Category: Discipleship Foundations

Chapter 71: The Gospel in Relation to the Passover, Exodus, and Crossing Over into the Promised Land

When Paul preached, he focused on the cross of Christ and the resurrection.

And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.  1 Corinthians 2:1–2 (NASB95)

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,  1 Corinthians 15:3–4 (NASB95)

He taught that our faith must rest on what Christ accomplished for us through his death and resurrection and not on persuasive arguments that appeal to our reason but bypass our hearts. Faith resides in the heart and is the product of revelation from the Spirit, who is called the “spirit of faith” (2 Corinthians 4:13). Mental agreement is not the same thing as faith. If men persuade us to believe in Christ, without there being a corresponding work in the heart by the Spirit of God, then men can persuade us otherwise with a strong argument to the contrary. This sometimes happens when young people go off to college without ever having a faith encounter with the Spirit on their own. When living at home, they may have been towed along by the faith of their parents, but, once that faith is challenged, they discover that it wasn’t real but just mental assent.

True faith withstands every assault because it is based on what the Bible teaches combined with revelation from God instead of on human reasoning.

For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.  1 Corinthians 1:21–24 (NASB95)

Without the resurrection, the cross would be the epitome of misplaced hope. When Jesus was nailed to the cross, the expectations of his followers were dashed. Everything in which they believed and for which they had sacrificed came to an abrupt and terrifying end. When Jesus was with them, his disciples managed to put on a brave face and act courageously, but when he was taken from them and crucified, their courage evaporated.

The two disciples who encountered Jesus on the road to Emmaus expressed their deep disappointment succinctly. One of them said:

But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. 21 We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel...  Luke 24:20–21 (NLT)

There is nothing quite as devastating as having our hopes ripped away, leaving us desolate and confused, but this is exactly what happened at the cross. Jesus laid down his life as the Lamb of God. The cross put to death his hopes, desires, ministry, future, and everything else. It brought everything to a crashing end. But…!

The resurrection cast what happened at Calvary in a whole new light. It turned disaster into triumph and hopelessness into faith.

Passover: The Forgiveness of Sins

It is commonly understood that Jesus died for our sins as the Lamb of God. Using the metaphor of Passover, we understand that his blood had to be shed for God to be able to justly remit our sins. On the night when God brought the tenth plague upon the Egyptians, he required the Israelites to kill a lamb and put its blood on the doorposts and lintels of their homes to keep the judgment from coming upon them, too.

The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.  Exodus 12:13 (NASB95)

Anyone inside the blood smeared houses was spared. That was the only requirement for safety. When we put our faith in Jesus and what he accomplished for us on the cross as God’s sacrificial lamb, his shed blood is spiritually applied to us, permitting God’s judgment to pass over us without violating God’s holy justice.

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace  Ephesians 1:7 (NASB95)
 
Exodus: Deliverance from the Kingdom of Darkness

Just as the Israelites left Egypt in great spirits, having seen God’s hand deliver them from Pharaoh’s oppression, we too are delivered or redeemed from slavery to sin, sickness, death, and demonic oppression. However, when the Israelites set out from Egypt, the crisis was not yet over. Pharaoh had a change of heart and decided it was a mistake to free God’s people. He sent his army to recapture them. The Red Sea blocked their way out of Egypt and seemed to set up a crushing defeat after such a miraculous deliverance. The Israelites panicked, but God told Moses to stretch out his rod over the sea. God parted the waters and allowed the Israelites to cross over in safety. Their exodus or departure from Egypt was carried out by a monumental miracle of deliverance. When the Egyptians tried to follow, the waters crashed upon them and drowned their army.

Just as the Passover and Exodus effectively removed Israel from slavery in Egypt, the cross of Christ and his subsequent resurrection transferred us believers out of Satan’s kingdom into God’s.

For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.  Colossians 1:13–14 (NLT)

Moses and Elijah talked about our Lord’s own exodus from this world just prior to its taking place.

Suddenly, two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared and began talking with Jesus. 31 They were glorious to see. And they were speaking about his exodus from this world, which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem.  Luke 9:30–31 (NLT)

Jesus exited this world and returned to his Father through dying and rising again, paving the way for us to follow eventually. In addition, he accomplished a spiritual deliverance which we immediately enjoy when we are born again. Just as Israel no longer had to fear the Eqyptian army after crossing the Red Sea, we are freed from the power of Satan, sin, death, sickness, demons, and fear when we make our exodus from the kingdom of darkness. The cross of Christ and his corresponding resurrection accomplished this for us.

I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.  John 5:24 (NLT)

The Greek word translated “passed from” is metabaino, which means to pass over, leave, depart, or make an exodus. We enter a new kingdom in which the kingdom of darkness has no true power over us any longer. It is true that we still live in mortal bodies which must die, but spiritually we are now free, if we put our faith and allegiance in Christ. When these bodies are raised from the dead, the victory will be complete. Nevertheless, right now we must come to terms with the freedom our Lord has provided for us.

It is necessary for us to know, believe, receive, and act upon what God says is now true about us because of what Jesus accomplished for us, if we are to experience our freedom to the degree that God intends.

Deliverance from the Power of Sin

When Jesus died and rose again, the Bible teaches that we were included in that event through the mystery of identification. Somehow God incorporated us into Christ, which is something beyond human understanding but is nevertheless true. We do not understand completely how the human body works, much less spiritual things!

We know that our old man was crucified with him so that the body of sin would no longer dominate us, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 (For someone who has died has been freed from sin.) 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that since Christ has been raised from the dead, he is never going to die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 For the death he died, he died to sin once for all, but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 So you too consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.  Romans 6:6–11 (NET)

Dead people do not sin. Our “old man,” the part of us that was spiritually corrupted through Adam and cannot obey God, was put to death when Jesus died. Even though we still retain, at least for now, our physical bodies inherited from Adam – the “body of sin” – with its built-in propensity to sin called “the flesh,” we are no longer controlled or dominated by these things, thanks to our union with Christ in his death.

We are free at last to serve God from the heart as we learn to “walk in the Spirit.” By the power of the indwelling Spirit, we can live in a way that brings glory and honor to God!

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.  Romans 8:1–2 (NLT)

(If these are new concepts to you, I encourage you to read my article on my website -www.thirdpeter.com – entitled “Defining Some Confusing Terms”.)

Deliverance from the Law’s Power to Condemn

Once we are free from the tyranny of sin, we also must break free from the Law’s power to condemn us. Ironically the Law which exposes our sin also empowers sin to rule us.

For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power.  1 Corinthians 15:56 (NLT)

This is because the “flesh” is rebellious. We are religious by nature and inwardly believe, or at least hope, that, if we try hard enough, we can straighten out our lives and serve God properly, which entails keeping the Law. When we proceed with this law-based or “legalistic” way of trying to please God, the Law does its work by making it clear to us that we are moral failures and cannot possibly save ourselves.

The purpose of the Law is to act as a guide which leads us to Christ, the only one who can save us.

Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.  Galatians 3:24–25 (NASB95)

Once we come to Christ and receive his gift of righteousness, it is important that we refuse to slide back under the law because that will reactivate sin in our lives.

It is only by believing and accepting that through Christ we are dead to the Law that we can walk in the freedom of the Spirit.

For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God. 20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.  Galatians 2:19–21 (NLT)
 
Deliverance from the Pull of the World

Not only do we need to be set free from sin and the Law’s power of condemnation, but we also need to be delivered from the pull of the world in which we live. The apostle John wrote about this.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.  1 John 2:16 (NASB95)

Temptation appeals to our “flesh,” the “unredeemed” part of our souls that is still connected to our mortal bodies.

We experience a battle between the spirit, our born again “new man,” and the “flesh,” which we can win if we learn to rely on the Holy Spirit to enforce what God’s Word says is true.

Part of our victory is understanding that we are already “dead” to the world.

But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.  Galatians 6:14 (NASB95)

Through the Spirit of God, we can turn our backs on what the world offers and rely upon God alone, just as Moses did so long ago.

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen.  Hebrews 11:24–27 (NASB95)

When we do this, the world will turn its back on us, too. The New Living Translation captures this idea perfectly.

As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died.  Galatians 6:14 (NLT)

Jesus warned us that to be his disciple we must hate the world.

Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity.  John 12:25 (NLT)

Understanding that we are already dead to the world helps us to walk away from its temptations.

Crossing Over into Victory

Once we know these things, we are challenged to actively believe them or “reckon” them to be true.

Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,  Romans 6:8–12 (NASB95)

When our faith combines with God’s promises and truth, God’s power is released on our behalf.

Our transformation by the Spirit is a cooperative effort between us and God. We believe the promises and God does the internal work. The truth of the matter is that it is his ability within us that enables us to believe, too. The Lord requires us to participate in the process. We cannot overcome sin, condemnation, and the world by being passive. We can experience Christ’s victory personally when we apply our faith to God’s promises and make the choice to stand for truth and against sin, condemnation, and the world. This means that we say “yes” to God and “no” to what is trying to hold us in bondage.

Our “yes” must be joined to God’s promise to activate God’s power.

For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory. 21 It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, 22 and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us.  2 Corinthians 1:20–22 (NLT)

God wants us to experience what Christ has won for us. When we are born again, the Holy Spirit comes to live in us. Now we can learn to walk in step with the one who lives in and through us!

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.  Galatians 5:24–25 (NLT)

Our complete experience of Christ’s victory will occur at the resurrection of the dead, when our mortal bodies linked to Adam’s sin will be instantly transformed into glorious spiritual bodies. At that point, the battle between flesh and spirit will cease and death will be conquered completely. Our salvation will be finished! Until then, let us learn to live by faith in God’s promises with complete reliance upon the Holy Spirit in a way that glorifies God and maximizes our joy and peace.

Click here to see all the articles in this series.

 

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • How would you explain the gospel in terms of the Passover and Exodus in your own words?
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Chapter 70: The Gospel and the Covenants

The Bible is one long gospel message which points to Christ.

Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.  Luke 24:27 (NLT)

God’s relationship with Israel and mankind over the centuries has been based on covenants that were fulfilled or replaced by what is called the New Covenant, which is the last and most extraordinary one.

Each covenant built upon or stood in contrast to the others. To properly understand and appreciate the New Covenant, it is important that we grasp the meaning and purpose of the other covenants.

Understanding the covenants will greatly increase our appreciation of Jesus and his finished work on our behalf and can give us new insights into the gospel.

Covenants are built upon promises to be faithful to a relationship and an agreement between individuals or groups.

God has always chosen to relate to his creation through covenants.

This should not be surprising because God, by nature, is a promise keeper. He is always faithful and true to his word because that is the essence of his character. Covenants are serious business because God is serious about being faithful to keep promises.

God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a human being, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not make it happen? Numbers 23:19 (NET1)

Some of the covenants have great significance for humanity in general and others specifically relate only to God’s chosen people, the offspring of Abraham either by natural birth or the new birth. Covenants can be unilateral, bilateral, and multilateral. In a unilateral covenant, the covenant maker takes sole responsibility for keeping the conditions of the covenant. These are unconditional covenants, meaning that the one to whom the promise is made does not have meet any conditions to gain what is promised. Bilateral and multilateral covenants are conditional in nature. In a bilateral covenant, two parties each take responsibility to keep their end of the agreement. A multilateral agreement affects more than two parties.

An example of a unilateral covenant is the one God made with Noah following the flood. God promised that he would never again destroy all life by means of a great flood. He gave Noah the sign of the rainbow as a reminder that He would forever keep his promise. Noah was not required to do anything to keep God bound to his promise. Marriage is an example of a bilateral covenant. The husband and wife both bind themselves to share life and be exclusively faithful to each other until death. The ring is given as a token of the covenant. An example of a multilateral covenant is the one between God and Israel called the Mosaic covenant. If the Israelites would obey God’s Law and serve him only, God would pour out blessings upon them. Otherwise, they should expect judgments. Circumcision was the sign of this covenant.

Unconditional unilateral covenants are also called covenants of grace.

This means that the benefits of the covenants come to us as gifts from God. Conditional covenants are also called covenants of works. The benefits of these covenants depend upon the involved parties’ ability to keep the conditions of the covenant.

The Covenant of Creation or Edenic Covenant
But the LORD God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— 17 except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” Genesis 2:16-17 (NLT)

The Edenic Covenant was a multilateral conditional covenant of works. God sovereignly set the terms of this covenant.

Obedience to a simple commandment would result in life; whereas, disobedience would end in death.

