Author: petebeck3

Pete Beck III ministered as a pastor and Bible teacher in Burlington for over 34 years. He is married to Martha, with whom he has four children, ten beautiful grandchildren, and four amazing great grandchildren. He ministers in his local church as a Bible teacher and counselor. He has published two books - Seeing God's Smile and Promise of the Father - as well as a wide variety of Bible-related articles which he has compiled into books in PDF form.

Suffering, the Gateway to Glory

No one wants to suffer. Normal people do not wish anyone else to go through suffering either. For us who believe the Bible, we understand that suffering is a result of sin and the devil’s activity. Those who do not believe the Bible sometimes think that the presence of suffering in the world proves that God either does not exist, is not in control, or is not loving. What relationship does God want us to have with suffering? Can anything good come from it? Should it be avoided at all costs or embraced when it comes our way?

The first coming of Jesus ignited a firestorm of suffering.

God in human form arrived on earth as a baby to initiate a direct frontal assault against the kingdom of darkness. Although only God fully understood the scope and significance of Jesus’ birth, Satan knew that his advent spelled doom for him.

In fulfillment of prophecy, God used an apparently insignificant young virgin to give birth to his Son, the eternal Logos or Word. Mary suffered through being misunderstood and misjudged. She was considered to be an immoral woman by her future husband and her neighbors. Joseph probably heard jokes or insults regarding the “bastard” son conceived by the woman who apparently stepped out on him. Jesus knew what it meant to be considered “illegitimate.” Why would God require these obedient servants to be so misunderstood and maligned? This is part of the mystery that surrounds suffering.

He used a Roman census to bring Mary and Joseph to the prophesied birthplace in Bethlehem. Everything was done in keeping with God’s previous promises and plan. Jesus was born without notice or fanfare in a humble stable. Only Mary and Joseph, the angels, and some shepherds knew what happened, and even they only had a glimmer of understanding. Whereas the Jewish leaders and biblical scholars were oblivious to his arrival, foreign dignitaries called magi knew about him, came to worship him, and honored him by giving him their treasures. God always has those to whom he reveals his secrets.

The evil powers arrayed against God’s kingdom were not about to give safe passage to the promised Messiah, who posed a direct threat to their long standing reign on the earth. As soon as they discovered what happened, a vicious retaliation was made that brought lots of other “uninvolved” people into the ever expanding ring of suffering. After Herod ascertained the approximate time of the Messiah’s birth from the magi, he dispatched soldiers to put to death every male child two years old and younger who lived in the vicinity of Bethlehem, thinking he would rid himself of this threat to his power. Innocent children died because Jesus was born. Families encountered the almost unimaginable grief of watching their precious children butchered in their presence. Why did God allow this? Why were so many affected by the Savior’s birth?

Warfare always brings suffering, which usually extends to noncombatants. Why should we expect anything different in the epic struggle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness?

Everyone who was and is touched personally by the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus suffered or suffers in some capacity as a consequence.

Mary was warned by a prophet named Simeon that she would suffer on account of her son.

Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against 35 (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” Luke 2:34–35 (NKJV)

She must have recounted that prophecy as she watched Jesus die on the cross. The disciples all suffered on account of their association with Jesus and their fearless preaching of the gospel. Paul in particular was informed from the start of his discipleship journey that he would suffer greatly for the sake of the God’s kingdom. Do you suppose Jesus ever felt pangs of guilt because so many had to suffer on account of him?

Jesus did not apologize that following him puts us on a collision course with suffering.

Jesus warns his followers that we will have tribulation, but to fear not.

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NKJV)

Paul wrote that through much tribulation we will enter God’s kingdom.

...they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God. Acts 14:22 (NLT)

Where the kingdom is advancing, there is always warfare, and warfare always brings suffering.

Today it is good to be reminded that serving our Lord always comes at a cost.

And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:27 (NLT)

Let us take stock of our own journey with the Lord. What cost have we paid thus far? Is there any sign that we are involved in the warfare that is always associated with the advance of God’s kingdom? If not, let us wonder why, and consider the words of Paul.

Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 2 Timothy 3:12 (NLT)

Jesus knows that those who choose to follow him will suffer, but he is not embarrassed by this nor does he feel guilty.

Suffering is the threshold through which we enter God’s glory.

Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. 26 Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” 27 Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. Luke 24:25-27 (NLT)

Many believers today have been insulated from suffering to a large degree. However, we must prepare for the distinct possibility of encountering significant persecution. Paul’s words to the church in Thessalonica are true for us today.

...But you know that we are destined for such troubles. 4  Even while we were with you, we warned you that troubles would soon come—and they did, as you well know. 1 Thessalonians 3:3-4 (NLT)

When persecution and suffering engulf the church, it always means that Satan is being threatened by the advance of God’s kingdom.

He will respond the only way he knows, by killing, stealing, and destroying. We will trust God to give us the strength to endure, knowing that Jesus suffered, too, and that suffering is the gateway to glory. As Paul wrote so long ago…

And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Romans 8:17 (NLT)
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How to Escape from the Prison of Bitterness

Bitterness imprisons its victims and subjects them to demonic harassment, a version of self-inflicted torture.

Jesus was very clear on this matter.

Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ 34 Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt. 35 “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.” Matthew 18:32–35 (NLT)

For a number of reasons, bitterness is one of the most serious sins that a believer in Christ can commit.

First of all, bitterness undercuts the mercy shown to us when we were forgiven. Forgiveness is the act of releasing an offender from a debt. In the parable quoted above, Jesus used a financial debt to illustrate the principle. Most of us however, do not owe God a debt of money. Ours is much more serious. The sin debt can never be paid by us. The parable of the unrighteous servant made this clear. The servant owed his master a vast sum. He asked for more time to pay it off, but the master knew that it was hopeless and forgave him the entire amount.

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace Ephesians 1:7 (NASB)

It is apparent that the servant did not appreciate his situation. He did not realize that he needed mercy, not more time. As a result, he imagined that he could eventually pay what he thought he still owed. He did not accept his being released from debt or he would have acted differently. Instead he roughly treated someone who owed him a minor debt and threw him in prison when he could not pay. When the master heard, his anger flared, and you know the rest of the story.

To forgive is to release someone from the debt they owe us.

It does not release them from God’s justice. It does not require us to trust them or be reconciled to them. Forgiveness is a one-way street. Reconciliation requires both parties participate.

Some of us imagine that if we forgive someone it will be equivalent to saying that what they did was no big deal. Nothing could be farther from the truth! It is quite the opposite. We cannot adequately forgive someone until we face the evil they perpetrated against us. We should never minimize the sin when offering forgiveness. Instead, we should acknowledge what they did and release them from any hatred or resentment we may have harbored against them. In addition, we let go of any demands we have made on them as “pay back”.

When we forgive a person, they are released from owing us anything, but that does not release them from their sin debt against God.

There is only one way to be released from that – by trusting in Jesus’ shed blood. Jesus offered himself as the Lamb of God to pay the penalty for our sins. We find our personal forgiveness that way, and anyone who sins against God can find the same release from divine justice. We can release guilty people from the debt they may owe us, but only God can remove guilt and condemnation. 

Whoever does not take advantage of God’s magnanimous offer through he gospel will face the awful wrath of God as the judgment. Vengeance belongs to God, not us. When we release people from our own demand for justice, it puts them squarely in God’s hand, the one to whom vengeance belongs.

Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the LORD. 20 Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” 21 Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good. Romans 12:19–21 (NLT)

When we refuse to forgive others, it is tantamount to saying we do not need forgiveness.

People who would perish in hell except for God’s undeserved mercy should not self-righteously refuse to extend mercy to others. Otherwise, we may be saying we have a higher standard of justice than God! This is the central message of the parable of the unrighteous servant.

Some say that when we forgive it is not as much for the other person as it is for ourselves. In fact, both are true. We release others from our judgment which frees them up to face God directly instead of being distracted by our offense against them. Additionally, we release ourselves from the prison of bitterness, a very painful and lonely place.

It is a scriptural principle that whatever we focus upon tends to control and mold us. The more we focus on what we should not be doing, the greater it dominates our thoughts. Contrariwise, when we focus on the Lord, we are changed into his image.

Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:17–18 (NKJV)

When we focus on sin, it molds us into its image, according to Paul.

The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 1 Corinthians 15:56 (NKJV)

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. 9 I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. 10 And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. 11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. Romans 7:7–11 (NKJV)

Instead, when we focus on the Lord and worship him, we are transformed into his image by the Holy Spirit.

When we hold a bitterness against someone, we end up dwelling on the offense. As we meditate upon our resentment and the evil done to us, we are changed into its image. Ironically, bitterness transforms us the one we hate.

God will intervene on our behalf, realizing that we have not yet learned the meaning and value of mercy. In his mercy, he will lock us up in our self-made prison and assign torturers to oppress us until we come to our senses. God does this because he loves us. He knows that we can never adequately experience the joys of forgiveness until we learn to forgive.

If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:14–15 (NLT)

When we imprison ourselves in bitterness, we do not experience the felt presence of God. Joy dries up. We cannot hear the Spirit speak to us. In addition, God grants demonic oppressors permission to harass us until we repent.

When I counsel people, one of the first things I address is bitterness because I have found that no progress can be made until we let go of bitterness.

Everyone who imprisons themselves in a dungeon of bitterness is given a key to open the door and walk out into freedom. It is called repentance and forgiveness.

We change our mind about holding on to offenses and release people from owing us anything at all. When we do this, the prison door swings upon and we are free to go.

Bitterness can be obvious to us and very subtle as well. Sometimes people are bitter without realizing it. We can be bitter against God, ourselves, and others. Those who are offended with God are in deep peril. Jesus warned against this great danger.

Once when Jesus shared a teaching that was hard to understand, many of his followers turned back and ceased to follow him. Observing this, Jesus asked his disciples:

Does this offend you? 62 What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? John 6:61b–62 (NKJV)

Sometimes God offends our intellects to test our hearts. He does not explain everything he does. Instead, he asks us to trust him, even during difficult times.

