)
• brought near to God (Ephesians 2:13)
• sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13)
• no longer living in darkness (Ephesians 5:8)
• members of His kingdom (Colossians 1:13,14)
• loved by God (1John 4:9,10; John 15:9)
• given eternal life (John 3:16)
• secure in God’s love (Romans 8:38,39)
• saved by God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8,9)
• Christ dwells in our hearts (Ephesians 3:17)
• chosen by God (Ephesians 1:4,5)
• crossed from death to life (John 5:24)
• alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:15)
• righteous in God’s eyes (2Corinthians 5:21)
• led by a caring Shepherd (John 10:27)

Jesus said, “…whoever comes to me I will never drive away” (John6:37). He describes that further saying, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one” (John 10:28-30). He holds us securely.

Further we can be “confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians1:6).

Jesus fully paid for our sins and once we thank Him for that, receive Him into our lives, desiring for our lives to be His, He makes us His child, giving us full forgiveness and acceptance with Him.

This relationship is protected, not by what we do, but because of God’s character and Jesus’ death on our behalf. Jesus purchased our relationship with Him, canceling the penalty of sin that stood between us and God. And so we become His child, forgiven, indwelt by Him, declared righteous in His eyes, because Jesus covers our sin. Unfortunately, we still will sin. We still will find ourselves choosing to do things our way instead of God’s way. But this does not change the security of our relationship with Christ. We stand secure in this relationship, because of what God says about it. “Therefore, since we have been right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us” (Romans 5:1).

Salvation through Jesus is purely God’s gift, received once by faith. At that moment we have begun a relationship with God that lasts eternally. Our relationship with Christ does not hinge on personal holiness, or levels of faith, or sacrifices, or good works or religious acts. God doesn’t intend for our focus to be on our performance. He desires our focus to be on Jesus.

Unlike other relationships we have in this world, our relationship with God is secure because He brought us into this relationship in the first place,and He is faithful to keep us unto eternal life. 1 Corinthians 1:9 says “God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Where does one get started in the Christian life?

By Barbara Francis

I became a Christian my freshman year at the University of Oregon. On a scale of 1 to 10 of what I knew about God and the Bible (1 being “not a darn thing” and 10 being “I was raised in a monastery”), I was a minus 30. I never attended church growing up and had lived a pretty wild life before I knew the Lord.

I had tried once to read the Bible, but, silly me, I began in the beginning (who knew there were two sections?) and got about 20 chapters into the Book of Genesis before giving up. Years later I discovered that there was also a New Testament and that’s where I could learn about Jesus…and boy, did I have a lot to learn.

So, where does one get started in the Christian life? How can we grow and get to know God better? These were some of the very first questions I asked myself as I began my relationship with God. Maybe they’re similar to the ones you’ve been deliberating. I knew so little about the things of God that I had a hard time even articulating some of my musings. But thankfully I had an older Christian in my life who introduced me to four simple ways to get on the growth path. I still remember them, still use them even though I’ve walked with Jesus for over 30 years. My prayer is that they would be a helpful boost as you discover what’s next in this life called Christian.

Listen to God

The Bible is the very word and will of God, preserved for us so we can get to know who He is and what He wants for our lives. 2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” That is why we need to spend time reading the Bible every day. If you don’t have a Bible that’s easy to understand, make the trip to a local Christian bookstore and purchase one. If that is not possible, many libraries have them available to be checked out. Some suggested translations are The New Living, The New International Version or The Message. Begin with the Gospel of John in the New Testament. (This Book, sometimes referred to simply as “John”, is the fourth book in the New Testament, near the beginning, not to be confused with 1 John, 2 John and 3 John, found at the end of the New Testament.) I like using a journal or pad of paper to write down inquiries and observations. Answer these two questions for each chapter: What do I learn about God or Jesus? Are there things discussed that I should begin practicing or avoid altogether? This will help you to see that the Bible is very practical to your life today. After you finish John, just keep going all the way to Revelation.

When we read the Bible we learn how loved we are by God. “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1). We learn that we are entirely new people because we’ve invited Jesus to be our Savior and Lord. Read Ephesians 1:3-14 and spend a moment listing all the things that are true of you as a Christian. Amazing, isn’t it?