Adam and Eve failed to keep their end of the covenant, which ceded authority to Satan and brought death and curses upon the entire human race. At a deeper level, this covenant tested humanity’s willingness to draw life from God in humble dependence. Instead, our first parents chose to abandon God’s commands and strike out alone in independence from and opposition to God, which cut them off from the life they had with the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. This is why professing that Jesus is Lord is so essential to the gospel message. Reestablishing God’s place as Lord in our lives undoes the treachery of Adam’s sin.

The Adamic Covenant

God made the first gospel promise in the garden after their epic failure.

Then the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live. 15 And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:14-15 (NLT)

This unilateral promise or covenant was announced to the serpent who authored the deception that led to Adam’s and Eve’s sinful rejection of God’s authority. Although its full meaning most likely was not understood by those who heard it, we now know that here God promised to send the Messiah who would be a descendant of these fallen ones and would defeat the serpent (Satan). No conditions were attached to Adam and Eve to bind God to this promise.

God bound himself to redeem mankind by giving his word, which is inviolable.

So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.  Hebrews 6:18 (NLT)
The Noahic Covenant
Then God told Noah and his sons, 9  “I hereby confirm my covenant with you and your descendants, 10  and with all the animals that were on the boat with you—the birds, the livestock, and all the wild animals—every living creature on earth. 11  Yes, I am confirming my covenant with you. Never again will floodwaters kill all living creatures; never again will a flood destroy the earth.” 12  Then God said, “I am giving you a sign of my covenant with you and with all living creatures, for all generations to come. 13  I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth. 14  When I send clouds over the earth, the rainbow will appear in the clouds, 15  and I will remember my covenant with you and with all living creatures. Never again will the floodwaters destroy all life. 16  When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth.” 17  Then God said to Noah, “Yes, this rainbow is the sign of the covenant I am confirming with all the creatures on earth.” Genesis 9:8-17 (NLT) 

As in the case of the Adamic covenant, the Noahic Covenant was a unilateral unconditional covenant of grace that followed God’s horrific judgment against sin called the great flood.

Grace often is most appreciated against the backdrop of human failure and God’s judgment.

When man’s best is not enough, and it never is, the grace of God comes to the rescue.

God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. Romans 5:20 (NLT)

God promised, despite what climate alarmists tell us, that the earth will continue to enjoy its seasons as long as it exists. God also established capital punishment under this covenant and gave permission for us to eat meat.

The Abrahamic Covenant
Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you; 2  And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; 3  And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." Genesis 12:1-3 (NASB) 

God appeared to Abraham several times to give him “installments” of the wonderful covenant he made with him. The good news or gospel contained in this covenant promise is that all the families of the earth would be eventually blessed through Abraham in the person of a descendant named Jesus.

Abraham is called the “father” of our faith because through him God raised up a nation by which would come the written Word of God and the Messiah.

In another installment in Genesis 15, we see God making a unilateral unconditional covenant of grace with Abraham. God appeared in what is called a theophany (an appearance of God in symbolic form).

In the Old Testament covenants were literally “cut,” making them blood covenants.

Animals were sacrificed as part of the covenant cutting ceremony. God told Abraham to divide several animals and put their separate pieces side by side with a path between them. In a bilateral or multilateral covenant, both parties would walk between the pieces showing that they bound themselves to faithfully keep the conditions of the covenant upon pain of death. They were saying, in effect, may it be done to me as has been done to these animals if I violate the covenant.

And Abram said, “Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir.” 4 Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.” 5 And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” 6 Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. 7 And He said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it.” 8 He said, “O Lord God, how may I know that I will possess it?” 9 So He said to him, “Bring Me a three year old heifer, and a three year old female goat, and a three year old ram, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, and laid each half opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds. 11 The birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away. 12 Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, terror and great darkness fell upon him. 13 God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. 14 “But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions. 15 “As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age. 16 “Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.” 17 It came about when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates:  Genesis 15:3–18 (NASB95)

In the passage above, it is important to see that God alone passed between the animals, taking upon himself full responsibility for keeping the promise he made to Abraham.

The Abrahamic covenant guaranteed that God would give to Abraham innumerable descendants, both natural and spiritual through the new birth, and the land of Canaan, and that through him the entire earth would be blessed.

Later God reiterated this covenant promise in Genesis Chapter 22.

…indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18  "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice." Genesis 22:17-18 (NASB)

Verse 18 is an integral part of the gospel message. It is part of the backdrop against which we understand who Jesus is and what he came to do. This promise was fulfilled when Jesus came as the Messiah.

Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, "And to seeds," as referring to many, but rather to one, "And to your seed," that is, Christ. Galatians 3:16 (NASB)
The Mosaic Covenant
And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God. Deuteronomy 28:1-2 (ESV) 

But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you. Deuteronomy 28:15 (ESV)

The covenant God made with Israel at Mount Sinai is also called the Law or the Old Covenant. It was a multilateral conditional covenant of works. Essentially, God promised to be Israel’s God, protector, and provider if they would keep the requirements of the Law. These requirements were broken down into three main categories – ceremonial, moral, and dietary laws. The feasts and sacrifices were part of the ceremonial aspect of the law, which our Lord Jesus later fulfilled. If Israel obeyed God, they would be blessed, but, if they disobeyed, they would suffer the “curses” (judgments) attached to violating the covenant.

The history of Israel is the story of repeated covenant violations on the part of the Jewish people. The Old Covenant failed to bring the blessings it promised because the people were unable to keep its provisions because sin had hopelessly corrupted human nature. The Mosaic Covenant underscored the sinfulness of all human beings and pointed to our need for a savior.

This covenant is part of the gospel in the sense that it illustrates our utter helplessness to save ourselves and acts as a guide to lead us to Christ.

But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. 24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.  Galatians 3:22–26 (NASB95)
The Davidic Covenant
Furthermore, the LORD declares that he will make a house for you—a dynasty of kings! 12 For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. 13 He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he sins, I will correct and discipline him with the rod, like any father would do. 15 But my favor will not be taken from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from your sight. 16 Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever. 2 Samuel 7:11-16 (NLT)

The covenant God made with David was unilateral, unconditional, and based on grace. This covenant was partially fulfilled through David’s natural offspring, but that dynasty eventually came to an end, as did the political nation of Israel.

This promise is part of the gospel. Through it God announced beforehand the coming of the great Messianic King, a descendant of David, who would redeem Israel and become a blessing to the entire earth.

Jesus rose again as that promised king, the Lord of lords, and will eventually judge the living and the dead. He now reigns in heaven. His reign is recognized by those who profess that he is Lord. One day all people will acknowledge his rule.

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30  But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31  You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33  and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." Luke 1:29-33 (NIV) 
 
The New Covenant
“The day is coming,” says the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. 32 This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says the LORD. 33 “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day,” says the LORD. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the LORD.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the LORD. “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.” Jeremiah 31:31-34 (NLT)

The Old Covenant was not able to guarantee blessings to God’s people but only revealed how sinful we are. It had no hope of success because we are fundamentally and tragically flawed by sin.

But when God found fault with the people, he said: “The day is coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. Hebrews 8:8 (NLT)

The New Covenant had been God’s plan all along. It does not depend upon sinful human beings for its success.

Whereas the blessings of the Law of Moses, under the Old Covenant, were conditioned upon individuals and nations keeping God’s laws in perfect obedience, the New Covenant depends upon the perfect obedience of the only begotten Son of God.

The New Covenant, therefore, is a bilateral covenant between God the Father and his Son, Jesus, our Messiah and Savior, in which we participate and benefit by faith.

I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, 7 to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. Isaiah 42:6-7 (ESV)

Through the spiritual mystery of identification and the new birth, we become one with God in the spirit and joined to all the blessings found in God’s perfect Son.

But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him. 1 Corinthians 6:17 (NLT)

Through the miracle of the new birth we become children of God. There have always been two lines of people – the children of promise and miraculous birth and those born the natural way.

Being descendants of Abraham doesn’t make them truly Abraham’s children. For the Scriptures say, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted,” though Abraham had other children, too. 8 This means that Abraham’s physical descendants are not necessarily children of God. Only the children of the promise are considered to be Abraham’s children.  Romans 9:7–8 (NLT)

Is this not why God has always used miracle births to propel his line of promise forward? Sarah, Rebecca, Hannah, etc. Was not Jesus’ conception the prototype for our new birth? He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, just as we must be through the new birth. Therefore, the most important question that will be asked of those at heaven’s gates is “Who’s your Daddy?”

If a person was never born again, they are Satan’s seed.

For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me!  John 8:44–45 (NLT)

But those born of the Spirit are children of the Father, sons of God, children of promise.

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.  John 1:12–13 (NLT)

Through our identification with Christ, we are baptized into (become one with) the death and resurrection of our Lord. His death was the punishment we deserved for breaking the terms of the Old Covenant. Although he perfectly obeyed his heavenly Father and did not deserve to die, he willingly laid down his life on our behalf as our substitute. When he died, we died; and, when he rose again in victory and life, we rose with him. As a result, the power of sin has been defeated on our behalf. We now participate in the life of God, thanks to the Holy Spirit, who lives inside every born-again believer. Truly, we are being saved from the inside out. God’s life begins as a seed, grows inside us, and will permeate every area of our lives.

You have been born anew, not from perishable but from imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God. 1 Peter 1:23 (NET1)

Jesus is the living Word of God, the eternal logos. When we are born again, he comes inside of us, via the Holy Spirit, as a seed which will continue to grow. Jesus also compared this process to leaven being put into a lump of dough. Over time the leaven spreads throughout the entire lump. So, the kingdom of God grows unseen in individuals and the body of Christ at large until God’s kingdom will fill the earth.

The New Covenant was always in God’s mind from the very beginning. (Ephesians 1:3-6)

And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered before the world was made.  Revelation 13:8 (NLT)

Since God lives outside of the constraints or limitations of time, he sees the end from the beginning. It is nothing for him to consider something that will be accomplished at a future date as already accomplished, for to him all time is the same.

Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.  Isaiah 46:10 (NLT)

The new covenant is actually an eternal covenant made between the Father and the Son before the world was created. This is revealed in those verses that describe God’s choices being made before he ever created the world.

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.  Ephesians 1:4–5 (NLT)

God the Father knows that his Son is the only source of life and blessings. It has been that way from the beginning. Therefore, the New Covenant draws its life from Jesus because it could never depend on sinful man.

Rather than expecting people to conform to external regulations of behavior, it promised to save people from the inside out. God provided us with a substitute to die for us, reveal himself to us, forgive our sins, and change our hearts. He gives us a new heart, compliments of the indwelling Holy Spirit!

The New Covenant depends upon the Holy Spirit opening our spiritual eyes, ears, and hearts to know and believe in Jesus as savior and lord.

It is only by “beholding” Jesus as he really is that a person can be changed. Seeing Jesus as the Son of God and Lord of Lords inspires our hearts to believe, and, through trusting in Christ and his finished work, we are saved. God’s power is released in us that transforms us when the Spirit of God opens our eyes to know Jesus by revelation.

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)

The new covenant depends on God from start to finish. The Holy Spirit must draw us to Christ and open our blind eyes to see and understand the gospel and believe in Jesus. Then the Spirit works inside each believer to transform us into Christ’s image on a daily basis. Finally, one day in the future, Jesus will personally raise each of his followers from the grave. We could not come to Jesus initially by ourselves. We cannot change ourselves, and we certainly are not able to raise ourselves from the dead. Our great salvation is a work of grace from start to finish!

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.  Ephesians 2:8–10 (NLT)
The New Covenant Completes or Fulfills the Other Covenants

The New Covenant relates to all the other covenants in one way or another. The tree of life mentioned in the Edenic Covenant typifies Christ, the author and sustainer of all life.

God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. 4 The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.  John 1:3–4 (NLT)

Adam and Eve were meant to draw their life from him as the branches of a vine draw their life from the root.

Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.  John 15:5 (NLT)

Jesus fulfilled God’s messianic promise given after Adam’s and Eve’s disobedience. He is the seed of the woman who crushed Satan’s head through his death on the cross and subsequent resurrection.

The Noahic Covenant prefigured what is yet to come when God shall once more judge the entire earth at Christ’s Second Coming.

Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. 4 They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.” 5 They deliberately forget that God made the heavens long ago by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. 6 Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. 7 And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed. 8 But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.  2 Peter 3:3–8 (NLT)

Even as God restarted humanity, in a sense, through Noah, he inaugurated a brand-new generation of believers through the gospel.

Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven. 48 Earthly people are like the earthly man, and heavenly people are like the heavenly man. 49 Just as we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like the heavenly man. 1 Corinthians 15:47–49 (NLT)

Only this generation will survive eternally and enjoy the new heaven and earth.

