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.

Part 3: The Basis of Our Freedom

This is the third article in a series entitled Spirit-Led Counseling.

We got ourselves into the current terrible situation by turning our backs on God, as I explained in my previous article, and we can only escape with God’s help. In fact, our deliverance, healing, and restoration depend entirely upon the graciousness or grace of God; although, we do have a part to play. Without his initiative and intervention, we would be hopelessly and eternally lost. Without his continual sustaining power through the indwelling Holy Spirit, we cannot keep ourselves free. But through him, we are able to experience all that Jesus died to provide for us.

Jesus came to restore us to God’s intended way of living in complete harmony and partnership with God. It is a gloriously freeing way to live!

All things begin, continue, and end with God. He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. It is crucial for us to understand that each Person of the triune Godhead contributes to what the Bible calls our “great salvation.” (Hebrews 2:3) Our heavenly Father, the first Person of the Godhead, is the One who has loved us from before the creation of the world and who planned our salvation before we ever took our first breath.

Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ. 4 For he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we may be holy and unblemished in his sight in love. Ephesians 1:3-4 (NET1)

Abba Father is the kindest and most loving Person we will ever know.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, 5 even though we were dead in transgressions, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you are saved! — 6 and he raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 to demonstrate in the coming ages the surpassing wealth of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-7 (NET1)

But He is also completely just, holy, and righteous, and our sin created a huge obstacle to our ever being able to enjoy the fellowship and intimacy that Father God originally planned for us to share with Him. We distanced ourselves from Abba through our sinful breach of his righteousness, as I described in my previous article. His desire to show mercy to us stood opposed to the requirements of his truth and righteousness. How could God’s righteous anger at our sin ever be reconciled with his tender mercies?

Abba’s amazing plan manifested wisdom which is beyond human. It is…

...the wisdom of God, hidden in a mystery, that God determined before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it. If they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 1 Corinthians 2:7-8 (NET1)

Abba’s solution was for His only begotten Son, the eternal Word of God, to become a human being and offer Himself as a perfect substitutionary sacrifice in our behalf.

Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We] saw his glory — the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father. John 1:14 (NET1) 

But when this priest [Jesus] had offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 where he is now waiting until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by one offering he has perfected for all time those who are made holy. Hebrews 10:12-14 (NET1)

In addition, by the genius of what theologians call “identification,” God caused us to participate in Christ’s death and resurrection, having placed us “in Christ”, in whom we have been blessed with all spiritual blessings.

God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NET1)

Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ. Ephesians 1:3 (NET1)

To make the solution perfect, our heavenly Father sent His Holy Spirit to indwell each believer. God’s Spirit lives Christ’s life in and through everyone who is born again. He is the Great Helper and Enabler. He is our life and power source. He is the One who transforms us into the people God always wanted us to be. He is our guarantee that God will complete what he began.

Then I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever — 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it does not see him or know him. But you know him, because he resides with you and will be in you. John 14:16-17 (NET1)

For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. 21 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, 22 and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. 2 Corinthians 1:20-22 (ESV)

Every great team has unity, clearly defined job descriptions, and superlative abilities. The Trinity is no exception. In fact, the very concept of team originates in God. The Father is the planner. The Son is the executor who carries out the Father’s plan. The Holy Spirit is the administrator who works behind the scenes to assure the success of Father’s plan and the Son’s execution of that plan. Another way to put it is that the Father chose us to be his very own. The Son died and rose again to ensure the outcome, and the Spirit draws us to faith in Christ through the Gospel and applies the benefits of the finished work of Christ to our lives, bringing the Father’s plan to fruition. This plan will be completed at the Second Coming of Christ, when we will experience the final installment of our great salvation, the resurrection from the dead.

Paul tells us that:

When all things are subjected to him [Abba Father], then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all. 1 Corinthians 15:28 (ESV)

God is our final destiny, the goal or end of salvation. To Him belongs all glory forever and ever.

It is extremely important to understand and believe that our salvation begins and ends with God.

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6 (NASB) 

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34  For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? 35  Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? 36  For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:33-36 (NASB)

Our salvation began with Father’s plan to bring us into his family. The conclusion will be when we receive our resurrected bodies and heavenly reward. The in-between, the time in which we now live, is also dependent on God’s graciousness; although, as I said before, we play a vital role. The coming of our Lord, his death, burial and resurrection, and the sending of the Holy Spirit were all accomplished before we were born. None of us had any “say” in that plan or the accomplishment of it.

As Paul wrote,

So then, it does not depend on human desire or exertion, but on God who shows mercy. Romans 9:16 (NET1)

Our part arises when we hear the gospel and respond. If we are among those who believe, something happened in our hearts when we heard the gospel message. The Bible tells us that it was a result of the inner work of God’s Spirit combined with the outer call of the gospel that produced in us the desire to surrender our lives to Christ. Jesus made it clear that God is the initiator, not us.

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. John 6:44 (NET1)

Yes, we indeed must make the choice to believe in and serve Christ, but the mystery of God is at work beneath the surface of things, so that we can all agree that God deserves all the glory.

For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 it is not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them. Ephesians 2:8-10 (NET1)

The reason I have gone to such great lengths to show God’s integral involvement with every aspect of our salvation is to give us a solid foundation for hope.

If our salvation rests on our shoulders and faithfulness and depends on our abilities, our will power, our holiness, or our goodness, we are in big trouble. But if our salvation rests upon the Father’s choice to love us, the Son’s finished work, and the power of the indwelling Spirit, we are in good shape.

If we are going to experience true freedom, we will need to come to terms with acknowledging and relying on the God who works through his freely given grace. We cannot approach him through our own goodness or performance. Likewise, neither our lack of goodness (apart from Christ) nor our poor performance thus far, is any deterrent to our being able to experience God’s ability to set us free. We come to God solely on the basis of Christ’s righteousness. We have none of our own. We must make it our goal to..

