What Christians Want To Know

What Does the Bible Say About Freedom?

Jack Wellman — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 10:30:22 +0000

To be free is one of the strongest human desires, but what does the Bible say about freedom?

Slaves of Sin

The Land of the Free, but those who live in the land are still slaves to sin.

Think about our time before faith in Christ? Not only was I, but “you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed” (Rom 6:17). But the Apostle Paul’s question is a good one in asking, “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness” (Rom 6:16)? Most people think they are free, but really, like I was, they are still slaves to sin, whether they know it or not. Regardless, you are a slave to something! Either you are a slave to righteousness or a slave to sin. Just think back to “when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness” (Rom 6:20), but now, “having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness” (Rom 6:18). Or at least we should be striving for righteousness and be enslaved to doing the right thing instead of being a sin of slave which only leads to death (Rom 6:16).

Called to Freedom

Thankfully, when God called us, we were not called to keep the Law or save ourselves by our own efforts (Eph 2:8-9) but we “were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Gal 5:13). We’ve been set free by Christ but not free to do anything we want. If we think that, then we’re still slaves to sin (1 John 1:2)! God did not call us to be free to sin, but to be free from sin! We’ve certainly been set free from the penalty of sin which is everlasting torment according to God’s justice. In fact, God would still be just if He sent everyone to hell, but in order to show His mercy and grace, He sought us and bought us and then brought us to His Son, and when we trust in Him, we are truly set free…like never before.

The Son Sets Free

Once God opens our mind to understand our desperate need for mercy and grace through Jesus Christ, it sets us free from fear and the worry of death, sin, hell and God’s judgment. Jesus said “you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32)…”So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). Not just free for a time….you will be free, forever! There is true freedom in Christ; freedom from worry or fear of man or freedom to be concerned about whatever may come (Rom 8:37-39). That is real, genuine freedom like the world doesn’t know.

Purchased by Christ

Several Bible translations mistranslate the word “servant” while it is actually “doulos” which means “slave.” So are we a slave or a servant? We’re actually both, but to be a slave of Christ?! Doesn’t that restrict our freedom? Not if you remember He sought us and bought us and taught us…so He owns us, but we are also His and He is ours! You don’t belong to you. As it were, we were a burning stick pulled out of the fire, so what joy to be owned by Christ! To be purchase us with His own blood, or as the Apostle Peter wrote, we were saved and redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Pet 1:19).

Slaves of Christ

By the way, slaves in the Roman world didn’t have it as bad as we think. In truth, they were more special to their masters than servants, and most often, slaves were loved by their masters, almost like one of the family. There are major differences between being a slave and a servant. A servant could show up late, do a poor job, and not feel happy about the family they were serving. The servant could get fired, but frequently a slave would actually become part of the family, some even gaining their freedom and inheritances from their masters. So slaves were treated far differently than were the servants, who could come and go, quit or get fired. Slaves were a permanent part of the family, so to be a slave of Christ is not what we might think of in terms of slavery. Of course we are also called brothers and sons and daughters of God, so we can’t mix our metaphors because we’re also called a branch and salt and light. But the relationship of slave toward master is that the slave serves and would do anything for their master. So too for us with Christ. He is our Lord and our Master, forever!

Freedom in Christ

God tells us the greatest of news in saying, “We know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin” (Rom 6:6-7). This is the “freedom that we have in Christ Jesus” (Gal 2:4). God calls us to “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor” (1 Pet 2:16-17). We are free to worship God and free from sin because of God but never free to sin. It is “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery” (Gal 5:1). Truly we can say that “the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Cor 3:17).

Conclusion

I pray you have put your trust in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If that has not happened yet, my friend, you are in real danger of hell fire. And I mean, in immediate danger. You’re one breath, one heartbeat…one accident away from eternity when it will be too late to repent. Today is the best day to believe (2 Cor 6:2) since tomorrow is no guarantee. If Jesus Christ came today, here is your fate (Matt 7:21-23). This is why I plead with you as you read this, repent today…and I mean right now. Put your trust in Jesus Christ. If you do not, you will face God’s judgment after death guaranteed (Heb 9:27) or at Jesus Christ’s appearance (Rev 20:12-15), which could happen at any moment.

Here is some related reading for you: What Does the Bible Say About Independence and Freedom?

Did Jesus Visit Hell? What Does The Bible Teach?

Jack Wellman — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 10:30:16 +0000

M any interpret 1 Peter 3:19 where Jesus “preached to the spirits in prison” as Jesus going to hell to preach to these spirits? Who were these spirits? The lost or the saved or even the demons?

First Peter 3:18-20

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water.”

The Athanasian and the Apostle’s Creed

The Apostle’s Creed says that is was Jesus “Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and buried; He descended into hell, the third day He rose again from the dead.“ The Athanasian Creed states: “He suffered death for our salvation. He descended into hell and rose again from the dead.” There is even the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus, which dates from the fifth century A.D. which claims that Jesus descended into hell and retrieved all the Old Testament saints, including Adam, David, Habakkuk, and Isaiah however any books that are not part of the canonized books of the Bible are apocryphal and are not accepted as God-breathed so this “gospel” from Nicodemus is not a reliable source at all (see James, 1924, pp. 125ff.).

Even so, did Jesus preach to these Old Testament saints? There is no evidence to support this from the 66 books of the Bible plus 1 Peter 3:18 talks about those who “formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared” so it is not likely that David, Habakkuk, and Isaiah could be considered as those who “formerly did not obey” although Adam certainly did. However if you look at the context, verse 18 leads into the fact that only “a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water” were saved so in my opinion, these “spirits in prison” were those who rejected 120 years of the righteous preaching of Noah.

These ancient church creeds state it more boldly than does 1 Peter 3:19 which only says that Jesus went and “proclaimed to the spirits in prison.” The creeds state that Jesus “descended into hell” but does that mean the place where those who are condemned are at? Does this mean that Jesus had to suffer and die on the cross and then suffer for a time in hell? No, that is not what this verse or these creeds are saying at all. Others Bible scholars see the time after Jesus’ death and before His resurrection where He descended into hell and was when He preached His victory to the spirits of Noah’s wicked contemporaries who are not confined to the realm of the dead. [1] Yet others believe that Christ proclaimed His triumph on the cross to the fallen angels or demons. There are even some reputable scholars that say only Jesus’ living spirit traveled to the imprisoned demon spirits currently held in the abyss and proclaimed that He had triumphed over the Devil and death.

