Category: Discipleship Foundations

How Can We Know if We Are Born Again? Part 2

 

 

 

 

 

The church is filled with what Jesus called “tares.” A tare is a weed that resembles wheat until harvest time. Then the difference is evident. Tares bear no fruit. The only way to become a real child of God is through the new birth. How can we know for sure we have been born again and are not among the tares?

The New Birth Is Self-Authenticating

This simply means that born again people know it. If you are not sure, perhaps you never have been. 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. They cannot say here is when I was born again. Nevertheless, they can know for sure that they have been. I gave four keys for discerning this in my previous article.

My experience was much different. Even though I grew up with a certain familiarity with the Bible, being Roman Catholic, no one ever explained the real gospel message to me. I did not know that I could know for sure who Jesus is. I did not know I could know that I have been eternally forgiven. I was not aware that eternal life begins when we are born again. This is because I grew up in a religious system that keeps people in a continual state of suspense regarding their eternal destiny.

The Catholic Church has devised a clever system that keeps people in perpetual dependency on the priesthood and the church to stay in a right relationship with God. It offers a way to get back into God’s good graces as needed by going through the priest and the sacraments. Catholic priests serve as mediators between God and man, which is an outright contradiction of Scripture. There is only one mediator, and his name is Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5). This false religion distorts of the true gospel message and offers no sure promise of salvation. Paul wrote that those who proclaim such a false gospel will be cursed. (Galatians 1:8)

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. 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 we know we have eternal life now, then we need no longer be under the thrall of any church or priesthood’s power to enslave us to a perpetual not knowing.

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. A week later he crossed the threshold into eternity, knowing where he stands 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 was different, and that was in 1971. This is 2019. You do the math. This was no flash in the pan emotional experience. It was and is real. 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 then wife to be when she was born again. We do not wonder. We know.

Before a person is born again, he or she cannot understand what it 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.

Nicodemus’ response revealed that he was operating out of his intellect only. All of his great learning and study as a Jewish religious leader was not sufficient for the things of God’s Spirit.

Nicodemus *said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” John 3:4 (NASB)

Here we have the perfect contrast of rational religion versus a supernatural revelation-based relationship with Christ.

Great learning and Bible knowledge only brought Nicodemus to the place of coming to Jesus. It did not 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. The relationship we have with the Lord Jesus is as his appreciative servant. This spiritual relationship automatically provides us with a new relationship with the Father in heaven. We become his children through the new birth.

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.

Getting back to Nicodemus, once again Jesus did not answer as one might expect. Instead he restated his earlier declaration with more detail. Because the new birth must be experienced in order to be understood, Jesus’ purpose in this conversation was to create a hunger in Nicodemus 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. This will be the topic of Part 3.

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 be able to 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.

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How Can We Know if We Are Born Again?

 

 

 

 

 

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)

If we must be born again, two questions immediately come to mind: what does that mean and how can we know if we have been? It all sounds rather mysterious and mystical. It certainly did to a certain Pharisee named Nicodemus, who came to Jesus at night, most likely to avoid persecution by others in his religious order, who were openly and viciously hostile to Jesus. He wanted to learn more about this miracle working teacher. His opening statement revealed to Jesus his deepest need.

 …”Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” John 3:2 (NASB)

Because Nicodemus had an open mind and heart, he correctly reasoned that Jesus must be sent by God. The miracles Jesus performed required God’s help. It would be unreasonable for God to affirm and use a person who does not please him. This was good logic that should have been obvious to all the Pharisees and other Jewish religious leaders. Most of us would applaud such clear thinking, openness, humility, and hunger to know more. Jesus, who never used flattery to manipulate people, rather than congratulate him for what he understood, quickly confronted this man’s ignorance of crucial spiritual matters. We do not show love to people when we coddle their feelings at the expense of their eternal destiny. It doesn’t matter how many theological degrees we may have, if we have not been born again, we have nothing. This brings us to a very big truth regarding the new birth, our first key to knowing if we have been born again.

