Essentials For New Disciples

Essentials For New
Disciples

Doug Kreighbaum

Essentials For New Disciples 1

Table of Contents
The Word of God Pg 3
God Pg 5
The Gospel Pg 7
JESUS Pg 9
The Cross Pg 12
The Blood Pg 14
Resurrection Pg 16
Repentance Pg 18
Revelation Pg 21
Faith Pg 22
Grace Pg 25
Water Baptism Pg 28
Holy Spirit Pg 30
Temptation Pg 32
Fellowship Pg 35
Generosity Pg 37
Kingdom Of God Pg 39
Praise and Worship Pg 42
Prayer Pg 46
Eternity Pg 48
Walking with God Pg 50
Walking as a Son Pg 52
Walking as a Servant Pg 54
Walking the Way of the Cross Pg 56
Walking Yoked with Jesus Pg 58
Walking in the Spirit Pg 61
Walking in His Presence Pg 63
Walking in Blamelessness Pg 65
Walking as an Overcomer Pg 67
Walking in the Ways of God Pg 69
Walking as a Family Pg 70
Walking in Guidance Pg 73
Walking in Grace Pg 76
Walking in Humility Pg 78
Walking in Forgiveness Pg 80
Walking in Joy Pg 82
Walking in Persecution Pg 85
Walking in Balance Pg 87
Walking in God’s Purpose Pg 89

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The Word of God
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the wind blews and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock” Matthew 7:24-25 (read also verse 26-27).
Just like a house, our lives need a strong foundation. The world around us changes, but
God’s word - the Bible - never changes (1 Peter 1:24-25). It is the absolute foundation for our lives.
“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching…Instead…we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ” Ephesians 4:14-15.
The Creative Word
God says:“…so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” Isaiah 55:11 (read also verse 10).
The word of God has great creative power. God created the universe by His word (Psalm
33:6,9; Hebrews 11:3) and sustains the universe by His word (Hebrews 1:3). The word of
God has the same kind of creative power in our lives.
The word of God is like water
The word of God cleanses us (Eph.5:25-27). We start life in the Kingdom of God totally
“washed clean” by the Spirit of God through His word (John 15:3). And as we continue to read and absorb God’s word, it enables us to live a life that pleases God.
“Sanctify them by the Truth; your word is truth” John 17:17.
The word of God is like light
Before we knew the Lord, our lives were in spiritual darkness. Now, as we read the Bible, God’s word is like a bright light, shining on areas of our lives that God wants to change, and shedding light on the path God wants us to walk with Him.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” Psalm 119:105 (read also verse 130; 19:8; 2 Peter 1:3-9).
The word of God is like seed
“For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God” 1 Pet.1:23.
Read the Parable of the Sower in Luke 8:4-15. In verse 11, Jesus said: “The seed is the word of God.” When we hear God’s word, it is like a seed sown into our hearts, designed to bring forth life. If our hearts are hard and unreceptive, the seed is “snatched away.” But

if we receive it and obey it - allow it to “take root” - then God’s word begins to work in our lives.

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“…humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” James 1:21- 22.
The word of God is like food
“…Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” Matthew 4:4.
The word of God causes us to grow spiritually. When we received Christ, we were “born of the Spirit” by the word of God (John 3:3,6; 1 Peter 1:3,23). For us to grow in the
Spirit, we need to continue to feed on God’s word.
The word of God is like sword
“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to the dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” Hebrews 4:12 (see also Ephesians 6:17).
The word of God can cut right to our hearts, making us aware of sin (Acts 2:36-37).
God’s word, stored in our hearts, can also be used as a weapon against the attacks of
Satan (Luke 4:1-14).
A Love for God’s Word
“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good” 1 Peter 2:2-3 (see also 1 Cor.3:1-2; Psalm 19:8-10; 119:103).
It is important to receive God’s word regularly, so that we can grow in the Lord. We do this in three ways:
• We sit under regular teaching (Acts 2:42; 2 Tim.3:16).
• We read God’s word each day (Psalm 119:9,11).
• We share God’s word with each other (Colossians 3:16).
As we absorb God’s word, we become familiar with God’s will and God’s ways. This gives us special authority in prayer (John 15:7; 1 John 5:14-15). Through the word of
God, we discover God’s nature, and the Holy Spirit works in our lives to change us into the likeness of Jesus (Romans 8:29).
“until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” Ephesians 4:13 (see also Colossians 1:25,28). This is God’s plan for our lives - that we will grow up into the full likeness of Jesus
Himself! God does this by changing the attitude of our mind, so that we see things the way God sees them (Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:21-24; Colossians 3:9-10).
“he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature” 2 Peter 1:4.
As we respond in faith to God’s “very great and precious promises,” His Spirit works each day to change us into the image of Christ. This is the power of God’s word in our lives.
“…you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” John 8:32.

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The Word Become Flesh
“The Word became flesh…” John 1:14.
Jesus is called “the Word of God” (John 1:1). When He “became flesh” (verse 14), God’s message took on human form in the life of Jesus. Now God wants the same thing to happen in your life. God doesn’t want you to just read the Bible and learn about Him. He wants His words to become a part of your life - to change you. Then people will not just hear God’s word in word form. Like Jesus, they will see the word of God as a daily reality in your life.
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched - this we proclaim concerning the Word of Life” 1 John 1:1.

God
“You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you” Nehemiah 9:6.
Everything in the universe was created by God’s hand (Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 11:3).
This is not just the stars, the sun and the earth. This also includes you.
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Psalm 139:13-14.
God is far too great for us to fully understand. He has no beginning and He has no end.
But what is God like? The Bible reveals that God is:
All-powerful
“Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you” Jeremiah 32:17 (see also Matthew 19:26; Ephesians 3:20).
God’s power is without limit. But even more than this, God has the right to use that power in any way He sees fit. This is what the Bible means when it says God is sovereign
(Isa.40:10-29).
Everywhere
“You hem me in - behind and before.Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can
I flee from your presence?” Psalm 139:5,7 (read also verses 8-10).
God is everywhere. His presence is not just limited to a church or cathedral. He is with you at home, at work, wherever you are.
All-knowing
“O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue

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you know it completely, O Lord” Psalm 139:1-4 (read the whole Psalm; also 1 John 3:20). God knows everything. His knowledge, like His power, is without limit.
“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” Hebrews 4:13.
God is absolute in knowledge, absolute in power and absolute in presence. But if God knows everything, then He knows every sin I have committed. If He is everywhere, there is no place I can escape His hand. If He is all-powerful, He can judge and destroy me. If all we know is the attributes of God, and know nothing of His nature, we have every reason to fear Him.
“.our God is a consuming fire” Hebrews 12:29.
The Nature of God
The Bible reveals two special parts to God’s character:
God is holy
“There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you.” 1 Samuel 2:2
(read also Isaiah 6:1-5).
God is absolutely holy. This does not just mean that God cannot do evil. It also means that nothing evil is allowed to enter into God’s holy presence (Exodus 33:20).
God is love
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16 (see also 1 John
4:10).
God is not only perfect in holiness; He is also perfect in love. He is moved by compassion for His creation (Psalm 145:17-18). He is a Person we can get to know
(James 4:8).
“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love.” 1 John 4:16.
A Balanced Nature
“And (God) passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation’” Exodus
34:6-7.
It is important to see God’s whole nature, not just focus exclusively on one part. God is a
God of love, but He is also a God of holiness. He is a God of compassion, but He is also a
God of justice (read Jeremiah 9:23-24). When mankind sinned, God was faced with a problem. He loved us, but His holiness demanded judgment be sentenced against us. He could not turn a blind eye to our sin. So in His wisdom, God sent Jesus to die in our place. Instead of punishing us, as He has the right to, God took on Himself the punishment His holiness demanded. The Cross was where the love of God and the holiness of God met.

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“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” Romans 5:8 (see also 1 John 3:1).
Seeing the Unseen God
God is unseen (1 Timothy 1:17), but He has revealed Himself in two special ways to mankind:
In His creation
“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” Romans 1:20.
Creation reveals the attributes and character of God. This is like a rough sketch of the image of God.
In His Son
“No one has ever seen God, but God the only Son, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known” John 1:18 (see also Col.1:15).
In Jesus, we see the nature of God expressed. He is the perfect image of God - not a rough sketch, but an exact likeness. In Christ, we see everything that God is - His love, His holiness, His wisdom and His power - all in perfect balance.
“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of
Christ” 2 Corinthians 4:6 (see also Hebrews 1:3).

The Gospel
The Gospel means “the good news.” It is not like any religion or philosophy in the world.
Many religions teach people to be good. But the Gospel is different: it focuses through a single person, Jesus. This can be a stumbling block to some people.
“…but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to
Gentiles, but to those whom God has called…Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” 1 Corinthians 1:22-24.
To understand how the Gospel works and why it focuses solely through Jesus Christ, we need first to understand the human predicament. To appreciate the good news, we first need to know the bad news.
In the Beginning
When God created the first man and woman, He tailor-made them for His presence. They were totally God-centered, God-conscious and God-dependent. But there was one part of
God’s creation that had rebelled against God - an angel that we now know as Satan
(Revelation 12:9; Ezekiel 28:12-19). He tempted Adam and Eve to rebel in the same way he had (1 Timothy 3:6).

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“‘You will not surely die,’ the serpent said to the woman. ‘For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil’” Genesis 3:4-5.
Satan’s temptation was not just to eat of forbidden fruit. It was for Adam and Eve to rebel against God’s command and set themselves up as the god of their lives. When they sinned, they became self-centered, self-conscious and self-dependent. From that time on, self became the center of everything. The “knowledge of good and evil” - of rights and wrongs - became the basis of human life. Sin had cut mankind off from God.
“…sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.” Rom.5:12.
All the generations following Adam have inherited Adam’s fallen nature (2 Timothy 3:2-
5). All have come under the power and dominion of Satan (1 John 5:19). Because of sin, we were also under God’s judgment (Romans 1:18-31). We were “objects of wrath,” waiting for the verdict to be passed (Ephesians 2:1-3). There was no way we could help ourselves because even the best of us fell far short of God’s glorious standard (read Romans 3:10-12,23). “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away” Isaiah 64:6. The Good News
“When we were utterly helpless with no way of escape, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners” Romans 5:6 (TLB).
The good news of the Gospel is that God sent Jesus to take our judgment for us. If there was any other way to save us, God would not have sent His Son to suffer the agony of the
Cross. But there was no other way. We were not only sinners, but powerless sinners - powerless to save ourselves or change ourselves. And so Jesus became for us everything that we could not be. He didn’t just save us. He became salvation for us. This is the essence of the Gospel message.
“It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God - that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption” 1 Corinthians
1:30.
The Power of the Gospel
“…the gospel…is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” Romans 1:16. The Gospel is the salvation of God in action. It describes how we enter into God’s salvation and how that salvation continues to work in our lives.
“For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith’” Romans 1:17. This verse reveals three things about the Gospel:

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It is from God
The Gospel reveals a righteousness which is “from God.” These two words summarize the whole orientation of the Gospel. It is a God-to-you direction, not the other way around. The Gospel sets the compass-needle of our lives to a “from-God” bearing, not a
“from-me” bearing. The Gospel returns our lives to the orientation that God created us for.
“…yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live” 1 Corinthians 8:6 (see also 2 Corinthians 5:17-
18; Romans 11:36).
It is by faith
The Gospel reveals the way we receive this gift of righteousness - “by faith” (Philippians
3:8-9). God has designed the Christian life in such a way that as we release our faith toward God, He releases His power to work in our lives. It is faith that reverses the original rebellion and returns our life to God-centeredness, God-consciousness and God- dependence. This faith sets the pace for the rest of our life in Christ.
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” Hebrews 11:6 (see also 4:2). It is from first to last
The Gospel embraces the whole Christian life from start to finish. We begin as a
Christian by faith in the saving power of God and we live as a Christian by faith in that same saving power. The Gospel does two things:
• It introduces us to Christ (Ephesians 1:13) - “from first”
• It establishes us in Christ (Romans 16:25) - “to last”
Satan works hard to deceive Christians into thinking that after receiving the Lord, we must try to live the Christian life in our own strength (read Galatians 3:1-3). But self- effort puts us back into self-centredness. No, the Christian life is all by faith and all by grace. The Gospel is a “from first to last” experience.
“…All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth” Colossians 1:6.

JESUS
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe” Hebrews 1:1-2.
Two thousand years ago, Jesus appeared on the scene of history. He was born into the world and grew up just like every other person, but He was no ordinary man. He was called the “Son of God” (Luke 1:26-38) and the “Word of God.”

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“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God.The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” John 1:14.
The Coming of Jesus
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” Luke 19:10 (see also Colossians 1:13).
Jesus was sent into the world to fulfill the wonderful plan of God for our lives. His mission was:
• To give His life as a ransom for us (Matthew 20:28)
• To destroy Satan’s works (1 John 3:8)
• To give us eternal life (1 John 5:11-12; John 3:15-17)
• To give us birth into God’s family (John 1:12; John 3:3)
• To restore fellowship with God (2 Corinthians 5:18; Romans 5:1-2; 1 John 1:3)
The coming of Jesus changed our lives forever. He was the door through which heaven was opened to us (John 10:9).
Jesus Represented God
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word…” Hebrews 1:3 (see also Colossians
1:15-17).
Jesus is called “the Word of God” (John 1:1-4,14). He existed eternally before He took on human nature (Philippians 2:6-7). As the Word, He communicated the heart of God to mankind. In Jesus, we see what God the Father is like.
“If you really knew me [Jesus], you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him . Anyone who has seen me has seen the
Father. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” John 14:7-11 (see also 1:18). He showed us God’s love, holiness, wisdom and power.
Jesus Represented Man
“For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering” Romans 8:3.
In Jesus we not only see the perfect image of God, we also see the perfect image of man, as God intended us to be. He didn’t just take on human form; He completely identified with life as we know it. He shared totally in our humanity.
“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!” Philippians 2:6-8.
During his life on earth, Jesus experienced all the troubles of life that we face, and so understands how we feel (Matthew 8:17). In this way Jesus became the example for us.

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In His words, His actions and His character He showed us how to live a life pleasing to
God (1 Peter 4:1-2; 2:21-25).
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin” Hebrews 4:15.
Jesus Died For Us
“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone” Hebrews 2:9.
Wicked men took the Lord Jesus and executed him by nailing him to a wooden cross like a common criminal (read Mark 15:16-39). He could have saved himself, but he did not for it was through his death on the Cross that God was going to save the world. Jesus died for us!
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed” 1 Peter 2:24 (see also Isaiah 53:5-6).
Jesus Rose For Us
“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ…God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus…” Ephesians 2:4-6 (see Romans 6:4; read also Matthew chapter 28).
Jesus Opened Heaven
When His work on earth was completed, Jesus returned to Heaven to be with His Father.
But this too was for us, for He opened the way into God’s presence, where we can live now and forever!
“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body…let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith…” Hebrews 10:19-22 (see also 4:16; John 14:1-3).
The Name of Salvation
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” Acts 4:12.
The Bible tells us that there is no other way to be saved except through the name of Jesus.
This is because only the death of Jesus on the Cross deals with the barrier between us and
God - sin. Jesus is the only way back to God. This is why Jesus said:
“…I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” John 14:6.
When you accepted Jesus into your life, God linked your life with Jesus. Now, as a
Christian, you are forever linked with Jesus - with His righteousness, with His authority, with His character, with His life (see Ephesians 2:6; Colossians 3:1-4).

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“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf” Hebrews 6:19-20.

The Cross
“…Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with
God something to be grasped, but…humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!” Phil.2:5-8.
When Jesus Christ was put to death by being nailed to a wooden cross, wicked men thought they were just executing a man who was disturbing their way of life. They did not realize that the Cross was planned by God from the beginning of the world
(Revelation 13:8).
“Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” Isaiah 53:4-6 (see also 1 Peter 2:24).
The Cross dealt with every person’s sin, suffering and sorrow. Jesus died in the place of every person. Personally receiving the work of the Cross brings the answer to all our needs.
The Cross demonstrates God’s power
“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” Col. 2:15.
Jesus was crucified in weakness (2 Corinthians 13:4), but even the “weakness” of God is stronger than man’s strength (1 Corinthians 1:18,24). The Cross totally disarmed Satan’s control over mankind (Revelation 1:18).
The Cross demonstrates God’s love
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” Romans 5:8.
The Cross demonstrates God’s holiness
“…having cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross” Colossians 2:14.
The Cross fully satisfied God’s holiness. The written code - the standard of God’s holiness revealed in the Old Testament - was cancelled at the Cross by a “new and living way”
(Hebrews 10:19-20; Romans 7:6) - the holiness of Jesus Himself.

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The Cross demonstrates God’s wisdom
“No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that
God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” 1 Corinthians 2:7-8. God’s love and holiness intersected at the Cross. His righteous judgment demanded the death penalty for sin. But His love met His own demands. Only the Cross fully satisfies
God’s righteous requirements. This is the wonderful wisdom of God.
“For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified…so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power” 1 Corinthians 2:2,5 (see also 1:17-18). The Barrier of Sin Broken
“For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us…” Romans 8:3-4.
Because God is holy, our sin separates us from Him. When Jesus suffered on the Cross, He received the punishment for our sins. He died in our place, so that God’s judgment would be satisfied. Through the Cross…
• God accepts us (2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 1:4-6).
• God forgives us (Colossians 1:13-14; 1 John 1:9; 2:1-2).
• We enter God’s family (Hebrews 2:11-12; John 1:12).
Victory of the Cross
Jesus’ death on the Cross won a great victory for us. Because God dealt with our sin on the Cross it means also that all the misery and suffering which is a result of sin was also dealt with. The Cross has won great freedom for us!
• Freedom from Satan’s power (Colossians 1:13; 2:15).
• Freedom from past sins (John 8:36; Colossians 2:13).
• Freedom from the old self (Romans 6:6-7,14,17-18).
• Freedom from sickness (Matthew 8:17).
• Freedom from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13).
• Freedom from judgment (Hebrews 9:26-27).
• Freedom from everlasting death (John 3:16).
The Center of History
The Cross of Jesus Christ is the center-point of human history. From the moment that
Adam sinned, it was pre-planned by God that Jesus would die on the Cross. From that time on people looked forward in faith to what God promised He would do.
“Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow” 1 Peter 1:10-
11.

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Today we look back and, by believing what Jesus has done for us on the Cross, receive forgiveness and new life. The Cross is the center of human history and the center of our lives.
The Old Has Gone
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” Galatians 2:20.
When Jesus died on the Cross, God counted His death as your death. Your old life was nailed to the Cross together with Jesus. The Cross of Christ is the turning point of your life. You have died with Christ and have begun a new life with Him as well.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17.
On the Cross, God dealt with your old life once for all. You are not trying to kill your old life off - God has already done that on the Cross (Romans 6:2-11). You just receive it as a fact by faith. As a Christian, you too can say:
“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” Galatians 6:14.

The Blood
“You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel” Hebrews 12:23-24.
The shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ on the Cross was the essential condition for us to receive forgiveness for our sins and acceptance into the presence of God.
“In [Jesus] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding” Ephesians 1:7-8.
The Effect of Sin
Sin has four effects in our lives:
• Sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2).
• Sin makes us feel guilty (Psalm 38:4).
• Sin allows Satan to accuse us (Revelation 12:10).
• Sin demands the death penalty (Ezekiel 18:4).
“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” Romans 3:23-24.
The Reason for the Blood
The blood of Christ wholly satisfies God’s holiness. When God rescued the people of
Israel from Egypt, He commanded them to put the blood of a lamb on their door-posts.