Taking offense at God is the height of arrogance.

To do so it is to say we are more righteous than he! I have known many people who turned their backs on God because he did something or allowed something that they thought was unforgivable. If this is something you have done, I encourage you to repent at once. Admit that we have no right to accuse God of anything ever. Humbling ourselves before God opens the door to many blessings.

And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” Matthew 11:6 (NKJV)

Sometimes we might take offense with ourselves, thinking that we do not deserve mercy of forgiveness. If we are tempted to do this, it means we have never truly understood the depths of our personal depravity. We still imagine that people are not so bad after all. But the Bible teaches us that no one is righteous before God. No one deserves mercy, not even me. Those who understand their spiritually bankrupt state are able to freely receive mercy from God. Those of us who are self-righteous have a more difficult time. Get over it. We are not good people. We need mercy that we can never earn!

Bitterness against other people is usually what we have to overcome, however. It is usually pretty easy to spot a bitter person. They keep talking about the offense because it is always fresh in their minds. If we keep bringing up what someone did to us, we can conclude that we have not yet forgiven that person.

Jesus said that we must forgive from the heart, which is impossible without help from the Holy Spirit.

Sometimes we simply need to admit that we need help to forgive. I remember counseling a person who could not bring themselves to forgive someone. I asked them if they were willing for God to make them willing. They were; so, I led them in a prayer to that effect. Afterward they were able to forgive.

Forgiveness is an act of the will. We choose to forgive and trust the Holy Spirit to make it heartfelt… eventually.

When we pray to forgive, it is not enough to ask the Lord to help us to do so. We must say it. Lord, I forgive (fill in the blank) for (fill in the blank).

Sometimes we know immediately whom we need to forgive. Sometimes we need to ask the Holy Spirit to show us. We should not become introspective about it. Rather, we should trust the Spirit to show us anyone we need to forgive. He will do it because God takes a vital interest in delivering us from this terrible sin.

We should love mercy because the merciful will receive mercy, something we all desperately need.

God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Matthew 5:7 (NLT)

For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. James 2:13 (NKJV)

Only those who humbly acknowledge their own great need for mercy will experience the fullness of God’s love and forgiveness. The more we understand our need for mercy, the more we will love God and be able to forgive others.

“I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” Luke 7:47 (NLT)
Prayer

Lord, forgive me for arrogantly imagining that I am not in desperate need of your mercy. I receive your mercy and choose to forgive. (Be as specific as necessary.) Now, Holy Spirit, release me from all bitterness. I walk out of my self-imposed prison into the glorious freedom of forgiveness. Amen.

You must make allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Colossians 3:13 (NLT)
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What do we do when we are unsure of our next move?

One of the most difficult and challenging times is when we are not sure of what to do next.

Because of Adam’s sin of partaking from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, we have an almost insatiable desire for knowledge. When confronted with an important choice in life, we want to know what to do. Not knowing creates a sense of angst inside us. Some turn to illicit means of gaining such knowledge, such as the occult. Because God was silent, King Saul turned to a medium on the eve of an important battle with the Philistine army to try to find out information God was hiding from him (1 Samuel 28). What should we do is such a situation?

God created us to rely him for everything. He is our Creator and Sustainer. Every breath we take is a gift. Without his continual upholding of our lives, we would fall dead.

And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power... Hebrews 1:3a (NASB95)

This does not mean that he wishes to keep us in an immature state, like a baby needing help all the time. Rather, God wants us to learn to trust him in an ever greater way to accomplish what would otherwise be impossible for us.

The devil tries to make us feel stupid and incomplete because we do not know everything. He tempts us to pridefully rebel against our God-given need to rely on the Lord. He used this successfully against Adam and Eve in the garden; so, we should not take this temptation lightly.

God did not create us as stupid beings, but he did limit our ability to know. Not knowing is part of the reason we are so dependent upon him.

The quest to be and act independently from God is a root behind all sin.

Jesus gave us the perfect example of God-dependent living.

He only did what he saw the Father doing (John 5:19) and spoke what he heard the Father saying (John 12:50). As a result of his perfect obedience to God, Jesus was completely free. Freedom is not doing what we please. Rather, it is pleasing God. Sin enslaves; whereas, God’s Spirit liberates.

Eve disobeyed God in a quest to know forbidden things. God asks us to trust him without having have all the information that we might desire. The Lord simply wants us to trust and obey. God tells us what we need to know at just the right time. Otherwise, we rest in the confidence that God knows all things and sovereignly oversees our destinies.

In God’s economy, faith in God’s faithfulness is more important than having knowledge.

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)

As the old hymn says,

Many Things About Tomorrow,
I Don’t Seem To Understand;
But I Know Who Holds Tomorrow,
And I Know Who Holds My Hand.

Everyone lives by faith in something, even if it is faith that there is nothing worth believing. Faith is based on believing what is unprovable using scientific methodology. The great mysteries of life must be accepted by faith.

  • Is there a God?
  • What is the purpose of life?
  • What happens after death?
  • What do I do next?

Those who say that faith is blind, do not know God.

When we take a step of faith, it should be based on something rock solid. God has given us his written Word in the Bible, and he has provided us with the Holy Spirit. It can still be “scary” to take God at his Word and act upon it, but such fear comes from a lack of experience of the faithfulness of God. The more we take such faith “leaps,” the greater our confidence in God.

The Spirit of God reveals God’s secrets to us.

But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. 1 Corinthians 2:10 (NLT)

He speaks to our hearts and opens our minds to understand the scriptures. This is the kind of knowledge that God permits and encourages. Revelation from the scriptures and from the Spirit are gifts from God and minister life to us, just the opposite of what happened in the garden when the wrong kind of knowledge was pursued and brought death.

But sometimes God withholds what we might consider to be key information, leaving us feeling very unsure of ourselves and what to do next. Such a time is an opportunity for us to demonstrate our faith that God will reveal to us whatever we need to know and handle the unknowns for us.

If the Lord withholds information, it is because we do not need to know. Knowing that God knows all things and is faithful to keep his promises is enough.

God is good and trustworthy, and we can trust in him even when nothing else makes sense. We do not have to know everything. We just need to rely on the one who does.

To the uninitiated, living by faith without any knowledge of what is happening or going to happen can be disconcerting. But when we learn to live by faith, it produces a deep sense of joy and peace. God is more trustworthy than what we can see with our eyes or understand with our minds.

For we live by believing and not by seeing. 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NLT)

When we put our faith in him, he gives us a peace that passes understanding.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)

So, when we are confused and unsure what to do next, it is time to find shelter in the “secret place” of God’s presence until he chooses to reveal what is the next thing we need to know. Until then we can choose to be content in knowing him.

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Overcoming Obstacles to Following Jesus

Followers of Jesus will face many obstacles on their discipleship journey.

Jesus warned that being his disciple is only for those who are willing to pay a price.

You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.Matthew 7:13-14 (NLT)

Because we are born with a sin nature and are inherently self-centered, we all tend to take the easy way, just as water seeks the path of least resistance. Very few embrace the difficult path by choice, but that is exactly what following Jesus requires. Is it any wonder that many of his would be disciples turn back from following him then and now? Let’s look at some of the obstacles to following Jesus that are listed in Luke’s gospel and see how we might overcome them.

Pressures from Family
If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:26 (NLT)

One of the first hurdles every follower of Christ likely will face is the conflict between following Jesus and pleasing his or her family. Being a disciple is not something we do in our spare time. It is not something we add to our lives without fundamentally altering everything else.

Following Jesus is more like gutting a home and totally remodeling it than simply rearranging the furniture.

Following Jesus means that we choose to love him more than any other person or thing. Our relatives may misinterpret our dedication to Christ as hatred toward them. Jealousy and resentment may lead some in our families to demand that we choose between them and the Lord. Making this choice is a painful test which some fail to pass.

If we cannot put Jesus ahead of family, we may get mired into compromise and disobedience, which can dilute the power of our testimony.

We can only walk with those who agree to follow the path of obedience to Christ.

Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction? Amos 3:3 (NLT)

A good way to overcome this obstacle is to ask God to protect our hearts from the pain of  rejection and trust the Holy Spirit to give us the strength to put God ahead of everything else, even family, if necessary.

Putting Our Own Interests First
And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:27 (NLT)

A cross was an horrible instrument of torture and death that served to remind people not to rebel against Rome. Everyone who heard our Lord’s words must have inwardly cringed. No one ever wanted to be crucified. Why would Jesus link following him with such a horrid death? Today, we use this term metaphorically, but to his early disciples, this was a real possibility. Many of his followers died painful deaths for maintaining ther allegiance to Jesus.

We are naturally motivated to preserve our lives. The second obstacle to discipleship is overcoming the impulse or habit to put ourselves first without regard for God’s will or the best interests of others. Being a disciple means we follow Jesus wherever he may lead. Evangelism is potentially a dangerous business, especially in countries that prohibit sharing the gospel. But even here in the USA people may suffer for their declared allegiance to Christ and his teachings. Following Christ means we choose to embrace our Lord and the gospel, no matter what the personal cost. God has a vested interest in enlarging his family, which happens when the gospel is shared and believed.

People who do not yet know Christ have a desperate need to hear the gospel, which trumps our desire for self-preservation. Jesus calls his followers to put their self interests behind his and those they serve, trusting that God will take care of them. Following Jesus may require us to make choices that may not always seem to be in our own best interests. In these cases we must choose Christ’s interests over our own.

These choices can involve to whom we relate , where we live, whom we marry, what job we take, how we spend our money and time, and possibly even whether we live or die. Martyrs make the choice to remain steadfast to Jesus at the cost of their own lives. This is the ultimate form of death to self, but the smaller day to day choices are usually what challenge most of us.

