Romans 8
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
What is condemnation?
In Greek it is called katakrinō (G2632) and it means to give judgment against, to judge worthy of punishment
Condemnation in the Bible means penalty of sin, severe punishment for our sins or severe torment forever in the lake of fire (hell) or eternal torment in hell.
God keeps track of all the sins that we have committed ever since we have born.
Rev 20:12,13b,15 - 11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
Who will not be condemned?
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.What does "in Christ Jesus" mean?
(Poole) "This phrase imports, that there is a mystical and spiritual union betwixt Christ and believers. This is sometimes expressed by Christ being in them . . . and here by their being in Christ. Christ is in believers by His Spirit, and believers are in Christ by faith."
2 Cor 13:5 - Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you are disqualified.
Col 1:27 - To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
1 Cor 6:19 - 18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.
Romans 8:9 - But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
NLT: Romans 8:9 - But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them are not Christians at all.)
2 Cor 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Those who truly believe in Jesus Christ are not condemned.
John 3:18a - 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
(Warren Wiersbe) Freedom from Judgment—No Condemnation (Rom. 8:1-4) Romans 3:20 shows the "therefore" of condemnation; but Romans 8:1 gives the "therefore" of no condemnation—a tremendous truth and the conclusion of a marvelous argument.
The verse does not say "no mistakes" "no failures," or even "no sins." Christians fail and make mistakes, and they do sin. Abraham lied about his wife; David committed adultery; Peter, tried to kill a man with his sword. To be, sure, they suffered consequences because of their sins, but they did not suffer condemnation.
The Law condemns; but the believer has new relationship to the Law, and therefore he cannot be condemned. Paul made three statements about the believer and the Law, and together they add up to: no condemnation.
(David Guzik) No condemnation.
The simple declaration of no condemnation comes to those who are in Christ Jesus. Since God the Father does not condemn Jesus, neither can the Father condemn those who are in Jesus. They are not condemned, they will not be condemned, and they cannot be condemned.
Paul's therefore is important. It means that what he says comes from a logical argument. It's as if Paul begins, "I can prove what I say here." This is what he proves: if we are one with Jesus and He is our head, we can't be condemned. You can't acquit the head and condemn the hand. You can't drown the foot as long as the head is out of water. Joined to Him, we hear the verdict: "no condemnation."
The verdict is not "less condemnation." That's where many believe they are - thinking our standing has improved in Jesus. It has not been improved, it's been completely transformed, changed to a status of no condemnation.
This place of confidence and peace comes after the confusion and conflict that marked Romans 7. Now Paul looks to Jesus and he finds his standing in Him. But this chapter is more than just the answer to Romans 7; it ties together thoughts from the very beginning of the letter.
Romans 8 begins with no condemnation; it ends with no separation, and in between there is no defeat.
We receive this glorious declaration from God's court. We receive it though we certainly deserve condemnation. We receive this standing because Jesus bore the condemnation we deserved and our identity is now in Him. As He is condemned no more, neither are we.
Note: The second part of the verse "who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit" in KJV, NKJV,... but not in NASB, NIV, NLT,...
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.(Warren Wiersbe) (The words "who walk not. ... etc, do not belong here according to the be manuscripts. There are no conditions for us to meet.) The basis for this wonderful assurance is the phrase "in Christ Jesus." In Adam, we were condemned. In Christ, there is no condemnation!
(David Guzik) Who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit: These words are not found in the earliest ancient manuscripts of the Book of Romans and they do not agree with the flow of Paul's context here. They were probably added by a copyist who either made a mistake or thought he could "help" Paul by adding these words from Romans 8:4.
While it is true that those who are in Christ should not and do not consistently walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, this is not a condition for their status of no condemnation. Our position in Jesus Christ is the reason for our standing of no condemnation.
(Spurgeon) "The most learned men assure us that it is no part of the original text. I cannot just now go into the reasons for this conclusion, but they are very good and solid. The oldest copies are without it, the versions do not sustain it, and the fathers who quoted abundance of Scripture do not quote this sentence."
Even if it is part of this scripture it does not mean it is a condition to not be condemned but it states that the believers in Christ will walk in the Spirit as it states God lives forever and ever in Revelation 15:7
Rev 15:7 - Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever.
Those who are in Christ will not condemned and they will not walk according to the flesh but walk according to the Spririt:
Rom 8:1 - There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
Who will be condemned?
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.If anyone not in Christ Jesus or not believe in Jesus Christ then they are condemned. Or Non-believers will be condemned in the Final white thrown judgment as described in Rev 20:11-15.
(Spurgeon) We perhaps need to consider the flip side: If you are not in Jesus Christ, there is condemnation for you. "It is no pleasant task to us to have to speak of this matter; but who are we that we should ask for pleasant tasks? What God hath witnessed in Scripture is the sum and substance of what the Lord's servants are to testify to the people. If you are not in Christ Jesus, and are walking after the flesh, you have not escaped from condemnation."
Basically all are in condemned state by birth because all are sinners by birth whomever believes in Jesus Christ are not condemned:
John 3:18b - 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3:36 - He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
Rom 1:18 - 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.
God will condemn non-believers based on their sinful deeds and thrown into the lake of fire (hell) or eternal torment in hell. This happens after second coming of Jesus Christ and immediately after the 1000 (millennium) reign as prophesied in Revelation 20:11-15.
Who will set us free from law of sin and death or from the inner struggle described in Romans 7:14-25? or Why Christians or believers in Christ are not condemned with non-believers?
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.God's Holy Spirit set us free from law of sin and death.
2 Cor 3:17 - Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
2 Tim 1:7 - For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Acts 1:8 - But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
(Warren Wiersbe) The Law cannot claim you (v. 2). You have been made free from the law of sin and death. You now have life in the Spirit. You have moved into a whole new sphere of life in Christ. "The law of sin and death" is what Paul described in Romans 7:7-25. "The law of the Spirit of life" is described in Romans 8. The Law no longer has any jurisdiction over you: you are dead to the Law (Rom. 7:4) and free from the Law (Rom. 8:2).
(David Guzik) The law of the sin and death was a strong and seemingly absolute law. Every sin we commit and every cemetery we see proves it. But the law of the Spirit of life in Christ is stronger still, and the law of the Spirit frees us from the law of sin and death.
We are free from the law of sin. Though he inevitably does, the Christian does not have to sin, because he is freed from sin's dominion. We are free from the law of death; death therefore no longer has any lasting power against the believer.
Jet engine has power to take off the airplane from the ground against the gravitational force (the law of gravity). Same way God's Holy spirit has power to overcome our sin to leads to death
Romans 8:11 - But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
From what we were free in Romans 8:1,2?
Freedom from condemnation:
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.Now in our day today life we are free from guilt of sin:
(David Guzik) Romans 8:1 tells us we are free from the guilt of sin.
Hebrews 10:17 - then He adds, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."
Psalm 103:12 - As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Romans 3:20 - Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin
Romans 5:1 - Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Freedom from the law of sin and death:
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.Now in our day today life we are free from power of sin:
(David Guzik) Romans 8:2 tells us we are free from the power of sin.
Romans 6:7 - For he who has died has been freed from sin
Romans 7:4-6 - 4 Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another--to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. 5 For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. 6 But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.
What law could not do?
3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,The law could not deliver us from the condemnation or condemn sin in our flesh because it is powerless.
NIV: Romans 8:3 - For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man,
(David Guzik) The law can do many things. It can guide us, teach us, and tell us about God's character. But the law cannot give energy to our flesh; it can give us the standard, but it can't give us the power to please God.
What will our flesh do through the law?
3a For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the fleshThe sin in our flesh through the law make us to sin more so, the law is week through our flesh:
Romans 7:13 - Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful.
(Poole) "The law is weak to us, because we are weak to it: the sun cannot give light to blind eye, not from any impotency in itself, but merely from the incapacity of the subject it shines upon."
(David Guzik) The law is weak because it speaks to our flesh. It comes to fleshly men and speaks to them as fleshly men. But the work of the Spirit transforms us by the crucifixion of the old man and it imparts the new man - a principle higher than the flesh.
Morris, quoting Manson:
"Moses' law has right but not might;
sin's law has might but not right;
the law of the Spirit has both right and might."
Who has delivered us from the condemnation?
3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,(David Guzik) The law could not defeat sin; it could only detect sin. Only Jesus can defeat sin, and He did just that through His work on the cross.
(Warren Wiersbe) The Law could not save; it can only condemn. But God sent His Son to save us and do what the Law could not do.
What qualities is essential to deliver us from the condemnation?
3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,(David Guzik) In order to defeat sin, Jesus had to identify with those bound by it, by coming in the likeness of sinful flesh. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul carefully chose his words here, indicating that Jesus was not sinful flesh, but He identified with it entirely.
We could not say that Jesus came in sinful flesh, because He was sinless. We could not say that Jesus came in the likeness of flesh, because He really was human, not just like a human. But we can say that Jesus came in the likeness of sinful flesh because although He was human, He was not sinful in Himself.
Sin was condemned in the flesh of Jesus as He bore the condemnation we deserved. Since we are in Christ, the condemnation we deserve passes us over.
(Warren Wiersbe) Jesus did not come as an angel; He came as a man. He did not come "in sinful flesh" for that would have made Him a sinner. He came in the likeness of sinful flesh, as man. He bore our sins in His body on the cross.
The "law of double jeopardy" states that a man cannot be tried twice for the same crime. Since Jesus Christ paid the penalty for your sins, and since you are "in Christ," God will not condemn you.
Heb 4:15 - For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Is 53:4,12 - 4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. ... ... ... ... ... 12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.
2 Cor 5:21 - For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Romans 3:25a - 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25a whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith,
Read Propitiation article for detail explanation.
How the righteous requirement of the law are fulfilled in us?
4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.Does Paul adding condition to our salvation?
Is it not that we are saved by grace not by works?
Yes we are saved by grace not by works so no one can boast.
Eph 2:8-9 - 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Paul is not adding any condition. Paul stating that the righteous requirement of the law are fulfilled in us but not by us through our works.
Romans 8:4 - that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit
(David Guzik) Paul does not say that we fulfill the righteous requirement of the law. He carefully says that the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in us. It isn't fulfilled by us, but in us
This does not mean that Jesus fulfills the righteous requirement of the law based on our walk in the Spirit but here but it states that the believers in Christ will walk in the Spirit as it states God lives forever and ever in Revelation 15:7
Rev 15:7 - Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever.
Jesus fulfills the righteous requirement of the law to those who believe in Jesus Christ will not walk according to the flesh but walk according to the Spririt:
Rom 8:4 - that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
The real question should not be how but who has fulfilled the righteous requirement of the law in us?
Then who has fulfilled the righteous requirement of the law in us? How?
Is Romans 8:4 starts as a new sentence?
No, it is the continuation of the previous verse.
Romans 8:3-4 - 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
So, it is clear that Jesus Christ condemn the sin in our flesh and fulfilled the righteous requirement of the law through His death on our behalf:
Romans 10:4 - For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
NIV: Romans 10:4 - Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
NLT: Romans 10:4 - For Christ has accomplished the whole purpose of the law. All who believe in him are made right with God.
(David Guzik) Because Jesus fulfilled the righteous requirement of the law, and because we are in Christ, we fulfill the law. The law is fulfilled in us in regard to obedience, because Jesus' righteousness stands for ours. The law is fulfilled in us in regard to punishment, because any punishment demanded by the law was poured out upon Jesus.
Simply put, Jesus is our substitute. Jesus was treated as a sinner so we can be treated as righteous.
Matt 5:20 - For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matt 5:48 - Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
As per Romans 3:20 no one can earn this righteous and perfection as God expects by their efforts:
Romans 3:20 - Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin
Only we can obtain this righteousness and perfection by just believe in Jesus Christ:
Romans 5:1 - Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Romans 8:1a There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus
2 Cor 5:21 - For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Why Paul has added "who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."?
As the result of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross and the work of Holy Spirit within us (here us refers to the true believers in Christ), true Christians or the believers in Christ will walk not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. So, that Paul is reminding that true Christians or the believers in Christ are not in the flesh but in the Spirit in
Romans 8:9 - But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
The fruit of the Holy Spirit is the real evidence or assurance of our salvation:
Matt 13:8 - 3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: "Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Gal 5:23 - 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Not only that fruit also means dynamic obedience to God's leading through Holy Spirit.
Abraham obeyed God by taking Isaac to sacrifice after Abraham was accounted to be righteous (saved). This has happened after 44 years of Abraham has been saved.
Abraham: 86 years
God Promised Abram for a child and decadents like stars.
Abram believe and he was accounted for righteousness
Genesis 15:4-5 - 4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, "This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir." 5 Then He brought him outside and said, "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be." 6 And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
44 years later
Abraham: 130 years
Sarah: 120 years
Isaac: 30 years
God requested Abraham to sacrifice Isaac
Abraham obeyed God
Genesis 22:1 - Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." 2 Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."
James is pointing out this as the work of Abraham's faith that justifies Him. In other words James was teaching that faith that saves/justifies a person has to produce fruit.
James 2:14, 17, 20, 26 - 14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Then only that faith is active or genuine. Works produced from faith is the evidence of our salvation.
(David Guzik) The people who enjoy this are those who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Their life is marked by obedience to the Holy Spirit, not by obedience to the flesh.
God wants the Spirit to rule over our flesh. When we allow the flesh to reign over the Spirit, we find ourselves bound by the sinful patterns and desperation that marked Paul's life in his "Romans 7" struggle.
Our walk - the pattern of our life - must be according to the Spirit, not according to the flesh.
Walking in the Spirit means that the course, the direction, the progress of one's life is directed by the Holy Spirit. It is continued and progressive motion.
(Hooke) "A vine does not produce grapes by Act of Parliament; they are the fruit of the vine's own life; so the conduct which conforms to the standard of the Kingdom is not produced by any demand, not even God's, but is the fruit of that divine nature which God gives as the result of what he has done in and by Christ."
(Spurgeon) "Observe carefully that the flesh is there: he does not walk after it, but it is there. It is there, striving and warring, vexing and grieving, and it will be there till he is taken up into heaven. It is there as an alien and detested force, and not there so as to have dominion over him. He does not walk after it, nor practically obey it. He does not accept it as his guide, nor allow it to drive him into rebellion."
It is also true that God's demands in His Law is fulfilled in us through the Spirit's power.
Gal 5:16-18 - 16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
(Warren Wiersbe) The Law cannot control, you (v. 4). The believer lives a righteous life, not in the power of the Law, but in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Law does not have the power to produce holiness; it can only reveal and condemn sin. But the indwelling Holy Spirit enables you to walk in obedience to God's will. The righteousness that God demands in His Law is fulfilled in you through the Spirit's power. In the Holy Spirit, you have life and liberty (Rom. 8:2) and "the pursuit of happiness.” (Rom. 8:4).
Thee legalist tries to obey God in his own strength and fails to measure up to the righteousness that God demands. The Spirit-led Christian, as he yields to the Lord, experiences the sanctifying work of the Spirit in his life. "For it is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Phil. 3). It is this fact that leads to the second freedom we enjoy as Christians.
Warning: Without the power of the Holy Spirit we do nothing. So, don't ever think that we are protecting the salvation or maintaining the God given salvation by your strength.
Application:
Why many Christians never experience this freedom but still continue to live in sin or remain slave to sin?
One possibility they are not really born again in God's Spirit
NLT: Romans 8:9 - But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them are not Christians at all.)
Or many look and act like Christians because they are brought up in Christian family or environment but they they are not Christians at all.
2 Tim 3:5 - 1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away
This question is really for the born again true Christians or true believer in Christ.
(David Guzik) The old man is dead, and there is new life - free from sin - in Jesus. Yet, many Christians never experience this freedom. Because of unbelief, self-reliance, or ignorance, many Christians never live in the freedom Jesus paid for on the cross.
D. L. Moody used to speak of an old black woman in the South following the Civil War. Being a former slave, she was confused about her status and asked: "Now is I free, or been I not? When I go to my old master he says I ain't free, and when I go to my own people they say I is, and I don't know whether I'm free or not. Some people told me that Abraham Lincoln signed a proclamation, but master says he didn't; he didn't have any right to."
This is exactly the place many Christians are. They are, and have been, legally set free from their slavery to sin, yet they are unsure of that truth. The following verses (Romans 6:12-23) give practical help in living out the freedom Jesus has granted us.
Most of the believers has fear that if they voluntarily submit to Him to be a bond slave to Jesus then they think that they will
suffer forever, go through hardships, scarifies a lot, deny all desires, loose peaceful life, not have rest or enjoyment, ...
Summary:
(Warren Wiersbe) On January 6, 1941, President: Franklin Delano Roosevelt addressed Congress on the state of the war Europe. Much of what he said that day has been forgotten. But at the close of his address, he said that he looked forward "to world founded upon four essential human freedoms." He named them:
freedom of speech,
freedom of worship,
freedom from want, and
freedom from fear.
These words are still remembered, even though their ideals have not yet been realized everywhere in the world.
Romans 8 is the Christian's "Declaration Freedom," for in it Paul declares the four spiritual freedoms we enjoy because of our union with Jesus Christ. A study of this chapter shows the emphasis on the Holy Spirit, who mentioned nineteen times. "Where the Sprit of the Lord is, there is liberty" (2 Cor. 3:17)Here are few freedom we need to experience:
Freedom from Judgment—No Condemnation - Rom 8:1
Freedom from guilt of sin
Freedom from sin and death - Rom 8:2
Freedom from the power of sin
The futility of trying to please God in the flesh (5-8)
5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
The futility of trying to please God in the flesh (5-8).
What are the differences between living according to the flesh and living according to the Spirit?
Living according to the flesh
Living according to the Spirit
5a For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh,
5b but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
6a For to be carnally minded is death,
6b but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be
15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
13a For if you live according to the flesh you will die;
13b but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
What is "set their minds on the things of the flesh" means?
5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.Set our mind on what we (our flesh) want, set our mind on worldly things, stay focused on our self, live for money, live to eat, drink and merry.
