Thanks brother Jesse for the great & important Truth that you have shared here: Salvation is all of God: He draws, He saves, He gives new birth, He secures, & He gives the sure Hope in this life & into eternity. I reflected on your reference to 2 Corinthians 13:5: "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?"
This I believe was the position & concern of each of the NT writers, not just in calling out evident sin in the Church, but for each one to examine themselves whether they were even in the Faith. In some cases this was clear (as in 1 John 2:18,19), and in others such as Hebrews 3:12-14: "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end", a little unclear. The message here was for each one to encourage & counsel those being led astray by sin or deception, that they might turn back to holy living & not face the Lord's Discipline. But if they persisted, not holding their "confidence stedfast unto the end", it only showed that "they were not all of us", only displaying a show of godliness & religious experience, but inwardly knowing their deceitfulness & hypocrisy.
The Word is abundantly clear that the believer could never acquire or sustain his salvation by his efforts, rather, by the working of the Holy Spirit indwelling him ( Titus 3:4-7; Romans 8:9; Galatians 5:24,25). Unfortunately, alongwith the oft preached Gospel of salvation, i.e. 'from God & sustained by man', comes the rarely heard messages of 'life & power given to believers to know, to pursue & enjoy, which comes from the indwelling Spirit'.
It was nice to read your literal renderings of the verses you shared.
Paul writes on the same subject, in Galatians 5:17, "For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are opposing to one another; in order that you should not do what you want." These scriptures show that believers cannot be taken away from Christ by the flesh, because the Spirit of God is dwelling within to prevent that from happening.
Jesus Himself said, as recorded in John 6:37, "All that the Father gives to me will come to me; and the one coming to me I will never cast out." He goes on to say, in John 6:39, "And this is the will of the Father who has sent me, in order that of all which he has given to me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up in the last day."
Also, in His prayer to the Father, as recorded in John 17:11-12, Jesus said, "And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep through your own name those whom you have given to me, in order that they may be one, as we are. When I was with them in the world, I was keeping them in your name; the ones who you have given to me I kept, and none of them perished, except the son of perdition; in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled."
I emphasize the permanency of salvation because the bible teaches that God is the one who saves, and He does so from out of His mercy. According to Paul, in Ephesians 2:8, grace, faith, and salvation are gifted from God. John says, in John 1:13, believers "were born, not from blood, nor from the will of the flesh, nor from the will of man, but from God." Therefore, according to Scripture, a human being cannot save him/herself.
but whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of god perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
he that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
this is a condition exercised by the influence of the lord being in you!!
so this is uniquely performed amongst brothern!!
john 13:34-35.
a new commandment i give unto you, that ye love one another; as i have loved you, that ye also love one another.
( by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.)
this is salvation at work!!
you shall know them by their fruit! matthew 7:13-23.
one can profess to believe in a grace based relationship with christ or even deceive themselves to believing they have a grace relationship with christ but can't display the fruit associated with what they claim to be truth.
this is not christ "in you"
however, there's the spirit of antichrist in th world.
1 john 2:18.
little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
this is why we examine ourselves.
they lack fruit!
1) they hate the brothern.
2)thet dont inwardly have what's mentioned in galatians 5:22-23.
If we live in the Spirit we cease to gratify the desires of the flesh. ( Galatians 5:16). We need to realize several things in regard to that subject. First of all the flesh signifies all those things which natural man desires in a self centered manner. God created all things for our enjoyment ( 1 Tim. 6:17); and this includes eating and drinking which Christ Himself did when on earth (but always took the necessary time for fasting and prayer). God created marriage as a covenant between a man and woman when we follow His plan; all other ways of fulfilling such desires are perversions in regard to fulfilling natural desires our own way and leaving God out of the picture.
What is necessary is to understand that if we seek His Kingdom first then He shall grant us the desires of our heart. ( Matt. 6:33). When we are reborn into Christ then His desires become our desires; although we see through a glass darkly ( 1 Cor. 13:12). All good things come from the father of lights; God above ( James 1:5). We should be growing in our walk in maturity and wisdom understanding the value of trusting in God; obeying His will and giving time for prayer; Bible study and fellowship.
He certainly doesn't need our help in our worldly accomplishments with the plans He has for us; although we should certainly avail ourselves to utilize all the natural gifts as well as spiritual ones He has given us for His glory. He does have plans for us to prosper ( Jeremiah 29:11). These involve ultimately spiritual treasure in heaven ( Matt. 6:20); but certainly it applies to our faithfulness with earthly wealth as well ( Luke 16:11). We should seek to be able to do all things to build up His Kingdom and minister to the Body of Christ whether with finances or service.
We should learn to recognize the tug of the Spirit in our interactions whether with the saints or others that may indeed be destined to be His children. Psalm 119:105 shows He illuminates our paths.
I will start this off by saying emphatically that those who say that we should be in love with Christ are placing a confusing term on Agape; which transcends all other human affections. I believe it is safe to say that God's love never relies or comes after human feelings; whether "phileo" (such as brotherly love) and certainly not eros (which involves sensual aspects). It is true that our emotions in any commitment; including the highest one in our spiritual lives will have our mind; heart and soul involved as we gain trust and learn obedience. That is probably what those who are well intentioned mean by this phrase. And in an abstract sense those who are in and ONLY in a Godly marriage can find intimacy as a result of God being at the core of their relationship. But the opposite is risked here and the fruit thereof is often seen in the mega churches. This is seen in the not so veiled "prosperity gospel" that invokes "sowing a seed" to the ministry and promising all sorts of finacial windfalls and is also seen in music obviously appealing to the flesh in the way women dress and shallow lyrics at best with just enough scripture to make it deadly. Matthew 13:30 gives us a strong admonition for those who "immediately" recieve the Word (or seed of truth) with joy. Without root; then as with many today we don't see an enduring capacity when trials of life and cares of this world come along. In fact it seems persecution isn't usually found in these places (hence a real drawing power). 2 Timothy 3:12; of course shows that all who are Godly will be persecuted; and it emphasizes the word "desire" to be Godly. This implies that we obey God because we love Him ( John 14:15).
The flesh and Spirit are in contention with each other ( Galatians 5:17). We need to keep in mind that every good and perfect gift is from above ( James 1:17).
In my next section I will discuss aspects of the Holy Spirit in ministry.