The ability to put others first and trust God to take care of us is a true test of faith. Overcoming the barrier of self-interest can be done with God’s help. We must trust the Holy Spirit to do this deep work in our hearts.

Paying the Cost

The third hurdle for every disciple is the financial cost of following Jesus, who is Lord of all, even our money.

But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? 29  Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. 30  They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’ 31  “Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? 32  And if he can’t, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. 33  So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own. Luke 14:28-33 (NLT)

The rich young man chose to walk away from following Jesus because he was unwilling to part with his wealth. Money represents different things to different people. It can be our ticket to comfort and material things. For others it provides security. Still others imagine that it provides power, recognition, and esteem.

Parting with our money means we are willing to let go of what it can provide for us and choose to trust God to provide everything we need instead.

The rich young ruler (Luke 18:18-24) did not realize he loved money more than God. He was surprised that Jesus’ offer of a place in his discipleship band carried such a heavy price tag – giving away all his wealth. When faced with having to make a choice between keeping his money or following Christ, he chose the former, to his own detriment and sadness. Jesus does not want us to be caught by surprise as was the young ruler, but to wisely consider the cost of discipleship prior to launching out on our journey with him.

Jesus claims the right to all we have because he is our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. If he demands that we give it all away to please him, we must do that. The cost of discipleship is more than monetary, however. Following Jesus will cost us our time, energy, freedom, family relationships, and may even impinge on our health. We are called to be willing to pay any and every price in order to follow Jesus. (Read Acts 4:34-37.) Overcoming this barrier requires that we honestly face our relationship with money and choose to put God first, trusting the Holy Spirit to develop faith in us that God is our ultimate Provider.

The Willingness to Endure Conflict

Anyone who chooses to follow Jesus will experience resistance and conflict. Spiritual warfare comes from the devil and from people who have a worldly perspective and are thus, perhaps unwittingly, aligned with Satan. Our enemy seeks to harass, intimidate, demoralize, and stop the work of God.

The more important our call and role is in God’s kingdom, the more intense the warfare we should expect.

God does not want us to be surprised by this, nor does he want us to surrender. God has made his children more than conquerors, but it takes courage and perseverance to overcome the enemy.

Spiritual warfare does not always show up the way we might expect. Suddenly everything may seem to start “going wrong.” Appliances or automobiles break. Loved ones get sick. Strife erupts. Discouragement pays a visit. Unless we are alert, we may be well on our way to losing the battle without even knowing that we are under attack. Disciples need to be alert and determined to acknowledge and praise God in all things because we truly believe Romans 8:28. Once we understand that we are in warfare, it actually gets easier to make a stand.

We cannot afford to be ignorant or oblivious to the devil’s tactics. (Read Ephesians 6:10-18.) What was the most costly conflict you have endured thus far that came as a result of being a disciple of Jesus? Were you surprised when it confronted you? Had you already made up your mind to push through it, or did you have to regroup? Have any loved ones suffered as a result of your commitment to Jesus? How is this different from personal suffering?

If we want to overcome this obstacle to discipleship, we should ask the Holy Spirit in advance to prepare and strengthen us to keep going when we encounter conflict and resistance. Retreat and surrender are not an option for a true disciple.

Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13 (NLT)
Giving Up Everything

The last instruction Jesus gave to his followers was to renounce everything they owned. When we declare allegiance to Christ at water baptism, we sign a blank check and give it to the Lord. He gets to choose when, where, and how much will be the amount he asks us to pay, up to everything we have.

It is one thing to agree in principle that Jesus owns everything, but it is quite another to give up  all that we own.

Renunciation makes it official. All we have belongs to Jesus and every good gift comes from God. He allows us to use it as he sees fit, and we should be ready to dispose of it at a moment’s notice. I assure you that this is not my idea, but the Lord’s.

God is generous and wants us to enjoy what God has put in our hands, but he does not want anything to “own” us but God.

This is not necessarily a one and done proposition. We will probably need to continually disentangle ourselves from the pull of what we have until the day we let go of it all at death. He does not require the same things at the same time from everyone. We cannot compare ourselves to others in this matter. Ours is to faithfully follow the Lord on the particular path he has for us.

Prayer

Jesus, I choose to be your disciple and, with your help, I embrace the cost. I put my relationship with you over all my other relationships. I am prepared to be rejected by people who may misunderstand or hate my loyalty to you. My desire is for my family and friends to walk together with me on this journey of faith, but, if need be, I will choose to put you ahead of them, no matter how much it hurts. Lord, forgive me for loving myself more than I love you. I purpose to put you first from now on. Help me to boldly embrace any persecution or suffering which may accompany boldly witnessing to others and sharing the gospel. I ask you to help me choose to put your will over mine whenever there is a conflict. Lord, I give you my finances. All I have came from you and belongs to you, and I give it back to you. Help me to never back away from any cost associated with following you, even if it means death. Help me never to retreat or surrender to the attacks from Satan and those who serve him. I renounce everything I have – my relationships, my choices, my money, my right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, my comfort, my time, my peace – so that I can please you. I know that you will give me back more than I can ever give you. I totally depend on your grace and Holy Spirit to enable me to follow you as a disciple. Allow me to be an encourager to all those who call on your name. Amen.

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How Can We Discern What God Is Telling Us?

Is it possible to accurately discern what God is telling us? Jesus promised us that his sheep will hear and recognize his voice.

"But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. 3  "To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4  "When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5  "A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers." John 10:2-5 (NASB)

Every born again follower of Christ has the ability to “hear God.”

Many people who believe in Jesus may say that they cannot “hear” his voice. The inability to hear and recognize Jesus’ voice to us may be due to our not being born again. If you are in doubt about this, please refer to the article connected to this link. If we are convinced that we have experienced the new birth but do not know how to hear God, this could be the result of not understanding how God speaks to us. This article will show you some of the ways God communicates with his people. It also covers the prerequisite heart attitudes for being able to discern God’s voice.

God is perfectly able and willing to communicate to us everything we need to know at precisely the right time.

God is not a vending machine ready to dispense “words” to us at our bidding. Instead, he is worthy to be pursued and waited upon.

But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV)

It is brings him honor when we seek him and simply listen, even when he doesn’t seem to be speaking. That being said, if we are not hearing the Lord at all, the problem almost always lies on our side.

It may surprise you to hear that many people receive communications from God without being aware. We may not be paying no attention or not recognize them as coming from God. Once we learn how the Lord speaks, it enables us to more accurately discern his voice and grow in confidence regarding what we hear. Note: When I use “hear” and “voice,” I do not necessarily mean that we hear with our ears an audible voice. That is rare. Rather, we hear in our hearts, in our spirits, and in our minds. It is a real hearing, but different from using the physical sense of hearing.

Prerequisites for Hearing God

The greatest requirement, perhaps the only requirement, for being able to understand what God is communicating to us is to have a proper heart attitude toward him and other people. The scariest threat to each one of us is what the Bible calls a “hardened” heart.

FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.' Matthew 13:15 (NASB)

A hardened heart is one that is closed to God. It does not have the ability to perceive what God’s Spirit is saying nor experiences conviction regarding sin.

Jesus is more than willing to deliver us from this condition, but we must come to him in humility, repentance, and the fear of the Lord.

These are three heart attitudes that increase our receptivity to God. These are qualities found in those who have surrendered their lives to our Lord Jesus and in whom the Holy Spirit is working.

Perhaps the greatest reason people’s hearts become hard is our refusal to acknowledge, honor, and worship God. Paul graphically illustrated what happens to those who make this choice.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19  because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20  For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21  For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Romans 1:18-21 (NASB)

One of the most telltale signs of having such a darkened heart condition, even among professed Christians, is murmuring and complaining about our circumstances and lot in life.

One of God’s most important attributes is his sovereign power and rule over all things he created. Even though he does not originate evil, whenever we encounter difficulties, tests, or even terrible things, it has to be acknowledged that God allows it. This is a huge snare for many.

The devil attempts to get us to accuse God of evil and injustice than surrender to his loving sovereignty.

One of the most important verses in the Bible is the following.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 (NASB)

When we stop fighting God and begin worshiping him in the midst of our most trying circumstances, we will be able to hear God’s voice on a whole new level.

We praise him not because we like what is going on or because we confuse evil for good. We worship him because we know that he will transform every single thing in our lives, even the difficult or terrible things, into something good. If we want to add a beautiful finishing touch to our praise, we can ask God to work our circumstances and our responses in such a way that they will bring him glory. That is a prayer centered in God’s will and will surely be answered. To summarize, if we want to hear God in a greater way, stop complaining. Start worshiping and declaring that we believe God is sovereignly working all things together for our good and his glory.

Another huge hindrance to being able to know what God is communicating is when we harbor resentment and bitterness.

I have found that, until we forgive, we will usually hear nothing at all from him except to repent. If we want to hear God clearly, ask the Holy Spirit to show us if you need to forgive anyone. To forgive, biblically speaking, means to release from a debt. When we forgive, we tell ourselves, God, and perhaps the other person that he or she no longer owes us anything at all. They are “off the hook” as far as we are concerned. They still must reckon with God. We can safely leave justice to him. If we clear our hearts of every offense, we will surely hear God’s voice.

How God Communicates with Us

God is a Spirit and communicates via the Holy Spirit.

The ways of God are different from ours. If we are expecting God to only communicate as another human being does, we will be disappointed and miss much of what he is telling us. Humans are unique beings. We have bodies, souls, and spirits (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

God made us to be able to interface in the natural world and the spiritual one.

When Adam and Eve sinned, it severely damaged our connection to God and the realm of the Spirit. When we surrender to Christ’s lordship, the Holy Spirit comes into our lives and unites with our spirits (1 Corinthians 6:17), reestablishing our communication line with God. In fact, it is much better than that. In the Old Testament, God spoke externally, from afar. Now he speaks from within us.

The Bible says we have the “mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16), which means we are able to think his thoughts.