NIV: Romans 8:5 - Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
NLT: Gal 5:19a - When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results:
Luke 12:15-23 - 15 And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." 16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?' 18 So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry." ' 20 But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' 21 So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." 22 Then He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. 23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.
Live like those who not believe in God who is superior than us:
Matt 6:32a - 31 Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
Jer 18:12 - And they said, "That is hopeless! So we will walk according to our own plans, and we will every one obey the dictates of his evil heart."
James 4:13 - 13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit"; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that." 16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
It also means carnally minded
Romans 8:6a - For to be carnally minded is death,
What is the outcome for those who are carnally minded?
6a For to be carnally minded is death,Gal 5:19-21 - 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
What is "live according to the Spirit" means?
It means walk as per the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Gal 5:25 - If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
We live and walk in the Spirit because we are seated in heavenly places in Christ:
Eph 2:6 - 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
What is "set their minds on things of spirit" means?
5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.Set our mind on what God (Holy Spirit) wants, heavenly things. Stay focused on God and His kingdom.
Matt 6:33 - 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
It also means spiritually minded
Romans 8:6b - but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Jesus is our example. So, we need to learn from Him.
Matt 11:29 - 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
John 5:17-19 - 17 But Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working." 18 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. 19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.
John 5:30 - I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me
John 13:15 - 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.
1 Peter 2:21 - For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:
So, we need to yield to the God's Spirit (i.e. Holy Spirit) leading do whatever God is asking us to do:
Gal 5:25 - If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
NLT: 1 John 4:17 - And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we are like Christ here in this world.
Eph 5:1-2 - 1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
Allow God to work within you:
Ps 37:4 - Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Phil 2:13 -for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
Phil 1:6 - being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
What is the outcome for those who are spiritually minded?
6b but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.Eph 5:18-21 - 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God. (... Paul didn't stop here but he lists the order of submission till the mid of Eph 6th chapter)
Application:
Do you think only notorious sinner set their minds on the things of the flesh?
(David Guzik) We shouldn't think those who set their minds on the things of the flesh are only notorious sinners. They may be noble people who have good intentions.
NLT: Gal 5:19-21 - 19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, 20 idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
(David Guzik) Peter meant well when he told Jesus to avoid the cross, but Jesus responded to Peter with these strong words: you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men (Matthew 16:23).
Matt 16:13-24 - 13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" 14 So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." 20 Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ. 21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. 22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!" 23 But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." 24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
ESV: Matt 16:23 - But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man."
2 Tim 3:1-5 - 1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
(David Guzik) We must, however, guard against a false spirituality and see that Paul means the flesh insofar as it is an instrument in our rebellion against God. Paul is not talking about normal physical and emotional needs we may think about, only the sinful gratification of those needs.
So, set our minds things above not on things on the earth:
Col 3:1-4:1 - 1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
Is it ok to live in carnal mind?
No.
Why it is not ok to live in carnal mind?
7a Because the carnal mind is enmity against God;
Why carnally minded is enmity against God?
Because carnally minded ...Set their minds on themselves/flesh or things of the world.
Romans 8:5a For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh,
James 4:4 - Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
1 John 2:15-17 - 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
(Spurgeon) Paul didn't say that the carnal mind was at enmity with God - he put it even stronger than that. The carnal mind is enmity against God. "It is not black, but blackness; it is not at enmity, but enmity itself; it is not corrupt, but corruption; it is not rebellious, it is rebellion; it is not wicked, it is wickedness itself. The heart, though it be deceitful, is positively deceit; it is evil in the concrete, sin in the essence, it is the distillation, the quintessence of all things that are vile; it is not envious against God, it is envy; it is not at enmity, it is actual enmity."
Never subject to the law of God:
7b for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.With our flesh alone we never think about God and His law. Since we never concerned about the law of God so we never obey the law:
Romans 7:25b - So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.
Romans 3:20 - Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Application: Who can fulfill the righteous requirement of law?
Only God can fulfill the righteous requirement of the law:
Romans 8:4 - 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Only by walking in the Holy Spirit we never do anything against the law:
Gal 5:16,18,23 - 16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. ... ... ... ... 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Romans 13:10 - Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
What is our state without God?
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.This verse clearly says that we are in doomed or condemned state in our flesh or without God.
John 3:18 - He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Romans 3:20 - Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
We are enemies to God with our flesh and without Jesus Christ.
Rom 5:10a - For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
Newell on Romans 8:7: "Perhaps no one text of Scripture more completely sets forth the hideously lost state of man after the flesh."
Application: How to become friend with God?
With our flesh alone we are enemies to God but God reconciles those who believe in Jesus Christ by making Him to bore our sins and die in our place:
2 Cor 5:18,19,21 - 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Rom 5:10 - For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
John 3:16,18 - 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
What is "those who are in the flesh" means?
It means
those who live according to the flesh or
Romans 8:5a - For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
those who are carnally minded, or
Romans 8:6a - For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
those who are concerned only about themselves never concerned about others or God, or
(Warren Wiersbe) To be "in the flesh" means to be lost, outside Christ.
Is it possible to please God if you live in flesh as per the leading of your carnal mind (heart or flesh)?
8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.No.
(David Guzik) We can try to do good in life without being subject to the law of God. We may hope to put God "in debt" to us by good works, thinking God owes us. But it doesn't work. In the flesh we cannot please God, even if the flesh does religious things that are admired by men
What we really needed to please God?
We need faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God:
Heb 11:6 - But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Romans 14:23b - But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.
We start believing God with faith and continue in faith until we die:
Romans 1:17 - For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."
NIV: Romans 1:17 - For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."
NLT: Romans 1:17 - 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."
Why we need to please God?
Do we need to please God to get saved?
No, we please God not to get saved but since we are saved
We please God because we are saved by His grace. Or we please God as an outcome of our salvation experience. Here are few reasons why we need to please God:
We please God because of our love relationship with our God Almighty:
1 Cor 7:32-34 - 32 But I want you to be without care. He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord--how he may please the Lord. 33 But he who is married cares about the things of the world--how he may please his wife. 34 There is a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world--how she may please her husband.
1 Cor 7:29 - But this I say, brethren, the time is short, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they had none,
John 8:29 - And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."
We please God because He is our Lord and Savior, or we please God because we mean what we had confessed by our mouth as the Lord Jesus Christ the day we accepted Him.
Romans 10:9 - 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
2 Cor 5:9 - 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. 9 Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
2 Tim 2:4 - 3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.
NLT: 2 Tim 2:4 - 3 Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 And as Christ's soldier, do not let yourself become tied up in the affairs of this life, for then you cannot satisfy the one who has enlisted you in his army.
What are all the ways we can please God? or How we can please God?
We can please God only through our faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God:
We can please God by obeying His commandment by faith:
1 John 3:22 - 22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. 23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. 24 Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
John 14:15 - "If you love Me, keep My commandments.
John 14:21 - He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."
John 14:23-24 - 23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me.
We can please God by surrendering our life and
Romans 12:1,2 - 1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 13:14 - But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
We can please God by obeying the leading of the Holy Spirit by faith. Those who walk/live as per the leading of the Spirit never fulfill the lust of their flesh but will please God:
Romans 8:8 - So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Gal 5:16,18,23 - 16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. ... ... ... ... 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Application: Do we need faith when God leads through His Spirit?
Yes. When God leads us through His Spirit we need faith to believe the God's leading and we need faith to obey His leading and God will give us power to accomplish through His power of His Holy Spirit.
Example:
Moses believed what God said to him.
He step ahead by faith and
God performed rest of them.
Application:
Do we need to please people?
Yes, instead of focusing on our self we need to please others
1 Cor 10:33 - just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
But never please others by compromising to please God:
Gal 1:10 - For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.
1 Thes 2:4 - But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.
Paul didn't please the apostle Peter when he was doing wrong:
NLT: Gal 2:11-16 - 11 But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him publicly, speaking strongly against what he was doing, for it was very wrong. 12 When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile Christians, who don't bother with circumcision. But afterward, when some Jewish friends of James came, Peter wouldn't eat with the Gentiles anymore because he was afraid of what these legalists would say. 13 Then the other Jewish Christians followed Peter's hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was influenced to join them in their hypocrisy. 14 When I saw that they were not following the truth of the Good News, I said to Peter in front of all the others, "Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you trying to make these Gentiles obey the Jewish laws you abandoned? 15 You and I are Jews by birth, not 'sinners' like the Gentiles. 16 And yet we Jewish Christians know that we become right with God, not by doing what the law commands, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be accepted by God because of our faith in Christ -- and not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be saved by obeying the law."
Saul pleased people but not please God:
1 Samuel 15:24 - 1 Samuel also said to Saul, "The Lord sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of the Lord. 2 Thus says the Lord of hosts: 'I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. 3 Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.' " ... ... ...
9 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed. 10 Now the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, 11 "I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments." And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the Lord all night. 12 So when Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul, it was told Samuel, saying, "Saul went to Carmel, and indeed, he set up a monument for himself; and he has gone on around, passed by, and gone down to Gilgal." 13 Then Samuel went to Saul, and Saul said to him, "Blessed are you of the Lord! I have performed the commandment of the Lord." 14 But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?" 15 And Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed." 16 Then Samuel said to Saul, "Be quiet! And I will tell you what the Lord said to me last night." And he said to him, "Speak on." 17 So Samuel said, "When you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Israel? And did not the Lord anoint you king over Israel? 18 Now the Lord sent you on a mission, and said, 'Go, and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.' 19 Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you swoop down on the spoil, and do evil in the sight of the Lord?" 20 And Saul said to Samuel, "But I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me, and brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. 21 But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal." 22 So Samuel said: "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king." 24 Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. 25 Now therefore, please pardon my sin, and return with me, that I may worship the Lord." 26 But Samuel said to Saul, "I will not return with you, for you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel." 27 And as Samuel turned around to go away, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. 28 So Samuel said to him, "The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. 29 And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor relent. For He is not a man, that He should relent." 30 Then he said, "I have sinned; yet honor me now, please, before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship the Lord your God." 31 So Samuel turned back after Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord. 32 Then Samuel said, "Bring Agag king of the Amalekites here to me." So Agag came to him cautiously. And Agag said, "Surely the bitterness of death is past." 33 But Samuel said, "As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women." And Samuel hacked Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal. 34 Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul. 35 And Samuel went no more to see Saul until the day of his death. Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul, and the Lord regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.
Aaron pleased people in the place of pleasing God:
Exodus 32:1-5 - 1 Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, "Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him." 2 And Aaron said to them, "Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me." 3 So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. 4 And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, "This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!" 5 So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, "Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord."
So, please God by obeying His leading through His Holy Spirit by faith:
1 Thes 4:1 - Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God;
NIV: 1 Thes 4:1 - Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.
NLT: 1 Thes 4:1 - Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you. You are doing this already, and we encourage you to do so more and more.
The Christians/believers in Christ are in the Spirit or The Spirit of God dwells within the Christians/believers in Christ (9)
9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
Does Paul is describing two kinds of Christians?
Do Christians (or believers in Christ) are in the flesh or in the Spirit of God?
9a But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.Christians or believers in Christ are in the Spirit of God not in the flesh.
(David Guzik) Because the Holy Spirit is given to each believer when they are born again, every Christian has within themselves a principle higher and more powerful than the flesh.
So, this portion of this verse clearly states that Christians (or believers in Christ) are the people who have the God's Spirit within them.
How Christians (or believer in Christ) will encounter with the Holy Spirit?
The believers will encounter with the Holy Spirit in the following order:The Holy Spirit is with us:
The Holy Spirit was with the apostles because Jesus was with them:
John 14:17b - 15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever-- 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
Not only that the Holy Spirit is with every human being because the Holy Spirit is hovering over the surface of the earth:
NLT: Gen 1:2 - 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was empty, a formless mass cloaked in darkness. And the Spirit of God was hovering over its surface.
So, the Holy Spirit is with every human being in the world
Same way for the non-believer God's Spirit is with them when a believer is with them because every believer in Christ will have the God's Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is in us:
John 14:17c - 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
For the apostles God's Spirit enter into them when God breathed His Spirit on them once He resurrected from His death. Their case is unique because they believed in Jesus long time before His resurrection.
John 20:22 - And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
Other than the apostles all others will receive the Holy Spirit or sealed by the Holy Spirit on the day they accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. This is called born-again in God's spirit.
John 3:3-8 - 3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." 4 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" 5 Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."
NLT: Ephesians 1:13-14 - 13 And now you also have heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God's guarantee that he will give us everything he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. This is just one more reason for us to praise our glorious God.
Ephesians 1:13-14 - 13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
The Holy Spirit is upon us:
Acts 1:8 - But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
Acts 1:4-5 - 4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
John 7:37-39 - 37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
They waited patiently and they were filled/baptized with the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:4 first and continuously filled with the Holy Spirit Acts 4.
(Warren Wiersbe) Paul is not describing two kinds of Christians, one carnal and one spiritual. He is contrasting the saved and the unsaved.
Contrasting those who have the Spirit of God or Holy Spirit (believers in Christ) and those who do not have the Spirit of God (non-believer, unbeliever non-Christians)
1 Cor 2:10-14 - 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13 These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
(Warren Wiersbe) There are four contrasts.
In the flesh—in the Spirit (v. 5). The unsaved person does not have the Spirit of God (Rom. 8:9) and lives in the flesh and for the flesh. His mind is centered on the things that satisfy the flesh. But the Christian has the Spirit of God within and lives in an entirely new and different sphere. His mind is fixed on the things of the Spirit.
Death—life (v. 6). The unsaved person is alive physically, but dead spiritually. The inner man is dead toward God and does not respond to the things of the Spirit He may be moral, and even religious; but he lacks spiritual life. He needs "the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:2).
War with God—peace with God (vv. 6-7). In our study of Romans 7, we have seen that the old nature rebels against God and will not submit to God's Law. Those who have trusted Christ enjoy "peace with God" (Rom. 5:1), while the unsaved are at war with God. "'There is no peace,' saith 'the Lord, 'unto the wicked'" (Isa. 48:22).
Pleasing self—pleasing God (v. 8). To be "in the flesh" means to be lost, outside Christ. The unsaved person lives to please himself and rarely if ever thinks about pleasing God. The root of sin is selfishness—"I will" and not "Thy will." To be unsaved and not have the Spirit is the lowest level of life. But a person need not stay on that level. By faith in Christ he can move to the second level.
Does this mean that Christians always walk perfectly in the Spirit and non-believers never do good things?
(Warren Wiersbe) This does not mean that the unsaved person never does anything good, or that the believer never does anything bad. It means that the bent of their lives is different. One lives for the flesh the other lives for the Spirit.
As per Romans 8:13 born again true Christians also live in flesh and they have to put to death the deeds of the body and live as per the leading of the Holy Spirit:
Romans 8:13 - For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
(David Guzik) Paul gives an easy way for us to determine if we walk in the Spirit or walk in the flesh - to simply see where our mind is set. The mind is the strategic battleground where the flesh and the Spirit fight.
Application: Where is your mind?
Is it possible to be a Christian (or believer in Christ) without the Spirit of God within them?
9b Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.No and no way. If anyone does not have the Spirit of God within them then they are not Christian at all.
NLT: Romans 8:9 - But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them are not Christians at all.)
1 Cor 2:14 - 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13 These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
(David Guzik) This means every believer has the Holy Spirit.
How do you know that you have the Spirit of God?
Those who have the Holy Spirit within them will ...
Experience the God's love relationship:
Romans 5:5 - Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
We love God only and really fulfill the great commandment only if you experience the His love first through the power of the Holy Spirit. If you receive love from someone we will love them back.
Matt 22:37 - Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and great commandment.
Experience the Father child relationship:
Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
Romans 8:16 - 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
(Warren Wiersbe) The evidence of conversion is the presence of the Holy Spirit within, witnessing that you are a child of God (Rom. 8:16).
Your body becomes the very temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19-20). Even though the body is destined to die because of sin (unless, of course, the Lord returns),
the Spirit gives life to that body today so that we may serve God. If we should die, the body will one day be raised from the dead, because the Holy Spirit has sealed each believer (Eph. 1:13-14).
What a difference it makes in your body when the Holy Spirit lives within. You experience new life, and even your physical faculties take on a new dimension of experience. When evangelist D. L. Moody described his conversion experience, he said: "I was in a new world. The next morning the sun shone brighter and the birds sang sweeter. . . the old elms waved their branches for joy, and all nature was at peace."Life in Christ is abundant life. But there is a third level of experience for which the other two are preparation.
Experience the Lord and bondslave relationship:
2 Cor 12:3 - Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit
Produce fruit:
Romans 8:10 - And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
Gal 5:22-23 - 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
(Warren Wiersbe) Your body becomes the very temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19-20). Even though the body is destined to die because of sin (unless, of course, the Lord returns),
the Spirit gives life to that body today so that we may serve God. If we should die, the body will one day be raised from the dead, because the Holy Spirit has sealed each believer (Eph. 1:13-14).
What a difference it makes in your body when the Holy Spirit lives within. You experience new life, and even your physical faculties take on a new dimension of experience. When evangelist D. L. Moody described his conversion experience, he said: "I was in a new world. The next morning the sun shone brighter and the birds sang sweeter. . . the old elms waved their branches for joy, and all nature was at peace."Life in Christ is abundant life. But there is a third level of experience for which the other two are preparation.
Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, experience and use these gifts to serve others:
1 Cor 12:7-11 - 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills
(David Guzik) Ask these questions:
Has the Spirit led you to Jesus?
Has the Spirit put in you the desire to honor Jesus?
Is the Spirit leading you to be more like Jesus?
Is the Spirit at work in your heart?
Why some Christians are active in the Spirit and some or not?
To answer this question we need need to understand:
Just now we gone through How Christians (or believer in Christ) will encounter with the Holy Spirit?
Do we encounter with the Holy Spirit only once?