.. be found in him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness — a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness. Philippians 3:9 (NET1)

Only when we learn to rely on God’s love, kindness, righteousness, grace, power and authority can we experience all that Christ died and rose again to give us. We dare not short change ourselves and “frustrate the grace of God” by trying to save ourselves. It will never work and will only leave us confused and frustrated.

Jesus did not come to help the religious and the self-sufficient. He came to save sinners who acknowledge their spiritual poverty. (Matthew 5:3)

We must answer Christ’s call and come to Him with no pretended ability to save or liberate ourselves, but with full confidence that freedom can be experienced by grace alone. Jesus said:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry. Matthew 11:28-30 (NET1)

God’s promise is that when we learn to live by faith in the power of the Spirit, believing what the Bible says is true, we will be able to live in a way that brings glory to God.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:1-4 (ESV)

If we will make it your goal to rely on God’s grace, believe his truth, operate in Christ’s authority, and live by the power of the Spirit, we too can experience freedom in Christ. That is the basis of our freedom.

 

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Part 2: Understanding the Components of Bondage

I believe any sane person would agree that the world is in a seemingly hopeless situation. We cannot even agree on the nature or root of the main problem, and we fight over how to solve it, believing that the other side’s “solution” is actually making matters worse. Human “fixes” generally have side effects that introduce a whole new set of unintended consequences. Individuals, families, corporations, people groups, and nations pursue selfish agendas at the expense of the less fortunate and less powerful. Ignorance, poverty, sickness and disease ravage the human race. Wars, genocide, infanticide, and general inhumanity to others abound. Much evil is done by ignorant perhaps well meaning people, but the worst sort is done intentionally by the worst sort of people. Religions vie for “top dog” status, their adherents often being willing to kill and oppress “non-believers”. Prisons are filled with those who flaunt the laws of civilized society, and those who believe in Biblical values find themselves in a “Twilight Zone” world where what was considered vile a generation ago is now paraded and applauded as good and normal. How did we get here? Is there a way out, either corporately or individually?

The Bible teaches us that God created a world in which there was order and goodness. He placed the first couple in a ideal situation where all their needs were supplied with a minimum of work. They were commanded to increase and multiply. Those first humans enjoyed the privilege of walking and talking with God. They were naked and unashamed, apparently clothed with a sort of aura of glory. They “had it made”, but since they had nothing with which to compare their situation, they were prone to think something might be wrong. God gave them amazing freedom and only one prohibition: they were forbidden to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

God created us to be dependent beings who only need to know what God reveals to us. If we could be satisfied to know him, be with him, and depend on his continual grace and loving kindness, we would be happy and thrive.

You probably know the story. Satan cleverly deceived them into doubting God’s goodness and motives and to desire more than God had given them, which set them up to do the unthinkable. They did the one thing that could bring down the whole system of blessing and life. They turned away from God, choosing to try to live independently from him by relying on their own wits, discernment, and strength.

That rebellious act of disobedience set in motion what we see today. It opened the door to the horrific consequences of living apart from God and gave the keys of authority to our archenemy, Satan.

Instead of being under God’s protection, mankind was now victim and prey, contributing to his own demise by continuing to be deceived and cooperate with our new tyrannical master.

Romans 5:12-21 teaches us that Adam’s sin opened the door to death, condemnation, and the reign of sin in the human race. Let’s examine this in more detail.

God built within humanity the ability to procreate, that is, to reproduce after our own kind.

Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 27  God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28  God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth." Genesis 1:26-28 (NASB)

We are much more than physical beings. The Bible teaches that we are a unique and marvelous combination of spirit and flesh, the joining of which produces the soul (translated “living being”) and personality.

The Lord God formed the man from the soil of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Genesis 2:7 (NET1)

Not only do we pass on our physical DNA when we have children, we also pass on spiritual “genetics” – the sin nature and proclivities toward evil that were “encoded” into Adam and Eve when they first transgressed. That sin nature has been passed to each successive generation since the Fall.

This inherited indwelling propensity to sin is the root of most of our problems.

This means that people who have never been born again by the Spirit of God have for their “default” mode to live counter to what produces goodness, life, and order. No one has to teach a baby how to be self-centered. It comes naturally. No two-year-old needs a course in how to be defiant. It comes naturally. No adult needs to learn how to be tempted to do all manner of evil things. It just comes with the package.

In addition to this huge problem is the additional compounding effect that sin has upon people, families, people groups and nations.

Just as a stone thrown into a perfectly calm pool causes ripples that spread outwardly and eventually destroy the tranquility of the entire pool, sin also has a ripple effect.

To get a better idea, imagine throwing two rocks into the pool simultaneously and watch what happens. The ripples will go to the edge of the pool and then rebound back causing an intersection with other ripples. Now throw several more rocks into the pool in different places, including a couple of really big ones. Now imagine that the number of rocks thrown into the pool increases geometrically in size and number. I hope you get the picture. Sin’s ripple effect eventually produces a turbulent, choppy, and disordered world where once there was serenity and peace.

When people are born, they come into this confusion that sin has created, fully equipped with a sin nature. They are impacted by sin from within and from without.

The sin within propels us to do our own part to contribute to the already existing mess. The impact of sin from the outside further exacerbates things, often doing incredible damage to our already marred personalities. It is as if, in many cases, that little ones are born into a virtual landslide of evil that carries them right over the cliff into the abyss.

