Righteousness and Faith

Romans 1:8-17

Faith is essential to the Christian life.  As we are the people of God, we partake of the righteousness of God by faith.  First, we are known for our faith.  

Paul opens his letter to the Church in Rome with the necessary salutation, introducing himself as the author, the gospel as his subject and the Romans as his intended audience.  He then says, "First...”  He is excited to be writing to the Romans.  He says, "First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.”  (Romans 1:8, ESV)  He thanks God for people he has never met. 

He expresses his great thankfulness to God because their faith was proclaimed in all the world.

Exceptional things are noticed throughout the whole world.  Of course, this does not mean literally the entire world, because Paul had no way of knowing what was happening in America.  However, traveling extensively in the Roman Empire, Paul had firsthand knowledge of how far word of the faith of the Roman Christians had spread.  The world notices true faith.  True faith causes people to behave in exceptional ways.

Jesus told us, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments."  (John 14:15, ESV)  I would add to this that if we do not believe in Jesus we cannot love Him.  If we do not trust Him, we cannot love Him.  Therefore, if we have no faith in Him, we cannot love Him.  James tells us in chapter 2 verse 18 of his book, "But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.”  Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works."  (ESV)

Paul commended the Thessalonian Church, saying in 1 Thessalonians 1:8, "...your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything."

Faith transforms us, and the difference is noticeable.  Word of the transformation spreads.  In the case of the Roman Christians, this was cause for great thankfulness on the part of the Apostle Paul.

What about our faith, yours and mine?  Is our faith cause for great thankfulness for our Lord Jesus Christ? 

Jesus said:

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, ESV)

He repeated this concept in Luke 12:8-9 saying:

And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God.  (Luke 12:8-9, ESV)

Is our faith cause for great thankfulness?  Before the Apostle ever went to Rome, the faith of the Romans was cause for great thankfulness.

After expressing his great thankfulness, the Apostle Paul expresses his great longing.

His longing, like his gratitude, is linked to faith.  However, his longing is based on the encouragement he and they might be to each other's faith.  He says:

that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.  (Romans 1:12, ESV)

Paul expresses his desire to see them and to enjoy this mutual encouragement in the strongest terms.  He says that God is his witness how unceasingly he pleads for the chance to go to Rome.  Think of this in terms of what Paul has told us in other places about his life's purpose.  In Philippians 3:7-10, Paul expresses his pursuit in life.  He says:

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.  Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.  For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, (Philippians 3:7-10, ESV)

His longing to travel to Rome was tied to his longing to know Christ.  This longing showed itself in two separate but linked goals.  His first goal was to strengthen the believers in Rome by imparting some spiritual gift to them and the second was to reap some harvest among the Romans as he had among the rest of the Gentiles.  

As an Apostle, Paul had a unique and special calling.  Therefore, he was uniquely obligated to strengthen and encourage believers and to preach to those who did not yet know the gospel.  This obligation is reflected in his words to the Romans expressing his strong desire to reap some harvest among them.

Later, when Paul actually arrived in Rome, he immediately called together a meeting of the local leaders of the Jews and began sharing the gospel with them (Acts 28:17ff).  After spending some time imprisoned in Rome, Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians:

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.  (Philippians 1:12-13, ESV)

Paul's travels, whether as a prisoner or as a missionary, resulted in the strengthening of believers and in the advancement of the gospel among all peoples.  Sadly, there were those whose travels had the opposite effect.  Paul warns about them in his letters, describing them as enemies of the cross (For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.  Philippians 3:18).

Do our travels result in the advancement of the gospel?

The difference between Paul and the enemies of the cross of Christ is to be found in their longings.  Paul's great longing grew out of faith and a desire to know Christ.  Philippians 3:19 tells us that the god of the enemies of the cross of Christ is their belly.  Their desires are not shaped by faith.  Just as Jesus told us we would know a tree by its fruit, so we know a person's faith by his or her fruit. 

What is your great longing?  What passion shapes your life?

Faith is the theme as Paul expresses both his great thankfulness and his great longing, and it continues to be the theme as he expresses his great confidence.

The Apostle Paul states plainly, "I am not ashamed." 

If a person puts their confidence in the wrong thing, he or she can suffer embarrassment.  My fellow believers who believe that the rapture will take place after the tribulation will suffer minor embarrassment when we meet Jesus in the air.  However, it will be something to laugh about.  Those who are not caught up to meet Jesus in the air are the ones who will suffer true embarrassment.

As an example of embarrassment, consider what it would mean if the gospel was a hoax and there was no truth to it.  All the churches and schools would have been built for nothing.  All the missionaries would have been sent for nothing.  All the martyrs would have died for nothing.  All the books would have been written for nothing.  Paul said:

And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.  ... we are of all people most to be pitied.  (1 Corinthians 15:14, 19, ESV)

This is the kind of shame that Paul is speaking of.  He is saying he is not ashamed, because the gospel is the power of God for salvation.