The Holy Spirit is with us is not a personal experience but the Holy Spirit is always with everyone in the world. God minister through His Spirit to draw them to believe in God.
The Holy Spirit is in us is a onetime experience because once anyone accept that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior then God's Holy Spirit will enter into them and He lives forever. So, that person is called Christian who born again in God's Spirit or the Holy Spirit. God's Spirit will lives within them forever that is why believers in Christ will not go through second death in Hell with non-believers (Rev 20:15).
The Holy Spirit is upon us is not just onetime experience but it has to be a continuous experience in your Christian life. That is why Paul said be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Eph 5:18 - And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
All Christians or believers in Christ needs to filled with the Holy Spirit continuously and walk as per His leading. We can notice this in the book of Acts:
The apostles and disciples are first baptized or filled with the Holy Spirit:
Acts 2:4 - 1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
In Acts 3 Peter and John healed a beggar in front of the temple gate who was lame by birth.
In Acts 4:1-12 they were preaching the gospel boldly and were challenged by the leaders but Peter filled with the Holy Spirit and answered them boldy:
Acts 4:1-12 - 1 Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, 2 being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand. 5 And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes, 6 as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. 7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, "By what power or by what name have you done this?" 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: 9 If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, 10 let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. 11 This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.' 12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
In Acts 4:13-23 leaders were marveled on seeing Peters bold and clear message but they challenged the apostles and tried their level best to stop their preaching in the name of Jesus:
Acts 4:13-23 - 13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. 14 And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. 15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, 16 saying, "What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. 17 But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name." 18 And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." 21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done. 22 For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed. 23 And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them.
Here you need to notice the difference...
The apostles and disciples saw Jesus Christ after resurrection and received the indwelling Holy Spirit (the Holy Spirit within them experience that we just now gone through):
John 20:22 - 18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her. 19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you." 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
The apostles and disciples were gone back to their work even after the resurrection of Jesus Christ and even after receiving the indwelling Holy Spirit:
John 21:3 - 1 After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We are going with you also." They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. 4 But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus said to them, "Children, have you any food?" They answered Him, "No." 6 And He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish. 9 Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish which you have just caught." 11 Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken. 12 Jesus said to them, "Come and eat breakfast." Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, "Who are You?"--knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish. 14 This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.
Likewise Jesus appeared and did many miracles and proved that He is alive and live forever:
John 21:25 - And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.
Acts 1:1-3 - 1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, 3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
Later just before the ascension of Jesus to Heaven in Acts 1:4-5,8 He asked them to wait for the baptism of Holy Spirit:
Acts 1:4-5 - 4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
Acts 1:8 - But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
During this period ie after the resurrection of Jesus Christ and before they were baptized by the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:4 they were not preaching, teaching, healing,... as we see in Acts 4. In fact they were afraid and gone back to their work. So, this boldness comes only when they filled by the Holy Spirit.
In Acts 4:24-31 on hearing the threat the apostles and disciple didn't protest against them but they raised their burden to God almighty through prayer and God answered their prayer again filling them with the Holy Spirit and they preached the word of God boldly:
Acts 4:24 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: "Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, 25 who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: 'Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things? 26 The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the Lord and against His Christ.' 27 "For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. 29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus." 31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
The same happens to Paul in throughout the book of Acts:
Acts 9:17 - 17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." 18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.
Acts 13:9 - 6 Now when they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus, 7 who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9 Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, "O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? 11 And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time." And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
You can notice this in the entire book of Acts how often the apostles and disciples of Jesus Christ repeatedly filled in the Holy Spirit. Look for terms such as received, filled, fallen, baptized in the Holy Spirit.
Acts 6:5 - And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch,
Acts 7:55 - But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,
(Newell). "Many sincere people are yet spiritually under John the Baptist's ministry of repentance. Their state is practically that of the struggle of Romans Seven, where neither Christ nor the Holy Spirit is mentioned, but only a quickened but undelivered soul in struggle under a sense of 'duty,' not a sense of full acceptance in Christ and sealing by the Holy Spirit."
Romans 7:25b - So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.
(David Guzik) It is a misnomer to divide Christians among the "Spirit-filled" and the "non-Spirit-filled." If a person is not filled with the Holy Spirit, they are not a Christian at all.
However, many do miss out on living the Christian life in the constant fullness of the Spirit because they are not constantly being filled with the Holy Spirit as Paul commanded in Ephesians 5:18. They have no experience of what Jesus spoke about when He described rivers of living water flowing from the believer (John 7:37-39).
Here Paul address those who are in the Spirit. Which means
those who continuously filled in the Holy Spirit.
Eph 5:18 - And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
those who live according to the Spirit
Romans 8:5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
those who led by the Holy Spirit,
Romans 8:14 - For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
those who walk in the Holy Spirit, or
Gal 5:16,18 - 16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
So, let us continuously filled in the Holy Spirit and walk as per the leading of the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit of God dwells within the Christians/believers in Christ is powerful (10,11)
10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
What it means "if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness"?
10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.Does this mean as translated in NLT, GNB or NASB?
Since Christ lives within you, even though your body will die because of sin, your spirit is alive because you have been made right with God
NLT: Romans 8:10 - Since Christ lives within you, even though your body will die because of sin, your spirit is alive because you have been made right with God.
GNT: Romans 8:10 - But if Christ lives in you, the Spirit is life for you because you have been put right with God, even though your bodies are going to die because of sin.
If Christ is in you, even though our body is dead because of sin, but our spirit is life because of righteousness
NASB: Romans 8:10 - If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
What it means "the body is dead because of sin"?
10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.We all are born in sin and live a continuously sinful life so our body/flesh is dead. Because sin always produces death.
We are dead because of our sinful lifestyle:
Eph 2:1 - 1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
Romans 8:6a,7,8 - 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Romans 5:21a so that as sin reigned in death,
Nothing good dwells within us:
Romans 7:18 - For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.
We also spiritually dead by birth.
What it means "the Spirit is life because of righteousness"?
10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.Is this our spirit or God's Spirit (the Holy Spirit)?
New American Standard Bible translated this as our spirit because 's' in spirit is not capitalized. If it is not capitalized then it is not referring God's Spirit. Also NLT translates this as your spriit.
NASB: Romans 8:10 - If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
NLT: Romans 8:10 - Since Christ lives within you, even though your body will die because of sin, your spirit is alive because you have been made right with God.
In Romans 8 only in two place Paul is not referring to God's Spirit:
In verse 15a he is referring to the spirit of bondage and
Romans 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."
In verse 16 he refers to our spirit:
Romans 8:16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
So, here this spirit refers to God's Spirit.
Our spirit is not life because of righteousness only God's spirit can be.
God's Spirit gives life because He made us right with God and He always leads us to righteousness.
Romans 5:21 - so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
So, "if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness." means that
if Christ is in you, even though our body is dead because of sin, but the God's Spirit who lives/dwells within us gives life to our mortal body by making us right with God and leading us always in His righteousness.
ESV: Romans 8:10 - But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
Romans 5:21 - so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 6:2 - 1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
Romans 6:11 - Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Paul is explaining this how we can experience this in the following verses Romans 8:12-13.
Romans 8:12,13 - 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. 12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors--not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
Did God give believers in Christ a timid, powerless spirit or spirit of fear?
11a But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,No.
God has not given a spirit of fear:
2 Tim 1:7a - For God has not given us a spirit of fear,.
God has not given a spirit of bondage:
Romans 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."
Then what type of Spirit God has given to believers in Christ?
God's Spirit has physically raised dead body of our Lord Jesus Christ form the tomb:
11a But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,
Is raising from death is common?
No, it is not common.
Killing a human being is possible, killing babies through abortion is common, suicide is legal in some sates in US, mercy killing becoming common, executing a person as a judgment is very common.
Think for a moment: Is it possible to give back life to the dead body by following the reverse process of killing?
No. Absolutely no. This one thing God didn't permit human being.
God will permit false prophet to gives life to the Antichrist statue in
Revelation 13:15 - He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
God raised people through Elijah, Elisha, Peter and Paul.
Jesus Christ is the first one to resurrect from the death that is why our faith is not in vain:
1 Cor 15:17 - And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!
1 Cor 15:20 - But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
Why God raised Jesus Christ from the death?
Jesus has been raised to justify us:
Romans 4:24-25 - 24 but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.
Romans 8:1a There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,
He keeps on interceding for His followers:
Romans 8:34 - Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
1 John 2:1 - My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous
NLT: Heb 7:25 - Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.
So, those who believe in Jesus Christ don't have to fear about our death because and when we die we will not condemned and suffer in hades or hell but live with Jesus Christ ever and ever:
1 Cor 15:54,55 - 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed-- 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." 55 "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.
What was revealed about our God by sending Jesus Chris to die and raising Jesus Christ from His death?
God sent His son Jesus Chris to die on our behalf and revealed and proved that He is Righteous God
God raised His son Jesus Chris from tomb to die on our behalf and revealed and proved that
He is almighty sovereign God (Omnipotent God - all powerful God),
He knows everything (Omniscient God - all knowing God),
He is greater than everyone and no one is comparable to Him (He was not created by anyone, He is alpha and omega - He is beginning and end),
He created everything out of nothing (He is the creator God),
He has everything under His control (He holds everything),
God has demonstrated what is impossible by human beings through His powerful Holy Spirit.
God has given such a powerful Holy Spirit to those who believe in Him.
11a But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,
Does God has given His powerful Spirit to receive only material blessing?
No.
Why almighty sovereign God has given His powerful Holy Spirit to His believers?
God has given His powerful Holy Spirit to His believers to give life to their decaying/mortal/dead body:
11b He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
Romans 8:10-11 - 10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
God has given the Spirit of Life or His powerful Holy Spirit is to live a righteous life:
Romans 8:2 - For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
2 Cor 3:17 - Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
1 John 2:29 - If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.
Matt 6:33 - 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Romans 5:21 - so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Our body is not to eat and drink and die but God's Spirit gives life to our mortal body (1 Cor 6:14). So, keep our bodies holy because God's Spirit or God Himself lives/dwells within us.
1 Cor 6:14,17,19-20 - 13 Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For "the two," He says, "shall become one flesh." 17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.
(Warren Wiersbe) Your body becomes the very temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19-20). Even though the body is destined to die because of sin (unless, of course, the Lord returns),
the Spirit gives life to that body today so that we may serve God. If we should die, the body will one day be raised from the dead, because the Holy Spirit has sealed each believer (Eph. 1:13-14).
What a difference it makes in your body when the Holy Spirit lives within. You experience new life, and even your physical faculties take on a new dimension of experience. When evangelist D. L. Moody described his conversion experience, he said: "I was in a new world. The next morning the sun shone brighter and the birds sang sweeter. . . the old elms waved their branches for joy, and all nature was at peace."Life in Christ is abundant life. But there is a third level of experience for which the other two are preparation.
What more attributes the Spirit of God has who dwells within the Christians/the believers in Christ?
God not only given the Spirit of life but also ...
God has given the Spirit of holiness:
Romans 1:4 - 3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.
God has given the Spirit of power, love and sound mind:
2 Tim 1:7 - For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Zechariah 4:6 - So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the Lord of hosts......9 "The hands of Zerubbabel Have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it. Then you will know That the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you.
God has given the Spirit of adoption:
Romans 8:15 - For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."
God has given the Spirit of truth:
John 14:17 - 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever-- 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
John 15:26 "But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.
John 16:13-14 - 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.
The Christians/believers in Christ has to put to death the deeds of the body/flesh by the power of the Holy Spirit/God's Spirit (12,13)
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors--not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
What is "debtors of flesh" means?
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors--not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.Obligated to do whatever the body wants or feels to do.
Trying our level best to satisfy our fleshly wants not just our needs.
Just doing what we like, desire, or as heart dictates to satisfy our body/flesh.
For Example:
If you feel like sleeping then just go to bed and sleep even though you have lot of home works or chores to complete.
If you feel like eating sweet deserts then just go ahead and eat even though you have diabetes or Cholesterol (or eat without considering your dietary restrictions).
If you feel like having sex then going ahead even though your spouse is not feeling good. Or if your spouse is not coordinating then commit adultery with some one or through pornography.
If you are prideful then just stay in the pride and do anything to fulfill your pride.
If your are angry with someone then hold the bitterness until you payback with vengeance.
Therefore debtors of flesh means no matter whatever the cost is just obeying/doing/feeding whatever your body/flesh wants, feels, dictates, craves, ... as if we are obligated/debtors to our body.
Keeping/satisfying your body is the number one goal of your life.
Luke 12:19 - 15 And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." 16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?' 18 So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."
Are believers in Christ debtors to their flesh?
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors--not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.No, the believers in Christ are not debtors to their flesh.
We do not have or want to be debtors to our flesh/body.
We do not have or want to obey whatever your body craves as debtors.
(David Guzik) The flesh (again, in the narrow sense of sinful flesh in rebellion against God) gave us nothing good. So we have no obligation to oblige or pamper it.
Luke 12:22-31 - 13 Then one from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." 14 But He said to him, "Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?" 15 And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." 16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?' 18 So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry." ' 20 But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' 21 So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." 22 Then He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. 23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? 25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 26 If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith? 29 And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. 31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.
To whom the believers in Christ are debtors? Why?
God the father
John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
God the Son Jesus Christ - Our Lord and Savior - Just obeyed as per Father's plan and died on our behalf in the Cross.
Luke 22:42 - saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."
God the Holy Spirit
Why are believers in Christ debtors to Holy Spirit?
Because the Holy Spirit convicts every human being in the world about their sin that they are not believing in Jesus Christ, convicts that God's righteousness is available, and convicts that they can escape the judgment because Satan is judged:
John 16:7-11 - 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
Is it possible for the believers in Christ to disobey, lie, quench, grieve, resist, deny or blaspheme the Holy Spirit?
Yes.
1 Thes 5:19 - Do not quench the Spirit.
Eph 4:30 - And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Acts 7:51 - "You stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.
What is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit means?
In general it means cursing, to be evil spoken of the Holy Spirit
The people during the end of Great Tribulation blasphemed God due to pain instead of repenting from their sinful deeds:
Revelation 16:9 - And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.
Revelation 16:11 - They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.
Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit means that after resisting/denying for a while some point in time they replace or claim themselves as God and utterly reject their inner conviction of Holy Spirit:
(David Guzik) We understand this by first understanding what the ministry of the Holy Spirit is all about. Jesus said, and when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment (John 16:8); and that He will testify of Me (John 15:26). Therefore, when we persistently reject the work the Holy Spirit wants to do in us, when we have a continued, settled rejection of what He wants to tell us about Jesus, then we have blasphemed the Holy Spirit.
We can read the similar usage by the Jews blaming Jesus that Jesus is blaspheming because He is claiming Himself as God and son of God:
Mark 14:64 - 60 And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, "Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?" 61 But He kept silent and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" 62 Jesus said, "I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven." 63 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "What further need do we have of witnesses? 64 You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?" And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.
John 10:30,33 - 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone 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 My Father's hand. 30 I and My Father are one." 31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. 32 Jesus answered them, "Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?" 33 The Jews answered Him, saying, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God."
What happens when we blaspheme the Holy Spirit?
Luke 12:10 - And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.
(David Guzik) The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven - not because it is a sin "too big" for God to forgive, but because it is an attitude of heart that cares nothing for God’s forgiveness. It never has forgiveness because it never wants forgiveness God’s way. It may want forgiveness on its own terms, but never God’s way.
The way to not blaspheme the Holy Spirit is to receive Jesus Christ today, to stop rejecting His work of bringing you to Jesus.
Non-believers become believers in Christ by accepting the conviction of the Holy Spirit instead of blaspheming the Holy Spirit.
So, we also need to really thankful and be debtor/obedient to God the Holy Spirit.
Is it possible to payoff this debt by the believers in Christ?
No, no way, impossible,...
This question is similar to
Is it possible to get saved without believing in Jesus Christ? or
Is it possible to get saved by my own righteousness or by my works without the work of Jesus Christ in the cross?
Bible clearly teaches that by our deeds it impossible to get saved by ourselves without Jesus.
Romans 3:20 - Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Romans 8:7-8 - 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Heb 11:6 - But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
(David Guzik) Paul tells us that not only are we saved by the work of the Spirit, but we also must walk by the Spirit if we want to grow and pursue holiness in the Lord. We cannot be like some among the Galatians who thought they could begin in the Spirit but then find spiritual perfection through the flesh (Galatians 3:3).
Gal 3:3 - 1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? 2 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?
That is why Paul keep repeating the same again in v13a
What is the outcome of living by flesh?
13a For if you live according to the flesh you will die;(David Guzik) Paul constantly reminds us that living after the flesh ends in death. We need the reminder because we are often deceived into thinking that the flesh offers us life.
So, never live according to the flesh or as per the leading of your heart.
How believers in Christ will live?
13b but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.Believers in Christ will live by putting to death the deeds of the body/flesh.
By what believers in Christ put to death the deeds of the body? or
How to put to death the deeds of our body/flesh? or
How to deny our self?
13b but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.Believers in Christ needs to put to death the deed of the body/flesh by the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within them.
Romans 8:11 - But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
What are the deeds of the body/flesh that believers in Christ needs to put to death?
In general believers in Christ try to put to death all filthy attitudes and characters.
Col 3:5-9 - 5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. 8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,
What are all the ways that our body ruled by sin (slave of sin)?
Since our body is ruled by sin so we are spiritually dead because of sins or dead in Sins as described in Romans 7:18; 8:7,8; Ephesians 2:1-3; Jer 18;12.
NLT: Eph 2:1-3 - 1 Once you were dead, doomed forever because of your many sins. 2 You used to live just like the rest of the world, full of sin, obeying Satan, the mighty prince of the power of the air. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passions and desires of our evil nature. We were born with an evil nature, and we were under God's anger just like everyone else.
Eph 2:1-3 - 1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
Jer 18:12 - And they said, "That is hopeless! So we will walk according to our own plans, and we will every one obey the dictates of his evil heart."