This does not mean that all our thoughts are from God, but many are. In other words, quite often God communicates seamlessly with his people. If we are expecting an external voice to speak to us, we may miss God altogether. In fact, such expectations are Old Covenant in nature when God was with his people but not residing in them. Now Christ lives inside each of us.

To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27 (ESV)

There are four main ways that the Holy Spirit uses to communicate with us: the scriptures, the inner voice or prompting of the Spirit, other people, and circumstances. Often he uses all four in harmony. Let’s examine each.

The Scriptures

The Bible is the gold standard for God’s will. If what we think is God’s voice does not agree with the clear teachings of Scripture, we should reject it.

The only caveat is that sometimes our understanding of the Bible is defective, as when Peter was told by the Spirit to violate his religious tradition to go to the Gentile Cornelius’ house. We can rest assured that the Spirit will never instruct us to violate God’s moral law, however.

If we accept the Bible as authoritative, the next challenge is how to properly interpret it. Although Scripture clearly speaks to many issues and situations, it does not cover everything we will face in life. Generally, we can depend on the broad outlines shown in the Bible. When it come to what job to take, we may have a choice between working for a company that has integrity and one that does not. Generally speaking, the Bible indicates that we should choose the former. But what about when the Bible does not specifically address our situation? There have been many times in my life when this has been the case; nevertheless, God spoke to me clearly from the scriptures. While reading the Bible, specific verses seemed to “jump” off the pages. I had an inner conviction that the Holy Spirit spoke directly to me, that the verses I read were specifically for me in my situation. We cannot make this happen. I do not advise simply opening the Bible and putting your finger on a random verse, trusting that it will be a specific word for you; although God can even do that.

We can ask God to speak to us as we read the Bible. We should be alert to the Holy Spirit providing such revelation. 

But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. John 16:13 (NASB)

Some call this receiving a “rhema” word from God. The “logos” is the written word, but “rhema” is when God makes the Bible come alive personally to us and our situation. I have had this happen many times. God is no respecter of persons. He will do it for any one of us, too.

The Inner Voice or Prompting of the Spirit

The rhema word of God can be considered an inner prompting of the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit also communicates messages that are not strictly Scripture, but will never violate or contradict Scripture. God’s Spirit communicates via what we might call an inner “voice”, dreams, visions, and the gifts of the Spirit, as listed in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11. Once again, we cannot manufacture these communications. Our responsibility is to try to be alert to God in expectation that he may speak. I will not go into more detail about this at this time, but, if you are interested, you can read more about it in my book, Promise of the Father, which goes into greater detail about the baptism and gifts of the Holy Spirit.

This kind of communication is very real, but sadly many followers of Christ are almost totally ignorant and out of touch with the amazing way God shows us things. I have heard clear words, not audible, but extremely clear from the Holy Spirit. I do not know how I knew it was God’s Spirit. We just know by the Spirit when God speaks to us.

As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him. 1 John 2:27 (NASB)

Intuition is a function of the Spirit. It is how Jesus knew things outside the realm of human senses and reasoning.

The same Holy Spirit indwells and empowers us. God’s gifts are very much alive and well. The Spirit will open our hearts and minds to him if we seek him.

Because what we hear from the Spirit is often very subjective and open to interpretation, it is crucial that we submit what we hear to the Bible’s teachings and to other mature believers who can help us judge what we hear. If we neglect or reject this safeguard, we may err. If God speaks to us, other mature believers will almost always be able to corroborate or correct us on the matter. This is one reason why it is so important to be in a local church under trusted oversight and have strong peer relationships with other mature believers.

Other People

As just mentioned, God uses others to speak into our lives. This can be in the form of teaching and preaching, counseling, or casual conversation.

Leadership in the local church has a profound responsibility to speak into the lives of the people it oversees.

Paul wrote Timothy the following.

preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 2 Timothy 4:2 (NASB)

We should pay close attention to what our leaders tell us. They are given to us by God to watch over, protect, guide, and feed God’s people. No godly leader should try to direct the small details of your life or lord over your faith and walk with God. Instead, good leaders help their people grow to spiritual maturity and to learn how to hear and follow God for themselves, just as a proper parent does for his or her child. Nevertheless, sometimes our parents and leaders must speak very directly to us in the form of a command or correction, and we should be open to their warnings and counsel, as long as it agrees with the Bible and does not violate our consciences. We submit to them as to the Lord. This means that we acknowledge God in their lives. We are never to simply mindlessly submit to authority. This can lead to bondage.

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you. Hebrews 13:17 (NASB)

In addition, we have a responsibility to speak into the lives of the other people in our local church and to those we are discipling.

Every person has this responsibility. God makes us all competent counselors, as long as we are feeding on the Word of God, listening to the Spirit, and are properly related in a local church.

Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. 5  Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, 6  who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 2 Corinthians 3:4-6 (NASB)

God wants to speak through his people when we gather as disciples, too. Each of us can be used by God’s Spirit to encourage, comfort, and build up our brothers and sisters.

What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. 1 Corinthians 14:26 (NASB)

To summarize, we should listen for God to speak to us through other people, but never allow this method to preempt our responsibility to hear God speak directly to us through the scriptures and by the inner voice of the Spirit. Generally, what others tell us should confirm what we think God is showing us through the first two methods. One obvious exception is when we are following a sinful course of action. In that case, we are not listening to God or his Word and need to be rebuked.

Circumstances

God often uses circumstances as a way to direct our paths, but being directed this way requires a lot of maturity and discernment. We dare not simply “go with the flow” of our circumstances. Sometimes God wants us to push against adversity by faith. At other times God uses circumstances to correct our course.

Circumstances always have to be interpreted by the Word of God, the Spirit’s voice, and often with the help of other counselors.

If our circumstances are difficult, we may improperly read them as an evidence of God’s being unhappy with us. Conversely, if things are going well from our perspective, we may falsely assume that God is well pleased with us. God blesses those who are not obedient quite often and allows his beloved children to endure suffering and hardship at times. In fact, God uses suffering to shape Christ’s character in us.

Wisdom always asks God to help us interpret our circumstances. God will be sure to help us understand, if we seek him and are open to input from trusted brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Conclusion

It is our responsibility and privilege to contend for what God has given to us, just as Israel contended for the promised land. God’s goal is for us to become so attuned to the Spirit that we more perfectly represent Christ and his kingdom. If we apply ourselves, we can grow to maturity and be able to tell others what we hear God speaking (John 8:28) and do what we see him doing (John 5:19). This is what it means to walk in step with God’s Spirit.

Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Galatians 5:25 (NLT)
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How Do We Show Loyalty to Jesus against Competing Loyalties?

Following Christ means we choose him above every other competing loyalty. Semper fi (semper fidelis) is the Marine Corps motto. It is Latin for “always faithful” or “loyal.” I have known a few Marines, and they take this seriously. Marines pledge allegiance to the U.S. flag, Constitution, and nation and are willing to defend her in times of war at the cost of their lives. Semper fi could easily be the motto for disciples of Christ, too.

A follower of Christ, above all else, is loyal to Jesus the Lord.

But if you refuse to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15 (NLT)

Just as Joshua called Israel to choose whom they would serve, Jesus told his followers that we will have to choose between him and every other competing allegiance. The early disciples understood this very well.

The devil seeks to deceive us into thinking that we can maintain allegiance to Jesus and serve competing ideologies and kingdoms, without grasping that devotion to one is the betrayal of the other. Jesus put it well regarding our relationship with the kingdom of Mammon.

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Matthew 6:24 (NLT)

Money is not the only master that craves our allegiance. In this article, we will take a look at what it means to be loyal to the Lord Jesus against competing ideologies and kingdoms.

Allegiance to Christ

In his exceptional book, Salvation by Allegiance Alone, Matthew Bates shows conclusively that one major aspect of faith is allegiance. You can read my book summary by clicking on the above link. To summarize his thinking, not only is faith trusting in the efficacy of Christ’s atoning work on the cross and the power and authority that resides in him as the risen lord, it includes showing allegiance or loyalty to him as a person.

Christ’s death on the cross invites us to receive the benefits of his atoning sacrifice. The proper response to his resurrection is to surrender to his lordship and show continuing loyalty to him thereafter.

Bates writes:

When the full gospel is presented, the call to action is organically embedded in the story. Jesus the enthroned king has summoned everyone, including you and me, to turn away from all other allegiances and to give him exclusive loyalty. (p. 202)

Jesus clearly taught this truth.

So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.36 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.Matthew 10:32-39 (ESV)

A danger for us lies in trying to harmonize opposing loyalties, thinking that it is possible to maintain peace between warring kingdoms.

James clearly states the necessity for us to choose sides.

You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. James 4:4 (ESV)

If we fail to take Christ’s side, we may find ourselves opposing the Lord and commit a form of spiritual adultery, a very sobering thought.

He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me, scatters. Luke 11:23 (NASB)

 

Jesus vs. The Kingdom of Self

God created us to live in a participatory dependence upon the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Imagine a flock of birds wheeling in the sky, seemingly being conducted by God himself as they veer seemingly on cue in unison. This is a great picture of what it means to live in harmony with the Spirit, which is the normal Christian life. (I recommend that you read Watchman Nee’s book, The Normal Christian Life. See my summary by clicking here. )

Humans have a spirit, soul, and a body (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

God designed us so that our spirits would be in sync with the Holy Spirit, with our souls (mind, will, and emotions) and bodies following seamlessly.

The spirit is where we connect with God. It is the innermost part of our being that is unified with God’s Spirit when we are born again (1 Corinthians 6:17). When Adam and Eve elected to disobey God and eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they forsook their spiritual union and dependence upon God, choosing to live self-directed lives. Their sinful choice resulted in spiritual and physical death and destruction and created in us, their descendants, an inborn propensity to experience life on our terms without reference to God. Jesus came to restore us to the Father’s original plan at great cost to himself. He chose to lay aside his own natural desire for self-preservation in order to please the Father by dying as our substitute, the Lamb of God.