Talk to God

Prayer is such a vital aspect to a healthy walk with God. It is perhaps my favorite part of my relationship with the Father. Think of it, we can talk with GOD! Anytime, anywhere, any mood, any season of temptation or joy. Hebrews 13:5 tells us that God will never leave or forsake us. That’s good news for some of us who have never known that kind of love and commitment. Well, we do now…because God does not lie or change his mind (Numbers 23:19; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18). And because He is always with us we can always converse with Him. Prayer is simply talking to God. No religious tones or words necessary. Psalm 62:8 tells us to “pour out your hearts to God.”

There is an acronym, ACTS, which was most helpful as I began to pray. Now, remember I started at minus 30, so I knew NOTHING. In my home we did not pray, we wished – wished on birthday cakes before the candles were blown out or on the first star I saw at night. I’d never prayed, so it felt a bit awkward to begin, but using the ACTS process helped me greatly.

ACTS:

Adoration…is where we praise God for who He is: loving, good, kind, understanding, gracious, etc. As you read the Bible and write down the things you are learning about God, you will have more and more to praise Him for. Also, begin to read a Psalm a day – takes about 3 to 5 minutes – and praise God for how each Psalm reveals new dimensions of His character and ways.

Confession…is a key component to growth. Sin clogs up our fellowship with God. We’ll feel guilty and distant if we have attitudes and actions in our lives that the Bible says are wrong. That’s where confession comes in. Look up 1 John 1:9. Then read Psalm 32:3-5 about the consequences of unconfessed sin and how to deal with it.

Thanksgiving…is when we just say thanks to God for all He has done. Again, the Psalms are a great place to head to be reminded of all He has done for us. Use the psalmists’ words as your own. It’s a good way to learn to just talk with God.

Supplication…is where we pray both for ourselves and for others in our lives. I like keeping a prayer list with the date I started asking on my behalf or the behalf of another and the date the prayer was answered. Pray specifically, expectantly and faithfully. 1 John 5:14-15 tells us that if we pray according to God’s will, He will hear and answer. But, you ask, “How do I know God’s will?” That takes us back to where we began…to reading His word.

Talk to Others Who Know God

This is simply called fellowship, hanging out with other people who love Jesus. It can be at church, in a Bible study or in a small group. It is for purposes of growing together (Acts 2:46-47). Many of us will need to make new friendships and learn how to have fun in different sorts of ways. By spending time with believers, our behaviors begin to change and we learn what older believers look and act like.

Talk to Others About God

This is called witnessing. I like what the devoted apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:17-20, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” I just had to tell my friends about my new relationship with Christ! Because He’d changed my life, forgiven me and loved me in a way I never knew was possible, I wanted others to have what I did. Sure, not everyone was as excited about the whole thing as I was, but my desire was so strong. I made a list of the top ten people I wanted to talk to about the Lord and then just waited for Him to open up the opportunities to do so. Happily, many know Christ now, too. Cool, huh?

My sincere prayer is that these few thoughts will serve you as stepping stones toward a more intimate walk with our sweet Savior, Jesus.

Getting to know God is an exciting experience. There are students right on your campus who also have also asked Jesus into their lives and would like to help you grow. Click here to tell us you’d like someone from your campus to email you back.

Understanding the Spirit-filled life.

By Steven L. Pogue

Does living the Christian life seem impossible? Let me tell you a secret–it is impossible–on our own. Trying to live the Christian life by your own efforts is like a ship on dry land…just doesn’t work very well. For the ship to get anywhere, it needs to be resting on the water. And to enjoy the Christian life, one needs to learn on how rest in God. Paul knows this: “For I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me strength and power” (Philippians 4:13).

The Christian’s secret to a consistent life is for Christ to live His life through us: “I have been crucified with Christ: and I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. And the real life I now have within this body is a result of my trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

It was during Christ’s final evening with His disciples that He told them He would be leaving them, but they would not be left alone: “But the fact of the matter is that it is best for you that I go away, for if I don’t, the Comforter won’t come. If I do, he will – for I will send him to you” (John 16:7).