Eph 2:2-3 describes three major ways our body were ruled by sin:
Follow the dictates of our selfish desires due to your sin nature - (Eph 2:3, Jer 18:12) - Conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind.
Confirming to the world - (Eph 2:2) - walked according to the course of this world
1 John 2:15-17 - 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
Obeying Satan - (Eph 2:2) - walked ... according to the prince of the power of the air. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.
What Jesus said about putting to death the deeds of the body?
Luke 9:23 - Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
So, never spend time in self help books. The more you feed your self then you live in darkness and bring death to yourself.
Gal 6:8 - For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
Application: How to put to death the deeds of our body/flesh by the power of the Holy Spirit? or How do believers in Christ effectively use the Spirit of God who lives within them?
13b but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.What really blocking us to use the power of the Holy Spirit to put to death the deeds of our flesh?
Once we become believers it is not natural to put to death the deeds of our flesh by the power of the Holy Spirit. Even after becoming the matured believer it is not natural to put to death the deeds of our flesh by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Because our flesh is week and naturally attached with our feelings and emotions and so when our selfish heart dictates immediately our body obeys. So, we will not obey when the Holy Spirit whispers in you conscience.
Gal 5:17 - 16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
(David Guzik) When we put to death the deeds of the body (force the sinful flesh to submit to the Spirit), we must do it by the Spirit. Otherwise we will become like the Pharisees and spiritually proud.
Paul tells us that not only are we saved by the work of the Spirit, but we also must walk by the Spirit if we want to grow and pursue holiness in the Lord. We cannot be like some among the Galatians who thought they could begin in the Spirit but then find spiritual perfection through the flesh (Galatians 3:3).
Our body/flesh is really blocking us to use the power of the Holy Spirit.
What we need to do to overcome our body/flesh and use the power of the Holy Spirit to put to death our sinful deeds?
To answer this question let us see two examples in the Bible:
Ananias, and Sapphira
Acts 5:1-10 - 1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. 2 And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles' feet.
Is there anything wrong in submitting part of their money to God?
No.
Acts 5:3 But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? 4 While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God." 5 Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. 6 And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him. 7 Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 And Peter answered her, "Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?" She said, "Yes, for so much." 9 Then Peter said to her, "How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out." 10 Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband.
Joseph:
Gen 39:12 - 5 So it was, from the time that he [Potiphar] had made him [Joseph] overseer of his house and all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had in the house and in the field. 6 Thus he left all that he had in Joseph's hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. 7 And it came to pass after these things that his master's wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, "Lie with me." 8 But he refused and said to his master's wife, "Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. 9 There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" 10 So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her. 11 But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, 12 that she caught him by his garment, saying, "Lie with me." But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside.
What is the major difference between Ananias and Joseph action?
Ananias has done this to please people and apostle but Joseph has done this to please God and Joseph has maintained the love relationship and integrity with God.
Ananias focused on people surrounding him but Joseph's set his eye on God and so he received strength from God and flee from that sin even though it affected his high position, decent life, ...
So, if you didn't put our God first and seek Him, His kingdom and stay focused on God then we will not put to death the deeds of our flesh even though God's powerful Spirit dwells within us.
NLT: Romans 6:16 - Don't you realize that whatever you choose to obey becomes your master? You can choose sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God and receive his approval.
Romans 6:16 - Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
Therefore with all your mind and soul put God first in your life and choose to obey God or present yourselves slaves to obey God:
That is why Jesus said deny your self and take up your cross and follow Me.
Luke 9:23 Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. 25 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? 26 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels.
Let us crucify our flesh with its passions and selfish desires by the power of the Holy Spirit and serve His kingdom and remain focused on Him:
Gal 5:24 - And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires
Stay focused on God and thicken your relationship with Him then you will never debate or fight against the Holy Spirit conviction and you will
Never develop (delude) your sinful selfish thought or temptation and sin in your heart.
James 1:13-15 - 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
Ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit,
Eph 5:18 - And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
Ask God for help and unload your burden to God,
Matt 11:28 - Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Rebuke your fleshly thoughts or temptations by the power of the Holy Spirit and
James 4:7 - Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Do the things with the power of Holy Spirit as per the leading of Holy Spirit
Gal 5:16 - I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
If we put to death our sinful actions by the power of the Holy Spirit then we will produce fruit:
Gal 5:22-23 - 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Therefore by the Spirit of God who raised Jesus Christ from death let us put to death the deeds of the body and live as per the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 8:11-13 - 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. 12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors--not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
Application: Following passage clearly describe this in detail. Spend sometime quietly and go through these.
Col 3:1-4:1 - 1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. 8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,
10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. 12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
18 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them. 20 Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. 22 Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. 23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. 25 But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality. 4:1 Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.
The work of the Holy Spirit within the life of a Christian/believer in Christ (14-17) or
The Christians/believers in Christ has to walk as per the leading of the Holy Spirit/God's Spirit (14)
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
Who are all the sons of God?
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.Whomever led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
What we need to be led by the Spirit of God?
We need the Spirit of God within us.
Romans 8:9 - But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
How we get that?
Just believe in Jesus Christ and born again in His Spirit:
John 3:5 - 1 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." 3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." 4 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" 5 Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
John 3:16 -For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Whomever not led by the Spirit of God are not Christians/believers in Christ/sons of God at all. In other words if you are a Christian/believer in Christ then you will be led by the Spirit of God.
(David Guzik) It is only fitting that the sons of God should be led by the Spirit of God. However, we should not think that being led by the Spirit is a pre-condition to being a son of God. Instead, we become sons first and then the Spirit of God leads us.
Paul didn't say, "As many as go to church, these are the sons of God." He didn't say, "As many as read their Bibles, these are the sons of God." He didn't say, "As many as are patriotic Americans, these are the sons of God." He didn't say, "As many as take communion, these are the sons of God." In this text, the test for sonship is whether or not a person is led by the Spirit of God.
Do the believers in Christ become son's of God only after they led by the Spirit of God?
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.No, once a person believe in Jesus Christ and accept Him as Lord and Savior then he is born again in God's Spirit. The day anyone born again will be led by the Spirit of God.
We will see this in details...
What dose the Spirit of God do once He dwells within a Christian/believer in Christ? or
What first few things the Spirit of God do to every new believers in Christ when they accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior?Once the Spirit of God take residence in a Christian/believer in Christ life
He owns us as His child by bearing witness to our spirit. By this God confirms or give assurance that we are children of God.
16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,John 1:12-13 - 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
He establishes the father child/son relationship between God the Father and us by adopting us (Christians/believers in Christ).
15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."Establishes communication between God and His children (Christians/believers in Christ)
In Response we cry out as Abba father and go freely in time of need.
He leads us gently as per His plan which He uniquely prepared for us before the foundation of the world.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
17 and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
How God give assurance that the believers in Christ are the children of God?
16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,The Spirit of God bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. By this way God gives assurance to the believers in Christ.
That is why our salvation is guaranteed by God. Through out the Bible this is expressed as that God has given us His Holy Spirit as a guarantee, God assures that believers in Christ has the eternal life:
2 Cor 5:5 - Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
1 John 5:10 He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. 11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
How do Christian/believer in Christ know that they are children of God?
16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,Since the Spirit of God is bearing witness to our spirit so all believers will experience this in their heart that they are children of God and the father child bond will be established through this amazing work of the Holy Spirit.
So, true Christian/believer in Christ will know that He is Children of God because the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that they are children of God. This does not happen by any of our deeds but just putting our faith in our almighty God Jesus Christ. It is between the believer and God.
(David Guzik) The evidence we are children of God: the testimony of the Holy Spirit.
Plainly put, Paul says that those who are God's children, born again by the Spirit of God, know their status because the Holy Spirit testifies to our spirit that this is so.
Sometimes believers in Christ may question themselves whether they are truly child of God. This happens due to bad circumstance, because of their sin, or Satan question them pointing their sin. All these are mainly because of their unbelief. Ask God to help in your unbelief. God is greater than you heart.
(David Guzik) This is not to say that there are not those who wrongly think or assume they are God's children apart from the Spirit's testimony. There are also Christians whose heads are so foggy from spiritual attack that they begin to believe the lie that they are not God's children after all. Nevertheless the witness of the Spirit is still there.
We don't have to wonder if we are really Christians or not. God's children know who they are.
Jewish law stated that at the mouth of two or three witnesses everything had to be established (Deuteronomy 17:6). There are two witnesses to our salvation: our own witness and the witness of the Spirit.
1 John 3:20 - For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.
Mark 9:24 - Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"
What type of Spirit the believers in Christ didn't receive?
15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."The believers in Christ didn't receive the spirit of bondage.
God didn't give us the spirit of bondage.
What does the spirit of bondage do to a person?
15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."The spirit of bondage bounds a person and keeps them under sin
NLT: Eph 2:1-3 - 1 Once you were dead, doomed forever because of your many sins. 2 You used to live just like the rest of the world, full of sin, obeying Satan, the mighty prince of the power of the air. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passions and desires of our evil nature. We were born with an evil nature, and we were under God's anger just like everyone else.
Eph 2:1-3 - 1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
The spirit of bondage keeps the believers in Christ under law and make them to obey God out of fear. The law of God bounds the believers in Christ to obey out of fear not obey out of love relationship.
Romans 5:20 - Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,
Do the Christians/believers in Christ enslaved by the Spirit of God?
15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."No, the believers in Christ are not enslaved by the Spirit of God. Jesus came to set us free.
Luke 4:18 - "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
The Christians/believers in Christ are not bound under the law to obey God out of fear. We voluntarily choose to obey God for our benefit.
Romans 6:14 - For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
(Warren Wiersbe) We are not under bondage to Law and afraid to act. We have the liberty of the Spirit and are free to follow Christ
NLT: Romans 6:16 - Don't you realize that whatever you choose to obey becomes your master? You can choose sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God and receive his approval.
Romans 6:16 - Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
(Spurgeon) We are led as we cooperate with the leading. "It does not say, 'As many as are driven by the Spirit of God.' No, the devil is a driver, and when he enters either into men or into hogs he drives them furiously. Remember how the whole herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea. Whenever you see a man fanatical and wild, whatever spirit is in him it is not the Spirit of Christ."
Does this mean that our God always keeps/leads us in our comfort zone?
No, our God is not a dictator but at the same time He patiently and gently deal with us like how He has dealt with Jonah.
2 Cor 5:14 - For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died;
We are saved by grace and we grow in the grace of God.
What is adoption in the New Testament means?
(Warren Wiersbe) The word adoption in the New Testament means "being placed as an adult son." We come into God's family by birth. But the instant we are born into the family, God adopts us and gives us the position of an adult son.
(Bruce) "In the Roman world of the first century AD an adopted son was a son deliberately chosen by his adoptive father to perpetuate his name and inherit his estate; he was no whit inferior in status to a son born in the ordinary course of nature."
What does "the Spirit of adoption" do to a believer in Christ?
15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."
The Spirit of adoption ..Establishes more intimate Father child relationship between God and His followers.
(David Guzik) Living as a child of God means an intimate, joyful relationship with God, not like the bondage and fear demonstrated by the law.
Establishes communication between God and His children (Christians/believers in Christ)
We will see this in detail below in How God speaks to the Christians\believers in Christ?
Completely changes our old sinful life to new adopted life as the adult sons of God:
(David Guzik) Under Roman adoption, the life and standing of the adopted child changed completely. The adopted son lost all rights in his old family and gained all new rights in his new family; the old life of the adopted son was completely wiped out, with all debts being canceled, with nothing from his past counting against him any more.
(Warren Wiersbe) A baby cannot walk, speak, make decisions, or draw on the family wealth. But the believer can do all of these the instant he is born again.
A baby cannot sign checks, but the child of God by faith can draw on his spiritual wealth because he is an heir of God and a joint-heir with Christ (Rom. 8:17). The Spirit teaches us from the Word, and then we receive God's wealth by faith. What a thrilling thing it is to have "the Spirit of adoption" at work in our lives!
Leads us and guides us.
Romans 8:14 - For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
We will see this in detail below in How does the Spirit of God leads the believers in Christ?
Make us to cry out as Abba father and go freely in time of need.
(Warren Wiersbe) We have the liberty of the Spirit and are free to follow Christ The believer can also speak: "We cry, Abba, Father" (Rom. 8:15). Would it not be amazing if a newborn baby looked up and greeted his father! First, the Spirit says, "Abba, Father" to us (Gal. 4:6), and then we say it to God. ("Abba" means "papa"—a term of endearment)
(David Guzik) A child of God can have a relationship with God so close that they may cry out, Abba, Father! (Daddy!)
We cry out, "Abba, Father." It is easy for us to think of Jesus relating to the Father with this joyful confidence, but we may think we are disqualified for it. However, remember that we are in Christ - we have the privilege of relating to the Father even as Jesus Christ does.
What more will the Spirit of God do to the believers in Christ?
The God's Spirit or the Holy Spirit ...Establishes the God's love relationship or The Holy Spirit pours out God's love within our heart:
Romans 5:5 - Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Since, God loved us first so the Holy Spirit pours out His love within us. So, when we experience His love then we will love God and fulfill the first and greatest commandment. This is similar to how we love those who love us.
1 John 4:19 - We love Him because He first loved us.
Matt 22:37 - Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and great commandment.
Establishes the Lord and bondslave relationship:
2 Cor 12:3 - Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit
Gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit, to serve others:
1 Cor 12:7-11 - 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills
How God speaks to the Christians\believers in Christ?
In past God spoke to God's people through prophets and later through Jesus Christ:
Heb 1:1-2 - 1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;
Now God speaks to the Christian\believers in Christ through His Spirit to our spirit.
Romans 8:16 - The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
John 16:13-14 - 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.
1 John 2:27 - But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.
Does God speak to us only through His Spirit?
Yes, God speaks only through His Spirit but many different ways such as Bible, inner still voice, ... Only Holy Spirit inspire, enlighten and confirms us that He has spoken to us.
We will see this in details in the following What are all the ways God speaks to Christians/believers in Christ through the Holy Spirit?
Do the Christian\believers in Christ understand what the Spirit of God speaks to them?
Since God's Spirit lives within believers in Christ and speak to them so they will understand what the Spirit of God says to them:
NLT: 1 Cor 2:10-14 - 10 But we know these things because God has revealed them to us by his Spirit, and his Spirit searches out everything and shows us even God's deep secrets. 11 No one can know what anyone else is really thinking except that person alone, and no one can know God's thoughts except God's own Spirit. 12 And God has actually given us his Spirit (not the world's spirit) so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. 13 When we tell you this, we do not use words of human wisdom. We speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit's words to explain spiritual truths. 14 But people who aren't Christians can't understand these truths from God's Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them because only those who have the Spirit can understand what the Spirit means.
1 Cor 2:10-14 - 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13 These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
What are all the ways God speaks to Christians/believers in Christ through the Holy Spirit?
God speak to His people ....By revealing Himself to us through the Word of God or the Bible by moving the holy prophets and apostles through Holy Spirit and through His creation.
2 Peter 1:20-21 - 20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
2 Tim 3:16 - 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
God -> Jesus Christ -> Angel -> John (-> 7 Churches in Asia Minor - Rev1:4,11, -> All Believers Rev 2 & 3)
Rev 10:1 - The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants--things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,
Almost God dictated word by word to prophets and apostles. No single word originated form human being.
Rev 10:4 - Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, "Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them."
Through practical demonstration
Isaiah walked naked,
Hosea married prostitute, ...
God may speak to His people today through you.
Through the Word of God: This is the most clear and effective way of God's communication with his people. If you want to know how things works perfectly, you need to read the manual. Bible is God's manual for his people. But as in case with other manuals, we often ignore Bible. How often do we try everything else, but His words?
2 Tim 3:16-17 - 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Psalm 119:11 - Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You!
Psalm 119:105 - Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
A non believer can read the Bible but they will not understand clearly and God never going to enlighten them because they were not born again in His Holy Spirit.
NLT: 1 Cor 2:14 - But people who aren't Christians can't understand these truths from God's Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them because only those who have the Spirit can understand what the Spirit means.
1 Cor 2:14 - But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
At the same time the believers in Christ will understand the Bible when they read because God will enlighten or teach them through His Holy Spirit.
1 John 2:27 - But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.
We can read big portion of the Bible but God may speak to us uniquely and personally through certain portion of scripture by inspiring us through His Holy Spirit.
Through the inner still, small voice (Acts 11:12, Acts 13:2, Acts 16:6-7, 1 Kings 19:12, Isaiah 30:19-21)
Acts 11:12 - Then the Spirit told me[Peter] to go with them, doubting nothing. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered the man's house.
Acts 13:2 - 1 Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, "Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." 3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.
Acts 16:6-7 - 6 Now when they[Timothy & Paul] had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. 7 After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. 8 So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." 10 Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.
1 Kings 19:12 - 9 And there he [Elijah] went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 10 So he said, "I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life." 11 Then He said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord." And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.
Isaiah 30:19-21 - 18 Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him. 19 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem; You shall weep no more. He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry; When He hears it, He will answer you. 20 And though the Lord gives you The bread of adversity and the water of affliction, Yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, But your eyes shall see your teachers. 21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.
We may experience our own conscience speak to us but God inspires His small still voice through His Holy Spirit.
Through the Audible Voice of God (Acts 9:4-5)
Acts 9:4-5 - 3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" 5 And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" Then the Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads." 6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what do You want me to do?" Then the Lord said to him, "Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."
We may hear many audible message from pastors, teachers, preachers, or from someone else but God inspires specific portion of audible message/scripture through His Holy Spirit. Or God can speak to us audibly to us directly from heaven and the Holy Spirit who lives within us will confirm us that this voice is from God.
Through the advice and counsel of men and women of God (Prov 12:15)
Prov 12:15 - The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But he who heeds counsel is wise.
When we are in desperate need or make some important decision then you will seek God and and seek advice/counsel with matured Christians.God inspires through Holy Spirit all the counsels that comes from God. So, if youe give Godly counsel please allow God to speak through you.