I also tried 6 times yesterday to post a response with no luck. Not to take away from what Chris has shared because I agree, but here is what I tried sending:
The word charity in the King James text is the word Agape in Greek. And there are different words in Greek for different kinds of love.
Over the years, the church has relegated Agape to be something special. But not that special, because we think we can produce it!
But the word charity is Agape.
Agape is the fruit of God's Spirit according to Galatians 5:22, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love." And that word love is Agape. God's Spirit produces Agape.
1 John 4:8 tells us that God is Agape. It's His nature. In fact, outside of the New Testament, the word was hardly ever used.
But God is Agape.
Agape love includes sacrifice. Agape is the concern for someone's spiritual welfare. God exhibited that toward us in that "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son."
He looked at us and said your spiritual condition needs help. If I don't send a Savior, you're going to die in your sins!
So the word charity throughout all of Chapter 13 is the word Agape. It is Agape love, or Godly love. It doesn't mean charity like we know it today.
Matthew 12:34 states that "out of the abundance of the heart; the mouth speaketh." Isaiah 8:20 speaking about those who are false Prophets says "to the word and the testimony". They are said if not to speak the truth to have "no light of the dawn". Contrast this with Revelation 12:11 where the word of their testimony of the Tribulation martyrs indicates that they "loved not their lives unto the death." With today's churches having doctrines as skewed as they are we aren't safe to assume that occultic demonic "doctrines of demons" haven't already infected many congregations as 1 Timothy 4:1 warns. But for the remainder of this discussion I will assume that at least a respectable version of the scriptures is being preached in the churches I am examining here.
The Lord stated how "a little leaven ruins the whole loaf". ( Galatians 5:9 and other verses). No one is going to offer arsenic with a little inert ingredient to temper the flavor as an appetizer; but if being devious will put a little poison in something that is tasty. Satan won't come along saying that he is a deceiver; liar and murdurer and by the way wouldn't you like to join my cause? Admittedly there are a few who are sadistic enough to play the fiddle with the Devil as it were with some fantasy that they are so vile that they can command the Devil what to do; and there are some who despite knowing his nature think that Satan won't grind them into powder as was requested by Satan to Christ in the case of Peter.
The greatest danger; therefore lies when sin enters within the tent; the congregation of meeting and scripture is mixed in to instill false confidence in one's spiritual standing; or twisted to justify what eventually becomes a festering cancer after initially being toyed with by a few in idle conversation. There is also the ever present danger of trying to justify a doctrine; either true or false by turning literal scriptures to figurative.
I would agree with your understanding of the Scriptures Eagan, on this matter. Though there are Scriptures that show that the one in Christ is eternally secure ( John 10:27-29; 1 John 5:13; Ephesians 1:13,14; 1 Peter 1:5; and many more), there are also many others verses that seem to show that salvation can be lost & one must work hard in their faith to ensure that they will make it to the end & be accepted.
So, when one considers ALL of the verses pertaining to this subject, somehow it has to be reconciled what Jesus or the other writers are actually saying. Just like whether the Rapture is pre, mid, post, or anything else, we can get into a similar problem. For this one, my underlying Truth is that the Great Tribulation is God's Judgement against the unbelieving Christ-rejecting world, therefore those in Christ will be saved from it.
For Eternal Security, the underlying Truth is the truly repentant soul has come in faith (& nothing else), been regenerated by the Holy Spirit, indwelt by Him, put on a new path towards Heaven, with the Mighty God and His Son being his all-consuming focus & passion & not the world. Can such a person ever be lost again - deciding, 'No, I prefer to follow the world & reject Christ?' We can never know how real another's salvation has been - nor should we ever place ourselves in that position of making such a judgement. Or, whether one's faith is being tested & some errors & backsliding are taking place - to which the Holy Spirit will move, alert, warn or chastise to bring him back. But the fact of the matter is, that 'the Lord knows who are His', He 'knows His sheep & His sheep hear His Voice', and His sheep will obey the Shepherd even if there has to be some stern words & goading.
Thus Galatians 5:22-25 are so important, especially "they THAT ARE Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." These are the marks of the one truly saved, living for Christ.
We have to live in the strength of God's Spirit as mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23.
Being born from above is not just sins forgiven, its a new creation taken place where the truth in the inerrant scripture shapes us.
It's not just hearing what Christ is saying, It's living what Christ is saying by virtue of the word and not what we achieve in the flesh.
Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Hi David, I was wondering how you would explain that and reconcile what the Bible says with your belief.
These verses are in context and contradict what you are claiming, but even though they're in context and you just click or hover over it to read the whole chapter or book you just dismissed it as not being in context.
I noticed your response didn't have any Bible verses supporting your view.
I believe in and stand by Jesus's words. It sounds like you're accusing Jesus of being about "works." You do so at your own risk. I will not be ashamed for believing in what Jesus says, even if people use all kinds of tricks to attack.
Jesus: "If ye love me, keep my commandments." John 14:15
You: No, don't obey, because that's works.
Is that really your position that it's "bad" to obey Jesus, and "good" to not obey Jesus?
If so, that sounds exactly like something satan would say. Such a clever deception to get people to believe its somehow bad to do good and good to do bad. As if God wants people to disobey Him!?
Also I noticed you used the same straw man argument everyone else has been taught to use that if you want to follow Jesus then automatically you're trying to work towards heaven and there's no other possibility. I already said we're saved by grace, which seemed to be ignored. Of course I already answered this fallacy in advance, but maybe you didn't read it or did and claimed this fallacy anyway. Anyway, I feel a moral obligation to counter the lies on here and anyone claiming that its bad to follow and bad to obey Jesus is just is not speaking the truth. The Bible warns Christians of this throughout scripture.
"it's not often possible to discern some ones motive for posting and I think it's folly to try to do so . I don't believe that we know anyone's heart or mind fully . Secondly , the truth often makes uncomfortable reading , but if it is the truth it must not be ignored or covered up".
Here's the issue.
When Stlouistv stated; "the early church fathers who were slave owners btw had no business removing these books out of the bible and lied and said they were not inspired.
( That was contentious) There wasn't a need to discern anything being there was no proof provided with that racially tone msg that had no other purpose but to be contentious.
"THE EARLY CHURCH FATHERS WHO WERE SLAVE OWNERS." ???
Did that have to be added?
Is that not purposely contentious?
Where is the reasoning behind the comment or explanation. Proof and purpose?
Who and how is that statement declared truth?
Because he said so?
Just because you have freedom of speech means you have to speak, He should have pleaded the fifth.