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“…when I see the blood, I will pass over you.” Exodus 12:13.
When God saw the blood of the substitute lamb on the doorposts of a home, He passed over them and did not judge that household. This was called “the Passover.” The sacrificial lamb was a picture of the coming Lamb of God - Jesus.
“…For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” 1 Corinthians 5:7 (see also John 1:29; 1 Peter 1:18-19). There are three words which the Bible uses to describe the effect the blood of Christ has on our lives:
Justification
“Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!” Romans 5:9.
To be justified means that we now have peace with God (Romans 5:1). It means that the court records against us in heaven have been wiped clean. Because of the blood, we can stand before God with no judgment hanging over our heads.
“…But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” 1 Corinthians 6:11.
Redemption
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” Ephesians 1:7.
To redeem means to “buy back.” Because of disobedience to God, mankind had sold itself out to Satan’s power. The blood of Christ was the price God paid to buy us back (1
Cor.6:20).
“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sin” Col.1:13-14 (see also 1 Peter 1:18).
Reconciliation
“For God was pleased…to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross”
Col.1:19-20 (read v.21-22; Rom.5:8-9).
To be “reconciled” means that we are brought back into relationship with God. All the barriers between us and God have been broken. Fellowship with God is restored.
“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ” Ephesians 2:13 (see also 2 Corinthians 5:18-19).
The Effect of the Blood
The blood of Christ not only satisfies the holy requirements of God. It also meets the innermost need of every person.
The blood cleanses from guilt
“How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead

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to death, so that we may serve the living God!” Hebrews 9:14 (see also 1 John
1:7).
The blood gives confidence before God
“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body…let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience…”
Heb.10:19-22 (see 4:16).
The blood makes us worthy
“Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns?…” Rom.8:31,33-34.
Satan is called the “accuser” of God’s people (Revelation 12:10). He will try to use guilt to stop people from feeling worthy to enter God’s presence. It is true that in ourselves we are totally unworthy. But the blood of Christ makes us worthy in Him. The blood wipes out every accusation that Satan may bring against us.
The blood makes us holy
“And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood” Hebrews 13:12.
The cleansing effect of the blood of Christ is the basis for a holy walk with the Lord.
The Seal of the Covenant
“…after the supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you’” Luke 22:20.
The blood of Christ was the seal of a covenant God has made between you and Him. That covenant is everlasting and is the basis by which you can now come close to God.
“(Jesus) did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption…How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” Heb.9:12-14 (read also 13:20-21).

Resurrection
“…and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord” Romans 1:4.
The resurrection is an inseparable part of the work of the Cross. When Jesus was raised back to life, the Gospel was shown to be complete. The resurrection proved that sin had been dealt with once and for all, and that a new life has been opened to every believer.

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“He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification” Romans 4:25.
The first Christians went everywhere declaring the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. So dynamic was their message that they “turned the world upside down” in their day (Acts
17:6). Understanding what the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ means for you will dynamically affect your life too.
“With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord
Jesus, and much grace was upon them all” Acts 4:33.
Raised With Christ
“…having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead” Colossians 2:12.
When Jesus died, God counted His death as your death. You died in Him. But that was not all. You were also raised in Christ. His resurrection gave you five things:
• A new life (Romans 6:4; 1 Peter 1:3).
• A new focus (Colossians 3:1-4).
• A new confidence (Romans 8:34,37; Ephesians 3:12).
• A new position of authority (Eph.2:6; 1 Peter 3:21-22).
• A new hope for the future (2 Timothy 1:10).
Power of the Resurrection
“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation…I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know…his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms…” Eph.1:17-21 (read verses 22-23).
Something happened at the resurrection of Christ which changed your life forever. The
Bible calls the power of the resurrection “incomparably great.” That means there is no other power on earth, or even in the universe that can compare with the power God released in the resurrection of Jesus. When we have a revelation of the power of the resurrection, every problem and every difficulty takes on a new perspective.
“His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters…His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance” Revelation 1:14-16. John had known Jesus before the Cross (1 John 1:1-3), but now he saw Him in His full glory (see John 17:24). This was the full glory of the risen Christ and it knocked John to the ground.
“When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: ‘Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living
One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades’” Rev.1:17-18.

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When Jesus died, the Bible says He went into the depths of the earth (Ephesians 4:8-9) to a place called Hades - the place of the unbelieving dead. Satan thought He had destroyed the Son of God, but three days later, God raised Jesus back to life. The full glory of the risen Christ - the same glory that knocked John over - exploded in the depths of the earth.
And Jesus walked up to Satan and took from him the keys of death and Hades - which represented the authority Satan had over your life. Paul prays that we will understand that this same all-conquering power is available to us each and every day!
“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” 1 John 4:4 (see also 5:4; Hebrews 2:14-15; Ephesians 6:10). Firstborn of the Resurrection
“…he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy” Colossians 1:18 (read also 1 Corinthians 15:17-23). Jesus is called “the firstborn from the dead” because His resurrection opened the way for our physical resurrection! This is the wonderful future that every believer has. One day
Jesus Christ will return to the earth. At that time all believers who have died will be raised to life (read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Our bodies will be transformed (1 Corinthians 15:51-54). We will have an immortal resurrection body just like the Lord Jesus (1 John 3:2).
“…because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence” 2 Corinthians
4:14 (see also John 5:24-29).
The resurrection of Jesus is not only the foundation for our salvation now. It is also God’s personal guarantee for our future. The Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is now living in us. He is the “down-payment” for the full effect of the resurrection in our lives.
“Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” 2 Corinthians 1:21 (see also 5:5; Ephesians 1:14).
Resurrection Life
“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die…’” John 11:25-26 (see also Philippians 3:10). The resurrection of Christ is not just for the future, but for our lives now. The power that is available to us each day is exactly the same power that brought Jesus back from the dead! The Spirit of the Resurrection, who lives in us, empowers us to live for God
(Ephesians 3:16,20; Philippians 4:13).
“And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his
Spirit, who lives in you” Romans 8:11.

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Repentance
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” 2 Peter 3:9.
Repentance is the first step we take in personally receiving the salvation that comes through Jesus Christ. Repentance is the gateway into all the blessings God has prepared for us.
“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord” Acts 3:19.
Repentance causes great joy in heaven (Luke 15:7). But before we can understand true repentance, we need to understand what repentance is not.
• Not just feeling guilty - feeling guilty about our sin comes before repentance, but is not repentance itself. No one repents unless they first feel guilty about their sin, but not all who feel guilty actually repent (read Acts 24:25).
• Not just being sorry for your sin - some people are very sorry because of the consequences of their sin. They are not really sorry for the sin, but for the penalty they receive in being caught (2 Corinthians 7:10).
• Not trying to be a good person - many people try in their own strength to become a better person and change their way of life. Any self-effort has a root of self- righteousness in it, which does not acknowledge the need of repentance from sin
(Isaiah 64:6).
• Not becoming religious - the Pharisees were extremely religious. They fasted and prayed and had many religious ceremonies, yet never repented (Matthew 3:7-10;
5:20).
• Not just knowing the truth - having an intellectual head-knowledge of truth does not guarantee that the truth has become a living reality in one’s life (James 2:19-
20; Matt.3:8).
True Repentance
Genuine repentance is the result of the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. Several things mark this kind of repentance:
• Being sorry to God for your sin (Psalm 51:1-4; 38:8).
• Being truthful about your sin (Psalm 32:5).
• Changing focus to the Lord (2 Chronicles 7:14).
• Receiving the forgiveness of God (1 John 1:9).
• Taking responsibility before God (Luke 19:8; Lev.6:1-7).
To repent means “to turn around, to change direction.” Repentance means turning from four things:
• Turning from sin (1 Peter 3:10; Gal.5:19-21; Eph.5:5).
• Turning from the world (1 John 2:15; James 4:4).
• Turning from yourself (2 Corinthians 5:15; Luke 14:26).
• Turning from the devil (Acts 26:18; Colossians 1:13).
But just turning from these things is not enough. It is what we turn to that makes the difference.

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• Turning to righteousness (Romans 6:13).
• Turning to God (Acts 20:21; 1 Thessalonians 1:9).
Revelation and Repentance
“‘…God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.’ When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said ‘…what shall we do?’
Peter replied, ‘Repent…’” Acts 2:36-39.
When Peter preached the Gospel on the day of Pentecost, the response his hearers made was to repent. Repentance was their response to the work of our God in their lives.
First comes revelation
Notice that Peter did not preach repentance. He preached Jesus. The Bible says that his hearers had such a revelation of Jesus (verse 36) that they were “cut to the heart” and asked: “…what must we do?” (verse 37). Then Peter told them: “Repent!” Without a revelation of God, there can be no repentance.
Then comes repentance
Repentance is our response to a revelation from God. Every time we confront a revelation of God’s word, our response should be repentance. For example:
Revelation - Repentance Romans 6:6-7 - Romans 6:11-13 Galatians 6:14 - Romans 12:2 Romans 8:5-8 - Galatians 5:16 Romans 11:36 - 1 Corinthians 8:6 “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” James 1:21-22.
A Command from God
“In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent” Acts 17:30.
Repentance is a decision that we make, a “turning around” away from the world, to face
God. There are two kinds of repentance that God requires, pictured in Jesus’ parable of two sons (read Luke 15:11-32):
Living separate from God
The younger son walked away from his father, just as most of mankind has walked away from God. This son finally “came to his senses” (revelation) and returned to his father
(repentance). Like this, our initial repentance is a decision to turn around and come back to God.
Turned away from God
The older son never left his father, yet he was not with his father. The separation he experienced was not physical, but it was just as real. In the same way, many Christians have not left God, but they are facing away from Him. Their eyes are on the world.

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Repentance, for them, means a turning around to face God, not the world (read Zechariah
1:3; James 4:8).
Repentance means responding to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, as He pinpoints areas in your life He wants to change (Ephesians 4:30). Repentance is the gateway into the fullness of life God has planned for you! (John 10:10).
“…In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength…” Isaiah 30:15.

Faith
Faith has always been the mark of a disciple of Jesus. The early disciples were known as believers. Jesus said:
“…Everything is possible for him who believes” Mark 9:23.
When Adam sinned, he stepped out of God dependence into independence. This is the reason God has placed such a high priority on faith. Faith presupposes total dependence on God. This dependence on God is expressed in every step of faith.
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” Hebrews 11:1. Faith means having trust, assurance or confidence in another person or that person’s words. Having faith in God involves an exchange of trust from self to Him, from relying on one source of knowledge to a higher source.
Sources of Knowledge
There are two ways we can receive information about our life:
Sense knowledge
All knowledge that comes to natural man comes to him through the five senses-seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling and touching. This is limited knowledge, described as “man’s wisdom”.
Revelation knowledge
This knowledge is not based on the five senses, nor on natural reasoning, but on an alternative source - the truth of the word of God. This knowledge is received through man’s spirit, and is described as “God’s wisdom”.
“We live by faith, not by sight” 2 Corinthians 5:7 (see also 1 Corinthians 2:4-16).
We are challenged by the word of God to advance beyond our five senses, beyond our past experiences and beyond our past capacities. This is the life of faith which each one of us is called to - where “nothing is impossible” (Luke 1:37; Matt.17:20).
The Basis of Faith
Our faith in God is based on three important realities:

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The Nature of God
Abraham is given as the greatest example of faith at work (Romans 4:16-22; Hebrews
11:8-12). He and his wife were beyond child-bearing age, yet God promised him a son.
Even more, God promised that through that son Abraham would become the “father of many nations.” In believing God for his son, Abraham’s faith was in three aspects of
God’s nature:
• God’s promise (Romans 4:20).
• God’s character (Hebrews 11:11).
• God’s power (Romans 4:21).
Abraham’s faith was strong because he knew God’s nature:
• God cannot change (Malachi 3:6; James 1:17; Heb.13:8)
• God cannot fail (Job 42:2; 1 Chronicles 28:20)
• God cannot lie (Numbers 23:19; Titus 1:2).
The finished work of the Cross
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” Hebrews 12:2.
Christ has become the source of our faith in God. His death and resurrection provides the ground for our believing.
“…Christ Jesus…has become for us wisdom from God…” 1 Corinthians 1:30 (see also Romans 5:1-2).
The Trial of Faith
Faith is the lifestyle of a believer. But faith is not faith unless there is an obstacle involved. This is what is called a “trial of faith” and it works in the following way:
A word from God
Firstly, God encourages us with a word relevant to our circumstances. This may come through the Scripture or by the inner voice of God’s Spirit, which is always in line with the written word of God.
“…faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ” Romans 10:17 (see also Joshua 1:8).
Obedience to the word
For faith to operate in our situation, we must obey that word. Faith is active, not passive.
Most of God’s promises are conditional - He will do His part, if we do our part.
“…faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” James 2:17 (see also James 1:22-25; Genesis 15:6; Matthew 7:24-27). The crisis of faith
This is a period of testing. Everything that happens appears contrary to what God has said. At this point, our faith rests completely on God’s word. This is true faith in action.
“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith - of greater

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worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine.” 1 Peter 1:6-7 (see also Romans 4:16-21; Psalm 105:17-19).
The outcome
The end result is always victory on the part of the believer, bringing glory to God (see James 1:2-4,12; Hebrews 6:13-15). God is looking for faith as our response to each trial we face. Many times we have faith, believing God for something - healing, provision, an answer of some kind - and then wonder why God does not respond immediately. But God is at work in our lives. Even though He has promised to answer, God will sometimes delay the answer to give opportunity for our faith to really work. Once the answer comes, we don’t need faith any more. Faith itself produces something in our hearts which has greater eternal value than even the answer we are believing for. “ …for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith” 1 John 5:4.
Faith itself is the victory. Even while we are going through a trial of faith, with the answer not yet in sight, our faith itself is the victory which sustains us. Faith is the foundation for the whole Christian life (Romans 1:17; Galatians 2:20).

Grace
“With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord
Jesus, and much grace was with them all” Acts 4:33.
The grace of God was very important in the life of the early Christians (read Acts 14:26;
15:40). The word “grace” has two meanings. We must understand both aspects in order to experience the fullness of grace in our lives.
Unmerited favor
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast” Ephesians 2:8-9. Grace is God’s mercy at work. Even though we were sinners, deserving of judgment, God forgave us and saved us in Christ.
“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions…in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus” Ephesians 2:4-5,7 (read the whole of chapter 1).
Enabling power
But the second part to the meaning of grace is just as important. Not only does grace make us accepted into the family of God; it also enables us to live the Christian life.

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“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them - yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me” 1 Corinthians 15:10.
In salvation, the fullness of God’s grace is at work. Through God’s unmerited favor we receive forgiveness and restored relationship with Him even though we don’t deserve it.
But more than that, God’s enabling power is also at work. It is only by God’s grace that we are transformed (Eph.3:20), born again (John 3:3,6) and become a new creation (2
Cor.5:17). Grace simply means that God does what we cannot do ourselves. We could not save ourselves, so God saved us by His grace. Neither can we live the Christian life in our own strength, so God’s grace gives us the ability to do what we cannot do ourselves.
Both aspects of God’s grace - His unmerited favor and His enabling power - come to us because we are in Christ.
“…grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…” 2 Peter 3:18 (see also John 1:14,16-17). Daily Grace
“You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” 2 Timothy 2:1
(see also Romans 5:1-2).
The two parts of grace are available to us on a daily basis:
Forgiveness of Sins
“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” Romans 3:23-24.
Power to Overcome Sin
“For the grace of God…teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age” Titus 2:11-12. If we only understand one of these truths without the other, we can seriously misunderstand God’s grace.
“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” Romans 6:1-2.
The first misunderstanding of God’s grace is to think that it doesn’t matter if a Christian sins, because God’s grace is always available to bring forgiveness (read Jude 4). But no, God’s forgiveness is only one half of the work of grace. God’s plan is for us to overcome sin through the power of His grace.
“For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace” Romans 6:14 (read also 1 John 2:1-2). The second misunderstanding of God’s grace is to think that a Christian cannot sin. John wrote about this clearly:
“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” 1 John 1:8 (see also verse 10). God’s grace works only when we realize our need of God’s help. It is in the midst of our weakness that grace comes to do what we cannot do ourselves (Romans 8:3-4).

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Missing the Grace of God
“See to it that no one misses the grace of God…” Hebrews 12:15.
As Christians, we have been called to continue in God’s grace (Acts 13:43). We can miss the grace of God through:
• Self-effort (Galatians 2:21; 5:4)
• Self-gratification (Galatians 5:13; Romans 13:14).
Grace is so important in God’s plan for our lives because only grace changes the focus of our lives from self to God. If we could save ourselves, the result would be pride and boasting. If we could live the Christian life in our own strength, the result would be the same.
“And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace” Romans 11:6.
We experience God’s grace in our lives through humility - a revelation that we cannot save ourselves or change ourselves. We can only rely on the wonderful grace of God.
“…God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” James 4:6.
Grace in Action
“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” Hebrews 4:16.
As we walk with God each day, we constantly meet new trials of our faith (1 Peter 1:6-7).
Our response to God is faith, which is believing what God’s word says despite what the circumstances might indicate. God’s response to our faith is His grace.
“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” 2 Corinthians 9:8. Like Paul, we too can discover the daily outworking of God’s grace in the midst of our weakness and inability.
“…My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (read also verses 10; 11:23-30).

Water Baptism
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” Matthew 28:19 (see also Acts
2:38-41).
To be “baptized” means to be “totally immersed”. When a person believes in Jesus as
Saviour and Lord, they are to be baptized or immersed in water. Why would Jesus command that his believers do such a strange thing?

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Baptism is a Picture
Understanding water baptism is the key to a victorious Christian life. The act of going under the water and rising up from it again is a picture of what has happened to the
Christian. In baptism, the four stages of Christ’s redemptive work on our behalf are enacted out:
He died…I died in Him
“For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin…” Romans
6:6.
He was buried…I was buried in Him
“…We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death…” Romans 6:4.
He rose…I rose in Him
“…in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the
Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection” Romans 6:4-5.
He ascended…I ascended in Him
“And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” Ephesians 2:6 (see also Col.3:1).
Water Baptism is…
My funeral service!
A burial service is not designed to kill someone off. It is only performed when a person is dead already. And so, because you have “died” in Christ, you bury your old life in water baptism. Baptism is a declaration to God, to the world, to Satan and to yourself that the old life is dead and gone. The old you - which was an enemy of God (Colossians 1:21) - has been buried.
My resurrection to new life!
You rise out of the water demonstrating and declaring you are a new creation in Christ!
“The death [Christ] died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ
Jesus” Romans 6:10-11.
The Two Kingdoms
“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves” Colossians 1:13.
Every man and woman born into the world is born into the dominion of darkness - as slaves of Satan’s power. There is no way out of this spiritual kingdom except by death, and there is no way into the Kingdom of God except by birth. On the Cross and in His resurrection, Jesus became both our death and our new birth. This is what we declare in baptism!
“For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive” 1 Corinthians 15:22
(see also Romans 5:12).