For example, children from broken homes never get the chance to experience family life the way God intended. They have missing or broken pieces in their personalities and flawed ideas about how to be a man or woman, a husband or wife, or even a child. Think of the little girls and boys born into families where generations of sexual abuse and incest have been the norm. What are their chances of growing up with any sense of normalcy? What about the little babies born in war ravaged and poverty stricken areas of the world? What about those born into political and religious systems to resist and prohibit the true gospel from even being heard? What are their chances to experience the life that God desired for us at creation? The list of examples goes on. Some people call this progression of evil generational sin. Regardless of the label, it is real.

Individuals and families pass on problems and proclivities to their offspring without the intervention of God.

Things are actually much worse because there is also a being, who commands hoards of like-minded beings, who has a master plan and insatiable desire to ravage and destroy humanity. As you know, his biblical name is Satan.

The devil has a plan for your life – to kill, steal, and destroy you. He is a master deceiver, accuser, and intimidator. He does not play fair and uses any and all means to oppress and harm human beings.

When Adam sinned in the garden, the authority God gave to humans was effectively transferred to Satan. For centuries Satan has used his rule to drag multitudes into hell with him and make life here on earth intolerable for countless people. Although, Jesus dealt Satan a death blow on the cross, he is still being allowed to  deceive those who will listen to him. He is still leading people astray. He is still stealing, killing, and destroying, and, if you are a follower of Christ, he hates you and is working against you.

As a result of his activity and the inner workings of sin and our sin-impaired ability to think, we end up afflicting ourselves by choosing to believe lies which are a form of idolatry. They are more important to us than the Truth, whose name is Jesus. They propel us to disobedience and keep us locked up in spiritual prisons of our own making.

The Bible calls these self-inflicted inner prisons of lies “strongholds.”

I call them lie-based strongholds, and Paul teaches us that they keep us from knowing, believing, and acting upon the truth about God and life.

For though we live as human beings, we do not wage war according to human standards, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not human weapons, but are made powerful by God for tearing down strongholds. We tear down arguments 5 and every arrogant obstacle that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to make it obey Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NET1)

These strongholds stand between us and the freedom that could be ours through Christ via the gospel. Notice that here for the first time I mention that there is a way out of this mess!

The gospel is all about Jesus Christ, who is the Truth, and what He did to accomplish our deliverance.

Satan operates in the milieu of the Lie. If we are going to get out of this quagmire of death and deception, we must allow God to tear down any lie-based strongholds that we have embraced. And, believe me, everyone has them.

Working in tandem with these deeply held lies, many people have experienced enormous hurts in their lives, which have deeply traumatized them and, in many cases, produced a fertile seedbed for growing lies about God.

For example, if a young girl was sexually abused by her grandfather over several years, as an adult she will most likely question the goodness of her heavenly Father. After all, could not He have prevented this horrible evil? And if He did not protect her then, how can she know that He is worthy of her trust now? So, we see that the pain inflicted by evil can easily set us up to believe lies about God, which in turn can block us from believing the truth which is able to set us free.

and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:32 (NET1)

The good news is that Jesus is the great Healer and is well able to heal those deeply wounded areas of our souls, but usually it requires us to pursue him for that healing.

Lastly, many individuals are harassed and oppressed by demons.

The Bible is unclear regarding the origin and exact nature of these malevolent beings, but makes it clear that they are real and, when relevant, their oppression must be removed for people to experience complete freedom. Jesus continually encountered and removed these pests from those to whom He ministered while He walked the roads of Israel.

you know what happened throughout Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John announced: 38 with respect to Jesus from Nazareth, that God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with him. Acts 10:37-38 (NET1)

Demons gain access by various means. Often we open the door through participation in some sin, especially sexual sin and occult practices. Sometimes demons seem to be passed on through families, which somewhere along the line opened the door to them. Sometimes they gain access when people undergo trauma.

In other words, sometimes it is our own fault that we are demonized and sometimes we are victims of collateral damage resulting from the sins of others. The devil does not care. He will jump through any open door he can find.

Many are tormented today because of these creatures and don’t even know it.

You may have noticed that I began this paragraph describing the worldwide mess sin has produced and have concluded by focusing on the problems that individuals face. This is because I want you to see that people’s problems and issues are bigger than their own situation. However, the gospel focuses largely on the individual.

Jesus came to set the human race free one person at a time. When enough people experience the liberation found in Christ through the gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit, families, communities, and nations will be transformed.

The following articles in this series will be an attempt to explain how Jesus can and will set us free from every layer of bondage.

You can personally experience freedom in Christ, and you can move from being part of the problem to being part of the solution.

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Part 1: Introduction to Spirit-Led Counseling

This is the first article in a series entitled Spirit-Led Counseling. I sometimes use other names for this ministry, such as Personal Prayer Ministry, Wonderful Counseling, and Biblical Healing and Deliverance. Jesus is the "wonderful Counselor" of Isaiah 9:6. This ministry attempts to make room for Jesus to personally counsel people by means of the indwelling Holy Spirit with human ministers acting as facilitators. This makes it different from most counseling. It is highly effective at teaching the recipient how to hear the voice of the Spirit and to receive his life giving words.

Almighty God sent his Son Jesus to the earth on a mission to set people free from the awful tyranny and hopelessness of sin and its consequences. Human bondage began when Adam and Eve opened the floodgates of evil by abandoning and betraying their Creator and Sustainer, having been duped by the lying serpent into suspecting that God was an untrustworthy liar. Their decision to make a go at living independently from God proved to be the downfall of the entire creation.

For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21  that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. Romans 8:20-21 (ESV)

Adam and Eve separated themselves from the life of God when they sinned. They were still physically alive, but the death process had begun to work. Their spirits were cut off from the Holy Spirit, their minds and hearts were darkened, and their bodies began to die through what we call the aging process. Sickness – physical, societal, emotional, and spiritual – entered the picture. Satan’s promise of their becoming like God turned out to be a horrendous lie.