Key #1. Revelation Is the Only Gate into the New Birth

Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3 (NASB)

Jesus knew that Nicodemus would have no idea of what he meant by being born again, and this was on purpose. He wanted this well-educated man to immediately grasp that his religious training and knowledge of the Bible had not served him as well as it should have. Nicodemus was woefully ignorant of what mattered most. This is the case with many churchgoers who have grown up in and around Christianity, who have a fair grasp of the Bible, who know how to talk the Christian talk, but who have never been born again. They, like Nicodemus, are in a very precarious situation, thinking that they are secure with God, when they are actually outside of God’s family and in danger of spending an eternity separated from God.

Jesus also wanted Nicodemus to understand that human reasoning alone is insufficient when it comes to the things of God. Nicodemus’ opening statement revealed that he knew Jesus was from God, but he did not yet really see who Jesus was and is. It is not enough to simply know about Jesus. We must see him with spiritually opened eyes. Even the demons know that Jesus is God’s Son and someone great, but they are certainly not born again.

You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! James 2:19 (ESV)

A good indicator that someone is born again is that she or he clearly sees and understands that Jesus is the Lord of Lords.

Key #2. Revelation Produces Faith

Just knowing about Jesus is never enough. We must have revelation from God that not only opens our eyes to his true identity, but also sparks faith in our hearts that enables us to receive from him and give to him.

Revelation from God causes faith to explode inside us. Suddenly we know who Jesus is in a way that causes us to worship and serve him as our Lord. We receive forgiveness and life. We give him ourselves.

A great example of this happening is the account of Thomas encounter with Jesus  after his resurrection. Apparently Thomas had never previously really known Jesus, except as team leader and as a great teacher and prophet. But when Jesus appeared to him in his resurrection body he realized something he had never seen before.

Then he [Jesus] said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28  Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29  Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:27-29 (ESV)

Thomas had the distinct privilege of beholding, touching, and talking to the resurrected Jesus. We are not at a disadvantage however.

We may not physically see Jesus, but we can definitely behold him by revelation from the Spirit of God, and that act of beholding will always produce faith. This is a clear indicator of the new birth.

"For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day." John 6:40 (NASB)

Jesus was continually on the lookout for those who had received such revelation and faith. One of the first such persons he found was unexpectedly a Gentile. The Roman centurion who asked Jesus to come to his home to his heal his servant understood in his heart who Jesus was and is. We know this because of his expressed faith.

But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9  For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10  When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. Matthew 8:8-10 (ESV)

 

Key #3. Revelation Produces Action and a Lifestyle Change

One way we can know that we have been born again is if our faith results in action. The centurion’s faith prompted him to come to Jesus for help and to declare that all he needed to do was to simply say the word for his servant to be healed. Jesus saw the faith through his actions, and so can we.

Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. Matthew 12:33 (ESV)

Being born again should produce a thinking and lifestyle change. Faith coupled with repentance (changing our thinking to agree with God and his Word) ought to result in a life dedicated to God and his kingdom.

If believing in Jesus has not made any appreciable difference in your life, it is safe to say that most likely you have not been born again.

Key #4. Revelation Produces a Confession of Allegiance to the Lord

Later in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus asked his disciples a probing question designed to reveal if any of them had yet received such a life changing revelation regarding his true identity.

He [Jesus] *said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16  Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17  And Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. Matthew 16:15-17 (NASB)

Notice that our Lord did not coach them in what to say. He also did not do what many well meaning preachers do: he did not put the words in their mouths by leading them in a “sinner’s prayer.”  Jesus did not tell his disciples, “Now say after me. Jesus is the Messiah.” No, he waited for the Spirit of God to reveal this.

Paul understood the importance of believing from the heart, the place where faith resides because of revelation from the Spirit.

But what does it say? "THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART"—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9  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; 10  for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. Romans 10:8-10 (NASB)

The new birth is precipitated by the Spirit’s revealing to us who Jesus truly is – the Lord of Lords and Messiah King of Israel. Seeing (with the eyes of revelation) is believing. The one automatically follows the other. What we believe in our hearts, we naturally speak.

The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45 (ESV)

When we publicly profess our allegiance to Jesus our Lord, it gives strong evidence of the internal work of the Spirit.

I put this key last because it is the one that is easiest to fake. We can say anything, can’t we? But if what we say agrees with how we live, we can be surer that what we say is real.

Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? Luke 6:46 (NASB)

Summary

It is vital that we grasp that the new birth is not simply a nice sounding but toothless theological term. Rather, it is an actual experience every child of God must have. It is initiated and carried out by the Holy Spirit as we participate by faith. The new birth depends on our receiving a revelation of Jesus’ true identity as Savior and Lord. This means that God opens our spiritual eyes and makes us alive in our spirits by supernaturally connecting us to his Spirit. Through the amazing process called the new birth, we receive an entirely new spiritual identity. We become a new creation.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 1 Peter 1:3 (NASB) 

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NASB)

Being different in the core of our being changes our thinking, words, and actions. If we still think as unsaved people do, if our words sound exactly like those of our friends and neighbors who don’t profess allegiance to Christ, and if our actions do not reflect a loyalty to Christ and his teachings, we should wonder if we ever have been born again.

Prayer

Perhaps you now seriously question if you have been born again. If so, consider praying the following prayer.

Jesus, I am not sure I have ever been born again. I want to have everything you died to give me. Holy Spirit, please open my heart and mind to know by revelation who Jesus truly is. Let me behold him by faith in the Spirit. Make me a new creation. I invite you, Spirit of God, into my life. Jesus, I profess my loyalty to you. I receive forgiveness and life from you. Father in heaven, I want to be your child. You said that no one who comes to Jesus will ever be turned away. Well, here I am. Amen

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. John 6:37 (ESV)
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What if I am struggling to follow Jesus and feel like giving up?

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s be honest. Following Jesus can be very difficult. For some, it becomes so painful that they turn back and may even renounce their allegiance to Christ. Why is this? The answer may surprise you. History is littered with those who started well and ended poorly. Solomon tells us that how we finish is perhaps greater indicator of who we really are than how we begin.

A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth. 2  It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. Ecclesiastes 7:1-2 (ESV)  

Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Ecclesiastes 7:8 (ESV)

Jesus will one day judge every person who has ever lived on the basis of his or her actions. This is because what we do reveals what we believe and who we are. We can say anything in the heat of the moment, but what we do tells a truer tale.

And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18  knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19  but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20  He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21  who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. 1 Peter 1:17-21 (ESV)

Judgment according to our deeds neatly meshes with salvation by faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross and resurrection. The two are not antithetical, but are complementary. If we are truly saved by our faith in what Christ did for us, we will remain loyal to him over a lifetime.

Faithfulness (allegiance) to Christ is an unmistakable earmark of those who truly know him. When our lives are finished and we stand before God, how we lived will be the final declaration of what we truly believed. Sobering, isn’t it?

Reason #1: We do not really know Jesus.

Nevertheless, our loyalty to Christ will be tested, and when we are in the midst of such, it can be difficult for us. Let’s take a look at such a case from the New Testament, an instance when many of Jesus’ followers decided to turn back. He had just announced to the crowd:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54  Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55  For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.” John 6:53-55 (ESV)

I don’t know about you, but that sounds a little weird. Was Jesus teaching cannibalism? Who was this guy? That is exactly what many in the crowd were thinking. Why did Jesus use such a strange way to communicate the truth of our union with him? Was there a better way to teach a deep mystery of God? I rather think not, nevertheless, by couching this truth in a difficult saying, Jesus revealed the hearts of his followers.

Someone wiser than I once said, “God offends the mind to reveal the heart.” Faith resides in the heart. If all we have is mental assent to Jesus, life’s tests will uncover that insufficient foundation. Those who have not believed from the heart will eventually stumble and fall away.

Many of his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?” 61  Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you? 62  Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? 63  The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64  But some of you do not believe me.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn’t believe, and he knew who would betray him.) 65  Then he said, “That is why I said that people can’t come to me unless the Father gives them to me.” 66  At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. 67  Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?” 68  Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. 69  We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.” John 6:60-69 (NLT)

We cannot follow Jesus unless we first come to him, and we will not come to him unless the Spirit of God draws us. (John 6:44)In other words, unless God opens our eyes to Jesus’ real identity, we cannot follow him. It’s too hard. Many try, but somewhere along the way something will be said or something will happen that will trip us up, influencing us to fall away.