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In God’s sight, the world has only two kinds of people - those who are “in Adam” and those who are “in Christ.”
In Adam
Adam was a representative Man. He was the father of the human race. When Adam sinned, he opened the door to death and judgment for every generation to come. Every person born into the world was born “in Adam.”
In Christ
God did not try to patch up fallen humanity. Instead, He put an end to that race on the
Cross and began a whole new race in Christ. Like Adam, Jesus was a representative man.
He was called the “last Adam.” When Jesus died, He hung on the Cross as the last of
Adam’s race. But in His resurrection, Jesus rose not as the “last Adam” but as the “second man”, the beginning of a whole new race of humanity - the New Creation.
“So it is written: ‘The first man Adam became a living being’; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven” 1 Cor.15:45,47 (see Rom.5:12-19).
In baptism we are declaring that we are no longer part of Adam’s fallen race but are a part of the New Creation in Christ.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (see also Eph. 2:10).
Two Old Testament stories illustrate what baptism means to us:
The Exodus
“For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea” 1 Corinthians 10:1-2 (see verse
11).
For the people of Israel, the Red Sea was a barrier between the old and the new. When they passed through, they left the armies of Pharaoh drowned in the sea. But although they came out of Egypt, God had great difficulty getting Egypt out of them (read Exodus
16:3;17:3; Numbers 11:4-5; 14:2-4). Baptism for us not only testifies to our personal
“exodus” from the world; it also marks the taking of the world out from us!
“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” Galatians 6:14.
The Flood
“…God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you…” 1 Peter 3:20-21 (read also verses 21-
22).
The Flood was God’s judgment against a race of men who were beyond help. In the same way, baptism marks the cutting off of the old creation and the start of the new creation life in Christ!

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“…having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead” Colossians 2:11-12.

Holy Spirit
When a person has started a new life by faith in Christ, they are not left on their own power to walk out this life. God has provided the power of the Holy Spirit to enable believers to live and be witnesses for Him. In Acts 2 Peter speaks of the ministry of the
Holy Spirit in the last days. We are still living in that period of time and the ministry of the Spirit continues. There has been much confusion about the person and work of the
Spirit in the life of the believer. In this study we hope to clear up some of the confusion on the work of the Spirit in the life of the believer.

The personality of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is a personality, not a mere influence or power.
The Holy Spirit is spoken of as He. Jn 16:13,14

Attributes of personality ascribed to Him:

1. Knowledge - 1 Cor 2:9-11 The Spirit knows the thoughts of God.
2. Will - 1 Cor 12:11 The Spirit distributes gifts according to God’s will.
3. Mind - Rom 8:27 Whoever knows the mind of the Spirit…, He intercedes for the saints.
4. Love - Rom 15:30 Paul urges the church by the love of the Spirit.
5. Intelligence - Neh 9:20 God gave the Spirit to instruct them.
6. Grief - Eph 4:30 Don’t grieve the Spirit.

Biblical symbols for the Holy Spirit: These symbols often describe various operation of the Spirit.

1. Fire - Isa 4:4; Acts 2:4; Mt 3:11
2. Wind - Jn 3:8; Acts 2:2,3
3. Water - Jn 7:38,39; 1 Cor 10:4
4. Oil - Mt 25:3; Ps 89:20; 1Jn 2:27
5. Dove - Mt 3:16

The purpose of the Spirit in the life of the believer.

1. Power to be witnesses.
Power - dunamis - force, strength, might, power, strength, ability
Lk 24:49. They were to wait for the Spirit Acts 1:8; 4:31-33 2. Inspiration for true worship. Jn 4:24; 1 Cor 14:15
3 Help in our prayer life. Rom 8:26-27

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4. Understanding of the Scriptures. Jn 16:13; 14:26
5. Guidance from God. Jn 16:13; Mk 13:11; Rom 8:14
6. Ability to bear fruit. Gal 5:22
7. Ability to operate in Spiritual gifts. 1 Cor 12:7,11

Baptism of the Holy Spirit

Questions that cause most of the controversy over this issue.

1. Do we automatically get filled with the Spirit at salvation, or is there something more?
2. Is there any accompanying manifestation in those who are filled with the Spirit?
3. What is the procedure, or how is one filled with the Spirit?
4. Is being filled with the Spirit a one time thing like water baptism?

In answering these questions we simply need to look at the Biblical accounts.

Biblical accounts.

Acts 2:1-11 The Spirit fell on them while waiting in prayer before God (vs 1-4). The initial result was speaking in tongues about the mighty deeds of God (vs 4,11).

Acts 2:14-17 Peter speaks of the ministry of the Spirit in the last days. He list’s manifestations of the Spirit in the lives of believers with prophesy, dreams, and visions. Acts 4:8 The Scripture makes a distinction that Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit in speaking. Acts 4:31 The same believers who were filled in Acts 2 were filled again while praying. The result here was speaking the world of God with boldness. Acts 6:3 When choosing men to serve, one requirement was that they were full of the Holy Spirit. Acts 8:12-24 A period of days elapsed between the time they received the word and were later filled with the Spirit (vs. 12-17). They were filled with the Spirit as hands were laid on them (vs. 17). Something observable happened as a result of them being filled with the Spirit (vs. 18). Acts 9:1-17 A period of 3 days elapsed between Paul’s Damascus road experience and being filled the Spirit. He was filled with the Spirit as hands were laid on him (vs. 17- 18). We do not know what the initial manifestation of the Spirit was in Paul’s life but we do know that he later operated in gifts of the Spirit, especially speaking in tongues. 1 Cor
14:1-40, 18. Acts 10:43-48 The Holy Spirit fell on them while Peter was speaking. The initial manifestation was speaking in tongues and exalting God. (vs. 45-46). This event occurred before they were baptized in water (vs. 47). Acts 19:1-6 Something in their experience gave Paul the indication that they hadn’t received the Spirit when they initially believed (vs. 2). They were filled with the Spirit as Paul laid his hands on them. (vs. 6). The initial manifestation was speaking in tongues and prophesying.

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Answers from the Biblical accounts.
1. There is no automatic assumption that one is filled at salvation.
2. There is very clear accompanying manifestations when one is filled, such as tongues, prophesy, exalting God, and boldness. The most common manifestation is speaking in tongues. We shouldexpect accompanying manifestation when filled.
3. People were filled at times when hands were laid on them, when praying, and when listening to the word being preached.
4. It is obvious that being filled with the Spirit is not a one time only thing. These accounts, along with the exhortation in Eph 5:18 to be continually filled with the
Spirit, shows us that it is to be a continual experience.

Receiving the Spirit.
1. Like everything else in God it is to be received by faith. Gal 3:2; Rom 10:17.
2. We must be convinced that the baptism of the Spirit is Biblical, necessary, applicable for today, an experience distinct from salvation, and evidenced by speaking in tongues or other biblical manifestations.
3. Make Jesus your focus. Mt 3:11
4. Ask for it based upon a hunger in your heart. Lk 11:9-13; Jn 7:37-38
5. Expect to receive, and act in faith to respond in Biblical manifestations. As in
Acts, they spoke in tongues as the Spirit gave the utterance.

Temptation
“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” Ephesians 6:11 (see also 2 Corinthians 2:11).
Satan attacks the Christian in order to distract him away from his focus on Jesus (2
Cor.11:2-3; Heb.12:2). Although he can attack through persecution, discouragement and other ways, one of his most powerful weapons is temptation. Satan uses two ways to bring temptation to a believer:
The desires of the world
Satan seeks to tempt a believer to become absorbed into the world’s system:
• To make the material things of the world a central desire.
• To make the honor and recognition of this world an important goal.
• To make the comfort of being a part of this world our basis for security.
“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” 1 John 2:15.
The desires of the flesh
Although a Christian - through Christ’s work on the Cross - is delivered from the results of sin, and from the enslaving power of sin itself (see Romans 6:6-14), he still lives in a physical body that is subject to natural appetites and desires. Satan will focus on the flesh

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to distract a Christian form the promptings of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:5-9: James 1:14: Ephesians 2:3) . The First Temptation
Satan won his original victory in the areas of the world and the flesh (read Genesis 3:1-6) and these are still his tactics today.
“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh (craving for sensual gratification), and the lust of the eyes (greedy longings of the mind) and the pride of life
(assurance in one’s own resources or in the stability of earthly things).” 1 John
2:16, Amplified. Genesis 3:16 1 John 2:16 Good for food “Lust of the flesh”
Pleasing to the eye “Lust of the eyes”
Desirable for gaining wisdom “Pride of life”
Since the fall of Adam, all mankind has been governed by their flesh, which is now corrupted by a sinful nature (Gal.5:19-21).
The Victory Won By Christ
Jesus came to the earth to reverse the effects of Adam’s fall (Romans 5:12-19). He did this in two ways:
Through His life
Jesus was tempted in everything, exactly as we are, “yet was without sin” (Hebrews
4:15). Luke 4:1-13 1 John 2:16 Stones to bread “Lust of the flesh”
Kingdoms of the earth “Lust of the eyes”
Pinnacle of the temple “Pride of life”
Jesus defeated every temptation from Satan. He opened the way for us to experience the same victory.
Through His death and resurrection
The Cross released us from sin’s death grip (Rom.8:1-4,9). We are now free to walk in obedience to God (Rom.6:11-14).
The Daily Victory
Because of this great victory won for us by Christ, the Christian can now confidently face any attack from Satan. Here are six keys to continual victory:
Know the victory is already won
Satan was totally defeated at the Cross (Col.2:14-15). His schemes now only work through our ignorance (Hosea 4:6; 2 Cor.2:11). We must understand that our victory is not because of our own ability, but because we are in Christ (Romans 8:37). We are not trying to get victory. We live, through the power of the Holy Spirit, in the victory that
Christ has already won.

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Walk in step with the Spirit
A new power is placed within the Christian - the Holy Spirit Himself. We are to walk in obedience to His inner promptings day by day (see Galatians 5:16,22-25).
Recognize the temptation for what it is
Temptation is not sin; yielding to temptation is! (see James 1:15; Genesis 4:6-7). Even
Jesus - the sinless Son of God - was tempted, but He never gave in.
Know the way of escape
“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” 1 Corinthians 10:13. In the midst of every temptation, God is right there with you. He wants you to rely on His power, not your own. We do this not by trying to resist in our own strength, but by escaping into the presence of God. The Lord Himself is our way of escape.
Live a life of daily submission to God
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” James 4:7. This is the simple secret to resisting temptation. Firstly, we are called as Christians to live in the submission of daily fellowship with God. Then when temptation comes, we have the authority of that submission to resist. And Satan will flee!
Avoid obvious areas of temptation
“I will set before my eyes no vile thing.” Psalm 101:3.
We must never think we are invincible to Satan’s temptation. He is “a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8-9). We must always be alert and responsive to the promptings of God’s Spirit (1 Timothy 6:9-12). Above all, the secret to victory over temptation is in keeping our focus on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2). If we maintain this daily focus, overcoming temptation will be an automatic result of our walk with God (Col.3:1-
4; Phil.4:8; Gal.5:16).
“.for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith” 1 John 5:4.

Fellowship
“My prayer is…that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me…” John 17:20-23.
The prayer of Jesus reveals God’s plan for true fellowship:

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The Quality of Fellowship
“…just as you are in me and I am in you.” Our fellowship together is linked to the quality of fellowship experienced by the Father and the Son. The depth of this love and unity is outworked by the Holy Spirit as we meet in regular fellowship. Christian fellowship then becomes a reflection of the fellowship of the triune Godhead.
The Basis of Fellowship
“…I in them and you in me.” Christian fellowship only works because we have the same
Spirit, making us one body (1 Cor. 12:14,20). This fellowship is based on:
• Common commitment (Romans 12:10).
• Common love (John 13:34).
• Common focus (1 John 1:3; Philippians 2:1-2).
“The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body…and we were all given the one Spirit to drink” 1 Corinthians 12:12-1 Meeting Together
“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching” Hebrews 10:25. Regular fellowship between Christians is very important for it is through our fellowship that…
The believer grows in Christ
“From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” Ephesians
4:16 (read also verses 12-15).
God is glorified to the world
“By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” John 13:35 (see also 17:23). Walking in the Light
“If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from every sin” 1 John 1:6-7.
Our fellowship embraces the need to be open with one another. This is not something that is a prerequisite for fellowship. Rather it is a result of the trust that develops out of fellowship. This openness includes:
Removing the pretenses
So much of the world’s fellowship is hypocritical - acting out a role. We can only know people to the extent to which they are prepared to reveal themselves. As we take off the social masks that we put up as barriers between each other, true fellowship begins to have

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an effect on each person. The love of Christ can then be expressed, not just in word, but from the heart.
“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart” 1 Peter
1:22 (see also 1 John 4:7,11-12).
Confessing our sins to others
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” James 5:16.
Part of our fellowship to one another is a mutual sense of responsibility. When we confess our sins to each other, this is the highest level of trust. We can then become the instruments of God’s forgiveness and cleansing to one another.
Forgiving each other
For us to experience the continual flow of God’s forgiveness into our lives, we must forgive one another.
“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” Col.3:13.
Encouraging one another in obedience
Walking in the light means walking in obedience to the Lord (John 15:10). Fellowship has been designed by God so that each believer is continually encouraged not just to hear the word, but also to do it (James 1:21-22).
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds” Hebrews 10:24.
A genuine concern for one another
No hidden motives of self gain should underlie our fellowship. Our desire should be to give, not to get.
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” Philippians 2:3-4.
A laying down of one’s life
“…Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” John 15:12-13.
Life involves more than physical life. It also includes our material possessions, our personal interests and preferences (James 2:15-16). This means a willingness to share one’s self.
“All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had” Acts 4:32 (see also
2:44-45).
This was a description of the New Testament Church. Their unity in fellowship was expressed on three levels:
• One heart - a bond of love

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• One mind - a bond of purpose
• All things in common - a bond of concern
This is the outworking of true fellowship - not of outward rules and regulations. This depth of fellowship is a result of “walking in the light,” and is the answer to the prayer of
Jesus:
“…that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you” John 17:21.

Generosity
“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously” 2 Cor. 9:6.
Just as God has set physical laws to govern the physical universe, so God has also put into motion spiritual laws which govern human life. One of these is the law of generosity
- the principle of sowing and reaping.
The first step in understanding the law of generosity is to see material things as God sees them (Luke 9:25; 12:16-21). As Christians we are now partners with God, but it is important for us to know where our different responsibilities lie:
Ownership is with God
All ownership is with God (Psalm 24:1; 89:11; Job 41:11; 1 Chronicles 29:10-14). Every single created thing, living or not, ultimately belongs to Him, including everything material or immaterial that we may personally have in this life - possessions, careers, families. He is our Master, but this also means He has responsibility as Provider.
Stewardship is with us
We are not owners, but stewards who have been given special responsibility before God for how we use the things He has given us (Matthew 25:14-30). When we understand this owner-steward relationship we have with God, then it becomes easy to give. Generosity is part of our stewardship responsibilities. Our stewardship covers every single thing that
“belongs” to us:
• Our life (Acts 17:25;1 Cor.6:19; Gal.2:20; Job 33:4).
• Our time (Psalm 90:12; Eph.5:15-16; Col.4:5).
• Our talents and abilities (1 Peter 4:10;1 Cor.12:4-7,11).
• Our possessions (Matt.6:19-21; Col.3:1-2).
• Our finances (1 Tim.6:6-10,17-19; Matt.6:24).
• The Gospel (1 Cor.4:1; 9:16-17;1 Tim.6:20).
The key that releases a believer into the full responsibilities of stewardship is surrender - the unreserved giving of one’s entire life and purpose into God’s hands. Only when we give ourselves do we learn what it means to give of what we have.
Importance of Generosity
“Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” 2 Peter 1:4.

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Amongst all His “great and precious promises,” God has given us promises of provision
(see Phil.4:19). This promise is not given so that we can “spend what you get on your pleasures” (James 4:1-4). The promises of God cannot be separated from the purpose of
God. This “great and precious” promise has been given to us so that we can “participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”
The Divine Nature
“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” Luke 6:36.
God’s plan is for us to be like Him (Eph.4:24). God is generous (Matt.7:11; Rom.8:32; 1
Cor.2:12; James 1:5,17). The Lord wants us to express the same kind of generosity in our lives.
The Corruption of the World
“People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” 1 Timothy 6:9-
10 (read verses 5-8).
One of the reasons God places such an emphasis on generosity is because the material lure of this world is a destructive trap. We cannot be both alive to the world and alive to
God (Gal. 6:14). We are either alive to the world and dead to God or we are dead to the world and alive to God (James 4:4; 1 John 2:15).
“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money” Matthew 6:24.
The Grace of Giving
“But just as you excel in everything - in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us - see that you also excel in this grace of giving” 2 Corinthians 8:7 (see also verses 8-15; 1 John 3:17-18).
Generosity is part of the grace of God that flows into our lives. Some guidelines can help us in our “grace of giving”:
• Give systematically and regularly (1 Corinthians 16:1-2).
• Give cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:7).
• Give without seeking recognition (Matthew 6:2-4).
Giving follows a certain order of expression: tithes (the beginning of our giving), offerings (giving for particular needs) and sacrifices (giving that “hurts”).
Firstfruits
“‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.
Test me in this,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it’” Malachi 3:10.
Tithing is an important lesson in giving. But there are three things we need to understand before our tithing pleases God.

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• Under the New Covenant, everything now belongs to God (1 Corinthians 6:19-
20).
• Tithing must not be under law (compulsory rule) but under grace (the response of our heart to God’s goodness).
• Tithing is the firstfruits of our income - not just one-tenth.
The firstfruits is the first and the best. If we bring a tenth of our income to the Lord, but it is the “leftover” tenth, this is not a true tithe (Proverbs 3:9-10). In the Bible, the firstfruits of a harvest was accepted by God on behalf of the harvest. This is why Jesus is called
“the firstfruits” (1 Cor. 15:20,23). He represented the whole harvest before God and was accepted by God on behalf of the rest of the harvest. In the same way, our tithe is given as a representative of our whole income and our whole lives.
Our generosity brings great pleasure to God. It was the sacrificial giving of the
Philippians (read 2 Corinthians 8:1-5) that brought with it a promise of God’s certain provision:
“…They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my
God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:18-19 (read also Luke 6:38).

Kingdom Of God
“But you are a chosen people…a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” 1 Peter
2:9 (see also Colossians 1:13).
We have been snatched from Satan’s rulership and are now under a whole new authority - that of the Lord Jesus. The keystone of living in God’s kingdom is being in relationship with Jesus, the King (Ephesians 1:17; Philippians 3:10). This relationship takes two distinct forms:
Savior
This is the very first relationship we can ever have with Jesus. We cannot know God as
Father or Friend until we first have had a revelation of Jesus as Savior - the One who died for us and rescued us from Satan’s kingdom. Jesus saved us from:
• God’s judgment (1 Thess.1:10; 5:9; Rom.5:9).
• Satan’s power (Acts 26:18; Heb.2:14;1 John 3:8).
“…he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him” Hebrews 5:8-9
(see also 2:10).
Lord
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” Colossians 2:6-7.