The Abrahamic Covenant was also fulfilled in Christ. God’s promise to Abraham that through him all the nations of the earth would be blessed has come true in Christ.

Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “And to your seed,” that is, Christ.  Galatians 3:16 (NASB95)

Through the preaching of the gospel, God is gathering persons from every culture, ethnic group, and nation in the earth and providing them with every spiritual blessing in his Son.

The Davidic Covenant’s promise that a descendant of that great king would sit upon his throne has come true in Christ, the King of Kings.

The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32 “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”  Luke 1:30–33 (NASB95)

The Mosaic Covenant has been fulfilled and replaced. Only one person could keep its requirements – the Son of God. After our Lord fulfilled its covenant conditions and obtained the corresponding blessings, which have been passed on to all believers, the New Covenant has superseded it and made it fade away.  

When God speaks of a “new” covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear. Hebrews 8:13 (NLT)

The Law now pertains to those who have not pledged allegiance to the Lord Jesus.

For the law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who kill their father or mother or commit other murders. 10 The law is for people who are sexually immoral, or who practice homosexuality, or are slave traders, liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching 11 that comes from the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God.  1 Timothy 1:9–11 (NLT)

Those who have faith are released from its power to condemn.

For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God. 20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.  Galatians 2:19–21 (NLT)

We live in the power of the indwelling Spirit who motivates and empowers us to live in a way that pleases God.

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.  Philippians 2:13 (NLT)
Our Response to New Covenant Grace

Under the New Covenant, Christians live by grace (God’s ability and blessings which come via his indwelling Holy Spirit) and not through self-effort and the merits of their own performance.

As beneficiaries of the New Covenant and God’s gift of righteousness, we must now refuse to submit to external regulations and rules as a means of gaining or maintaining a right standing with him. (Colossians 2:10-17) Instead, our rule of life now is to love God, love people, and teach others to do the same. This is called the Royal Law.

Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  James 2:8 (NLT)

Jesus imposed this law upon his disciples, which encompasses the entire moral law.

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”  John 13:34–35 (NLT)

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.  Galatians 5:22–25 (NLT)

The moral aspects of the Old Covenant Law of Moses are still in effect because they reflect the law of love. Christians are not permitted to murder, commit acts of immorality, lie, or steal because these sins violate the royal law of love.

Since we are being changed on the inside, our desires are also being changed. Rather than needing to be constrained by external laws, God constrains us inwardly through love and serve him to bring him glory.

For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; 15 and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.  2 Corinthians 5:14–15 (NASB95)

The Greek word translated “controls” is suneko, which means to hold fast, constrain, urge, or impel.

The death and resurrection freed us from the law’s power to condemn us, but it did not remove from us the responsibility to live in such a way that honors God through loving him and people.

When we were under the Law, we sought to obey him to obtain and maintain a right standing with God. Under the New Covenant, having already been given a right standing with God, we obey him as an act of gratitude and surrender to the One who loves us so greatly and who deserves to be glorified and properly feared. Our desire is to bring glory to him in every aspect of our lives. 

We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. 3 Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. 5 And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.  1 John 5:2–5 (NLT)

God created us to draw our life from him. We were never intended to be independent operators.

When Adam and Eve pursued their desire to live without restraint and be self-governing and authenticating “like God,” it brought untold sorrow and destruction to humanity. Even in their pristine state of having been newly created, Adam and Eve quickly walked away from intimacy with and dependence upon God.

Jesus, through the New Covenant, restored us to God’s original purpose.

Through our faith in Christ and the life of the indwelling Spirit, we have been once again united to the One who gave and sustains life.

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.  Galatians 2:20 (NASB95)

Satan tried to destroy us by enlisting us in his revolt against God. His desire to achieve “god” status was doomed from the start. Amazingly God conferred a semblance of that upon those who put their faith and allegiance in Christ. Through the new birth, the inner transformation of the Spirit, and eventually through the resurrection of the body, we were, are, and will be remade into Christ’s image, becoming truly “like God” as we draw our life from him, the source of all life and blessings! May all glory and honor be to him forever and ever! Truly, he is the kindest person we will ever know!

God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. 7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.  Ephesians 1:5–8 (NLT)
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Chapter 73: Relational Evangelism

Evangelism is related to fishing. Jesus said he would make his disciples into “fishers of men.” Good fishermen usually have well-stocked tackle boxes full of their favorite lures that have given them success in the past. If we only have one bait and one-size hook in our tackle boxes, we are going to be limited in what we can catch. As someone once said, if all we have is a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail.

If we look at how Jesus fished for people, we quickly realize that he tailored his words and approach to the individuals he encountered.

If we are going to fish for people the Jesus way, we will need to do the same. Below I have listed some key things we will want to have in our spiritual tackle boxes.

A Commitment to God’s Mission

Fishing takes commitment. Commitment comes when we are convinced that something is so important that it deserves our heart, time, finances, and effort – for as long as it takes. Unless we are truly committed, we may agree that being on mission is worthwhile, but other things will preempt it.

Committed people are different. Nothing stops a committed person from putting his or her convictions into action.

Many Christians are committed to God, to church, to family, to their jobs, and to pursuing a happy life. Relatively few are committed to the Great Commission, which is a huge priority on God’s heart.

I have a friend who is an avid fisherman. This man has a high-profile time-consuming job. Despite this, he still finds time to fish almost daily. Living on a lake doesn’t hurt. This begs the question, why does he prioritize fishing? Is it because somewhere back in the past he made a commitment which he now honors or is it that he is committed because he loves to fish? We usually grow to love a pursuit because we become proficient enough to experience a level of success that we find rewarding.

Probably the only way to develop and maintain a lifestyle of fishing for people is by growing to love it.

We generally do not begin with a high level of proficiency at anything we do, but, if we are going to learn, we must start somewhere. Most of us will probably begin sharing our faith with others because we are excited to know Jesus and want others to have the same experience. But after we encounter enough “push back,” we may think better of it. Some of us may have never shared the gospel out of that kind of excitement, for whatever reason. If we backed off or never even started to fish for people, we likely will need to overcome a natural resistance to start fishing again or for the first time.

The resistance to witnessing and making disciples is real. Part of it derives from our own desire to live comfortably and not “rock the boat.” Another element is spiritual warfare from Satan because the last thing he wants is for us to become evangelists and disciple makers. Initially, we may have to commit ourselves to obeying God in this area out of a sense of obedience; however, as happened to my friend, fishing tends to grow on people, especially if we experience success. We may find that fishing for people becomes something we want to do because it brings us joy, which will give birth to an ongoing practice.

If we are the best fisherman in the world but are never available to go fishing, even the least talented fisherman will catch more than we.

What we do with our time reveals what is important to us. Unless we make ourselves available for God’s missionary work, we will be frustrated in this area continually.

An Interest in People

I have known people, and most likely so have you, who were committed to telling others about Christ, but who apparently did not like people. Their words about God’s love were offset by their less than caring attitude, sending a confusing mixed message. Jesus, on the other hand, combined an unswerving commitment to truth with a deep love for people. This made him intriguing and magnetic for those whose heart longed for God and repulsive to those who were playing religious games. If we do not have God’s love for people, we will likely attract religious hypocrites and repel the ones to whom we are sent.

People may not open their hearts if we approach them only to present a gospel “sales pitch,” instead of showing an interest and desire to know them as a person.

Unless we are genuinely interested in people, we probably will never be good at “catching” them. We should not regard people as evangelism “targets.” They are valuable individuals who are worth knowing, loving, and relating to, whether they ever choose to follow Jesus. People instinctively know whether we are interested in them. May God increase our love for and interest in the people with whom we relate.

Our interest in people can be demonstrated by our willingness to engage them in conversation.

The quickest way to get a conversation going is to ask questions about the other person. If we are genuinely interested in them and what they do, we will have no trouble.

Think of people as buried treasure. You will only discover what is there by digging.

Their answers often give birth to further questions and may open a door to sharing something about your own life or the Lord. If they never show an interest in anything related to you, that is usually a “red flag.” Over the long haul, one-way relationships usually go nowhere.

It is important that we do not come across as “know it all’s.” It is easy for us Christians to unwittingly present ourselves that way when it comes to talking about what we believe the Bible teaches in any given area.

Cultivating an ability to listen to the other person is important.

If they voice opinions or beliefs that are contrary to Scripture, we can ask the Lord to help us form questions that might make them rethink their position. Such as some version of, “How is that working out for you?”

A Servant’s Heart

Jesus came to serve and ultimately give his life away. Service is an earmark of a true disciple. In today’s consumer culture, people think more in terms of what’s in it for us. Many assume those who share the gospel have the same mindset, which makes them suspicious of our motives. They probably think we are trying to get them to join our church, for example.

If we have Christ’s servant heart, we will look for ways to demonstrate God’s love in practical ways, not as a project, but because we care.

This can include spending time in conversation to get to know someone, setting aside time to visit in people’s homes, having people over to our residences, praying for them privately and one-on-one in person, helping with a project, or just being there for them during a crisis. Loving and serving people is worthwhile as a standalone effort, but it also may open the door for us to be able to share why Jesus is so important to us.

Jesus wants his followers to serve our way into the hearts and lives of those around us.

Loving service gives credibility to the gospel message. I remember after we began spending time with one of our neighbors, one day the wife approached me when I was in my front yard. She asked me to come with her to visit the home next to hers where the husband had recently suffered a heart attack. I had never visited those people, but she opened the door for a ministry opportunity. It made me realize that she viewed me as a kind of neighborhood pastor.

Hospitality is another very important aspect of service. When we have people into our homes, especially for a meal, it tends to remove relational stiffness. Conversation over a meal may become more personal than what we might have during casual encounters. We often can reach another level if those we reach out to reciprocate by having us over. When we visit someone else’s home, it indicates that they see us as a friend. As honored guests we should humbly receive their hospitality and have an attitude to listen and observe.

Knowledge of the Bible and the Gospel

Bible literacy is very low, even among average churchgoers. As a culture, we have grown lazy and unmotivated to learn more about the Scriptures and Bible truth. The Word of God is our life. It is our bread. We should habitually “eat” it by reading, meditating, and applying its truth to our lives. We should expect the Holy Spirit to reveal wonderful things about God to us, but many of us do not even crack open our Bibles. Many churchgoers show up on Sundays with their mouths open, expecting the pastor to give them enough pre-digested food to last them for a week. True disciples make a commitment to grow in their knowledge, understanding, and application of the Bible through personal study and application. (John 8:31-32)

We will never be effective fishers of men unless we understand the gospel well enough to share it easily and naturally.

A Dependence on the Holy Spirit

When Jesus launched his three-year itinerant preaching ministry, he quoted Isaiah 61:1 to help us understand his identity and mission.

And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4:17-21 (ESV)

Jesus depended upon the Holy Spirit to equip and empower him for the ministry he carried out over the rest of his earthly life. If we carefully read how he ministered to people, we will see that he allowed the gifts of the Spirit to operate in and through him continually. Although he was and is God in the flesh, he emptied himself of many of his divine prerogatives and depended on the Spirit, just as we must. Jesus was filled with the Spirit at the River Jordan and operated in the power and gifts of the Spirit throughout his ministry as an example to us. We need God’s power as well as the truth of the gospel.

For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power.  1 Corinthians 4:20 (NLT)

One of Jesus’ titles is Baptizer in the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:16). Jesus commanded his followers to receive this empowering from on high so we too can be as effective as the Spirit can make us.

We simply cannot rely on human intelligence and ability if we want to be good at relational or any other kind of evangelism.

Boldness

The Holy Spirit gives Jesus’ followers boldness to share the Gospel. This is a main function of the baptism in the Spirit. (See Acts 1:8.)

We may know what the Gospel says, be committed to the Great Commission, and love people, but eventually we will face those crucial times when courage is required.

When we tell others about Jesus, we run the risk of being misunderstood, rejected, ignored, or even persecuted. Jesus said that if we confess him before men, he will confess us before his Father in heaven and the angels; but if we are ashamed of him and the Gospel before men, he will not give us his heavenly approbation. (Matthew 10:32-33) These are sobering words. The Apostle Peter denied Jesus during a time of great fear and pressure; so, we should not be surprised when we are tempted to keep our mouths shut when we should be standing up boldly for truth. I am not suggesting that we be obnoxious representatives of Christ. There are appropriate times and ways to share God’s truth and other times to be silent. Knowing which is which requires us to be sensitive to the Spirit’s leadership. However, when it is clearly the right time to be bold, that is what needs to be in our “tackle box.”