You have been given someone to enable you to live the Christian life bravely – the Holy Spirit. He isn’t just a guide at the information booth along the heavenly trail: He is the Spirit of Christ – come to live in you.

Who is the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is God, as are the Son and the Father. Much of the confusion surrounding the Holy Spirit occurs when people fail to view Him as a person. He has a personality. He is a divine person with a will and emotions.

The Holy Spirit possesses all the attributes that the Son and the Father have. He is omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all knowing), immutable (unchanging) and eternal. He is the third person of the trinity.

What is the purpose of the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is a major part of your Christian life. Let’s look at some of His roles and see why He is so important.

The Holy Spirit convicted you of your sin and your need for Christ (John 16:8-11). The Bible explains that without the Holy Spirit’s help, people think Christianity is foolish (1 Corinthians 1:18). Those around you may think it’s crazy you’ve made such a commitment to Christ! You don’t see it that way at all because the Holy Spirit has revealed the wonder of a life in Christ to you.

The Holy Spirit gave you new life. Flesh gives birth only to flesh, Jesus said. It takes the Holy Spirit to give a spiritual birth (John 3:6). And it is through that Spirit that God’s love was poured into your heart (Romans 5:5). The Holy Spirit also provides an inner witness (an assurance) that you are a Christian (Romans 8:16).

The Holy Spirit is a teacher and enabler. He leads you to the truth of God’s Word. He illuminates the Bible so you are able to understand and apply its truth (John 16:13,14). He gives power and spiritual effectiveness in your witnessing (Acts 1:8). He intercedes for you before the Father when you feel like you don’t know what or how to pray (Romans 8:26,27).

The Holy Spirit was sent by Christ to enable you to live the Christian life! As Paul wrote, “…the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you” (Romans 8:11). The Christian life is possible only with the power of the Holy Spirit.

You may be thinking, I need the Holy Spirit in my life! If you are a Christian, He is already there: “You are controlled by your new nature if you have the Spirit of God living in you (Romans 8:9). The Holy Spirit resides in you, but you may not be yielding your life to His direction. He may be a resident – without being president.

Paul distinguished between two types of Christians: the spiritual Christian and the carnal Christian.

1. The Spiritual Christian “The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment…” (1 Corinthians 2:15).

The spiritual person has accepted Christ and lives a Christ-centered life. He is not sinless and he faces problems and temptations every day, just like everyone else. But as a way of life, he trusts Christ with each detail and problem that comes along. His greatest desire is to please Christ, and he doesn’t rely on the approval of others.

2. The Carnal Christian “Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly – mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? (1 Corinthians 3:1-3).

Carnal means “fleshly.” The carnal Christian is a Christian (he has committed his life to Jesus Christ at some point), but his life is oriented around himself and his needs. He may show some evidence of being a Christian, but the work of the Holy Spirit is suppressed either through conscious disobedience or ignorance of the Spirit’s ministry.

What distinguishes the carnal Christian from the spiritual Christian? It isn’t that the carnal Christian lacks part of Christ or the Holy Spirit – he possesses the same spiritual resources as the spiritual Christian. But the spiritual man relies on Christ’s power to live his Christian life while the carnal man relies on his own power. Trying to live the Christian life on your own efforts is as futile as trying to get around town by pushing your car.

Being Led by the Spirit

The Bible talks about being “led” by the Spirit. That implies we obey what He says: He leads, we follow. Simple enough. But usually we don’t like anyone telling us what to do – even if it’s God! Yet the filling of the Holy Spirit means allowing the Spirit of God and the Word of God tell us what to do.

We have the choice each day: Will we let the Holy Spirit lead us, or will we be controlled by something else? Will fear about the future, or our desire to get what we want, become more important than obeying Christ? When the Holy Spirit fills you, He controls your thoughts and your actions. You can’t be filled with hatred, fear or worry while you are filled with the Spirit. There isn’t room.

“Don’t act thoughtlessly, but try to find out and do whatever the Lord wants you to. Don’t drink too much wine, for many evils lie along that path; be filled instead with the Holy Spirit, and controlled by Him.” (Ephesians 5:17). Unlike alcohol, the changes the Holy Spirit produces aren’t artificial. They don’t wear off with time. The Bible calls these lasting changes the fruit that is produced from a Christ-centered life: “But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives He will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control; and here there is no conflict with Jewish laws” (Galatians 5:22.23).

