Today we continue with another feature of the ministry of God’s Spirit to those who have received the new life of salvation:
l) He empowers Jesus’ followers with specific capacities [the Spirit's gifts] and gives them responsibilities to serve God, each other and the wider world:
The apostle Paul writes to the Corinthian followers of Jesus about the bountiful ways in which God’s Spirit manifests himself in the Messianic community [i.e. the Body of Christ]:
“Now there are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but it is the same Holy Spirit who is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service in the church, but it is the same Lord we are serving. There are different ways God works in our lives, but it is the same God who does the work through all of us.”
(1 Corinthians 12:4-6)
In addition, Paul explains that the Holy Spirit manifests himself to each follower of Jesus and not only to some ‘spiritual superstars’ or to the leaders of the church: “The manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one...” (1 Corinthians 12:7).
Later on in the same chapter he repeats that statement to underline its importance: “One and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.”
(1 Corinthians 12:11)
However, these manifold demonstrations of the Spirit’s presence is not for our self-glorification, to set us in the spotlight. On the contrary, God’s (Christlike) Spirit wants to empower Jesus’ followers to serve God, each other and the wider world in a Christlike way. The manifestations of God’s Spirit are given: “... for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7).
Not only does the Holy Spirit ‘shower’ his plentiful gifts on the followers of Jesus, he also distributes functions and responsibilities to each of them. The apostle Paul explains that to the Christians in Rome:
“Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ's body. We are all parts of his one body, and each of us has different work to do.
And since we are all one body in Christ [the Messiah], we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others. God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well...”
(Romans 12:4-6)
Speaking about everyone’s Christlike ministry within the Messianic community [the Body of Christ], Paul writes:
“We will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.
Under his direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love” (Ephesians 4:15-16).
Finally, the apostle Paul writes about how every follower of Jesus is called to serve God in a Christlike way within the Messianic community and in the wider world. He says: “...Now we can really serve God ... in the new way, by the Spirit” (Romans 7:6).
Are you a follower of Jesus?
Has someone taught you how to serve God by his Spirit in a Christlike way?
Through what kind of ministry do you serve God by his Spirit?
The Bible verses 1 Corinthians 12:7 and 1 Corinthians 12:11 are quoted from the New King James Version. 1 Corinthians 12:7 is also quoted from the New International Version. All other texts are quotes of the New Living Translation.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Friday, September 10, 2010
31. INTERRUPTION (n) - WHAT IS THE HOLY SPIRIT’S MINISTRY ? (continuation)
Let us continue with some more important facets of the ministry of God’s Spirit to those who have received the new life of salvation:
h) He is the ‘Paraclete’ of Jesus’ followers:
Jesus describes God’s Spirit as the ‘Paraclete’. This Greek word can be translated as helper, counsellor, comforter, encourager or even advocate.
The evening before Jesus dies, he promises his disciples that - once he has returned to heaven - he will ask God the Father to send another ‘Paraclete’ (like Jesus himself) to them. This ‘Paraclete’ [the Holy Spirit] will represent Jesus so intimately, that Jesus himself can say: “I will come to you.”
That evening Jesus promises his disciples: “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor [Paraclete] to be with you for ever ..... The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:16-18).
The apostle Paul prays for the Christians in Thessalonica (Greece). He asks God the Father and God the Son to help them (through the ‘Paraclete’, the Holy Spirit) to live their daily lives in a God-pleasing way:
“May our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father, who loved us and in his special favor gave us everlasting comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and give you strength in every good thing you do and say” (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
Luke describes how the messianic community in Israel was supported by the ‘Paraclete’ [the Holy Spirit]: “Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord” (Acts 9:31).
i) He is the intermediate between God the Father and God the Son in heaven, and Jesus’ followers on earth:
The apostle Paul reminds the Jewish and Gentile [non-Jewish] followers of Jesus that “... all of us, both Jews and Gentiles, may come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ [the Messiah] has done for us” (Ephesians 2:18).
Paul explains to the Roman Christians that, as we pray to God the Father, it is the Holy Spirit who presents our prayers fervently and in a God-pleasing manner before God’s throne: “The Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don't even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray.
But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will” (Romans 8:26-27).
j) He is the Author of God’s Word [the Bible]. He teaches God’s Word to Jesus' followers and gives them through it a deeper understanding about Jesus Christ [the Messiah]:
The apostle Paul declares to his co-worker Timothy: “All Scripture [the Bible] is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right.”
(2 Timothy 3:16)
One commentary explains in what way the Bible is ‘inspired by God’: “The Scriptures ... [have] been ordained by God's authority and produced by the enabling of his Spirit.”
The apostle Peter writes: “It was the Holy Spirit who moved the [Old Testament] prophets to speak from God” (2 Peter 1:21).