In his opening remarks, he stated what the gospel is.  It is the good news of Jesus Christ.  According to the flesh, he was born of the line of David, a Jew from the line of Judah.  He was shown to be the Son of God with power by His resurrection from the dead.  It is by believing in His name that we are saved.  

It is important that we realize that we are not following cleverly devised fables when we state these things.  Peter stressed this when he says:

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.  (2 Peter 1:16, ESV)

The writers of Scripture appeal to facts to establish the reality of their claims.  1 Corinthians 15:6 is a strong example of a writer appealing to verifiable events in order to defend or strengthen his claims.  1 Corinthians 15:6 says:

Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.  (1 Corinthians 15:6, ESV)

Here we have a case where if anyone wanted to verify the claims of the writer, all a person would have to do would be to go ask the eyewitnesses.  Of course, those eyewitnesses have long since passed away, but at the time of writing, they were still alive.  We can still be sure we have not followed cleverly devised fables.  We have the testimony of eyewitnesses.  We have the testimony of history and we have the testimony of those who have tested the truth of the gospel.

We have seen that faith transforms a person.  Faith that transforms is what resulted in Paul's great thankfulness.  We have seen faith that motivates.  Faith that motivates is what resulted in Paul's great longing.

Faith also results in confidence.  This does not mean a numbing of the mind.  Romans 1:17 tells us that in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith.  This is a significant saying that is full of meaning.  One of the meanings that can be gleaned from this statement is that faith results in more faith.  James 1:3 tells us that the testing of our faith produces perseverance.  Part of this is because the testing of our faith strengthens our faith.  We find that our faith is reliable, that the truths we have built our lives around will not embarrass us.  We have no reason to be ashamed of the gospel.

In the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed.   

We are not justified by works of righteousness that we have done.  We are justified freely by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.  However, faith reveals itself in our right relationship to God.  James tells us that the devils believe in God and tremble, but obviously, they are not partakers in the righteousness of God.  The righteous person lives by faith, trusting in God so that his or her life results in praise to God, desire for God and confidence in God.  

Faith and righteousness are tied together so that the righteous person’s life is one of faith from first to last.

Good News

Romans 1:1-7

God is good.

He made sure we have a testimony to His great works.

We see His hand in all that He made.  The stars proclaim His handiwork.  The animals and plants around us show the care He takes for His creatures.

Creation is not the only witness we have.  We have the Bible, the testimony of history and of millions upon millions of people who have chosen to follow Christ.

Throughout history, God has chosen certain individuals for particular usefulness in bearing witness to His goodness, His grace.  Moses and the Old Testament prophets witnessed to God's goodness and grace.  They recorded His works and words for all to read.  Jesus chose twelve to be His apostles.  "Apostles" means messenger or emissary.  Jesus chose twelve to be His ambassadors and messengers.  In choosing twelve to be His apostles, He guaranteed us to have a witness to His goodness.  The resulting witness is the New Testament.

One of the twelve was a devil, not literally, but his character was such that he betrayed the Lord Jesus and ended up killing himself.  Another took his place.  The Lord Jesus chose a man named Saul. 

Saul was a zealous young Jew.  He was a rising young leader.  Well educated and zealous for Jewish religious observance, he actively sought to stop the threatening spread of what was then known as "The Way.”  The Way taught that Jesus was the Messiah foretold by the prophets and promised by God through Moses.  In his zeal, Saul persecuted followers of The Way with everything he had.  In the course of his persecution, Saul procured letters of authorization to pursue followers of The Way to Damascus and arrest them.  On the way to Damascus, a blinding light and a voice said, “Saul, met Saul!  Saul!  Why are you persecuting me?”  (Acts 9:4)  The light and presence was so overwhelming that Saul fell to the ground.  From his place on the ground, Saul said, "Who are you, Lord?"  (Acts 9:5) 

The voice said, "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting!"

After being led by the hand to Damascus, Saul spent three days blind, fasting and praying.  Jesus sent a man named Ananias to talk with Saul.  Jesus told Ananias:

“Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel.  And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake."  (Acts 9:15-16, NLT)

Saul immediately began preaching the message of The Way, which is also known as the Gospel or Good News.  As zealous as he had been in persecution, Saul worked tirelessly at spreading the teachings of The Way.  We know him as the Apostle Paul, the author of the letter to the Romans.

In the course of his many years of teaching and preaching, Paul wrote 14* letters that are included in the New Testament.  (*13 if one does not count Hebrews as written by Paul) 

Hebrews and Romans are the only letters written to churches or people not personally known to Paul.  These letters are also characterized by exceptional theological depth and clarity.  In these works, Paul lays the foundation for Christian faith and practice.

Over the next few months, as the Lord permits, we are going to take a journey through the book of Romans.  It promises to be a rich and full journey.  We will plumb the depths of human sin and depravity and scale the heights of God's glory and sovereignty.  We will learn of God's great love and the glory He has prepared for those who call on His name.