Patience and Determination

Fisherman must be patient and determined. Sometimes the fish bite and other times they do not. God promises that his Word will not come back void but will accomplish his intention. (Isaiah 55:11) Paul encouraged us to resist becoming weary in well doing because “in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9) Working with people requires patience and determination. It is unpredictable, and often what is happening with the people to whom we minister is well hidden. God may be working on them on the inside. He or she may appear to be uninterested while they may be wrestling with God. The Apostle Paul is a great example of God’s ability to get through to even the most hostile foes of the Gospel.

Ask the Lord to encourage your heart to keep sowing into the lives of those around you. It will not go unrewarded.

As we look at our own tackle boxes, perhaps you, like I, are missing some gear. Don’t worry. God’s grace will make up for what we lack. The important thing is to start fishing. Add as much gear as you can as you go. The Lord may miraculously impart something to you while you are fishing.

If we wait to begin until after we think we are completely ready, we may never catch a fish.

Every person we can lead to faith in Jesus is a person added to God’s family and rescued from Satanic oppression. Every person we help to become a fisherman will multiply our efforts.

We Can Be a Lure God Uses to Catch Fish

Jesus offered himself as a sweet-smelling sacrifice upon God’s altar.

Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.  Ephesians 5:2 (NLT)

Think of how good a steak smells as it cooks upon a grill. To God that is what Jesus’ offering of himself was like, and, when we offer ourselves in Christ’s service, we become an aroma of Christ to those around us.

But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. 15 Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. 16 To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?  2 Corinthians 2:14–16 (NLT)

If we think of God as the fisherman, he uses us sometimes as a lure to draw people toward Christ.

This puts how we live in front of people in a whole new light. When we give into frustration, for example, and vent our anger in front of others, we might be putting an obstacle in front of their accepting Jesus. The Native Americans were treated abominably by our government and the individuals representing it, most of whom probably professed to be Christians. Is it any wonder that today those who are their descendants refer to Christianity as the “white man’s religion,” of which they want no part? The gospel is a big enough hurdle to get over without our adding to the difficulty by behaving in a poor manner. Conversely, when we show love to people it can draw them to the Lord and make them more receptive to the gospel. As Paul asked, who indeed is adequate for this? We need grace everyday to be Christ’s representatives.

Click here to see all the articles in this series.

 

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • Is there any piece of gear that you would like to add to your tackle box?
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Chapter 69: The Gospel Presented as Three Calls from God

God issues three basic calls to people, each of which resonates deeply in the hearts of those who love him. Each call draws us into a deeper experience of God’s love and to a new level of commitment reflected in three baptisms. Each is tied firmly to God’s eternal purpose to glorify his Son through us, and each is a doorway into personal joy and fulfillment. Each is an integral part of the gospel.

Jesus combined all three calls in one beautiful sentence.

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

Come… Follow… Fish. Each of the three calls invites us into a deeper relationship with God, and each has a higher personal cost associated with it. Many are called, but few embrace all three.

Come: The Call to Know Jesus as Savior
And you... have been called to belong to Jesus Christ. Romans 1:6 (NLT)

The initial call we receive from God is the call to come to him to be loved, forgiven, reconciled, and become part of God’s family through the new birth.

Because sin alienated us from God and broke our spiritual lifeline, before we hear and respond to this call, our biggest problem, deepest fear, and loneliest prospect is a life and an eternity separated from God. We were spiritual orphans in the universe. Here is how Paul put it.

In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope.  Ephesians 2:12 (NLT)

Father God looked upon our lost condition with great compassion and sent his only Son to suffer the judgment our sins deserved so that we might be fully restored to him.

For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.  John 3:16 (NLT)

God’s loving call to come to Christ the Savior and belong to his family satisfies our deepest longing and answers our identity question, making us children of God.

Becoming part of God’s family through the new birth automatically makes us belong to everyone else in the family, too. The Holy Spirit spiritually baptizes or immerses us into the body of Christ.

Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.  1 Corinthians 12:13 (NLT)

Father God must open our spiritual understanding and give us the ability to hear this call. Our Lord personally issued this call to belong to all who can receive it.

...“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29  Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30  For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)

The first and most fundamental call anyone can receive from God is the gospel call to know Jesus as Savior and become sons and daughters of God through the new birth.

When we put our faith and allegiance in Christ, Jesus shares his relationship with Abba Father with us.

And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” 7 Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.  Galatians 4:6–7 (NLT)

If you have never done so before, now is the time to respond to the gospel call to become a child of God. Jesus did the hard part on the cross, but we have our own responsibility in the matter. His hand is extended to offer us the gift of life. Our part is to reach out and receive that gift and rest in the knowledge that we are loved.

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 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 (ESV)
 
Follow: The Call to Know Jesus as Lord

Being loved and part of God’s family is deeply satisfying but it is not all there is. Jesus knew the joy of doing the things that pleased his Father.

but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. Get up, let us go from here.  John 14:31 (NASB95)

The second call from God is the call to love and obey Jesus the Lord. It challenges us to return the love God poured out on us through being faithful and dedicated to his beloved Son.

Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”  John 14:21 (NLT)

When we respond to this call to show allegiance to Jesus, it will fulfill another fundamental desire we all have – to experience the joy of doing what pleases God.

We must first discover who we are through the new birth before we can move forward to learning to please God through our thoughts, words, and deeds. As important as resting in God’s love is, our Lord did not create us merely to exist. He also intends for us to properly represent him to the world through doing good works of faith and love.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 (NASB)

We cannot earn God’s approval and favor, which are gifts. Our approval by God is first and foremost based on Christ’s performance on our behalf. He kept the law of God perfectly and served his Abba Father without deviation all the way to the cross. When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, his right standing with God and the approval attached to his perfect obedience are credited to our spiritual “bank account”. This is called justification, the judicial act of God’s imputing or crediting Christ’s righteousness to those who believe.

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.  Ephesians 2:8–9 (NLT)

Because we are new creations in Christ, who have been given a right standing with God and his approval, we (super)naturally desire to do good works. The indwelling Holy Spirit inspires and enables us to carry them out.

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Philippians 2:13 (NLT)

The Holy Spirit works inside us so that we can begin to act in agreement with what he did inside us through justification.

He works to translate our inner identity into outward performance.

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

In other words, through what is called sanctification or transformation we start to think and act more like who we are, new creations in Christ. We participate in this process by consecrating, dedicating, or surrendering ourselves to Christ’s lordship and the inner work of God’s Spirit. This is a “work” of faith on our part.

When some of his disciples asked Jesus what works God wanted them to do, here is what our Lord said.

..."This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." John 6:29 (NASB)

The Greek verb pisteuo, which is translated “believe,” also carries the fundamental idea of allegiance. It is a lot more than mere agreement with a set of doctrines or belief that Jesus lived, died, and rose again. Faith or belief in Jesus that does not include faithfulness or allegiance to him and his Word is mere lip service and is not biblical faith. Jesus’ call to follow him is a call to show allegiance to him above all else.

This requires us to surrender our will to him.

The Holy Spirit helps us to enter an experience of Christ’s allegiance to his heavenly Father.

By coming into alignment with Christ’s obedience through the Spirit’s help, we gain a deeper experience of God’s approval that previously was simply a gift to us. In other words, God imputes (credits to our account) Christ’s righteousness, but he also wants us to experience living out that righteousness. Some say this is when what was imputed becomes imparted.

Our allegiance to Christ is also demonstrated when we declare his lordship publicly before others.

Following Jesus means we attach ourselves to him personally and follow his teachings. It means we seek to be continually “led by the Spirit.” It means we no longer belong to ourselves: we belong to God.

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.  1 Corinthians 6:19–20 (NLT)

This is much different from merely being a “Christian” or a “church goer.” It means we seriously commit ourselves to Christ and are not ashamed to be known as one of his disciples.

Water baptism is a formal public declaration of allegiance to Jesus. In it we lay aside our past self-directed way of living and launch ourselves into a life on mission.

Receiving Jesus as Savior can be done privately, but the call to follow requires a public identification with our Lord. He wants us to unashamedly declare our allegiance to him.

I tell you the truth, everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, the Son of Man will also acknowledge in the presence of God’s angels. 9  But anyone who denies me here on earth will be denied before God’s angels. Luke 12:8-9 (NLT)

Water baptism is the perfect setting for us to do this. We should encourage any new convert to publicly declare allegiance to Christ by being baptized in water.

Fish: The Call to Know Jesus as the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit

No matter what our mission or job in life has been up to this point, Jesus gives his followers a new one – fishing for people.

Jesus’ mission was multi-faceted. He was and is the perfect representation of what Father God is like. He lived in an exemplary way to illustrate what a God-directed and God-glorifying life looks like. He also came to die for our sins as God’s Lamb and to rise again as the exalted Lord of Lords. Finally, as the ascended Lord of the harvest, his continuing mission is to add large numbers of people to God’s family through the church’s preaching the gospel message and making new disciples. He accomplishes this by pouring out his Spirit upon his people and sending us to keep working at what he began until the day he returns as the glorious Son of Man, who will judge the world in righteousness.

Responding to God’s first two calls, receiving our Savior’s love and demonstrating our love for him by surrendering to his lordship, propels us into the mission to love those who are currently outside of God’s family.

When we respond to the call to know Jesus as Savior, we experience what it means to belong to God and his family. When we obey the call to serve Jesus the Lord, we experience the joy of acknowledging him publicly and serving him wholeheartedly.

The call to become fishers of men is a call to experience the joy of being an important and significant representative of Christ.

When God the Father told people to listen to Jesus, he let everyone know that his Son is supremely significant. We participate in Christ’s significance through being actively on mission with him.

God created Adam and Eve to love him and fellowship with him and gave them a job to do – to be fruitful and multiply and rule over his creation. The church has the same mandate. Our mission is not simply to go to church and eventually get to heaven. In between being born again and the death of our bodies, we have a responsibility – to go and make disciples.

Most missional activity takes place outside the church building and is a 24/7 calling.

The call to make disciples provokes us to look on our neighbors and community with new eyes, those of a compassionate shepherd.

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. 38 So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”  Matthew 9:36–38 (NLT)

Being on mission challenges us to be alert to the prompting of the Spirit, who is always on mission, and the needs of those living around us, in the expectation that God will open doors of opportunity for us to meet and influence people toward God’s kingdom every day. God gave us new life so we can join him in his worldwide mission to fish for, catch, and disciple people.

Jesus formally announced the call to mission just before he ascended into heaven, when he gave his disciples and us what we now call the Great Commission.

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19  "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20  teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20 (NASB)

The call to belong to God’s family is relatively pain free for us, but it cost Jesus everything. For us, it is mainly about discovering how much God loves us. The greatest number of people who call themselves Christians respond to this call. The call to loyally follow Christ introduces the cost associated with identifying with our Lord publicly and keeping his commandments, and fewer accept this call. It is an invitation to die to ourselves and live for our Lord and God’s glory. There usually are more people who identify themselves as Christians than as loyal followers of Christ.

The call to mission is the costliest of all, and fewer still embrace a Great Commission lifestyle. The call to mission invites us to expend ourselves for others for Jesus’ sake, those who are currently God’s enemies in many cases. It is also our call to have great and lasting significance.

Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever.  Daniel 12:3 (NLT)

Because Jesus was God’s own son, and because he always did what pleased his Father, he was most significant. His words are to be heeded, just as the Father said when he spoke from heaven.

He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” Matthew 17:5 (ESV)

When we share the good news of the Gospel, we become extremely significant, too. People should listen to us because we speak for God.

The devil will resist our responding to the gospel’s call to belong because he wants you and me to be eternally lost. He will also resist our responding to the call to surrender our lives to Jesus’ lordship because he knows that will make us dangerous people with respect to his kingdom of darkness. He most firmly and fiercely resists any person or group who commits to being on mission because he knows that such a commitment will bring many others into the kingdom of God.

One of the first steps to embracing the call to mission is to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit, which equips and empowers us to proclaim the Gospel boldly with signs following.

…he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. 5  John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” ... 8  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:4-8 (NLT)

If you have never asked for this gift, right now is the perfect time. Like all of God’s gifts, it is received by faith. It is for all his children, and its purpose is to enable and empower us to fulfill the Great Commission. When we share the gospel, we should tell our hearers that as disciples they are called to be on mission and invite them to receive the baptism in the Spirit.

Calling for a Proper Response

As any good salesman knows, closing is critical. A great presentation means nothing without a sale.

We should never try to coerce or manipulate our hearers into a response, but we should give them an opportunity to make one.