Who Were the Spirit’s in Prison?

As I wrote before, the “spirits in prison” to which “he went and proclaimed” His victory on the cross seems to fit the context of those who were drowned in the Noachian flood because it was “they [who] formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah…in which…eight persons were brought safely through.” These to whom Christ proclaimed His triumph were “they who formerly did not obey” and the “they” were those who heard Noah preached (God’s patience in the 120 years) in the days of Noah” and these “eight persons” were Noah, his wife and their sons and their wives.

Now whether Christ in His Spirit went to proclaim victory to these who died in the flood (and the flood is symbolic of God’s judgment) or to those fallen angels who caused the rebellion we cannot say (in fact, should not say) for certain from this text. Some believe these “spirits in prison” could be the demons who were so heinous in their wickedness that they had to be restrained or whether these were the spirits of the deceased or maybe even both. The point Peter is making is that Christ had victory over death, over the rulers of darkness, the demons, and even Satan himself. [2] It appears from the context that Christ, as God, proclaimed repentance and belief, through Noah. Those who were drowned in the flood are now the “spirits in prison.”

Did Jesus Suffer in Hell?

First Peter 3:18 says “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,” but notice that it says Christ also suffered once for sins.” If Christ had to suffer and die once for sin and then descended into hell to suffer again, then He wouldn’t have suffered “once for sins” but twice. And wouldn’t that be double jeopardy? The idea that Jesus had to suffer and die and then after that, go to hell to suffer for three days between His death and His resurrection contradicts the many Scriptures that say we are saved by the blood of the Lamb. His hell was on the cross. They hell we deserved! He died on the cross for sinners like me, and God’s promise that “he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption” (Acts 2:27, 31) meant He would be resurrected in a perfect body and since death is the wages of sin (Rom 6:23), and Jesus never sinned, His body saw no corruption.

Hell

The word hell comes from the Old English and means “grave.” Jesus’ body was in the grave, but Jesus Himself told the thief on the cross that “Today, you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43), not, “I’ll see you in three days Mr. Thief on the Cross.” Jesus would not have to go to Hades because by His death He paid for the sins of the world (John 3:16), not His own (He was sinless!), and besides, Jesus said “you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades” (Luke 10:15) and the rich man was sent to “Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side” (Luke 16:23), so Jesus could not be assigned to go to a place and suffer where He said was prepared for the Devil and his angels.

Summary

The “hell” that Jesus descended in was a grave for three days and three nights. As I mentioned before, the word used for a grave is sometimes called hell, but there’s a different word for the place of torment. The early church creeds say that “He descended into hell (the grave) and rose again from the dead” but the hell as we understand it (or misunderstand it), was the place where bodies lay or were buried. The English used to keep their potatoes down in “hell,” or which was simply a place in the basement where potatoes and such were stored in a cool, dry place. Gehenna is in a valley located just outside ancient Jerusalem and was associated with child being sacrificed in the fire. In Gehenna, there was a fire burning continually, a fire that was never quenched (Mark 9:43-48), and being the local garbage dump, more and more was added to the dump that kept the fire burning. In the New Testament, Jesus used it as a reference to a fiery, garbage-strewn imagery as a metaphor to symbolize divine judgment and hell. A place the condemned go to, like the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, where the rich man was in permanent torment and could not cross over into the Kingdom (Luke 16:19-31).

Avoid Gehenna

Whatever you believe, you must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved (Acts 4:12; 16:30-31) to avoid being condemned by your disbelief (John 3:18). You must repent and confess your sins and place your trust in the Savior or you too will go to the place where those who rejected Noah’s preaching, the place where the rich man is in torment right now, and where everyone who chooses to not believe, will all go. I pray that is not you because there will be no escape from that hell (Rev 20:11-15) and so if you won’t harden your heart, make today your day of salvation (2 Cor 6:2) and you too will be saved.

Here is some related reading for you: Bible Verses About Hell: 21 Eye-Opening Scriptures

Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
1. R. C. Sproul, Gen Ed., The Reformation Study Bible. (Lake Mary, FL: Ligonier Ministries, 2005), 1815.
2. John MacArthur, Gen. Ed., The MacArthur Study Bible. (Wheaton, ILL: Crossway Publishers,2010). 1894.
James, M.R., trans. (1924), The Apocryphal New Testament (Oxford: Clarendon Press).

Things We Think Are Bad That Are Actually Good

Jack Wellman — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 10:30:42 +0000

Most of what we think is really bad in this world, turns out to be something good, so let’s see a few examples.

Dandelions

I know most people dislike dandelions popping up in their yard every year, and yes, they can be kind of an eye sore, but did you know that dandelions do a lot of good? Dandelions provide vital nectar and pollen for bees, butterflies, and moths. Yes, moths feed on nectar. Dandelions also bring up nutrients from deep within in the soil and, when they die, they release these nutrients (like calcium) back into the topsoil, fertilizing shallow-rooted grasses, shrubs and trees. Their deep, sturdy taproots (up to 15 feet long) break up compacted, hard-packed clay soil, allowing better water and air circulation. Dandelion roots stabilize the soil, preventing erosion, and amazingly, the entire plant is edible and packed with vitamins A, C, and K, along with iron and potassium.

What appears to be something bad for your lawn is in reality a very good thing. When summer comes, most stop producing flowers, so the lawn will look better, and the lawn will feel better too, thanks to the much maligned dandelion. Later in the Sumer, they stop flowering and vanish from view, so why not leave them for your yard’s own good, the lawn’s own good, the rabbits own good, and for your own good, but not applying some kind of chemical to kill them, which also enters into the soil and is transmitted into plants, like grass, trees, shrubs, and flowers.

Mosquitos

The greatest killers of human beings in human history is not related to war. These are not huge weapons of war that kill…but they are the tiny mosquito. They look small enough and innocent enough, but mosquitoes are considered the deadliest creature in world history, responsible for an estimated 52 billion human deaths. That’s more than any other cause, primarily due to the mosquito spreading malaria, yellow fever, several blood borne pathogens, and other deadly diseases.

