Category: Discipleship Foundations

How Do We Show Loyalty to Jesus against Competing Loyalties?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Allegiance to Christ

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

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

Bates writes:

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

Jesus clearly taught this truth.

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

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

James clearly states the necessity for us to choose sides.

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

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

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

 

Jesus vs. The Kingdom of Self

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jesus vs. the Kingdom of Family

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jesus vs. the Kingdom of Mammon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jesus vs. the Kingdoms of This World

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusion

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

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

Jesus told his followers:

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

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

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

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

 

Prayer

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

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

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

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

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

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

Repentance essentially involves changing how we think.

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

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

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

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

Love

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Purity of Heart

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

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

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

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

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

A Good Conscience

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

A Sincere Faith

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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How Do I Know if I Am Called by God?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Leadership and ministry always include responsibility.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It takes great faith to lead and to be led.

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

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

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

Prayer

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

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Understanding How the Spirit Works in the New Birth

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jesus said:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Our Participation in the Work of the Spirit

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prayer

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

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The New Birth Is Self-Authenticating

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusion

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

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

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

Prayer

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

All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. John 6:37 (NKJV)
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How Can I Know if I Am Born Again?

According to Jesus, the new birth is the only way into the kingdom of God. 

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)

Two questions immediately arise: what is the new birth 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 visited Jesus at night, most likely to avoid being seen consorting with Jesus, who was openly spurned by other Jewish religious leaders. 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 our Lord performed required God’s help. It would be unreasonable for God to affirm and use a person who did not please him. This was good logic that should have been obvious to all the Pharisees and other Jewish 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.

Nicodemus was thoroughly trained in the Bible and the Jewish religious traditions. He obviously was hungry for more of God. He took the initiative to visit Jesus, but what our Lord wanted him to understand was that if we have not been born again, we cannot enter God’s kingdom. 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 knew that Nicodemus would have no idea of what he meant by being born again. Our Lord wanted this well-educated man to immediately grasp that his religious training and knowledge of the Bible was insufficient. 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 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 our spiritual eyes by revelation from the Holy Spirit. 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 we are born again is that we clearly see and understand that Jesus is the Savior and Lord of Lords.

Key #2. Revelation Produces Faith and Allegiance to Christ

Just knowing about Jesus is never enough.

Revelation from God not only opens our eyes to our Lord’s true identity, but also sparks faith in our hearts that enables us to receive from him and give ourselves 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 the Lord. We also receive forgiveness and eternal life.

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, Thomas realized something he had never understood 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 cannot do that, but 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 when we see who he truly is, it will always produce faith. Such allegiance to Christ 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 from God. 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 is. We know this because of his words.

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 in Christ changes us. 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 words and actions, and that is what we can expect from any born-again person.

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 change in how we think, talk, and live. 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 my life, it is safe to say that most likely I 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 to them.

Perhaps if we make things too easy for people by putting our words into their mouths, we may prevent their receiving eternal life!

Paul understood the importance of believing from the heart, the place where faith resides after we receive revelation from the Holy 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 showing 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, but if what we say agrees with how we live, we can be more sure that what we say is genuine.

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 poetic sounding theological term.

The new birth 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 in the spirit, that deepest part of us which died because of sin.

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 will change 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 question if we ever have been born again and seek God until we know for sure.

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?

Following Jesus can be very difficult. Some find it so challenging that they turn their backs on the Lord and may even renounce their allegiance to him. Why would a person do this? The answer may surprise you. Sadly, history is littered with those who started well and ended poorly.

Solomon tells us that how we finish is perhaps a greater indicator of who we really are than how we begin.

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)

Our Lord Jesus will one day return as the glorious Son of Man prophesied by Daniel to judge every person who has ever lived on the basis of his or her actions. What we do reveals what we believe and who we are.

We can fool people with our words, 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 physical lives are completed and we stand before God, how we lived will be the final statement of what we truly believed.

Here are two important reasons someone may turn his or her back on Jesus.

Reason #1: I do not really know Jesus.

When our loyalty to Christ is tested, it reveals how deep is our allegiance to him.

Let’s take a look at such a case from the New Testament, an instance when many of Jesus’ followers decided to turn back. Our Lord 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. Is Jesus teaching cannibalism? Who is 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 this deep mystery of God? I doubt it. God always does what is necessary. Nevertheless, by couching this truth in a “difficult” saying, Jesus revealed the hearts of his followers.

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 when their minds encounter something that offends them.

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’ true 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 walk 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.