Through Dreams (Matthew 1:20-21) - There are many instances in the bible, when God clearly communicates through dreams.
Matthew 1:20-21 - 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." 22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." 24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.
We may dream many but Holy Spirit inspires only dreams that originates from God.
Through Visions (Acts 10:9-18, 18:9,10)
Acts 10:9-18 - 9 The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. 10 Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance 11 and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 13 And a voice came to him, "Rise, Peter; kill and eat." 14 But Peter said, "Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean." 15 And a voice spoke to him again the second time, "What God has cleansed you must not call common." 16 This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again. 17 Now while Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate. 18 And they called and asked whether Simon, whose surname was Peter, was lodging there. 19 While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are seeking you. 20 Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them."
Acts 18:9,10 - 9 Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city." 11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
Through Angels (Luke 1:26-38)
Luke 1:26-38 - 26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then 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 bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; 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 of His kingdom there will be no end." 34 Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" 35 And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible." 38 Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
Satan can come as angel of light but Holy Spirit confirms you whether the angel is from God or not.
By circumstances: There is a danger though, letting mere circumstances run our lives, can be opening doors to Satan. So be wise with regards to your circumstances and expect God to speak to you through them.
After Stephen's martyrdom in
Acts 8:4 - 1 Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. 3 As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison. 4 Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.Acts 18:2 - And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); and he came to them.
Seek God with your contrite and broken heart God will confirm that this change in circumstance is from God.
By Inner Peace: God can give you inner peace or rest when we unload our burden or when we unload the things that makes us anxious.
Phil 4:6-7 - 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Matt 11:28 - Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
God's peace is not the peace that offered by the world or the peace that we experience when everything goes fine in our life. When God offers peace then we will experience peace even if our circumstance is very worst.
John 14:27 - Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
John 16:33 - These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
Through putting His burden or desire in our hearts:
In response to unloading our burden in Matt 11:28 God gives His burden to us in Matt 11:30:
Matt 11:28 - Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
By delighting in God, He puts His desires in our heart:
Ps 37:4 - Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
In the above verse God is not fulfilling our desire but giving His desires to us. Following are the verses that God fulfills our desire of our hearts:
Psalms 20:4 - May He grant you according to your heart's desire, And fulfill all your purpose.
Psalms 145:19 - He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them.
Why does God speak to us?
God speak to us because He loves us so much.
John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
All things made by Him and for His good pleasure.
God speak to us to lead and guide us.
We will see this in detail below in Why does God has to lead us even though He has given His commandments to us?
God speak to us to appreciate us when we do the right thing as per His leading.
Rev 2:1-3,6 - 1 "To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, 'These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: 2 I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; 3 and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name's sake and have not become weary. ... 6 But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
God speak to us to convict our sin.
When Adam, Cain, Abraham, David, ... sinned
Rev 2:4 - Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
God speak to us to correct/discipline/rebuke/admonish and encourage us to do the right thing or encourage us to seek His righteousness.
God the Father never provoke His children:
Eph 6:4 - And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.
But God the Father will discipline His children who disobey Him continuously:
Prov 3:11 - My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor detest His correction; 12 For whom the Lord loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.
Heb 12:5-11 - 5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives." 7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Rev 2:5-7 - 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place--unless you repent. 6 But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God."'
Why does God has to lead us even though He has given His commandments to us?
Yes, God has given all the required commandments to live a good moral life. But in some situation and circumstances if God didn't lead or guide us to choose right commandment/scripture to use in our particular situation and circumstance then we will choose a commandment whichever is comfortable for us.
Which commandment do you choose to obey/follow if a believer in Christ hurt you deeply?
Do you have to just forgive and love that person as instructed in below scriptures?
1 Peter 4:8 - And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins."
Matt 5:44-45 - 43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,... ... 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
Matt 18:21-22 - 21 Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
Or Do you talk to that person and try to convict that person as instructed in Matt 18:15-17?
Matt 18:15-17 - 15 "Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.' 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.
No matter what happens we need to forgive and love that person even though we hate that person's sinful deeds.
Rev 2:6 - But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
But at the same time God will lead us through His Holy Spirit weather to go and talk to that person as instructed in Matt 18:15-17 or just forgive and love that person and leave this matter to God and God may deal with that person in His own timings.
Rom 12:19-21 - 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. 20 Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
James 3:15-17 - 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
The wisdom from above is nothing but God leading believers through Holy Spirit.
We know God's commandments i.e. our spiritual knowledge but wisdom is dynamically come from above that leads to choose right command to use.
What about claiming promises?
In general by faith we can claim all applicable promises to live a moral life:
2 Peter 1:4 - 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
We can claim all applicable promises that God gave to Adam, Abraham, Israelites, ...
Gal 3:14 - 13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
But if God didn't guide us by providing right promise verse to claim in particular situation then we will choose some promise verse that is comfortable for us.
Or if God has given you a promise and you waited so long and didn't fulfill then you may try your level best to fulfill God's promise instead of waiting and seeking guidance from God:God gave a particular promise to Abraham but Sarah and Abraham tried to fulfill it through Hagar. So, God clearly reiterating that particular promise He gave to them:
Gen 17:19 - 15 Then God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her." 17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, "Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?" 18 And Abraham said to God, "Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!" 19 Then God said: "No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.
So, when you pray for a particular matter God may reveal or give you the promise to claim or hold on to.
Why did God lead us by providing particular promise verse to claim and particular commandment to follow?
Simple answer is He is sovereign and all knowing God. He knows the best for us.
Is 55:8-9 - 8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. 9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
Event God directs where to preach and when to share the Gospel:
Acts 16:6-7 - 6 Now when they[Timothy & Paul] had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. 7 After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. 8 So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." 10 Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.
At the same time one more important reason God leads us by providing specific promises and commandment is because, God has unique plan for each believer in Christ similar to how he had plans for Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Peter, John, Paul, ...
NIV: Jer 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
That is one more reason He saved us. God saved us with His purpose which God prepared for us before the foundation of the world:
Eph 2:10 - 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
2 Tim 1:9 - who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,
Acts 13:2 - 1 Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, "Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." 3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.
So, God leads us and guides us as per His plan which He prepared before the foundation of the world. He leads us the day we entered into His Kingdom or the day we born again in His Spirit.
Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
How does the Spirit of God leads the believers in Christ?
Since, God speak to the believer in Christ through Holy Spirit in many different ways as we have already gone through What are all the ways God speaks to Christians/believers in Christ through the Holy Spirit?
So, God will lead us by just telling us directly what to do through His Holy Spirit. Here are few important verses...
John 16:13-14 - 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.
Isaiah 30:21 - Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.
Luke 12:11-12 - 11 Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. 12 For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."
When you pray and seek God then God will lead and guide us by revealing His will/plan.
Amos 3:7 - Surely the Lord God does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.
NLT: Amos 3:7 - Indeed, the Sovereign LORD never does anything until he reveals his plans to his servants the prophets.
He will grant our request if we pray according to His will:
1 John 5:14-15 - 14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
Romans 8:26-27 - 26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
One other way God leads by putting His burden or His desire in our hearts:
In response to unloading our burden in Matt 11:28 God gives His burden to us in Matt 11:30:
Matt 11:28 - Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
By delighting in God, He puts His desires in our heart:
God is doing this to those believers who delight in Him and He will demonstrate this through non-believing Kings during the Great Tribulation time:
Rev 17:17 For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast [Antichrist], until the words of God are fulfilled.
Ps 37:4 - Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Note: In the above verse God is not fulfilling our desire but giving His desires to us. Following are the verses that God fulfills our desire of our hearts:
Psalms 20:4 - May He grant you according to your heart's desire, And fulfill all your purpose.
Psalms 145:19 - He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them.
God leads by putting His burden or His desire in our hearts and help us accomplish His tasks:
NLT: Phil 2:13 - For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him.
Phil 2:13 - for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
Jeremiah tried to quit His ministry because of opposition, persecution and threat but since God put His burden/desire in his heart so he could not quit as he feels and served Him passionately as God led:
NLT: Jer 20:9 - And I can't stop! If I say I'll never mention the LORD or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire. It's like a fire in my bones! I am weary of holding it in! 10 I have heard the many rumors about me. They call me "The Man Who Lives in Terror." And they say, "If you say anything, we will report it." Even my old friends are watching me, waiting for a fatal slip. "He will trap himself," they say, "and then we will get our revenge on him." 11 But the LORD stands beside me like a great warrior. Before him they will stumble. They cannot defeat me. They will be shamed and thoroughly humiliated. Their dishonor will never be forgotten.
Jer 20:9 - Then I said, "I will not make mention of Him, Nor speak anymore in His name." But His word was in my heart like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, And I could not. 10 For I heard many mocking: "Fear on every side!" "Report," they say, "and we will report it!" All my acquaintances watched for my stumbling, saying, "Perhaps he can be induced; Then we will prevail against him, And we will take our revenge on him." 11 But the Lord is with me as a mighty, awesome One. Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail. They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper. Their everlasting confusion will never be forgotten.
Application: We know most of these but in reality we struggle yielding to the Holy Spirit or even take a moment to consider inquiring with God.
As a matured Christian do you serve God as per the Holy Spirit's leading or choose to do something special for God as per your desire?
David is man after God's own heart because he obeyed God as per His direction.
David desired or planed to build a temple for God:
2 Sam 7:2-6 - 2 that the king [David] said to Nathan the prophet, "See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells inside tent curtains."
What is Nathan's response?
2 Sam 7:3 Then Nathan said to the king, "Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you."
Is this what God wants?
No.
2 Sam 7:4-6 - 4 But it happened that night that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying, 5 "Go and tell My servant David, 'Thus says the Lord: "Would you build a house for Me to dwell in? 6 For I have not dwelt in a house since the time that I brought the children of Israel up from Egypt, even to this day, but have moved about in a tent and in a tabernacle
2 Sam 7:12-13,16 - 12 "When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, 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. ... ... ... 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever." ' "
Even though David desired to build the temple but God didn't permit David to build the temple. David didn't ignore or rebel against God but he just obeyed God.
Like how it happens to David so, don't ever thing of doing anything special for God assuming that God will be pleased by your act.
So, before doing anything special or great to God go and check with Him.
Therefore do not serve God or lead your life as your heart dictates or as per your desire but seek God's will and He will direct our paths.
NLT: Prov 3:6 - Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths.
Are you (unmarried) trying to please God by marrying a widow/widower, poor, not good looking, lame, blind, low cast, ... ? Or Do you have a check list to go through to choose your life partner?
God loves such a heart at the same time do not marry a widow or widower thinking that God will be pleased by your act.
But marry a widow or widower, lame, blind, ... or even marry a prostitute if God leads you to do so.
Hosea married harlot or prostitute to demonstrate how Israelites committing spiritual adultery
NLT: Hosea 1:2-3 - 2 When the LORD first began speaking to Israel through Hosea, he said to him, "Go and marry a prostitute, so some of her children will be born to you from other men. This will illustrate the way my people have been untrue to me, openly committing adultery against the LORD by worshiping other gods. 3 So Hosea married Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she became pregnant and gave Hosea a son
NLT: Hosea 3:1 - 1 Then the LORD said to me, "Go and get your wife again. Bring her back to you and love her, even though she loves adultery. For the LORD still loves Israel even though the people have turned to other gods, offering them choice gifts. " 2 So I bought her back for fifteen pieces of silver and about five bushels of barley and a measure of wine.
Always be ready to marry whomever God leads. Do not just stick on to your check list.
God will not always lead everyone to marry abnormal people. When you seek Him diligently He will give you a perfect match that you will never regret.
Luke 11:13 - 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 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!"
Do you always dust off of your feet and move to next city, or other group of people or endure like Stephen until to his death if someone whom you preached opposed, denied or blasphemed against you?
Luke 10:10-11 - 10 But [Jesus says] whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 11 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.'
Let us see this in detail in Acts 18:4-9
Acts 18:5 - 4 And he [In Corinth Paul] reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks. 5 When Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ.
Train yourself to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
What is their response?
Acts 18:6a But when they opposed him and blasphemed,
What was Paul's response when they opposed and blasphemed?
Acts 18:6b - 6b he shook his garments and said to them, "Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles." 7 And he departed from there and entered the house of a certain man named Justus, one who worshiped God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. 8 Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.
Here Paul responded as per Jesus teaching in Luke 10:10-11
Is this what Jesus wants Paul to do here?
No.
Acts18:9-10 - 9 Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city." 11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
Here Jesus request Paul to wait because knows the heart of the people. He knows how many is looking for Him. Our God is all knowing God.
When Paul encounter that opposition he would have never thought/imagined that Crispus the ruler of the synagogue and many others will accept the Lord and baptize. In addition to them Paul might have sown the seed to many other Jews and gentiles during this time...
Therefore do not serve God as per your desire but seek God and He will direct you. He knows the needy heart. He will lead us how He led Philip to a desert to reach out Eunuch in Acts 8.
Where does the Spirit of God leads the believers of God?
Where do God leads the believers personally?
The Spirit of God leads us personally:To repentance
John 16:7-11 - 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
To truth
John 16:13-14 - 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.
To love
Pours out His love:
Romans 5:5 - Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Urges or compels us to love others:
2 Cor 5:14 - For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died;
To holiness
1 Peter 1:15-16 - 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."
To usefulness
2Tim 1:9 - who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,
He leads us in green pasture
Psalm 1:3 - He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.
To deny our self or think little of our self and much of Jesus
Gal 5:16-18 - 16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Luke 9:23 - Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
Where do God leads the believers corporately?
The Spirit of God leads us corporately:To understand this better let us see how God led His people from the beginning and also God's Timeline and Priorities:
From Adam till Jesus Christ Birth: Time to fill and subdue the earth.
In Genesis God asked Adam to fill and subdue the earth
Genesis 1:28 - Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
Adam to subdue this earth
Noah to build the ark to save those who believe in God and multiply the earth
Abraham to be the father of many nations
Jacob become Israel and filled the earth.
Joseph waited patiently upon God and stayed sincere to God until God lifted him up and used him to save his family and Egypt during world wide famine and multiplied His family.
Moses to lead God's people (Israelites) to promise land
David become a man after God's own heart just because he obeyed God as per His leading.
Salomon built God's temple and through Salomon world amazed in the power and wisdom of our God.
Jeremiah to lead Israelites to surrender and move to Babylon
Daniel demonstrated our God's power through His life.
Nehemiah to build the wall
Zerubbabel to rebuild His temple
Zech 4:9 "The hands of Zerubbabel Have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it. Then you will know That the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you.
In all these days, how God revealed himself to humanity?
Through His chosen people or people who believed in Him.
Is there any way/options God provided to those who wants to become a God's family or Abraham's family?
Yes, if anyone or a community who needs to become Abraham's or God's family then they need to believe in God and as an outward sign all males need to circumcise.
Genesis 17:12 - He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant.13 He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
Exodus 12:48 - And when a stranger dwells with you and wants to keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as a native of the land. For no uncircumcised person shall eat it.
Joshua 6:25 - And Joshua spared Rahab the harlot, her father's household, and all that she had. So she dwells in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
For more details read The Covenant of Circumcision.
After Jesus Christ's birth till Jesus Christ rapture the church (Church Age): Time to draw people to God's Kingdom and equip them.
Now the priority is not to fill and subdue the earth by storing up treasures in this earth but the priority is to seek ye first the kingdom of God and His Righteousness and to reach out those who are unreached to the Kingdom of God.
KJV: Matt 28:19-20 - 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo , I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Matt 28:19-20 - 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
Matt 6:33 - 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Jesus came to save the lost sinners
Peter, John,... to fishers of men,
Paul to suffer for Jesus while he reaching out gentiles.
Acts 9:4,5,15 - 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" 5 And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" Then the Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads." ... ... ... 15 But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake."
That is the reason Paul recommended celibacy or to stay single during this time - 1 Corinthians 7:7-9,32-34
After Church was taken up till Jesus 2nd Coming (i.e. during the Seven year Great Tribulation Period): Time not to fill and subdue the earth by given into marriage, having baby...but to reach out those who are unreached to the Kingdom of God.
Jesus spoke of woe to tthose who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in that day
Matthew 24:19-21 - 15 "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.
This is the reason Jesus calls these 144,000 men to be virgins.
Rev 7:3-4 - 3 saying, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads." 4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed:
Rev 14:1,4a - 1 Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. 3 They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. 4 These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.
Application:
Where does God leads you and me now corporately?
KJV: Matt 28:19-20 - 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo , I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Matt 28:19-20 - 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
Matt 6:33 - 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Do you seeking God's kingdom first?
Are you putting efforts to reaching out non believers by teaching them about Jesus Christ?
Are you ready to obey as per the dynamic leading of the Holy Spirit? What should be our response to the Holy Spirit's leading? or What do the believers in Christ needs to do?
Yield/listen to the voice of God and obey.
Acts 10:9-20 - 9 The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. 10 Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance 11 and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 13 And a voice came to him, "Rise, Peter; kill and eat." 14 But Peter said, "Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean." 15 And a voice spoke to him again the second time, "What God has cleansed you must not call common." 16 This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again. 17 Now while Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate. 18 And they called and asked whether Simon, whose surname was Peter, was lodging there. 19 While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are seeking you. 20 Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them."
Peter denies to eat the meat offered by God - God uses this to lead peter to Gentiles.
Same way God is leading you and you may be keep denying God. Go ahead and walk by faith. If God leads He will provide.
It is our responsibility to obey our God the Father:
Eph 6:1-3 - 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise: 3 "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth."
NLT: Prov 3:6 - Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths.
Do you receive the task from God and accomplish based on your ability or accomplish as per your desire or accomplish based on the response/feedback?
God gave a big task to Noah to build the ark. He did not alter God's plan because of people's criticism but He completed as per God's specification.
Nehemiah didn't stop building the wall because of neighbors criticism.
Jeremiah tried many times to quit prophesying because of people and kings persecution but God continued to prophecy through him. Even God asked him not to get married as per Jer 16:1.