How Can I Be Filled with the Holy Spirit?

The control of the Holy Spirit is our choice. It’s voluntary, but it’s not by osmosis. People don’t become drunk by handling unopened cases of beer or working in a liquor store. It’s after drinking the liquor that things suddenly get fuzzy. As a Christian you can be surrounded by Bibles and Christians without being filled with the Holy Spirit. Or you can be alone, but Spirit-filled.

You can express your desire to follow the Holy Spirit’s control through prayer. Here is a prayer that has often been helpful to me:

“Dear Father, I need You. I acknowledge that I have been directing my own life and that, as a result, I have sinned against You. I thank You that You have forgiven my sins through Christ’s death on the cross for me. I now invite Christ to again take His place on the throne of my life. Fill me with the Holy Spirit as You commanded me to be filled, and as You promised in Your Word that You would do if I asked in faith. I pray this in the name of Jesus. As an expression of my faith, I now thank You for directing my life and for filling me with the Holy Spirit.”¹

If you prayed that prayer, desiring the Spirit’s control, then the Holy Spirit fills you now—even if you don’t feel like it. Remember when you committed your life to Christ? You may have had a very emotional experience, or you may have been like me—I felt nothing unusual after accepting Christ. Christ came in not because of a feeling, but because God’s Word is true. It’s the same with the filling of the Spirit.

Some people equate the filling of the Holy Spirit with a mystical religious experience. It’s not mystical. It is a decision of faith: a response to what God says in His Word. Being filled with the Holy Spirit isn’t dependent upon the feelings you receive, but upon the Bible you believe.

Three Questions

The ministry of the Holy Spirit is so vital to our Christian life! There may be several questions that remain unanswered in your mind.

1. Why aren’t more Christians filled with the Spirit?

That was really Mike’s question that day we lunched together. What is the reason more Christians aren’t filled with the Holy Spirit?

In a word, sin. We choose to disobey god. This can take the form of pride: wanting things our way. We don’t give God control of our finances; we’ve worked hard for our money and it’s ours now. We don’t give God control of our relationships; why forgive that person when it’s really their fault? We don’t give God control of our personal morality; that’s nobody’s business but our own—not even God’s. That’s pride talking. Scripture says, “He [God] mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble” (Proverbs 3:34).

Sin can take another form: fear. Proverbs states, “Fear of man will prove to be a snare…” (Proverbs 29:25). Is there something that God wants you to do, but you haven’t done it because you’re afraid of what people will think? I know it’s easy for me to think: I can’t do that. I would look foolish if I did that. God can’t possibly want me to do that. But often He does!

The last half of that verse in Proverbs teaches: “but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.” It’s easy to put the approval of people above the approval of God, but isn’t pleasing God what we really want? Our lives will be different than other people. But it’s worth it.

2. Can I be filled with the Spirit and still struggle with sin?

I guess that depends on what you mean by “struggling with sin”! If you are consistently giving in to sin, then the Holy Spirit can’t be controlling or filling your life. But if you are asking, “Will I still commit sin after learning about the filling of the Holy Spirit?”—the answer is an emphatic yes.

You may find yourself committing sin and confessing it several times throughout the day. That’s not spiritual weakness; it is evidence that you’re living and breathing spiritually! Becoming aware of sin and dealing with it has been described as “spiritual breathing.”

Spiritual breathing involves “exhaling”—admitting your sin to the Lord as it occurs. You recognize that you have sinned and usurped the Lord’s place as head of your life. By “exhaling,” you are removing the impure, and you are claiming the forgiveness that is yours through Christ’s death on the cross.

Spiritual breathing also includes “inhaling”—asking God to again fill you with His Holy Spirit, to again be the head of your life. Remember that He doesn’t leave you when you sin. But you have ignored His leading, and now you are once again following His direction. You are learning to trust Him, which takes time. Don’t become discouraged when you fall into sin: Learn to get back up.