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Knowing Jesus as Saviour brings us into God’s kingdom, but that is not where our relationship with Him ends. Once we are inside His kingdom, that relationship takes on dramatic new changes. Now we know Him not merely as Saviour, but as Lord - our
Lord!
“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen” 2 Peter 3:18 (see also John 13:13; Romans 1:4; 1 Cor.8:6; 2 Cor.4:5). New Citizenship
“…giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves” Colossians 1:12-
13.
When we enter the Kingdom of Light, we enter a relationship for which we were created
- a relationship between the Lord and His creation. When Jesus becomes Lord of our individual lives, we find that our lives begin falling into place (Col.2:9-10; 1 Cor. 8:6).
The Lordship of Christ in our lives changes our whole lifestyle into that of a citizen of the
Kingdom of God.
The Model Citizen
“Let your attitude to life be that of Christ Jesus himself…” Philippians 2:5
(Phillips).
Jesus, though King of the Kingdom, became the servant of all. He is the example for us of the true citizen of His kingdom.
“You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord’, and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” John 13:13-15 (read also John 13:5-17; Matthew 20:26-28; Luke 22:26-27).
As members of God’s kingdom, we have entered into a master-servant relationship with the Lord (Matthew 6:24). Jesus came specifically to do God’s will (Hebrews 10:5-9).
Every day He displayed what the lifestyle of the kingdom is all about: living to please
God (Ephesians 5:8-10). We are to have a servant’s heart, just as He had a servant’s heart
(Matthew 20:26-28).
Paradoxes of the Kingdom
Many Christians don’t like the concept of servanthood because it seems to make one person inferior to another. But in the Bible, we find four interesting paradoxes:
• In slavery, there is freedom (Romans 6:16-23).
• In serving, there is greatness (Mark 9:35; 10:43-44).
• In humility, there is exaltation (Luke 18:14; 1 Pet.5:5-6).
• In submission, there is authority (Luke 7:3-10; Jam.4:7).
The lifestyle of the kingdom of God is an attitude of submission and obedience to God.
“Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more

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and more…It is God’s will that you should be holy…” 1 Thessalonians 4:1-3 (see also Matthew 12:50; Ephesians 6:6; Hebrews 13:21; 1 John 2:17).
We submit ourselves to God’s will not reluctantly - because of fear or duty - but rather we seek to please Him:
• Because of all God has done for us (Romans 12:1; Ephesians 4:1; Titus 3:4-7).
• Because in doing so we find fulfilment (Psalm 40:8).
• Because of love (John 14:15;1 John 5:3).
Fruit of the Kingdom
“For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory” 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 (see also 2 Thess.1:5).
In Matthew 21:43, Jesus said that the kingdom would belong to those who “produce its
]fruit”. The fruit of the kingdom is summed up in a number of scriptures:
• Love, joy, peace (Galatians 5:22-23).
• Goodness, righteousness, truth (Eph.5:9; Jam.3:13-17).
• Righteousness, peace, joy (Rom.14:17; Heb.12:11).
“We also pray that your outward lives, which men see, may bring credit to your master’s name, and that you may bring joy to his heart…” Colossians 1:10
(Phillips) (see 2:6-7; Eph.4:1; 6:7-10).
Since we were created by God, we were also made for His kingdom and its lifestyle. The fruit of that kingdom is simply the natural outworking of rebirth that the Holy Spirit has performed in us (Galatians 5:22). Our responsibility as citizens of God’s kingdom is to live like the people we now are!
“Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us” 1 Peter 2:11-12.

Praise and Worship
Praise and worship hold a very important place among God’s people. The Bible gives us a thorough coverage of praise and worship. There has been a great hunger among God’s people to return to a more Biblical expression of praise and worship. We believe thatGod desires us to worship in a Psalmic pattern, which is a genuine, heart felt, expressive praise and worship desired by God and described in detail in the book of Psalms. Let us look at part of the Biblical pictures of praise and worship and pattern ourselves after them.

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Introduction to Praise and Worship
Importance of praise and worship.
Satan knew the value of worship. He offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their glory if He would fall down and worship him. Mt 4:8-11
The importance of praise and worship lies in the relationship it establishes between the worshiper and the object worshiped. We tend to become like what we worship.
Example of a fan and an athletic team.

Real worship and praise are the characteristics of true Christianity.
1. Phil 3:3 “for we are the true circumcision; who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.”
2. Jesus in talking to woman at the well explains that the time has now come that true worshipers will not be set apart by outward form. True worshipers will worship God in Spirit and Truth.
Jn 4:21-24.

Distinctions between worship and praise.
1. Definitions:
Praise - to commend, to applaud, to express approval or admiration of, to extol in words or in song, to magnify, shine, boast, rave etc. It is an outward expression.

Worship - The Greek word carries the meaning to kiss, like a dog licking his master’s hand. Also, it means to do reverence to, adore, fawn or crouch, worship etc. It is difficult to get a simple definition of worship because real worship defies definition. It is something to be experienced. It is the result of a divine encounter that involves the feelings that are born out an intimate communion with God. It is a response to a revelation of God.

Praise and worship are so closely related and affect each other so much that it difficult to completely separate them into narrow boxes of definition.

How are we to worship God?
Jesus tells us how to worship in John 4:24.
1. Worship in spirit - Jesus here is showing that worship is not to be bound to a certain time or place, but it was going to be a function of the spirit of man reaching out to the Spirit of God. Worship isn’t just outward ritual. Worship is our spirit corresponding with God’s Spirit.
2. Worship in Truth - Jesus Christ is the truth. Jn 14:6. Jesus intends that we worship is accordance with the truths of God’s word. Jn 17:17, Ps 119. The doctrinal content of our songs determine their real spiritual value.
3. Worship with our whole heart. Ps 111:1; Ps 9:1 It includes our emotions.

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E. Praise and worship signify our priestly ministry.
1. The Bible teaches that we are all priests unto God. Rev 1:6; I Pet 2:5
2. God has shown that He is to be approached by sacrifice and spiritual sacrifices, 1 Pet 2:5
- Sacrifice ourselves. Rom 12:1
- Sacrifice our possessions. Phil 4:18; Heb 13:16
- Sacrifice of praise. Heb 13:15
- Sacrifice of thanksgiving. Ps 116:1 7; I Thess 5:18; Eph 5:20
- Sacrifice of joy. Ps 27:6

Why we are to worship
1. God has ordained worship/praise as a way to come into His presence. Ps 100:4
2. Worship/praise is a sign that God is in the midst of us (Ps 22:3). God inhabits our praise (Jer 33:11).
3. God has given us worship as a way of glorifying Him. Ps 50:23
4. Worship/praise is part of our priestly ministry. Heb 13:15
5. God is worthy to be praised. Ps 18:3
When and where you are to worship
When are we to worship?
1. At all times. Ps 34:1
2. Continually. Ps 34:1, Ps 35:7, Heb 13:15; Eph 5:18,20; Lk 24:53
3. While I have my being. Ps 146:1-3; 45:17; 71:6; 119:164
4. Everyday. “Everyday will I bless Thee” Ps 146:1-3
Where we are to worship?
1. In our homes. Ps 149:5
2. In the congregation. Ps 22:22; Ps 35:18; 100:2,4; 111:1; 134:2; 135:1
3. Before the unbeliever. Acts 2:46-47; Ps 40:3; Ps 126:2; Acts 16:25-34
Who is to worship?
1. The Lord’s servants. Ps 113:1
2. Those who fear the Lord. Ps 22:23
3. Those who seek Him. Ps 22:26; 145:10

How are we to worship
Controversy stirs when we begin to discuss the manner in which we are to worship God especially the outward expressions. We believe in “Biblical Psalmic Worship” which means a genuine, heart felt, expressive praise and worship desired by God and described

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in the Bible, especially the book of Psalms. This is part of worshipping Him according to the word.

Biblical expressions of praise and worship.
1. Lifting our hands. Ps 28:2 “Hear the voice of my supplication when I cry to Thee for help, when I lift up my hands toward Thy holy sanctuary.” Ps 63:3-4 “Because Thy loving kindness is better than life, My lips will praise Thee. So I will bless Thee as long as I live; I will lift up my hands to Thy name.’ Ps 141:2 “May my prayer be counted as incense before Thee; the lifting of my hands as the evening offering.” Ps 134:2 “Lift up your hands to the sanctuary, and bless the Lord.” 1 Timothy 2:8 Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension. Note that children lift their hands when they want adults to pick them up. Lifting of the hands is also a form of surrender.
2. Clapping hands. Ps 47:1 “0 clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of Triumph.” Ps 98:8
3. Playing musical instruments. Ps 149:1-4 Ps 150:1 -6 Ps 81:1-2 Ps 98:4-6 Ps 33:2 Ps 45:8 God has given us music and singing to help lift our heart.
4. Singing. Ps 81:1-2 Ps 33:2-3 Ps 95:1 Jas 5:13 “…Is anyone merry, let him sing praises.” Eph 5:19 Col 3:16 Ps 149:6 “Let the high praises of God be on our lips.”

5. Shouting. Ps 47:1 “Shout unto God with a voice of triumph.” Ps 66:1-2 “Shout joyfully to God, all the earth; Sing the glory of His name; make His praise glorious.” Ps 81:1 “Sing for joy to God our strength; shout joyfully to the God of Jacob.”

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Psalms 95:1-2 O come, let us sing for joy to the LORD, Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. (2) Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. Psalms 98:4-6 Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises. (5) Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, With the lyre and the sound of melody. (6) With trumpets and the sound of the horn Shout joyfully before the King, the LORD. Psalms 100:1 A Psalm for Thanksgiving. Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth.Psalms 126:2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter And our tongue with joyful shouting; Then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” The word “hallelujah” means to cry aloud or break out into a cry.
6. Standing. Ps 135:2 “You who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God! Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praises to His name, for it is lovely;” Ps 122:2 Ps 134:1 “Behold, bless the Lord, all servants of the Lord, who serve (stand) by night in the house of the Lord! Lift up your hands to the sanctuary, and bless the Lord.” Ps 135:2 Standing speaks of respect and alertness.
7. Dancing. Ps 30:11 Ps 149:3 Ps 150:4 Ex 15:20-21

8. Bowing or kneeling. Ps 95:6 Rev 19:4

Prayer
“He will call upon me, and I will answer him.and show him my salvation” Psalm
91:15-16.
The time we spend with the Lord in prayer can release the most dynamic, history- changing power this world has ever known. The Bible describes many different kinds of prayer. But the most important kind starts in the hidden place of our homes.

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The Secret Place
“But when you pray, go into your most private room, and closing the door, pray to your Father Who is in secret; and your Father Who sees in secret will reward you in the open” Matthew 6:6 (Amp.)
We have been invited into intimate prayer by none other than the Lord Himself. This kind of “secret” prayer presupposes:
• The right motives (Matthew 6:5).
• A right relationship with God as Father (Luke 11:11-13).
• A real trust in the Lord (Psalm 55:16-17).
• A dispensing of false fronts (Mark 7:6-7).
Dimensions in Prayer
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” Ephesians 6:18. As we express our feelings and burdens in conversation with God, it can be in the form of adoration (Psalm 34:1-4), confession (1 John 1:9), request (Matthew 7:7), thanksgiving
(Ephesians 5:4,20) or intercession (1 Timothy 2:1).
An Example of Prayer
Elijah is given to us as an example of a praying man:
“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain:
and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit” James 5:16-18 (KJV). Elijah’s prayer was:
Effective: Based on God’s word (Deuteronomy 11:13-17; 1 Kings 18:36).
Fervent: Based on God’s character (1 Kings 18:36-46; Matthew 15:21-28).
Righteous: Based on relationship with God, not on his own worthiness (James 5:17; Proverbs 15:8,29). Five Commands to Pray
• Watch and pray always (Luke 21:36; Mark 13:35-37).
• Pray lest you fall into temptation (Matthew 26:41).
• Pray for harvesters (Luke 10:2).
• Pray for those in authority (1 Timothy 2:1-2).
• Pray for your enemies (Luke 6:28).
When to Pray
The Bible gives many examples of people who prayed(1 Chronicles 4:10). Many of the heroes of faith had regular times of the day set aside specifically for prayer, often three times a day - at morning, noon and evening.
“As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me. Evening and morning, and noon, will I pray and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice” Psalm
55:16-17 (KJV) (see also Daniel 6:10).

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The best example of a daily pattern of regular, whole-hearted prayer can be found in the
Lord Jesus Himself:
• Early in the morning (Mark 1:35).
• All night (Luke 6:12).
• Before each meal (Mark 6:41).
What to Pray For
• For ourselves (1 Chronicles 4:10).
• For one another (James 5:16).
• For ministries in the Church (2 Thessalonians 3:1).
• For the sick and distraught (James 5:14-16).
• For those ensnared by sin (1 John 5:16).
Aid in Prayer
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express” Romans 8:26.
Part of the Holy Spirit’s purpose is to teach us (Luke 12:12), guide us in prayer (Romans
8:27), and to help us in our faith (Ephesians 3:16-17). The Holy Spirit will sometimes anoint a believer’s prayer in a special way, and this is called “praying in the Holy Spirit”
(Jude 20; Ephesians 6:18). To help us in prayer, the Holy Spirit has also provided a special gift to the believer: the gift of tongues - speaking in an unknown language to the
Lord in prayer (see 1 Corinthians 12:4-11).
Praying Together
Whenever Christians pray together in agreement, there is special authority. For example, Jesus gave a special promise for two believers joining together in prayer:
“Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven” Matthew 18:19 (KJV) (see also Eccl.4:12). If there is tremendous power when two people pray, what about the whole assembly of
God’s people praying in one accord?
“…they raised their voices together in prayer to God. ‘Sovereign Lord,’ they said, ’…consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the
Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly” Acts 4:24-31.
Joining the Lord
The Bible says that Jesus “always lives to intercede for [us]” (Hebrews 7:25; Romans
8:34). One of His great ministries now is that of prayer. The Holy Spirit is searching for those who will join Jesus in His ministry of prayer for individual people, for the Church and for the nations.
“…Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?” Matt.26:40.

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Eternity
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end” Ecclesiastes 3:11. God created us as creatures of eternity. Even though our physical body dies, our spirit continues to live forever. God has prepared an eternal dwelling for us called heaven.
Heaven
“…God is in heaven and you are on earth.Therefore stand in awe of God”
Ecclesiastes.5:2,7.
We do not know fully what heaven is like, but the Bible does tell us a little about what it is:
• The dwelling place of God (Job 22:12; Deut.26:15).
• The throne-room of God (Psalm 103:19; Isaiah 66:1).
• The place of God’s full glory (Daniel 7:9-10; Acts 7:55).
• The home of believers who have died (2 Corinthians 5:1).
• The future home of all believers (Revelation 7:9-10).
Heaven is a place far beyond anything we can possibly conceive (1 Corinthians
2:9;13:12). But though the Bible doesn’t paint for us a totally clear picture of what heaven is like, it does give us some clues as to its nature. Heaven is:
A place of great glory
“Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” Matthew 13:43. A place of continual worship
“After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: ’Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God.Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: ‘Hallelujah!’ For our Lord God Almighty reigns.’” Revelation 19:1-6 (see also 5:11-12). A place that will never end
“…and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ” 2 Peter 1:11 (see also 1 Peter 1:4).
A place untainted by evil
“Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life” Revelation 21:27 (see also Ephesians 5:5). The Book of Revelation describes the New Jerusalem, coming out of heaven, as a place without night (22:5), without curse (22:3), without pain (21:4), without crying or sorrow
(21:4) and without death (21:4). This is because the nature of heaven is a product of the

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nature of God. Heaven is the full manifestation of His presence. That means that what
God is like, heaven is like: a place of holiness, full of glory and without end.
Our Link With Heaven
As believers, we now live our lives in a special relationship with heaven, because:
• We belong to heaven (Heb.12:22-23; Philippians 3:20).
• We are seated in heaven (Ephesians 2:6).
• We have our source of life in heaven (Ephesians 1:3).
• We have our names written in heaven (Luke 10:20).
• We have been sent from heaven (John 17:16,18).
• We have our eyes fixed on heaven (Colossians 3:1-4; 2 Corinthians 4:17-18; Hebrews 11:9-10,14-16). • We have our treasure in heaven (Matthew 6:19-20).
• We are being called back to heaven (Philippians 3:13-14).
Hell
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels’” Matthew 25:41.
Heaven is not the only eternal place prepared for people. There is another place called hell (Luke 16:19-31). This place was not originally prepared for people, but for Satan.
But when Adam sinned, all of mankind aligned itself with Satan and became enemies of
God (Col.1:21). For all who refuse God’s offer of salvation, their destiny is to join Satan in eternal separation from God (read John 3:17-21). But the wonderful news of the
Gospel is that Jesus became the escape route from eternal judgment in hell. He became our passport to heaven.
“For God… gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16.
Eternal Life
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our
Lord” Romans 6:23.
Eternal life is part of the total package of salvation that has been presented to us in Jesus
Christ. This eternal life is certain because we are now in Christ (John 5:24; 6:40; 10:28).
“ And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his
Son” 1 John 5:11.
Jesus himself, before returning to heaven, made a very special promise to every believer:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And.I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” John 14:1-3 (see also 17:24).
The Eternal Purpose
“…according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our
Lord” Ephesians 3:11 (see also 1:9-10; Romans 8:28).

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We have not just been saved from God’s judgment. We have also been saved to the eternal purpose of God. This purpose includes four things:
• We are being conformed to the image of Jesus (Rom.8:29).
• We are being trained as heirs of God (Rom.8:14-19).
• We are being prepared to contain and reveal God’s full glory (2 Cor.3:18; 4:17;
Rom.8:17-18; 2 Thess.2:14).
• We are being prepared as a bride for Christ (Ephesians 5:25-27; Revelation 19:7;
21:2).
“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen” 1 Timothy 1:17.

Walking with God
“He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” Micah
6:8.
God’s desire is that we might “walk with Him”. Many times people think that to be a
Christian means that “God walks with me” - in other words, wherever I go, God goes.
But we are called to align our lives to the life of God, not the other way around. We walk with God (Amos 3:3).
Three Examples
The Bible provides many examples of those who walked with God (read 1 Cor.10:11;
Heb.11). We study their lives, not just as history lessons, but to understand the secret of their walk with God (Hebrew 6:12). Three men in the Bible are actually identified as specifically having “walked with God”: Enoch, Noah and Abraham.
Enoch’s Walk
“When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years.Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away” Gen. 5:21-
24.
Something happened to Enoch when Methuselah was born. Up until that time, Enoch had probably believed in God, but had not walked with God. What happened to change all this?
Methuselah became the oldest man to ever live (969 years) and the year he died God sent the Flood in judgment against a wicked world. It seems that God had revealed to Enoch that his son was the “time-clock” for God’s judgment. In fact, Enoch saw beyond even the
Flood to the Second Coming of Christ.
“Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to

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convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him” Jude 14-15.
This revelation of judgment launched Enoch into a close walk with God. Enoch’s fellowship with God was so close that God caught him straight up to heaven to be with
Him, without Enoch having to taste of death first (Genesis 5:24). This is a picture of what it will be like for Christians alive when Jesus returns (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
“By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God” Hebrews 11:5.
Noah’s Walk
Noah was one of a handful of men that impressed the heart of God (Ezekiel 14:12-20).
Like Enoch, he is described as a man who “walked with God”.
“Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God” Genesis 6:9 (see also 7:1).
In the midst of this corrupt generation, Noah was special, because of his attitude (read Genesis 6:5-12, 22; 7:1). He was blameless in his generation. Noah saw things unseen
“By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family.” Hebrews 11:7.
The Bible talks about two “worlds” - the seen world and the unseen world (2 Cor.4:18;
Heb.11:1). Noah’s eyes were fixed on the unseen world and this affected his walk on the earth.
Noah condemned his generation
“…By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith” Hebrews 11:7.
Noah was a “preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5), but it wasn’t his words that condemned the world, but his life. Through his life, Noah proved that it was possible not to walk a way of violence and depravity, thus leaving his generation with no excuse for their condition (Romans 1:18-20).
Saved from a corrupt generation
In Matt.24:37-39, Jesus said that the generation alive at the time of His return would be just like that of Noah’s generation. Noah’s generation was judged because of its violence and corruption, not because they were “eating and drinking.”. Their daily lives numbed them to the reality of their evil condition. Our generation is no different.
“With many other words he warned them; and pleaded with them, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation’” Acts 2:40.
Our salvation does not just mean we are rescued from an eternity in hell (the future). Our salvation extends into the here and now.