None of us perfectly understand who Jesus is, but we do need to “see” as Peter saw that he is from God and in him is life. We must realize that he is someone great, God’s Son, who is worth following no matter what. This is what enabled Peter and the rest of the twelve to hang in there.

So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68  Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69  and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” John 6:67-69 (ESV)

 

Reason #2: We do not understand the cost of discipleship.

Unfortunately, we may have begun our faith walk after having heard a version of the “gospel” which requires little or nothing of us. We live in a consumerist society, which has conditioned us to look for “good deals.” We have adopted a “What’s in it for me?” mindset, sometimes without realizing it, that influences how we view everything.

The consumerist “gospel” minimizes the cost of following Christ and maximizes the benefits.

The consumerist gospel focuses on heaven, eternal life, prosperity, and being happy. Who wouldn’t want that? But if that is what you think following Jesus is, you are certain to be disappointed. Jesus called his followers using the opposite message.

Jesus warned people up front that following him would cost them everything. (Luke 14:33)

In our opening passage, Jesus just told the crowd that they must eat his flesh and drink his blood in order to have life, which offended their sensibilities. When he saw that they were offended, he did not back down. He let his words stand, knowing that many would cease to follow him on that day. It was a test. Life provides us with a series of tests to reveal what is inside us. Many of these tests will be difficult, if not impossible, to understand the “why.”

Following Jesus will force us to give up the requirement to understand everything up front. We follow him regardless of how well we understand where we are going, what we are doing, or why this is happening.

Following Jesus means we give up control over our lives. It means we relinquish the title to what we own. It means we make no demands from God. It means we serve where we are sent, without complaint or questioning. It means our new friends are fellow travelers on the same discipleship journey and may not be the people with whom we would normally associate. It is very much like being in the military, in that regard.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote of this mentality in his famous Charge of the Light Brigade.

“Forward, the Light Brigade!”
Was there a man dismayed?
Not though the soldier knew
Someone had blundered.
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die.
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

Some may view this act of unquestioning loyalty to be foolish, but the only foolishness was on the part of the commanders, not the men. The military is built on the loyal obedience of the soldiers who stake their lives on decisions made by very imperfect leaders. Followers of Christ are expected to trust their Lord just as fully, knowing that he may charge them into the gates of hell. The big difference is that we know that our commander never errs and following his commands will result in eternal life and reward.

Following this military theme, Paul wrote:

Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. 2 Timothy 2:3-4 (NLT)

Paul’s point is that we are to avoid conflicts of interest so that we will unhesitatingly obey the Lord. We who follow Christ are under the command of the Holy Spirit, whose voice we must learn to heed. Soldiers also know the rules of the military. We who follow Christ have the written words of God in the Bible, and make the commitment to prioritize them to the highest place in our lives. We believe they are true and authoritative. Followers of Christ do not make excuses for disobeying the Bible, nor do we minimize its authority, even when its message runs contrary to the current popular beliefs of the culture or to our own sinful desires.

Following Jesus means we prioritize obedience to him over family, friends, career, and personal convenience or ease. (Luke 14:26) Following Jesus means we do not turn back when the cost of discipleship exceeds anything we were prepared to pay. Those who give up everything realize that God may indeed require everything. (Luke 14:27-30)

Christ does indeed give us abundant life. He blesses us beyond anything we might imagine, but he does not insulate us from suffering, through which we learn obedience. (Hebrews 5:8) Our obedience reveals if we are real disciples. (1 John 5:3)

So, what do I do if am currently struggling?

If you are contemplating turning back, ask yourself the following questions.

  1. Do I really know who Jesus is? Am I convinced that he is worth following, no matter what? If not, my advice is to pray and seek God until he opens your eyes.
  2. Have I counted the cost of being his disciple? Have I told him that all I am and have is his? Have I relinquished ownership of my life to him? Have I given up the right to direct my own affairs? Have I told him that I will suffer whatever he may require, as long as I can be his follower?

If not, now is the time to get real. Many are called, but few are chosen. Make your calling and election sure by making the commitment to be a true disciple. Stop waffling. Double-minded people will not make it. God’s Spirit will help us, but we must take responsibility for our part.