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

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.

God arranges life to provide us with various tests that reveal what is inside us.

Many of these tests will be difficult, and it may be impossible for us to understand why God allows them.

Following Jesus requires us to give up the demand 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 tell them to charge 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 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 make the commitment to be a disciple.

Prayer

Jesus, I am struggling. I realize that my allegiance to you has been less than it needs to be. Holy Spirit, open my eyes to the true identity of Jesus, so I will value him more and more, even above my own life. Right now, relying on the Holy Spirit and the grace you will give to me, 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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How Can I Transition from Spectating at Church to Being a Player?

Christianity is not a spectator sport. The Reformation renewed some very important truths of the faith that had been lost over time, one of which is the priesthood of the believer. This doctrine means that in the New Covenant there is no clergy-laity distinction. Everyone is called to ministry.

All followers of Christ are called, equipped, and expected to partner with the Holy Spirit in the adventure of using their spiritual gifts, time, energy, finances – everything – to fish for people and encourage them to become followers of Christ and fishers of men in their own right.

Every football and basketball season an interesting phenomenon takes place. People personally identify with their favorite teams. When their team is doing well, they feel good about themselves and become enthusiastic, vocal, and visible fans. What is so intriguing is that many of us think that we somehow acquire greater worth and prestige, if our team excels and does better than the other teams. It is almost as if we were the ones who are competing. All big sporting events are filled with such fans who get satisfaction out of watching others play the game. So it is with many people who attend churches.

We all know that playing and spectating are vastly different. When we spectate, we can imagine ourselves making better decisions and better plays than the players on the court or the field, but the reality is that we are not playing.

Jesus has invited his followers actually to participate in the greatest adventure of being his Spirit-filled and empowered representatives.

Unfortunately most of us who call ourselves Christians are merely spectating fans. We may agree with the concept of being involved in the Great Commission, but we have fallen into the trap of being passive, sitting on the sidelines, hoping that someone else will lead our family member, neighbor, or friend to Christ and teach them how to follow him fully. Many Christians think that evangelism is inviting someone to church, where they will hear the preacher talk about Christ. We do not see ourselves as the one who can best share the gospel with them. However, the truth of the matter is that we cannot transfer our responsibility to fulfill the Great Commission to someone else.

God does not give us the option of merely being fans or spectators. God asks us to be players – disciples and disciple makers.

Not everyone is equally gifted in this area, but we are all asked to participate. Some may win thousands to Christ, while others may help only a few become followers of the Master over a lifetime. Sadly, a great number of those who call themselves Christians have never led even one person to faith in Christ. In some cases they have given up trying. This ought not be. Could this be because we do not even talk about Jesus in a serious way with anyone outside of church meetings?

Suggestions
  • Ask God to forgive us for succumbing to laziness, fear, and the spirit of the age that tells us to keep our faith to ourselves.
  • Ask the Holy Spirit to stir in us the fire of enthusiasm for Jesus and the Gospel.
  • Ask him to give us a love for those who live around you who do not yet know Christ.
  • Familiarize ourselves with the Gospel. (I recommend The King Jesus Gospel by McKnight. You can read my summary by clicking here or you may wish to read my articles on the subject.)
  • Pray for opportunities to speak meaningfully to people.
  • Make it a priority to get to know the people in your neighborhood, at work, at the gym, at school, and wherever you have the opportunity to connect. As we spend time in conversation, we will begin to see how Jesus and the Gospel can help them. Our care for them may give us a platform from which to speak about Jesus to them.
  • Visit people and have them over to our homes. The more time we spend with people, the greater the opportunity we provide for the Holy Spirit to work in the relationships.
  • Offer to pray for people on the spot when a genuine need for God’s help surfaces.
  • Join a group (or start one) whose focus is fishing for people and making disciples. In many cases this will be what some call a “missional” church, as opposed to an event-oriented spectator church. We need to be encouraged in the work of the Great Commission because, although it is rewarding, it can be difficult and discouraging at times.
  • Never, never, never, never give up. Our heavenly reward will be great!

To learn more about this way of living for Christ, visit our church website – www.lifenet.us.

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Do we believe Christ rose from the dead, or just think we do?

 

Faith is something that resides in the heart. It is not simply mental agreement with some statement or doctrine. Faith affects how we live. If our lives have not been impacted by Christ’s resurrection, it is reasonable to question whether we truly believe.

Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22  But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23  Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24  Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25  Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26  and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27  She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” John 11:21-27 (ESV)

This passage is an interesting illustration of our propensity to misunderstand God. Having the advantage of hindsight, today we realize that Jesus was leading Martha to believe that he would raise Lazarus from the dead right in front of her eyes. Even though she had a good theology of Jesus’ identity as the Messiah, she did not make the leap into applying that great truth to her present situation. When Jesus asked her if she believed that he embodied the resurrection, all Martha could muster was a declaration that he was the promised Messiah. She spoke truth while completely missing the point of Jesus’ question. She had faith in his being the Messiah, but none for his being willing and able to raise her dead brother. Why could she not properly hear what Jesus was saying or believe?

Her faith was for the future but was useless for her present situation.

It is relatively easy to believe when there is nothing confronting us to test our faith. We seem to more easily believe in what will happen in the far off future than to apply our faith to the here and now.

Mental assent to truth does not necessarily engage the heart, where faith resides. (Romans 10:9-10)

If what we believe about the past and the future does not translate into faith for the present, it might be mere mental assent, which cannot help us much.

According to Hebrews 11:6, God is pleased and honored by our faith, which produces acts of obedience and is faith in action. (Romans 1:5)

Martha and Mary gently chided our Lord for not showing up sooner to prevent Lazarus’ death. They viewed his failure to immediately respond to their request as a lack of caring for them. They did not understand that Jesus had bigger things in mind. He deliberately delayed until after Lazarus died to provide an opportunity for God to be glorified through his resurrection. Martha and Mary underestimated God’s love for them and his sovereignty over our lives. If we truly believe that Jesus is the resurrected Lord of lords, we will learn to see everything in life as an opportunity for God’s glory to shine as we apply our faith and keep our focus on him and his love for us.

One of the big lessons of the resurrection is that we cannot properly evaluate our circumstances without factoring in God’s love, sovereign rule, and power.

Faith in Jesus’ Resurrection Will Greatly Impact Our Lives

Jesus’ death and resurrection profoundly affected the early disciples, transforming them from being fearful followers into dynamic disciples.

Following his ascension into heaven, Jesus poured out his Spirit on his disciples, empowering them to boldly proclaim the Good News. Today we do not have the privilege of physically viewing the risen Christ, but we can see him with the “eyes” of faith. In addition, the same baptism in the Spirit is available to us today. (You can read more about this wonderful promise of the Father by clicking here.)

Jesus does not want us to wallow in unbelief regarding his resurrection. Instead of casting aside his most dubious disciple, Jesus confronted Thomas’ lack of faith as described below.

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” 28  “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. 29  Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” John 20:27-29 (NLT)

Believing without seeing requires us to have another kind of sight called revelation.

Now we depend on the Holy Spirit’s ability to reveal Christ to us, and he is very good at it. With his help, our faith can be just as strong as that of the early disciples. Some people in Jesus’ day saw miracles with their physical eyes but did not believe God’s words. Today we are able to believe without physical sight, thanks to the inner revelatory work of God’s Spirit.

Paul wrote about the Spirit’s ability in the passage below.

For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, 16  do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; 17  that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. 18  I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, Ephesians 1:15-18 (NASB)

In my own case, the Holy Spirit “opened my eyes” to understand and believe that Jesus is truly the risen one described in the Bible. Before he did this for me, I did not believe because my spiritual eyes had been blinded by Satan, according to 2 Corinthians 4:4. But I asked Jesus, if he were real, to come into my life and show me the truth about himself. Amazingly, God used the slightly open door to set up residence in my life and open my spiritual understanding to Jesus’ identity as the risen Savior and Lord. In an instant of revelation, the Spirit moved me from unbelief to faith by an inner miracle of opening my blinded mind. I came to understand and believe that Jesus actually rose from the dead, and that changed everything in my life.

For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6 (NLT)

His resurrection, if true, is easily the most world altering event in history, and God requires us to face it squarely. Do we really believe it or not?

Christ’s resurrection proved that he was not a delusional martyr with a tragic God complex. Instead it showed that God the Father accepted his sacrifice for our sins as the Lamb of God and vindicated him as the Lord. Because Jesus rose from the dead, we know that our sins have been forgiven and we have been made right with God. Those who put their faith and allegiance in Jesus are now God’s beloved children with all the associated rights, privileges, and authority.

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)

If we truly believe that Jesus rose from the dead, here are some ways our lives in the here and now ought to be affected every single day.