As bad as mosquitos are, only female mosquitoes bite for blood, however both male and female mosquitoes feed on nectar, transferring pollen as they move between flowers, often acting as crucial, small-flower and crop pollinators, so mosquitos, even though they can be deadly, are one of the greatest crop pollinators in world history. So what seems bad, and I grant you that there is some bad in mosquitos, there is also much good. Without mosquitos, millions of worldwide crops would be left un-pollinated, and thus, unable to produce. Next to the bee, the mosquito is the best pollinator in the world…and that benefits mankind, even though they can be bad.

Eggs and Butter

Growing up, I heard that butter and eggs were really bad for you, and that grieved me a bit because I love them both. When I say butter, I mean natural butter and not margarine. As for eggs, they are considered to be one nature’s most perfect foods and one of the most nutritious foods too. Eggs provide high-quality protein, healthy fats, along with essential nutrients like choline and selenium. Eggs are excellent for muscle repair, satiety (feeling full), and eye health, and for the vast majority of the people, up to 7 eggs a week is safe without negatively affecting the heart’s health. Even so, too much of even a good thing can be bad, and the same could be said for butter, but butter can be part of a balanced diet when consumed in moderation, offering vitamins A, D, and K, along with healthy fatty acids like butyrate. Real butter contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and butyrate, which can have anti-inflammatory and gut-health benefits. Butter (in moderation) and eggs (7 per week) are not seen as bad anymore by dieticians, but as seen as good.

God’s Law

The Law of God has such a negative feel to most people because they think it’s all, “Thou shall not do this or that…” but the Law of God is much more than that. The Law punishes evil doers, providing safety for society. The Law keeps people safer than without any law. Could you imagine everyone being a law unto themselves? It would be like the old Wild West again! Very dangerous. The Law of God is not so much don’t do this or don’t do that, but if you do this, you will get hurt. The Law is like guard rails that keep us on the road and out of ditches, preserving our lives, not handcuffing us. You might feel restricted on the highway by guardrails, but when they keep you from crashing into the ditch, you suddenly see the good in them. The Law says we should not steal, lie, or covet, and those laws are for our good. People generally hate to be restricted by laws, but a speed limit law saves lives. Everything we think is bad is not always so. Whoever keeps the Law is blessed, which means happy or abundantly happy, that’s good!

Summary

Based on Proverbs 29:18, those who keep the law are deemed to be most blessed and favored, providing a contrast to the unrestrained behavior that occurs in those who freely break God’s laws. The “law” often refers to God’s commandments and obedience to these commandments leads to joy and safety rather than the destruction caused by a lack of restraint (lawlessness). What we think is bad, God has often created it for our good. The Apostle Paul describes present hardships as “light” and “momentary” compared to an “eternal weight of glory” that is coming (2 Cor 4:17). Our conclusion is, what may seem bad at the moment, will likely yield much good in the future (Rom 8:18). Our world is into instant gratification that we hate to wait for anything, but God is patient, having perfect divine timing for everything (Rom 8:28), and it’s better to let God open the door than trying to crawl through a window. It might seem bad that a door has closed for you, but God knows best and perhaps He kept you from hurting yourself and walking through a door wthout a floor.

Conclusion

Here is some related reading for you: Can Good Come From Evil? A Biblical Discussion

4 Ways to Find Your Calling From God

Jack Wellman — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 10:30:08 +0000

H ow can you know what God is calling you for? What ministry or work does He have in mind for you? Here are 4 ways to find your calling.

Your Deepest Desire

When I was young, I was fascinated by the weather, and so my first passion in life was to be a meteorologist. I was the neighborhood “weatherman” because when it looked like the clouds (especially the cumulonimbus) began to tower up into the sky I would warn the neighbors that we might get a thunderstorm. I’d use background images to check the direction of the storm and then estimate how fast it was moving. I still love the rain, but my passion changed when God’s Spirit changed me as He does every person who has trusted in Christ (2 Cor 5:17). Suddenly, my desire wasn’t to be a meteorologist but an evangelist because I had the greatest news anyone could ever have. In time, God led me to a small church where I was able to meet my greatest and deepest desire, and even though I’m not exactly an evangelist, I do share the good news with the lost. It wasn’t that I found my deepest desire by myself; God gave me a new heart, and I had a new desire given by Him (Psalm 37:4).

Your Greatest Skill

I found out in high school that I could type really fast. Maybe I had the long fingers and dexterity for it, but when my teacher saw that I could type over one hundred words a minute, he told me that maybe I should think about writing. That’s when I joined the staff of the school paper. Many years later in college, a professor teaching fine arts told me that I had a gift for writing. I had never been told that before, but it had a profound impact upon my life. That shows you that words matter, but here was an art teacher telling me I had a gift for writing. I might expect that from my English teacher, but from an art teacher!? It came from the last person I’d expected, but that’s how God works. Today, when I write, I feel like the runner on Chariots of Fire; I can feel God’s pleasure when I write. God showed me through the encouragement of others that I had a gift for writing and typing. Of course, it’s not perfect, but I do love to write about the things of God. God brought me to an awareness of a gift that He had given me.

Your Deepest Longing

Sometimes, after I’ve done my shopping and I’m sitting in a store parking lot, I see people walk by and ask myself, “I wonder if they’re saved? Maybe I should get out of the car and hand them a Bible track.” I believe God places things like that on our heart through His Spirit, and today, I can honestly say, I have a deep longing for the lost than ever before that they be saved. I so desire and pray for divine appointments every day. That longing compels me to go into the prisons and preach the gospel. It also drives me to start a conversation with a stranger while we both wait in line. I may never get a second chance with this person, so I try to be bold in sharing my faith. Is one of your deepest longings to see your family members saved, to see your friends to know Christ, and for your co-workers to trust in Him? I think that should be on all of our hearts, regardless of our calling in life. The word “vocation” that is used in the New Testament means “calling,” so everyone has a calling (at work, for example). It just looks different for everyone. Our calling may not be our neighbors, but everyone is called to share Christ.