Prayer

Jesus, I am struggling. Now I realize that my allegiance to you has been less than it needs to be. Holy Spirit, open my eyes to the true wonder of Jesus, so I will value him more and more, even above my own life. Right now I make the commitment to follow Jesus no matter what it may cost me and those I love. Remind me of this prayer when I want to turn back. Help me to let go of what is “mine” in order to fully receive what you have for me, which is far better. Come, Holy Spirit, live your life through me. Amen.

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Can We Be Disciples without Being Part of a Local Church?

 

 

 

 

 

There are many who profess to be Christians who do not participate in a local church.  Some wear their aloofness as a kind of badge of  honor keeping them above the pettiness and corruption of the church. Maybe it is because of a judgment lodged against their previous church’s wrong priorities, values, or traditions. But probably most often pain is the reason. Many have been hurt, some quite significantly, by church leaders or members.  At the root of many people’s going it alone is a deeply embedded determination that no one is going to tell them what to do.  They are living in clear opposition to Christ’s teachings, but do not want to be held accountable. Whatever the case, there is a multitude of people who call themselves Christians but do not attend or consider themselves to be part of a local church. This is not good.

I think we can agree that becoming a child of God has nothing to do with church membership. Going to church cannot make one a Christian. Placing our faith in Christ and his finished work on the cross and submitting to his Lordship is what opens the door to our being included in the family of God. God has no grandchildren; so, we cannot claim membership in the family of God just because our parents were believers or we attend a church. Each individual must engage the Spirit for him or herself and be born again spiritually.

Faith is a very personal thing when it comes to the new birth; but, our life as believers also has a corporate aspect. Faith is not merely a matter of surrendering to Christ and believing the promises of the gospel: what we believe must be lived for it to be real, and this is where we need the local church. We grow stronger by associating with those who instruct, encourage, and challenge us to follow Christ and his teachings.

Even though it is possible for a person to come to know Christ without belonging to a local church, I believe very strongly that it is impossible to be a disciple that way. God created us to be dependent upon him and interdependent with one another. Any attempt to “go it alone” is rebellion against God’s created order.

Adam’s and Eve’s first sin was to try to do life without reference to God. This is the most fundamental sin of humanity – a prideful and arrogant demand to call our own shots, or, as Frank Sinatra so famously sang, we want to live “my way.” In the Genesis account it was not long before “doing it my way” resulted in murder. Evil grew stronger the more humans selfishly and independently pursued their own agendas. The beat still goes on, even among people who claim to be followers of Christ. True repentance means we turn away from doing life independently and embrace God’s plan for humble interdependence.

During times of confusion, disunity, and unrest in Israel in the times of the judges and kings, disgruntled Israelites would disavow any connection with appointed authority figures saying, “Every man to his own tent,” meaning “do your own thing.” Unity is one of the most precious results of our properly following the Holy Spirit’s lead in a corporate setting, like the local church. Disunity results when we go it alone, seeking our own way. Where there is disunity, all manner of evil takes up residence, and, if we are not connected to people who will lovingly confront us, we will continue in that vein to our own loss and shame. We need each other.

Paul used the analogy of the human body to describe how church members are to view and relate to one another. Even though each part of the body has a different function, each is precious and needed. We can live without some parts of our body, but there is always sorrow when we lose some part we were designed by God to have. The body operates as a unit directed by its “head.” The church functions in the same way. It would be odd for a few body parts to suddenly leave with the intention of going it alone. Likewise, the church needs every part.

When we opt out of the local church, we reveal that we have an independent spirit. Life has a way of sorting us out and revealing what is inside us.

Have you ever heard someone say, “I love God. It’s just people I don’t like?” It is humorous line with which we can all identify, but the Bible clearly teaches us that our love for people actually reveals whether or not we love God.

If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. 1 John 4:20 (NASB)

Just as absentee parents have difficulty in communicating how much they love their children, absentee church members cannot express their love for the body in practical ways, nor can they receive as they should. Absence does not make the heart grow fonder in this case. Rather it cuts us off from the ones we should be loving and from whom we should  be receiving love. If we have difficulty with people, it just shows how much work needs to be done in our lives, and that work cannot happen if we are out of relationship with the people God has put into our lives to help us.