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Abraham’s Walk
“…the Lord appeared to [Abram] and said, ‘I am God Almighty, walk before me and be blameless’” Genesis 17:1.
Like Enoch and Noah, Abraham walked with God (Genesis 24:40). But the New
Testament describes the walk of Abraham in a way different from Enoch and Noah.
“…‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,’ and he was called God’s friend “ James 2:23.
Abraham’s fellowship with the Lord was so great that he was called the “friend” of God
(2 Chronicles 20:7). This did not just mean that God was Abraham’s friend. Even more than that, Abraham was God’s friend. God felt He could share the depths of His heart with Abraham, just as two friends might do. God is looking for the same kind of deep friendship with you (John 15:13-15; Proverbs 17:17).
Like Enoch, Noah and Abraham, each of us has a choice between two walks - between walking with the world or walking with God (James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-16), between the seen world and the unseen world of God’s promises (2 Corinthians 5:7). The choice we make will determine how we live - our outlook, our values, our lifestyle (Hebrews 11:32-
12:2).

Walking as a Son
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are.” 1 John 3:1.
The work of the Cross resulted not just in the forgiveness of our sins, but in the restoration of our relationship with God. God could have simply saved us and given us eternal life - and that would have been more than we deserved! But He did so much more.
He brought us into the very inner circle of His family.
Our relationship with God is like that between a father and his son (Hebrews 12:5-11).
This “sonship” belongs to every Christian, whether male or female. We are all called
“sons” because of the special status sons had in Hebrew culture.
Made Sons
“For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father’. The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children” Romans 8:15-16.
The Spirit of Sonship
When we believed on Jesus, our hearts were sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-
14). God’s Spirit is also called “the Spirit of sonship.” It is through God’s Spirit that we were adopted into the family of God (Ephesians 1:5).

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The Spirit of God’s Son Galatians 4:6 is almost identical to Romans 8:15, but the differences are very revealing: “Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’”
The Holy Spirit is not only called “the Spirit of sonship”, but also “the Spirit of His Son”.
We are sons because the Spirit of the Son is indwelling us.
Abba, Father
“Abba” was the family word for “Father” used by the Jews of Jesus’ day. It is the same as the word “daddy” in English. It was the word that Paul himself used for his own natural father, and it was the word that Jesus used for His Heavenly Father.
“Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. ‘Abba, Father,’ he said, ‘everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will’” Mark 14:35-36.
The depth of the relationship that Jesus had with His Father has now been opened up to us through the Holy Spirit - the Spirit of God’s Son (read Hebrews 2:10-15).
“For through him [Jesus] we both have access to the Father by one Spirit” Ephesians 2:18 (see also Matthew 10:20; John 20:17). Through the Holy Spirit, our lives have been linked with the life of God’s Son. The two verses - Romans 8:15 and Galatians 4:6 - show this link: Romans 8:15 – By the Spirit we cry, ‘Abba, Father’ Galatians 4:6 – Through us, the Spirit of the Son (Jesus) cries, ‘Abba, Father’ We have been included in the very relationship that Jesus has with His Father! Not only have we been linked with Christ’s death and burial (Romans 6:3-6), we continue to be linked with Him now! (Ephesians 2:6; Colossians 3:1-4).
Made Heirs
“Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with
Christ” Romans 8:17.
Not only are we sons, but we are also heirs of God (Gal.4:7). But more than that, we are heirs alongside Jesus - linked with God’s Son even in His inheritance! (Colossians 3:1-4).
Christ’s Inheritance
The inheritance of Jesus, because of who He is, includes:
• A name superior to every other (Heb.1:4; Phil.2:8-10).
• Everything in heaven and on earth (Colossians 1:15-20).
• The kingdom (Matthew 25:34; Luke 22:29; James 2:5).
• Us (1 Kings 8:51,53; 1 Peter 2:9-10; Titus 2:14; Eph.1:18).
Our Inheritance
Because we are co-heirs with Jesus, our inheritance involves:
• The name of Jesus (John 14:13-14; 16:24; Rev.3:12.)
• Everything in heaven and on earth (Ephesians 1:22).
• The kingdom (Matt.25:34; Luke 22:29; Col.1:12).
• The Lord Himself (Psalm 16:5; 73:26).

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Two Misconceptions
Read Luke 15:11-32. This is not really the “parable of the prodigal son”, but the “parable of two sons”. The father divided his inheritance between both sons, with a double-portion for the elder (Deut.21:15-17). The way that both sons used their inheritance revealed each one’s misconception of sonship. While the younger son took the inheritance for himself, the older son ignored his inheritance. Both left the presence of their father (even though the older brother never left home), for while the younger brother joined himself to foreigners (the world), the older brother joined himself to the slaves. Both saw their inheritance as separate from relationship.
Both sons were equally wrong. Both were self-centered and missed out on a true father- son relationship. But whereas the younger son repented, the older son failed to see his fault. In the parable, the father’s response to his older brother shows the true meaning of sonship:
• “You are always with me” - Relationship
• “Everything I have is yours” - Heirship
As Christians, we have been “born again into a living hope” (1 Peter 1:3). God has a goal for His children, that we will grow up to become mature sons - like Jesus, the Son
(Rom.8:29,21).
“Dear friends, now we are the children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when [Jesus] appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” 1 John 3:2 (read also verse 3).

Walking as a Servant
“…whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant… just as the Son of
Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” Matthew 20:26-28.
God’s grace is the key to the whole Christian life. Without an understanding of the grace of God, people will serve God from a wrong motivation:
• Out of a sense of duty
• Out of a desire to gain acceptance
• Out of a need to prove something to others
Before we can serve God out of a right motivation, we must see what God has already done for us.
Taken to the Throne
The grace of God has brought us into the position of sonship. There is nothing we can do to earn that position - no service, no sacrifice, nothing! This revelation of God’s grace releases us from any hint of self-effort and self-attainment. We do not need to earn anything from God. In Christ, we have all things!
“And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable

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riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus” Eph.2:6-7
(read verses 4-9).
When we received the Lord Jesus, we received everything (2 Peter 1:3). We became complete in Him (Colossians 2:10). There is nothing to work for, nothing to earn from
God. Everything has been given freely as a gift (Ephesians 1:3).
Only now - when we understand that we don’t have to do anything in order to get anything from God - can we begin to serve God, not out of “selfish ambition or vain conceit” (Philippians 2:3), but out of love for God and for others.
The Attitude of Christ
“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant.” Philippians 2:5-7.
Jesus did not become a servant to get anything for Himself. He was not “grasping” after any position or favor. His sole motivation was love for His Father and love for a lost world. God now wants you to have the same attitude. Like Jesus, you have nothing to grasp after. You have eternal life, you are a son, you are seated with Christ. But now, because of the same attitude of love, you can voluntarily step down from your position of comfort and “take the very nature of a servant”. Like Jesus, we are not servants striving to become sons, but we are sons who have chosen to become servants (1 Peter 2:16).
“Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses…poor, yet making many rich;
having nothing, and yet possessing everything” 2 Corinthians 6:4,10.
A Choice of Masters
“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money” Matthew 6:24.
The Bible tells us that a person is a “slave to whatever has mastered him” (2 Peter 2:19; John 8:34). As Christians, we are given the choice of either serving the world or serving the Lord. There is no other choice. “…choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” Joshua 24:15.
Mary and Martha
“[Martha] had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’ ‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her’” Luke.10:39-42.
Jesus used this occasion to teach an important lesson about serving. Even though Martha loved to serve (see John 12:2), she had allowed herself to become “distracted” by her serving. If we become “worried and upset” in serving the Lord, this is a signal that our focus has moved from the Lord to our service. True servanthood is “serving the Lord”,

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not just “doing things for the Lord”. We should be like Martha - wholeheartedly serving the Lord - but have the heart of Mary - who counted relationship with Jesus as the most important thing.
Servanthood in Grace
“…we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the
Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code” Rom.7:6.
Servanthood out of a sense of obligation or duty brings no joy to the heart of God (1
Cor.9:17). Servanthood must come from a heart of joy (Psalm 100:2) and enthusiasm
(Romans 12:11). In order for our service to be pleasing to God, it must be:
• Because of all God has done for us (Romans 12:1).
• Because in serving we find fulfilment (Psalm 40:8).
• Because of love (John 14:15; 1 John 5:3).
Our service is firstly to the Lord. God takes everything that we do for others as if it were done for Him (Matthew 25:35-40; 1 Peter 4:10-11; Ephesians 6:6-8).
Waiting on the Master
“As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God.” Psalm 123:2
(see also Luke 12:35-36).
The Bible describes true servanthood as “waiting on the Lord.” Service to God is not just doing things for Him, but is being with Him, watching His hand, listening for His voice, ready to obey the moment He commands.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” Colossians 3:23-24.

Walking as a Disciple
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations.” Matthew 28:19.
To be a disciple of Jesus means to “follow” Jesus (Mark 1:17-18; Luke 5:27-28). A disciple is one who is willing to be instructed, trained and disciplined by the Lord in order to become like Him in thought, attitude and action. Jesus said:
“If you love me, you will obey what I command” (John 14:15).
Counting the Cost
“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple” Luke
14:28-33.
There is no personal cost in becoming a Christian - everything is a free gift from God.
But there is a cost to becoming a disciple - it costs your whole life. But Jesus encouraged us to count the cost - in other words, to weigh up the relative values and see whether giving up everything is worth what God gives us in return. Like the pearl merchant of

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Matthew 13:45-46, when we find something that is worth far more than all we have put together, there is no sacrifice to give up everything we have. If you want to be a disciple of the Lord, you must be willing to meet certain conditions: • Give the Lord total priority (Matt.10:37).
• Follow the Lord (Matt.10:38-39).
• Do without life’s comforts (Matt.8:19-20).
Being a disciple means that all that we are and all that we have now belongs to Jesus! In the parable Jesus told in Luke 14:16-24, note the excuses people gave for not obeying the call:
• Possessions (verse 18)
• Work (verse 19)
• Family (verse 20)
All that God asks from us is to be willing to put Him first in everything. God then responds to our willingness with His grace, and we soon find that we are not only willing to do God’s will, but also want to. God’s grace then anoints our desire and helps us to actually do what God calls us to do!
Marks of a Disciple
The marks of a disciple of the Lord Jesus are very distinctive, because a disciple takes on the character of his Master:
• Submission (John 8:28-31).
• Perseverance (Luke 9:62; Acts 14:22; 1 Peter 2:19-23).
• Obedience (John 14:21; Heb.5:7-8).
• Faithfulness (Hebrews 3:1-2).
• Fruitfulness (John 15:8).
• A servant-heart (Matthew 20:20-28).
• Humility (John 13:1-16).
• Love for one another (John 13:34-35).
“A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master.” Matthew
10:24-25.
The Act of Consecration
“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.” 1 Peter 3:15 (see also Joshua 3:5).
The word “consecration” means to be “set apart, or separated, for use by the Lord.”
Consecration is a definite act of our will before God. It is the total giving of our life to the
Lord. A beautiful picture of what consecration means is found in the Old Testament ceremony consecrating Aaron and his sons into the priesthood (read Leviticus 8:18-28).
Three parts of Aaron’s body were touched by the blood of the sacrifice. They represent the consecration of our total being:
• The ear:
• Listening to the word of the Lord.
• The thumb:
• Doing the will of the Lord.
• The toe:

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• Walking in the paths of the Lord.
The Burnt Offering
“If the offering is a burnt offering from the flock. He is to offer a male without defect, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall sprinkle its blood against the altar on all sides, and the priest is to bring all of it and burn it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the Lord” Leviticus 1:10-
13 (read also 8:18-21).
The Old Testament burnt offering is a picture of our act of consecration to the Lord (see Hebrews 10:1). It was the highest of all offerings. The entire animal (representing the offerer) was placed on the altar. The fire under this particular offering was kept burning continually - day and night. It was not an offering for sin, but spoke of the entire surrender and dedication of the worshipper to God. Unlike the sin offering and the guilt offering, the burnt offering was a free will offering and “an aroma pleasing to the Lord” (Lev.1:9). As disciples of the Lord, we too now offer our lives as a “living sacrifice”.
“With eyes wide open to the mercy of God, I beg you, my brothers, as an act of intelligent worship, to give him your bodies, as a living sacrifice, consecrated to him and acceptable by him” Romans 12:1 (Phillips).
This verse describes our consecration to the Lord as a “living sacrifice”, and says it is holy to the Lord and “acceptable by him”. This can only refer to the new creation that
God has made us. We could not consecrate our sinful lives to God - there is nothing acceptable to God about our old lives. But Jesus has made us a new creation in Him (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:10; 4:22-24; Colossians 3:9-10). And it is this new life which we now offer up to God as a living sacrifice. In His Footsteps
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me’” Matt.16:24.
The key to being a disciple is following the Master. But you cannot follow anyone who is standing still. Jesus is moving, and we must move with Him. We are not to stand still, expecting God to bless us where we are. We must follow Him.

Walking the Way of the Cross
“Then he said to them all: ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me’” Luke 9:23.
The Cross is the focus of God’s entire plan of redemption. It is not just the way of salvation. It is also a way of life. But before we can take up our cross and follow the
Lord, we first need to understand what we are taking up. There are in fact three aspects to the Cross:
• The heart of the Cross
• The work of the Cross

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• The way of the Cross
Each of the Persons of the Godhead are actively involved in the work of redemption, and the three aspects of the Cross reflect their involvement.
“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in [Jesus], and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross” Colossians 1:19-20.
The Heart of the Cross
“All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast - all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world “ Revelation 13:8 (see also 2 Timothy 1:9-10).
The Cross was not something God thought up at the last moment. From the moment of
Adam’s fall, the plan of the Cross was put in motion. The “heart of the Cross”, the sacrificial love which resulted in the sending of Jesus to die, has always been in the heart of the Father. His love is absolute. The Cross was simply its greatest expression.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall have eternal life” John 3:16.
The Work of the Cross
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed” 1 Peter 2:24 (see also Galatians 4:4-5).
Two thousand years ago, the heart of the Cross was enacted upon the Cross of Calvary.
This was the historic sacrifice of Jesus upon the Cross which we look back to (1 Corinthians 15:3). This work of the Cross has two important parts: Christ died for you
When Jesus died, He took the judgment which you should have received. Christ was your substitute. Because He died for you, you have eternal life.
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” Romans 5:8 (see also Colossians 1:13-14; Titus 3:4-7).
Christ died as you
Not only did Jesus die for you, He died as you. When Christ died on the Cross, God saw you dying on the Cross in Christ. Your old Adamic nature was crucified in Christ. Christ was your representative. Because He died as you, you are now a new creation in Christ
(2 Corinthians 5:17).
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” Galatians 2:20 (see also 6:14).
The work of the Cross was a finished work. The Cross of Christ dealt with both the judgment of sin and the power of sin. This was the work of the Son on your behalf.
“For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin - because anyone who has died has been freed from sin” Romans 6:6-7.

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Many Christians understand the first part of the work of the Cross (the receiving of eternal life), but don’t understand the second part (living as a new creation). Many believe they are now supposed to “die out to themselves” and “crucify the old man.” But the
Bible tells us that you have already been crucified with Christ. This was the work of the
Cross for you. You do not have to try to struggle to “die” to sin. You are already dead to sin in Christ (Galatians 5:24).
“The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to
God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ
Jesus” Romans 6:10-11 (read also verses 3-14).
Just as Jesus died to sin once for all time, so you are now to count yourself dead to sin once for all time! And just as Jesus is now alive to God, so you too are alive to God in
Christ!
The Way of the Cross
“And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple” Luke 14:27 (see also Matthew 10:38). When Jesus told us to take up our cross and follow Him, He did not mean for us to crucify ourselves. We cannot kill off the old nature. That was the work of the Cross. It is the new creation that takes up its cross and lays down its life for others. It means:
Having the Heart of the Cross
We are called to have the heart of the Cross like the Father. God has designed for this heart of sacrificial love to motivate the new creation life (John 15:12-13).
Bearing the Shame of the Cross
When we take up our cross we are bearing the shame of the Cross like the Son (Hebrews
12:2; Romans 15:3; 1 Peter 2:19-23). Note that Jesus told us to take up our cross, not to actually crucify ourselves. Before a prisoner was crucified, they were required to carry their own cross to the execution site. This involved great shame (read 1 Cor.4:9-13).
When we take up our cross, we bear the shame of the Lord for the sake of others.
Denying Ourselves
We deny our own interests and comfort by the Holy Spirit (John 12:24; 1 Corinthians
15:31; 2 Corinthians 4:7-12; 5:15; Revelation 12:11). We do not do this because we are trying to complete our own salvation. We do this because of love for God (Romans 12:1) and love for others (2 Corinthians 5:14)

Walking Yoked with Jesus
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” Matthew 11:29-30.