Sammi I believe a person don't have to agree with peoples "opinions" but we all should earnestly covet what is truth and clarity.
I'm not a partial person and I am not influenced by any worldly culture or mans traditions whether male, female, or race. We're all held accountable to true worship in the church, without the world's influence.
Some love to use these sites to function in a way their local Church won't allow them. However this site has Guidelines.
We come here and take advantage of its liberty but let's not ignore
Galatians 5:13 "For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another."
Concerning the topic of the books of the Apocrypha there are groups out there that use those books to divide racially.
I've debated them and is very familiar with their catch phrases.
Dr. J. Vernon McGee, gives us some practical help in our choices that transform our character.
So what is the fruit of walking with God? Let's go straight to the orchard and examine the fruit that is in the life of the believer.
Jesus said, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." - John 15:4, 5
If you were not raised in the country, you may not know that in every fruit orchard, there is always something else that tries to overcome the fruit. In nature, slugs and bugs and stinkweeds all attempt to crowd out the fruit. And in the life of the believer, there are always things that will attempt to crowd out the fruit of the Spirit. In other words, it's quite possible that the weeds grow and the fruit will not be produced. Paul spoke of that very thing in Galatians 5:17.
I personally believe that's a law of God, just like the law of gravity. If a farmer sows corn, you can be sure that he'll reap corn. If he sows wheat, he'll reap wheat. My friend, as a believer, if you are sowing to the flesh, you "will of the flesh reap corruption." There is no way around it.
Now, the child of God does not have to produce these things. We can produce the fruit of the Spirit. God has another principle:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. - Galatians 5:22, 23
You can't produce these fruit by following the Law; in fact, there is not one of these lovely fruits that you can produce on your own. We are totally incapable; it can only be produced by the Holy Spirit. "For the fruit of the Spirit," Paul says in Ephesians 5:9, "is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth." You can know whether you are living by the flesh or living in the power, in the fullness, of the Holy Spirit by seeing if He is producing these fruits in your life.
I have given my understanding of the human kind of persuasion, or human faith. It is persuading ourselves to believe.
The God kind of persuasion, or biblical faith describes what God's Spirit does in the life of the believer.
All of His ministry to me, everything that God's Spirit does in me, and everything that God's Spirit does when I get together with other believers for bible study, and I'm not saying that 100% of it is the Lord, but every time the Holy Spirit ministers to me, it all comes under the category of persuasion because He is someone I cannot see, and cannot audibly hear.
There is something persuading us about the truth, or persuading us about the things of Christ.
I have a personal definition of faith. Faith is the presence and activity of the Holy Spirit in a believer's life.
That's God's faith. That's the faith that's in the bible. In Galatians 5:22, it says but the fruit of the Spirit, (speaking of the Holy Spirit), is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, and faith.
Faith is a fruit of God's Spirit. Faith is a persuasion which God's Spirit produces, not man.
In Hebrews 12:2, we are told to run the race, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
However, the word "our" as in our faith, it's not in the Greek text. It's the word "the." He is the author and the finisher of the faith.
If you have a copy of the old King James Bible, there are numerous phrases that talk about the faith of Christ.
The newer translations will take the phrase "the faith of Christ," and change it to faith "in" Christ, because the translators said it makes it sound like it's the Lord's faith. Well, duh! But they said it must be "in Christ." No, it's the faith of Christ!
I am going to need one more post. My apologies for being long winded!
I'm happy to answer your questions on these scriptures.
Galatians 5:16 starts off by saying, "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit." That's a Present Tense Imperative. What it is saying is "Be (continually) walking under the influence of God's Spirit." That's actually a command. In Ephesians 5:18, Paul says be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit. The word filled means influenced. Seek to be influenced by the Spirit. Paul focuses on the influences in our life, the persuasions and the various things that influence us and take us captive.
Romans 6:12, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body." That's easier said than done. But again, it's the sin. Let not the (sin principle) reign in your mortal body. How can he say that? It's because he is leading us into the fact that when we get to Verse 14, where it says that sin shall not lord it over you, that is a factual statement, (not should not, but it cannot). If I sin, it is because I made the choice. But once I'm saved, it's the power of God's Spirit in me that gives me the power over sin.
Lastly, 1 John 3:6, "Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him."
It sounds like a Christian does not sin according to scriptures. But here's what it's saying: The word abides is a Present Participle, (abiding). Whoever is abiding in Him "is" (Present Tense), not sinning, (continuously as a habit of life). It's not talking about committing an act of sin. It's talking about committing sin continuously, a lifestyle of not surrendering to Christ.
It's a condition. Whoever is continuously remaining (Abiding/MENO) in Him, does not practice sin, ever!
As someone who has been born of the Spirit of God, I can never go back and live the old lifestyle I lived before I received Christ. It's impossible!
The contrast: "Whoever sins, and again that's a Participle. Whoever is (continuously sinning) has not seen Him, neither have they known Him.
The joy of the Lord is the unshakeable conviction that God loves you more than you can fathom, the rock-solid God is with you everywhere you go.
You get the joy of the Lord through doing His will, otherwise, the Christian will lead a sad, defeated life.
1. When you sin, confess it right there, right then.
2. Find His purpose for you in life. You can do this by drawing closer and closer to Him through prayer, reading, and studying His word. Form a habit of daily devotions, praising God, confessing sin--known, those you've forgotten, and those you don't know about--pray for others, whatever the Holy Spirit convicts you to say. Don't worry about being eloquent, just talk to the Father.
3. Heed the conviction of the Holy Spirit, whether it is to confess sin or to witness for Jesus Christ to someone--whatever He bids you do.
4. Meditate on the character of God--His love for you, his mercies, blessings, protection, answers to prayer...
5. Meditate on the Gospel. Every one of your sins, past, present, and future has been paid for in full.
There is no judgment left for you, only mercy.
--You are an adopted son or daughter of God and will receive an inheritance from God.
--You have been freed from the power of sin and now have power to obey.
--You call God, "Father," and have an intimate relationship with him.
--You are part of God's forever family and uniquely joined to his people.
--You have life everlasting and will eventually experience the new heavens and new earth.
And so much more
6. Do good works toward others.
I am praying for you. I leave you with this:
Galatians 5:22-24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Much of today's talk is of "falling in love" with Christ. We need to carefully examine the character and nature of the Godhead before attaching human; emotional or seemingly romantic sentiments on the Creator and Judge; Lord; Savior and Master.