Your Open Door

Finally, you can determine what God has called you to by doors that seem to open automatically. This has happened twice in my life. Once when an elderly church member broke her hip and had to be moved to a nursing home, she couldn’t come to church, so we brought the church to her! When shut-ins can’t come to church, we bring the church to them. That includes prisoners, nursing home residents, and other shut-ins. Later, I started writing to a death row inmate through a church’s request for pen pals for inmates. I had no idea I was writing to a death row inmate, but when he told me he was sitting on death row, I told him that we were all on death row until Christ died for us. We all deserved God’s wrath, but Jesus took God’s wrath upon Himself to spare those who would trust in Him, and it didn’t matter if it was a death row inmate or not. The thief on the cross was certainly on death row, but it wasn’t too late for Him to believe in Christ as Jesus promised him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Later, I began writing other prisoners closer to home, but some thousands of miles 2,000 miles away. Now I get to visit prisons and preach the gospel and do Bible studies with the inmates. Recently, 5 men were baptized! These two doors (a nursing home ministry and a prison ministry) were opened by God Himself. I’m not able to open doors like that! I found that the keys to the kingdom also fit prison doors, but these are Christ’s keys which open doors, not mine. I feel called to serve these men. Clearly, it is all God, as the psalmist wrote, “Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory” (Psalm 115:1a).

Called to Glorify God

Most people may be surprised to read that God created us for many purposes, and one of the chief purposes is to glorify God. We can glorify God in our speech, in our bodies, and in our life before others. Ever get in trouble? Guess what? God says you can “call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me” (Psalm 50:15). How so? Because we pray in Jesus’ name and answered prayer glorifies His name because we pray in His name, and the Father deeply desires to glorify the name of His Son, Jesus Christ. The psalmist is clear that it is “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness” (Psalm 115:10! Not only are we to glorify God, so is the creation. The psalmist tells us that “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Psalm 19:1). Since the heavens declare the glory of God, then we can do nothing less. Besides, we are also part of His creation, so we should also seek to glorify God. That is one of our greatest purposes.

You can be the hands and feet of Jesus to them by serving them at a local kitchen or shelter.

To Bring Good News

When Jesus was about to return to the Father and sit as His right hand, He gave the disciples their marching orders. It was an imperative command that would be given by a general in the army. Jesus commanded them to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt 28:19-20). Jesus had already told them that “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matt 28:18), so they had no choice but to obey, and I believe neither do we. He has the authority to go into all the world, and now they did, but we also have that same authority…even if it’s next door. Whatever the case or wherever we are, we are never off duty. We should feel compelled to be used by God to save as many as He would call (Isaiah 6:8).

Summary

I cannot tell you precisely what God has called you to do, but most people seem to know it in their hearts because they have a deep and overriding desire to do something; they also may have had others tell them they’re gifted in certain areas, or they may tell you that you have a great gift in some area. Hopefully they see that you have a great longing to see souls saved; and they find that when God has called them to something, sometimes the doors already been opened. For sure, we’re all called to share Christ and to serve Him (Matt 25:35-36; 28:19-20). That much I know. Wait on God’s timing. If a door doesn’t open, don’t try the window. Don’t know your calling yet? Just jump into the next opportunity to serve. Ninety percent of serving is just showing up, so it’s not really ability…but availability.

Conclusion

Here is some related reading for you: What Was God’s Purpose for Calling You?

The Holy Spirit’s Role in a Christian’s Life

Jack Wellman — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 10:30:19 +0000

Who exactly is the Holy Spirit and what does He do in and for the Christian in their life?

The Trinity

Who exactly is the Holy Spirit and what does He do in and for the Christian in their life? The Bible is full of references about the Three Persons of the Trinity; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matt 28:18-20). Baptizing people is to have them be identified people with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. To be sure, each Person of the Trinity is involved in our salvation and is inseparable for our salvation. The Father draws or calls, the Spirit quickens and reveals Christ to us and sanctifies us, while Jesus saves to the uttermost for eternal life.

You could put it this way: The Father initiates, the Son accomplishes, and the Spirit applies. In the beginning of creation, God has said “Let us make man in our image,” meaning, there are more than One. Note the use of “our image.” The word Elohim is actually plural (Gen 1:2, 26-27). The Hebrew language has a specific word for two (like we have, a pair, a couple), but in the Hebrew language, the “im…” at the end of something means it is plural. God’s name in the first two chapters of Genesis (and elsewhere) is plural, meaning there is more than one. Jesus even spoke about the Holy Spirit in the form of a personal pronoun, meaning He capitalized the Spirit’s name (i.e. Comforter, Advocate, and Helper). That’s why the Lord even spoke of the Third Person of the Trinity, saying, “it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you” (John 16:7).

Grieving the Spirit

Did you realize that God the Holy Spirit grieves just as humans grieve, although in somewhat different ways? And, like a human being, the Holy Spirit can be silenced if suppressed for a long period of time (Rom 1:23-24; 2 Cor 6:2; Heb 6:4-6). The Apostle Paul warns us to “not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Eph 4:30), meaning it is possible to grieve Him. How do we do this? It is by living in unrepentant sin. The Holy Spirit’s symbol is a dove, meaning He is sensitive to sin and it doesn’t take much to grieve Him and put Him to flight. Sin will suppress or even quench the Spirit if we’re not careful.

Truth from the Spirit

Jesus said, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you” and He “will take what is mine and declare it to you” (John 16:13-15). What is His? Read the gospels, for it’s all His! He will speak through us at times, and at times, to our surprise! He will reveal the truth of Scripture and the truth about Christ.

Praying in the Spirit

Have you ever felt like your prayers are hitting the ceiling and then stopping there? Then realize that “the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (Rom 8:26-27). If you’re so desperate about praying for something or someone and you can’t even come up the right words, that’s when “the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” Have you ever been there…at a loss of words? I have. That’s when the Spirit steps in to help us pray and communicate it to the Father (Rom 8).

The Quickening Spirit

Before we were saved, we were the walking dead; dead in our sins. We had no more chance of saving ourselves than Lazarus had of raising himself from the dead, but we were quickened by the Holy Spirit. Paul says that “you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience. And we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved” (Eph 2:1-5). Dead men can only choose to decay, but if born again, then “you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). The Spirit gives life.