Warning: If you are not doing as per God's leading then question your salvation:
Matt 7:21-23 - 21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' 23 And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'
So, God leads us by giving specific unique task to you and expects you complete task as per His expectation with His help:
NIV: Revelation 3:2 - Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God
Where does the Spirit of God leads you now personally? What is your response?
1 Tim 1:14 - That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.
NLT: 1 Tim 1:14 - With the help of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard what has been entrusted to you.
What is the outcome of being children of God in addition to the Holy Spirit's leading?
Romans 8:17 - and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed [in fact] we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
If we are children of God then...Inheritance: We are heirs and joint heirs with Christ so we have every legal rights to claim all heavenly things, all God's promises given to Abraham and His children Isralites:
17a and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,Gal 3:29 - And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Eph 2:6 - 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
Col 3:1-3 - 1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
(David Guzik) Being a child of God also means having an inheritance. In Luke 18:18 the rich young ruler asked Jesus, "what must I do to inherit?" But the rich young ruler missed the point because inheritance is not a matter of doing, it is a matter of being - of being in the right family.
To inherit we need to believe in Jesus Christ and born again in God's Spirit
Totally or Completely surrender our life to God
Never come up with our agenda instead inherit God's agenda for our life.
We need to understand Where does the Spirit of God leads the believers of God?
Suffering: We will suffer with Jesus Christ.
17b if indeed we suffer with Him,What it means that "we suffer with Jesus Christ"?
Follow through these questions and you will understand...
Do Christians (believers in Christ) suffer?
Yes, go through the following study for more details and for better understanding.
Do believers in Christ suffer due to their sins?
We can receive forgiveness from God by confessing our sins:
1 John 1:9 - 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
But sin always has consequence. Consequence of sin brings pain and suffering:
Ismail is a product of sin. Till now Israel suffers due to Ismail's descendants.
Gal 4:23 - 23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, 24 which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar-- 25 for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children-- 26 but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.
David and fellow citizen's gone through the consequence of His sin with Bathsheba.
2 Samuel 12:10-14 - 7 Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man! Thus says the Lord God of Israel: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more! 9 Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in His sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon. 10 Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.' 11 Thus says the Lord: 'Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun.' " 13 So David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord." And Nathan said to David, "The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. 14 However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die."
God will discipline us when we continue live in sinful lifestyle.
Heb 12:11 - Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Rev 2:20-23a - 20 Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 And I gave her time to repent [here we can see God's longsuffering, grace, mercy] of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. 22 Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. 23 I will kill her children with death,...
Do believers in Christ suffer due to lack of faith?
Yes, but not all sufferings are due to lack of faith.
Some of the suffering is due to not asking God for your needs by faith:
James 4:2b - ... Yet you do not have because you do not ask.
Most of the time believers live in guilt or suffer due to guilt because they didn't ask God for forgiveness by faith.
Most of the time believers suffer due to sickness because they didn't ask God for healing by faith.
Think for a moment if we didn't claim God given promises by faith or act as per the leading of Holy Spirit by faith then we will continue in suffering:
Disciples on the boat suffered for a while due to lack of faith:
Matt 8:26 - 23 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. 25 Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!" 26 But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"
Daniel remembered Jeremiah's prophesy of 70 years of captivity in Babylon:
NLT: Dan 9:2-3 - 1 It was the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede, the son of Ahasuerus, who became king of the Babylonians. 2 During the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, was studying the writings of the prophets. I learned from the word of the LORD, as recorded by Jeremiah the prophet, that Jerusalem must lie desolate for seventy years. 3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting. I wore rough sackcloth and sprinkled myself with ashes. ... ... ... 20 I went on praying and confessing my sin and the sins of my people, pleading with the LORD my God for Jerusalem, his holy mountain. 21 As I was praying, Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, came swiftly to me at the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 He explained to me, "Daniel, I have come here to give you insight and understanding. 23 The moment you began praying, a command was given. I am here to tell you what it was, for God loves you very much. Now listen, so you can understand the meaning of your vision."
Women with flow of blood touched Jesus by faith if she would have doubted or shy away due to lack of faith then she might have suffered in this sickness for some more years:
Luke 8:48 - 43 Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, 44 came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped. 45 And Jesus said, "Who touched Me?" When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, "Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?' " 46 But Jesus said, "Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me." 47 Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately. 48 And He said to her, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace."
Centurion approached Jesus by faith on behalf of his servant's sickness if he would have doubted or shy away due to lack of faith then his servant might have suffered in this sickness for some more years:
Matt 8:8,10 - 5 Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, 6 saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented." 7 And Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him." 8 The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." 10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, "Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! 11 And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you." And his servant was healed that same hour.
It is a different story if you asked and God didn't answer but most of the time we suffer without asking God due to lack of faith.
Do believers in Christ suffer while they are in strong faith? or Do believers in Christ suffer due to their strong faith?
To answer this question in the light of Romans 8:17b answer the following question:
Romans 8:17b - if indeed [in fact] we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
What is "suffer with Jesus" means?
Does "suffer with Jesus" means that believers in Christ needs to die on the cross with Jesus? or
Does "suffer with Jesus" means that believers in Christ needs punish/chastise/afflict ourselves on the cross?We don't have to die on the cross. Or we don't have to punish/chastise ourselves and bring pain or suffering to our body such as
carrying the cross,
nailing on the cross,
beating ourselves with whip,
going to pilgrimage to Holy Land by walk,
walking around the church with your knee, ...
Because we never please God by our fleshly deeds alone:
Romans 8:8 - So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Heb 11:6 - But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Why Jesus suffered?
Jesus died on the cross and suffer not for His own sins because Jesus is sinless.
Heb 4:15 - For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Jesus suffered on the cross on our behalf in our place by boring all our sins
1 Peter 3:18 - For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,
So, "Suffer with Jesus" means that we suffer for others like how Jesus suffered for others.
1 Peter 2:21 - For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:
1 Peter 4:1 - 1 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.
NTL: 2 Cor 4:8-10 - 8 We [Paul and companions] are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don't give up and quit. 9 We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going. 10 Through suffering, these bodies of ours constantly share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.
1 Peter 4:12 - 12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
Believers in Christ will suffer while they are in strong faith:
Believers in Christ will suffer while they serve others as per the leading of Jesus Christ:
Matt 10:22 - And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.
Matt 5:11 - "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.
Believers in Christ will suffer while they serve God or reach out others to bring them to His kingdom.
The apostles, Stephen and many believers martyred because they shared the gospel to unreached:
Acts 7:58-60 - 51 "You stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, 53 who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it." 54 When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 56 and said, "Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!" 57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; 58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." 60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Paul suffered in many times for His name's sake:
Acts 9:16 - 15 But the Lord said to him [Ananias], "Go, for he [Paul] is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake."
NLT: 2 Cor 11:24-27 - 24 Five different times the Jews gave me thirty-nine lashes. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. 26 I have traveled many weary miles. I have faced danger from flooded rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the stormy seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be Christians but are not. 27 I have lived with weariness and pain and sleepless nights. Often I have been hungry and thirsty and have gone without food. Often I have shivered with cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm. 28 Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of how the churches are getting along.
2 Cor 11:24-27 - 24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 in journeys often, in perils [danger] of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness-- 28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.
Nehemiah suffered because of unbelieving neighbors.
Believers in Christ will suffer while we serve fellow believers.
Acts 6:1-4 - 1 Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. 2 Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, "It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. 3 Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; 4 but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word."
Believers in Christ will suffer while they live in strong/great faith in God or suffer while they live a Godly life or live for His name's sake.
Matt 5:10 - Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
2 Tim 3:12 - Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
1 Peter 3:14 - But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. "And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled."
Job suffered while he live a Godly life with great/strong faith:
Job 1:5,13-21 - 5 So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, "It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." Thus Job did regularly. ... ... ... ... 13 Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house; 14 and a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, 15 when the Sabeans [an inhabitant of Saba] raided them and took them away--indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!" 16 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!" 17 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!" 18 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, 19 and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!" 20 Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord." 22 In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.
Joseph suffered because of his faith (dream from God) through his brothers.
Joseph suffered in jail because of righteousness' sake or because to maintain the good relationship with God.
Daniel was suffered in Babylon because oh his fellow citizen's sin.
Church in Smyrna gone through suffering due to His name's sake:
Rev 2:10 - 9 I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
(David Guzik) Because we are in Christ, we are also called to share in His suffering. God's children are not immune from trials and suffering.
Suffering is the part of Christian package deal we cannot avoid. So, we will go through sufferings due to trials and tribulation.
What should be the response when believers in Christ when they go through the suffering?
Rejoice in Suffering:
1 Peter 4:13 - 12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
Glorify God:
1 Peter 4:16,19 - 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. 17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 Now "If the righteous one is scarcely saved, Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?" 19 Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.
Glorification: If we suffer like Jesus suffered then we will be glorified together with Jesus Christ
17c that we may also be glorified together.Why God allows suffering to His faithful believers or Christians?
Suffering due to trials/tribulation to test our faith and prove that whether our faith is genuine(saving) faith or not:
1 Peter 1:6-7 - 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
NLT: 1 Peter 1:6-7 - 6 So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while. 7 These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold -- and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
Job 1:6-12 - 6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. 7 And the Lord said to Satan, "From where do you come?" So Satan answered the Lord and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it." 8 Then the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?" 9 So Satan answered the Lord and said, "Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!" 12 And the Lord said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person." So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
Application:
Do you follow God due to blessings?
Do you follow Jesus Christ even if He completely removed his blessings? or Do you follow Jesus Christ even if God allowed you to become homeless?
Suffering due to Tribulation produces perseverance, patience or longsuffering:
Romans 5:3 - 1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
During our suffering for faith we will encounter with God:
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego suffered for their faith and encountered God in the midst of fire.
Daniel was ready to give His life for His faith and encountered God's mighty power and hedge of protection in Lion's den
Paul was persecuted because of his faith so he encounter with God many times.
Suffering with Jesus will glorify us together with Jesus Christ:
Romans 8:17,18 - and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed [in fact] we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
(David Guzik) In fact, our sharing in present suffering is a condition of our future glorification. As far as God is concerned, it is all part of the same package of sonship, no matter how much our flesh may want to have the inheritance and the glory without the suffering.
When we suffer as per the leading God then we will be rewarded in heaven:
Matt 19:29 - And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.
Matt 5:10-11 - 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.
Rev 2:10 - 9 I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
Luke 6:23 - 22 Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man's sake. 23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.
Rev 2:23b - and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.
Application:
Do you suffer with Jesus Christ?
Do not afflict yourself but suffer with Him when God allows you go to go through. God is always with you.
1 Peter 3:17 -For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
Do you compromise righteousness because of pride, prestige?
Do you witness falsely or lie to avoid go through suffering?
2 Tim 3:11-12 - 10 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, 11 persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra--what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
Romans 8:18 - For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
John 16:33 - These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
Summary: Romans 6, 7, 8:1-17
We are dead to sin:
Romans 6:7 - For he who has died has been freed from sin.
Romans 6:16 - Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
NLT: Rom 6:16 - Don't you realize that whatever you choose to obey becomes your master? You can choose sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God and receive his approval.
We are (dead to the law) not under the law but under grace.
Romans 6:14 - For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
Romans 7:4 - Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another--to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.
Romans 7:6 - But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.
So, we need to grow in the grace of God by following the leading of the Holy Spirit:
Romans 7:6 - But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.
In fact Christians not under the dictates of the law but fulfill the law when they walk by the power/help of the Holy Spirit as per the leading of the Holy Spirit:
Romans 8:14 - 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
Gal 5:16-18 - 16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
When we walk as per the leading of Holy Spirit we will go through suffering and glorified together with Jesus Christ:
Romans 8:17 - and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
1 Peter 3:17 -For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
2 Tim 3:11-12 - 10 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, 11 persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra--what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
Life in the Spirit makes us to endure and overcome suffering (18-30):
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. 26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
How long believers in Christ suffer due to their faith?
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.Believers in Christ will suffer due to their faith as long as they live in the earth or until they die and be with Jesus.
Romans 8:17 - and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
Romans 8:23 - Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.
Col 1:27 - 26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
How often believers in Christ will suffer due to their faith?
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.Paul is not talking about one suffering but many sufferings of this present time.
Most prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah has suffered continuously throughout their life period,
all apostles suffered continuously due to their faith,
missionaries who serve in hostile area such as Middle Eastern countries, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India are suffering for their faith,
even believers in Christ suffer frequently to profess their faith in hostile area such as Middle Eastern countries, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India where there is no religious freedom, ...
This doesn't mean that all believers in Christ will suffer always or continuously but suffer infrequently or sporadically.
All Christians will go through sufferings to be glorified with Jesus Christ but while we suffer we are not alone because God is with us.
God has unique plan for every believer in Christ. He will walk us through as per His plan.
Eph 2:10 - 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
2 Tim 1:9 - who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,
Why God is including suffering as part of His plan? Does God is cursing by including suffering as a part of His plan for our past sins?
Let understand this with Paul's example. When God saved Paul, He prophesied in Acts 9:16 that he will suffer for His name's sake:
Acts 9:16 - 15 But the Lord said to him [Ananias], "Go, for he [Paul] is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake."
God didn't curse Paul to suffer by giving prophesy on the day He saved him but the task that God is assigning to Paul as per His plan that He prepared before the foundation of the world is really challenging.
So, God knows before hand that Paul will walk as per His plan and so Paul will go through sufferings for His name's sake. At the same time God was with Paul in all the difficult steps of his ways.
Is it worthy to go through suffering?
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.Yes, it is worthy to go through suffering now.
Why it is worthy to suffer now?
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.It is worthy to suffer now because God's glory will be revealed in us in future.
Think for a moment if you stay focused on this life and hoping only blessed life because of your faith then Christians should suffer only for their sins and lack of faith but not for their faith
(David Guzik) Without a heavenly hope, Paul considered the Christian life foolish and tragic (1 Corinthians 15:19). Yet in light of eternity it is the wisest and best choice anyone can make.
NLT: 1 Cor 15:19 - And if we have hope in Christ only for this life, we are the most miserable people in the world.
1 Cor 15:19 - If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
But in reality suffering is part of Christian life God will deliver us from the trials and tribulation:
2 Tim 3:11-12 - 10 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, 11 persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra--what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
(David Guzik) Paul was not ignorant or blind to the sufferings of human existence; he experienced more of them than most any of us today. Yet he still considered that the future glory far outweighed the present sufferings.
So, let us rejoice in our suffering:
Col 1:27 - 24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,
In heaven, does God's glory given to us or revealed in us?
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.In heaven, God's glory will be revealed in us not given to us.
(David Guzik) This coming glory will not only be revealed to us, but it will actually be revealed in us.
Does this mean believers in Christ has already received the glory of God now?
Yes, God's glory has been given to us now.
(Morris) God has put this glory into the believer right now. In heaven the glory will simply be revealed. "The glory will be revealed, not created. The implication is that it is already existent, but not apparent."
When believers in Christ received God's glory? or When God has given His glory to believers in Christ?
Yes, God has given His glory the day He dwells within us i.e. the anyone accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
John 17:22 - And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:
Why God has given his glory to us?
Did God given his glory to shine like Moses how he shone when he meet with the LORD?
Ex 34:29 - 29 Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses' hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. 30 So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned to him; and Moses talked with them. 32 Afterward all the children of Israel came near, and he gave them as commandments all that the Lord had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. 33 And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. 34 But whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with Him, he would take the veil off until he came out; and he would come out and speak to the children of Israel whatever he had been commanded. 35 And whenever the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone, then Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with Him.
This is how we will be shining in heaven when God reveal His glory which he shared now. Here Mosses is unique example. We can also see this in mount of transfiguration:
Luke 9:29 - 28 Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening. 30 And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
Mat 13:43 - Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
In reality
We are the light of the world:
John 8:12 - Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."
Matt 5:14-16 - 14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
We live in unity with diversity with God's love:
John 17:22 - 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:
How we will be one?
John 17:20-26 - 20 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. 24 Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."
We will be united in one because of God's love. Or we will glued together by God's love.
Ps 133:1 - A Song of Ascents. Of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!
How do we experience God's love?
Romans 5:5 - Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
What God's love will do to us?
God's Love will...Make us to love Him back in response to His love experience in our heart:
Matt 22:37 - 37 Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and great commandment.
Compel us to love others:
2 Cor 5:14a For the love of Christ compels us
Matt 22:39 - 39 And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
Genuine Faith produces or makes us to work same way real true God's sacrificial or agape Love makes us to labor to reach out others who are very difficult to reach:
1 Thes 1:3 - 2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, 3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,
Does the glory that God has given remains within us without any change?
No, by the work of the Holy Spirit all believers in Christ will be transformed from glory to glory and become more and more like Him:
2 Cor 3:18 - But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
NLT: 2 Cor 3:18 - And all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.
Application:
Do you consider worthy to suffer for your faith?
Read the following passage what Paul is saying:
Phil 3:8-14 - 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus
Are you experiencing God's glory in your life?
Are you transforming from glory to glory in your life?
19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.
What is "groaning" means?
From Dictionary: a low, mournful sound uttered in pain or grief: Eg. - "the groans of dying soldiers."
From Vine's Expository Dictionary: Grief, Grieve, "to groan" (of an inward, unexpressed feeling of sorrow). In KJV it is is translated as "with grief" (1x) in Heb 13:17; "sighed" (1x) in Mar 7:34; "groan," (3x) in Rom 8:23; 2 Cr 5:2, 4; "Grudge," (1x) in Jam 5:9. In other translations it is translated as "murmur", "grumble".
Note: This is not a lamentation.
2 Cor 5:2,4 - 1 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, 3 if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. 4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life.
James 5:9 - 7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble [grudge in KJV] against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! 10 My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. 11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord--that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.
Whom all are groaning? (V19-27)
(Warren Wiersbe) Paul in this section dealt with the very problem of suffering and pain. Perhaps the best way to understand this section is to note the three "groans" that are discussed.