  1. We should be the happiest people on earth because the threat of condemnation and death for our sins has been removed. (Romans 8:1, John 5:24)
  2. Through the new birth, as God’s beloved children, we now have continual access into God’s loving presence where we are always welcome. (Ephesians 3:12)
  3. We can be bold and fearless because death no longer has power over us. (Hebrews 2:15)
  4. We are free because the power of sin, the “flesh,” and the Law have been nullified. (Romans 6 and 7)
  5. Having been released from bondage and oppression, we are free to serve the Lord. (The meaning of redemption.)
  6. Because Jesus is Lord over all, we can live in the confidence that he is working all things out for our good and his glory. (Romans 8:28)
  7. Because Jesus was raised from the dead and has all authority, as his representatives, we can operate in his name and authority to preach the gospel and set the captives free through the power of the Spirit of God. We are authorized to heal, cast out demons, raise the dead, and otherwise represent him to the world. (Matthew 10:8)
  8. Because we know God is real, his love for us is proven, and his power limitless, we pray with confident perseverance.

If these things are not yet part of our experience, our understanding of the Bible and our faith need to grow.

People without a proper revelation of Christ’s victory through the resurrection…

  1. Will live as if we are still under condemnation and are not beloved children of God.
  2. Will be inhibited in their obedience because of the fear of death.
  3. Will not believe we are free from the power of sin, the “flesh,” and the Law and so will live as if we are not.
  4. Will simply acquiesce to sickness and and other forms of oppression. (Acts 10:38)
  5. Will doubt that Jesus is truly Lord over all things and will have difficulty trusting him when things appear to go wrong.
  6. Will not be bold to preach the gospel and operate in his authority and the power of the Spirit.
How Faith in Jesus’ Second Coming (the Second Resurrection) Should Shape Our Lives

The first resurrection happened some two thousand years ago when Jesus came out of the tomb.

Every time a person is born again, he or she participates in that first resurrection by coming alive spiritually and being joined to Christ.

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5  that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6  For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7  So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-7 (NLT)

The second resurrection will take place at the return of Christ. That is when our dead physical bodies will be raised and transformed into glorious spiritual ones, thus completing the salvation of our spirits, souls, and bodies.

And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. 40  For it is my Father’s will that all who see (by revelation) his Son and believe (in their hearts) in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.” John 6:39-40 (NLT)

Many people today give “lip service” to their belief in Christ’s return as the glorious Son of Man and King of Kings, but I suspect there will be a high level of astonishment when he actually returns, even among those who profess faith.

Here is how Jesus described the coming “Day of the Lord.”

Immediately after the anguish of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 30  And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see (revealed to all people) the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31  And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven. Matthew 24:29-31 (NLT)

When Jesus returns as the glorious Son of Man (Daniel 7:13-14), he will come as God’s judge of everyone who has ever lived. (John 5:27) All people will be gathered before him to be judged and, for his elect, to receive their reward. It will be at this time that all wrongs will be set right. That which was hidden will be brought to light. Those acts of faith and love which went unnoticed will be fully rewarded. God’s people will be vindicated and the wicked judged. Jesus will be acknowledged by all as the Lord of Lords. Every knee will bow and every tongue confess it.

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11 (NLT)

This will be the culmination of God’s plan to redeem his people and his creation. It will be the grand finale when everything will be made right. But do we really believe that it will happen?

People who truly believe and look forward to Jesus’ return will be like Paul.

And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:8 (NLT)

They will…

  1. Joyfully and eagerly look forward to (love) his coming.
  2. Distance themselves from that which defiles or hinders their fellowship with  and obedience to the Lord. (1 John 3:2-3)
  3. Set themselves apart for the Lord’s work and prioritize the Lord over everything else.
  4. Be willing to make sacrifices to advance God’s kingdom, knowing that their eternal reward will be far greater than anything they might give up in the present.

Those who only give “lip service” to the Second Coming will…

  1. Not care too much about his second coming or even dread it.
  2. Live like those in the world.
  3. Be distracted from or uninterested in the Lord and his work.
  4. Be unwilling to sacrifice temporary pleasures or wealth for the sake of the kingdom of God, since they lack confidence that God’s eternal reward will be better.
Prayer

Holy Spirit, I come to you because the Bible says it is your ministry to reveal Christ and his truth to us. I ask you to give me a deeper and clearer revelation of Christ and his resurrection and lordship so that I will live as I should, full of joy and commitment to Jesus and his kingdom. Deliver me from unbelief and carnality. Let me live in a way that is worthy of our Lord and the sacrifice he made for me. Amen.

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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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