The Convicting Spirit

The Holy Spirit will speak to your conscience. He will tell you when you’ve blown it and need to apologize. He will tell you to avoid going to certain places and hanging out with certain people because of the potential to sin. Paul told us to “not quench the Spirit” (1 Thess 5:19) but walk in the Spirit. Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit “comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8). When I sin, the Spirit taps me on the shoulder, so to speak, and I have to break down and confess it before God. And that conviction is good, because then you can have a clear conscience, having confessed all your sins and been forgiven. That always feels pretty good.

The Sanctifying Spirit

Second Thessalonians 2:13 says “But we should always thank God for you, brothers who are loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning to be saved by the sanctification of the Spirit and by faith in the truth.” Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:7). The Spirit of God sanctifies us by His Spirit and by the Word of God. James wrote that “He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of His creation” (James 1:18). Paul stated in Ephesians 5:6 that God’s desire for the church is “to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word.” The Spirit of God opens up the Word of God so that we can be cleansed by the truth of God.

The Working Spirit

As you may know, sanctification is a lifetime process. To be sanctified is to be “set apart for holy use.” One holy use is being a witness for Jesus Christ. A witness of God shares the Word of God then the Spirit of God births a child of God. That’s why I believe the Holy Spirit has a special name for a very special reason. He is just as holy as God the Father and God the Son, so why don’t we call them Holy Father, Holy Son, and Holy Spirit? I think it’s because of the work the Holy Spirit does in us and through us…striving to make us holy. The Holy Spirit helps us to make us more holy and to bear fruit for Jesus’ and the Father’s glory. He prompts us to do good things for others while convicting us of doing things we shouldn’t have done. He keeps us out of sin by reminding us of Jesus’ words (Scripture).

The Sealing of the Spirit

The Holy Spirit sanctifies us and then finishes this off but sealing us for eternity. Paul said that “even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will” (Eph 1:4-5). Jesus comes back with 100 sheep after He seeks the one that was lost (like we were), so we have security in our salvation. Our Lord doesn’t settle for 99 out of 100. Paul says that, “in him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory” (Eph 1:11-14). Notice Paul says we “we have obtained,” and that is in the past tense. We have already obtained our inheritance. What God seals, stays sealed, and that seal is as unbreakable as the promises of God, thanks to the Holy Spirit’s seal upon us.

Summary

The Holy Spirit convicts of us our sin.

The Holy Spirit prompts us to do good when opportunity arises (Eph 2:10).

The Holy Spirit brings to light the things of Christ.

The Holy Spirit helps us pray, when we can’t even express it with words (Rom 8:27).

The Holy Spirit, Who is God, will never leave us nor forsake us, even when we forsake Him for a time.

Conclusion

Here is some related reading for you: Who is the Holy Spirit? A Bible Study

How to Make Doubt and Depression Disappear

Jack Wellman — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 10:30:08 +0000

Why is it that so many believers are struggling with depression and living with doubts when we have every reason to rejoice?

Depression

Our emotions can change from day to day, but God never changes (Heb 13:8, Malachi 3:6)

Why is it that so many believers are struggling with depression and living with doubts when we have every reason to rejoice. Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Depression can affect how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. Sometimes depression has a physical cause and not an emotional cause. We know that brain chemical imbalances can cause severe depression, so it can be treatable in many cases. If so, we strongly suggest you seek medical help. And then there are other times when depression can be caused by emotional upheavals, but for Christians, it is very important to realize that our emotions cannot change the state of our salvation or God’s promises (John 3:16). We might have doubts and fears, but God’s Word is certain and sure. We can depend upon God’s unchanging nature more than our feelings. Our emotions can change from day to day, but God never changes (Heb 13:8, Malachi 3:6). His Word gives a believer so much hope and has such power to encourage us, it’s like our Lord said to all who are overburdened. “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28).

Doubt

Doubt and depression seems to come as a pair. When we are depressed, we have all sorts of doubts, and when we doubt, it can send us into depression. These two can create a vicious cycle that is almost impossible to break, but we know that what is impossible for us, is not impossible for God (Matt 19:26). Doubt can keep you out of the Bible, but….the Bible can keep you out of doubt. If you neglect the reading of the Word, then you are starving yourself of the Bread of Life …your daily bread, and from the power that is found in the living, breathing Word of God. That power source, along with the Spirit of God and prayer to God, can shatter almost any doubts and cast away almost any depression.

Fellowship

The wife of one of our church elders noted that of the 100 “one another’s” found in Scripture, nearly half of them are imperative commands. Like pray for one another, love one another, serve one another, and so forth, but you cannot serve or pray for or fellowship with others apart from the church. Living the Christian life was not meant to be a solo act. We need one another and there is safety in the sheepfold (the church) where the Good Shepherd guards and protects His flock. Like a roaring lion, Satan loves to seek and to devour the weak and separated sheep who are more vulnerable than the flock is (Eph 4:27, 6:11; 1 Pet 5:8; Rev 12:9). That’s why there truly is safety in numbers. Let’s say your car broke down, as mine has, and you have no one to turn to? In my church, I have had at least half a dozen offers of help to fix my car. We have many more brothers and sisters (in Christ) than we even have in our own natural family (Matt 19:27-29).

Help From the Word

Please read these great and precious promises of God…all unbreakable, and see your doubts and depression fade away.

When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. – Psalm 34:17-18

But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus. – 2 Cor 7:6

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. – Isaiah 41:10

Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. – 1 Peter 5:7

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. – Matt 11:28

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. – Jer 29:11

Seek Godly Counsel

No matter what happens to you, God is still on His throne and in charge of everything. As He has said in His Word, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose” (Rom 8:28). If we understand the sovereignty of God and that all that happens to us is allowed by Him for our best, then you and I can “consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Rom 8:18). Sometimes, you need another set of ears from a close and trusted Christian friend, counselor or pastor to talk too. The Bible says “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety” (Prov 11:14). The Christian life is not intended to be a solo act but one in which we are connected to other believers and be in community and fellowship so that we help one another, love one another, and pray for one another.

Conclusion

Here is some related reading for you: Christian Depression Help: Biblical Encouragement and Advice

What Does it Mean to Be Ashamed of Christ? Can We Be Ashamed of Christ?

Jack Wellman — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 10:30:35 +0000

W hat does it mean when Jesus says He will be ashamed of us? Is that possible and can we avoid that?

Ashamed of Christ?