On the evening before Jesus dies, he promises his friends that the coming Holy Spirit will teach them God’s Word from a Christ-centred perspective: “When the Father sends the Counselor as my representative - and by the Counselor I mean the Holy Spirit - he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I myself have told you” (John 14:26).
And again: “I will send you the Counselor-- the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will tell you all about me” (John 15:26).
k) He is called ‘the Spirit of truth’ and empowers Jesus’ followers to proclaim the Good News about Jesus Christ [the Messiah] and to teach God’s Word in a God pleasing way:
Already the prophet Isaiah prophesies about the coming Messiah that God’s Spirit will enable him to proclaim God’s Word: “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me [Jesus Christ], because the LORD has appointed me to bring good news...” (Isaiah 61:1).
Jesus promises his disciples that the coming Holy Spirit will empower them to share the Good News with others: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
The apostle Paul reveals to the Christians in Corinth who it is that inspires him as he teaches God’s Word: “When we tell you this [God’s Word], we do not use words of human wisdom. We speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit's words to explain spiritual truths” (1 Corinthians 2:13).
The apostle Paul urges the followers of Jesus in Ephesus (modern Turkey) that they should ‘join forces’ with the Holy Spirit when they teach God’s Word. Others will not be convinced of its life-saving importance by mere human ideas.
Only when God’s Spirit enables Jesus’ followers to share God’s Word [the Bible] in a God pleasing way, it will open the hearts of the listeners to God’s truth: “... take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” (Ephesians 6:17).
When you speak with others about Jesus, do you verbalise your own thoughts about the Gospel [Good News] or does God’s Spirit inspire you how to share God’s Word [the Bible] with them?
The Bible verses John 14:16-18, Acts 9:31 and Acts 1:8 are quoted from the ‘New International Version’. All other texts are quotes of the ‘New Living Translation’.
h) He is the ‘Paraclete’ of Jesus’ followers:
Jesus describes God’s Spirit as the ‘Paraclete’. This Greek word can be translated as helper, counsellor, comforter, encourager or even advocate.
The evening before Jesus dies, he promises his disciples that - once he has returned to heaven - he will ask God the Father to send another ‘Paraclete’ (like Jesus himself) to them. This ‘Paraclete’ [the Holy Spirit] will represent Jesus so intimately, that Jesus himself can say: “I will come to you.”
That evening Jesus promises his disciples: “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor [Paraclete] to be with you for ever ..... The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:16-18).
The apostle Paul prays for the Christians in Thessalonica (Greece). He asks God the Father and God the Son to help them (through the ‘Paraclete’, the Holy Spirit) to live their daily lives in a God-pleasing way:
“May our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father, who loved us and in his special favor gave us everlasting comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and give you strength in every good thing you do and say” (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
Luke describes how the messianic community in Israel was supported by the ‘Paraclete’ [the Holy Spirit]: “Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord” (Acts 9:31).
i) He is the intermediate between God the Father and God the Son in heaven, and Jesus’ followers on earth:
The apostle Paul reminds the Jewish and Gentile [non-Jewish] followers of Jesus that “... all of us, both Jews and Gentiles, may come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ [the Messiah] has done for us” (Ephesians 2:18).
Paul explains to the Roman Christians that, as we pray to God the Father, it is the Holy Spirit who presents our prayers fervently and in a God-pleasing manner before God’s throne: “The Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don't even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray.
But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will” (Romans 8:26-27).
j) He is the Author of God’s Word [the Bible]. He teaches God’s Word to Jesus' followers and gives them through it a deeper understanding about Jesus Christ [the Messiah]:
The apostle Paul declares to his co-worker Timothy: “All Scripture [the Bible] is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right.”
(2 Timothy 3:16)
One commentary explains in what way the Bible is ‘inspired by God’: “The Scriptures ... [have] been ordained by God's authority and produced by the enabling of his Spirit.”
The apostle Peter writes: “It was the Holy Spirit who moved the [Old Testament] prophets to speak from God” (2 Peter 1:21).
On the evening before Jesus dies, he promises his friends that the coming Holy Spirit will teach them God’s Word from a Christ-centred perspective: “When the Father sends the Counselor as my representative - and by the Counselor I mean the Holy Spirit - he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I myself have told you” (John 14:26).
And again: “I will send you the Counselor-- the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will tell you all about me” (John 15:26).
k) He is called ‘the Spirit of truth’ and empowers Jesus’ followers to proclaim the Good News about Jesus Christ [the Messiah] and to teach God’s Word in a God pleasing way:
Already the prophet Isaiah prophesies about the coming Messiah that God’s Spirit will enable him to proclaim God’s Word: “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me [Jesus Christ], because the LORD has appointed me to bring good news...” (Isaiah 61:1).