The theme of the letter is God's righteousness.

The outline we will follow is:

Romans 1-3:20             Sin

Romans 3:21- 5            Salvation

Romans 6-8                  Sanctification

Romans 9-11                Sovereignty

Romans 12-16              Service

In the opening of His letter, verses 1 through 7, Paul introduces himself, his subject and his recipients.  In these three things, we see reflected the tremendous grace of God.  God's goodness and kindness shines through this entire introduction.

First, Paul introduces Himself.

In verse one, three words stand out: 1) slave, 2) apostle and 3) set apart.  These three words tell us what Paul and the Holy Spirit want us to know about him.

As a slave, Paul does not work on his own behalf or for his own purposes.  Many work at preaching and teaching for profit or in order to build a following.  This is, of course, a temptation for anyone who teaches or preaches, and it is a sin to be avoided.  All that a slave does goes to the benefit of the master.  As a slave of Christ, Paul worked exclusively for the building up of Christ's kingdom.  All of his labor was for the benefit of Christ, and therefore, for the benefit of Christ's body, the Church.

As an Apostle, Paul was a chosen emissary of Jesus.  It is important that an Apostle be chosen or called directly by Jesus.  In Paul's case, this happened on the road to Damascus as recorded in Acts chapter nine.  Paul makes a clear statement that his message and teaching came directly from Jesus Christ.  In Galatians 1:12, he says, "I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me.  Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.”  It is commonly assumed that Paul spent three years in Arabia learning from Jesus.  This is taken from Galatians 1:16-18.

Finally, Paul describes himself as one set apart for the gospel of God.  He repeats this idea in Galatians 1:15 saying, "But when God, who set me apart from my mother's womb and called me by His grace, was pleased...”  (BSB^[1])  This idea of being set apart is important for all of us as Christians.  We are not of this world.  We are not here to pursue the same thing as those around us.  We are citizens of a different country.  If we are set apart for the gospel of God, what do we have to do with the sex, money and power that the world around us pursues so whole-heartedly?

In these three things about Paul, we see the grace of God toward Paul, but also toward all of us in making sure we would have a witness to the great work of God in Salvation.

In the process of introducing himself, Paul introduces his subject.  As one set apart for the gospel of God, Paul's subject is the gospel.  Gospel, of course, means good news.  This good news is described as being of God.  God owns it.  It is His, and it is from Him.  Paul tells us it is concerning or about God's Son.  He tells us three things about God's Son: 1) He was promised beforehand, 2) He was descended from David and 3) He was shown to be the Son of God.  These three things are proofs or testimonies to the truth and reliability of the gospel.  Without these three things, we would not have good news.  Rather, we would be left with unsupportable claims.

First, Paul tells us He was promised beforehand.  He gives the source of these promises as being the prophets as recorded in the Holy Scriptures.  The Scriptures are unique in all of history.  Nowhere else is there a source of unerring accuracy in foretelling the future, explaining reality and giving hope.  The unique birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus were foretold by the prophets in the Scriptures.  There is no explanation apart from the Divine inspiration and authority of Scripture for the stunning accuracy and number of the prophecies fulfilled in Jesus Christ.  God, in His grace, provided us with all the evidence we need to know that the gospel is reliable.

Second, Paul tells us that Jesus was from the line of David.  This also relates to reliability because the prophets foretold that the Messiah would be from the line of David.  However, it goes much further in establishing Jesus' right to the throne of Israel and the Kingdom of God.  God made promises to Abraham, Jacob and David that can only be fulfilled in a descendant of David sitting on the throne.  Jesus, being a descendant of David, is both the fulfillment of these promises and the rightful heir to the throne.  He is the Messiah, the promised Savior of the world.

Third, Paul tells us that Jesus was shown to be the Son of God.  He says, "[Jesus]...was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead...”  (Romans 1:4)  The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is one of the strongest evidences in support of the gospel.  The fact that Jesus rose from the dead and is still alive remains a part of history that is supported by solid evidence and is a convincing proof that Jesus is the Son of God.  The fact that Jesus is the Son of God is absolutely essential to the gospel.  To deny that Jesus is the Son of God is to deny the gospel and to make it empty and void.  The good news is:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  (John 3:16, KJV)

This good news is for everyone.  Paul explains this as he moves from introducing his subject to explaining who he is directing his comments to.  He first explains the scope of his ministry, but it is not just his ministry.  He has introduced himself, but when he begins to speak of the scope of ministry he changes to a plural and in verse five says, "We have received grace and apostleship...”  The scope and extent of ministry goes way beyond any single person.  The apostleship we received included all twelve and their collective ministry of bearing witness to God's great work of salvation.  Therefore, we, the Church, have received the apostleship of which Paul speaks, not that we are apostles, but we have the collected testimony of the Apostles in the New Testament as well as their collected teachings.  This grace and apostleship are described as being for (lit. unto bringing about) the obedience of faith among all peoples. 