Have you ever been caught at doing something you know you’re not supposed to do and felt shame and embarrassment? I know I have and probably most people have been ashamed at times, but one of the most frightening sayings Jesus ever said was “For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:35). What did Jesus mean in saying that? Is it possible that we are ashamed of knowing and talking about Jesus Christ? If so, He may be ashamed of us someday, and not only in front of Jesus Christ, but in the presence of the “Father with the holy angels.” If you read on, we can find out how to never be ashamed of mentioning Jesus Christ and how we can avoid being ashamed of Christ in how we live our Christian faith.

Ashamed of the Gospel?

I know the Apostle Paul was anything but ashamed to speak of Jesus Christ, as he said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom 1:16). First of all, notice the power of God is in the gospel (1 Cor 1:18). It is the power to save. Also, Paul was not ashamed to share the gospel, sharing Christ with the Gentiles and the Jews, even though he knew it would bring persecution. Paul would be more ashamed of not sharing the gospel if given the chance, but we know Paul was anything but ashamed of mentioning Jesus Christ.

Ashamed of Suffering?

When Paul was mentoring and preparing Timothy for the pastorate, he told him, “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God” (2 Tim 1:8). Once more Paul says the gospel has power, but he was not ashamed of Christ even while being imprisoned. In fact, he was in prison, not because he broke the law but because he was not ashamed of the gospel, which he says “is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me” (2 Tim 1:12). He knew that the gospel was entrusted to him must be proclaimed, so Paul didn’t think twice about mentioning Christ at every opportunity he had. Do we?

No Shame in Suffering

One reason that people may suffer shame is by their profession of Christ and yet living in disobedience to God’s Word. This is why the Apostle Paul said that “If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed” (2 Thess 3:14). If we do obey, we need never be ashamed. Paul told Timothy to “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15). If we suffer for our faith, then that’s normal, and “Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name” (1 Pet 4:16). What shame is there to suffer for knowing and sharing Christ? None at all. The Apostle John said that “we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls” (10:39). When Christ returns and we’re not ashamed of our faith, then John says we can have peace at Christ’s return, so his advice is to “abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming” (1 John 2:28) in being ashamed.

Summary

I am more ashamed when I don’t share Jesus Christ than when I do, for I know it is a necessary thing for the church in the Great Commission and the great commandment (Matt 28;18-20). That warning of being ashamed of being associated with Christ is serious, “For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels” (Luke 9:26). Who wants that kind of shame? Do you really want Christ to be ashamed of you at His second coming? Think about the consequences of keeping Christ to yourself. It’s unimaginable to have the greatest news in human history and not share it, so why be ashamed of the gospel? If we are ashamed of sharing the gospel, then really we’re ashamed of Christ. Let it never be so with us who believe.

Conclusion

There is no shame in proclaiming Jesus Christ as our Savior and no shame in sharing Jesus Christ with the lost. It is what we must all do while there is still yet time and Christ has not come again to judge the world in righteousness. That’s why I pray you have put your trust in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If that has not happened yet, my friend, you are in real danger of hell fire. And I mean, in immediate danger. You’re one breath, one heartbeat…one accident away from eternity when it will be too late to repent. Today is the best day to believe (2 Cor 6:2) since tomorrow is no guarantee. If Jesus Christ came today, here is your fate (Matt 7:21-23). This is why I plead with you as you read this, repent today…and I mean right now. Put your trust in Jesus Christ. If you do not, you will face God’s judgment after death guaranteed (Heb 9:27) or at Jesus Christ’s appearance (Rev 20:12-15), which could happen at any moment.

Here is some related reading for you: What Does it Mean to Shrink Back at His Appearing?

Why Does God Allow False Converts in the Church?

Jack Wellman — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 10:30:04 +0000

Jesus told us that there would be wheat and tares growing together, or false and true converts in the church, so why did God allow this?

The Sovereign God

Before we address the question as to why God allows false converts in His church, we must understand that God has a reason for everything. Even if we don’t know the reason, God does, and we must accept that. God does not owe us an explanation. He alone knows at all times, what is good and best for all. So first of all, if God allows something, He has a reason since God is “Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Tim 6:15). The Apostle Paul understood that God “works all things according to the counsel of His will” (Eph 1:11), and not man’s, and “all things” includes everything! Nothing is outside the scope of God’s sovereign control of events, time and history. Truly it is “His-story.” It is not man but God alone Who can and does “uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant” (Jer 1:10). No one but God “changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings” (Dan 2:21). So, God must have a good reason for allowing false converts in the church. In fact, the Book of Hebrews was written to a mixture of saints and the unsaved.

Using Evil for God

Of course, God is not the author of evil, but God can use mankind’s evil for His own good and glory (Gen 50:20). We can see that at the cross. When man was at His worst, God was at His best, using this great evil for great good (John 3:16). If God can use evil for God, then those who are not saved in the church must be there because it is God’s good pleasure. Remember, what God desires and decrees, comes to pass and nothing can stop it, so the church can never be free from false converts, but why?

Cheat and Wheat

I grew up in Kansas (the Wheat State) and have worked on a farm and during wheat harvest, so I’m very familiar with wheat and tares. It’s very difficult at first to tell the difference between the two, but once the wheat starts heading out (called, the “heading stage”), you can clearly tell the difference between the wheat and the tares or what is sometimes called “cheat.” This reminds me of Jesus’ statement that “you will know them by their fruits” (Matt 7:16). The fruit (the wheat headed out) reveals the root (an actual wheat plant). Over time, the cheat is exposed as a fraud, and even though we can’t tell who is saved and who is not for sure, we can see the fruits.

Seeding the Fields

Jesus spoke about false converts in Matthew 13 in the Parable of the Weeds. Our Lord said, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field” (Matt 13:24), but it was “while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among” (Matt 13:25). Of course, the enemy is Satan. They later noticed that there were weeds coming up along the wheat and asked whether they should be pulled up. First off, this is not really a surprise to the Master (our Lord), so it wasn’t as if He wasn’t expecting it, but the Master said “No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them” (Matt 13:29). For one thing, they were told to leave it alone. Why? They might make a misjudgment because only God can truly know the human heart and whether someone is truly saved or not. Thus, they are told to leave the weeds alone, lest the tear out the good wheat or what they thought were weeds but were actually wheat! They might uproot the wrong plant, so the Master says, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn” (Matt 13:30). On the Day of Christ’s coming, He will separate the sheep from the goats (Matthew 25:31-46), so it’s not for us to do.