Jesus promises his disciples that the coming Holy Spirit will empower them to share the Good News with others: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
The apostle Paul reveals to the Christians in Corinth who it is that inspires him as he teaches God’s Word: “When we tell you this [God’s Word], we do not use words of human wisdom. We speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit's words to explain spiritual truths” (1 Corinthians 2:13).
The apostle Paul urges the followers of Jesus in Ephesus (modern Turkey) that they should ‘join forces’ with the Holy Spirit when they teach God’s Word. Others will not be convinced of its life-saving importance by mere human ideas.
Only when God’s Spirit enables Jesus’ followers to share God’s Word [the Bible] in a God pleasing way, it will open the hearts of the listeners to God’s truth: “... take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” (Ephesians 6:17).
When you speak with others about Jesus, do you verbalise your own thoughts about the Gospel [Good News] or does God’s Spirit inspire you how to share God’s Word [the Bible] with them?
The Bible verses John 14:16-18, Acts 9:31 and Acts 1:8 are quoted from the ‘New International Version’. All other texts are quotes of the ‘New Living Translation’.
Friday, September 3, 2010
30. INTERRUPTION (m) - WHAT IS THE HOLY SPIRIT’S MINISTRY ? (continuation)
Let us continue to look into some significant aspects of the ministry of God’s Spirit, especially into those that refer to the new life of salvation:
d) He wants to produce a Christlike life in the followers of Jesus:
Last week we saw how the apostle John explains in his Gospel that God’s life-giving Spirit wants to ‘rebirth’ us as children of God: “To all who believed him [Jesus] and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn! This is not a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan-- this rebirth comes from God” (John 1:12-13).
Today we want to meditate upon the fact that the new life, which is born in us through the action of the Holy Spirit, is actually the life of Jesus Christ!
The apostle Paul pleads with God on behalf of the followers of Jesus in Ephesus (modern Turkey). He asks God the Father that the Holy Spirit may increase Christ’ life in their hearts:
“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.
And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him.
May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love.
And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.
May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it.
Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God” (Ephesians 3:16-19).
Paul reminds the Christians in Rome how God has filled their hearts with his love (i.e., Christ’s love): “We know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love” (Romans 5:5).
The apostle explains to the Christians in Corinth (Greece) that God’s Spirit wants to produce a Godlike (i.e., Christlike) life in our hearts: “As the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.”
(2 Corinthians 3:18).
To the followers of Jesus in Galatia (modern Turkey) the apostle Paul shows what that Godlike or Christlike life looks like in practice: “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” (Galatians 5:22).
e) He wants to empower the followers of Jesus to overcome their rebellious past:
Paul reminds the followers of Jesus in Rome just who it was that released them from their disposition to rebel against God: “The power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death” (Romans 8:2).
A few chapters further on, the apostle urges his Christian friends to allow God the Son (through the presence of the Holy Spirit) to reign over their lives:
“We should be decent and true in everything we do, so that everyone can approve of our behavior.
Don't participate in wild parties and getting drunk, or in adultery and immoral living, or in fighting and jealousy.
But let the Lord Jesus Christ take control of you, and don't think of ways to indulge your evil desires” (Romans 13:13-14).
To the Christians in Galatia, Paul says the same: “So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves” (Galatians 5:16).
f) He is the dispenser of God’s wisdom and counsel so that Jesus’ followers can know God’s will and serve him:
Not only is God’s Spirit the giver of a new, eternal and Christlike life. He also wants to entrust to Jesus’ followers God’s wisdom and counsel. Then they can live a life in obedience to God’s will.
The prophet Isaiah had already forseen that the Holy Spirit would reveal God’s wisdom and counsel to Jesus Christ [the Messiah]: “The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him-- the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD” (Isaiah 11:2).
The apostle Paul prays that the Holy Spirit will reveal God’s wisdom and counsel to the followers of Jesus in Ephesus (modern Turkey): “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better” (Ephesians 1:17).
g) He guides Jesus’ followers:
The Bible teaches us a lot about the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Jesus and his followers. Here are four examples:
During his time on earth, Jesus himself was led by the Spirit of God: “Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit to go out into the wilderness...” (Luke 4:1).
Luke tells us in Acts 13:2-4 how the Holy Spirit guided the prophets and teachers in Antioch (modern south-east Turkey): “While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’
So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus.”
The apostle Paul clarifies the spiritual status of those who have received a new and eternal life from God’s Spirit: “All who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God” (Romans 8:14).
To the Christians in Galatia (modern Turkey) Paul writes: “If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit's leading in every part of our lives” (Galatians 5:25).
Are you a follower of Jesus and do you experience the guidance of God’s Spirit in your life?
The Bible verse Ephesians 1:17 is quoted from the ‘New International Version’. All other texts are quotes of the ‘New Living Translation’.
d) He wants to produce a Christlike life in the followers of Jesus:
Last week we saw how the apostle John explains in his Gospel that God’s life-giving Spirit wants to ‘rebirth’ us as children of God: “To all who believed him [Jesus] and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn! This is not a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan-- this rebirth comes from God” (John 1:12-13).