The word used by Paul when he wrote the letter is "ἔθνεσιν" (ethnesin) from which we get our English term "ethnic.”  This term refers to a race, a people or a nation.  The good news is for every people, tongue and nation.  This is an important motive for Paul in writing to people he has never met.  Jesus stressed that the gospel is to be preached to the whole world, to all peoples.  Paul includes in his reason for writing the fact that his audience is among the “all peoples” that the gospel is designed to reach.  Then, in verse seven, he stresses that he is writing to the already reached, those who are already beloved of God and called saints.

The book of Romans is written to saints, people who are already obedient to the faith.  In 2 Timothy 3:16 Paul explains:

All Scripture 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 corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.  (NLT)

The subject of the letter is the good news, but the ones it is written to are those who have already accepted or believed the good news.  This then is a treatise on the substance of the good news for those who love the good news so that they might know and understand the good news even better.

It is important that we understand that this is God's word.  Paul wrote under the inspiration and authority of the Holy Spirit.  It is immaterial whether we like or dislike Paul.  Just as, it is immaterial whether we like or dislike Moses.  In either case, these men were God's chosen instruments to bear witness to His great work of salvation.  The account of the tremendous goodness of God who has shown His great love for us by giving His Son to save us is so clearly explained to us that I cannot understand how anyone would reject or dislike this letter or any of the Word of God for that matter.  It is true that the assessment given of our heart condition is severe, but that only makes the grace that saves us even more precious.  If we want to know the truth of the good news, we must first face the truth of who we are.  This is what happened to Saul on the road to Damascus.  The Lord shone the light of truth on the heart of a man and the truth transformed that man.

Have you been transformed by the light of truth?

Reading the letter of Paul to the Romans can shine the light of life transforming truth in our lives.  Wherever you are on your journey, ask God to shine His light into your heart and transform you.

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^[1] http://biblehub.com/bsb/galatians/1.htm

The Spirit of Truth

John 14:15-21

Pilate asked Jesus, "What is truth?"  (John 18:38)

Pilate was cynical.  He was a judge.  He was hardened by the lies and deceit he had seen in life, both within his government and staff and in those he judged.

The world has not changed in this regard.  How are we to determine what the truth is when we know our media and government lie to us? 

I watched a video the other day of our president saying something outlandish.  Upon further investigation, I found that it was a clip taken from the middle of a speech in which he misspoke a single word.  Taken out of context and picked up just where he misspoke, the video made the president sound like an idiot.  However, in context, it is easy to see how he misspoke and the message he was bringing was actually cogent and necessary.  It was clear to me that the person who edited and posted the video did it with malicious intent.

This is not a political statement in support of or against the president.  It is an example of what I see every day as I try to sift through the information I am receiving from various sources.

However, we should not be surprised at the lies and deceit in the world around us.  We are told that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.  (1 John 5:19)  What is more, Jesus made it clear that the devil is a liar, the father of lies and when he lies he is consistent with his nature. (John 8:44)  He lies to us about everything.  Some of the lies he has told are about drugs, about sex, about lifestyle, about ourselves and our eternal destination.

By the perversion of truth, the devil seeks to lead people astray and to keep them from entering into eternal life.  1 Peter 5:8 warns us about him saying:

Stay alert!  Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.  (NLT)

The devil lies to us about our sin.  He tells us that it will be okay.  He tells us that everybody is doing it.  He convinces us that we can get away with it.  He appeals to our pride, our appetites and our desires.  You probably know what I am talking about.

The devil lies to us about salvation.  He says Jesus was a great man.  He says Jesus was a prophet.  He leaves out the part about Jesus being the Son of God come in the flesh.  He leaves out the part that Jesus is risen from the dead and is alive.

The devil lies to us about the judgment to come.  He tells us a loving God will not send people to hell.  He tells us we can deal with our relationship with God later because we are too busy today.  He tells us we can put it off.

As a result of his work in the world, many people walk in opposition to the truth.  Jesus said, "And the judgment is based on this fact: God's light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil."  (John 3:19, NLT)  In this passage, we see the truth that many prefer lies to the truth, here called light, because their actions are evil.

Coming back to the question "What is truth?” we see that Jesus spoke of Himself as light, and in this we have a glimpse of what truth is.  Google dictionary defines the word truth as "that which is true or in accordance with fact or reality."  (Google Dictionary, January 22, 2018)  Jesus offers Himself as truth.  Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life.”  (John 14:6)  We find truth in the person of Jesus Christ.

In the introduction to his account of Jesus' life, John speaks of Jesus saying, "The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.”  (John 1:9, NLT)  Jesus is truth and light.

The light exposes the lie.  Untruth and lies are likened to darkness and when light shines, it dispels the darkness.

The light exposes our sin.  While Satan lies to us about our sin, the truth makes it plain that we are sinners.

The light shows us that salvation can be found only in Jesus Christ.  While Satan lies to us about the need and the means of salvation, the truth explains God's plan of salvation through the atoning work of Christ on the cross.