Why God Allows False Converts

God may allow false converts for several reasons, like as a test of our faith. Is it genuine or not. It may be used as a means to refine true believers and what they truly believe. It might also be an opportunity for God to display His ultimate sovereignty and mercy, being patient, in that they might come to repentance and faith. I find the Apostle Paul’s reason for allowing false converts in the church, which of course is really God’s reason since it’s recorded in Scripture. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11:19 that “there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized.” Did you catch that? “There must be…” Perhaps it is so we can recognize the true believers who are “genuine among you” in the church and those who are not genuine, so the church won’t listen to their teachings. So false converts and true saints in the church could be one of the ultimate tests of the church that God gives, separating genuine believers from pretenders and revealing who truly has God’s approval.

Summary

Finally, in Galatians 2:4, 5 the Apostle Paul wrote “that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.” Notice that Paul says it is so “that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.” He wants them to cling tight to the essentials of the faith (i.e., Eph 2:8-9). God has sovereignly allowed outsiders or the unsaved into the church so that Paul (and the church) can revisit the important doctrines of salvation by grace alone and not by law keeping or presuming on God’s grace and living in sin. Those are the two ditches the church needs to avoid, and false teachers with their false doctrines make true believers restate and defend the faith once delivered to them (Jude 1:3-4). The false placed next to the true makes the true stand out more clearly, so false converts and their false teachings are a sort of litmis test to refine true believers faith, bringing more clarity to the essential doctrines of grace (1 Cor 15:1-5).

Conclusion

Here is some related reading for you: Can You Tell Whether Someone is Saved or Not?

5 Commands From Jesus That Most Christians Disobey

Jack Wellman — Thu, 28 May 2026 10:30:03 +0000

What are the five commands of Jesus Christ that most Christians disobey today? Are you one of those who are also disobeying Christ?

Baptism

So many people have claimed faith in Christ by saying they were baptized, but baptism cannot save, but the saved are to be baptized. This is a command from Jesus Christ (Matt 28:18-20) that nearly half of all believers disobey. They’ve been saved, but they have never been baptized which is supposed to be a public profession of faith that we are to make (Rom 10:9-13). Perhaps it’s pride that prevents them from coming forward for the sacrament of baptism and doing so in a public setting as they make their profession of faith, but that’s what we’re called to do (Rom 10:9-13). It is an outward symbol of an inward conversion, signifying the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Remember we too were once dead in our sins (Eph 2:1-5) but now raised to new life in Christ. When I ask people why they haven’t been baptized, the answers are various, like “I’ve just never gotten around to it” or “I’m going to do that someday” but that “someday” never comes, so just under half of all who profess faith in Christ, of those I surveyed (100 total), have disobeyed Jesus’ command to be baptized. This makes not being baptized one of the most disobeyed commands of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Communion

There are at least five imperative commands in the New Testament to observe Communion or the Lord’s Supper and yet a whopping 40% of Christians have never attended even once (an even 40 out of 100 I surveyed)! This is an imperative command from Jesus Christ Himself (Mar 14; Luke 22; 1 Cor 11). Jesus Christ said to do this and the Apostle Paul writes it as a command, saying “do this.” In the Greek it is an imperative command, meaning it is not optional. When we do this, we proclaim Christ’s death and His second coming (1 Cor 11:26). If you don’t take communion or the Lord’s Supper, then you are disobeying Jesus’ direct, imperative command…a command from the King of kings! Should it not matter deeply to us to participate in Communion because it mattered deeply to Jesus Christ (Luke 22:15)? Why do so many disobey this very important command? The risk of continual disobedience might mean a person thinks they are saved, but in actuality, they may be headed to hell for eternity (Matt 7:21-23). Why do we call Him Lord and not do what He commands? Is He then, really your Lord?!

“Do this in remembrance of me” (1 Cor 11:24).

The Great Commission

Jesus said to go into all the world to proclaim the gospel (Matt 28:18-20), and yet most Christian’s won’t even go next door! They are silent about Christ as almost being ashamed of Him, and that’s dangerous ground to walk on (Matt 8:38; Mark 9:26, etc.). Research frequently cited within Christian ministries estimates that 91% to 95% of believers have never verbally shared their faith in their lifetime. Today in the church, it’s not the Great Commission, but the “great omission,” meaning well over 9 in 10 Christians have never lead anyone to Christ and fewer still have ever talked with a stranger sharing the gospel (only 4 in a hundred!).

Assembling With the Saints

The church today is about as bad at attending church as any generation of Christians that have come before, even though it is a command of God to attend. And attendance is falling fast, now just under half of all believers come to church. People come up with some of the worst excuses we can think of to justify breaking this command (Heb 10:24-25, etc.). One man said that people think churches are all about money or something worse, they criticize the church for their many flaws, not realizing they themselves are far from perfect. They are casually dismissing the church’s importance…the church which Jesus said will ever prevail, even against the gates of hell (Matt 16:18). Jesus’ church prevails against the gates of hell (death, Satan, demons, persecution) and we don’t think it’s that important to attend!!?

An old, wise pastor of 87 years old (Jerry Wood, now with the Lord) told me that the reason about half of believers don’t come to church anymore is they are lazy, they care more about themselves than honoring God, and they are too busy for God. They believe their church is a fishing bank on Sunday mourning, but the New Testament Church never had a single, lone-ranger Christian. When Christians forsake assembling together as the church, they lose a valuable resource; friends, God’s family, other brothers and sisters in Christ, prayer warriors, people who can give real help when needed, even financial aid. Wolves are not afraid of sheep….but wolves are afraid of sheep next to the Shepherd; the Shepherd of our souls (1 Pet 2:25). Satan roams around looking for the weak, hurting sheep that have been separated from the flock’s protection (Eph 4:27, 6:11; 1 Pet 5:8; Rev 12:9), and his victims are the ones out there who are all by themselves.

Fellowship With the Saints

Singing and making noise to the Lord is a great way to serve with gladness.