Today we want to meditate upon the fact that the new life, which is born in us through the action of the Holy Spirit, is actually the life of Jesus Christ!
The apostle Paul pleads with God on behalf of the followers of Jesus in Ephesus (modern Turkey). He asks God the Father that the Holy Spirit may increase Christ’ life in their hearts:
“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.
And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him.
May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love.
And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.
May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it.
Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God” (Ephesians 3:16-19).
Paul reminds the Christians in Rome how God has filled their hearts with his love (i.e., Christ’s love): “We know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love” (Romans 5:5).
The apostle explains to the Christians in Corinth (Greece) that God’s Spirit wants to produce a Godlike (i.e., Christlike) life in our hearts: “As the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.”
(2 Corinthians 3:18).
To the followers of Jesus in Galatia (modern Turkey) the apostle Paul shows what that Godlike or Christlike life looks like in practice: “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” (Galatians 5:22).
e) He wants to empower the followers of Jesus to overcome their rebellious past:
Paul reminds the followers of Jesus in Rome just who it was that released them from their disposition to rebel against God: “The power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death” (Romans 8:2).
A few chapters further on, the apostle urges his Christian friends to allow God the Son (through the presence of the Holy Spirit) to reign over their lives:
“We should be decent and true in everything we do, so that everyone can approve of our behavior.
Don't participate in wild parties and getting drunk, or in adultery and immoral living, or in fighting and jealousy.
But let the Lord Jesus Christ take control of you, and don't think of ways to indulge your evil desires” (Romans 13:13-14).
To the Christians in Galatia, Paul says the same: “So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves” (Galatians 5:16).
f) He is the dispenser of God’s wisdom and counsel so that Jesus’ followers can know God’s will and serve him:
Not only is God’s Spirit the giver of a new, eternal and Christlike life. He also wants to entrust to Jesus’ followers God’s wisdom and counsel. Then they can live a life in obedience to God’s will.
The prophet Isaiah had already forseen that the Holy Spirit would reveal God’s wisdom and counsel to Jesus Christ [the Messiah]: “The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him-- the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD” (Isaiah 11:2).
The apostle Paul prays that the Holy Spirit will reveal God’s wisdom and counsel to the followers of Jesus in Ephesus (modern Turkey): “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better” (Ephesians 1:17).
g) He guides Jesus’ followers:
The Bible teaches us a lot about the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Jesus and his followers. Here are four examples:
During his time on earth, Jesus himself was led by the Spirit of God: “Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit to go out into the wilderness...” (Luke 4:1).
Luke tells us in Acts 13:2-4 how the Holy Spirit guided the prophets and teachers in Antioch (modern south-east Turkey): “While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’
So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus.”
The apostle Paul clarifies the spiritual status of those who have received a new and eternal life from God’s Spirit: “All who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God” (Romans 8:14).
To the Christians in Galatia (modern Turkey) Paul writes: “If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit's leading in every part of our lives” (Galatians 5:25).
Are you a follower of Jesus and do you experience the guidance of God’s Spirit in your life?
The Bible verse Ephesians 1:17 is quoted from the ‘New International Version’. All other texts are quotes of the ‘New Living Translation’.
Friday, August 27, 2010
29. INTERRUPTION (l) - WHAT IS THE HOLY SPIRIT’S MINISTRY ?
The Bible recounts the vast and boundless ministry of God the Holy Spirit in a majestic way. Let us consider some momentous aspects of his ministry, especially those that refer to the new life of salvation:
a) He is the giver of life:
The book Job testifies how God’s Spirit created the universe: “His Spirit made the heavens beautiful...” (Job 26:13).
The first book of the Bible testifies that the Spirit of God started to ‘incubate’ the immeasurable variety of life on earth: “The earth was empty, a formless mass cloaked in darkness. And the Spirit of God was hovering over its surface” (Genesis 1:2).
The coming of Jesus Christ [the Messiah] into our world was a miraculous gift of the Holy Spirit: “The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you [the virgin Mary], and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God'” (Luke 1:35).
Jesus himself explains that it is the Holy Spirit who gives a new and eternal life to all those who repent of their rebellion and wrongdoings and receive God’s forgiveness: “It is the Spirit who gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63). (See meditations 26 and 27)
The apostle Paul exults about this new life in his letter to the followers of Jesus in Rome: “The power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death” (Romans 8:2).
The apostle John explains in his Gospel that God’s life-giving Spirit ‘rebirths’ us as children of God: “To all who believed him [Jesus] and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn! This is not a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan - this rebirth comes from God” (John 1:12-13).