The light warns us of coming judgment.  While Satan lies to us about hell, judgment and God's wrath against ungodliness, the truth makes it clear that hell is real, judgment is coming and God's wrath is even now being poured out against ungodliness.

What I have just described is the convicting work of the Holy Spirit.  In John 16:8, Jesus said, "And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment."  (NLT)

This convicting work of the Holy Spirit is a natural part of who He is as the Spirit of Truth.

When Jesus was talking to His brothers according to the flesh, He said:

The world can’t hate you, but it does hate me because I accuse it of doing evil.  (John 7:7, NLT)

He is speaking of what naturally happens when evil is exposed by truth or light.  The world hated Jesus because He was/is the truth, and as such exposed the lies for what they were, like light dispelling darkness.

When Jesus went back to the Father, He sent the Holy Spirit to be with us.  The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Christ.  (Romans 8:9, 1 Peter 1:11)  Jesus called Him "the Spirit of Truth."  For example, He said:

“But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me.  (John 15:26, NLT)

Now, we are the temple of the Holy Spirit.  Now, we are the city set on a hill that cannot be hidden.  Now, we are the light of the world, because we have the Spirit of Truth living within us.  Therefore, our lives, our presence and our conduct expose the lies of the devil.  Because of this, the world hates us.

Remember Google dictionary's definition of truth? --"that which is true or in accordance with fact or reality."

We must each determine for ourselves what truth is, and what we will hold to.  We must each test for ourselves what is in accordance with reality.

Jesus spent three years with His chosen apostles teaching and training them.  Near the end of three years, He asked them: "But who do you say I am?"  This question determines the basis for our understanding of reality.

The big lie behind our modern world is the idea of materialism.  By materialism, I do not mean the pursuit of money.  By materialism, I mean the philosophical concept that all reality is material.  Part of the lie is that this is the scientific view of reality.  This is of course not true.  Science only deals with the material part of reality, because by definition, science is limited to what we can observe and test with our senses.  Because of this limitation, it cannot speak to truth or reality beyond what is material or measurable.  Therefore, we have a whole field or realm of knowledge called metaphysics that lies outside of the scientific method, and upon which our use of the scientific method rests.

Whether we like it or not, we have been trained and educated by a world that views everything from a materialistic point of view.  Because of this, we have been taught the theory of evolution.  We have also been taught modern germ theory, and our understanding of human psychology has been heavily influenced by a materialistic understanding of the world.

The Bible starts with a completely different set of assumptions when it says, "In the beginning, God..."  Our understanding of reality, and what is true is impacted by this statement.

While all creation speaks of the great God who made it, we cannot know Him unless He makes Himself known to us.  If I may use an analogy, this is like the difference between knowing the artwork and knowing the artist.  Certainly, things can be understood from the artwork, but this is in no way the same thing as knowing the artist.

The job of the Spirit of Truth is to make God known to us.  He shines the light on reality because He makes known to us those things that we cannot know because of the limitations of our flesh.  This is more objective than it sounds, because the Spirit of Truth is the Spirit that has given us the Bible.  This is why 2 Timothy 3:16 says:

All Scripture 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 corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.  (NLT)

Thus, our relationship with the Spirit is built on the Word of God.  As we read and meditate on the word of God, the Spirit of God speaks to us.  1 John 2:20 & 27 tells us:

But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.  (1 John 2:20,27, ESV)

In a world where the lie is preached on our televisions and in our movies, it can become difficult to know what truth is.  This is why 1 John 2:27 says, "just as it has taught you, abide in him."

Jesus stressed the necessity of staying in the word of God when He taught:

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.  And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  (John 8:31-32, NLT)  (The original says “if you do not depart from my word” or if you "abide" in my word.)

We must make every effort to stay close to Jesus.  John 14:15-21 says it best:

“If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”  (NLT)

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth.  How are you connecting with the Truth?

Power

Acts 1:1-8

What is power?

What does the power of God look like in a person's life?

Do you know and experience the power of God in your life?

Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit after He went to His Father.  As part of His promise, He said,

 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.  John 14:12, ESV

Jesus healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, fed over five thousand with five loaves and two fishes, and even raised the dead to life.  He calmed the storm with a word and at His rebuke, the fig tree dried up.  Did He mean that we would do the same sort of things?  Certainly, these works represent a demonstration of the power of God.