The youngest of our three children learned how to walk this past year. It took a while. She didn’t wake up on her first birthday, vault over the rails of her crib and jog to toddler aerobics class. Her first steps were tentative and wobbly. She fell into mud puddles, coffee tables and laundry baskets. But she never gave up. Eventually her steps turned into stronger, confident ones. She still falls down at times (and so do her parents!), but she gets back up.

We never become immune to sin; sinlessness is reserved for heaven. As we grow to know God better, we will grow in seeing life from His perspective, and in some areas sin less. We will also learn to battle temptation. But even then there will be occasions when we sin and need to breathe spiritually, whether we’re in the first year of our Christian life or in our seventieth.

3. What if my life hasn’t changed much yet?

Has it occurred to you that your level of spiritual growth may be exactly where God wants it? We’ve looked at two types of Christians, the carnal and the spiritual. But there is a third category of Christian: the new Christian. Remember what Paul told those Corinthians? “Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ.”

Several years earlier, Paul had led many of those Corinthian believers to Christ. At that time he didn’t expect them to be mature, spiritual believers. But instead of following a normal growth pattern of spiritual maturity for a Christian, the believers at Corinth became carnal. If you’ve only been a believer for a few months, you’re still a “baby” Christian—not carnal, just young.

Each September when we lived in the Midwest our family would head for Stover’s Orchards in Three Rivers, Michigan. We knew we would be greeted by nearly labeled rows of apple trees. We filled bushel baskets with Mackintoshes, Winesaps and Romes.

Near the back of the orchard were rows of trees that were not laden with apples. In fact, they had no fruit at all. But they weren’t dead; they were just young. Some had not yet reached five feet in height. While the older trees had matured and were bent over with apples, these young trees were just busy growing.

If you are obeying Christ today and trusting His power to change you, then you are exactly where God wants you to be. Don’t agonize over the “fruit” you feel you lack. I never saw one of those young trees ever comparing itself with the older ones. Growth is a process, and each part of the process is vital.

I find that as I obey Christ and don’t worry about comparing myself to other Christians, I enjoy being a Christian.

¹A prayer taken from Bill Bright, “Have You Made the Wonderful Discovery of the Spirit-filled Life?” (San Bernardino, CA: Campus Crusade for Christ, 1966), p. 12.

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God is so clear about how we are acceptable to Him. The Bible says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). And many times Jesus talked about coming to give us eternal life. He stated this quite directly: “…it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life” (John 6:40).

If we could come to God through any religious figure (ie. Buddha, Allah, Mohammad, Hindu gods, etc.), or through any religious effort…then Jesus did not need to come to earth and die on a cross for our sins. But this was God’s plan–God Himself paying for our sin, so that full forgiveness could be given to us. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

To believe in Jesus means life; to not believe in Him means remaining guilty from personal sin and under God’s judgment. God offers forgiveness to any who will come to Him.

If you would like more information on how Christianity compares with other major religions, such as Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, please see the article: Connecting with the Divine.

And if you would like to see a very helpful article that explains how we know that Jesus is God, please see: Beyond Blind Faith.

First of all, we all sin (Isaiah 53:6 “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way” and Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”).

The fact that you recognize your sin and feel badly about it should give you encouragement for several reasons. For one thing, a lot of people sin and don’t think there’s anything wrong with it – yet God has opened your eyes to seeing how destructive it can be. But God does not want you to live with guilt. He wants you to know and fully experience His forgiveness.

God does not simply overlook our sin and say, “You’re forgiven.” God sees our sin but is ready to forgive us because Jesus fully took OUR sin on Himself and paid for our sin by His death on the cross. Our sin is serious and it cost Jesus incredible suffering. But from the moment we received Christ into our lives, His forgiveness is ours. We can’t ever make up for our own sin or suffer enough for it – nor does God want us to. “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” Romans 5:8.

But what about when we struggle with an area and keep on sinning? Does God get so weary forgiving us that we, at some point, reach our limit?