Jesus’ willingness to lay down his own soul and physical life is the only reason we have been given the opportunity to lay down ours. Disciples are called to follow Jesus’ example by willingly dying to the kingdom of self in order to show full allegiance to God.

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25  For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26  For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? Matthew 16:24-26 (ESV)

The essence of discipleship is renouncing our sinful allegiance to self and declaring full allegiance to Christ.

This is the part of the significance of water baptism, which is a public declaration of loyalty to our Lord. The symbolism of going down into the water and rising up out of it reflects that we died to our old way of life and now seek to live exclusively for him.

Death to self is all inclusive, yet Jesus usually collects in small payments over a lifetime. Some of us quickly yield large chunks of our soul to his lordship. For others it is a long, tedious, and painful process. Becoming a disciple is comparable to signing a blank check, knowing that Jesus will fill in the amount later, whenever he pleases and for whatever amount he desires.

The kingdom of self prefers a personal Savior to a Lord. A personal Savior will rescue me from hell without intruding on my day-to-day life, but a Lord requires everything from me.

Jesus vs. the Kingdom of Family

The Bible is full of examples of God’s people being more loyal to their loved ones than to him, and it always has bad results. The first person who comes to mind is Adam. He decided to support Eve in her rebellion rather than obey of God. Abraham listened to Sarah’s unbelief, had a baby through her servant Hagar, and now we have huge international problems as a result. Eli the priest did not call his rebellious sons on the carpet, preferring them over God. (This is God’s account of the matter, as related to the young Samuel – 1 Samuel 3:12-14). David failed to properly discipline his son, Amnon, for raping his half-sister Tamar. His failure to administer some level of justice regarding this matter set the stage for a seed of bitterness to grow  in Absalom’s heart, which turned to hatred and murderous rebellion. The kingdom experienced civil war because David loved Amnon more than God. David was a man after God’s own heart, but even he failed in this instance by choosing family over God.

God wants us to love our families dearly, but without allowing that love to hinder our devotion to him.

There may be times when allegiance to Jesus forces us to choose sides between loved ones and God.

This is easily seen when a new believer has to elect between following Jesus and retaining a good standing with the family. In Islamic countries, the seriousness of this choice might be increased by the threat of death. It is somewhat less clear, perhaps, when one spouse wants to fully follow Jesus, but the other does not. Or when children resist their parents and don’t want to attend church meetings with them. Sometimes disciples get weary of standing against the resistance offered by non-compliant family members and decide to scale back their devotion and obedience to God. All of these situations test our loyalty to God.

Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30  who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. 31  But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” Mark 10:29-31 (ESV)

Allegiance to Christ is never an excuse or pretext to ignore, abandon, or neglect our loved ones, however.

Faithfulness to family is an earmark of a true disciple (1 Timothy 5:8), as long as it does not pull us away from our primary loyalty to God.

Jesus vs. the Kingdom of Mammon

Mammon is one of the most insidious masters of all which desires to water down our allegiance to Christ.

In America we consider the pursuit of wealth part of our birthright. Such thinking has even invaded the church in the form of what some call the “prosperity gospel.” While having money is certainly not in itself a bad thing, money is a root of all sorts of evil, according to the Bible.

But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. 1 Timothy 6:9-10 (ESV)

The average Christian does not understand the pernicious pull money exerts against the things of God. When the cost of things is our first consideration when deciding on a course of action, it is possible that money rather than God is at the helm in our lives. When we choose to hoard what we have rather than tithe or otherwise be generous, we may be serving the wrong god. The love of money can exist in the hearts of poor people as well as the rich. It is an attitude of the heart. Likewise, it is possible to have great wealth but not be owned by it.

Ownership is the central issue. Does God own our money, for which we act as his stewards, or do we imagine it belongs to us?

Jesus made it clear that our possessions can end up owning us if we are not careful.

But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21  So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” Luke 12:20-21 (ESV)

Disciples are willing to sacrifice their money on the altar in order to serve Jesus.

Jesus vs. the Kingdoms of This World

Before Jesus entered into public ministry, the devil tempted him to pursue the acquisition of power and authority over the kingdoms of this world illegitimately by bowing down to him.

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9  And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Matthew 4:8-9 (ESV)

This was a clear cut case of choosing between competing allegiances.

The kingdom of God is an “imperium.” It is the most glorious and powerful kingdom of all that will eventually destroy and replace all competing kingdoms. (Daniel 7:13-14)

The devil and earthly authorities and kingdoms also seek our unqualified allegiance, just as Satan asked from Jesus. Worldly kingdoms want us to bow down to them, in the same way as Nebuchadnezzar demanded that all his subjects bow down to the golden image of himself or suffer death. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused and were thrown into the fiery furnace for their courageous allegiance to God. Jesus or an angel (“one like a son of the gods”) met them there in the fire of testing, keeping them alive to the great astonishment of the Babylonian king, which resulted in his conversion of a sort.

Allegiance to God’s kingdom may carry a large price tag, but loyalty lived out actually can change the course of history.

There is a great clash between worldly kingdoms and our Lord’s. It is not always apparent, which is especially the case in the U.S., where our republic enlists and depends upon the participation of its citizens, involving us in politics and government to some degree. It is our civic and religious duty to be good citizens. In Paul’s day, it was much different. The governments of Israel and Rome were not republics and were hostile to the faith, persecuting Christians even to death at times. Believers, for the most part, were not able to participate in the government, but kept a safe distance from it by necessity. Today, if believers in Christ forsake participating in our republic, we will be governed by the ungodly. How to remain loyal to Jesus while involving ourselves in government matters is a challenge.

Governments seek our unqualified allegiance. Our own republic claims ownership of our land and other property, which we rent back by paying our taxes. It claims jurisdiction over our children, which we can retain if we follow its rules. It licenses nearly everything and even tries to impose limits on what churches can teach. This is not the government envisioned by our Founding Fathers, but it is what we have today.

As long as governments stay within their divinely sanctioned limits of providing order, justice, and protection, things can work pretty well.

It is when government exalts itself and takes what belongs properly to God that our allegiances are tested.

Jesus taught that we must give to government what properly belongs to it – honor, taxes, and limited allegiance, but we must give ultimate allegiance to God alone. (Mark 12:17)

When government demands that we disobey God or otherwise violate our consciences, we are required to disobey, while still maintaining a proper respect for authority.

Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 28  "We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name," he said. "Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood." 29  Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men! Acts 5:27-29 (NIV)

Today we face potential threats from government when it tells us what stance we take regarding homosexuality, transgenderism, and abortion. If things continue to spiral downward, disciples of our Lord may have to choose between obedience to God and obedience to the state, between freedom and imprisonment. In China, believers are routinely imprisoned for not bowing to the State. In Islamic nations, martyrdom is often the consequence. But this is all part of God’s wise plan. Whereas governments often choose to use people to further their ambitions, Jesus asks us to voluntarily offer our lives as part of his plan to bring into line godless powers and authorities. Instead of using the force of arms, God uses the power of martyrdom.

They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. Revelation 12:11 (NIV)

Martyrdom is perhaps the highest form of declaring allegiance to the Lord Jesus. Islam asks its martyrs to die in the pursuit of forcing others to bow to Allah. Christ asks his followers to offer their lives to him as part of his plan to release divine power on the earth to save many souls and bring down every rival kingdom. As the church father, Tertullian, wrote: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” Truly God’s ways are not ours!

Conclusion

A disciple lives by faith, which is a combination of showing allegiance to the Lord Jesus and complete trust in God’s love, power, and faithfulness.

The secret of the New Covenant is that God not only forgives and reconciles us to himself, but he also lives his life through us.

Jesus told his followers:

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29  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. 30  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

Serving such a God is more of a joy than a requirement and more of an adventure than a duty.

Choosing sides in a world of competing allegiances is fairly straightforward, once we understand who Jesus is and what is at stake. Living up to our declared allegiance is impossible on our own, but it is completely doable with God’s help.

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13  for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Philippians 2:12-13 (ESV)

 

Prayer

Jesus, I confess that you alone are Lord. I give you my heart, my hopes, my dreams, my past, my present, and my future – my life itself. Help me to be loyal to you above all other competing allegiances. Help me to love you more than my own life, my family, money, my country… everything. Holy Spirit I depend on you to live Christ’s life through me. I am not up to doing this on my own, and you never intended me to do so. I dedicate myself to your Kingdom and mission and know that you will never ever leave or forsake me. Amen.

Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! 4  I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. 5  You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy. Psalm 63:3-5 (NLT)
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How Do We Align Ourselves with God’s Purposes?

Aligning ourselves with God’s purpose for our lives is extremely important. When we come to Christ, he reveals himself as our savior and our Lord. For the rest of our time here on earth he will teach us how to surrender more and more of our lives to him. He wants us to be fully aligned with his plan and purposes and to walk in step with the Holy Spirit.

Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Galatians 5:25 (NLT)

At work, if we understand the purpose of our employer, it helps us to get in line with company goals and focus on what is important to our boss.  It is no different with Jesus and the kingdom of God. Our Lord told his disciples to seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness, not our own success or comfort. (Matthew 6:33) After the resurrection, the first apostles began to more fully understand what this means. Today we followers of Christ can also be slow to grasp what are God’s purpose for us and the church.

Many suppose that the gospel is primarily for us, but actually it is first and foremost for God. We live in a consumer culture in which we are trained to evaluate people, things, and groups in terms of how it benefits us.

Repentance essentially involves changing how we think.

Replacing society’s “me first” focus with prioritizing God and his desires is a big part of what it means to be transformed by the Spirit into a disciple.

Jesus died on the cross for us who believe, but that was not the main thing on his mind as he approached and endured that horrible agony. He was most concerned about pleasing his Father in heaven. His prayer in the garden of Gethsemane is the supreme example of embracing God’s will, no matter what the personal cost.

Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.” Matthew 26:42 (NLT)

For us to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives, we, too, must surrender to God’s will for our lives.