In Acts 1:1-2, the New Testament tells us:

In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.  Acts 1:1-2, ESV

In these verses, we see that Jesus gave commands through the Holy Spirit.  Therefore, we are given to understand that the Holy Spirit worked in the teaching ministry of Jesus.  This is consistent with a couple facts concerning Jesus' ministry.  The first fact is that when Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended on Him.  We find this in Luke 3:21-22 where it says:

Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."  Luke 3:21-22, ESV

This marked the beginning of Jesus' public ministry.  It was at this point that Luke tells us:

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness...  Luke 4:1, ESV

Jesus' entire public ministry was done in the power of the Holy Spirit.  This is the first fact I was referring to.  A second fact concerning Jesus' ministry is that He did nothing of His own accord.  In John 5:30, He says:

I can do nothing on my own.  As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.  John 5:30, ESV

In addition to this statement that He does nothing on His own, Jesus also said He only spoke what was given to Him by the Father.  In John 12:49, He says:

For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak.  John 12:49, ESV

These and other passages point to the fact that Jesus ministered in the power of the Holy Spirit.  All that He began to do and teach is continued in and through us by the power of the Holy Spirit.  As our example and because He was fully human, Jesus showed us what it looks like to live wholly submitted to the Holy Spirit.  His teaching and commands were given in the Holy Spirit.  He was fully God and fully man.  Being fully man, it was the Spirit that led Him into the wilderness and it was the Spirit that empowered His ministry.

Therefore, Jesus told His disciples to wait until the gift that the Father had promised them was given.  Acts 1:4-5 says:

And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."  Acts 1:4-5, ESV

This same Spirit that empowered Jesus' ministry was to empower the continuing ministry of His disciples. 

However, the disciples were interested in a kingdom.  Immediately after the instructions to wait in Jerusalem, the disciples asked Him if this was the time He would restore the kingdom.

Kingdom authority is one kind of power, but it is not the power of the Church at this time.  Historically, the Church wielding political authority or power has not resulted in the kingdom of God on earth.  Jesus told Pilate, "My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world." (John 18:36, NLT)  Jesus did not tell His disciples He would not restore the kingdom to Israel.  He only told them it was not for them to know the times or seasons the Father has fixed by His own authority.  (Acts 1:6-7) When Jesus returns, He will set up His kingdom, then He will exercise the power of rule - then we will have the kingdom of God on earth.  During this Church age, Jesus rules the earth only as far as He rules in the hearts and lives of individual believers.  Collectively, we have political power and influence; influence not authority.   

In addition, individually we receive gifts.  Some have the gift of teaching, others have gifts for leading, but none of these gifts are for the building up of our individual kingdoms or control.  To use our gifts for the building up of our own little kingdoms, is to work against the purpose of the Holy Spirit to glorify Jesus.  Gifts are given for the building up of the Body of Christ and for service to others.

In answer to the inquiry about the kingdom, Jesus says:

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.  Acts 1:8, ESV

This statement that we will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon us brings us back to the question of "What is power?"

In the life and ministry of Jesus, we see that He had power to heal, raise the dead and calm storms.  In place of the word “power,” we can use the word "ability." He had the ability to do these things.  He was able.

In Acts 1:8, the English word "power," is a translation of the Greek word δύναμιν (dunamin).  I always like to point out that this is the word from which we get our word "dynamite."  However, this can be misleading.  This word δύναμις (dunamis) in its various forms is widely used throughout the New Testament.  For example, in Romans 8:7, it says, "For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot." In this verse, the phrase "indeed, it cannot" uses a form of our word dunamis to point out that the flesh does not have the ability to submit to God's law.  For us, the power of God, the power of the Spirit is an enabling power.  The Holy Spirit gives us abilities, and thus transforms our lives.

Acts 1:8 says He gives us the ability to be Jesus' witnesses.  This one ability involves many abilities combined. 

If we are to be Jesus' witnesses, we have to be bold.  Paul said, "and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel." (Ephesians 6:19, NASB)  Indeed, we see a marked difference in the disciples immediately after the giving of the Holy Spirit.  On the day of Pentecost, people who had been hiding were suddenly out in the street proclaiming boldly the truth about Jesus.  It was a new ability, the ability to be bold.  This was not boldness for boldness sake.  This was boldness for the purpose of making plain the mystery of the gospel.

Another ability the Holy Spirit gives in order to enable our witness is the ability to walk in the light.  God rebuked the Israelites saying, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”  (Romans 8:24, ESV)  Sin in our lives makes us unable to be Jesus' witnesses.  1 John 1:6 tells us, "If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth."  (ESV)  In addition, Galatians 5:16 says, "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh."  (ESV) 

Christian, we ought to be ashamed of the bickering and arguments among us.  We ought to blush at the mere mention of the sins that plague our churches.  We are all guilty of not walking by the Spirit and instead, gratifying the desires of the flesh.  We must repent and agree with God that these things ought not to be.  The problem of not walking according to our profession is not new.  Paul said to Titus, "For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party." (Titus 1:10, ESV)  If we profess to believe in Christ and yet do not keep His commandments, we are liars.  This is the clear word from 1 John 2:4. 

Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him…  1 John 2:4

When we talk about the power of the Holy Spirit, we must talk about sanctification, the fact that we are set apart as belonging to God.  If we have the power to walk on water, calm storms and move mountains, but live like we are full of demons, then certainly this is not the power of God.  1 Corinthians 13:1-2 teaches this when it says:

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  1 Corinthians 13:1-2, ESV

The New Testament teaches that the commands to love God and to love our neighbor sum up the Law.  The Holy Spirit gives us the ability to love as we ought.