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Jesus used the picture of yoked oxen plowing a field. When you join two oxen in one yoke, the plowing becomes easier. Christ wants us to be yoked with Him so that we can learn from Him what it means to walk with God.
The Wrong Yoke
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” Gal.5:1.
This yoke of slavery is the yoke of self-effort. This is a heavy yoke because we try to do it all in our own strength. This is not the yoke that Jesus was talking about. There are three yokes mentioned in the Bible which are the wrong yokes:
• The yoke of the law (Acts 15:10; Galatians 5:4).
• The yoke of the world (Jam.4:4; 1 Pet.2:11,20; 2 Pet.1:4).
• Yoke of the flesh (Lamentations 1:14; John 8:34; Romans 8:8).
Each of these yokes are heavy and oppressive, not only because we have to carry the yoke ourselves, but also because we are yoked to the judgment of God.
Breaking the Old Yoke
“For when we were controlled by the [flesh], the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code” Romans 7:5-6.
Jesus refuses to be yoked with our old self (2 Corinthians 6:14-15). That means if He wants us to be yoked with Him, He must first destroy the old yoke. And that is exactly what Jesus did at the Cross.
“For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin” Romans 6:6.
Yoked to Jesus
God wants us to be yoked with Christ. This means that Jesus carries the heaviest load.
This is why His “yoke is easy” and His “burden is light.” His strength, righteousness and life are transferred to us. His footsteps become our footsteps. This is how the Christian life has been designed to work.
“And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple” Luke 14:27. Spending Time with Jesus
“The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught” Isaiah 50:4.
Jesus didn’t just tell us to take His yoke upon us. He also told us to learn from Him. This kind of learning does not come from being in a classroom. It only comes from a daily walk with Jesus. We do not just learn about Him. We learn from Him.
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no

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understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you” Psalm 32:8-9 (see 25:4-5; 51:6; 86:11).
The time we spend with the Lord can be of two types:
Waiting on God
“But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me” Psalm 131:2.
To wait on the Lord means to spend unhurried time in His presence. We have quieted our soul. This means that we are not trying to get anything out of God. We are content just to spend time with Him. As we wait on God, we gain strength (Isa.40:31) and hear the quiet voice of God (1 Kings 19:11-13; Isa.30:21).
“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning” Psalm 130:5-6.
Seeking God
“One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple” Psalm 27:4 (see also 34:10; 1 Chronicles 16:11).
To seek God means to actively pursue Him. Seeking is the result of a heart burning with love for God (Psalm 63:1-8). When we seek God, we are desiring to know Him better.
God promises to answer those who seek Him (Jer.29:13; Matt.7:7).
“My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’ Your face, Lord, I will seek” Psalm 27:8
(see also 105:4; Hosea 10:12).
Becoming a Daily Christian
“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” Psalm 118:24.
God wants us to be daily Christians, not weekly ones. Being a Christian is not just about going to church once a week. It is not even about how many meetings we go to in the week. It is about living in a daily walk with Jesus. This means that every day we:
• Pray (Luke 11:3).
• Spend time in God’s word (Matt.4:4; Heb.3:7; 4:7).
• Experience God’s grace (2 Corinthians 4:16; 6:1-2).
• Fellowship together (Acts 2:42,46-47; Hebrews 3:13).
• Work with God (John 5:17).
• Take up our cross and follow Jesus (Luke 9:23).
When we start off the day with Jesus, we continue through the day yoked to Him. When distractions come, the gentle yoke of Jesus will pull us back on track. As Jesus walks the straight line in His Father’s will, so we also, when we are yoked with Jesus, walk the straight line God has set for our lives. The direction Jesus takes becomes our direction.
“Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:.‘Here I am - it is written about me in the scroll - I have come to do your will, O God’” Hebrews 10:5,7.

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Walking in the Spirit
“For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son…that the righteous requirements of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” Romans 8:3-4 (KJV). The Bible refers to two ways a Christian can walk - in the Spirit or in the flesh. These two walks are opposed to each other (Galatians 5:17-18). These two walks cannot be mixed.
You are either walking in the Spirit or you are walking in the flesh.
Walking in the Flesh
The word “flesh” has the meaning of “self.” To be living “in the flesh” involves three areas:
• Carnal mind - the thoughts/motives of the flesh
• Appetites - the cravings/acts of the flesh
• Self-effort - the method of the flesh
The Carnal Mind
“Those who live according to the [flesh] have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires…the [flesh] is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so” Rom.8:5,7.
The carnal mind - which is the stronghold of the flesh - is a mind governed by the five senses (what we see, hear, touch, taste and smell). The spiritual mind, however, is governed by what God says about a situation. One example of this is the story of the 12 spies in Numbers 13:17-14:11.
The ten spies were governed by a carnal mind. They believed what they saw. They fed their minds with it, and the result was unbelief. They fed their emotions with it, and the result was fear. They fed their wills with it, and the result was rebellion.
Joshua and Caleb saw exactly the same things as the others, but had different reactions because they had a different kind of mind. They believed in God’s word. They fed their minds with it, and the result was faith. They fed their emotions with it, and the result was courage. They fed their wills with it, and the result was obedience. This is why the
“renewing of our minds” (Rom.12:2) is such a high priority in God’s plan for our lives.
Appetites of the Flesh
God created within the human body certain basic appetites or “hungers” for food, sex
(including romance and intimacy), power (rulership and control), leisure (rest, relaxation
& entertainment) and excitement (the adrenaline surge). There is nothing intrinsically wrong with these appetites. God created them in us and called them “good” (Gen.1:31).
But when these appetites become our masters (2 Peter 2:19), they become “the corrupt desires of the flesh” (2 Peter 2:10,18-22; Gal.5:19-21).

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The Arm of Flesh
“This is what the Lord says: ‘Cursed is the one who depends on man, who depends on flesh for his strength…’” Jer.17:5 (read verses 6-8).
The walk of the flesh is not just having a carnal mind and giving in to the appetites of the flesh. It is also depending on flesh (your own strength) to change yourself and try to please God. But there are two basic problems with fleshly self-effort:
• Flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:8; Hebrews 11:6).
• Flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41; John 6:63; Rom.8:3-4).
The Normal Christian Life
What is the normal Christian life? Many Christians think that Romans 7:15-23 describes
God’s plan for our lives, but this is not so! The context of these verses reveal that, rather than being the normal Christian life, this is a description of the normal fleshly life - the life of someone living under the law, struggling to please God through self-effort.
“For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code” Romans 7:5-6. The Holy Spirit is the new factor in the Christian life! Romans 8:1-2 calls this new factor
“the law of the Spirit of life [which has] set me free from the law of sin and death”. The
Bible is absolutely clear about this new life we have in Christ. Read the following verses:
• Romans 8:9 • Galatians 5:24
• Romans 6:6 • Romans 13:11-14
• Galatians 2:20 • Galatians 6:14
Born of the Spirit
“Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again’” John 3:6.
Everything in the Christian life comes through the Holy Spirit. We were “born again,” not through our own self-effort, but through the power of the Spirit (Ephesians 2:8-9). The problem is that many Christians, having been born into God’s family through the Holy
Spirit, think that now they have to live the rest of their Christian lives through self-effort
(read Gal.3:1-3).
Walking in the Spirit
“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the [flesh]” Galatians 5:16. We are not to try to overcome the desires of the flesh in order to walk in the Spirit. No!
We are called to walk in the Spirit so that we will not gratify the desires of the flesh! It is the indwelling Holy Spirit who enables us to walk daily with God (2 Cor.3:17-18).
Walking in the Spirit involves three steps:
• Recognize the voice of the Spirit (John 10:27).
• Obey the promptings of the Spirit (Acts 13:2-3).
• Receive the enabling of the Spirit (Jude 24).

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Walking in the Spirit only happens when God changes your focus from yourself (the flesh) to Himself (the Spirit) (read Rom.8:5-9). As you keep your focus on the Lord each and every day, walking in the Spirit becomes a daily experience.

Walking in His Presence
“…God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you’” Heb.13:5 (see also Matt.28:20).
God has promised never to leave us. His presence is always with us (Psalm 139:1-12; Isaiah 43:2; Deut.20:1). The question, however, is not whether God is in our presence, but whether we are walking in His presence. “Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord” Psalm 89:15.
The Heart of Moses
“The Lord replied, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’ Then
Moses said to him, ‘If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?’” Exodus 33:14-16.
Moses’ heart was after more than just the power of God. He desired to know the ways of
God (Ex.33:13; Ps.103:7). He didn’t want to have just an angel - a representative of God - to go before the people of Israel, even though this would have fulfilled all the promises
God had given Israel concerning the promised land. Moses wanted God’s own Presence to go with them, because he knew it was the Presence of God that would distinguish them from all the other peoples of the earth.
As Christians, this is also what distinguishes us from the rest of the world. We are different - not because of something we believe in, but because we walk in the Presence of God.
A Friend of God
“The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend.” Exodus 33:11. Because Moses walked in the presence of God, he had a face-to-face relationship with the
Lord. God spoke to him just like you would speak with your closest friend. Many of us have come to know God as our friend (we can pour out our hearts to God at any time), but does God know us as His friend (where He can share His heart with us)?
The Heart of David
“One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple” Psalm 27:4 (NKJB) (see also 23:6; 26:8).
David was called a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). God, who does not look on the outward appearance but upon the heart (1 Samuel 16:6-12), is still

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searching out heart-people - people who, like David, have one driving desire - to be in the presence of the Lord.
“How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord…” Psalm 84:1-2.
The Secret Place
“For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in his pavilion; in the secret place of
His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock” Psalm 27:5
(NKJB) (see also 31:20; 32:7).
There is a secret place in the presence of God where we can hide in the time of trouble.
As you walk in the presence of God, you can find yourself “hidden” from the world
(Col.3:1-4). In this “hiding place” you will discover rest (Exodus 33:14-15; Psalm 91:1-
16), peace (2 Thess.3:16) and joy (Psalm 16:11; 21:6).
Secrets of the Heart
“My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with
God?…Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls” Psalm 2:2,7.
True friendship means sharing the deep things of the heart (Proverbs 18:24; 20:5). As we walk in the Presence of God, the Bible describes two “searchings” of the heart that take place simultaneously:
God searches our heart
“And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit…” Romans 8:27
(see also Psalm 139:1,23-24).
The Holy Spirit searches our heart, sifting through our desires and priorities, drawing from us a heart after Himself.
We search the heart of God
“The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God” 1 Cor.2:10-11 (see also verses 12-16).
Through the Holy Spirit, we have a link to the heart of God. And through the Spirit, we search the “deep things of God”. God desires to disclose the depths of His heart, but He will only do this with heart-people - those who come close to Him (1 Cor.4:1). And it is in the depths of our experience that we begin to understand the depths of God’s own heart
(Phil.3:10). As we search out God’s heart, we will touch three things:
• Wisdo
God’s Way (Romans 11:33)
m
• Purpos
God’s Plans (Ephesians 3:8-11)
e
• DesiresGod’s Love (Ephesians 3:16-19)
A Dwelling Place
“And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit” Ephesians 2:22.

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God has always desired to have us live in His presence without it destroying us (Exodus
33:3,20). In times past, God did this by commanding His people to build special structures that would contain His presence. These included the tabernacles of Moses and
David, and the temple of Solomon. But God’s desire has always been to indwell people’s lives (Acts 7:48-50; Revelation 21:3). As Christians, we have become temples of God’s
Spirit. Our lives are now the container of His presence.
“…For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people’” 2 Corinthians 6:16.

Walking in Blamelessness
“…the Lord appeared to (Abram) and said, ’I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless” Genesis 17:1.
God has a simple requirement for all who would want to walk with Him: blamelessness.
“Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman, who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the Lord, who keeps his oath even when it hurts, who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken” Psalm 15 (read also 24:3-4; Micah 6:8).
Blamelessness is a condition of our heart. Blamelessness is not the same as faultlessness.
If a young child wants to help his parents clean up the house, but drops a bowl and breaks it, the child is not faultless, but he is blameless. His heart had the desire to help his parents. In the same way, God is looking at our heart’s attitude. Holiness begins in the heart.
Called to be Holy
“Just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy’” 1 Peter 1:15-16 (see also Matthew 5:48; Exodus 15:13; Psalm 29:2). If we are to walk with the Lord on a daily basis, we must be like Him in heart and action
(Amos 3:3).
“Make every effort to live in peace with all and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God…” Hebrews
12:14-15.
The grace of God enables us not just to live a holy life, but to be holy as God is holy!
(read 2 Peter 1:3; Ephesians 4:17-32; Titus 2:11-14).
Three Parts to Holiness
To be launched into a holy life, we must understand three separate parts to holiness:

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• Righteouesness The gift
• Blamelessness The walk
• Faultlessness The goal
Righteousness is the starting point of the Christian life - it is a gift from God (Romans
1:17; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Blamelessness is where we walk in that righteousness - it is the expression of holiness in our daily lives (2 Peter 3:11,14). Faultlessness is the goal of
God’s work, as He conforms us to the likeness of His Son (Romans 8:29; Philippians
1:6).
“Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression” Psalm 19:12-13.
God continues to work on our “hidden faults”, but His major focus is our “willful sins”.
Blamelessness is a condition of the heart (Isa.51:6; Psa.51:10; 86:11) - a desire to walk in purity before God (see Rom.6:19; 1 Cor.1:4-8; Phil.2:15; 1 Thess.5:23). Holiness, however, is the dynamic outworking of that pure heart in godly behavior. Both come only by God’s grace.
“…by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace” 2 Timothy 1:8-9 (see also 1 Thessalonians 4:7). Motives and Attitudes
“Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom” Song of Songs 2:15.
God is seeking to produce the fruit of His presence in our lives (John 15:5,8; Galatians
5:22-23; Ephesians 5:8-10). But there are “little foxes” - impure motives and attitudes - which will spoil that fruit. 1 Peter 2:1 lists five of these little foxes:
“Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.”
Malice: A desire to inflict injury or suffering on another; vicious purposes or intent.
Deceit: Guile (KJV); baiting and crafty; the setting of traps for people.
Hypocrisy: Pretending to be something you aren’t in order to get something for yourself.
Envy: Discontentment at another’s success; a coveting of what belongs to others; a desire to be elevated above others.
Slander: Evil speakings (KJV); ill will expressed in backstabbing; speaking down of someone to others.
“Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart” 2 Timothy 2:22.
In order for us to walk in blamelessness, God must deal with these five little foxes. God did this by crucifying our old self in Christ on the Cross (Romans 6:6-7). As we count ourselves dead to sin and the world and alive to God and His righteousness (Romans
6:11), we are told to offer ourselves to God (Romans 6:13). God then releases His grace in our lives.

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“For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace” Romans 6:14 (read also Galatians 5:13-26). The Way of Holiness
“And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way…” Isaiah :8.
Holiness literally means “to be set apart” (read 2 Corinthians 6:14-18). This does not just mean being “separated from the world”, but also being “separated unto God for His holy use” (2 Timothy 2:20-21). Holiness is not a condition of “distance from evil things,” but rather of “closeness to the heart of God.” As we walk before God in blamelessness, His grace is released in our lives to produce the same kind of holiness that God Himself has
(Ephesians 4:22-24).
“To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy” Jude 24.

Walking as an Overcomer
“And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” Ephesians 2:6 (see also 1:19-22).
As Christians, we have a position of victory. This victory is not something we earn, or even grow into. It is our inheritance, simply because we have aligned our lives with the source of victory: the Lord Jesus Christ.
Christ cannot be defeated
“They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings…” Revelation 17:14 (see also John
16:33; Colossians 2:5; Romans 8:31; 16:20).
We are in Christ
“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ…” 2 Corinthians 2:14 (see also 2 Samuel 22:29-36). These two facts establish us in a position from which we can operate as overcomers in life.
“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” 1 John 4:4.
Victory of the Cross
“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” Col.2:15.
When Jesus died on the Cross, He declared: “It is finished!” (John 19:30). The victory of the Cross on our behalf was absolute. It is this victory, not our own, which is the starting

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point of our lives as overcomers. We are not working toward victory, but from victory! (1 Corinthians 15:55-57; 1:23-24). “To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as
I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne” Revelation 3:21.
The Bible says that when Jesus ascended, He “sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven” (Heb.1:3; Acts 2:34; Rom.8:34). The Bible says that we too were raised in
Christ (Eph.2:6). We are now seated in Christ at the right hand of God.
In Scripture, God’s right hand represents His power and salvation (Psalm 20:6; 44:3;
60:5; 98:1; 118:15-16). We are now seated at God’s right hand. This means that we no longer have to struggle with our problems on our own. We must now learn to handle our problems and difficulties from the perspective of God’s Throne.
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God” Colossians 3:1 (read verses 2-4).
Two Vital Ingredients
“We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised” Heb.6:12.
The secret to being an overcomer lies in two words: faith and perseverance. They are not opposites, but are in fact complimentary. Only when both faith and perseverance are at work in our lives will we experience the full victory God has for us.
“Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring” 2 Thessalonians 1:4.
Faith
“…for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith” 1 John 5:4.
Many people think that they only have victory when their difficulty is over - that when their problem is solved, only then they are overcomers. But John tells us that our faith itself is the victory! That means our victory is operating…
• In the midst of trouble (John 16:33).
• In the midst of trials (1 Peter 1:6-7).
• In the midst of persecution (2 Cor.12:9-10; 2 Thess.1:4).
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?…No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” Romans 8:35-37 (see also Acts 16:16-34)
Perseverance
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete…” James 1:2-4.

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Perseverance in the midst of difficulty is the other side of the coin. All the great heroes of faith displayed great perseverance. Theirs was an enduring faith (see Rom.4:18-21;
Heb.11). This endurance does a three-part work in our lives:
• Perseverance strengthens character (Romans 5:1-4; Psalm 105:16-19; 2 Thessalonians 1:4; 3:5). • Perseverance brings maturity (James 1:2-8).
• Perseverance produces glory (James 1:12; 5:7-11; Hebrews 10:35-36).
Victory Outworked
“I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me - I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me, [that is, I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency]” Philippians 4:13 (Amp).
No matter how great the problem we face, God’s victory is even greater (2 Cor.12:9-10; Luke 1:37; Jeremiah 32:17,27). Even when we experience failure in our life, God is greater than our failure. When we accept responsibility for our failure and repent before God, the Lord defends our cause (Rom.8:31-34; 1 John 3:19-20). Even our worst failure does not ultimately hinder God’s plan (Hebrews 6:16-19; Philippians 1:6; 2:13).
• God works in all things for our good (Rom.8:28-29).
• God reveals His glory in our weakness (2 Cor.12:7-10)
• God uses our failure to minister to others (2 Cor.1:3-4).
Through Christ we are “more than conquerors” because even seeming defeat can be turned around by God into victory!
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” Romans 8:37 (see also Revelation 12:11; 1 John 5:4).

Walking in the Ways of God
“…what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul” Deuteronomy 10:12.
To walk with God means to walk in His ways - to walk as God would walk. The ways of
God are beyond the ways of man (Isaiah 55:8; Romans 11:33). But God has given us His
Holy Spirit to reveal His ways to us (1 Corinthians 2:9-10). God wants to teach us not just His acts, but His ways (Psalm 103:7).
“Many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the
Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths…’” Isaiah 2:3 (see also Psalm 25:4).
Two Ways of Living
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” Matthew 7:13-14.