And what will happen to us if we go “off the rails” and have no one to correct us? When we remove ourselves from regular contact with people who can speak the truth in love to us, we set ourselves up to be deceived. None of us are immune to the tricks and traps of the devil. We need one another to bring correction, balance, and sometimes discipline. Discipline is one of the most important functions of the church, but it is one to which we do not like to submit. Without discipline, however, we will not mature and learn obedience.

And what about the nurturing aspect of the body? God has placed apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers in the church to feed the sheep and help them grow to maturity. When we isolate ourselves, we cut ourselves off from this ministry and opt for stunted growth. Some might argue that it is possible to hear all sorts of great teaching via various media. But Paul warns us of the importance of knowing and being known by those who minister to us.

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)

We cannot know a person well enough to properly “shepherd” them from long distance. That can only happen when we do life together in the context of a local church. The Holy Spirit works through the various people and ministries in the local church to care for and encourage us.

Guidance and protection are two other functions of the local church. Pastoral input can preserve us from much harm and wasted energy. Good leadership does not seek to “lord it over” our faith. Instead its purpose is to confirm, guide, and protect. If we remove ourselves from the “umbrella of protection” provided by being properly related to church authority as vested in the pastor and elders, we once again set ourselves up to suffer. The devil, like a wolf, always goes after the sheep  who are straying from the flock. Don’t be one of them. Get back with the group. Remember: the banana that stays with the bunch doesn’t get peeled.

In conclusion, separating ourselves from the local church reveals that we are self-seeking and independent.

One who has isolated himself seeks his own desires; he rejects all sound judgment. Proverbs 18:1 (NET1)

Instead, let us forgive past offenses, put aside our differences, repent of our selfish independence, and embrace the God-given provision of the local church. We can be a very important part of the whole, receive ministry, grow, and participate in the church’s mission to go and make disciples. Otherwise, our story may become a sad footnote referencing how our great potential was wasted because we were determined to go it alone. Remember: we can be a Christian alone, but not a disciple.

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Come, Follow, Fish, and Teach Others to Do the Same

 

 

 

 

 

Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” Matthew 4:19 (NLT)

Many people are called by God to become disciples, but Jesus said that few are chosen. (Matthew 22:14)

When we truly hear the call of God through the words of the Gospel and the inner voice or prompting of the Holy Spirit, we are immediately faced with a choice. We can resist, ignore, or surrender to God’s call.

Many people are sifted out immediately because they will not obey the call to come, but even more are left behind by the next requirement. People initially come to Christ because he is wonderful, loving, generous, and offers everything a person would ever truly need, including everlasting life. The consumer in us thinks that this is a “deal” too good to pass up, and we are correct.

However, once we come to Christ and spend time with him and begin to read the Bible, it dawns on us that there is a cost to following him. In fact, following Jesus will cost us everything.

A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, 26  “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. 27  And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:25-27 (NLT)

Jesus laid down his life for us and asks us to show our allegiance to him by doing the same. It is one very important way we glorify God. But out of stubbornness, selfishness, fear, pride, or for some other reason, it is at this point that many turn back and make the decision not to follow him. They eliminate themselves from the ranks of the “chosen.”

For many are called, but few are chosen. Matthew 22:14 (NASB) 

Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14  "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. Matthew 7:13-14 (NASB)

Jesus promised that he would transform those who follow him into fishers of men, and telling others about the Gospel makes us just that.

This means that every true follower of Christ shares the Gospel with others.We may not be evangelists or preachers holding large meetings, but we can share one-on-one with people as the Lord directs and provides us with opportunities.

Followers of Christ are called disciples. They make the commitment to follow Jesus and, with the help of his Holy Spirit, obey his teachings and share the gospel message with others. When our hearers respond to the Gospel, a new responsibility confronts us.

Jesus wants us to teach these new followers to do as we do. This is called making disciples.

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 (NLT)

Discipleship is a journey that begins with a call, which prompts us to come to Jesus the Savior. If we continue on the journey, we must decide to follow Jesus the Lord. Along the way, Jesus will teach us how to fish for people. Some of those who hear our message will also respond to his call to come and follow and fish. We are responsible to make them into disciples, too. This is the discipleship journey.

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How Do We Align Ourselves with God’s Purposes?