One of the things we learn from their fall is that we humans, even the newly created version, did not possess any innate immunity to Satan’s deception.

Now, because our minds have been darkened by sin, we are even more easily deceived by Satan’s lies.

As bad as that day was, it is important that we see that God offered hope to Adam and his offspring from the very beginning of his judgment upon our sin. God’s judgment included restoration, but, for that to happen, his Son would have to die and rise again.

When the Law was introduced later at Mt. Sinai, it exposed how deep our sinfulness is. It also brought us a new problem, what the Bible calls the “curse” of the Law, which is God’s judgment upon sin. The Law clearly defined sin and proves that we are incapable of overcoming it on our own. In our pride, this is a hard pill for us to swallow; yet, a necessary one, if we are to be open to God’s solution in the gospel.

Protection against evil spirits also was removed as a result of our rejecting God in the garden. Evil spirits take advantage of our defenselessness and oppress people mercilessly. The ripples of our lawlessness and rebellion escalated into a mad torrent of crashing waves of destruction and judgment. When Jesus arrived on the earth as a baby, things had been spiraling into a deepening darkness for centuries because generation after generation drank deeply from the poisoned cup of sin and deception.

After growing to manhood and patiently waiting thirty years for God’s appointed time, Jesus launched his public ministry with these words.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and the regaining of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 Then he began to tell them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled even as you heard it being read.” Luke 4:18-21 (NET1)

The above passage is the closest thing to a “mission statement” that Jesus gave us. For the next three years, Jesus went about “doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with him.” (Acts 10:38 NET1)

During his public ministry years Jesus made withdrawals upon a future deposit he would make into heaven’s bank.The authority and power to he used to heal, release people from demons, and forgive sins derived from what he would accomplish later through his death and resurrection.

Each time he set a person free, it drove the nails a little deeper into his hands and feet. Once he began to draw upon that future event called the crucifixion, there was no way out for him. He had to pay the price, having made himself a debtor to God’s system of justice, something he did obediently and without complaint. When he as the innocent Lamb of God gave himself over to death, he defeated Satan on our behalf, the one who had previously held the keys of bondage and death.

When our Lord rose from the dead, the power of sin, Satan, sickness, and death was effectively smashed. And yet we see people, even followers of Christ, still living in all sorts of sin and bondage. What gives?

God’s plan was always for his people to rule and reign alongside the Lord Jesus. After he ascended into heaven where he now sits at God the Father’s right hand, Jesus delegated his authority to us who represent him to the world. He has given us his Holy Spirit to indwell and empower us. Now those who make up the church have the privilege and responsibility to proclaim his message of redemption and reconciliation to the Father and to release people from what holds them prisoner.

Jesus’ mission statement is now our mission statement. What he did on the earth during the short period of his public ministry, we are to continue until he comes again to wrap things up.

The Great Commission involves more than simply telling people about what Jesus did for them and asking them to put their faith and allegiance in him as Lord and Savior.

Christ’s followers are to demonstrate the power of the Kingdom of God as well as proclaim the words of the Gospel.

Paul made it clear that the Good News is meant to be delivered in the power of the Holy Spirit.

We know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 in that our gospel did not come to you merely in words, but in power and in the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction … 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5 (NET1)

God has given his church the authority, power, and the tools to accomplish this mission. In the following articles I will present an overview of the process I call Spirit-Led Counseling, which depends on the ongoing ministry of Jesus, the Wonderful Counselor. (Isaiah 9:6)

Spirit-Led Counseling integrates the truth of God’s Word, the presence, power, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, and the basic principles of repentance and faith to help people experience a growing freedom from sin and bitterness, deliverance from what I call lie-based strongholds, healing for inner hurts, and release from demonization, when needed.

I will do my best to base all of this solidly on God’s Word and give practical applications based on what I have seen work. I have watched God do some amazing things through this ministry, and I hope you will be encouraged that the Lord cares deeply about you and wants you to be free, too. The best revenge we can get on the devil for all he has done to us is to allow God to set us free and use us to help others walk free from his clutches.

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Have you received Jesus as both the Prince of Peace and the Lord?

When Peter was summoned to the home of the Roman Centurion named Cornelius to make the first gospel presentation to the Gentiles, he opened his remarks with this summation.

This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel—that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. Acts 10:36 (NLT)

The gospel presents Jesus in the dual role of Savior and Lord.

We have peace with God because Jesus died for our sins as the Lamb of God, taking our guilt and punishment upon himself. His resurrection proved that his sacrifice on our behalf was accepted. It also validated his claim to be the Lord of Lords, the Jewish messianic King. We can experience peace with God, having been justified or put back into a right relationship with him through the death and resurrection of Jesus the Lord.

He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God. Romans 4:25 (NLT) 

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Romans 5:1 (NLT)

If we have only received Jesus as the Prince of Peace, we have not understood the whole gospel. It is crucial that we also acknowledge him as the Lord – lord of our own lives and lord of all.

that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; Romans 10:9 (NASB95)
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Should national Israel be our focus in the end times?

Many Christians are focused on the nation of Israel as we get closer to the end, believing that God is working in that nation to bring it to Christ as part of his plan to redeem the world. They would likely quote verses such as the following as proof texts to justify their belief.

For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and so all Israel will be saved...” Romans 11:25–26a (NASB95)

From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; 29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Romans 11:28–29 (NASB95)

“All Israel” in Romans 11:26 is thought to mean all those Jews who are alive at that time, at least those present in the environs of Jerusalem when Christ appears. It is indeed possible that Christ will appear to many descendants of Abraham in a special way at the very end, as seems to be indicated by Zechariah.