The apostle Paul shows that the Holy Spirit awakens in the hearts of all those who are reborn, a deep desire to call God their Father: "You did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave [of sin] again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father’" (Romans 8:15).
b) He creates a new (messianic) community, consisting of all the followers of Jesus:
The apostle Paul shows the followers of Jesus in Corinth that as reborn children of God they belong to a new community, called the ‘Body of Christ’, or the ‘Body of the Messiah’. This messianic community is universal in being, and knows no discrimination of status, race, colour or nationality:
“Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles [non-Jews], some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into Christ's body by one Spirit, and we have all received the same Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:13).
Furthermore, the apostle Paul urges the followers of Jesus in Ephesus (modern Turkey) to cooperate with the Holy Spirit to strengthen this God-given community life among them: “Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace” (Ephesians 4:3).
c) His presence in the lives of Jesus’ followers is God’s guarantee of the new heaven and earth to come:
The apostle Paul rejoices with the followers of Jesus in Corinth about the fact that the renewing presence of God’s Spirit in their hearts is like a first ‘instalment’ of the new creation to come: “[God] set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”
(2 Corinthians 1:22).
To the Christians in Rome, Paul even speaks about the new eternal body they will receive when the new creation has become a reality: “And even we Christians, although we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, also groan to be released from pain and suffering.
We, too, wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as his children, including the new bodies he has promised us” (Romans 8:23).
To the followers of Jesus in Ephesus, Paul explains that the fact that they received God’s Spirit is the proof that God will keep his promises concerning the new heaven and new earth to come: “The Spirit is God's guarantee that he will give us everything he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. This is just one more reason for us to praise our glorious God.”
(Ephesians 1:14)
In the same letter Paul summarises the basic facts of salvation: “And now you also have heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.” (Ephesians 1:13)
Do you trust Jesus Christ [the Messiah] for salvation and did you receive the Holy Spirit once you believed? If so, then you are God’s own, beloved child.
The Bible verses Luke 1:35, Romans 8:15, 2 Corinthians 1:22 are quoted from the ‘New International Version’. All other texts are quotes of the ‘New Living Translation’.
a) He is the giver of life:
The book Job testifies how God’s Spirit created the universe: “His Spirit made the heavens beautiful...” (Job 26:13).
The first book of the Bible testifies that the Spirit of God started to ‘incubate’ the immeasurable variety of life on earth: “The earth was empty, a formless mass cloaked in darkness. And the Spirit of God was hovering over its surface” (Genesis 1:2).
The coming of Jesus Christ [the Messiah] into our world was a miraculous gift of the Holy Spirit: “The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you [the virgin Mary], and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God'” (Luke 1:35).
Jesus himself explains that it is the Holy Spirit who gives a new and eternal life to all those who repent of their rebellion and wrongdoings and receive God’s forgiveness: “It is the Spirit who gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63). (See meditations 26 and 27)
The apostle Paul exults about this new life in his letter to the followers of Jesus in Rome: “The power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death” (Romans 8:2).
The apostle John explains in his Gospel that God’s life-giving Spirit ‘rebirths’ us as children of God: “To all who believed him [Jesus] and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn! This is not a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan - this rebirth comes from God” (John 1:12-13).
The apostle Paul shows that the Holy Spirit awakens in the hearts of all those who are reborn, a deep desire to call God their Father: "You did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave [of sin] again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father’" (Romans 8:15).
b) He creates a new (messianic) community, consisting of all the followers of Jesus:
The apostle Paul shows the followers of Jesus in Corinth that as reborn children of God they belong to a new community, called the ‘Body of Christ’, or the ‘Body of the Messiah’. This messianic community is universal in being, and knows no discrimination of status, race, colour or nationality:
“Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles [non-Jews], some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into Christ's body by one Spirit, and we have all received the same Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:13).
Furthermore, the apostle Paul urges the followers of Jesus in Ephesus (modern Turkey) to cooperate with the Holy Spirit to strengthen this God-given community life among them: “Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace” (Ephesians 4:3).
c) His presence in the lives of Jesus’ followers is God’s guarantee of the new heaven and earth to come:
The apostle Paul rejoices with the followers of Jesus in Corinth about the fact that the renewing presence of God’s Spirit in their hearts is like a first ‘instalment’ of the new creation to come: “[God] set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”
(2 Corinthians 1:22).
To the Christians in Rome, Paul even speaks about the new eternal body they will receive when the new creation has become a reality: “And even we Christians, although we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, also groan to be released from pain and suffering.
We, too, wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as his children, including the new bodies he has promised us” (Romans 8:23).
To the followers of Jesus in Ephesus, Paul explains that the fact that they received God’s Spirit is the proof that God will keep his promises concerning the new heaven and new earth to come: “The Spirit is God's guarantee that he will give us everything he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. This is just one more reason for us to praise our glorious God.”