Another ability the Holy Spirit gives is the ability to understand.  No one understands the things of God unless the Holy Spirit gives that person the ability or power to understand. 

The Holy Spirit gives many abilities.  We have examples of these in the New Testament.  To explain each one is more than we have time for right now, but some basic principles apply to them all.  First, all abilities given by the Spirit are to enable our witness for Jesus.  This is why the power is given.  Second, and this follows the first, these abilities are not to be used to build our own kingdom or following.

Healing, tongues, prophecy and knowledge are abilities given by the Holy Spirit that have been the source of much contention and conflict in the Church.  All of these have two manifestations.  The first one seems natural, the results of study and time.  The second one seems supernatural, an instantaneous miracle. For example, a good doctor may have the gift of healing that seems to be the result of study and time.  While another person may see instantaneous healings in answer to prayer.  Medical missionaries see both, and those ministered to often take both as signs of the miraculous power of God at work.

Tongues also are an ability given by the Holy Spirit that also have two manifestations.  One seems natural, the result of time and study and the other instantaneous and miraculous.  I spoke Japanese.  It was a gift.  However, I did study for it.  The disciples in Acts 2 spoke languages they had never even studied.

The main point is that the abilities given by the Holy Spirit are for a testimony, to enable us to witness.  In John 14, when Jesus promised the Holy Spirit, He said:

He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.  John 16:14, ESV

Just as Jesus promised, "greater works" have been done in His name since He returned to the Father.  Many miracles have been attested to, and many miracles have been faked.  People fake miracles to gather a following or build their own kingdom.  This does not mean real miracles do not happen.  It does mean that we trust the Word of God, not miracles.  However, as to greater works, consider the millions upon millions of people who have heard the Gospel.  Is this not why the Holy Spirit was given?  On the day of Pentecost there were 3,000 believers added to the Church on that first day of the Holy Spirit's ministry.

In a 2015 article titled "Pentecost", I said:

As far as I know, there has never been another day in history when 3,000 people gathered in one place made a decision to accept Christ as Savior at the same time.  In 2012, the number of people in the world that called themselves Christians stood at 2.2 billion.  There is a great difference between being Christian in name and professing Christ.  However, there is no way to account for the billions of people throughout history that have called themselves Christian apart from the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is still working.  “On average, around the world, 178,000 people convert to Christianity every day.^[1]

In an article titled "Growth of the Church," I read:

Christianity is the single fastest growing religion in the world. For example, in AD 100 there were 360 non-believers for every believer. Today, there are only nine non-believers for every believer...^[2]

There is evidence of the power of the Holy Spirit in our world.  Is there evidence of His power in our lives?

---

^[1] http://www.road2answers.com/2015/06/pentecost.html?q=baptized

^[2] http://www.thetravelingteam.org/articles/growth-of-the-church Accessed January 19, 2018

The Spirit of Life

Romans 8:1-17

The Christian life is not easy.  It is impossible.

The Apostle Paul makes this clear in Romans 7.  He says:

For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.  For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.  For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.  Romans 7:18-19, ESV

This conflict is common to us all.  Every man, woman and child who tries to live a godly life has experienced this dilemma, and there are three common responses.

The first response is to reject the whole idea of good and evil or sin.  This rejection takes many forms.  The atheist claims God does not exist and therefore cannot be offended by sin.  The moralist claims that all people are basically good and sin is an outdated way of thinking.  This first response is the response of the unbelieving world.

The second and third responses are from within those who call themselves Christian.  These two responses follow the pattern set before us in the Scriptures of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.  These two responses accept a form of godliness but deny its power.  (2 Timothy 3:5 tells us of such people.) 

The Sadducee is the person who holds the truths of Christianity in such a way that they fit in with the views of the world.  This person might teach that God is love and overlooks and forgives everyone's sin.  Of course, this like all the responses, takes on many forms, but the main idea is that this person's Christianity does not distinguish them from the world.  This person looks and acts about the same as those who have responded the first way.  This response denies that sin is much of a problem.

The Pharisee is a person whose response seems to be an acceptance of the truth of Scripture.  This person attends church, prays, reads the Bible, tithes and serves.  This person though has rejected the statement of the Apostle Paul.  The Apostle Paul said, "For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.  For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out."  Well, this person is carrying it out.  He or she has the desire to do good and is doing it.  The result is a righteousness acquired or attained by keeping rules.

As I said, we all face the dilemma of what Paul is talking about in Romans 7:18-19.  We have looked at three common responses, but now I want to look at an uncommon response.  Our Lord says:

Enter by the narrow gate.  For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.  For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.  Matthew 7:13-14, ESV

Our Lord tells us that few find the way to life.  It is the uncommon response to the dilemma we are talking about.  I wish it were not so, but even among church-going people, this is true.  This is true for a very simple reason.  Paul mentions it in Romans 8:7 when he says, "For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot."  This is why our churches are filled with second and third response people, i.e. Pharisees and Sadducees.  We respond in the flesh, which is natural.