I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. Zechariah 12:10 (NASB95)

However, Paul made it clear earlier in his letter to the church in Rome that only a remnant of those descended from Abraham will be saved, those foreknown by him, the elect from among the Jews.

And as Isaiah said before: “Unless the LORD of Sabaoth had left us a seed [remnant], We would have become like Sodom, And we would have been made like Gomorrah.” Romans 9:29 (NKJV)

I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew... Romans 11:1–2a (NASB95)

Nowhere does Paul indicate that the entire nation will be saved, except in Romans 11:26, which cannot undo what he stated previously, that only the elect remnant will be saved. The Holy Spirit does not contradict himself.

It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel have remained faithful because of God’s grace—his undeserved kindness in choosing them. Romans 11:5 (NLT)

God’s plan is to save a remnant from Israel, as he is doing from all mankind. This agrees with the larger idea that Christ redeemed those whom the Father chose from before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4) to be a part of his Body, the church, which is composed of both Jews and Gentiles.

God’s focus in the end times is on Christ and his bride, the church, which is composed of people drawn from every people group on the earth.

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. 10 “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” Revelation 5:9–10 (NASB95)

The people making up the kingdom of God is elsewhere called “one new man” created in Christ. (Ephesians 2:15) This new creation people is much grander than the Old Covenant nation of Israel. God has enlarged the narrow Old Testament concept of the kingdom of God under monarchs such as David and Solomon. God’s focus now is King Jesus, the Lord of all, who will reign from the heavenly Jerusalem over a recreated earth, with the Bride, the church, at his side.

“Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” Revelation 19:7 (NASB95)

Paul taught that the Old Jerusalem of his day was still in bondage because it refused to recognize Jesus as Messiah.

Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother. Galatians 4:25–26 (NASB95)

Jesus said that the Jewish religious leaders of his day were of the devil.

You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44 (NASB95)

John the Baptist called them a “brood of vipers.” He told them not to count on being physical descendants of Abraham. God is only interested in those who demonstrate the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives, those who are born again. He warned them that God is able to raise up children of Abraham from “stones.” The new birth transforms people into spiritual children of Abraham, the only kind of children God accepts. God is taking Jews and Gentiles who respond to the gospel and declare allegiance to King Jesus and fashioning them into a spiritual temple made of living stones.

you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:5 (NASB95)

The Book of Revelation reveals that Jesus called those Jews who do not accept his lordship as the “synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews but are not.” (Revelation 2:9) Paul wrote that the only true Jew is one who is spiritually circumcised through the new birth. (Romans 2:28-29) All others are imposters.

So how did we Christians come to be mesmerized with the restoration of the nation of Israel in the end times? It goes back to John Nelson Darby and Cyrus Scofield and a theology called Dispensationalism introduced to the world in the 1800s.

Dispensationalism arose within the last 150 years; it is a system of interpretation for reading and understanding the Bible. Central to its uniqueness is its separation of Israel and the church: that God has a different plan for salvation for ethnic Israel (the Jewish people) and the Christian church. 1

Dispensationalism is not good theology because the Bible makes it clear that there is only one way to be saved.

Every redeemed person must be born again as a result of believing the gospel. There is no “other” way to be saved.

Either we are part of the “one new man” in Christ or we are lost forever. When we become part of the one new man, our identity as either Jew or Gentile no longer matters. It has no importance whatsoever.

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise. Galatians 3:26–29 (NASB95)

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love. Galatians 5:6 (NASB95)

To maintain that there is a difference in how God regards the physical descendants of Abraham compared to the rest of us is anti-gospel.

It is a form of legalism and racism that regards physical descent as being more important than what the Holy Spirit does inside a person. This false belief has influenced many Christians to adopt Jewish customs in an effort to be “better” Christians. This is misguided at best.

Dispensationalism also teaches that God’s purpose is to reestablish the kingdom of Israel through which Christ will rule the earth.

Dispensationalists believe that the Jews’ official rejection of Jesus Christ was a significant moment in history that essentially stopped the “prophetic clock” in Scripture. They teach that the prophetic promises in Daniel, Matthew 24-25, and Revelation are now on hold during the dispensation or “age” of the Church, which has lasted 2,000 years (from Pentecost to today). According to dispensationalism, the Church exists in a parenthesis in prophetic history, as they believe the prophetic promises described in the Bible are for the people of Israel, and that the “true” Church will be raptured before the prophetic events described by Daniel, Jesus, and the Apostle John are destined to occur (during the Tribulation, and before the Millennium, when according to dispensationalists, Christ will finally rule as the Messianic King on Earth). 2

I believe it is a big mistake to think this way. I will not take time to address every error mentioned above and instead say that God has much bigger plans in mind that ruling the world through the Jews.

Please do not think that I am being antisemitic or against Israel. I simply do not accept that they are the “good guys” any more than I think any other nation should be thought of in that way. Talmudic Jews, who believe that they are destined to rule the world, think of Gentiles, goyim, as mere chattel to be used by them. They are no different from followers of Islam or communism, the Mafia, cartels, or globalists, who all desire to rule the world and exploit or even destroy anyone who gets in the way. The United States, my own homeland, which is supposedly a bastion of justice for all, over the years has acted in self-centered and tyrannical ways,  using our money, power, and influence to get our way in the world. No one can claim the moral high ground upon which to  judge others.

However, it is important that we view the Jews no differently from any other people group, in view of the New Covenant. God loves them and wants to save them through the gospel, but they are not a “special” people with an elevated status. At the foot of the cross, the ground is level.