It is a good idea to communicate the urgency to respond since no one is guaranteed a tomorrow. Procrastination could decide their eternity in a very negative way. Paul said that today is the right time to respond to the gospel.

For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.  2 Corinthians 6:2 (NLT)

We should remind our hearers that one day we will all stand in judgment before God. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life will be safe and not suffer God’s wrath against the world’s sinful rebellion against his rule.

And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.  Revelation 20:15 (NLT)

We should urge them to save themselves from this perverse generation that is hurtling toward the abyss. In conclusion, let’s give our hearers specific steps to take, just as Peter did on Pentecost when he said the following.

Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39  "For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself." Acts 2:38-39 (NASB)
  • Repent – The Spirit works in us to convict us of our root sin of trying to be the lord of our own lives. True repentance takes place when we acknowledge our sins, turn away from them, ask for and receive forgiveness, and surrender to Christ’s lordship. Faith is required for us to repent. We are not simply sorry for our sins. Rather we receive God’s amazing provision for us in Christ and commit to a lifetime of service to his Lordship.
  • Be Water Baptized – Water baptism is a public demonstration of our repentance, faith, surrender to Christ, and our commitment to serve him for the rest of our lives.
  • Receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit – This baptism equips Christ’s followers to fulfill the Great Commission. We cannot adequately serve the Lord of the harvest without it.
Click here to see all the articles in this series.
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Chapter 68: Gospel Paradigms

There are as many ways to present the good news about Jesus as there are unique individuals with their own specific needs. The more adept we become at sharing the gospel, the better we will be able to adapt it to any situation.

Our goal is to present the gospel in such a way that our hearers understand that Jesus is the One for whom they are searching.

One paradigm for describing Christ’s finished work is viewing our Lord as “Christ the Victor.” He defeated Satan and his evil powers, sin, death, sickness, and every other form of bondage and evil. Even though we do not see his victory fully displayed yet, it is real and can be experienced by those who put their faith and allegiance in him.

Victory over Guilt and Judgment

The gospel paradigm with which we in the West are most familiar contrasts our guilt versus God’s righteousness. In this way of looking at things, we understand that all people will one day stand before God to be judged for our thoughts, words, and deeds. Our lives will be weighed on the scales of God’s holy standard. God imposed that way of thinking by giving Moses the Law, which is a detailed list of requirements by which God demands that we live. The inherent problem with the Law is that we are incapable of keeping it. If therefore someone takes God’s Law seriously, he or she may labor under a heavy sense of condemnation.

As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous— not even one. 11 No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. 12 All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.”  Romans 3:10–12 (NLT)

God uses the Law to expose our utter helplessness so that we will conclude that we desperately need a Savior.

But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.” 11 So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” 12 This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying the law that a person has life.” 13 But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” 14 Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith.  Galatians 3:10–14 (NLT)

The genius of God is revealed in his sending his Son Jesus to become the embodiment of a new covenant which is completely different from the covenant based on Law.

If God kept us under the Law, we would all be doomed to be judged for our sins and cast into the lake of fire. The only way out for us was for God to send a substitute who would take our place in judgment after completing a life of perfect dependence upon and obedience to God.

A great exchange took place upon the cross and at the resurrection. By a great miracle that C.S. Lewis calls “deep magic” in his classic book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Father God placed us in his son when he was crucified and rose again. That means that when he died, so did we, and when he rose, so did we. Theologians call this identification. Therefore, we are already dead to sin and alive forevermore in righteousness. As Jesus put it, we have passed from death to life.

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.  John 5:24 (NASB95)

The New Covenant provides us with Christ’s righteousness so that we no longer must worry about somehow being good enough to merit God’s love and blessing.

We have been given a right standing with God and included in his forever family as a gift.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 6:23 (NASB95)

Using this paradigm, we call people to believe that Jesus has given us a new way to relate to God based on faith in his perfect work of redemption.

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.  Galatians 2:20–21 (NLT)

We call people to accept their freely given right standing with God by faith in what Christ has already accomplished for them.

This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”  Romans 1:17 (NLT)

We also explain that faith includes giving our allegiance to the risen Lord.

Victory over Fear, Powerlessness, and Death

Fear is a universal problem, and for some people deliverance from it is their greatest felt need. People are afraid of all sorts of things – the devil, evil, change, the unknown, the unseen, people they view as powerful enemies, judgment, sickness, pain, death, and even God before they find out how loving and kind he is.

Jesus came to deliver us from fear and give us peace.

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.  John 14:27 (NASB95)

Our Lord absorbed our fears on the cross. All our guilt, shame, and condemnation fell upon him as he took the judgment and punishment that we rightly deserved. Part of that judgment was death, since that is what our sins earned. By submitting to death and afterward rising again, Jesus set us free from the power of the fear of death and eternal separation from God.

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.  Hebrews 2:14–15 (NASB95)

Many people who have been abused in some fashion suffer from a deep sense of powerlessness, which leaves them fearful. Death is the ultimate form of powerlessness. At death, we lose all ability to defend or save ourselves and are cast completely upon the mercy of God. Because Jesus absorbed our sentence of death on the cross, we have life eternal. By so doing, he rendered the devil powerless to harm us.

If we put our faith and allegiance in Christ, we have nothing to fear regarding death or Satan’s evil power.

In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.  Colossians 2:15 (NLT)

Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. 20 But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.”  Luke 10:19–20 (NLT)

If we use this paradigm for sharing the gospel, we are able call the hearer to believe in and receive for themselves Christ’s victory over fear through his finished work on the cross and his subsequent glorious resurrection. We encourage them to make themselves available to serve our magnificent Lord.

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  Romans 10:9 (NLT)
 
Victory over Shame and Spiritual Uncleanness

For people who grow up in a culture or religion that majors on ritual cleanness, such as Islam and strict Judaism, fear of being cut off from God because of uncleanness is a major issue.

We can present Jesus as the one whose touch makes the unclean pure again.

There are several examples of this in the Bible, such as when Jesus healed the woman with the issue of blood and the leper. Jesus touched a dead body and raised it to life again without being himself defiled. This is because he absorbed and conquered our uncleanness and shame on the cross.

And a leper came to Jesus, beseeching Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” 41 Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.  Mark 1:40–42 (NASB95)

Since the Holy Spirit indwells us, as Christ’s representatives, we too can also minister healing and restoration without fear of being contaminated.

Sin brings shame, and certain types of sin, such as sexual perversion, tend to make people feel dirty inside. When Jesus forgives and restores us, the dirtiness is removed along with the shame. Jesus did this for the woman caught in adultery in John Chapter 8.

Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” 11 “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”  John 8:10–11 (NLT)

The general verse we can use to show can God cleanses us is the following.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (NASB95)

We can lead our hearers to admit and repent of their sins and receive forgiveness and cleansing for the Lord.

Demons oppress people and seek to make us unclean, self-destructive, and shameful. That is why Jesus sometimes called them “unclean” spirits. When Jesus and we drive them out, it allows people to experience God’s cleansing and restorative power. In place of the unclean spirit, God offers to indwell us with his pure Holy Spirit if we place our faith and allegiance in the Lord Jesus. When God sets us free from shame and defilement, our natural response should be gratefulness and a desire to follow Christ and tell others about what he has done. This is what took place with a man whom Jesus set free from demonic oppression.

As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed [demonized] begged to go with him. 19 But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.” 20 So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.  Mark 5:18–20 (NLT)
 
Victory over the Slavery of Addiction

Sin enslaves people and leads to all sorts of addictions.

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.  John 8:34 (NASB95)

Jesus came to redeem us, which means to buy back from slavery and set free.

Our redemption includes our Lord’s victory over sin and all other forms of enslaving addiction.

So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.  John 8:36 (NLT)

Jesus promised that if we continue to live according to his word, we will be set free.

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  John 8:31–32 (NLT)

Paul taught that putting our faith and allegiance in Christ will result in our being set free from all forms of enslavement over which self-effort and religion have no power.

Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.  Acts 13:38–39 (NASB95)

Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy that the Messiah would set the captives free.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed, 19 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”  Luke 4:18–19 (NASB95)

When we share the good news of Christ the liberator who sets the captives free, we invite people to believe in his victory and receive it for themselves.

We should encourage them to surrender themselves to Christ so he can use them to help free others.

Victory over Striving to Be Good Enough

Many suffer from a chronic sense of worthlessness or invalidation, which is different from guilt for specific sins.

A sense of worthlessness is a deeply rooted lie that strikes at the very essence of our being. It hinders our ability to receive God’s love and his blessings.

Some have been invalidated through hurtful words of key people in their lives and have internalized them. A child may have heard his parents say, “You’ll never amount to anything.” “You’re stupid.” “I never wanted you.” These words tend to go deep into the psyche and become lie-based strongholds that carry over into adulthood and influence how we see ourselves and relate to others. Depending on our personality, we will handle invalidation differently. Some will accept these words and give up on ever overcoming them. Others will fight to prove them wrong. If the Lord does not set us free with his loving truth, however, we will still be affected by this stronghold of lies.

People who have this stronghold in their minds may give themselves over to all sorts of self-destructive behavior, thinking they are unworthy of anything else. Others strive for perfection, believing that is the only way for them to be accepted.

Perfectionism is built on a lie that our worth is based on our performance or what other people think about us.

It produces an intolerable burden that eventually wears us out. We can only keep up the façade for so long before it cracks.

When Jesus calls us to himself, it is the highest form of validation.

God himself declares that we are worthwhile. The value of a thing is based on what someone would pay for it, and Jesus paid his own priceless blood to purchase us and restore us to God’s family. God the Father adopted us to be his beloved children. There is no higher measure of worth than that.

When we encounter a person who suffers from invalidation, we can tell them that Jesus took our worthlessness upon himself when he hung on the cross all alone with his detractors and enemies gloating over his demise. He died for us because he loved us and wanted us to be part of God’s family, the highest honor.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight 9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him  Ephesians 1:3–9 (NASB95)

When we understand that we have nothing more to prove, no standard to which we must achieve, we can enjoy the rest provided by God.

For this kind of person, our gospel presentation can center around Jesus’ invitation to all of us to come to him and receive his promised rest.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Matthew 11:28 (NLT)

This rest is a source of joy to us and motivates us to tell others.

Victory over Hopelessness and Confusion

Many people suffer from a deep sense of hopelessness. This can stem from feeling powerless to change negatives in our lives. It can also stem from confusion, not knowing what to do or if there is anything to be done. People who are born into deep poverty often have no role models to show them how to move into greater prosperity. People who are surrounded by temptation, crime, and the degradation brought by sinful life choices, sometimes feel there is no way out. People who lose loved ones sometimes believe life no longer has purpose or meaning.

In such cases, we can present Jesus as the one who imparts direction to the confused, meaning to life, and hope to the hopeless.

Our Lord told us that he is the Way.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.  John 14:6 (NASB95)

We do not need to understand everything to escape confusion. We were never meant to know everything. We only need to know our Lord and trust him to guide us each step of our way.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3:5–6 (NASB95)

The devil wants to paralyze us with confusion and fear. The way out is to let these things go and surrender our lives and future to the one we can safely trust to guide and care for us.

If powerlessness is the main issue, Jesus promised us that all authority belongs to him and Satan and his servants cannot ultimately harm us.

Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.  Luke 10:19 (NASB95)

If we surrender to the Good Shepherd who has all authority and power, we are safe in his hands, and no one can snatch us away.

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.  John 10:27–29 (NASB95)

One of my favorite titles for the Lord is “Keeper.” He is our protector who never sleeps or fails to maintain careful watch over our lives.

My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep.  Psalm 121:2–4 (NASB95)

Confusion and powerlessness often create a sense of hopelessness that can be very dangerous. Hopeless people sometimes do crazy things because their lives can seem pointless, and their anger may escalate to violence. Jesus came to give hope to the hopeless.

The biblical meaning of hope is confident expectation. The Holy Spirit imparts faith to those whose hearts are open and helps us understand and receive God’s promises found in the Bible. No matter how difficult our current situation may be, God has given us the promise of better things ahead.

When Jesus began his public ministry, things were very dark in the world. The Jewish people were in a difficult situation and the rest of the world had no hope at all. Jesus began to shine as the light of the world.

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”  John 8:12 (NASB95)

Paul said that we Gentiles were without hope before we believe the gospel.

In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. 13 But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.  Ephesians 2:12–13 (NLT)

Those who put their faith in Christ have a reason to live and a reason to expect a glorious future. This gives us hope to live in the present with a sense of purpose and joy. We should encourage our listener to release their sense of confusion, powerlessness, and hopelessness to the Lord and receive him as the Way, the Truth, and the Life!