The author of Hebrews, which really is God, says “let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works” (Heb10:24). One of our church elder’s wife so wisely pointed out to me that there are over one hundred “one another’s” in the New Testament and nearly half of those are imperative commands, so when we do not attend a church and fellowship with the saints, we are breaking nearly fifty imperative commands! We call Him Lord and then break almost half a hundred of His imperative commands?! We can’t do “one another” alone! Why then can we honestly call Him Lord of whom we do not obey? That’s why God commands us to “not [be] neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Heb 10:25).

You can’t stir up someone up to good works who’s not there and you can’t be encouraged by others if you’re by yourself. We need one another and you have a place in the Body of Christ to serve, for which God has called you (1 Cor 12). Of course, some have no access to a church and others are shut-ins or disabled and cannot attend, so God certainly understands that, but for those of us who can attend, who can worship with, and who can serve shoulder to shoulder with our brothers and sisters in Christ (Matt 25:35-36), we should be compelled by conscience to attend. If you are never a part of Christ’s church, then you may be in trouble on the day of His appearance (Matt 25:41-46).

Conclusion

Here is some related reading for you: How God Blesses Our Obedience But Curses Sin

How to be Certain God Hears and Answers Your Prayers

Jack Wellman — Mon, 25 May 2026 10:30:49 +0000

We can know from Scripture that God hears and answers our prayers, but the answers may not be what we expect.

5 Promises From Scripture

First John 5:14 “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.”

The Apostle John wasn’t trying to just encourage our faith. He had confidence in God, including a confidence that whatever we pray for in God’s will is a prayer that God will hear and answer (although in His own way). Can you imagine us having God’s ear?

Psalm 66:19 “But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer.”

The psalmist also knew that God listened to his prayer, and even “attended to the voice of [his] prayer.” It’s one thing to have your prayers heard, but to have them “attended to” means that it’s being or has already been taken care of.

John 9:31 “We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.”

Every person before faith must realize that our “iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear” (Isaiah 59:2), but how many of us have cried out to God to save us while we were yet sinners (Rom 5:8)? All of us!

First Peter 3:12 “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

There isn’t a better way to end your day then with prayer and time in the Word.

Not only are our prayers being heard, God’s ears are open to them. God will hear them and answer them because His ears and eyes are open to our cries. Oh, what a privilege this is.

First John 5:15 “And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”

The Apostle John gives us one last Bible verse regarding our prayers being heard. Once more, he doesn’t have to depend on feelings; he knows that God “hears us in whatever we ask,” and knows “that we have the requests that we have asked of him,” even before we receive them. That’s faith! His confidence is not in his faith but in the Object of His faith, Jesus Christ.

Confidence

We can have confidence that God will hear our prayers since He can also read our thoughts and the intents of our hearts (Heb 4:13), so it’s not a matter of whether He will hear us or not, it’s a matter of trusting that He is listening and whether we’ll accept His answer, which could be much different than we expected. Whatever the case is, we know “he hears the prayer of the righteous” (Prov 15:29).

Finding God’s Will

Most often, it is we who are changed when we come to God in prayer.

When you find God’s will, you will find just what you need to pray for. In other words, since we know that it’s God’s will that others be saved, we can pray for lost sinners we know. We know that God “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2:4), so we are praying according to God’s will when we pray for lost sinners (Matt 6:10). Of course, that doesn’t mean everyone who we pray for will be saved, but God desires that we be His faithful witness to those who are lost. Praying according to God’s will can unleash God’s power.

Praying in Faith

Talk about the power of prayer! James writes that “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16b), and that power is unleashed by God in response to our faith in His ability to answer it. This is not a “name it and claim it” faith where we ourselves command things to be done because we pray to God, but this is a prayer that trusts God with the answer, even if it’s different from what we prayed for. Notice that the prayers must be from a “righteous person,” but thankfully, whoever believes in Christ has His own righteousness (2Cor 5:21). If we’ve trusted in Christ and have faith in God, believe while you pray that God will answer it, but in His infinitely better way.

Seeking His Glory

Why would Jesus ask us to pray in His name? It is so that His name would be glorified. The Father is always seeking to glorify Jesus Christ’s name, so when we pray in Jesus’ name, the answer brings glory to Christ. However, we must be abiding in Christ because, since our Lord said, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7). Of course, it must be according to the will of God and must be a prayer prayed in faith, but if we seek to glorify Jesus’ name by the answer, then whatever may come, His name will be glorified because it was in His name that we prayed in.

This author stands on the authority of the Bible as God’s Holy Word.

God Knows Better

I don’t have to remind you that God is omniscient, which means, He’s all-knowing. Nothing has ever occurred to God…ever, so when God answers our prayer in a way that isn’t pleasing to us or may be nearly the opposite of what we asked for, keep in mind that God’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not like our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8), meaning His answer is superior to what we asked for. That is, His ways are far, far better than ours. Sometimes we don’t know what’s really good for us and we pray for the wrong thing.

Something Better

When Jesus was telling His disciples about praying for our needs, He said, “which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone” (Matt 7:9), or “Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent” (Matt 7:10)? Jesus point is, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him” (Matt 7:11)! What answer God gives you might not be what you hoped for, but what answer God gives you is always infinitely best for you than you even realize (Rom 8:28). That’s because He will “give good things to those who ask him” (Matt 7:11)!

Something New

When one of our church members had to go into an assisted-living center because of a broken hip, I went to visit her. I walked in, thinking to myself, “I really want to start a local ministry for the church, somewhere here in town.” So I walked in to the assisted-living center and visited our church member, but then, I got to know the staff, then some of the other residents, but also some of the resident’s family. I got involved in a nursing home ministry on my own…accidentally…and what God brought to me was even better than what I was praying for. I was praying for God to open a door that I had already walked through!

Summary

Imagine a young child coming up to their parent and asking to play with some scissors…and I mean, adult scissors with a sharp, pointy end. Of course the child doesn’t always know what’s best for them, so the parent hands the child a pair of scissors that are shorter, and have round ends, like the ones they use in elementary schools. At first, the child didn’t like the answer “No,” but the child got something much better and safer, even if it wasn’t what they wanted. That means they were better off with God’s answer than what they wanted. God always knows what best for us.

Conclusion

Here is some related reading for you: 8 Prayers for Everyday Life