I believe the scriptures clearly teach that Jesus is going to rule with his church at his side, not the nation of Israel, unless we view Israel as Paul did, as all born-again believers. (Galatians 3:29)

At this moment, all believers are seated with Christ in the heavenly places.

even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Ephesians 2:5–6 (NASB95)

Our destiny as the bride of Christ is to co-rule with him.

If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; 2 Timothy 2:12 (NASB95)

To believe that the Jews will be elevated to a special status over Gentile believers is a corruption of the gospel’s clear teaching about “one new man” in Christ and is to be rejected.

Instead, we are to understand that the mystery is that God will reveal his splendid wisdom through the church, not the nation of Israel.

By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; 6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, 7 of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power. 8 To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; 10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, Ephesians 3:4–11 (NASB95)

God’s eternal purpose is bound up in Christ and the church, not the nation of Israel.

Guiding Principles

If Dispensationalism is not true, then what is Israel’s purpose in the end times? Below are some guiding principles that have helped me arrive at my own conclusion, which I hold “loosely,” realizing that I certainly do not understand everything.

Principle #1: God does not relate to his people via “dispensations” but according to covenants, something that was clearly understood by the early reformers.

A decent book on this subject is The Christ of the Covenants by O. Palmer Robertson. Since the beginning God has related to his creatures via covenants from the one made in the Garden of Eden to the New Covenant inaugurated by our Lord Jesus. Each successive covenant built upon the previous ones, and all pointed to Christ, except for the Mosaic Covenant of Law, which was its own entity that would fade away after the coming of the Messiah. The New Covenant fulfills and expands all previous covenants, except for the Mosaic Covenant, which it fulfilled and abolished. This is no small matter because it influences how we view the entirety of Bible history.

Principle #2: Israel in the New Covenant is defined as all those who put their faith in Christ from every people group, including both Jews and Gentiles.

But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; 7 nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: “THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED.” 8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. Romans 9:6–8 (NASB95)

And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise. Galatians 3:29 (NASB95)

Principle #3: The “one new man” in Christ is the focal point of God’s plan going forward.

For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, Ephesians 2:14–15 (NASB95)

Principle #4: The New Covenant is either the fulfillment and expansion of the previous covenants, or, as in the case of the Mosaic Covenant of Law, its abolition. The New Covenant leaves nothing undone or unfulfilled in the previous ones.

The Bible teaches that the New Covenant is a complete change from what preceded it, especially the covenant of Law under Moses. This is because the Mosaic covenant depended on our faithfulness to keep the Law for us to obtain God’s blessings. The Bible teaches that no one is able to do that; so, the Mosaic covenant brings judgment upon us instead of blessings. The New Covenant depends upon the faithfulness of our Lord Jesus, who kept the Law’s stipulations on our behalf, rather than on our own performance. It is radically different.

For finding fault with them, He says, “BEHOLD, DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS THE LORD, WHEN I WILL EFFECT A NEW COVENANT WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH; 9 NOT LIKE THE COVENANT WHICH I MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS ON THE DAY WHEN I TOOK THEM BY THE HAND TO LEAD THEM OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT; FOR THEY DID NOT CONTINUE IN MY COVENANT, AND I DID NOT CARE FOR THEM, SAYS THE LORD. 10 “FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS, AND I WILL WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS. AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. Hebrews 8:8–10 (NASB95)
If you wish to read more about the New Covenant, click here.

The New Covenant is focused on Christ, not the nation of Israel. What preceded the New Covenant can be thought of as providing us with promises and shadows or types of what was to come in Christ, but not the full revelation.

The true meaning of the previous covenants cannot be understood outside of Christ.

All the covenants before the New pointed to what Christ would accomplish through his death and resurrection. If our teaching or theology of the end times does not feature the centrality of Christ, it is false. (Ephesians 1:10) This means that whatever happens in the end times will glorify our Lord and what he accomplished on behalf of God’s elect.

Just as nothing can pass from this mortal life into immortality unless it is first transformed, all the previous covenants were transformed in Christ and find their eternal significance in him.

Everything in the Old Testament pointed to Christ (Luke 24:27), who fulfilled the types and shadows of the previous covenants.

This means that Old Testament scriptures are interpreted, explained, or expanded by New Covenant revelation.

It can never be the other way around. We do not interpret the New Testament by imposing the Old Covenant scriptures upon it. That would be going backward and away from the centrality of Christ.

Principle #5: What God revealed in Christ and is doing in the end times will fulfill what is revealed in the New Covenant.

The types and shadows of the Old can add texture and depth of meaning for us, but never restrict us to an Old Covenant understanding.

Examples of the Old Covenant Being Fulfilled or Expanded in the New

Descendants

God promised Abraham that he would have descendants and land. These descendants would become the Israelite nation, but even in Genesis, God told Abraham that we would be the father of nations, a clear hint that, through Christ, God would include people from every nation on the earth.

In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.” Romans 4:18 (NASB95)

The Jews in Jesus’ band of disciples also had a narrow view of what he came to do, thinking that it mainly pertained to their own nation. What followed Christ’s resurrection, however, revealed that the gospel would go to the nations.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19–20 (NASB95)

This was always God’s plan, not plan B, as the Dispensationalists claim. Isaiah revealed a conversation between Father and Son at some time immemorial.

He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” Isaiah 49:6 (NASB95)

Land

The promise of land given to Abraham was understood in the Old Testament to include Canaan, extending to the borders conquered during the reigns of David and Solomon. The New Testament, however, reveals that God  expanded that promise of land to include the entire recreated earth.

Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5 (NASB95)

Some argue that Matthew used the Greek word “ge” for earth, which can also be translated “land,” meaning the promised land of Israel. Interestingly, however, Jesus quoted Psalm 37:11, which uses the Hebrew world “eretz,” which is the same word used in Genesis 1:1, where the clear meaning is the entire earth. In addition, Paul adds that Abraham’s descendants would inherit the cosmos, a word that cannot be limited to Canaan.