I hope these examples of various ways to present the gospel depending on the greatest felt need of our hearer will inspire you to think of how you can present Jesus to those who desperately need a saving encounter with his love and mercy.

Click here to see all the articles in this series.
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Chapter 67: The Gospel’s Old Covenant Context

This lesson will help you understand how to present the gospel in the context of God’s promises to Israel. One of the best ways to study the key components of a good gospel presentation is to examine how the first apostles preached. Paul opened his letter to the church in Rome with the following paragraph that briefly summarizes the gospel.

This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News. 2  God promised this Good News long ago through his prophets in the holy Scriptures. 3  The Good News is about his Son, Jesus. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, 4  and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord. 5  Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name. Romans 1:1-5 (NLT) 

Due to attempts to streamline and mass-market the message, we run the risk of reducing the Gospel to a stripped-down presentation of what some call the “plan of salvation,” or “The Four Spiritual Laws,” or perhaps the “Roman Road.” None of these are “bad,” and many people have come to faith in Christ through their use, but we should not confuse them with the full gospel.

The gospel is a magnificent true story about Jesus that is rooted in the history of God’s interactions with Israel.

He is the eternal Son of God, the Logos, the Son of Man, the Messiah King, Lamb of God, Baptizer in the Holy Spirit, and the Coming Judge.

If we reduce the gospel to a mere explanation of how our sins can be forgiven and we can be restored to fellowship with God, we shortchange our listeners by turning the glorious Jesus story into a consumer-oriented promotion.

When Paul preached to the synagogue at Antioch of Pisidia in Acts Chapter 13, he gave a classic presentation of the Gospel. I have copied it below.

Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen: 17 “The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out from it. 18 “For a period of about forty years He put up with them in the wilderness. 19 “When He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land as an inheritance—all of which took about four hundred and fifty years. 20 “After these things He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. 21 “Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22 “After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will.’ 23 “From the descendants of this man, according to promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, 24 after John had proclaimed before His coming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25 “And while John was completing his course, he kept saying, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not He. But behold, one is coming after me the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’ 26 “Brethren, sons of Abraham’s family, and those among you who fear God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent. 27 “For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him. 28 “And though they found no ground for putting Him to death, they asked Pilate that He be executed. 29 “When they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb. 30 “But God raised Him from the dead; 31 and for many days He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now His witnesses to the people. 32 “And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, 33 that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, ‘You are My Son; today i have begotten You.’ 34 “As for the fact that He raised Him up from the dead, no longer to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’ 35 “Therefore He also says in another Psalm, ‘You will not allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.’ 36 “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers and underwent decay; 37 but He whom God raised did not undergo decay. 38 “Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses. 40 “Therefore take heed, so that the thing spoken of in the Prophets may not come upon you: 41 ‘Behold, you scoffers, and marvel, and perish; For I am accomplishing a work in your days, A work which you will never believe, though someone should describe it to you.’ ” 42 As Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people kept begging that these things might be spoken to them the next Sabbath. 43 Now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and of the God-fearing proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, were urging them to continue in the grace of God.  Acts 13:16–43 (NASB95) —

I am going to break the gospel into three parts, the first of which is covered in this lesson – the Old Covenant context, the New Covenant fulfillment, and the closing, in which we seek to drive home the significance of the gospel and what it demands from its hearers.

After being asked to share a word of encouragement with the congregation, Paul began his speech by reviewing the history of God’s dealings with Israel. Why did he do this?

Paul knew that the Gospel can only be properly understood by framing it in the context of God’s historical relationship with Abraham and his descendants.

He chose to begin with the exodus from Egypt because he knew his Jewish audience would immediately identify and find common ground with this recollection of their history. It is always a good idea to try to find some sort of common ground with our listeners.

We should seek to present Jesus as the answer to people’s deepest spiritual desires. Every person is a little different. If the Holy Spirit shows us the key to a person’s heart, it will enable us to tailor the gospel message to touch them deeply.

Jesus is not some New Age guru that suddenly appeared out of nowhere giving us mystical metaphysical insights. He was firmly rooted in the history of Israel and the promises God made to his people, beginning in the garden of Eden. The most significant ones were made to Abraham and King David, as far as the gospel is concerned, but many others can be included. It depends how much time we have and how well versed in the Scriptures we are.

John the Baptist presented Jesus to Israel by telling his listeners that he was the Lamb of God, the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit, and someone Great (the Lord and Messiah). These titles only make sense if we understand something about the history of Israel’s relationship with God.

Jesus did not come in a vacuum. He arrived as the fulfillment of specific promises that God made to Abraham and his descendants.

Therefore, it is always a good idea to include some sort of historical context to make the Gospel’s claims understandable.

At Pisidian Antioch, Paul’s goal was to recount Israel’s history to get to King David, because from this man God promised to raise up the Messiah, a ruler who would sit on David’s throne for eternity. Since he spoke to Jews, he presumed they fully understood this claim and needed no Scripture reference. When we share the Gospel, however, most of our listeners will need to hear a reference, and the following will do nicely.

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

This passage is acknowledged to be a Messianic promise. David’s son, Solomon, despite being a great and glorious king, eventually died. Neither he nor his kingdom endured forever. Therefore, for this promise to be fulfilled, another king must arise, one whose kingdom will last forever. Only one person fills the bill – Jesus, the glorious Son of Man, whose kingdom will destroy every other and endure forever!

I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. 14 “And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.  Daniel 7:13–14 (NASB95)

It is significant that Jesus referenced this passage during his unjust trial before the Sanhedrin, enabling us to make a definite link between the promise to David, the prophecy of Daniel, and our Lord Jesus.

But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, “I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” 65 Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy;  Matthew 26:63–65 (NASB95)

Jesus left no doubt as to his identity. He made sure that he was crucified for the right reason, his claim to be the Messiah King and coming Son of Man.

Other verses can be used, such as God’s promise to Abraham that through his “seed” – our Lord Jesus – all the earth will be blessed.

And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”  Genesis 12:3 (NASB95) —

We can also reference God’s promise to Moses that God would raise up a prophet like him to whom the nation would be accountable. Here is how the apostle Peter referenced this promise from Deuteronomy 18:18-19.

“Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren; to Him you shall give heed to everything He says to you. 23 ‘And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ 24 “And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days. 25 “It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ 26 “For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.”  Acts 3:22–26 (NASB95) —

The prophets can also be used to give background for understanding who Jesus is. Matthew referenced Isaiah 7:14 in the following passage that we too can use when we share the gospel.

But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”  Matthew 1:20–23 (NASB95) —

Each Gospel writer starts at a different place. Matthew begins with Abraham. Mark starts with a prophecy from Isaiah. Luke launches with an account of the births of John the Baptist and Jesus before giving us Jesus’ genealogy all the way back to Adam. John hits a home run by taking us all the way back to the creation of the universe by the eternal Logos, who became a human being named Jesus!

Each gospel narrative uses some form of an historical context to inform the reader who Jesus is.

These writings are called “gospels,” and they are our template for understanding and presenting the good news properly. Any disciple of Jesus, who wants to be able to share a strong biblical version of the Gospel, should familiarize himself or herself with the Old Covenant scriptural context of the good news about Jesus in order to properly show how he came as the fulfillment of God’s specific promises to provide a Savior and Messiah King. In the next lesson, we will see how Jesus, the historical person, fulfilled several Old Covenant promises and sacrificed his own blood for us. He died and rose again, in fulfillment of the scriptures.

For further study, I recommend The King Jesus Gospel by Scott McKnight.

Click here to see all the articles in this series.

 

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • Does it make sense that a proper presentation of the gospel benefits from our providing the historical context of God’s relationship with and promises to Israel?
  • Can you think of any potential hazards of presenting the gospel without giving any historical context?
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Chapter 66: The Great Commission

What is the church’s top priority? The answer could be love. It might be faith. Perhaps preaching the gospel would be a fine answer. The last thing Jesus commanded the church before his ascension into heaven was what we call the Great Commission, which reveals God’s missionary heart. Simply put, we are commissioned to go and make disciples, to teach others to be Christ followers and fishers of men who will teach others to do the same. Notwithstanding the importance of the above mentioned things, I believe God’s mission, the Great Commission, must be our top priority.

God wants us to extend his kingdom by reproducing ourselves in others.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20  teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)

It is easy to substitute any number of good things for the mission. We can make great preaching and teaching our highest priority. If you ask average churchgoers why they like their churches, many will say that it is because of the great preaching, the wonderful worship, the kids’ programs, etc. Many churches opt for prioritizing community service, potlucks, worship, prayer, Bible studies, fellowship, you name it… anything but sharing the gospel and making disciples. Nothing makes the devil and religious churchgoers as angry as prioritizing the Great Commission.

Generally, we balk at leaving the comfortable confines of our church culture to pursue those who do not yet know Christ. It takes a deliberate focus and commitment to mission for it to happen.

It is not enough to simply adopt mission as a “value” or a subset of the church’s activity and effort. It must become the engine that pulls the train.

Otherwise, being on mission will tend to be an option instead of our priority. The Genesis command to be fruitful and multiply has not been rescinded.

The “Go” of the Great Commission

It is only natural to want to stay put and enjoy the benefits of being part of a local church, which are many. The fellowship is wonderful. There is a comfort in knowing that the people around us are like-minded servants of Jesus. It is great to be enveloped in a culture that fosters sound biblical thinking and values. We like to keep ourselves and those we love in a “safe” environment.

Many of us adopt a fortress mentality in which we try to wall out the world and its negative influences. In this scenario, the mission devolves into inviting people to enter the fort and become part of the enclave.

But this is not obedience to the first part of the Great Commission, which is “Go.” Jesus told his disciples that he was sending them.

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” John 20:21 (ESV)

The “go” part of the Great Commission asks us to leave our comfort and safety zones and venture into the world of those who do not know Christ.

If we are recently born again, this is not too formidable, but for those who have been believers a long time, it may be.

For Abraham it meant leaving land, family, friends, culture, and familiar “gods” to serve the one true God in a liminal and yet unknown place. It meant taking steps of faith without the benefit of a well-thought-out plan or end game. All he had was the command to go coupled with a promise, and he went.

It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going.  Hebrews 11:8 (NLT)

Jesus emphasized the “go” when he taught the parable of the shepherd who left the 99 sheep to go after the one lost one. He emphasized the “go” when he prayed that Father God would send laborers into the harvest.

He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. 38 So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”  Matthew 9:37–38 (NLT)

Then why do we find it so difficult to go?

Going requires sacrifice, courage, faith, and a willingness to suffer and endure uncertainty, inevitable disappointment and setbacks, heartbreak, loss, and enormous challenges. Some of the people we “go” to will not appreciate us at all. However, some will be forever grateful, which makes it all worthwhile. More importantly, Jesus will be pleased and honored, and we will accrue eternal reward.

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. Mark 10:29-30 (ESV)

The going of mission is both the most rewarding thing we will ever do and potentially the most costly.

That is why many of us shy away from obedience to the Great Commission. Jesus called shrinking from obedience “falling away.”

And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. Mark 4:17 (ESV)

If we fall away from obedience to the mission in times of peace, what will happen to us when persecution arrives? In fact, the proper preaching of the gospel and obedience to the Great Commission invites persecution. Paul wrote:

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 2 Timothy 3:12 (ESV)

Perhaps the lack of persecution in our nation today betrays a lack of commitment to the Great Commission. However, God’s grace is sufficient to help us become committed disciplemakers.

So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! 36 Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.  Hebrews 10:35–36 (NLT)
Making Disciples

The second part of the Great Commission is making disciples. There is a huge difference between a disciple and a mere churchgoer; although, disciples have a strong commitment to church attendance (Hebrews 10:25).

Attending church meetings costs relatively little but being a disciple challenges us to make a strong commitment to Christ and his mission.

So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:33 (ESV) 

Jesus violated just about every church growth principle in this passage. He came across rather negatively, repeating the phrase, “cannot be my disciple,” three times. It is as if he were trying to weed out anyone who would not make the commitment.

The leaven of partial commitment is contagious.

He did not encourage his followers to simply join his movement and face the decision of making a stronger commitment later. He set the bar high from the beginning. Although we generally move toward greater and greater commitment over a lifetime, the reverse is often the case.

People “backslide” from their initial devotion because the cost becomes greater than what we are willing to pay.

Being a disciple means that we commit to Jesus our Lord as a person. We submit to his rule in our lives through obedience to his teachings and to the prompting of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

The Spirit will lead us to obey the Great Commission, the task of teaching others to be disciples who will also make disciples.