Love

I love Bible verses that capture the simplicity of what it means to be a follower of Christ. One such is found in Paul’s First Letter to Timothy.

The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith. 1 Timothy 1:5 (NLT)

Paul’s admonition to Timothy and to all who would later be privileged to read his letter is to allow God to develop in us a heart motivated by God’s love.

God’s love is selfless and sacrificial, as evidenced by Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. It is also focused on God’s glory. Jesus kept his focus on pleasing his Father while holding on to the promise of glory which awaited him on the other side of the cross.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2  We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Hebrews 12:1-2 (NLT)

Jesus told us that love sums up all of God’s commands. Love is not a feeling. It is a motivation to faith and good works. Our ability to trust God hinges on how trustworthy we think he is.

If we are convinced that the Lord loves us more than we love ourselves, we will be able to follow him to the cross.

If we are going to be used by God’s Spirit for ministry to others, he desires for love to be the basis for that, too. Jesus healed and set people free because his compassion motivated him.

A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,” he said. 41  Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!”Mark 1:40-41 (NLT)

God’s love will never be content to simply feel empathy. It takes action.

The aim of the gospel is to produce in followers of Christ the kind of love that acts as God would.

It will reveal itself in love for God and our neighbor. It will be heartfelt and practical. It will be compassionate and selfless.

Purity of Heart

Where this love resides is also very important. Paul tells us that a pure heart is essential. In this he is in complete agreement with our Lord, who blessed the pure of heart.

God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. Matthew 5:8 (NLT)

Purity of heart comes when our motives are clean and our devotion to God is real. Without the help of the Holy Spirit, we are selfish beings. The essence of sin is when we self-direct our lives without reference to God and others. We refuse to be dependent on his Spirit. It usually takes a prolonged work of God’s Spirit to change us on the inside so that we begin to put God and others first. All of us followers of Christ are works in progress, but hopefully we are going forward. Really, only God knows the condition of our hearts, and we can be sure he is at work there continually. Only he can measure our progress.

Paul wrote in his First Letter to the Corinthians that all our works of faith and sacrifice are worthless in God’s sight unless they are motivated by love. (1 Cor. 13:1-3)

If we want to align with God’s purposes in the gospel, we will cooperate with God’s Spirit as he purifies our hearts to properly love God and people.

A Good Conscience

Secondly, our love should come from heart that is devoid of offense toward God and men. Jesus wants us to have clean consciences. This does not mean we are perfect, but it does require us to come into the light when we sin through confession and repentance toward God. It means that we are not covering our faults and sins with a layer of hypocrisy, pretending to be what we are not. It means we are working toward being more and more transparent and honest. This requires us to allow the Holy Spirit to work humility into our lives in an ever greater way, which is never easy.

A Sincere Faith

Thirdly, God wants our love to be motivated by a sincere faith. Such faith is free of self-promotion. It does not pretend to be something it is not. Its motives are pure.

Many people understand the concept of faith, which combines loyalty to Jesus with taking God at his word and acting on it, trusting that he will come through as promised.

Sadly, some of us use faith to obtain what we want instead of what God wants.

Although God loves to bless us, he is not primarily interested in making us wealthy and comfortable. He is much more concerned with developing our hearts to be like his.

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8:29 (NKJV)

This process normally requires us to endure suffering from time to time, and, in some cases, extensively.

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. James 1:2–4 (NLT)

A sincere faith focuses on what God wants, which includes personal transformation and the furtherance of his gospel and kingdom, not necessarily on what we may want for our personal comfort and ease.

When the gospel accomplishes its purpose in us, it brings glory to our Lord and a sense of peace and contentment to us, while it furthers the advance of God’s kingdom.

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How Do I Know if I Am Called by God?

Anyone who aspires to what some call “full-time” ministry is well aware of the idea of receiving a “calling” from God. What this means is that such a person knows, senses, or believes that God uniquely chose him or her for some ministry responsibility. It may be a general sense of calling or very specific. Having a strong sense of calling can be very important when, not if, things get rough. One missionary who lost his wife and family on a foreign field told me that the only thing that kept him going then was his “calling.” How do I know if God has called or is calling me to some leadership or ministry responsibility in the local church or the wider kingdom of God? This article is my attempt to answer that question.

A good place to start is with the general call which every child of God receives and to which we respond. Paul wrote about this call in his letter to the church in Rome.

For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30  And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. Romans 8:29-30 (NLT)

How does this call come to us? Usually it is through reading or hearing the gospel message. It might even come via a dream or vision, as is the case in many Islamic countries. This might be labeled the “outward” call, which many people hear without ever responding in faith. When the outward call comes our way, if it is going to make an eternal impact on us, it must be accompanied by what some have designated the “inward” call, which is the hidden or invisible work of the Holy Spirit in our lives drawing us to Christ. Jesus spoke of this.

For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up. John 6:44 (NLT)

Everyone who has put his or her faith in Christ did so after receiving an outward call combined with an inward call from God. Some were aware of the process. Others were not. Some who are born into a family with parents who are disciples and hear the gospel from infancy often quite seamlessly start believing in Christ at a young age without any apparent critical moment of decision. Others of us, who never really heard or understand the gospel until later in life, have a decisive born-again experience, which enables us to compare our “before Christ” experience with our lives after being saved.

Here is my first point: every genuine disciple of our Lord has been called by God.

We can divide this general call into three parts, about which I have written previously: the call to belong, the call to allegiance, and the call to mission. The call to belong to God’s family is the first one each of us receive. This corresponds to knowing Jesus as Savior. The call to allegiance draws us to surrender our lives as best we can to Jesus the Lord. Water baptism is our outward declaration of allegiance to him. The call to mission challenges us to consciously enlist in God’s Great Commission army of disciple-makers. We receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit to empower and embolden us for this task.

In other words, every single follower of Christ is called to serve in the completion of the Great Commission and to minister in some fashion or another, and this ministry is “full time.” There is no clergy-laity divide in the kingdom of God, no elite status of people who are “above” the rest. We are all servant or ministers of the Lord.

Jesus said that he only did what he saw his Father doing. (John 5:19)

Our heavenly Father has great interest in our lives and shows his children what he wants us to do.

This is what it means to be led by the Spirit. Following the Spirit takes faith because the invisible Spirit of God often communicates in subtle ways. We must learn and be open to the ways God communicates to us, which is another subject about which I have written.

In short, the Holy Spirit speaks to us through the words of the Bible, through his indwelling Holy Spirit, through other people, and circumstances.

The most reliable way for us to hear God is through the words of the Bible, but even then we need the indwelling Spirit of God to help us properly understand and interpret those words. The impressions we get from God’s Spirit are also very reliable, but it takes practice to discern and properly interpret them. This is why we need to turn to the Bible and other people to help us. God often uses people to communicate his will to us. The prophetic ministry is a great example of this. When this happens, it should always be confirmed internally by what God is speaking or has spoken to us and be in agreement with the Bible. Circumstances are the least reliable source of information, and it is important for us to interpret their meaning, too. Sometimes circumstances are against us because God is allowing our faith and resolve to be tested. At other times, contrary circumstances may suggest God is warning us away from a particular venture. Likewise, when things are easy, it not always clear what that means either from a guidance perspective.

The takeaway is this: God does not leave us to our own devices.

“God with us,” Emmanuel, is well able to communicate his will to us; although, sometimes it can be a challenge for us to understand it.

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. John 10:27 (NKJV)

We have this promise, however: if we seek him, we will find him. If we ask for his help and wisdom, it will be given to us.

This brings us to the topic of this article. Are some of us called to a level of leadership or ministry that is beyond the general call on all disciples to serve? If so, what is the nature of this ministry and how can we know if we are called?

There are various kinds of ministry found in most local churches. The first person that probably comes to mind is usually called the pastor or shepherd. This person usually is looked to as the spiritual leader of the church under Christ. Other leaders and ministers (servants) function in harmony, hopefully, with the pastor, such as elders, deacons, worship leaders, Sunday School teachers, small group leaders, etc. In addition to that, we have the leadership God places in each family. Fathers and husbands are the “heads,” and mothers and wives function alongside and in harmony with their spouses. Does every one of these ministry “positions” have to receive a unique call from God, or just the pastor?

Men become the spiritual heads of their homes when they marry. It automatically happens, whether or not we are aware of it or embrace it. Husbands and fathers have a responsibility from God to provide, lead, teach, protect, and model Christ to their families.

Leadership and ministry always include responsibility.

We receive grace from God to carry the weight of whatever responsibility he assigns to us.

If God asks us to take more responsibility in his kingdom, we want to make sure it is something that he wants, or we will not have the grace to do it.

Usually, if not always, we have a desire to do what we think that God is calling us to do, even if it is layered over with fear and doubt at first. For example, Moses took upon himself to be a leader of Israel before God called him to do it. He failed miserably because he got ahead of God’s timing, which drained him of all self-confidence. When God appeared to him in the burning bush many years later and called him to lead his people, Moses protested to the point of disobedience because of his fear and doubts, not because he did not want to lead. He was a “natural” leader, but God had broken him of all self-confidence. Now he needed to replace self-doubt with God confidence.

If we have a desire to lead or minister in God’s kingdom, this could be an indication that we are called. Most people do not have this inclination. But this is not a foolproof indicator. Sometimes we may misunderstand what God wants, or we may simply have a form of unholy ambition.

John the apostle wrote about such a person named Diotrephes, who loved to be the leader, but in whom something was not right. (3 John 1:9) He had not been appointed by God, or if he had, he did not have the character required.

Character usually determines whether we will succeed in fulfilling what God calls us to do.

Anointing is a gift that can be undone by a lack of godly character.

Combining calling, character, and anointing will produce great results.