For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world [kosmos] was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. Romans 4:13 (NASB95)

Kingship

The messianic promise God made to David that one of his descendants would reign upon the throne of Israel forever has been expanded in the New Covenant.

When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 “He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 2 Samuel 7:12–13 (NASB95)

Christ now sits at the right hand of God and will return in the clouds in glory at the right hand of power to judge the living and the dead.

But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 “All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Matthew 25:31–34 (NASB95)
Examples of the Abolition of Old Covenant Types and Shadows after Christ

Dietary Laws

Old Covenant dietary laws were abolished with the advent of the New Covenant. Jesus taught this, and the Holy Spirit later revealed this to Peter in Acts 11. Jesus makes us “clean” through the offering of his blood. We no longer need to be concerned with maintaining ceremonial purity.

And He said to them, “Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, 19 because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?” (Thus He declared all foods clean.) 20 And He was saying, “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. Mark 7:18–20 (NASB95)

Peter, who had been trained all his life to maintain ritual purity by avoiding “unclean” foods, had great difficulty accepting this new freedom provided by our Lord. A word to the wise: we are easily brainwashed into believing lies; so, it is difficult for us to overcome what we have previously believed, even when we are exposed to the truth.

Animal Sacrifices

Old Covenant animal sacrifices were also done away with after Christ offered himself as the Lamb of God for our sins. His perfect sacrifice eradicated the need for animals to be offered.

But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5 Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, “SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME; Hebrews 10:3–5 (NASB95)

Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin. Hebrews 10:18 (NASB95)

The Temple

Some forty years after the crucifixion and resurrection, the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman army, just as Jesus and Daniel had predicted. Animal sacrifice ceased because the Jews no longer had a place to perform them. My personal conviction is that it would be a horrible abomination against Christ to re-institute such sacrifices. They have been abolished by God.

The Old Covenant temple was God’s habitation of sorts, although he cannot truly be contained, but now the Holy Spirit inhabits each individual believer and the church as a whole, which is the new temple of God.

you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:5 (NASB95)

God destroyed the old temple because he is no longer concerned with bricks and mortar. The New Covanant temple is made of people. If the temple were rebuilt, as some believe will happen, and if animal sacrifices are re-instituted, it will not honor God the Father or the risen Lamb of God. Their time of significance has passed.

The Role of Israel in the End Times

In the Old Testament, Israel served in a couple of notable ways. First, Paul wrote that God used them to receive and safeguard the scriptures. Secondly, he used them to bring the Messiah into the world. They fulfilled both of these tasks. However, they had a less glorious role, too. They betrayed the Messiah and had him executed. As a whole, the Jewish people still reject their Messiah.

Jesus warned the Jewish leaders that the kingdom of God would be taken from them and given to another – the church.

Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. Matthew 21:43 (NASB95)

Stephen indicted those in his hearing with the stinging judgment that they always resist the Holy Spirit.

You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. Acts 7:51 (NASB95)

His martyrdom effectively ended the gospel being prioritized to the Jews. From then forward it went primarily to the nations, although a remnant of Jews have come to Christ over the centuries. Nothing has changed since then. The Jews by and large still reject their Messiah and resist the Holy Spirit, as do most other people in the world.

It seems to me that Jesus taught that the Jews lost their chance to accept their Messiah as a nation. He gave no indication that they would get another one, although God in his mercy may yet do something amazing with them.

Principle #6: Just as the Law faded away after Christ’s coming, and John the Baptist decreased in significance after introducing the Messiah, I believe Israel’s role diminished greatly, even faded away, after the crucifixion, and certainly after the stoning of Stephen.

To expect God to raise up the Jewish nation to worldwide prominence in the end times is the same error the early apostles made. That was not Christ’s mission. He came to redeem the elect out of the entire earth and release creation from the bondage of sin.

Dispensationalism has influenced Christians all over the world to give uncritical allegiance to the state of Israel, which is, for the most part, completely ungodly.

It is likely that we will discover that it, like the United States, has committed many atrocities. That nation’s Moussad has likely worked against our nation, as will likely be revealed in the coming days.

Will God yet save a significant portion of Jewish people in the land of Israel at the very end? He may. He is full of surprises and loves to show mercy. I hope that happens, but to make such a happening a central part of our eschatology is probably a mistake. I believe the Lord wants us to keep our focus on Christ and expect him to do exploits through his worldwide church in the last days. Come, Lord Jesus!

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20–21 (NASB95)
Footnotes
1 "Dispensationalism, Its History & Framework (Part 1)" by Jon Brodhagen.
2 Ibid.

If you wish to read more about Covenant vs. Dispensational Theology, click here and here.
If you wish to learn more about an alternate view of the end times, I recommend Harold Eberle's book, Victorious Eschatology.
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Can you prove that Jesus is the Messiah?

Saul was highly trained in the Old Testament scriptures. By revelation from the Spirit, he immediately connected the dots between Bible prophecies and Jesus. He showed how Jesus fulfilled messianic promises through his life, death, and resurrection. He was able to reasonably prove that Jesus was (and is) the Jewish Messiah.

Saul’s preaching became more and more powerful, and the Jews in Damascus couldn’t refute his proofs that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. Acts 9:22 (NLT)

Many, if not most, believers today feel woefully inadequate to this task, but the remedy is fairly easy. With some study and practice, we too can use Old Covenant scriptures to show how Jesus is the Savior and Lord promised to Eve, Abraham, Moses, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel, to name a few key players.

We should not take the “easy way out” by only learning and sharing our testimonies or an overly simplified “plan of salvation.” The amazingly powerful gospel is not too hard for us to master. But we have to choose to do it.