Jesus was asked by the disciples how many times they needed to forgive someone. “Then Peter came and said to Him, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven’” (Matthew 18:21,22). It’s unlikely that Peter could keep track of whether he forgave a particular individual 490 times yet, so you see Jesus’ point. You always forgive, because God always forgives us. God does not have a limit. He died for every one of your sins—those you’ve committed and those you will commit—past, present, and future sins.You need to begin looking at your sin the way God looks at it. And here is what He says in the Bible:

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1John 1:9

“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense–Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1John 2:1,2

“As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12

“You have put all my sins behind your back.” Out of sight. God no longer “sees” me in light of my sins. He sees Jesus righteousness for me.” Isaiah 38:17

“You will tread our sins underfoot and hurl our iniquities into the depths of the sea.” Never to be found at sea. Not “dropped” into the sea, “hurled.” Micah 7:19

“I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” Sins are no longer “kept on file”, record is blotted out, destroyed. God cannot “forget” like in human error, but He chooses to “not remember.” Isaiah 43:25

“But where sin increased, grace increased all the more.” Romans 5:20

“All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself…in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them…For our sake He made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:18,19,21

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1

“…since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1

We are told that Satan is the “accuser of the brethren”, meaning that Satan will try to convince us that God could never love us. We need to recognize those thoughts as lies and instead choose to believe what God says. What God says about us in His Word (the Bible) is truer than anything we could think or feel. Jesus said that those who build their lives on His word are those whose lives stand strong and secure, able to weather anything in life (see Matthew 7:24-27).

If you’ve asked God to forgive you and to come into your life — you are forgiven!!! His word says so. Thank Him for His forgiveness and begin to rejoice in your secure relationship with Him. He is able to change areas of your life that don’t line up with His desire for you. 1 Corinthians 1:9 says, “God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with his Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Congratulations on your decision to ask Jesus Christ into your life.

What now?

• If this were a religion, you could expect someone to give you all sorts of Rules. Rituals. Requirements. And maybe a lot of stuff to buy!

But when you asked Jesus into your life, you did not join a religion.

Instead, you began a relationship. With God.

And that’s pretty amazing.

You might be wondering, how do you get to know God better?

Ask for “The Spiritual Starter Kit”

It’s a free series of seven emails that will come directly from me, Marilyn Adamson, director of startingwithGod.com. I’ll send it to anyone who asks for it.

Click here to see “The Spiritual Starter Kit.”

Find other believers

A search finder for a Christian group on your campus or a church near you.

Help a friend

An easy way to help someone else find out about God. Click here to see.

by Steven L. Pogue

A relationship with God is like no other relationship you may have experienced. God has a unique kind of love for you. It is unconditional (not based upon meeting certain conditions). God loves you because He loves you.

“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us…” (1 John 4:9,10)

He does not love you based upon your performance. There is nothing you can do to cause God to love you any more than He already does—and there is nothing that will cause God to love you any less. He loves you, even more than you love yourself.

Until now you have probably only experienced conditional love. Conditional love is based upon what you do. Perform well on the job, on the team, or in the relationship, and you are “loved.”

In opening your life to Christ, you have found total love and acceptance. That may be hard to comprehend if you’ve never felt totally loved and accepted by anyone. But it’s true! Unfortunately, you won’t always feel that God loves you. There will be times when you find yourself doubting not only His love, but also His existence. You’ll feel like giving up. Don’t.

When God gave you a new life, it didn’t come trimmed in lace and smelling of perfume. Jesus began His earthly life in a smelly, damp stable. He tasted real life, and that will be the flavor of your journey with Christ—no magic, just the promise of His presence with you.

God says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving kindness” (Jeremiah 31:3).

There’s a Danish proverb: “The next mile is the only one a person really has to make.” The knowledge that God loves you will keep you going when the next mile seems intolerably long: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38,39)

Our faith rests in what God has revealed about Himself to us. He specifically wants us to believe and rely on His love for us:

“…the Lord delights in those who fear [reverence] him, who put their hope in his unfailing love” (Psalms 147:11).

“…the Lord watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love.” (Psalms 33:18)

King David, whom God referred to “as a man after my own heart”¹ trusted God’s love: “…I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. O my strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God” (Psalms 59:16,17).

Jesus describes the depth of His love for us, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:9-11). He loves us no matter what—even when we disobey. But we will live in His love, enjoy His love, as we obey Him.

To grow in your understanding of God’s love for you, take some time over the next few weeks and read Psalms 103, John 15, and 1 John 4, and note all the ways that God’s love is described.

¹Acts 13:22