To create a missional culture in a local church, a commitment must be made to develop disciple-making disciples. In other words, church leaders and church members must prioritize duplicating themselves in the lives of others. Churches that commit to making disciples will need to examine their values, priorities, programs… everything… in light of whether or not it advances disciple making.

Disciple making is much more than giving lectures at church meetings. It involves one-on-one and one-on-few instruction and mentoring. It includes a demonstration of how to do ministry, followed by giving the disciple the opportunity to put into practice what was learned with follow-up instruction as needed.

The goal of discipleship is to produce a practitioner, not a mere theologian, churchgoer, or moral paragon.

Churches that commit to creating a missional culture will devote their energy, talent, and resources to pursuing the Great Commission.

Click here to see all the articles in this series.

 

 Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • Did anyone ever mentor or disciple you in teaching and practice?
  • Were you informed that you were to go and do the same?
  • Discipleship training includes growing in Bible understanding, in sharing the gospel, in ministry skills, and in leadership, if appropriate. Is there any area in which you would like to be mentored, besides the first, which we are doing here?
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Chapter 65: How Do I Receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit?

It does little good to know all about a subject and never personally receive or experience it. It is one thing to generally believe that God’s promises are real and true and quite another to personally receive one. Many believe that God heals, but fewer have received a supernatural healing. Many, even the devil, believe that Jesus died to save sinners, but fewer receive that salvation personally by faith.

If we keep truth at arm’s length and make it purely objective, we may be able to safely distance ourselves from the costs associated with obedience, but we will also rob ourselves of the joy of receiving something from God.

Faith is like breathing. It must be “inhaled” or received and “exhaled” or acted upon. God wants us to believe his promises are true, receive them for ourselves, and then act out our faith. For example, when Jesus told the centurion that his servant had been healed, that man believed Jesus’ words and acted appropriately by returning home.

And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed that very moment.  Matthew 8:13 (NASB95) —

What we do after saying that we believe reveals whether we were just spouting empty words or truly believed in our hearts.

To receive the baptism in the Spirit requires that we accept the truth of God’s Word, receive his promise by faith, and act as if we believe he gave it to us.

Can I Be Sure This Promise Is for Me Today?

In the first sermon recorded after the initial outpouring of the Spirit, the apostle Peter made it clear that the baptism in the Spirit is for all God’s children for all time.

Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39  "For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself." Acts 2:38-39 (NASB)

A contextual reading of this section of Acts makes it plain that the “promise” means the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Peter explained what their speaking in tongues meant: it evidenced the outpouring or baptism in the Spirit, which was prophesied by Joel and later promised by John the Baptist and Jesus himself. Peter made it clear that God makes the baptism in the Spirit available to every person who would ever come to Christ – those present with Peter, their children, the Gentiles (those “far off”), and everyone else throughout time who will respond to the Gospel (“as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself”).

Jesus also made it clear that every child of God can receive this gift. It is the Father’s good pleasure to give us the Holy Spirit when we ask him.

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" Luke 11:13 (NASB)

Jesus died as the Lamb of God to provide us with forgiveness and reconciliation to the Father. He rose and ascended to heaven to become the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit and pour out the Spirit upon his church. Because of this, we can be sure this amazing gift is for us.

Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.  Acts 2:33 (NASB95)

If we believe what is written above is true, we are faced with a decision. Will I receive this promise for myself by faith or not?

Will I value what Jesus died to give me or remain fearful or indifferent? I hope each of us will treasure and pursue what cost our Lord so much to provide for us!

Steps to Receive

Since the baptism in the Spirit is received by faith, we must be convinced that God has given it to us, receive it, and act as if we believe he has. That is how faith works. Paul asked the Galatian church the following telling question.

This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Galatians 3:2 (NASB)

The answer of course is that we must receive all of God’s promises by faith. We can never earn them. Here are four easy steps to receive the baptism in the Spirit.

  1. Believe that God will do what he says.

If we grasp that God has provided all believers with the privilege of receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the next step is for us to believe that God is always faithful to his promises.

God’s complete trustworthiness is the foundation of all faith.

This is a simple concept; yet many people get hung up at this point. They may think, maybe it is not for me? God will bless everyone else, but not me. Such thinking is sinful unbelief from which we must repent. Cast that lie away and start believing God.

God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? Numbers 23:19 (NASB)
  1. Ask and receive with simple faith as a child.
"For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. 11  "Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? 12  "Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? 13  "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" Luke 11:10-13 (NASB)

Children do not suspect devious motives in the giver or concoct complicated reasons a promise might not come true. When an adult makes a promise, a child expects it to happen. To God, we are all little children. We may have been disappointed many times by people who did not keep their promises to us, but God is not like that. If as a child we experienced adults lying to us and failing to follow through on their word, we must not let those memories and any attached lies about God to block us from trusting our heavenly Father.

As a child, believe, ask, and receive.

If something in our minds whispers that this is not going to happen for me, repent of that unbelief.

...You do not have because you do not ask. James 4:2 (NASB)

If I extend my hand to offer someone a hundred-dollar bill, what will that person need to do? Would it be enough to say thank you without making any effort to come forward to receive it? If we want the money, we will act. Similarly, we receive the baptism in the Spirit by asking the Lord to baptize us and then by actively receiving.

Faith receives before it sees any outward visible evidence. Faith depends on the promises and character of God alone. It knows that God will keep his word and that his promises are true.

Faith does not doubt. It does not struggle with wondering if God will keep his end of the deal. It receives and moves on, just as when the Roman Centurion believed Jesus healed his servant and returned home. (Luke 7:10)

  1. Give thanks.

After receiving a gift, grateful people say, “Thank you.” After we ask for and receive the baptism in the Spirit by faith, we should begin to thank and praise God.

Thanksgiving demonstrates faith.

The opposite is either silent passivity or doubtful complaining. Some people refuse to believe before seeing because they are afraid of getting their hopes up, only to be let down. Should we only praise God after he “comes through” for us or when we grasp that he is always faithful to his promises and will surely do what he said? Real faith acts before it ever sees the confirmation or fulfillment of what it believes because it is convinced that God is true.

The kind of praise and worship that gives God the most honor is what comes from people who exalt God’s faithfulness before they ever see the fulfillment of what was promised.

Faith knows and overflows. Only faith filled (faithful) people give thanks. Let’s show our faith by our praise.

  1. Speak in tongues.

Speaking in tongues is a supernatural overflow of the Spirit. Our mouths speak out of the abundance of the Spirit’s filling of our hearts. The sure evidence of the baptism in the Spirit is speaking in tongues. At this point the one wishing to experience this confirming gift should take a step of faith and begin speaking, trusting that the Holy Spirit will give the words.

Who Baptizes Us?

The Bible teaches us that baptizing people in the Holy Spirit is the personal ministry of Jesus. John the Baptist announced this ministry to the world.

As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  Matthew 3:11 (NASB95)

Our Lord often uses the agency of people laying hands on us to accomplish this baptism because Jesus desires for us to share in his ministry. The apostles often laid hands on individuals prior to their receiving this baptism.

Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit.  Acts 8:14–17 (NASB95)

At other times, the Spirit fell upon people without human agency, such as at Pentecost and when Peter preached to Cornelius.

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. 45 All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered,  Acts 10:44–46 (NASB95)
Prayer to Receive the Baptism in the Spirit

Jesus, I believe you died and rose again to save me and baptize me in the Spirit. You said that if we ask, you will certainly give us this wonderful promise. I ask you right now to baptize me in the Spirit and fill me to overflowing. I receive this promise by faith and give you thanks for your faithfulness to keep your promises. Holy Spirit, fill me up. Help me now to pray in tongues. I will open my mouth to speak with the expectation that you will give me the words. Amen.

Prayer to Minister the Baptism in the Spirit

Jesus, I believe you died and rose again to save us and baptize us in the Spirit. You said that if we ask, you will certainly give us this wonderful promise. I ask you right now to baptize all those present in the Spirit and fill them to overflowing. We receive this promise by faith and give you thanks for your faithfulness to keep your promises. Holy Spirit, fill them up. Help them now to pray in tongues. Let them open their mouths to speak with the expectation that you will give them the words. Amen.

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • Do you have any questions?
  • Are you ready to receive?

 

Want to know more? I have written a book on this very topic, which is available on Amazon. Click here to find out more.
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How Do I Receive the Baptism in the Spirit?

It does little good to know all about a subject and never personally experience it. It is one thing to generally believe that God’s promises are real and true and quite another to personally receive one. Many believe that God heals, but fewer have received a supernatural healing. Many, even the devil, believe that Jesus died to save sinners, but fewer receive that salvation personally by faith.

If we keep truth at arm’s length and make it purely objective, we may be able to safely distance ourselves from the costs associated with obedience, but we will also rob ourselves of the joy of receiving something from God.

Faith is like breathing. It must be “inhaled” or received and “exhaled” or acted upon. God wants us to believe his promises are true, receive them for ourselves, and then act out our faith. For example, when Jesus told the centurion that his servant had been healed, that man believed Jesus’ words and acted appropriately by returning home.

And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed that very moment.  Matthew 8:13 (NASB95) —

What we do after saying that we believe reveals whether we were just spouting empty words or truly believed in our hearts.

To receive the baptism in the Spirit requires that we accept the truth of God’s Word, receive his promise by faith, and act as if we believe he gave it to us.

Can I Be Sure This Promise Is for Me Today?

In the first sermon recorded after the initial outpouring of the Spirit, the apostle Peter made it clear that the baptism in the Spirit is for all God’s children for all time.

Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39  "For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself." Acts 2:38-39 (NASB)

A contextual reading of this section of Acts makes it plain that the “promise” means the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Peter explained what their speaking in tongues meant: it evidenced the outpouring or baptism in the Spirit, which was prophesied by Joel and later promised by John the Baptist and Jesus himself. Peter made it clear that God makes the baptism in the Spirit available to every person who would ever come to Christ – those present with Peter, their children, the Gentiles (those “far off”), and everyone else throughout time who will respond to the Gospel (“as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself”).

Jesus also made it clear that every child of God can receive this gift. It is the Father’s good pleasure to give us the Holy Spirit when we ask him.

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" Luke 11:13 (NASB)

Jesus died as the Lamb of God to provide us with forgiveness and reconciliation to the Father. He rose and ascended to heaven to become the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit and pour out the Spirit upon his church. Because of this, we can be sure this amazing gift is for us.

Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.  Acts 2:33 (NASB95)

If we believe what is written above is true, we are faced with a decision. Will I receive this promise for myself by faith or not?

Will I value what Jesus died to give me or remain fearful or indifferent? I hope each of us will treasure and pursue what cost our Lord so much to provide for us!

Steps to Receive

Since the baptism in the Spirit is received by faith, we must be convinced that God has given it to us, receive it, and act as if we believe he has. That is how faith works. Paul asked the Galatian church the following telling question.

This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Galatians 3:2 (NASB)

The answer of course is that we must receive all of God’s promises by faith. We can never earn them. Here are four easy steps to receive the baptism in the Spirit.

  1. Believe that God will do what he says.

If we grasp that God has provided all believers with the privilege of receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the next step is for us to believe that God is always faithful to his promises.

God’s complete trustworthiness is the foundation of all faith.

This is a simple concept; yet many people get hung up at this point. They may think, maybe it is not for me? God will bless everyone else, but not me. Such thinking is sinful unbelief from which we must repent. Cast that lie away and start believing God.

God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? Numbers 23:19 (NASB)
  1. Ask and receive with simple faith as a child.
"For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. 11  "Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? 12  "Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? 13  "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" Luke 11:10-13 (NASB)

Children do not suspect devious motives in the giver or concoct complicated reasons a promise might not come true. When an adult makes a promise, a child expects it to happen. To God, we are all little children. We may have been disappointed many times by people who did not keep their promises to us, but God is not like that. If as a child we experienced adults lying to us and failing to follow through on their word, we must not let those memories and any attached lies about God to block us from trusting our heavenly Father.

As a child, believe, ask, and receive.

If something in our minds whispers that this is not going to happen for me, repent of that unbelief.

...You do not have because you do not ask. James 4:2 (NASB)

If I extend my hand to offer someone a hundred-dollar bill, what will that person need to do? Would it be enough to say thank you without making any effort to come forward to receive it? If we want the money, we will act. Similarly, we receive the baptism in the Spirit by asking the Lord to baptize us and then by actively receiving.

Faith receives before it sees any outward visible evidence. Faith depends on the promises and character of God alone. It knows that God will keep his word and that his promises are true.