There is no root in human nature; i.e. the flesh which desires God; in fact we are at enmity with Him in our carnal state and in fact enemies of God ( Romans 5:10). The fact that there is contention between the flesh and Spirit ( Galatians 5:17); and vice versa.
It is only in dying to self where we can submit to His authority; and the source of the life within us comes from heavenly places ( Galatians 2:20). The closest we could say about a human relationship is that we submit to each other; or sacrifice our lives.
Apart from Christ; we have two sinners that are by the grace of God involved (if married) in a covenant with God where if allowed in a best case scenario the individuals will finally be broken enough to realize that the Lord is the only thing that can change their selfish interest and natures. Any human sentiment is based on self satisfaction and or gratification which at best is a skewed shadow of God's love. This is also illustrated in Christ's story of how even us "being evil" bring good gifts to our kids. ( Matthew 7:11). We are also "unworthy servants" if we do what is expected ( Luke 17:10).
There are those who would at least put on a show of outward appearance of kindness; generousity; and self sacrifice. Apart from Christ; we can only say that the Lord is using these individuals to meet earthly needs as well as those of believers in His Providence. It is only by His grace that we would want to take on the nature of Christ; a "man of sorrows' ( Isaiah 53:3); as well as dying to self daily; carrying our cross and truly being a disciple and counting the cost. And today's Christian industries of entertainment often appeal the flesh; and have weak at best doctrines to live by.
From what I understand, believers in Christ are no longer under the Old Testament law. But isn't the fruit of the indwelling spirit to be the NT teachings, not to do an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth? That the law is fulfilled in one word: to love thy neighbor as thyself ( Galatians 5:14).
So it's not that we have to worry about turning from sin (the law is covered), but the NT teachings must dwell within a Christian or else the truth is not in him ( 1 John 2:3).
Amen GiGi. The question that should be asked is: 'how much do we allow the Holy Spirit to have of us, so as to direct our lives?' We know that the Spirit of God yearns that we be conformed to Christ's Image ( Romans 8:29); yet our flesh continually desires conformation to the world ( Romans 12:2). The more of the 'world' that drops off, the road before us towards maturity (perfection) becomes more visible & desirable - though the end of it can only be Heaven when all traces of the world & sin are removed.
As the apostle wrote, "And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit" ( Galatians 5:24,25). And it's only by the Power of the Spirit in us can our flesh be crucified, and only by the Life of the Spirit in us can we truly walk in the Spirit, desiring only to please our Lord God & His Son. Those who so walk, can be confident that "an entrance shall be ministered unto (them) abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." ( 2 Peter 1:11).
Dear Nai, Jesus didn't promise us a life without problems and struggles. He promised to be with us during our rough times. If you have been saved, you have been sealed and nothing can take that away from you. Have faith, Nai, and endure to the end. Those who have been saved bear the fruit of the Spirit: Galatians 5:22-24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Love is the greatest fruit. You can have everything in the world, but if you do not have love, you have nothing.
Jesus is the only way to be saved. Here are the instructions--
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.- Romans 10:9-13.
If you have asked Him to forgive you and come into your heart, you are saved. Surrender to Him. Do His will. Pray, read and study His Word, bear witness of him, have faith.
Dear Ruben, Apparently God is convicting you to come back to Him for restoration. Prayers are going up for you. But in the end, it is up to you to repent, and the time is now.
Psalms 139:23, 24 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Galatians 5:22-24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Dear Marie, things do not bring happiness (though spiritual blessings do bring much joy). God gives us joy when we are saved and take up the cross and follow Him: Galatians 5:22-24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
To be saved:
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.- Romans 10:9-13.
Goodness, this is where good and goodness and all the words that have to do with AGATHOS come from. It displays not a human goodness, but a Spiritual Godly goodness.
And then here is something that can be pointed out if you so choose. Notice what the King James has. It has the word faith. The more modern translations have changed this to faithfulness, an adjective. But it's not an adjective. It is still the same noun that has been in all the manuscripts. All the manuscripts read the same. The King James has it correct. It seems as thought they couldn't come to grips and justify that God's Spirit produces faith, so they changed it to faithfulness. But it's faith!
And then you get to Galatians 5:23, and you see the word meekness. There is an old saying that goes, "Meekness does not mean weakness." It means openness or receptivity. It's one of the words that Paul used for those in ministry. It's also translated gentleness. But it means to be open. The person who's giving the word and ministering the things of Christ, that person must be more open and receptive than any other person. They can't close themselves off like they have arrived and everybody else hasn't. They have to be open.
And then temperance means self-control, or more literally the control of self. This is not self-control like trying to enforce discipline in our eating, as in "I've got to exhibit more self-control when I eat." This word means to be controlled from within, to be controlled by the Spirit of God.
And then he says against such there is no law. And again, he's saying that this is the fruit of God's Spirit. There is no law against these.
I know this is not a whole lot, but perhaps this might be of some help as you get ready to present your own sermon.
If I were given the opportunity in church to speak on Galatians 5:22-23, this is probably how I would present it:
I would break down each fruit listed; love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance, and present.
Beginning with Galatians 5:22, it says, But the fruit of the Spirit is, and then I would draw the attention of those whom I am presenting this to the fact that the word fruit is singular. People have tried to fit all this into a singular fruit. Most of the time people say love is the fruit that all the others are based on, so it's singular.
But it's actually more inclusive than that! All of these items are elements of the same and the one fruit. You cannot separate love from faith, and joy from faith, and joy from love because it's from the same Spirit. There's only one Spirit and this is Him.
And then you can break down the elements listed:
The first element of the one fruit is love, AGAPE. God's Spirit produces love. You and I cannot produce AGAPE love.
Joy, and that's not the dishwashing soap (If you want to add humor)! It's the Greek word for satisfaction. Be satisfied with the Lord at all times, and again I will say be satisfied. It doesn't mean a happy feeling. It means to be satisfied.
And then peace. The word peace, EIRENE, means unity.
Longsuffering means to be slow in human reaction. In God's standpoint, I can tolerate and be slow in my human reaction because that is a characteristic of God's Spirit, not me.
Gentleness, which is literally the word kindness, and it has to do with being useful. It is Spiritual usefulness. The bible says that if you don't know Christ, you are not spiritually useful at all!
Dear Gav, if you are saved, ask God to forgive you of those addictions and the sins you have committed and repent from them--that is, turn away from them with God's help and never take them up again.