Defeat and disappointment are not the normal Christian life.  We are described as "more than conquerors."  (Romans 8:37)  God gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!  (1 Corinthians 15:57)  Romans 8:1 tells us:

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

Jesus condemned both the Pharisees and Sadducees.  To say that the mind set on the flesh is hostile to God is itself a condemning statement.  I want to look at what the difference is.  Why is there no condemnation for those who are in Christ, and why the difference?

However, before we look at these two questions.  Let's consider this statement of Romans 8:1.  The Apostle Paul has just finished his statement of the conflict within Himself that we quoted from Romans 7.  He even writes, "Wretched man that I am!  Who will deliver me from this body of death?  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”  (Romans 7:24)  The next words off his pen are:

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

This is a huge shout of victory and triumphant.  My own rendering would be “Since this is true, there is not even one condemning judgment against those who are in Christ Jesus."  This is actually what chapter 7 is trying to teach, that we have died with Christ to the requirements of the Law.  And, this is what is restated in Romans 8:2:

For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.  Romans 8:2, ESV

We are under a new law, the law of the Spirit of life.  The idea of this law was introduced in chapter 7 verses 4 through 6.  It is worth quoting the whole text here:

Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.  For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death.  But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.  Romans 7:4-6, ESV

This is the difference and the answer to why there is no condemnation.  Jesus has set us free from that which held us captive.  He has defeated sin in our flesh.  This is Romans 8:3-4:

For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do.  By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.  Romans 8:3-4, ESV

This answers why there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  They do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.  The three common responses are according to the flesh.  The uncommon response is according to the Spirit.  This is a huge difference, and it makes all the difference in a person's life.  Romans 8:6 says it best when it says:

For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.  Romans 8:6, ESV

We see the difference the uncommon response can make in a person's life.  The difference is here described as being the difference between death and life.  We also see the difference in the people.  The passage above talks about the set of the mind.  In English, we speak of "mindset."  This describes the assumptions and/or notions that govern our lives.  The Greek being translated does not use the word mind.  It uses the word "φρονοῦσιν" (phronousin), which means:  I think, judge, observe.  Therefore, the text is talking about thinking, judging or observing according to the flesh or the Spirit.  It is uncommon to think, judge and observe our lives from the perspective of the Spirit, and here is why.

Romans 1:17 says it when it says; "The righteous shall live by faith."

To walk according to the Spirit is uncommon because faith is uncommon. 

There is another passage that describes how a person walks according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh.  Galatians 2:20 says:

I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  Galatians 2:20, ESV

As you can see, faith figures prominently in how a person lives.  This passage says, "...the life I now live...I live by faith."  Salvation is a gift, a free gift.  There is nothing we must do to earn or deserve it.  It is something we receive and we receive it by faith.  In other words, we receive it by believing.

One of the things we must believe in order to receive salvation is that there is nothing we can do to earn it.  This is why the Apostle Paul says very clearly, "For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh."  (Romans 7:18)  This is another reason why faith is uncommon.  We try to be good.  We try to change ourselves.  We try to keep the rules.  We do not like to accept the truth that is pointed out in "nothing good dwells in me."  The Spirit of the Lord, speaking through the Apostle Paul says,

For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot.  Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.  Romans 8:7-8, ESV

The mind that is set on the flesh is the natural mind.  It is the way we are born.  According to 1 Corinthians 2:14, the natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, and he or she is not even able to understand them.  Spiritual things are foolishness to the natural person.  This is why the common responses actually reject the truth.

The life of the Spirit is evidenced by faith, and faith is evidenced by walking in the Spirit.  This is circular.  We cannot have one without the other.  The life of faith shows itself in not living to please the flesh.  It is described as Christ living in me.  It is living according to the law of the Spirit of life.  It is entirely a work of the Holy Spirit who is Christ living in me.  It is something we receive by the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of life.  He is the Spirit of Christ.  This is why Romans 8:9 says:

You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you.  Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.  Romans 8:9, ESV

Many Christians throughout many generations have testified that life in the Spirit is joy and happiness and peace.  Many Christians have testified that if the Spirit of God dwells in you, you know it.  The Apostle Paul points this out when he says:

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God…  Romans 8:16, ESV

The Christian life is not easy.  It is impossible for us in the flesh.  However, the Christian life lived in the Spirit is a life of rest and joy and peace.  It is described in the words of Galatians 2:20.

I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  (Galatians 2:20, ESV)

There is no condemnation.  We have been set free.  Life in the Spirit is life without condemnation.  Life in the Spirit is a life of freedom.  However, unbelief keeps us from entering into this rest that God has provided.  First, we still believe we can be good enough by our own efforts, and second we fail to apprehend by faith the truth that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.