It is important for us to remember that the gospel is powerful when it is rightly shared.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.” Romans 1:16–17 (NASB95)
To learn more, click on this link.
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The Baptism in the Spirit Is Part of the Gospel

In Acts Chapter 8, Luke recounts how the gospel came through Philip to the Samaritans.

But now the people believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women were baptized. 13  Then Simon himself believed and was baptized. He began following Philip wherever he went, and he was amazed by the signs and great miracles Philip performed. 14  When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there. 15  As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit. 16  The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17  Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit. Acts 8:12-17 (NLT)

In the 1970s a group called the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International rightly argued that the baptism in the Spirit is an integral part of the gospel, helping countless people receive this amazing gift. In Acts 2, Peter included this baptism in his initial gospel message (Acts 2:38-39), and here in Acts 8, in the first gospel presentation to a people group other than the Jews, it was once again highlighted.

The baptism in the Spirit is connected to Christ’s ascension and glorification at God’s right hand in heaven as Lord of the Harvest. (Acts 2:32-33) Its purpose is to equip and empower God’s people to fulfill the Great Commission. (Acts 1:8)

A “full gospel” presentation should include the following.

  1. A clear presentation of Jesus the crucified Lamb of God who died to forgive our sins.
  2. A proclamation of his Lordship which was proven by his resurrection.
  3. An announcement of his ascension, exaltation in heaven, and the consequent outpouring of the Spirit.
  4. His Second Coming as the divine Son Man, prophesied in Daniel 7, who will judge the living and the dead.
  5. An invitation to receive forgiveness of sins, to declare publicly his lordship through being water baptized, and to receive the baptism of the Spirit and become part of his band of Great Commission disciple makers.

Did you receive the full gospel? If not, which part needs to be added? What remains for you to do?

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Is Jesus Merely a Personal Savior or the Risen and Glorious Lord?

In the two verses below, the Holy Spirit summarizes the gospel in four words spoken by the apostles: “Jesus is the Messiah.”

The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus. 42  And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: “Jesus is the Messiah.” Acts 5:41-42 (NLT)

During that time in history when Jesus lived on earth, the Jews expected the Messiah to finally appear. They had certain ideas about what he would do for them that did not at all match Jesus’ words, character, and deeds. They expected a military leader who would deliver them from the iron grip of Roman tyranny. Instead they got a “Lamb” went about setting people free from sin, sickness, and demonic oppression, who was put to death on a cross for our sins, yet conquered death by rising again three days later as the glorious Lord of Lords. This risen Jesus, who promised to one day return as the Judge of all mankind, is indeed the Jewish Messiah. We now must bow our knees in worship or later we will do so in abject terror when he comes again to judge everyone who ever lived.

…For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11 For it is written, “AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.” 12 So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God. Romans 14:10b–12 (NASB95)

Modern consumerists have converted the gospel message that Jesus is the glorious messianic King of Kings into his being merely a very tame personal savior.

This is no small thing. A personal savior has no real impact on the larger world or even on the individual. He only saves us from having to suffer judgment for our own sins, rescuing us from damnation and giving us eternal life. For the individual, this is great news, but not necessarily life changing, because we are not required to serve him, only receive blessings from him. 

The announcement that Jesus is Messiah and Lord over all creation is a game changer. One cannot believe that and continue to live as before.

A real encounter with the risen Lord quite naturally produces a desire in us to worship and serve him. Do you believe in a personal savior or serve the risen Lord?

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Christ’s Ascension into Heaven Is Part of the Gospel

In Acts Chapter Five, once again the Jewish religious leaders threatened the apostles for preaching the good news about Jesus. In response, Peter delivered a brief and bold presentation of the gospel to his persecutors.

The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead after you killed him by hanging him on a cross. 31  Then God put him in the place of honor at his right hand as Prince and Savior. He did this so the people of Israel would repent of their sins and be forgiven. 32  We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey him.” Acts 5:30-32 (NLT)

Peter mentioned three reasons for his hearers to repent in their attitude and actions regarding Jesus.

  1. He was put to death unjustly.
  2. God raised him from the dead, and
  3. He is now seated at God’s right hand, reigning as the Lord over all creation.

Peter does not directly say that Jesus ascended into heaven, but it is assumed. How else would his resurrected body have gotten there? God sent his Holy Spirit on Pentecost to prove that Jesus is now seated at the right hand of God the Father. The Holy Spirit indwells, empowers, and seals all those who confess Christ as Lord.

Christ’s ascension is an important part of the gospel that confirms Christ’s exaltation as Lord and explains the outpouring of the Spirit on Pentecost.

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Jesus is the only way to God.

Peter concluded his brief gospel proclamation in Acts Chapter Four with this claim about Jesus.

"And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."Acts 4:12 (NASB)

Many find Peter’s declaration offensive, but it agrees with Jesus’ own words. 

Jesus *said to him [Thomas], "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. John 14:6 (NASB)

Jesus taught that he is the only way to God. If not, then Jesus was terribly misguided, and why did he need to die as God’s Lamb on the cross? Was that a huge mistake, too? If he did not have to pay the penalty for our sins, the gospel is a fairy tale of the worst sort because it gives false information about God and eternity.

If sin is not a real offense against God and a barrier to our having a relationship with him, then any path that leads to God will do. But Jesus’ resurrection proved that it is true. He is the only way to God, which Peter resolutely declared and Paul later confirmed.

For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 2:5 (NLT)

Have you faced up to this reality? Have you made your peace with God yet? Have you accepted what Jesus did for you by dying for your sins and rising again as the glorious Lord of Lords? If not, don’t let the day go by without doing so.

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