(Ephesians 1:14)
In the same letter Paul summarises the basic facts of salvation: “And now you also have heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.” (Ephesians 1:13)
Do you trust Jesus Christ [the Messiah] for salvation and did you receive the Holy Spirit once you believed? If so, then you are God’s own, beloved child.
The Bible verses Luke 1:35, Romans 8:15, 2 Corinthians 1:22 are quoted from the ‘New International Version’. All other texts are quotes of the ‘New Living Translation’.
Friday, August 20, 2010
28. INTERRUPTION (k) - WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT ?
At various places in the first book of the Bible, God expresses himself in the plural (see also meditation 18):
• In Genesis 1:26 God speaks in the plural when he decides to create man: “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness...’” (see also meditation 18).
• Again, God refers to himself in the plural after Adam and Eve start to rebel against him: “And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil...”
(Genesis 3:22)
• When rebellious men want to deify themselves and build a godlike society (tower of Babel), God speaks of himself in the plural when he responds with judgment: “Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other” (Genesis 11:7).
It is especially in the New Testament that God (who is one) starts to make himself known as God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
The apostle John writes in his first letter: “There are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word [i.e. Jesus Christ] and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one” (1 John 5:7).
The New Testament often mentions God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit even in one verse. Here are three examples:
• The evening before Jesus dies, he promises his disciples that he will send the Holy Spirit to them once he is back in heaven after his resurrection: “When the Counsellor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me” (John 15:26).
• When Stephen, the first Christian martyr, is stoned we read of him: “Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily upward into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God's right hand” (Acts 7:55).
• The apostle Paul finishes his second letter to the Christians in the Greek town of Corinth with the following prayer: “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14).
We just read in Genesis 1:26: “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness...’”
Furthermore, the apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Colossae (modern Turkey): “Christ is the visible image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15).
Finally, Jesus himself said: “When you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me” (John 12:45) .
So, we must not guess how God the Holy Spirit looks like. The last three Bible verses lead us to an overwhelming discovery. God the Father and God the Holy Spirit look like Jesus!
The Bible verses Acts 7:55, Colossians 1:15 and John 12:45 are quoted from the ‘New Living Translation’. 1 John 5:7 is a quotation from the New King James Version’. All other texts are quotes of the ‘New International Version’.
• In Genesis 1:26 God speaks in the plural when he decides to create man: “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness...’” (see also meditation 18).
• Again, God refers to himself in the plural after Adam and Eve start to rebel against him: “And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil...”
(Genesis 3:22)
• When rebellious men want to deify themselves and build a godlike society (tower of Babel), God speaks of himself in the plural when he responds with judgment: “Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other” (Genesis 11:7).
It is especially in the New Testament that God (who is one) starts to make himself known as God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
The apostle John writes in his first letter: “There are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word [i.e. Jesus Christ] and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one” (1 John 5:7).
The New Testament often mentions God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit even in one verse. Here are three examples:
• The evening before Jesus dies, he promises his disciples that he will send the Holy Spirit to them once he is back in heaven after his resurrection: “When the Counsellor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me” (John 15:26).
• When Stephen, the first Christian martyr, is stoned we read of him: “Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily upward into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God's right hand” (Acts 7:55).
• The apostle Paul finishes his second letter to the Christians in the Greek town of Corinth with the following prayer: “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14).
We just read in Genesis 1:26: “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness...’”
Furthermore, the apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Colossae (modern Turkey): “Christ is the visible image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15).
Finally, Jesus himself said: “When you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me” (John 12:45) .
So, we must not guess how God the Holy Spirit looks like. The last three Bible verses lead us to an overwhelming discovery. God the Father and God the Holy Spirit look like Jesus!
The Bible verses Acts 7:55, Colossians 1:15 and John 12:45 are quoted from the ‘New Living Translation’. 1 John 5:7 is a quotation from the New King James Version’. All other texts are quotes of the ‘New International Version’.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
27. INTERRUPTION (j) - GOD’S LOVING EMBRACE
We saw in meditations 24 and 25 that the Bible urges us to seek God in remorseful repentance from our rebellious ways. In meditation 26 we read that we can trust God for complete forgiveness on the basis of our faith in the sacrificial death of his beloved Son, Jesus Christ [the Messiah].
Jesus assures us that heaven throws a party for us when we radically surrender to God: "I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent." (Luke 15:7)
Jesus compares God’s love for penitent rebels with the compassionate father in the parable of the lost son: “So he (the lost son) returned home to his father. And while he was still a long distance away, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.
His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’
But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger, and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening in the pen. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began” (Luke 15:20-24).
So, how will we experience ‘ God’s loving embrace’ when we return home to our heavenly Father?
When the apostle Peter spurs his conscience-stricken listeners on to return to God, he not only speaks of their need for repentance and forgiveness, but also of God’s compassionate response: “Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).