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The Broad Way
“Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, who leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways, who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways” Proverbs 2:12-15 (see also 3:31; 14:12; Isaiah 59:8).
From the time of the original temptation, mankind has chosen a way separate from God.
This is a broad way because, in all its different forms of philosophy and religion, it is the one that much of mankind chooses. It is an easy route, because it caters to self-interest in all its many forms.
“Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the
Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon” Isaiah 55:7 (see also 53:6; Luke 1:78-79). The Narrow Way
“He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he” Deuteronomy 32:4 (see also Psalm
18:30; 77:13; 145:17).
Jesus called the other way a narrow way because it is the way the Lord walks. In order for us to walk in the ways of the Lord, He must be the total focus of our lives (Hebrews
12:2). By focusing on Jesus, we avoid the distractions of the world which will cause us to wander off the path of God’s righteousness.
“Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name” Psalm 86:11.
Running in God’s Paths
“I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free” Psalm
119:32.
Christian growth is pictured as a race (1 Corinthians 9:24). The prize is the full likeness of Christ. In Luke 15:11-32, Jesus told a parable about two sons. This parable shows the two snares that can disqualify a Christian from the race.
The Snare of Sin
The younger son left his father, fell into sin, but later returned to his father. This is a picture of a person repenting and turning back to the Lord.
“…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” Hebrews 12:1.
The Snare of the Law
The older brother never left his father, but he was never with his father. He was always trying to get his father’s approval by working in the fields like one of the servants. This is a picture of many Christians who have fallen into the trap of the Law.
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” Gal.5:1.
A few verses later, Paul asked the Galatian Christians

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“You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?” Galatians 5:7.
Both these snares will stop a Christian from “running the race” that God has planned for his life. If Satan cannot ensnare a Christian in deliberate sin, he will try to ensnare him in the law. A person who has fallen into law needs to repent just as much as a person who has fallen into sin. Only when our feet have been loosed from everything that hinders are we truly free to run in the path of God’s commands.
“You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn” Psalm 18:36
(see also 23:3; Isaiah 26:7; Hebrews 12:13).
Standing at the Crossroads
“This is what the Lord says: ‘Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls…’” Jeremiah 6:16.
Time and again, Israel wandered off the ancient paths of God by following after other gods (Jeremiah 18:15). But when Jesus came into the world, He said:
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” Matthew 11:29.
The people of Israel had been told to “ask where the good way is.” Jesus declared
Himself to be the answer to that question. Jesus told them that He was the Way they had been asking for.
“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the
Father except through me’” John 14:6 (read verses 4-5).
The Footsteps of Jesus
“My feet have closely followed his steps; I have kept to his way without turning aside” Job 23:11.
God has simplified the Christian life so that even a child can believe and obey. God’s ways are beyond our comprehension, but we don’t need to try to fathom them with our mind. We learn the ways of God by following Jesus, the Way. As we follow Him, the path we take leads us in one clear direction - the full likeness of the Lord Jesus Himself.
“The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day” Proverbs 4:18.

Walking as a Family
God designed marriage and the family to work. Family life is a picture of the quality of relationship God desires with each of us (2 Corinthians 6:18; Galatians 4:6).
“‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ This is a profound mystery - but I am talking about Christ and the church” Eph.5:31-32.

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God created the family to be the place where people would grow to understand God as their loving Father. He desires “godly offspring” - children who will be like Him
(Mal.2:15).
The Model of Family Life
“…that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us…” John 17:21.
The biblical model of family life is exactly the same as the model of church life (Phil.2:1-
8; Col.3:12-16; 1 Pet. 3:8-9). It is based on the depth of love found in God Himself. The selfless unity of the triune God is given as a picture of the quality of relationship that God has planned within family life. The life of the family flows from God the Father
(Ephesians 3:14-15).
When Adam sinned, however, God’s plan for marriage was marred. Instead of family life being an expression of selfless love, family life became an expression of self- centeredness.
The Cycle of Selfishness
After their fall, God told Adam and Eve the consequences of their sin. For Eve it would be:
“…your husband…will rule over you” Genesis 3:16.
Through the fall of Adam, mankind brought upon itself a vicious circle. Love was replaced by self-centeredness.
• The husband “rules” his wife in a spirit of tyranny
• The wife responds with a spirit of independence
• The children react with rebellion
This cycle of selfishness feeds on itself. The more the wife reacts with independence and the children with rebellion, the more the husband responds with tyranny. This cycle of self-destruction is part of the curse of sin (read Genesis 3:16-19). The end result of this selfish lifestyle is every kind of family problem and broken relationship (2 Timothy 3:2-
5).
The wonderful good news of the Gospel, however, is that this curse upon the family has been broken at the Cross!
“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree’” Galatians 3:13 (see also verse
10; Proverbs 3:33).
The Cycle of Love
“Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord…Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right” Ephesians 5:22,25; 6:1 (read also 5:22-6:4;
Col.3:18-21; 1 Peter 3:7).
The foundation of family life is love. This love is expressed in different ways by different members of the family.
• The husband’s expression of love is laying down his life.
• The wife’s expression of love is submitting.

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• The children’s expression of love is obeying.
The cycle of selfishness is based upon my demands and my needs. The cycle of love, however, is based upon selfless giving to others in the family. When a family is expressing God’s kind of love, everyone’s needs will be met.
God’s Kind of Love
“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers” 1 John 3:16.
For family life to work, it needs the life of God Himself flowing into it. Love - God’s kind of love - is the all-important key to a family’s success. If Jesus commanded His disciples to love each other with the same kind of love He Himself had (John 13: 3 4;
15:13), how much more does this apply to families!
“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another…if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us” 1 John
4:11-12.
If we want to understand the nature of God’s love, then 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 lists the characteristics for us:
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails…” (see also 1 John 3:1; 4:7-16).
Grace in the Family
Grace is not just something God extends toward us (Eph.1:7). We can also extend grace to one another (Eph.4:32). God’s love does not wait for a person to be deserving
(Rom.5:8-9). Like our heavenly Father, we too can extend grace to others in our family
(Col.4:6) - even when they don’t deserve it!
Guarding the Garden
Adam and Eve were responsible for tending and guarding the garden of Eden (Gen.2:15), where God would meet with them in the cool of the day (Gen.3:8). The family is like that garden. In the midst of that garden there were two trees (Gen.2:9).
Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil
The knowledge of rights and wrongs can be the most destructive force in family life. This knowledge is behind every argument - “I’m right! You’re wrong!” The fruit of this tree is self-justification, unforgiveness and broken relationships.
Tree of Life
This tree represents God’s own life. Apart from the knowledge of good and evil, this tree includes two more vital ingredients - the love and wisdom to know how to use that knowledge (Prov.3:13,18; 15:4). The fruit of the Tree of Life is the fruit of the Spirit
(Gal.5:22). The responsibility of parents is to guard the garden and make sure that the family eats of the Tree of Life - God’s presence - every day (Psa.34:8). As God’s life flows through each member, family life works as God intends.

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Walking in Guidance
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you” Psalm 32:8 (see 25:4-5; 48:14.).
Part of our daily walk with God involves His guidance (Psalm 73:23-24). God desires to guide us (Isaiah 42:16; 58:11). His guidance is a proof that we are growing in maturity as
His sons.
“… because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” Romans 8:14
(see also John 16:13; Galatians 5:18; Psalm 143:10).
The Voice of the Shepherd
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” John 10:27 (see also verses 14-16).
Jesus is called the “good shepherd.” An important characteristic of sheep is that they follow the shepherd (read Psa.23:1-4). A shepherd guides his sheep with his voice, but his guidance is expressed in two other ways:
• The staff - submitting to the shepherd’s authority (John 15:10; Job 22:21).
• The rod - submitting to the shepherd’s discipline (Hebrews 12:7-11; Proverbs
13:11-12).
“He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young” Isaiah 40:11.
Discovering God’s Will
“For this reason…we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding” Colossians 1:9 (see Philippians 1:9-10). God wants you to do His will. For this reason, it is His plan for every believer to know
His will on two levels:
The general will of God
“It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality” 1 Thessalonians 4:3 (read verses 1-12).
God’s word, the Bible, reveals the general will of God for every believer (2 Timothy
3:16; 2 Peter 1:19). We do not need to ask God whether He wants us to avoid sexual immorality. The will of God in these and other matters has been clearly spelled out in
Scripture. God’s will is revealed through two expressions:
• Commands (John 14:15,21,23-24).
• Promises (2 Corinthians 1:20; 2 Peter 1:3-4).

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The specific will of God
“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it’” Isaiah 30:21.
There are times when we need to know God’s will for a specific situation. At these times
God has promised to guide us.
• You must desire God’s will (Psalm 25:4-5).
• You must let go of your own reasoning (Proverbs 3:5-6).
• You must trust God (Psalm 37:3-5).
• You must lay down your own will (Luke 22:42).
“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the
Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does” James 1:5-8.
Methods of Guidance
There are many ways God can bring guidance into our lives:
• Through His word (Psalm 119:105).
• Through other Christians (Eph.5:19; Col.3:16).
• Through prophetic gifts (1 Thess.5:19-20; 1 Tim.1:18; 4:14; 1 Corinthians 14:31).
• Through worship (Acts 13:2).
• Through dreams (Matthew 1:20; Acts 2:17).
• Through visions (Acts 16:9-10; 18:9-10).
• Through an audible voice (Acts 9:10-17; 1 Sam.3:1-18).
• Through an inner conviction (Phil.1:23-25; 2 Tim.1:12).
Although God speaks in many ways, He always confirms His guidance through “the testimony of two or three witnesses” (2 Cor.13:1). That means that if God is speaking to you, he will confirm it. The more important the guidance, the more confirmations God will give. The most important confirmation of all, however, is the inner peace that God gives to our spirit.
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts…” Colossians 3:15.
The word “rule” literally means to be the referee - one who judges whether something is true or not. When we are seeking God for guidance, His peace will confirm that the words we are receiving are indeed from Him.
Hearing God’s Voice
“Be still, and know that I am God…” Psalm 46:10.
Quietness is an important ingredient in hearing God’s voice (Isaiah 30:15). This is because life can be very “noisy” - our problems shout at us and the distractions of the world can drown out the still, quiet voice of God (read 1 Kings 19:11-13). We need to find special times where we can “quiet our soul” (Psalm 131:2) and spend unhurried time with God in worship and in His word. Out of these quiet times, the “gentle whisper” of
God’s voice will speak to our spirits.

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The Mind of Christ
“…But we have the mind of Christ” 1 Corinthians 2:16.
We have the mind of Christ when we are one in heart and mind with Christ. The Holy
Spirit doesn’t just reveal the mind of Christ to us. He conforms us to Christ’s thinking
(Rom.12:2).
“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.” John 15:7 (see also Romans 10:8).
As we spend quality time with Jesus and receive His word planted in our hearts (James
1:21-22), we learn the will of God. The purpose of God centers in Christ (Ephesians 1:9) and all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Him (Colossians 2:2-3).
Therefore our relationship with Jesus is the foundation upon which God brings His guidance.

Walking in Grace
“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.
Grace is God’s “indescribable gift” to the believer (2 Cor.9:14-15). As Christians, we are:
• Saved by grace (Ephesians 2:1-9; 1:4-8).
• Standing in grace (Romans 5:1-2; Acts 13:43).
• Strengthened in grace (2 Tim.2:1; 2 Cor.12:9; Heb.13:9).
• Taught by grace (Titus 2:11-12).
• Energized by grace (1 Corinthians 15:10; Acts 4:33; 6:8).
• Growing in grace (2 Peter 3:18).
The Danger of Self-Effort
“You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace” Gal.5:4 (see Heb.12:15).
The Bible says it is possible for a Christian to “fall away from grace”. This does not mean that he has lost his salvation; rather, it means that he has separated himself from the effect of God’s grace in his life. Paul says that those “who are trying to be justified by law…have fallen from grace.”
“What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law” Galatians 3:19, 24-25
(read also v.20-23).
The Law of Moses was given to reveal sin. Its purpose was to act like a mirror. When we look into a mirror and see that our face is dirty, we do not pick up the mirror and rub our face with it to try to get clean. Its purpose is simply to show us that we need cleaning, but we go to another source - the water - to be made clean. In the same way, the Law was

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added for a short period of time to show mankind their need of salvation, and to point to the One who would make us clean (Rev.1:5; Titus 3:5).
“Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law;
rather, through the law we become conscious of sin” Romans 3:20.
The covenant of the Law that God gave to Moses has nothing to do with us (read Galatians 3:15-17). It was simply added to preserve Israel until the coming of the Messiah. We are part of the covenant that God made with Abraham and with Christ
(Galatians 3:7,29; Romans 4:1-5,16,22-24). If we get caught up again in self-effort and legalism, we are walking in the wrong covenant! (read 2 Corinthians 3:6-18).
“I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” Galatians 2:21.
The Curse of the Law
All who try to live by the Law through self-effort are under an automatic curse (Galatians
3:10-14; James 2:10), for under the light of the Law two things are revealed:
• God’s righteous standard and judgment (Matt.5:21-48).
• Our inability to reach that standard (Rom.3:23; 7:14-25).
God knew that we could never keep His standard of righteousness, so He sent Jesus to take that curse upon Himself and set us free from the Law’s demand of judgment.
“For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us.” Romans 8:3-4 (see also Philippians 3:3). Christians Under Law
“You foolish Galatians!…After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?” Galatians 3:1-3 (read also 1:6-7).
We are born again by the Spirit of God (John 3:3,6). But many Christians then try to live the rest of their lives under law. In other words, they try to live up to God’s standard by self-effort. But it doesn’t work! When a Christian lives in legalism, his life becomes characterized by constant struggle (Romans 7:1-25), self-condemnation (James 2:10), a lack of joy (Galatians 4:15), alienation from God (Galatians 5:4) and condemnation toward others (Romans 2:1-3). So terrible is this life under law that God actually took the law and crucified it to the Cross!
“…having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross” Colossians 2:14.
The Christian life was designed to work by God’s grace. It is the Holy Spirit who causes us to grow and become more like Christ (2 Cor.3:17-18). The Bible says we are now dead to the Law (Galatians 2:19) and living under grace (Romans 6:14).
“But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code” Romans 7:6 (read also verse 1-5).

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The New Way of the Spirit
“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature” Galatians 5:16 (see also Philippians 3:8-9; Romans 8:1-2; Hebrews
10:29).
The Holy Spirit has been given to empower you to keep God’s holy standard. He writes
God’s law, not on tablets of stone for us to try to keep, but on our hearts.
“You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts” 2 Cor.3:3 (see Heb.10:16).
The “new way of the Spirit” is a life of inner empowerment, not of outward law. God’s grace releases the law of love in our hearts (Galatians 5:14; Romans 13:8-10; John 13:34-
35). This inner love fulfils everything required by the written code. But like everything else with God’s grace, this love comes from God not from us. All we have to do is walk in this grace!
“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” 2 Corinthians 9:8 (see also Heb.4:16; 1 Peter 5:10; James 4:6).

Walking in Humility
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” Colossians 3:12 (see also 1 Peter 3:8; 5:5).
Humility is one of the products of the Christian life (James 3:13). We are not just solitary
Christians. God has placed us in the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12,27). For the
Body of Christ to function as God intended, each member of the Body needs to express humility (1Cor.12:14-26; Rom.12:3-5).
The Humility of the Cross
“And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!” Philippians 2:8.
In the days of the early Church, to believe in the Cross meant embracing great humility (1 Corinthians 1:18, 23-24). The Cross was a symbol of great shame (Galatians 3:13; 5:11; Hebrews 12:2). But God has chosen this horrible death as a means to deal with mankind’s greatest problem: self. “For you know that…you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers” 1 Peter 1:18.
When Adam and Eve sinned, they chose the way of self (Genesis 3:5-6). Ever since, self has been the root of every sin. When Jesus died on the Cross, God dealt with two things:

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Sins
“He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” 1 John 2:2 (see 1 Peter 2:24; 3:18).
The Cross dealt with our sins so that we could receive the forgiveness of God (Col.2:13- 14) and eternal life (1 John 5:11). But that was not the end of the work of the Cross. There was one more thing that had to be dealt with once and for all.
Self
“For we know that our old self was crucified with him…” Rom.6:6.
Many Christians receive God’s forgiveness, but then bring an unresolved self over into the Christian life. This is what causes all the dissensions, competition and problems in the
Church (1 Cor.3:1-3; James 3:14-16; 4:1-4). But once we realise that we have been crucified with Christ (Gal.2:20; 6:14) - that our self was dealt with once and for all on the
Cross (Rom.6:10-11) - the grace of God is released in our lives to bring true humility.
“And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again” 2 Corinthians 5:15 (read also verses 14-17).
Understanding Humility
“Though the Lord is on high, he looks upon the lowly, but the proud he knows from afar” Psalm 138:6 (see Isaiah 57:15; Proverbs 16:5).
The pride of self-effort and self-righteousness is fiercely opposed by God (Proverbs
8:13). In fact, pride is sin (Proverbs 21:4). We need to understand the nature of pride before we can understand the nature of humility (read 2 Timothy 3:1-5).
False humility
“Do not let anyone who delights in false humility…disqualify you for the prize…” Colossians 2:18 (see also verse 23). False humility is an outward humility only (Matthew 6:16). This false humility is designed for other people to see. Its focus is self. It is just a subtle form of pride.
True humility
“Humble yourselves before the Lord…” James 4:10.
True humility is a recognition that I can’t do it by myself. I need the grace of God and I need other Christians. The focus of true humility is God, not self. True humility has no hint of self-effort, but admits a total dependence on God. It is the one condition that God requires for grace to continue in our lives.
“…God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” James 4:6 (read also Psalm 25:9). Learning from Jesus
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” Matthew 11:29.
Jesus is the great example of humility. If we want to express the kind of humility that pleases God, we must learn from Jesus (Phil.2:5-8). Jesus showed that true humility is not

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just speaking humble words. It is acting in humility by serving others - taking up our cross on behalf of others (Luke 9:23; Eph.5:1-2). It is not speaking “humbly” about oneself, but it is esteeming others (Phil.2:3). It is not long prayers about our unworthiness. It is a continuing sense of awe at the goodness of God to us.
The Fear of God
“The Lord…will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure” Isaiah 33:5-6 (see Psalm 128:1; 147:10-11; Prov.22:4). The fear of the Lord is called “the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). It is also the starting place for humility. This is not a fear that causes us to hide from God, but an awe of His power and holiness which causes us to see our lives in the right perspective
(Hebrews 12:28-29). A fear of God produces a genuine humility that actually draws us closer to Him (James 4:6-8; 1 Peter 3:8; Colossians 3:10).
“Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God” 1 Corinthians 7:1 (see also Acts 9:31).
The fear of the Lord is the key to walking in holiness. The fear of the Lord involves five important things:
• A knowledge of God (Proverbs 9:10; 1 Peter 1:15-17).
• A hatred of evil (Proverbs 8:13; 16:6).
• A desire not to grieve God (Ephesians 4:30).
• A gratitude for grace (Psalm 130:3-4; Philippians 2:12).
• A turning to God (Hosea 12:6; Psalm 25:12-14).
Jesus had a “Spirit …of the fear of the Lord” upon Him (Isaiah 11:2-5,9). Through the same Spirit, we walk in the same humility before the Lord.
“…This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word” Isaiah 66:2 (see also Jeremiah 5:22).

Walking in Forgiveness
“As water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man” Proverbs 27:19.
The condition of our heart is the key to our life in Christ (Proverbs 4:23; Matthew 6:21).
God searches our hearts, revealing areas that will block our relationship with Him (1 Samuel 16:7; Romans 8:27). Three Gifts of Forgiveness
“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more” Isaiah 43:25 (see also Psalm 103:1-3; Micah 7:19).
The Bible talks about three gifts of forgiveness:
• The forgiveness God gives to us (1 John 1:9; Luke 7:47).
• The forgiveness we give to ourselves (Phil.3:13-14).