 

 

 

 

 

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 their own success or comfort. It was only after the resurrection that the first apostles began to truly understand what this means. Today followers of Christ can also be slow on the uptake when it comes to grasping God’s purpose for them and the church.

Many suppose that the gospel is primarily for us, but actually it is first and foremost for God. Are you surprised? If so, it’s because we live in a culture in which everything is promoted or sold in terms of what it offers the consumer.

Replacing society’s “me first” focus with prioritizing God and his desires is the biggest 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. Only after that can we go on to experience God’s purpose for us through the gospel.

Love

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

The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 1 Timothy 1:5 (ESV)

Paul’s admonition to Timothy, and to all who would later be privileged to read his letter, was to allow God to develop in him 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, 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. Jesus healed and set people free because his compassion moved or propelled him to do so.

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 can never be content to simply feel empathy. It must act. 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 of God and our neighbor. It will be heartfelt and practical. It will be compassionate and selfless.

Purity of Heart

Where this love comes from is 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 single. Without the help of the Holy Spirit, we are selfish. The essence of sin is when we self-direct our lives without reference to God or dependence 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.

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 thick 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 that we allow the Holy Spirit to work humility in 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 hypocrisy and 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. The problem is that some use faith to obtain what they want instead of what God wants.

God is not primarily interested in making us wealthy and comfortable. He is much more concerned with developing our hearts to be like his, which normally requires us to endure suffering by faith from time to time, and, in some cases, extensively.

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

When the gospel accomplishes its purpose in individuals, it brings glory to our Lord and furthers the advance of God’s kingdom. People are generally attracted to followers of Christ who exemplify love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. May God help us to be like that. May God’s glory and his kingdom be our foremost concern. Everything else will follow.

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How Do We Choose Sides among Competing Loyalties?

 

 

 

 

 

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 they would have to choose between him and every other competing allegiance. The early disciples understood this very well.

The modern church has allowed a type of syncretism to invade the church that deceives people into thinking that they can maintain allegiance to Jesus and competing gods, ideologies, and kingdoms, without ever 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. This article will take a look at what it means to be loyal to the Lord Jesus and how that impacts our relationship with 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, if you want to follow his argument. To summarize, not only is faith trusting in the efficacy of Christ’s atoning work on the cross, it also is acknowledging his Lordship as demonstrated through his resurrection.

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 allegiance 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)

When we fail to take sides, we side against 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 synchronized dependence upon the indwelling Holy Spirit. Imagine a flock of birds wheeling in the sky, seemingly being conducted by God himself as they veer on cue in unison. Perhaps they are. 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. ) Humans have a spirit, soul, and a body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). God designed us so that our spirits would take the lead in sync with God, with our souls and bodies following effortlessly. The spirit is where we connect with God. It is the innermost part of us 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 dependence upon God, choosing to live independent self-directed lives. This choice resulted in death and destruction and created in us an inborn propensity, perhaps a lust, to experience life on our terms without reference to God. Jesus came to restore us to his Father’s original plan, but it came at great cost to him. He had to lay aside his own inherent desire for self-preservation and security 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 our own. 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 allegiance 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, showing he preferred 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 lapse of imposing God’s justice on a beloved son set the stage for a seed of bitterness to be sown in Absalom’s heart, which turned to hatred and outright rebellion. The entire kingdom went to war because David loved Amnon more than God. David was a man after God’s own heart, but even he was plagued by competing loyalties involving family.

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

There may be times when we are forced to choose sides between loved ones and God. Allegiance to Jesus will always lead us to choose the God side.

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, this choice might also include 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 facing 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)

Let me conclude by saying that allegiance to Christ is never an excuse or pretext to ignore, abandon, or neglect our loved ones. Faithfulness to family is an earmark of a true disciple (1 Timothy 5:8), as long as it does not pull him or her away from our primary loyalty to God.

Jesus vs. the Kingdom of Mammon

Mammon is one of the most insidious masters of all. In America we consider the pursuit of wealth part of our birthright, along with the pursuit of happiness. 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 of money away from 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 are serving the wrong god. The love of money can exist in the hearts of poor 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)

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.