Psalms 139:23, 24 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Galatians 5:22-24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Psalm 25:4 Show me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.
Now, I would ask: have you been born again? There is no peace without Christ. This is how to be saved:
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.- Romans 10:9-13.
"As it is written, 'There is none righteous, no, not one.'" ( Romans 3:10)
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." ( Romans 3:23)
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." ( Romans 6:23)
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." ( Romans 5:8)
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." ( Romans 10:13)
This I believe was the position & concern of each of the NT writers, not just in calling out evident sin in the Church, but for each one to examine themselves whether they were even in the Faith. In some cases this was clear (as in 1 John 2:18,19), and in others such as Hebrews 3:12-14: "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end", a little unclear. The message here was for each one to encourage & counsel those being led astray by sin or deception, that they might turn back to holy living & not face the Lord's Discipline. But if they persisted, not holding their "confidence stedfast unto the end", it only showed that "they were not all of us", only displaying a show of godliness & religious experience, but inwardly knowing their deceitfulness & hypocrisy.
The Word is abundantly clear that the believer could never acquire or sustain his salvation by his efforts, rather, by the working of the Holy Spirit indwelling him ( Titus 3:4-7; Romans 8:9; Galatians 5:24,25). Unfortunately, alongwith the oft preached Gospel of salvation, i.e. 'from God & sustained by man', comes the rarely heard messages of 'life & power given to believers to know, to pursue & enjoy, which comes from the indwelling Spirit'.
It was nice to read your literal renderings of the verses you shared.
(Part 3):
Paul writes on the same subject, in Galatians 5:17, "For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are opposing to one another; in order that you should not do what you want." These scriptures show that believers cannot be taken away from Christ by the flesh, because the Spirit of God is dwelling within to prevent that from happening.
Jesus Himself said, as recorded in John 6:37, "All that the Father gives to me will come to me; and the one coming to me I will never cast out." He goes on to say, in John 6:39, "And this is the will of the Father who has sent me, in order that of all which he has given to me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up in the last day."
Also, in His prayer to the Father, as recorded in John 17:11-12, Jesus said, "And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep through your own name those whom you have given to me, in order that they may be one, as we are. When I was with them in the world, I was keeping them in your name; the ones who you have given to me I kept, and none of them perished, except the son of perdition; in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled."
I emphasize the permanency of salvation because the bible teaches that God is the one who saves, and He does so from out of His mercy. According to Paul, in Ephesians 2:8, grace, faith, and salvation are gifted from God. John says, in John 1:13, believers "were born, not from blood, nor from the will of the flesh, nor from the will of man, but from God." Therefore, according to Scripture, a human being cannot save him/herself.
what does these verses mean to you?
1 john 2:5-6.
but whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of god perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
he that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
this is a condition exercised by the influence of the lord being in you!!
so this is uniquely performed amongst brothern!!
john 13:34-35.
a new commandment i give unto you, that ye love one another; as i have loved you, that ye also love one another.
( by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.)
this is salvation at work!!
you shall know them by their fruit! matthew 7:13-23.
one can profess to believe in a grace based relationship with christ or even deceive themselves to believing they have a grace relationship with christ but can't display the fruit associated with what they claim to be truth.
this is not christ "in you"
however, there's the spirit of antichrist in th world.
1 john 2:18.
little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
this is why we examine ourselves.
they lack fruit!
1) they hate the brothern.
2)thet dont inwardly have what's mentioned in galatians 5:22-23.
"love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
they that are christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
contrary to fruit is;
idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like:
if we live in the spirit, let us also walk in the spirit.
let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
sadly a part of eschatology that won't last a week.
god bless.
If we live in the Spirit we cease to gratify the desires of the flesh. ( Galatians 5:16). We need to realize several things in regard to that subject. First of all the flesh signifies all those things which natural man desires in a self centered manner. God created all things for our enjoyment ( 1 Tim. 6:17); and this includes eating and drinking which Christ Himself did when on earth (but always took the necessary time for fasting and prayer). God created marriage as a covenant between a man and woman when we follow His plan; all other ways of fulfilling such desires are perversions in regard to fulfilling natural desires our own way and leaving God out of the picture.
What is necessary is to understand that if we seek His Kingdom first then He shall grant us the desires of our heart. ( Matt. 6:33). When we are reborn into Christ then His desires become our desires; although we see through a glass darkly ( 1 Cor. 13:12). All good things come from the father of lights; God above ( James 1:5). We should be growing in our walk in maturity and wisdom understanding the value of trusting in God; obeying His will and giving time for prayer; Bible study and fellowship.
He certainly doesn't need our help in our worldly accomplishments with the plans He has for us; although we should certainly avail ourselves to utilize all the natural gifts as well as spiritual ones He has given us for His glory. He does have plans for us to prosper ( Jeremiah 29:11). These involve ultimately spiritual treasure in heaven ( Matt. 6:20); but certainly it applies to our faithfulness with earthly wealth as well ( Luke 16:11). We should seek to be able to do all things to build up His Kingdom and minister to the Body of Christ whether with finances or service.
We should learn to recognize the tug of the Spirit in our interactions whether with the saints or others that may indeed be destined to be His children. Psalm 119:105 shows He illuminates our paths.
Galatians 5:1 kjv, Revelation 3:10-11 kjv.
I will start this off by saying emphatically that those who say that we should be in love with Christ are placing a confusing term on Agape; which transcends all other human affections. I believe it is safe to say that God's love never relies or comes after human feelings; whether "phileo" (such as brotherly love) and certainly not eros (which involves sensual aspects). It is true that our emotions in any commitment; including the highest one in our spiritual lives will have our mind; heart and soul involved as we gain trust and learn obedience. That is probably what those who are well intentioned mean by this phrase. And in an abstract sense those who are in and ONLY in a Godly marriage can find intimacy as a result of God being at the core of their relationship. But the opposite is risked here and the fruit thereof is often seen in the mega churches. This is seen in the not so veiled "prosperity gospel" that invokes "sowing a seed" to the ministry and promising all sorts of finacial windfalls and is also seen in music obviously appealing to the flesh in the way women dress and shallow lyrics at best with just enough scripture to make it deadly. Matthew 13:30 gives us a strong admonition for those who "immediately" recieve the Word (or seed of truth) with joy. Without root; then as with many today we don't see an enduring capacity when trials of life and cares of this world come along. In fact it seems persecution isn't usually found in these places (hence a real drawing power). 2 Timothy 3:12; of course shows that all who are Godly will be persecuted; and it emphasizes the word "desire" to be Godly. This implies that we obey God because we love Him ( John 14:15).