Faith does not doubt. It does not struggle with wondering if God will keep his end of the deal. It receives and moves on, just as when the Roman Centurion believed Jesus healed his servant and returned home. (Luke 7:10)

  1. Give thanks.

After receiving a gift, grateful people say, “Thank you.” After we ask for and receive the baptism in the Spirit by faith, we should begin to thank and praise God.

Thanksgiving demonstrates faith.

The opposite is either silent passivity or doubtful complaining. Some people refuse to believe before seeing because they are afraid of getting their hopes up, only to be let down. Should we only praise God after he “comes through” for us or when we grasp that he is always faithful to his promises and will surely do what he said? Real faith acts before it ever sees the confirmation or fulfillment of what it believes because it is convinced that God is true.

The kind of praise and worship that gives God the most honor is what comes from people who exalt God’s faithfulness before they ever see the fulfillment of what was promised.

Faith knows and overflows. Only faith filled (faithful) people give thanks. Let’s show our faith by our praise.

  1. Speak in tongues.

Speaking in tongues is a supernatural overflow of the Spirit. Our mouths speak out of the abundance of the Spirit’s filling of our hearts. The sure evidence of the baptism in the Spirit is speaking in tongues. At this point the one wishing to experience this confirming gift should take a step of faith and begin speaking, trusting that the Holy Spirit will give the words.

Who Baptizes Us?

The Bible teaches us that baptizing people in the Holy Spirit is the personal ministry of Jesus. John the Baptist announced this ministry to the world.

As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  Matthew 3:11 (NASB95)

Our Lord often uses the agency of people laying hands on us to accomplish this baptism because Jesus desires for us to share in his ministry. The apostles often laid hands on individuals prior to their receiving this baptism.

Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit.  Acts 8:14–17 (NASB95)

At other times, the Spirit fell upon people without human agency, such as at Pentecost and when Peter preached to Cornelius.

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. 45 All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered,  Acts 10:44–46 (NASB95)
Prayer to Receive the Baptism in the Spirit

Jesus, I believe you died and rose again to save me and baptize me in the Spirit. You said that if we ask, you will certainly give us this wonderful promise. I ask you right now to baptize me in the Spirit and fill me to overflowing. I receive this promise by faith and give you thanks for your faithfulness to keep your promises. Holy Spirit, fill me up. Help me now to pray in tongues. I will open my mouth to speak with the expectation that you will give me the words. Amen.

Prayer to Minister the Baptism in the Spirit

Jesus, I believe you died and rose again to save us and baptize us in the Spirit. You said that if we ask, you will certainly give us this wonderful promise. I ask you right now to baptize all those present in the Spirit and fill them to overflowing. We receive this promise by faith and give you thanks for your faithfulness to keep your promises. Holy Spirit, fill them up. Help them now to pray in tongues. Let them open their mouths to speak with the expectation that you will give them the words. Amen.

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • Do you have any questions?
  • Are you ready to receive?

To access this entire series, click here.

Want to know more? I have written a book on this very topic, which is available on Amazon. Click here to find out more.
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Chapter 64: How Do I Speak in Tongues?

The Good News

The good news is that speaking in tongues is one of the easiest things we will ever do, once we get beyond some apparent difficulties.

Like everything else we do spiritually, speaking in tongues is done by faith and is a matter of choice.

We are not overpowered by the Holy Spirit and lose control of our voice. Many people fear that this is what may happen to them and close themselves off from the experience. Maybe you have seen or heard stories of people doing “crazy” things under the influence of the Spirit, such as running, doing cartwheels, pew hopping, laughing, and falling to the ground. King David experienced tremendous joy and danced before the Lord and all the people, for which his own wife criticized him. She berated his reducing himself to the status of a “commoner” by his public display of joy in the Lord. His response may become ours if we get beyond the fear of being embarrassed.

Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes!...  2 Samuel 6:22 a (NLT) —

Following the Lord and surrendering ourselves to the Spirit invites us to stop caring about the opinions of critics. Our one concern should be what the Lord thinks.

Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant. Galatians 1:10 (NLT) —

Much of what we do in church settings is learned behavior. We see others behaving in a certain way that seems “holy” or “spiritual” and imitate it. At other times, we are genuinely impacted by the Holy Spirit to do something unexpected or unplanned. Regardless, the important point is that in every situation we all have control over our actions, except in those rare cases when the Spirit of God truly overwhelms us.

Remember that people who prophesy [or speak in tongues] are in control of their spirit and can take turns. 33  For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the meetings of God’s holy people. 1 Corinthians 14:32-33 (NLT) 

God wants us to surrender ourselves to the Spirit and let go of any fears we have of losing control or doing something evil. He wants us to have childlike faith that expects God to bless us with good things when we yield ourselves to him.

“Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? 12 “Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? 13 “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”  Luke 11:11–13 (NASB95) —
The Bad News

The “bad” news is that speaking in tongues requires us to operate in a realm with which many of us are unfamiliar, that of the Spirit. In this we must depend on the Holy Spirit to give us the ability to speak in tongues while choosing not to use our natural minds to govern our speaking. To the uninitiated, speaking in tongues seems foreign until we experience it. Then it becomes a most (super) natural thing to do.

If I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unproductive. 1 Corinthians 14:14 (NET1)

It may seem foolish to say what sounds like gibberish because it does not come from reasoned thinking or from our own logical language rules. Instead, we speak words that simply “come” to us as the Spirit gives them.

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. Acts 2:4 (NASB)

Speaking words from the Spirit which are incomprehensible to us seems foolish to those who rely mainly on the human mind to navigate life. But to those who have learned or are learning to lean on the Spirit more and more, it is most natural and fulfilling. Interestingly, although the mind does not form the words, it is active in other ways. When I am praying or speaking in tongues, my mind is often filled with thoughts from God. Often I receive important revelations from Scripture or whole teachings in a flash. At other times, God reveals things to me through visions or prophetic insight. Speaking in tongues does not make our minds go blank. Instead, it frees our minds to receive from the Spirit as our mouths speak unimpeded by logical constraint.

Even though we make the choice to speak in tongues, the Spirit gives us the words and the ability.

This participation with the Spirit of God is supposed to be how we live all the time, but, unfortunately, many of us have never learned the art of “walking” in step with the Spirit in practical ways. Speaking in tongues is a great place for us to begin. It requires us to lean on God instead of our own understanding.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6  In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NASB) 

Speaking in tongues requires us to make a breakthrough into relying on the Spirit instead of our own minds.

This is the essence of what it means to repent. Adam and Eve opted to rely on their own thinking instead of simply believing and trusting God.

As God transforms us to be more and more like Jesus, he expects us to learn to operate as Jesus did in the realm of the Spirit.

Speaking in Tongues Is as Easy as Walking on Water

Okay, maybe you were just beginning to think, “I’ve got this,” but now you are thinking, “Why on earth are you comparing speaking in tongues to something impossible? Are you trying to discourage me completely?” Quite the opposite.

Walking on water requires divine enabling just as does speaking in tongues.

Most of us know the story of when Peter walked on water. Imagine having Peter’s audacity!

Peter said to Him, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." 29  And He said, "Come!" And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. Matthew 14:28-29 (NASB)

Walking on water would not be difficult, if the Lord enabled us. All Peter had to do was to get out of the boat and take some steps. God did the hard part by supporting his weight with his divine power. Peter did not have to keep himself above water. All he had to do was exercise his faith and take some steps.

It took great faith for Peter to believe in the unseen power of God to do something unnatural and strange, which is a lot like speaking in tongues.

Peter did not walk on water by passively sitting in the boat waiting for Jesus to overcome his doubts and make his uncooperative legs and feet start walking. Peter had to make a choice to get out of the safety of the boat and launch out upon the water.

We must make the choice to leave behind the comfortable place of speaking in our known language and launch ourselves into speaking from the Spirit without even knowing what we are going to say ahead of time.

The Holy Spirit does not commandeer our tongues to make us speak. We cannot passively speak in tongues, but if we choose to “get out of the boat,” so to speak, God will do the rest. He will give us the words, just as he supported Peter’s act of faith.

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:4 (ESV)

They began to speak, but the Holy Spirit gave the words.

The words will come as we make the choice to speak. It’s always a matter of choice, a matter of our will.

What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also. 1 Corinthians 14:15 (ESV)

Paul made the choice to speak and sing in tongues. Whenever I speak in tongues, it is always according to my own volition, and the Holy Spirit always supplies the words. I know he will do it; so, I have faith to begin to speak.

Speaking in tongues boils down to making a choice and taking action based on faith.

If we do not have faith, we will not make the choice. If we do have the faith, speaking in tongues is simple because God does the hard part. He gives the words.

Speaking in Tongues Is Always Okay for Us to Do

Many people object to the idea that we can speak in tongues whenever we want, thinking that it requires a special “anointing” of the Spirit every time. It is true that the Spirit distributes the gifts according to his will. (Hebrews 2:4) I cannot heal people whenever I might choose without any reliance on the prompting of the Spirit. Yet, I usually choose to pray for people to be healed any time I am asked, knowing that the power to answer that prayer lies outside of my simply willing it to happen. My role is to pray to Jesus the healer. At other times I may feel “led” by the Spirit to pray for someone. The same is true for me regarding the gift of prophecy. I cannot simply decide that today I am going to prophecy twelve times. Instead, I listen to the Spirit and prophesy when and if he directs me. (Hopefully I am listening!) There have been times when I was able prophesy over everyone for whom I prayed. At other times, for whatever reason, I had nothing. Speaking in tongues is different, however.

Speaking in tongues can be broken into two categories: the Spirit-prompted gift of tongues, which is spoken aloud in a meeting and requires an interpretation, and the often very personal devotional prayer language, which is completely under our jurisdiction.

With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, Ephesians 6:18 (NASB)

The phrase “pray in the Spirit” refers to praying in tongues. I get this by comparing the same phrase in First Corinthians.

For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15  What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also. 1 Corinthians 14:14-15 (NASB)

Praying with the Spirit is contrasted to praying in a known language. Since we are commanded to pray “always” in the Spirit, it is a standing command from God. We can and should do it whenever we like and as often as we like. In fact, we should do it more and more, just as Paul did.

I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all; 19  however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue. 1 Corinthians 14:18-19 (NASB)

Speaking in tongues aloud in a church gathering should be specifically directed by the Spirit and followed by an interpretation, but praying in the Spirit, quietly as appropriate, is always encouraged.

But if no one is present who can interpret, they must be silent in your church meeting and speak in tongues to God privately. 1 Corinthians 14:28 (NLT)

God told us to pray in tongues “always,” whenever we like. So, it’s always okay to do so, if we do it properly without disrupting God’s order in a meeting.

I compare speaking in tongues to turning on the faucet. Water always comes out because the line is under pressure. The Holy Spirit is always “on” inside us, waiting for us to turn on the tap by choosing to open our mouths.

Conclusion

I hope by now every one of your misgivings or objections has been answered. Perhaps now you wish to receive the baptism in the Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. The next lesson will give you simple steps to receive. When you get to step four, speaking in tongues, you will have a choice to make. You can simply wait on God to give you the words, which may come to you immediately or over time. I know of cases when people did not get their prayer language immediately, but later it came unexpectedly. The second option is the one I recommend. After asking Jesus to baptize you in the Spirit, be like Peter. Get out of the boat. Open your mouth and start speaking whatever words the Spirit gives you.

I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. Psalm 81:10 (ESV)

But what if, despite everything, you simply don’t have any words from the Spirit? Are we to conclude that this amazing gift is not for us? After all, according to Paul, all do not speak in tongues. (1 Corinthians 12:30) But what do we do with another of Paul’s verses where he says the following?

Now I want you all to speak in tongues... 1 Corinthians 14:5a (ESV)

It is true that all do not speak in tongues, but God wants us all to do so.

Likewise, all may prophesy one by one, according to 1 Corinthians 14:31, but all do not because many do not care if they do or do not. This is a violation of Paul’s exhortation to all of us.

So, my dear brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and don’t forbid speaking in tongues. 40 But be sure that everything is done properly and in order. 1 Corinthians 14:39–40 (NLT) —

I encourage you to keep at it until you break through every barrier of unbelief and fear. You will never regret it. Remember: your mind is not going to help you. Simply let the words flow out of your spirit, where you are joined to God’s Spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:17) Let the river flow! Once you begin, you will never want to stop. It is a fabulous gift from God.

"He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'" 39  But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:38-39 (NASB)

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • Does the comparison of walking on water to speaking in tongues make sense?
  • Can you believe that God will give you the words if you begin to speak in an unknown language?

 

Want to know more? I have written a book on this very topic, which is available on Amazon. Click here to find out more.
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