Already, six centuries beforehand, God had told through his prophet Ezechiel what such a ‘divine embrace’ after repentance and forgiveness would entail: “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away ...
And I will give you a new heart with new and right desires, and I will put a new spirit in you.
I will take out your stony heart of sin and give you a new, obedient heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so you will obey my laws and do whatever I command” (Ezekiel 36:25-27).
On the evening before his death, Jesus promised his Jewish disciples that after his resurrection and return to heaven, he would send them the Holy Spirit: “I will send you the Counselor-- the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will tell you all about me” (John 15:26).
Jesus’ forerunner, John the Baptist, foresaw already that Jesus Christ [the Messiah] would be the giver of God’s Spirit. He said to his listeners: “I baptize with water those who turn from their sins and turn to God.
But someone is coming soon who is far greater than I am-- so much greater that I am not even worthy to be his slave. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit...” (Matthew 3:11).
After his resurrection and before his return to heaven, Jesus met his friends regularly over meals. At one of those occasions he commanded them: “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you what he promised.
Remember, I have told you about this before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:4-5).
The apostle Peter later told his Jewish colleagues in Jerusalem about a meeting he had with people who were not Jews; yet, they were interested to hear the message of Jesus, the Jewish Messiah.
During that meeting God showed Peter that he would give his Spirit to everyone who repents and believes in his Son. Peter said: “Well, I began telling them the Good News, but just as I was getting started, the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as he fell on us at the beginning (see Acts 2).
Then I thought of the Lord’s words when he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’
And since God gave these Gentiles (i.e. non-Jews) the same gift he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to argue?” (Acts 11:15-17)
The apostle Paul reminds the followers of Jesus in Rome: “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ [the Messiah], he does not belong to Christ” (Romans 8:9).
In other words, it is completely natural that God ‘embraces me in love’ and gives me His Spirit, after I come to him in repentance and faith in his Son Jesus Christ [the Messiah].
So, why is it that so many Christians are unsure about the presence and the work of God’s Spirit in their lives?
If you struggle with the same problem, you need to talk with God about it. You should find out what God’s Word [the Bible] says about the person and the work of the Holy Spirit. You might want to seek the counsel of other Christians.
Jesus promised: “If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him” (Luke 11:13).
Next time we will look into the question: Who is the Holy Spirit?
The Bible verses Luke 15:7, Acts 2:38 and Romans 8:9 are quoted from the ‘New International Version’. All other texts are quotes of the ‘New Living Translation’.
Jesus assures us that heaven throws a party for us when we radically surrender to God: "I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent." (Luke 15:7)
Jesus compares God’s love for penitent rebels with the compassionate father in the parable of the lost son: “So he (the lost son) returned home to his father. And while he was still a long distance away, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.
His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’
But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger, and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening in the pen. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began” (Luke 15:20-24).
So, how will we experience ‘ God’s loving embrace’ when we return home to our heavenly Father?
When the apostle Peter spurs his conscience-stricken listeners on to return to God, he not only speaks of their need for repentance and forgiveness, but also of God’s compassionate response: “Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).
Already, six centuries beforehand, God had told through his prophet Ezechiel what such a ‘divine embrace’ after repentance and forgiveness would entail: “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away ...
And I will give you a new heart with new and right desires, and I will put a new spirit in you.
I will take out your stony heart of sin and give you a new, obedient heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so you will obey my laws and do whatever I command” (Ezekiel 36:25-27).
On the evening before his death, Jesus promised his Jewish disciples that after his resurrection and return to heaven, he would send them the Holy Spirit: “I will send you the Counselor-- the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will tell you all about me” (John 15:26).
Jesus’ forerunner, John the Baptist, foresaw already that Jesus Christ [the Messiah] would be the giver of God’s Spirit. He said to his listeners: “I baptize with water those who turn from their sins and turn to God.
But someone is coming soon who is far greater than I am-- so much greater that I am not even worthy to be his slave. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit...” (Matthew 3:11).
After his resurrection and before his return to heaven, Jesus met his friends regularly over meals. At one of those occasions he commanded them: “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you what he promised.
Remember, I have told you about this before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:4-5).
The apostle Peter later told his Jewish colleagues in Jerusalem about a meeting he had with people who were not Jews; yet, they were interested to hear the message of Jesus, the Jewish Messiah.
During that meeting God showed Peter that he would give his Spirit to everyone who repents and believes in his Son. Peter said: “Well, I began telling them the Good News, but just as I was getting started, the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as he fell on us at the beginning (see Acts 2).
Then I thought of the Lord’s words when he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’
And since God gave these Gentiles (i.e. non-Jews) the same gift he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to argue?” (Acts 11:15-17)
The apostle Paul reminds the followers of Jesus in Rome: “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ [the Messiah], he does not belong to Christ” (Romans 8:9).