The flesh and Spirit are in contention with each other ( Galatians 5:17). We need to keep in mind that every good and perfect gift is from above ( James 1:17).
In my next section I will discuss aspects of the Holy Spirit in ministry.
I also tried 6 times yesterday to post a response with no luck. Not to take away from what Chris has shared because I agree, but here is what I tried sending:
The word charity in the King James text is the word Agape in Greek. And there are different words in Greek for different kinds of love.
Over the years, the church has relegated Agape to be something special. But not that special, because we think we can produce it!
But the word charity is Agape.
Agape is the fruit of God's Spirit according to Galatians 5:22, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love." And that word love is Agape. God's Spirit produces Agape.
1 John 4:8 tells us that God is Agape. It's His nature. In fact, outside of the New Testament, the word was hardly ever used.
But God is Agape.
Agape love includes sacrifice. Agape is the concern for someone's spiritual welfare. God exhibited that toward us in that "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son."
He looked at us and said your spiritual condition needs help. If I don't send a Savior, you're going to die in your sins!
So the word charity throughout all of Chapter 13 is the word Agape. It is Agape love, or Godly love. It doesn't mean charity like we know it today.
Matthew 12:34 states that "out of the abundance of the heart; the mouth speaketh." Isaiah 8:20 speaking about those who are false Prophets says "to the word and the testimony". They are said if not to speak the truth to have "no light of the dawn". Contrast this with Revelation 12:11 where the word of their testimony of the Tribulation martyrs indicates that they "loved not their lives unto the death." With today's churches having doctrines as skewed as they are we aren't safe to assume that occultic demonic "doctrines of demons" haven't already infected many congregations as 1 Timothy 4:1 warns. But for the remainder of this discussion I will assume that at least a respectable version of the scriptures is being preached in the churches I am examining here.
The Lord stated how "a little leaven ruins the whole loaf". ( Galatians 5:9 and other verses). No one is going to offer arsenic with a little inert ingredient to temper the flavor as an appetizer; but if being devious will put a little poison in something that is tasty. Satan won't come along saying that he is a deceiver; liar and murdurer and by the way wouldn't you like to join my cause? Admittedly there are a few who are sadistic enough to play the fiddle with the Devil as it were with some fantasy that they are so vile that they can command the Devil what to do; and there are some who despite knowing his nature think that Satan won't grind them into powder as was requested by Satan to Christ in the case of Peter.
The greatest danger; therefore lies when sin enters within the tent; the congregation of meeting and scripture is mixed in to instill false confidence in one's spiritual standing; or twisted to justify what eventually becomes a festering cancer after initially being toyed with by a few in idle conversation. There is also the ever present danger of trying to justify a doctrine; either true or false by turning literal scriptures to figurative.
So, when one considers ALL of the verses pertaining to this subject, somehow it has to be reconciled what Jesus or the other writers are actually saying. Just like whether the Rapture is pre, mid, post, or anything else, we can get into a similar problem. For this one, my underlying Truth is that the Great Tribulation is God's Judgement against the unbelieving Christ-rejecting world, therefore those in Christ will be saved from it.
For Eternal Security, the underlying Truth is the truly repentant soul has come in faith (& nothing else), been regenerated by the Holy Spirit, indwelt by Him, put on a new path towards Heaven, with the Mighty God and His Son being his all-consuming focus & passion & not the world. Can such a person ever be lost again - deciding, 'No, I prefer to follow the world & reject Christ?' We can never know how real another's salvation has been - nor should we ever place ourselves in that position of making such a judgement. Or, whether one's faith is being tested & some errors & backsliding are taking place - to which the Holy Spirit will move, alert, warn or chastise to bring him back. But the fact of the matter is, that 'the Lord knows who are His', He 'knows His sheep & His sheep hear His Voice', and His sheep will obey the Shepherd even if there has to be some stern words & goading.
Thus Galatians 5:22-25 are so important, especially "they THAT ARE Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." These are the marks of the one truly saved, living for Christ.
Hopefully these are helpful
We have to live in the strength of God's Spirit as mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23.
Being born from above is not just sins forgiven, its a new creation taken place where the truth in the inerrant scripture shapes us.
It's not just hearing what Christ is saying, It's living what Christ is saying by virtue of the word and not what we achieve in the flesh.
Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
God bless you and all that you do brother.
These verses are in context and contradict what you are claiming, but even though they're in context and you just click or hover over it to read the whole chapter or book you just dismissed it as not being in context.
I noticed your response didn't have any Bible verses supporting your view.
I believe in and stand by Jesus's words. It sounds like you're accusing Jesus of being about "works." You do so at your own risk. I will not be ashamed for believing in what Jesus says, even if people use all kinds of tricks to attack.
Jesus: "If ye love me, keep my commandments." John 14:15
You: No, don't obey, because that's works.
Is that really your position that it's "bad" to obey Jesus, and "good" to not obey Jesus?
If so, that sounds exactly like something satan would say. Such a clever deception to get people to believe its somehow bad to do good and good to do bad. As if God wants people to disobey Him!?
Also I noticed you used the same straw man argument everyone else has been taught to use that if you want to follow Jesus then automatically you're trying to work towards heaven and there's no other possibility. I already said we're saved by grace, which seemed to be ignored. Of course I already answered this fallacy in advance, but maybe you didn't read it or did and claimed this fallacy anyway. Anyway, I feel a moral obligation to counter the lies on here and anyone claiming that its bad to follow and bad to obey Jesus is just is not speaking the truth. The Bible warns Christians of this throughout scripture.
Matthew 7:21-23
Hebrews 10:26
Hebrews 6:4-6
James 2:14-26
Matthew 12:31-32
Romans 14:12
1 Peter 1:5
1 Cor 9:24-27
2 Peter 3:17
Luke 8:5-18
1 Timothy 4:1
2 Peter 2:20-22
Hebrews 3:12
Galatians 5:4
1 Corinthians 15:2-8
You stated;
"it's not often possible to discern some ones motive for posting and I think it's folly to try to do so . I don't believe that we know anyone's heart or mind fully . Secondly , the truth often makes uncomfortable reading , but if it is the truth it must not be ignored or covered up".
Here's the issue.