For example, Moses was denied the privilege of leading Israel into the Promised Land because of a character defect. His anger provoked him to disobey and misrepresent God to the people. Joshua, who represents Jesus, did take them in. He had no disabling defects of character of which the Bible speaks. On a deeper level, Moses represented the Law; therefore, he could never lead them into God’s rest. Only God’s grace through Jesus (Joshua) can do that.

So, if we have a desire to lead or minister, what is next? Paul tells us that such a desire is good, as long as it is submitted to God.

This is a trustworthy saying: “If someone aspires to be an elder, he desires an honorable position.” 1 Timothy 3:1 (NLT)

If a person is called by the Holy Spirit to be an elder, it will be recognized and confirmed by others in the church. When this happens, elders are “installed” or “ordained” by other recognized leaders in the church, usually accompanied by the laying on of hands, which is symbolic of the anointing or grace for leadership being conferred to them. Elders have a greater responsibility in the church and receive greater grace.

A general principle is that we should only lay hands on those who have good character and which we recognize that God has singled out, called, or given them grace and ability for ministry or leadership.

In other words, if we are called, other leaders and the people will see it.

Those who are truly called by God to leadership and ministry in the church will have the grace, character, ability, humility, faith, and courage to accept the call and fulfill its responsibilities – all the while very much depending on God’s ongoing help and support. None of us is truly adequate to the task.

Whereas elders are called by the Holy Spirit (Acts 20:28), other important ministries, called by some “five-fold ministries” and by others “ascension gift ministries,” are appointed by Christ himself. These include apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. (Ephesians 4:11-12)

Five-fold ministers have the responsibility of leading and equipping the church to fulfill its ministry.

Those who end up leading or “pastoring” local churches are usually called by Jesus to be part of the five-fold ministry. They will also be part of the eldership and sometimes called the “lead” elder, at least in churches that follow the New Testament model of church government by elders. How do I know if I am called to this kind of ministry and leadership?

Moses received a unique call to leadership which was unmistakable and directly from God himself. He was also given the very great responsibility of leading Israel out of captivity in Egypt, through the desert, and up to the border of the promised land of Canaan. Moses did not have the privilege of being surrounded by other godly leaders who could confirm his calling. He had to get it all from God directly. This is one way men and women are called to ministry.

Another way we enter this level of leadership and ministry was modeled by Joshua, Moses’ understudy, apprentice, or servant. Joshua served Moses for years and spent large amounts of time with him and in the presence of God. He was privy to much of the interactions Moses had with God. When it became time for Moses to turn over leadership due to his impending death, God told him to lay hands on Joshua and transfer his leadership anointing to him.

O LORD, you are the God who gives breath to all creatures. Please appoint a new man as leader for the community. 17  Give them someone who will guide them wherever they go and will lead them into battle, so the community of the LORD will not be like sheep without a shepherd.” 18  The LORD replied, “Take Joshua son of Nun, who has the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him. 19  Present him to Eleazar the priest before the whole community, and publicly commission him to lead the people. 20  Transfer some of your authority to him so the whole community of Israel will obey him. Numbers 27:16-20 (NLT)

We have no record of Joshua receiving a direct message from God calling him to replace Moses. Instead, the Lord chose to use his mentor to relay that instruction. The same dynamic took place between Elijah and Elisha. Elisha apparently was the son of a well-to-do farmer who was out supervising the plowing of their fields when Elijah called him to prophetic ministry.

So Elijah went and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field. There were twelve teams of oxen in the field, and Elisha was plowing with the twelfth team. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak across his shoulders and then walked away. 20  Elisha left the oxen standing there, ran after Elijah, and said to him, “First let me go and kiss my father and mother good-bye, and then I will go with you!” Elijah replied, “Go on back, but think about what I have done to you.” 21  So Elisha returned to his oxen and slaughtered them. He used the wood from the plow to build a fire to roast their flesh. He passed around the meat to the townspeople, and they all ate. Then he went with Elijah as his assistant. 1 Kings 19:19-21 (NLT)

Eventually Elisha, as was the case with Joshua, had his own personal encounter with God that confirmed that he was indeed called by God himself, not just his mentor. I give examples of both below.

After the death of Moses the LORD’s servant, the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant. He said, 2  “Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. 3  I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you— 4  from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hittites.’ 5  No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. Joshua 1:1-5 (NLT) 

As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven. 12  Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father! My father! I see the chariots and charioteers of Israel!” And as they disappeared from sight, Elisha tore his clothes in distress. 13  Elisha picked up Elijah’s cloak, which had fallen when he was taken up. Then Elisha returned to the bank of the Jordan River. 14  He struck the water with Elijah’s cloak and cried out, “Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” Then the river divided, and Elisha went across. 2 Kings 2:11-14 (NLT)

Serving a leader can lead to being the leader eventually. One of the most important qualities of any true leader is a willingness to serve the Lord, those who lead us, and the people one leads.

But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 26  But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 27  and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. 28  For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:25-28 (NLT)

Servants are willing to devote themselves to helping another person be successful and to be called to greater responsibility by the one they serve.

We all serve the Lord, but in the church he distributes his authority among various leaders and ministers.

The ability to see the Lord’s delegated authority in others who lead is a mark of a true servant.

This is the reason behind why wives are asked to submit to their husbands as to the Lord. (Ephesian 5:22) It is not because their husbands are superior in some way; rather, it is because God has chosen to distribute his authority through husbands and fathers. Any woman who properly submits to her husband’s authority does so because she understands that in so doing she is indirectly submitting to God. This gives her safety because she knows that, if her husband misuses that authority, he will answer to God, not her.

It takes great faith to lead and to be led.

This brings us back to the question with which we began. How do we know if we are called by God to some ministry or leadership responsibility? Let me summarize what I believe are some key points to remember.

  1. God calls some of us directly and some indirectly through the one we serve.
  2. Normally those who have a calling also have a desire or an aspiration to have ministry or leadership responsibility, but this in itself is not proof of their calling. However, it is a good indicator. (E.g. If someone tells me they feel called to pastor, I take that very seriously because it is not “normal.”)
  3. If God calls us directly, other people should be able to recognize and confirm this calling. If we believe we are called, but no one else sees it, we should wait until others do. Timing in God’s kingdom is crucial. We can really foul things up if we get ahead of God or try to go where God is not leading.
  4. If we are given the opportunity to serve a leader, realize that it may or may not lead to taking the leader’s place one day. If it does, God will confirm our role as leader when the time comes. Until then, or perhaps always, we should be content to serve another.
  5. Whether we are called directly by God or indirectly through men, God will give grace to us to fulfill our leadership and ministry responsibilities. He will also confirm that calling to us and others. This grace often comes at the point of ordination, when hands are laid on us and we are commissioned to the work. No matter when and how the grace comes to us, it is vital for our success in serving God. We do not have the resources within ourselves to be successful. We all depend on the Lord, whether we are leading or following.
  6. All of us are servants of the Lord and one another. Whether we lead or follow, we are servants. Leaders serve those they lead, just as surely as those who follow serve the Lord and his delegated leaders. No one ever stops being a servant.

We should all make it our goal to serve to the best of our ability, whether it be as a follower or a leader. This is a key way we serve and glorify the Lord.

Prayer

Lord, I am willing to serve or lead in your kingdom. I consecrate myself to your will. Use me as you see fit. I trust that you will make clear to me and others what my role is to be now and in the future. I trust you to provide the grace for me to be faithful in whatever you ask me to do. Amen.

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Understanding How the Spirit Works in the New Birth

The New Birth Is a Sovereign Work of God’s Spirit

There are reasons that Jesus chose the term “born again” to describe what happens to us in the salvation process. One is that it parallels natural birth in significant ways. Think about it: what part did we play in our natural birth? Did we decide to become human beings? Did we conceive ourselves? Did we exert the effort to be born? The answer is “no” in every case.

If we think we can birth ourselves spiritually, it is because we fail to understand the depths to which sin dragged us and still think that we are in charge of our lives.

Jesus deliberately left Nicodemus (and us?) in a frustrating and confusing state of mind, which was revealed by the religious leader’s next question.

Nicodemus said to Him, “How can these things be?” John 3:9 (NASB)

Perhaps we are asking the same sort of question. “Does this mean that I have no choice in the matter!? Don’t I need to at least say a prayer or something?”

Let’s go back to our natural births. We had no choice or direct participation in our conception and gestation, but, by the time we were born, we were alive and kicking, having a nascent will of our own. If we are alive today, it is because we endured the birthing process, which propelled us into this precarious thing called life outside the womb. At first we were absolutely dependent on our mother and father, or on whomever cared for us. Later, as we grew and matured, we learned to fend more and more for ourselves. The long term goal was for us to become self-governing, responsible adults. (Did we make it?)

Yet, even as adults, we never become truly independent, especially not from God. He created us to rely upon him and partner with him from cradle to eternity.

God is our Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer. He has always been and will always be that to us. (Hebrews 1:3)

"Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, And all the remnant of the house of Israel, You who have been borne by Me from birth And have been carried from the womb; 4  Even to your old age I will be the same, And even to your graying years I will bear you! I have done it, and I will carry you; And I will bear you and I will deliver you. Isaiah 46:3-4 (NASB)

Every breath we take ultimately depends on God. We do not choose the day of our birth, our gender, race, nationality, DNA, personality, parents, height, body build, hair color, or anything else that fundamentally defines our being. God did all that for us. Are we okay with that? Some people are not. That is why we have so many who resort to body mutilations to try to change how God made them. That is we sometimes try to be different from who God created us to be. Being able to accept God’s choice in the matter takes the humility of understanding who we are – created beings, not gods.

Receiving the new birth requires us humbly to acknowledge our dependence upon God.

That in itself can be a big hurdle for some of us whose pride and self-sufficiency wants to get some credit for our salvation. Otherwise why would we balk at needing God’s help? Hopefully by now we have come to realize that we cannot do this thing called life on our own.