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 that will eventually destroy and replace all competing kingdoms. (Daniel 7:13-14)

The devil and earthly authorities and kingdoms seek our unqualified allegiance, just as Satan asked for from Jesus. They 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, 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 democratic republic enlists the cooperation of its subjects, embroiling them in politics and government. (For a in depth analysis, you may wish to read my summary of Between Babel and Beast by Peter Leithart.) We are taught that it is our civic and religious duty to be good citizens. The government has cleverly co-opted religion with our consent. In Paul’s day, it was much different. The governments of Israel and Rome were hostile to the faith, persecuting it even to the death at times. Believers, for the most part, were not tempted to join the government, but kept a safe distance by necessity. Government wants to “suck us into its bowels,” seeks our allegiance, and demands us to die for it, as needed. It claims ownership of our land and other property, which we rent back by paying our taxes. It claims ownership of our children, which we retain if we follow the rules. It licenses nearly everything and even tries to impose limits on what churches can teach.

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 aggrandizes itself and begins taking upon itself 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 reverence 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 must 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 kowtowing to the State. In Islamic nations, martyrdom is often the consequence. But this is all part of God’s wise plan. Whereas government wants to use us to further its 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 declared allegiance to the Lord Jesus and complete trust in the efficacy of the finished work of Christ and the power of outpoured grace through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

The secret of the New Covenant is that God not only forgives and reconciles us to himself, but he also lives his own 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, 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. I love you more than my own life, my family, money, my beloved country… everything. Holy Spirit I depend on you to live Christ’s life through me. I am not up to doing this alone, 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 Know What God Is Telling Us?

One of the greatest promises recorded in the Bible is Jesus’ clear assertion 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.”

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. If you are a person who wants to follow God but has struggled with knowing his voice, this should help you.

The first point I want to make is that God is perfectly able to communicate to us everything we need to know at precisely the right time.

Generally, God is always speaking. If we are not hearing him, the problem almost always lies on our side. Granted, sometimes God chooses to be silent, which is a profound way he communicates. 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. It is brings him honor when we seek him and simply listen. We don’t have to hear anything. We honor him by listening.

God communicates in a variety of ways. Some of us have been receiving messages from God for a long time, but we may have learned or decided to discount them and pay no attention, doubting they are real. Once we learn how God speaks, it enables us to accurately discern his voice and have confidence in 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. It is a real hearing, but different from using the physical sense of hearing. We hear in a variety of ways.

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 the nudgings and whisperings of God’s Spirit nor his 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 prerequisites for our being able to readily hear what God is saying.

These are qualities found in those who have surrendered their lives to our Lord Jesus.

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. They would rather 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 and begin worshiping God 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 think it is a good thing. We worship him because we know that he will convert every single thing in our lives into something good. If you want to add a beautiful finishing touch to your praise, ask God to work your circumstances in such a way that will bring him glory. That is a prayer centered in God’s will and will surely be answered. To summarize, if you want to hear God in a greater way, stop complaining. Start worshiping and declaring that you 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. If you want to hear God clearly, ask the Holy Spirit to show you 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 have to reckon with God. Leave justice to him. Clear your heart of every offense and prepare yourself to hear God’s voice, for you surely will!

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 may be disappointed and miss 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 the spiritual world which God inhabits. When we surrender to Christ’s lordship, the Holy Spirit unites with our spirits (1 Corinthians 6:17), reestablishing communication lines 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. 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 vehicles 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.

Ask God to speak to you as you read the Bible. Be alert to the Holy Spirit showing special things to you. This is called revelation. Jesus promised us that the Spirit will do this for us.

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 for us and our situation. I have had this happen many times. God is no respecter of persons. He will do it for you, 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 listen alertly in expectation that God will 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 this tremendous 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.

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 heard. If you neglect or reject this safeguard, you may go off the path right into a ditch. 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 wants 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 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, and we should follow their warnings and counsel, as long as it agrees with the Bible and does not violate our consciences.

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 is able to 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, listen for God to speak to you through other people, but never allow this method to preempt your responsibility to hear God speak through the scriptures and by the inner voice of the Spirit. Generally, what others tell us should confirm or warn against 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. As Jesus did, we can grow to a maturity when it is possible for us to tell others what we hear God speaking (John 8:28) and do what we see him doing (John 5:19). What a life!

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