When Stlouistv stated; "the early church fathers who were slave owners btw had no business removing these books out of the bible and lied and said they were not inspired.
( That was contentious) There wasn't a need to discern anything being there was no proof provided with that racially tone msg that had no other purpose but to be contentious.
"THE EARLY CHURCH FATHERS WHO WERE SLAVE OWNERS." ???
Did that have to be added?
Is that not purposely contentious?
Where is the reasoning behind the comment or explanation. Proof and purpose?
Who and how is that statement declared truth?
Because he said so?
Just because you have freedom of speech means you have to speak, He should have pleaded the fifth.
Sammi I believe a person don't have to agree with peoples "opinions" but we all should earnestly covet what is truth and clarity.
I'm not a partial person and I am not influenced by any worldly culture or mans traditions whether male, female, or race. We're all held accountable to true worship in the church, without the world's influence.
Some love to use these sites to function in a way their local Church won't allow them. However this site has Guidelines.
We come here and take advantage of its liberty but let's not ignore
Galatians 5:13 "For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another."
Concerning the topic of the books of the Apocrypha there are groups out there that use those books to divide racially.
I've debated them and is very familiar with their catch phrases.
Let's see what follows.
God bless.
Part 1 of 4.
Dr. J. Vernon McGee, gives us some practical help in our choices that transform our character.
So what is the fruit of walking with God? Let's go straight to the orchard and examine the fruit that is in the life of the believer.
Jesus said, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." - John 15:4, 5
If you were not raised in the country, you may not know that in every fruit orchard, there is always something else that tries to overcome the fruit. In nature, slugs and bugs and stinkweeds all attempt to crowd out the fruit. And in the life of the believer, there are always things that will attempt to crowd out the fruit of the Spirit. In other words, it's quite possible that the weeds grow and the fruit will not be produced. Paul spoke of that very thing in Galatians 5:17.
See part 2.
Part 3.
I personally believe that's a law of God, just like the law of gravity. If a farmer sows corn, you can be sure that he'll reap corn. If he sows wheat, he'll reap wheat. My friend, as a believer, if you are sowing to the flesh, you "will of the flesh reap corruption." There is no way around it.
Now, the child of God does not have to produce these things. We can produce the fruit of the Spirit. God has another principle:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. - Galatians 5:22, 23
You can't produce these fruit by following the Law; in fact, there is not one of these lovely fruits that you can produce on your own. We are totally incapable; it can only be produced by the Holy Spirit. "For the fruit of the Spirit," Paul says in Ephesians 5:9, "is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth." You can know whether you are living by the flesh or living in the power, in the fullness, of the Holy Spirit by seeing if He is producing these fruits in your life.
See Part 4.
Here is my continuation:
I have given my understanding of the human kind of persuasion, or human faith. It is persuading ourselves to believe.
The God kind of persuasion, or biblical faith describes what God's Spirit does in the life of the believer.
All of His ministry to me, everything that God's Spirit does in me, and everything that God's Spirit does when I get together with other believers for bible study, and I'm not saying that 100% of it is the Lord, but every time the Holy Spirit ministers to me, it all comes under the category of persuasion because He is someone I cannot see, and cannot audibly hear.
There is something persuading us about the truth, or persuading us about the things of Christ.
I have a personal definition of faith. Faith is the presence and activity of the Holy Spirit in a believer's life.
That's God's faith. That's the faith that's in the bible. In Galatians 5:22, it says but the fruit of the Spirit, (speaking of the Holy Spirit), is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, and faith.
Faith is a fruit of God's Spirit. Faith is a persuasion which God's Spirit produces, not man.
In Hebrews 12:2, we are told to run the race, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
However, the word "our" as in our faith, it's not in the Greek text. It's the word "the." He is the author and the finisher of the faith.
If you have a copy of the old King James Bible, there are numerous phrases that talk about the faith of Christ.
The newer translations will take the phrase "the faith of Christ," and change it to faith "in" Christ, because the translators said it makes it sound like it's the Lord's faith. Well, duh! But they said it must be "in Christ." No, it's the faith of Christ!
I am going to need one more post. My apologies for being long winded!
I'm happy to answer your questions on these scriptures.
Galatians 5:16 starts off by saying, "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit." That's a Present Tense Imperative. What it is saying is "Be (continually) walking under the influence of God's Spirit." That's actually a command. In Ephesians 5:18, Paul says be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit. The word filled means influenced. Seek to be influenced by the Spirit. Paul focuses on the influences in our life, the persuasions and the various things that influence us and take us captive.
Romans 6:12, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body." That's easier said than done. But again, it's the sin. Let not the (sin principle) reign in your mortal body. How can he say that? It's because he is leading us into the fact that when we get to Verse 14, where it says that sin shall not lord it over you, that is a factual statement, (not should not, but it cannot). If I sin, it is because I made the choice. But once I'm saved, it's the power of God's Spirit in me that gives me the power over sin.
Lastly, 1 John 3:6, "Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him."
It sounds like a Christian does not sin according to scriptures. But here's what it's saying: The word abides is a Present Participle, (abiding). Whoever is abiding in Him "is" (Present Tense), not sinning, (continuously as a habit of life). It's not talking about committing an act of sin. It's talking about committing sin continuously, a lifestyle of not surrendering to Christ.
It's a condition. Whoever is continuously remaining (Abiding/MENO) in Him, does not practice sin, ever!
As someone who has been born of the Spirit of God, I can never go back and live the old lifestyle I lived before I received Christ. It's impossible!
The contrast: "Whoever sins, and again that's a Participle. Whoever is (continuously sinning) has not seen Him, neither have they known Him.
The joy of the Lord is the unshakeable conviction that God loves you more than you can fathom, the rock-solid God is with you everywhere you go.
You get the joy of the Lord through doing His will, otherwise, the Christian will lead a sad, defeated life.
1. When you sin, confess it right there, right then.
2. Find His purpose for you in life. You can do this by drawing closer and closer to Him through prayer, reading, and studying His word. Form a habit of daily devotions, praising God, confessing sin--known, those you've forgotten, and those you don't know about--pray for others, whatever the Holy Spirit convicts you to say. Don't worry about being eloquent, just talk to the Father.
3. Heed the conviction of the Holy Spirit, whether it is to confess sin or to witness for Jesus Christ to someone--whatever He bids you do.
4. Meditate on the character of God--His love for you, his mercies, blessings, protection, answers to prayer...
5. Meditate on the Gospel. Every one of your sins, past, present, and future has been paid for in full.
There is no judgment left for you, only mercy.