The Bible teaches us that God the Father chose us before he created the world, which was definitely before we could have been part of the process. (Ephesians 1:4-5) Similarly, Jesus died for us before we were naturally conceived, born, or drew a breath. When we finally showed up in history, at the exactly proper time, the Holy Spirit, acting as God’s agent and administrator, connected us in time with God’s eternal plan and work. He began his secret work in our hearts before we were aware of it or even wanted it, when we were still his enemies. (Romans 5:8-10) We were born into the world naturally with a built in hostility toward God, because we were spiritually dead. (Ephesians 2:1-5) If the Spirit had not intervened, we would have had no ability to positively respond to Christ or his gospel. All of this is very humbling, isn’t it?

For us to become a born-again follower of Christ, we desperately need to have the Spirit at work in our lives. When we heard about Jesus and his fabulous offer of forgiveness and eternal life,  if we were intrigued and drawn, it was because of the Spirit’s inner work. Not everyone is able to hear and respond to the gospel – only those in whom the Spirit is working.

If we are drawn toward Christ, it is evidence of the Spirit’s work in our lives.

Jesus said:

No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. John 6:44 (NASB)

That being the case, if you still are reading this article, it is an indicator that the Spirit may be at work in you.

Jesus understood perfectly this sovereign aspect of the new birth. He knew that only those whom the Father chose and drew would respond to him and his message, and he was okay with that. In fact, he rejoiced in it.

At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. 26  “Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. 27  “All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Matthew 11:25-27 (NASB)

One good sign that a person is born again is her or his ability to acknowledge the miracle of the Holy Spirit’s work in his or her life.

I remember reading the following words recorded in John’s gospel after my own new birth experience, which caused me to wonder thankfully at the mystery of the Spirit’s work.

Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:7-8 (ESV)

I realized that the Spirit had sovereignly and mysteriously touched my life and opened my spiritual eyes to see and comprehend the reality of Jesus’ risen lordship. I could not have done that for myself.  If the Spirit had not graciously opened my spiritual eyes, I would still be a slave of the prince of darkness! What a horrible thought!

God took the initiative, but I did have a part to play.

Our Participation in the Work of the Spirit

Before having my eyes opened in a flash on that very special evening so long ago, the Spirit had been secretly at work in my life. He had been drawing me toward Christ for years. I just did not comprehend that it was he. When my girlfriend, now my wife, told me of her conversion experience, the Spirit was setting me up. After talking and arguing with her, I was further drawn down the path to becoming a follower of Christ. I remember saying to my best friend that I thought I was going to try out this Christian thing. He warned me of the dangers, as he saw it. Nevertheless, I made the decision to pray a sincere prayer to a God I wasn’t sure was really there. It went something like this.

Jesus, if you are real, please come into my heart. I cannot pretend that I believe in you. Show me that you are real. Amen.

No one forced me to pray like this. It was my choice; yet, knowing what I know now from Scripture, I realize that the Spirit was at work in my making that choice.

This is part of the mystery of how God works. God chooses us, draws us, and sets us up with the Gospel message… and we have a responsibility to choose him over every competing god or allegiance. Don’t ask me to explain how God is sovereign and we are responsible, but both are true.

And that is how we relate to God’s Spirit from then on. After we become God’s child, he is our invisible partner in a mysterious “dance of life.” He indwells us, thinks his thoughts through us, empowers us, convicts us, comforts us, encourages us, strengthens us… He is the best forever friend we will ever have, and he will never, ever leave or forsake us.

Paul perfectly describes this mysterious partnership in his letter to the church in Galatia.

I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 (NET1)
Conclusion

I wrote this this third part of this series to emphasize the Spirit’s role in the new birth. Why is this important in our being able to know if we have been born again? I believe if we have really been born again, we will know that God did it. We will realize that without the Spirit we would be forever lost. May God open our eyes to the reality of the Spirit’s work more and more!

Prayer

Jesus, I want to know you in the way I read about in the Bible. Please come into my life and be my lord and savior. I give myself to you. Please forgive my sins and the way I have lived independently from you all these years. From now on, I belong to you. Holy Spirit, open my spiritual eyes, unstop my ears, and heal my hardened heart so I can see, hear, and believe God’s words. Reveal Jesus to me, so that I can behold him and be born again. I depend on you to do this for me. I will not give up until you answer my prayer, which I know you will. Thank you. Amen.

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The New Birth Is Self-Authenticating

According to Jesus, the church is filled with what he called “tares.” A tare is a weed that resembles wheat until harvest time. Then the difference is evident: tares bear no grain. Jesus said that God will remove the weeds from the kingdom of God at the judgment, leaving only the wheat. Can we know for sure if we have been truly born again and are not a false believer, a tare?

The good news is that, not only do we have the four keys that I covered in the previous article, but also, if we are born again, we know it. In other words, the new birth is self-authenticating.

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, Romans 8:16 (NKJV)

Born-again people know in their hearts that they are children of God because the Holy Spirit acts as an inner witness. If we are not sure about it, perhaps we are not yet born again.

However, before going farther, let me acknowledge that many who have grown up in Christian families and believed in Jesus from a very young age cannot point to a defining conversion experience. I have heard many say that they have “always believed,” meaning that as far back as they can remember they have believed in God and Jesus. Nevertheless, all born-again people have the inner witness of God’s Spirit testifying that they are God’s children.

My conversion experience gave me a clearly defined timeline describing what I was like before the new birth and and after it. Although I grew up with a certain familiarity with the Bible, being Roman Catholic, no one ever shared the gospel message to me. I did not know that it is possible to interact with God. I did not understand that I could invite the Lord Jesus to come live inside me. I did not know that the Holy Spirit would open my heart to “see” by faith that Jesus is all that the Bible says he is. I did not realize I could know that I have been eternally forgiven and part of God’s family. I was not aware that eternal life begins when we are born again and my spirit is united with God’s. This is because I grew up in a religious system that keeps people in a continual state of suspense regarding their eternal destiny and teaches them to relate to church authorities instead of directly to God. (If you wish to read more about how the Roman Catholic Church leads people astray from the real gospel, click here.)

I remember sharing with my wife’s father, a lifelong Catholic, just before he died that he could know for sure that he is forgiven. I explained to him that Jesus took our sins upon himself so that we will never have to face judgment for them (Romans 5:24). I further pointed out that Jesus gives us eternal life right now. We don’t have to wait until we die to know we have it. John the beloved disciple who was close to Jesus’ heart wrote the following:

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. 1 John 5:13 (NASB)

If your church or religion keeps you in the dark regarding your eternal destiny, it is not the true gospel!

My wife’s father suddenly understood for the first time in his life just how great a gift is the real gospel! He believed and received everything Jesus had for him that morning sitting at our kitchen table. That afternoon I commented that he seemed happy, and he told me that he should be because something big happened to him that day! A week later he crossed the threshold into eternity, having full confidence as to where he stood with God. He could mark the day he was born again. I look forward to one day being greeted by him at heaven’s gates.

Likewise, my conversion was just as clear cut. I transitioned from being a doubting seeker to a confirmed believer in an instant of Holy Spirit revelation. God mercifully removed the blinders from my eyes so I could finally see Jesus for who he truly is – the risen Son of God. In that instant I was born again. Everything from then on in my life would be different, and that was in 1971. This is 2024. You do the math. This was no flash-in-the-pan emotional experience. I have no doubt that I have been born again because the new birth is self-authenticating. My father-in-law knew that his life was different. The same thing happened to my wife when she was born again. We do not wonder if we are saved. We know.

Before a person is born again, he or she cannot understand what the new birth is.

It is only afterward that we gain understanding. In other words, we cannot figure out what the new birth is without receiving it. We cannot reason our way into the experience because it is Holy Spirit generated. This should not surprise us. Jesus did not come to scratch the itching intellect, but to fill the hungry heart. When we believe and obey, God opens our understanding.

Great learning and Bible knowledge can lead us to Jesus, but it cannot open the gate into eternal life. Only revelation by the Spirit can do that.

God’s Spirit opens the “eyes of our heart” to see who Jesus truly is, bringing us into a faith relationship with him. This is why people say that Christianity is a relationship, not a religion. We become God’s true children through the new birth. We are able to relate to God directly as a result of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13  who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12-13 (NASB)

The Holy Spirit enters every born again child of God, becoming his or her source of life and power.

The secret of the New Covenant is that God lives his life through us.

This all happens when we see Jesus by revelation and believe on him in our hearts, declaring him to be our Lord. It’s called the new birth. Because Christianity is relational and revelational, one’s intellectual capacity is not the primary consideration. That is why children can easily come to Christ. They are not restricted by the acquired cynicism and skepticism found in many adults. Their hearts tend to be more open and receptive to revelational truth and God.

Because the new birth must be experienced in order to be understood, Jesus’ purpose in his conversation with Nicodemus was to create a hunger to experience this for himself.

Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6  “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7  “Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8  “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:5-8 (NASB)

Here Jesus explains that to enter the kingdom of God, one must have two births, a natural one and a spiritual one. Then he acknowledges that the new birth is mysterious and entirely dependent on the sovereign activity of God’s Spirit.

Conclusion

The self-authentication of the new birth comes from the Holy Spirit. Whether or not we can mark a particular new birth experience or not, we should know for sure that we are born again. Using the four keys in my previous article will help, but ultimately we have an inner “witness” from the indwelling Holy Spirit.

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16  The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, Romans 8:15-16 (ESV)

If you do not have this inner knowledge that you are God’s child, I encourage you to seek God until you do.

Prayer

Jesus, I want to know you in the way I read about in the Bible. Please come into my life and be my lord and savior. I give myself to you. Please forgive my sins and the way I have lived independently from you all these years. From now on, I belong to you. Holy Spirit, open my spiritual eyes, unstop my ears, and heal my hardened heart so I can see, hear, and believe God’s words. Reveal Jesus to me, so that I can behold him and be born again. I depend on you to do this. I will not give up until you answer my prayer, which I know you will. Thank you. Amen.

All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. John 6:37 (NKJV)
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