In other words, it is completely natural that God ‘embraces me in love’ and gives me His Spirit, after I come to him in repentance and faith in his Son Jesus Christ [the Messiah].
So, why is it that so many Christians are unsure about the presence and the work of God’s Spirit in their lives?
If you struggle with the same problem, you need to talk with God about it. You should find out what God’s Word [the Bible] says about the person and the work of the Holy Spirit. You might want to seek the counsel of other Christians.
Jesus promised: “If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him” (Luke 11:13).
Next time we will look into the question: Who is the Holy Spirit?
The Bible verses Luke 15:7, Acts 2:38 and Romans 8:9 are quoted from the ‘New International Version’. All other texts are quotes of the ‘New Living Translation’.
Monday, August 9, 2010
26. INTERRUPTION (i) - HOW DO I RECEIVE GOD’S FORGIVENESS AND SALVATION ?
In meditations 24 and 25 we saw that ‘repentance’, as the Bible describes it, is the pre-condition for humbly approaching God to receive his forgiveness and salvation.
But how will I actually pacify God’s anger against me? How do I receive God’s forgiveness for my rebellion and my pride? How will our relationship be restored? In other words: how will I find peace with God?
The letter to the Hebrews gives us the first (obvious) clue: “It is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).
The Bible says that finding God’s forgiveness starts with hearing and believing the message concerning his only Son, Jesus Christ [the Messiah].
The apostle Paul declares: “Faith comes from listening to this message of good news -- the Good News about Christ.”
(Romans 10:17)
What then is this Good News [the Gospel] about Jesus Christ? The apostle Paul explains: “God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others.”
(2 Corinthians 5:19)
In his letter to the christians in Rome, Paul clarifies that message as follows: “Yet now God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins. For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God's anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us” (Romans 3:24-25).
So, if we trust God for sending his Son into our world and if we believe that Jesus came to take the punishment for our rebellion and all its sinful consequences, God forgives us and saves us from his righteous anger.
The apostle John writes: “This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins” (1 John 4:10).
The apostle Paul puts the Good News of Jesus's sacrificial death for us in a nutshell by calling it “the message of the cross”.
He says to the followers of Jesus in Corinth: “I know very well how foolish the message of the cross sounds to those who are on the road to destruction. But we who are being saved recognize this message as the very power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).
Finally, the apostle Paul begs us to accept and believe this message which he received from God: “For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others. We are Christ's ambassadors, and God is using us to speak to you. We urge you, as though Christ himself were here pleading with you, ‘Be reconciled to God!’ For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:19-21).
So, when Paul and his co-worker Silas were asked: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”, they simply answered: “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved...” (Acts 16:30-31)
Do you believe in the Lord Jesus for forgiveness and salvation?
All Bible verses are quoted from the ‘New Living Translation’.
For further study of ‘the message of the cross’, see meditations 5, 11, 22 and 23.
But how will I actually pacify God’s anger against me? How do I receive God’s forgiveness for my rebellion and my pride? How will our relationship be restored? In other words: how will I find peace with God?
The letter to the Hebrews gives us the first (obvious) clue: “It is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).
The Bible says that finding God’s forgiveness starts with hearing and believing the message concerning his only Son, Jesus Christ [the Messiah].
The apostle Paul declares: “Faith comes from listening to this message of good news -- the Good News about Christ.”
(Romans 10:17)
What then is this Good News [the Gospel] about Jesus Christ? The apostle Paul explains: “God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others.”
(2 Corinthians 5:19)
In his letter to the christians in Rome, Paul clarifies that message as follows: “Yet now God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins. For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God's anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us” (Romans 3:24-25).
So, if we trust God for sending his Son into our world and if we believe that Jesus came to take the punishment for our rebellion and all its sinful consequences, God forgives us and saves us from his righteous anger.
The apostle John writes: “This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins” (1 John 4:10).
The apostle Paul puts the Good News of Jesus's sacrificial death for us in a nutshell by calling it “the message of the cross”.
He says to the followers of Jesus in Corinth: “I know very well how foolish the message of the cross sounds to those who are on the road to destruction. But we who are being saved recognize this message as the very power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).
Finally, the apostle Paul begs us to accept and believe this message which he received from God: “For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others. We are Christ's ambassadors, and God is using us to speak to you. We urge you, as though Christ himself were here pleading with you, ‘Be reconciled to God!’ For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:19-21).
So, when Paul and his co-worker Silas were asked: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”, they simply answered: “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved...” (Acts 16:30-31)
Do you believe in the Lord Jesus for forgiveness and salvation?
All Bible verses are quoted from the ‘New Living Translation’.
For further study of ‘the message of the cross’, see meditations 5, 11, 22 and 23.
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