They are:
The whole creation is groaning:
22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.Believers in Christ are groaning:
23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.The Holy Spirit is groaning:
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Let us see this in detail...
What is creation doing right now?
19a For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waitsCreation eagerly waits
Why is creation waiting?
19b for the revealing of the sons of God.Creation is eagerly waiting for the revealing of the sons of God.
What is "revealing of sons of God" means?
19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.Are these specific group of believers?
Warning: (David Guzik) Certain groups with a "super-Christian" mentality take the idea of the revealing of the sons of God to say that all creation is waiting for their particular group of super-spiritual Christians to be revealed in an incredibly powerful fashion. This is a purely egotistical fantasy.
No, these are not specific group of believers.
Creation is eagerly waiting for all the believers in God who come back to the earth with the second coming of Jesus Christ:
Jude 14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, 15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him."
Rev 19:14 - 11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.
So, New Living Translation translates this beautifully:
NLT Rom 8:19 - For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.
Application:
Are you sure that you will go to heaven if you die right now?
Are you sure that you will come back with Jesus Christ in His second coming?
1 John 5:13 - These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God
To what creation was subjected?
20a For the creation was subjected to futility,What is futility?
It means vanity, ineffective, uselessness,
In KJV it is translated as vanity.
KJV Rom 8:20 - For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
KJV 2 Pe 2:18 - For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
GNT: Romans 8:20 - For creation was condemned to lose its purpose, not of its own will, but because God willed it to be so. Yet there was the hope
We will discuss this in detail in When and why was creation subjected to futile and it is groaning?
Does creation willingly subject to futility?
20b not willinglyNo
Who left the creation to wait?
20c but because of Him who subjected it in hope;(David Guzik) Only God could subject creation in hope. This was not ultimately the work of either man or Satan.
GNT: Romans 8:20 - For creation was condemned to lose its purpose, not of its own will, but because God willed it to be so. Yet there was the hope
When will creation be delivered?
21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.(David Guzik) This benefits not only the children of God themselves, but also all of creation.
What is creation doing while they are waiting in bondage?
22a For we know that the whole creation groansWhat pain does creation go through while they are groaning?
22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.Does this mean that there is end for this suffering/groaning?
Yes, because they labor with birth pangs and it will end once the baby is delivered
(Morris) "Creation is not undergoing death pangs . . . but birth pangs."
So, there is end for this suffering.
(Warren Wiersbe) Note: the words that Paul used to describe the plight of creation: suffering (Rom. 8:18), vanity (Rom. 8:20), bondage (Rom. 8:21), decay, (Rom. 8:21), and pain (Rom. 8:22). However; this groaning is not a useless thing: Paul compared it to a woman in travail. There is pain; but the pain will end when the child is delivered. One day creation will be delivered, and the groaning creation will become a glorious creation! The believer does not focus on the day's sufferings; he looks forward to tomorrow's glory (Rom. 8:18; 2 Cor. 4:15-18). Today's groaning bondage will be exchanged for tomorrow's glorious liberty! '
When and why was creation subjected to futile and it is groaning?
20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope;(David Guzik) This is because the creation was subjected to futility on account of man's sin, and will benefit from the ultimate redemption of men.
Isaiah 11:6-9 describes this redemption of creation in that day
GNT: Romans 8:20 - For creation was condemned to lose its purpose, not of its own will, but because God willed it to be so. Yet there was the hope
NLT: Romans 8:20 - Against its will, everything on earth was subjected to God's curse.
How was creation before it become futile? How is creation going to be in future once it is delivered when believers of God revealed with Jesus Christ' second coming?
22a For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.(Warren Wiersbe) When God, finished His Creation, it was a good Creation (Gen. 1:31); but today it is a groaning Creation. There, is suffering and death; there is pain, all of which is, of course, the result of Adam's sin. It is not the fault of creation.
Gen 1:31 - Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
God blessed the earth to produce food without putting much effort without laboring:
Gen 2:5,6 - 4 This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, 5 before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown. For the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground; 6 but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground. 7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. 8 The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. 9 And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
God blessed Adam and given responsibility to maintain the garden:
Gen 2:15 - Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.
As part of Sin God cursed Adam and curse affected entire creation:
Gen 3:17-19 - 17 Then to Adam He said, "Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it': "Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. 18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. 19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return."
Not only our trees and plants but also all the animals, birds, creeping things, all living beings under the see and all other living beings are under curse because of the sin or fall:
Gen 3:14 So the Lord God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel."
Before sin and and after Jesus's second coming these are like how it described in
Isaiah 11:6-9 - 6 "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze; Their young ones shall lie down together; And the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play by the cobra's hole, And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper's den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea.
Application:
Think for a moment: Which part of your life you are laboring/sweating or spending all your energy and time?
The non-believers will not know where they are going what purpose they are here. So, they spend their time and energy in the worldly things ie in vanity/uselessness:
KJV Eph 4:17 - This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
Are you experiencing God's deliverance from laboring/sweating area?
The entire creation are groaning and waiting for the revelation of true believers of God with Jesus' second coming to get delivered from the bondage started from Adam's sin:
Romans 8:20-22 - 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.
At the same time God has given unique experience to believers in Christ who will experience the God's glory here in the earth by the power of the Holy Spirit who lives/dwells within us.
Romans 8:9 - But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
2 Cor 5:2,4 - 1 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, 3 if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. 4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. 6 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
So, once we become believer in Christ we need to train ourselves to put His kingdom and His righteousness first and God will equip us to live a life with contentment:
Matt 6:25-33 - 25 "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 28 So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Phil 4:11-13 - 11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
1 Tim 6:6-8 - Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.
Instead of labor in your work or any other area we need to labor in Love to reach out and touch the life of the people who did not know the living and true God:
NIV: 1 Thes 1:3 - We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Cor 5:14a - For the love of Christ compels us,
23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
What is hope?
24b but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.What does the hope do for us?
25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.Hope is believing something without doubt that will happen in future and waiting for that.
Hope is always points to the future event.
What is the difference between hope and faith?
What is Faith?
Heb 11:1,3 - 1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. ... ... ... 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.
NLT: Heb 11:1,3 - 1 What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see. ... ... ... 3 By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God's command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.
Faith is believing something confidently without seeing and with evidence.
Can we have faith in past, present and future event?
Yes, we can have faith in past, present of future event.
Past: Believing with evidence that Jesus came to the earth. (NT, Genesis, Heb 11:3)
Present: Believing with evidence that Jesus lives now in heaven. (NT)
Future: Believing with evidence that Jesus will come back again to the earth. (unfulfilled OT prophesies, Matt 24, Revelation)
Faith in future event makes us either to wait or do as per the leading of Holy Spirit.
That is why Bible clearly teaches that faith without works is dead.
James 2:26 - For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
1 Thes 1:3 - 2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, 3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,
NIV: 1 Thes 1:3 - We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
True believers who has genuine faith will produces work and they will hear the voice of God or hear the leading of God, or have the burden to serve God:
John 10:27 - 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone 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 My Father's hand.
If a believer is not hearing God's voice or Holy Spirit's leading then that person is not believer at all:
John 10:25 - 23 And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch. 24 Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, "How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly." 25 Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me. 26 But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.
Faith and Hope are interdependent or Faith is more broad term than hope:
In simple term hope is faith in future event plus waiting. Or Hope is waiting in faith.
In other words hope is eagerly waiting for the future event yet to happen that you believe confidently with evidence or put your faith on.
Application:
Is your faith produces work?
Is your hope produces patience?
1 Thes 1:3 - 2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, 3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,
NIV: 1 Thes 1:3 - We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Do the believers in Christ are included in the rest of the creation?
23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.The believers in Christ are not included in the rest of the God's creation. Romans 8:19-22 clears says they are waiting for believers to be revealed for their deliverance. Also this verse Romans 8:23 clearly says that the believers in Christ are not part of the rest of the creation.
Romans 8:19-22 - 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.
Why are the believers in Christ not included in rest of the creation?
23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 24a For we were saved in this hope,Because the Believers in Christ have "the firstfruits of the Spirit" which rest of the creation doesn't have.
What is "the firstfruits of the Spirit" means?
23a Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,Firstfruit means the first crop of the harvest
Exodus 23:19 - The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk.
ESV: Proverbs 3:9 - Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
What is the first crop/fruit of the Holy Spirit?
Here are three basic steps every believer would have gone through
The Holy Spirit draws the non-believers to God
John 16:8,9 - 8 And when He [the Holy Spirit] has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
The Holy Spirit enlighten their hearts if they are ready to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.
2 Cor 4:4 - 3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. . 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake. 6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Once they become believers the Holy Spirit pours out the love of God.
Romans 5:5 - Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Every new believer must have experienced this love of God as a foretaste of future glory.
The firstfruits of the Spirit is the love of God which every believer experience and they need to keep experiencing continuously by filling in the Holy Spirit.
So, the Believers in Christ have the love of God by the Holy Spirit as a foretaste of the future glory which rest of the creation doesn't have:
(David Guzik) This means we have a taste of the glory to come.
NLT: Romans 8:23 - And even we Christians, although we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, also groan to be released from pain and suffering. We, too, wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as his children, including the new bodies he has promised us.
That is why Jesus said I have shared the glory with us:
John 17:22-26 - 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. 24 Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."
1 John 4:19 - We love Him because He first loved us.
Matt 22:37 - Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and great commandment.
(Warren Wiersbe) We have experienced "the firstfruits of the Spirit," a foretaste of the glory to come. Just as the nation Israel tasted the firstfruits of Canaan when the spies returned (Num. 13:23-27), so we Christians have tasted of the blessings of heaven through the ministry of the Spirit.
What are the believers in Christ doing?
23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 24a For we were saved in this hope,The believers in Christ are
Groaning within themselves
Eagerly waiting for the adoption as sons, and the redemption of their body.
NIV: Romans 8:23 - Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
2 Cor 5:4 - For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life.
Why are the believers in Christ groaning instead of just waiting?
The believers in Christ are groan because of their suffering due to their godly life or due to their strong faith.
2 Tim 3:12 - Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
Romans 8:17 and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
They groan to be released from pain and suffering
NLT: Romans 8:23 - And even we Christians, although we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, also groan to be released from pain and suffering. We, too, wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as his children, including the new bodies he has promised us.
Why are the believers in Christ eagerly waiting? or What for the believers in Christ are eagerly waiting?
23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 24a For we were saved in this hope,Are we (the believers in Christ) not redeemed and adopted already as the children of God?
Yes, the believers in Christ are redeemed(purchased back) and adopted as children of God the day one when they accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Romans 3:24 - being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
Col 1:14 - 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, [NLT: God has purchased our freedom with his blood] the forgiveness of sins.
Romans 8:14-17 - 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
Why then Paul is saying again here that we (the believers in Christ) are eagerly waiting for the adoption?
23b eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 24a For we were saved in this hope,As we have seen already now we are redeemed and adopted spiritually:
Later we will be physically redeemed with the newly resurrected immortal body and our adoption will be consummated with our new body. We were saved with this hope:
(David Guzik) We are waiting for our adoption. Although there is a sense in which we are already adopted (Romans 8:15), there is also a sense in which we wait for the consummation of our adoption which will happen at the redemption of our body.
God does not ignore our physical bodies in His plan of redemption. His plan for these bodies is resurrection, when this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality (1 Corinthians 15:53).
1 Cor 15:51-53 -51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed-- 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." 55 "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.
Phil 3:20-21 - 20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
Romans 8:17 - and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
So, the believers in Christ are eagerly waiting for God to
Redeem physically with newly resurrected immortal body which never decay.
Consummate/complete of our adoption as His son with our new body.
Completely deliver from the suffering/groaning and continuously drench us in His presence and the Love of God.
Rev 21:3,4 - 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."
What makes the believers in Christ to eagerly wait for their adoption as sons, and the redemption of their bodies?
Following two main thing keeps the believers in Christ to wait eagerly for their redemption and adoption:
Suffering in present time makes us to look for deliverance:
Think for a moment if you have peaceful life hear financially, materially, physically, emotionally then we do not want the future glory because we are enjoying a good life here on the earth so they sounds foolishness to us.
James 1:2-4 - 2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
(David Guzik) The fulfillment of our redemption is something still distant, yet we hope for it in faith and perseverance, trusting that God is faithful to His word and the promised glory will be a reality.
Foretaste of the future glory ie the firstfruits of the Spirit or love of God gives us heavenly experience which in turn makes us to look for that permanently to escape from the suffering:
How the believers in Christ needs to eagerly wait? or What is our responsibility?
Morris on perseverance: "It is the attitude of the soldier who in the thick of battle is not dismayed but fights on stoutly whatever the difficulties."
(Warren Wiersbe) We believers groan (vv. 23-25). The reason we groan is because we have experienced "the firstfruits of the Spirit," a foretaste of the glory to come. Just as the nation Israel tasted the flrstfruits of Canaan when the spies returned (Num. 13:23-27), so we Christians have tasted of the blessings of heaven through the ministry of the Spirit. This makes us want to see the Lord, receive a new body, and live with Him and serve Him forever. We are waiting for "the adoption," which is the redemption of the body when Christ returns (Phil. 3:20-21). This is the thrilling climax to "the adoption" that took place at conversion when "the Spirit of adoption" gave us an adult standing in God's family. When Christ returns, we shall enter into our full inheritance.
Meanwhile, we wait and hope. "For we are saved by that hope" (Rom. 8:24, literal translation). What hope? "That blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13). The best is yet to come! The believer does not get frustrated as he sees and experiences suffering and pain in this world. He knows that the temporary suffering will one day give way to eternal glory.
Phil 3:20-21 - 20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
Acts 20:19-25 - 16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost. 17 From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. 18 And when they had come to him, he said to them: "You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you, 19 serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews; 20 how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, 21 testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. 22 And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. 24 But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. 25 And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more
Phil 3:8,10,12-14 - 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Application: Examine yourselves:
Are you eagerly waiting for the redemption of your new body and for the adoption as His child?
If you didn't suffer and groan and foretaste the love of God then you will not eagerly waiting for the adoption and the redemption. In fact you even never look or think about those.
Are you really groaning within yourself?
You will groan only if you suffer for your faith.
Are you experiencing the love of God continuously?
You will experience the love of God continuously if you continuously filling in the Holy Spirit.
Romans 5:5 - Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Eph 5:18b -18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
What is the Spirit of God do for us?
26a Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses.The Spirit of God helps in our weakness.
What is our weakness?
26b For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought,When we go through suffering we groan and we do not know
what we should pray for and
how we should pray.
How is the Spirit of God helps in our weakness?
26c but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.The Spirit of God helps in our weakness by praying for us (interceding) with groanings which cannot be expressed:
BBE (Bible in Basic English): Romans 8:26 -And in the same way the Spirit is a help to our feeble hearts: for we are not able to make prayer to God in the right way; but the Spirit puts our desires into words which are not in our power to say;
NLT: Romans 8:26 -And the Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don't even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.
(David Guzik) God's help through the Spirit is available to us now. When we are weak, and do not know exactly how we should pray, God Himself (through the Holy Spirit) helps by making intercession for us.
The Spirit of God is the comforter and the helper who comes alongside with the believers and follows the Godly principle:
Romans 12:15 - Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
Like how Jesus wept, mourned, sighed, ... while he was living on the earth.
John 11:33,35,38 - 33 Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. ... 35 - Jesus Wept. (with Lazarus sisters because of the Lazarus's death) .... 38 Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.
Mark 7:34 - Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened."
Who is searching our heart?
27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.Jesus Christ can search our heart:
Rev 2:23 - I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He [Jesus] who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.
Romans 8:27 - Now He [Jesus] who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He [Jesus] makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
God can search our hearts
Jer 17:10 - I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.
NLT: Romans 8:27 - And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will.
Romans 8:27 - Now He [God] who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He [the Holy Spirit] makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Based on context here the Holy Spirit is searching our hearts because he dwells in our hearts and he intercedes for us:
(Matthew Henry) The Spirit who searches the hearts, can perceive the mind and will of the spirit, the renewed mind, and advocates his cause. The Spirit makes intercession to God, and the enemy prevails not.
(David Guzik) The Holy Spirit's help in intercession is perfect because He searches the hearts of those whom He helps, and He is able to guide our prayers according to the will of God.
Romans 8:27 - Now He [the Holy Spirit] who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit (our spirit) is, because He [the Holy Spirit] makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Who is interceding for us in Romans 8:27?
27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.Based on the current context the Holy Spirit is interceding for us.
Application: Is there anyone else interceding for us?
Yes, Jesus also interceding for us:
Romans 8:34 - Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
Heb 7:25 - Therefore He [Jesus] is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
Why is Jesus interceding for us?
Jesus is interceding for the believers like us whenever we sin against God.
1 John 2:1 - My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
Does the Holy Spirit intercede according to our will or God's will?
27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.It is natural that when we pray we focus on the problems or suffering that we go through and we may not pray according to the will of God.
So, the Spirit of God intercedes by expressing our deep groanings and guiding our prayer according to the will of God.
(David Guzik) The Holy Spirit's help in intercession is perfect because He searches the hearts of those whom He helps, and He is able to guide our prayers according to the will of God.
Does this groaning by the Spirit of God means speaking in tongues? or Does the Spirit of God intercedes for us in unknown tongue?
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.There are different kinds of gift of tongues:
1 Cor 12:7,10 - 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
Who gave this gift of tongue to the believers in Christ?
Speaking in tongue is a gift given by the Holy Spirit to the believers.
1 Cor 12:11 - But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
As per whose desire/will the Holy Spirit gives the gift of tongue?
We need to desire for spiritual gifts
1 Cor 14:1 - Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.
But the gifts are given to the believers by the Holy Spirit as per His will/desire. So, it is called gift of the Holy Spirit.
1 Cor 12:11 - But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
What is speaking in tongue means?
It means gifted believers speaks in a language which they do not know or understand:
Gifted believers speak to God in a language which they do not know or understand but only God will understand (Heavenly Language).