--You are an adopted son or daughter of God and will receive an inheritance from God.
--You have been freed from the power of sin and now have power to obey.
--You call God, "Father," and have an intimate relationship with him.
--You are part of God's forever family and uniquely joined to his people.
--You have life everlasting and will eventually experience the new heavens and new earth.
And so much more
6. Do good works toward others.
I am praying for you. I leave you with this:
Galatians 5:22-24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
God bless!
Much of today's talk is of "falling in love" with Christ. We need to carefully examine the character and nature of the Godhead before attaching human; emotional or seemingly romantic sentiments on the Creator and Judge; Lord; Savior and Master.
There is no root in human nature; i.e. the flesh which desires God; in fact we are at enmity with Him in our carnal state and in fact enemies of God ( Romans 5:10). The fact that there is contention between the flesh and Spirit ( Galatians 5:17); and vice versa.
It is only in dying to self where we can submit to His authority; and the source of the life within us comes from heavenly places ( Galatians 2:20). The closest we could say about a human relationship is that we submit to each other; or sacrifice our lives.
Apart from Christ; we have two sinners that are by the grace of God involved (if married) in a covenant with God where if allowed in a best case scenario the individuals will finally be broken enough to realize that the Lord is the only thing that can change their selfish interest and natures. Any human sentiment is based on self satisfaction and or gratification which at best is a skewed shadow of God's love. This is also illustrated in Christ's story of how even us "being evil" bring good gifts to our kids. ( Matthew 7:11). We are also "unworthy servants" if we do what is expected ( Luke 17:10).
There are those who would at least put on a show of outward appearance of kindness; generousity; and self sacrifice. Apart from Christ; we can only say that the Lord is using these individuals to meet earthly needs as well as those of believers in His Providence. It is only by His grace that we would want to take on the nature of Christ; a "man of sorrows' ( Isaiah 53:3); as well as dying to self daily; carrying our cross and truly being a disciple and counting the cost. And today's Christian industries of entertainment often appeal the flesh; and have weak at best doctrines to live by.
So it's not that we have to worry about turning from sin (the law is covered), but the NT teachings must dwell within a Christian or else the truth is not in him ( 1 John 2:3).
As the apostle wrote, "And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit" ( Galatians 5:24,25). And it's only by the Power of the Spirit in us can our flesh be crucified, and only by the Life of the Spirit in us can we truly walk in the Spirit, desiring only to please our Lord God & His Son. Those who so walk, can be confident that "an entrance shall be ministered unto (them) abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." ( 2 Peter 1:11).
Love is the greatest fruit. You can have everything in the world, but if you do not have love, you have nothing.
Jesus is the only way to be saved. Here are the instructions--
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.- Romans 10:9-13.
If you have asked Him to forgive you and come into your heart, you are saved. Surrender to Him. Do His will. Pray, read and study His Word, bear witness of him, have faith.
God bless you!
I guess it can be described as simple opposition to GOD, "rebellion is as witchcraft " leading into much worse.
Hopefully these are helpful
Psalms 139:23, 24 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Galatians 5:22-24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
I pray that you will reach out to Him today.:
To be saved:
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.- Romans 10:9-13.
Goodness, this is where good and goodness and all the words that have to do with AGATHOS come from. It displays not a human goodness, but a Spiritual Godly goodness.
And then here is something that can be pointed out if you so choose. Notice what the King James has. It has the word faith. The more modern translations have changed this to faithfulness, an adjective. But it's not an adjective. It is still the same noun that has been in all the manuscripts. All the manuscripts read the same. The King James has it correct. It seems as thought they couldn't come to grips and justify that God's Spirit produces faith, so they changed it to faithfulness. But it's faith!
And then you get to Galatians 5:23, and you see the word meekness. There is an old saying that goes, "Meekness does not mean weakness." It means openness or receptivity. It's one of the words that Paul used for those in ministry. It's also translated gentleness. But it means to be open. The person who's giving the word and ministering the things of Christ, that person must be more open and receptive than any other person. They can't close themselves off like they have arrived and everybody else hasn't. They have to be open.
And then temperance means self-control, or more literally the control of self. This is not self-control like trying to enforce discipline in our eating, as in "I've got to exhibit more self-control when I eat." This word means to be controlled from within, to be controlled by the Spirit of God.
And then he says against such there is no law. And again, he's saying that this is the fruit of God's Spirit. There is no law against these.
I know this is not a whole lot, but perhaps this might be of some help as you get ready to present your own sermon.
Caleb,
If I were given the opportunity in church to speak on Galatians 5:22-23, this is probably how I would present it:
I would break down each fruit listed; love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance, and present.
Beginning with Galatians 5:22, it says, But the fruit of the Spirit is, and then I would draw the attention of those whom I am presenting this to the fact that the word fruit is singular. People have tried to fit all this into a singular fruit. Most of the time people say love is the fruit that all the others are based on, so it's singular.
But it's actually more inclusive than that! All of these items are elements of the same and the one fruit. You cannot separate love from faith, and joy from faith, and joy from love because it's from the same Spirit. There's only one Spirit and this is Him.
And then you can break down the elements listed:
The first element of the one fruit is love, AGAPE. God's Spirit produces love. You and I cannot produce AGAPE love.
Joy, and that's not the dishwashing soap (If you want to add humor)! It's the Greek word for satisfaction. Be satisfied with the Lord at all times, and again I will say be satisfied. It doesn't mean a happy feeling. It means to be satisfied.
And then peace. The word peace, EIRENE, means unity.
Longsuffering means to be slow in human reaction. In God's standpoint, I can tolerate and be slow in my human reaction because that is a characteristic of God's Spirit, not me.
Gentleness, which is literally the word kindness, and it has to do with being useful. It is Spiritual usefulness. The bible says that if you don't know Christ, you are not spiritually useful at all!
I will send Part 2 shortly.
How can I put this in a Sirmon
Psalms 139:23, 24 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Galatians 5:22-24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Psalm 25:4 Show me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.
Now, I would ask: have you been born again? There is no peace without Christ. This is how to be saved:
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.- Romans 10:9-13.
"As it is written, 'There is none righteous, no, not one.'" ( Romans 3:10)
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." ( Romans 3:23)
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." ( Romans 6:23)
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." ( Romans 5:8)
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." ( Romans 10:13)