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• The forgiveness we give to others (Luke 17:3-4).
“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” Colossians 3:13 (see also Ephesians
4:32).
These three gifts of forgiveness are important in our lives. We must understand God’s gift of forgiveness to us, through the shed blood of Jesus (Colossians 1:13-14; 1 Peter 1:2).
But we must also learn to forgive ourselves - which simply means receiving God’s gift of forgiveness and agreeing with it. Now we are obliged to forgive others. If we refuse to forgive others, then unforgiveness will block the daily expression of God’s forgiveness in our lives.
“For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” Matthew 6:14-15 (read also 18:21-35).
Stages of Unforgiveness
• Initial hurt - someone says or does something that wounds our hearts (Psalm
109:22).
• Resentment - if we don’t deal with it straight away, we begin to harbor resentment. Our hearts dwell on the hurt. We are filled with self-pity and a continuing anger against the person who hurt us (Colossians 3:8-10,12-14).
• Retaliation - we get back at that person, usually either by not speaking to them, or by slandering them to others (Romans 12:17-20).
• Bitterness - this is where we allow unforgiveness to defile our hearts (Hebrews
12:15; Ephesians 4:29-32).
Living One Day at a Time
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.
Each day has enough trouble of its own” Matthew 6:34.
Many Christians are either a prisoner of the future (through worry) or a prisoner of the past (through guilt and unforgiveness). God wants to set us free so that we can live each day with Him - a day at a time.
“‘In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold” Ephesians 4:26-27.
One simple principle in forgiveness is not to allow feelings of hurt and unforgiveness to enter a second day. Each evening we can get things right with God and with others. One other provision God has made is the communion table. Whenever we partake of the
Lord’s Supper together, we are instructed to make sure we are not holding anything against a brother or sister (1 Corinthians 11:27-31).
A Continuing Debt
“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another…” Romans 13:8.
When Jesus died for you, he took the judgment you deserved. You now owe Him a massive debt which you have no ability to repay. But God doesn’t require you to repay it

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-except in one way: God has transferred this debt to Him onto others around us. We are now indebted to everyone. The only way we repay this continuing debt is by forgiving one another. When we consider how great our debt is to the Lord, is this too big to ask?
We now express our love to God by loving others. We cannot be close to God while harboring hatred and unforgiveness.
“If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen” 1 John 4:20.
When we forgive others, we acknowledge several things:
• God’s love for us (Matt.18:21-35; Luke 6:36; John 13:34-35; Psalm 103:7-14).
• Our love for God (Luke 7:47; 1 John 4:20).
• Our trust in God’s justice (2 Thessalonians 1:3-7).
• Our faith in God’s plan for us (Romans 8:28).
• Our readiness to suffer abuse (Matt.5:11-12).
• Our enemy is not people (Ephesians 6:12).
• Our secure position in Christ (Col.1:1-4).
If I forgive, will the hurt I feel go away? Probably not immediately. But forgiveness has nothing to do with feelings. Forgiveness is a decision. Forgetting is a process. If we decide not to forgive, the hurt is like an open, festering wound, which is very difficult to heal. When we make the decision to forgive, the hurt is cleaned up, and the healing process is then quick.
Healing the Heart
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” Psa.147:3.
God is able to heal every heart. In fact, this is part of the Gospel message (Isaiah 61:1).
But more than that, God wants to use us to minister that healing to others. Only when we have experienced both the personal forgiveness of God and the grace to forgive others can we be used to minister healing to others.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.

Walking in Joy
“You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” Psalm 16:11 (see also118:24).
Joy is part of the inheritance of the Christian, the evidence of the work of God’s Spirit in his life. Nehemiah said that “the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). This joy is part of the abundant life that Jesus came to give us.

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Abundant Life
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” John 10:10.
Jesus came to give us a new life that was both eternal (in duration) and abundant (in expression). Satan, however, is a thief of that abundant life. He tries to steal our joy through two snares: legalism (Gal.4:15; 5:1) or license (Gal.6:7-8). But true joy comes from the righteous freedom we have in God’s Spirit.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” Romans 15:13.
Joy and Sorrow
“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” Proverbs 17:22. Joy has a healing effect. Laughter and gladness have been proven by doctors to help speed natural healing and also to bring healing to the heart. This does not mean, however, that we are to try and cheer people who are grieving. Romans 12:15 tells us to “rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn” (see also 1 Cor.12:26). Although joy is the hallmark of the Christian life, grieving also plays a part.
“There is a time for everything …a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance” Ecclesiastes 3:1,4.
Christian joy is not a surface joy. It is not a mask that we put on for others. It is not just froth and bubble, but a deep joy that comes from God’s Spirit. But this joy often has a backdrop of repentance and weeping (James 4:8). Even the apostle Paul said that he was
“sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” (2 Cor.6:10). God’s desire is to turn our sorrow into rejoicing.
“Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him”
Psa.126,5-6 (read whole Psalm; see also 30:5).
Release of Joy
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Philippians 4:4 (see also Romans 12:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:16). The Christian has every reason to rejoice. We rejoice because God is on the Throne (1
Chron.16:31), because we have peace with God (Rom.5:1-2,11), because we have a share in Christ’s inheritance (Col.1:11-12), because our names are written in heaven (Luke
10:20), because we have been released from Satan’s bondage (Acts 8:5-8) and because we have received such a great salvation (Psalm 13:5; 105:43; Isa.51:3,11; 55:12). But most of all, we rejoice not just for what God has done, but in God Himself (Luke 1:47; Habakkuk 3:17-18). “Those living far away fear your wonders; where morning dawns and evening fades you call forth songs of joy.” Psalm 65:8 (see also 46:4; 47:1,5; 66:1-2; 95:1-
2).

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Joy is a Fruit
“But the fruit of the Spirit is…joy…” Gal.5:22.
Joy is one of the fruit of the Spirit. This means it is not something that you try to manufacture, but something that comes out of the life of the Spirit. As long as we are walking in the Spirit, one of the effects in our lives will be joy.
“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” Romans 14:17.
The Oil of Joy
“You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy” Hebrews
1:9.
Joy was part of the anointing on Jesus, and is also the anointing that God pours on the believer.
“…to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair…” Isaiah 61:3 (see also Psalm 104:15). The Secret to Joy
“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” John 15:11.
The verse before tells us what Jesus told His disciples in order that they may experience true joy: “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love…” Obedience is the key to joy! Joy is the experience of every person when they first obey God by receiving
Christ (1 Thessalonians 1:6). But many Christians wonder where that first joy goes. In fact, it didn’t go anywhere. What is needed is a continuing walk of obedience. You can’t live off the joy of old obedience; it is a daily walk with the Lord and a daily experience of joy.
“…I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them” John 17:13.
God has joy (Zephaniah 3:17). Jesus said that when we obey His commands - not out of duty, but because we love Him - then not only will our joy be complete, but His joy will also fill us. We get double joy - our joy in obeying the Lord and His joy on top of that!
Unconquerable Joy
“Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven” Luke 6:22-23 (see also James
1:2).
Because our joy comes from the Holy Spirit and not from the circumstances, Christians have a joy which is unconquerable.
“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy” 1 Peter 1:8 (see also Jude 24).

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Walking in Persecution
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” Matthew 5:10-12 (see also Luke 21:12; Mark
10:29-30).
Persecution is part of the heritage of the believer (2 Timothy 3:12; 1:8; Philippians 1:29;
1 Thess.3:2-4). Down through the ages, in every generation, Christians have experienced persecution (Hebrews 11:35-38). This is because of the opposition between God and the system of this world. The Cross of Christ is an offense to many people (2 Corinthians
2:14-16). This is why Christians are persecuted (Galatians 5:11; 6:12).
“If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name” 1 Peter 4:15 (see also 2:19-20; Acts 5:41; John 15:20). The early Church experienced much persecution (Acts 14:22; 2 Thessalonians 1:4-5), but it only served to spread the word of the Gospel (Acts 8:1-8; 11:19-21; Philippians 1:12-
14).
“Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions” Hebrews 10:33-
34 (see also verse 35; 1 Corinthians 4:11-13).
Promises in Persecution
The Lord gives many promises to those who endure persecution for His name’s sake:
• A crown of life (Revelation 2:10; 2 Timothy 4:8).
• A better resurrection (Hebrews 11:35).
• The strength of God (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
• The joy of the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:41).
• The comfort of Christ (2 Corinthians 1:5-9).
• Great reward in heaven (Matthew 5:10-12).
• Judgment against our persecutors (2 Thessalonians 1:6-7; Romans 12:19).
Fellowship of His Sufferings
“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings” Philippians 3:10 (see also 1 Peter 4:12-14; Romans
8:17).
We need to understand that it is not us that people are persecuting. They are, in fact, persecuting Jesus (Acts 22:4-8; Matt.24:9; John 15:20). When we are persecuted for the

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name of Jesus, we participate in the sufferings of Jesus Himself (2 Cor.1:5). Paul knew what it was to enter into the sufferings of Christ (2 Cor.11:23-28) and he called these sufferings the “marks” or “branding” of Jesus (Gal.6:17). The experience of suffering for
Jesus’ sake produces endurance (Rom.5:3; 2 Cor.1:6), obedience (Heb.5:8-9), joy (1 Peter
4:13; James 1:2), fellowship (1 Cor.12:26), power (2 Cor.4:7-9; Rom. 8:11), victory over sin (1 Peter 4:1), and ultimately glory (Rom.8:17-18).
Victory in Persecution
No matter what we face, God’s plan is that we experience victory. The victory we have in persecution is of two kinds:
Delivered from persecution
“Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us” 2 Corinthians 1:9-10 (see also 2 Timothy 3:10-11;
4:16-18).
God is more than able to deliver His children from trouble. But even when He doesn’t, there is another kind of victory at work.
Victory within persecution
“…for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith” 1 John 5:4.
We need never fear persecution, because the One living in us is greater than any persecution the world can bring.
“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” 1 John 4:4.
Dead to the World
“…the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world” John 17:14 (see also verse 15; 1 John 3:13).
The world persecutes us because we do not belong to the world. It is because we are already dead to the world that we can stand up under persecution.
“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” Galatians 6:14.
Being a Witness
“But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. ‘Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.’ But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” 1 Peter 3:14-15.
Persecution is not just a matter between us and God. The world is watching to see how we will respond. If we curse back, we are no different from anyone who faces suffering.
Instead, Jesus tells us: “Bless those who persecute you” (Romans 12:14; Matthew 5:44-
48; 1 Peter 2:21-23; 3:9). When we bless those who persecute us, God can use our witness to bring even our persecutors to salvation (read Acts 7:54-60; 8:1-3; 9:1-20). We

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are able to bless our persecutors because we recognize that they are not our real enemy.
Behind every persecution of Jesus is Satan himself (Ephesians 6:12; 1 Peter 5:8-10).
Indeed, even in persecution we are “more than conquerors.”
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” Romans 8:35,37 (read also verses 31-39).

Walking in Balance
“…until we all…become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of
Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming” Ephesians 4:13-14.
God’s plan is for each believer to grow into a balanced, mature son of God (see Romans
8:14,28-30). But maturity needs a standard. We are not called to “measure ourselves by ourselves” (2 Corinthians 10:12). No, the measure of our growth is “the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
“…And I pray that you…may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” Ephesians 3:17,19 (see also Colossians 2:9-10). The Nature of God
“And [God] passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation’” Exodus
34:6-7.
God is not only perfect in His nature and character, He is also perfectly balanced. He is a holy God (1 Samuel 2:2; Isaiah 6:1-3), yet also a God of love (Psalm 145:17; 1 John 4:8).
He is a God of patience (Romans 2:4; 1 Timothy 1:16; 2 Peter 3:9), yet is also a God of justice (Isaiah 5:16) and a God of faithfulness (1 Corinthians 1:9; Hebrews 10:23). He is a God who demonstrates His righteous anger (Psalm 7:11), yet is also a God full of mercy and compassion (Isaiah 55:7; Lamentations 3:22-23). God’s nature remains unchanged (Malachi 3:6) but every part of it is in perfect balance with every other part.
“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you” Psalm 89:14 (see also 85:10-11; Jeremiah 9:23-24).
The nature of God is the measuring line of our maturity. We are told to be:
• Loving like God (1 John 4:11-12; 2 Thess.3:5).
• Holy like God (1 Peter 1:15-16).
• Faithful like God (Psalm 18:25).
• Patient like God (Galatians 5:22; Colossians 3:12).

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• Merciful like God (Luke 6:36; James 3:17).
• Forgiving like God (Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13).
• Balanced like God (Matthew 5:48).
The Bible uses the word “godliness” to describe being balanced like God. Godliness means being like God in thought, word and behavior. It means showing His love as well as His holiness, His justice as well as His mercy.
“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness” 2 Peter 1:3
(see also verses 5-8; Titus 1:1; 2:12; 1 Timothy 4:7-8; 6:11).
What Balance is Not
Balance is not compromise. Compromise is based not on a desire to please God, but to please and accommodate man. In contrast to compromise, God’s principles always stand firm (1 Peter 1:24-25). For this reason God hates:
Lukewarmness
“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth” Rev.3:15-16.
Lukewarmness is one of the worst forms of compromise, for it affects our relationship with God. It is a rejection of God’s love that brings more hurt to His heart than even fully turning one’s back on Him. John states uncompromisingly:
“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” 1 John 2:15 (see also 2 Corinthians 6:14-18).
Double-mindedness
“But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does” James 1:6-8.
Double-mindedness is a hindrance to spiritual growth. God does not want us to constantly swing from one direction to another. He wants our eyes to be fixed firmly upon Himself.
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…” Hebrews
12:2.
Jesus declared, “I am the truth” (John 14:6). Just as our physical body needs a focal point to keep its balance, so Jesus is the focal point for our spiritual balance. He is the focus of all truth in God’s word (John 5:39). We are walking in balance only when we have the
Lord Jesus as our focal point.
The Key to Balance
“…clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience…Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity” Colossians 3:12-14.

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The key to the balance of God’s nature is found in love. True love takes the attention off ourselves and puts it onto other people. This kind of love acts like a balancing wheel for all other aspects of God’s nature:
• Knowledge (1 Corinthians 8:1-3).
• Power (Nahum 1:2-7; 1 Cor.13:1-2; 2 Tim.1:7).
• Holiness (Nehemiah 9:17-21).
• Faith (Galatians 5:6).
“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ” Eph.4:15 (see also verse 24).
Christian growth means growing in the likeness of God’s nature. As we grow in our understanding of God’s nature, the Holy Spirit works to conform us to that nature
(Romans 8:29).
“And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God” Col.1:10 (see also 1:25-28).

Walking in God’s Purpose
God desires His people to live with a great sense of purpose for their lives. It is a sad statistic,but according to some polls 36% of born again Christians are still trying to find out the purpose for their lives. This is in contrast to only 49% of non-believers still trying to find out the purpose for their lives. Living for His purposes isn’t some sort of superior state that only a few “Super Spiritual Christians” find, while the rest of us are left to stumble around. God wants every Christian living for His purposes on this earth and has made them clear in His word.

A life lived without God’s purpose is futility
And if you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each man’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay upon earth; knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. 1 Peter 1:17-19

The word “futile” means useless, or of no purpose.

The writer of Ecclesiastes used the phrase “Vanity of vanities” (Ecclesiastes 1:2), and goes on to explain that life lived without God is vain (empty, to no purpose).

Living for Christ will cause us to move from a futile/purposeless life to a life filled with God’s purposes.

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When we live for His purpose we will invest in eternal things and live every day to it’s fullest. James 4:13-14 13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow, we shall go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” 14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. (NASB)

Matthew 6:33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. (NASB)

If we don’t live with eternity in view we will fall back and live our life for “this life’s issues” only. 2 Timothy 4:10 for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. (NASB)

Three areas of purpose all Christians are called to walk in

These are the primary purposes of every Christian life. These purposes are all part of each other. It is like an egg. All three parts of it are important and somewhat interconnected. It is hard to value one part without the other parts.

1. We are called to grow up/mature as followers of Christ. It is part of walking in a real relationship with Jesus
The call of the Great Commission is a call to grow as we follow Christ. Matthew 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Hebrews 6:1 Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity. Ephesians 4:15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ.

Religious pollster George Barna found some interesting statistics in this area.
• When Christian adults were asked to identify their most important goal for their life, not a single person said it was to be a committed follower of Jesus Christ, or to make
Disciples of Christ.
• Less than one out of every five born again adults had any specific and measurable goals related to their personal spiritual development.
• Less than 1% of all believers perceived a connection between their efforts to worship
God and their development as a disciple of Jesus.
• When given thirteen basic teachings from the Bible, only 1% of adult believers firmly embraced all 13 as being biblical perspectives.

“Most Christians are simply not making progress in their personal spiritual development.”

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Walking in God’s purpose for growth/maturity will cause you to put yourself under spiritual disciplines which are necessary for growth.

Things like systematic Bible reading, Bible classes, disciplined prayer times, and meeting with spiritual mentors and/or peer fellowship will promote growth and progress in your life.

2. Becoming our part in building the body of Christ, the church on earth.

Matthew 16:24-26 Then Jesus said to His disciples, if anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake (His cause) shall find it. For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul?

In following Christ, we are to lose our life for His cause. Jesus had already told them
His cause a few verses earlier in Verse 18.

Matthew 16:18 Upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it. We are citizens of heaven (or a colony of heaven on earth) and are seeking to make His church all He desires.

Philippians 3:20 For our citizenship/commonwealth is in heaven (we are a colony of heaven), from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Background of the phrase “citizens or colony of heaven”: Philippi had become a
Roman Provincial city. Rome invested resources into Philippi and granted Roman citizenship to some of its people so that Philippi would become an expression of
Roman culture in their region. When you went to Philippi you would get a good idea of what Roman life was like. The same is true for Local Churches. We have been given citizenship in heaven and now we are a colony or commonwealth of heaven on earth. When people encounter the church they should get an idea of what heaven’s culture looks like on earth through the church.

Galatians 4:26 But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother.

Hebrews 12:22-23 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to Myriads of angels, to the general assembly of the church of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven,..

Each person when they come into Christ becomes a fellow citizen of God’s city (the church), and fellow members of Christ’s body (the church). Each member is to actively take their place to see the church become all God intended her to be.

Ephesians 2:19-20 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens (citizens or a colony of heaven) with the saints, and are of God’s household.

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1Corinthians 12:12-13, 18 For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body,.. But now God has placed the members, each one of them in the body, just as He desired.

Ephesians 4:1, 15-16 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,..but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

Each one of us is a part of this process. We all contribute to seeing God’s culture expressed in the earth through His City/Body, the Church.

From the moment our feet hit the ground in the morning we are to be seeking the purpose of seeing God’s church live and express heaven’s standards on the earth.

When you embrace this purpose you wake up and think thoughts like, “How can I help motivate, serve, and encourage my brothers and sisters to live the lifestyle of heaven on earth? What can I contribute to seeing my fellow citizens’ live God’s ways in the earth? Who can I help disciple in the ways of God?”

3. We are to be ambassadors for Christ. This is not disconnected from the other two purposes

2 Corinthians 5:20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

The word “ambassador” means, “to represent one royal court to another.” We are representing God and His ways to the world around us in order to see them reconciled to God.

This has to do with both aspects of evangelism: Demonstration and Declaration

Everyday when we get up and go to work, to the campus, or to the marketplace, we go as ambassadors of Christ who are trying to see mankind reconciled to
Him. This mission is to motivate us with purpose.

From the moment our feet hit the ground in the morning this purpose should motivate us and dominate our thinking. We don’t just go to our job, class, or store; we go to our mission field as ambassadors of Christ.

If this isn’t at the forefront of our thinking we will tend to life in futility.

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