1 Cor 14:2 - For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.
This can be interpreted by the one who has the gift of interpretation.
1 Cor 12:10 - to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
Gifted believers speak in foreign language that they do not know or understand but those people who speak that language will understand (Foreign Language).
Acts 2:4-11 - 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. 5 Godly Jews from many nations were living in Jerusalem at that time. 6 When they heard this sound, they came running to see what it was all about, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers. 7 They were beside themselves with wonder. "How can this be?" they exclaimed. "These people are all from Galilee, 8 and yet we hear them speaking the languages of the lands where we were born! 9 Here we are -- Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya toward Cyrene, visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism), 11 Cretans, and Arabians. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!"
Why the Holy Spirit gave this gift of tongue to believers?
The Holy Spirit gave this gift of tongue to edify the individual who has the gift of tongue but rest of the gifts of the Holy Spirit edifies all other believers in the church, fellowship, ...
1 Cor 14:4 - He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.
1 Cor 12:7 - But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:
That is why Paul is encouraging us to desire for gift of Prophesy
1 Cor 14:1 - Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.
Following question helps us to compare with Romans 8:27:
Do all speak in tongues?
Go through the following passage answer this question:
1 Cor 12:30 - 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.
1 Cor 13:1,13 - 1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. ... ... ... 13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
1 Cor 14:1,3 - Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. 2 For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. 3 But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.
This is one of the many gifts given to believers by the Holy Spirit as per the Holy Spirit's desire. So, not all believers will speak in tongues. That is why Paul is asking us to desire for gift of prophesy.
In whose spirit does believers in Christ speak in tongue? or Do the believers who has the gift of tongue speak through the Holy Spirit or speak through their own spirit?
When believers speak in tongue they speak through their own spirit not through the Holy Spirit.
1 Cor 14:2 - For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.
1 Cor 14:14 - For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.
Does the Spirit of God helps in our weakness if the Spirit of God prays on our behalf in the unknown tongue?
It edifies us but the believer who groans will not understand.
1 Cor 14:14,15 - 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.
To understand either we need interpreter or we need the gift of interpretation.
One of the main reason the Spirit of God intercede for us according the will of God and reveals God's will to all the believers who has gift of interpretation or not. Unless we understand the will of God then the Spirit of God is not really helping in our weakness.
Let us compare with Romans 8:26,27 - 26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Following are three major differences:
Here in Romans 8:26-27 God's Spirit is praying but those believers who has the gift of tongue prays in their spirit as in 1 Cor 14:2,14
Here in Romans 8:26-27 God's Spirit helps all the believers by interceding but only those believers who has the gift of tongue can speak in tongue as in 1 Cor 12:30; 14:1,3.
Here in Romans 8:26-27 God's Spirit helps us by interceding for us according the will of God and reveals God's will to all the believers but those believers who has the gift of tongue speak in unknown language and they will not understand.
Based on the scriptures here in Romans 8:26-27
The Spirit of God is not praying in unknown language.
The Spirit of God intercede for any believer who go through deep suffering.
The Spirit of God intercede for in our known language which we could understand. By this way we understand the intercession of the Holy Spirit and know the will of God to overcome our weakness and praise God!
Does this mean praying in the Spirit?
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.We know that Bible requesting believers in Christ to pray in the Holy Spirit through following verses:
Jude 20 - But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
Eph 6:18 - praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--
Believers may not always groan so the Holy Spirit may not helps in our weakness because here these verses says that praying always in the Spirit.
Therefore
Praying in the Spirit does not mean praying in unknown tongue
Praying in the Spirit does not mean that the believers need to go through suffering and groan so that God's Spirit intercede for them.
Praying in the Spirit means be filled in the Holy Spirit and pray to God with understanding:
1 Cor 14:15 - What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.
Eph 5:18b -18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God
Can a believer can combine all three ways of prayer? or Can we pray in our spirit via unknown tongue, pray in the Spirit and allow the Spirit of God to intercede to express our groanings?
Yes, we can combine all the above three ways of prayer.
Never limit the power of God and God's leading. The Holy Spirit will powerfully guide us in our prayers as per the God's will.
Application:
What way the Spirit of God helps the believers practically?
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.Personally He edifies us by interceding for us in our difficult time of suffering.
Personally He reveals us God's will or direction ie the way we need to walk in it.
1 Cor 2:10-11 - 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.
John 16:13-15 - 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
Corporately during the Spirit filled prayer of believers when a believer who leads the prayer prays according to the will of God as per the revelation of the Holy Spirit and other believers who is praying with that believer has received the same revelation by the Holy Spirit then that believer will say amen and agree with the divine revelation. By this way we know the will of God and when we ask anything according to His will then God will answer that prayer request as per the revelation of His will.
Matt 18:19 - Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.
John 14:13 - And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
1 John 5:14 - 14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
Summary: Romans 8:26,27 - 26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
The Spirit of God intercede for any believer who go through deep suffering with our known language which we could understand. By this way we edified and understand the Holy Spirit's prayer and know the will of God to overcome our sufferings that we go through and Praise God!
(Matthew Henry) Though the infirmities of Christians are many and great, so that they would be overpowered if left to themselves, yet the Holy Spirit supports them.The Spirit, as an enlightening Spirit, teaches us what to pray for; as a sanctifying Spirit, works and stirs up praying graces; as a comforting Spirit, silences our fears, and helps us over all discouragements. The Holy Spirit is the spring of all desires toward God, which are often more than words can utter. The Spirit who searches the hearts, can perceive the mind and will of the spirit, the renewed mind, and advocates his cause. The Spirit makes intercession to God, and the enemy prevails not.
(Warren Wiersbe) God is concerned about the trials of His people.
When He was ministering on earth, Jesus groaned when He saw what sin was doing to mankind (Mark 7:34; John 11:33, 38).
Mark 7:34 - Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened."
John 11:33,35,38 - 33 Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. ... 35 - Jesus Wept. (with Lazarus sisters because of the Lazarus's death) .... 38 Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.
Today the Holy Spirit groans with us and feels the burdens of our weaknesses and suffering.
But the Spirit does more than groan. He prays for us in His groaning so that we might be led into the will of God. We do not always know God's will. We do not always know how to pray, but the Spirit, intercedes so that we might live in the will of God in spite of suffering.
The Spirit shares the burden." '
God help believers in Christ during their suffering:
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
I. 28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
What do we know?
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.We know that all things work together for good
To whom all things work together for good?
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.All things work together for good
to those who love God,
to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Who are those who love God and called according to His purpose?
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.Are these believers in Christ?
Since Paul addressing this letter to believers in Christ of Rome so these are believers in Christ who love God and are called according to His purpose.
Do all the believers in Christ needs to love God?
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.Yes, that is the first and great commandment.
Matt 22:37 - 37 Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and great commandment.
John 14:15 - "If you love Me, keep My commandments.
Also this is the outcome of their salvation that shows their love relationship with God.
What makes us to love God?
Think for a moment: What makes us to love someone?
When we experience their love then we will love them back.
Same way believers needs to experience the love of God then we will love God back.
Do we experience God's love first?
Bible clearly teaches that God loves us first.
1 John 4:19 - We love Him because He first loved us.
John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
We will experience the love of God the day we accept Him as Lord and Savior:
Romans 5:5 - Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
What the love of God will do to us?
When we experience God's Love then in responseGod's Love will make us to love Him back in response to His love experience in our heart:
1 John 4:19 - We love Him because He first loved us.
Matt 22:37 - 37 Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and great commandment.
God's Love will compel us to love others:
2 Cor 5:14a For the love of Christ compels us
Matt 22:39 - 39 And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
Do the believers in Christ needs to continue in the love relationship with God?
Yes, the Bible recommends us to keep ourselves in the love of God.
Jude 21 - keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
To continue in the love relationship we need to continuously experience the love of God.
How do the believers in Christ continue in the love relationship with God? or How do the believers in Christ continuously experience the love of God?
As we have already seen in Romans 5:5 the Holy Spirit pours out the love of God in our hearts:
Romans 5:5 - Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
So, we need to continuously filling in the Holy Spirit and keep experiencing the love of God in our heart:
Eph 5:18b -18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
Not only that when we experience the love of God we also experience the peace of God because peace is the byproduct of the God's love:
Gal 5:22 - 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Phil 4:6-7 - 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Col 3:15 - And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
Application: Do you Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind?
Unless we filled with His Holy Spirit we will not seek Him, draw near to Him and love Him.
When you lack His peace or feel dry simply and sincerely ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit. He is faithful and just to fill us with His Holy Spirit.
Luke 11:13 - If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
Do all the believers in Christ are called according to His purpose?
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.Did God called only the apostles like Paul, Peter, or specific group of believers?
For example Jesus touched Paul and prophesized about Paul's calling:
Acts 9:15-16 - :15 But the Lord said to him [Ananias], "Go, for he [Paul] is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake."
God didn't call only the apostles, ministers or some specific group of believers because God commanded everyone to preach the gospel and make disciples by teaching them God's word:
KJV: Matt 28:19-20 - 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo , I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Matt 28:19-20 - 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
Did God has the unique plan for each believer?
Jesus is our example. God the father has unique plan for His Son Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ made that His goal in His life and fulfilled even to His death:
John 6:38 - For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
Luke 22:42 - 41 And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done." 43 Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.
God has unique plan to Peter. He called Peter to feed His sheep:
John 21:17 - He[Jesus] said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep.
God has unique plan to John. God has different plan for John:
John 21:21 - 21 Peter, seeing him [John], said to Jesus, "But Lord, what about this man?" 22 Jesus said to him, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me." 23 Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?"
In a way Jesus is saying to Peter that do not worry about John just do what I have requested you to do. In other words Jesus is saying mind your own business.
Like how God has unique plan for Jesus, Paul, Peter, John, other apostles same way God has unique plan according to His purpose for all the true believers:
NLT: Jer 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
2 Tim 1:9 - who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,
Eph 2:10 - 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
So, God called all believers according to His own purpose with unique plan to each believer.
Application: Do you believe that God has unique and the best plan for your life?
There is nothing wrong is planning but we need to know that God's unique plan for your life is way greater than your plan and in fact it is the best for your lives:
Isaiah 55:8-9 - 8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. 9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
NLT: Isaiah 55:8-9 - 8 "My thoughts are completely different from yours," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."
Who is making all things work together for good to those who love God?
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.1 Corinthians 2:9 - But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
God is making all things not something (both ups and downs of our life) work together for good to those who love God and to those who called according to His own purpose.
Gen 50:19-20 - 19 Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.
Application: Do you panic or worry when you face suffering or persecution even though you love God sincerely and serve Him as per His leading?
Do not panic or worry
Matt 6:27, 31-34 - 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? ... ... ... 31 Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Pour out your worries and concerns He will give you peace that surpasses all our difficult circumstance:
Phil 4:6-7 - 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
So, just relax and be still and know our almighty God:
Ps 46:10 - Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
Romans 8:28 - And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Summary: God is promising to those who love Him sincerely that He will work every ups and downs of their life together for their good and for His good because they were called according to His plan and purpose.
Romans 8:28 - And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
(David Guzik) God's help is an enduring promise; He has the ability to work all things for good and to see us through to glorification.
God's sovereignty and ability to manage every aspect of our lives is demonstrated in the fact that all things work together for good to those who love God, though we must face the sufferings of this present time (Romans 8:18). God is able to make even those sufferings work together for our good and His good.
God is able to work all things, not some things. He works them for good together, not in isolation.
This promise is for those who love God in the Biblical understanding of love, and God manages the affairs of our life because we are called according to His purpose.
II. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
Whom all are predestined?
29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.God predestined those whom He foreknew.
We will go through this in detail below.
Where God predestined those whom He foreknew?
29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He[Jesus] might be the firstborn among many brethren.God predestined them to be conformed to the image of His Son,
We will go through this in detail below.
What more does God do to those He predestined?
30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.(David Guzik) The eternal chain of God's working is seen in the connection between foreknew, predestined, called, justified, and glorified. God didn't begin a work in the Romans simply to abandon them in the midst of their present suffering.
2 Tim 1:9 - who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,
Romans 5:1 - Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
John 17:22 - And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:
What is foreknew?
Past tense of foreknow.
It means to know beforehand or to have knowledge beforehand.
In Greek it is called proginōskō Strong's G4267
Biblically it means
God foreknow of those whom He elected to salvation.
Romans 11:2 - 1 I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying,
It also translated as foreordained or preselected:
1 Peter 1:20 He [Jesus] indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you
Foreknowledge is another word used similar to foreknow.
The root word for foreknowledge (prognōsis) is foreknow.
It means knowledge beforehand , forethought, pre-arrangement.
Only in two places this word is used in NT as foreknowledge:
Acts 2:23 - 21 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.' 22 "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know-- 23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; 24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.
1 Peter 1:2 - 1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.
Who are those whom God foreknew/chose?
29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.There are two major school of thought:
God has chosen certain group of people as per His desire/will to be His believers/followers:
John 15:16 - 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
When?
God chose us before the foundation of the world:
Eph 1:4 - just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
What basis?
As per God's will and sovereign power God elected:
Romans 9:10-13 - 10 And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac 11 (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), 12 it was said to her, "The older shall serve the younger." 13 As it is written, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated."
Jer 1:5 - "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations."
Matt 11:27 - 25 At that time Jesus answered and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. 26 Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. 27 All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.
Matt 19:26 - 23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 25 When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" 26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
The reason they strongly believe this because all of us dead because of our sin and so we do not have capacity to choose the right thing ie to believe in Him:
Eph 2:1 - 1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
Romans 5:21a so that as sin reigned in death,
Romans 3:10-12 - 10 As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one; 11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. 12 They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one."
Romans 7:18 - For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.
So, unless God choose us and touch us like how God touched Paul then we all will perish and suffer in Hell forever and ever:
Acts 9:4-5 - 3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" 5 And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" Then the Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads." 6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what do You want me to do?" Then the Lord said to him, "Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."
Acts 9:16 - 15 But the Lord said to him [Ananias], "Go, for he [Paul] is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake."
Here they boast saying that because God chose them out of many and opens their spiritual eyes so they choose God. They emphasize the sovereign election of God and say there is nothing to do with free will.
God foreknew whether a person will believe in Him or not, out of his/her free will and God has chosen/elected only those people who will believe in Him:
For some immediately after hearing the sovereign election by God people raise the question: Didn't people have free will to chose God?
God didn't create Adam and Eve as robot.
If God would have created them as robot then God might have preprogrammed them to do only the things as He wants and God never might have given the freedom and choice.
God created Adam and Eve and gave free will to Adam and expected him to exercise his free will. That is the reason God asked them to eat everything except the fruit from one tree.
Out of free fill Adam and Eve choose to disobey God and obey Satan.
Romans 6:16 - Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
Because of free will God knocking at the door of our heart to accept Him as Lord and Savior:
Rev 3:20 - Behold, I [Jesus] stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
Because of free will God is asking believers to obey His commandment if they love Him:
John 14:15 - "If you love Me, keep My commandments.
This group of people emphasize the free will and claim that even though sin entered and made us dead due to our sinful lifestyle but we have capacity to choose right from wrong
because...When sin entered Adam/Eve/humans received the capacity to know good and evil.
In other words Adam & Eve's sin introduce the knowledge to identify the good and evil:Gen 3:22 - Then the Lord God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever"--.
God given conscience is still active to discern right from wrong:
Romans 2:14-16 - 14 for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, 15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) 16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.
This is the reason Jesus keep saying everyone to believe in Him:
John 3:16-18 - 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
God will foreknow or knows beforehand whether the people will believe in Him or not:
John 5:40,42 - 39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. 41 I do not receive honor from men. 42 But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you.
John 6:64 - 64 But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.
So, God foreknew those people who will believe in Him out of their free will and God has chosen/elected them before they were born or before the foundation of this world:
1 Peter 1:2 - 1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.
1 Kings 8:39 - then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and act, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men),
Here they boast saying that because we choose God out of free will God choose us.
Did we choose God? or Did God choose us? or
Did we choose God because God chose us first? or
Did God choose us because we chose God?These questions sounds like chicken and the egg problem ... this is unsolvable according to world's point of view.
Is it possible to find answer from the Bible for the "chicken and the egg problem"?
Yes, the Word of God clearly teaches that God created cock and hen, from their union hen lay eggs and hen hatches those eggs and produces the chicken.
Same way even though these questions seems complicated but when we dig into the Word of God we will find answers that we needed and if God wants us to know.
Let us go through in detail...
How then God foreknew/chose certain group of people as His believers/followers? or What basis did God really choose us?
Both the school of thoughts bases on holy scriptures and each of them emphasizes certain aspects of the truth and they are interpreted based on their personal experience.
Did God foreknew/elected/chose certain group of people to be a believers of Him as per His will and leave the rest to perish?
Does it raise any question/thought in your mind if we interpret God chose certain group of people as per His desire/will and not based on free will?
If we interpret God chose certain group of people as per His desire/will and not based on free will
then we emphasize the sovereign power of God butit makes our God unrighteous and
it states that our God shows partiality.
it states that our God didn't love all the people in the world:
Bible clearly states that our
God is righteous,
Romans 9:14 - 10 And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac 11 (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), 12 it was said to her, "The older shall serve the younger." 13 As it is written, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated." 14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! 15 For He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion." 16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.
God never show partiality and
Romans 2:11 - For there is no partiality with God.
God loves the whole world:
John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Here if we take all scriptures so for we have gone through into consideration and based on the overall counsel of God without ignoring any portion of scripture then we will find the best answer with the help of God.
Bible clearly describe the sequence based on the above scriptures:
Sin put everyone in condemned state destined to suffer in hell:
John 3:18 - He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
The same sin introduced Adam, Eve and the entire humanity the capacity to know good and evil:
Gen 3:22 - Then the Lord God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever"--
Romans 2:14-16 - 14 for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, 15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) 16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.
God loves everyone and desires everyone to save:
1 Tim 2:4 - 3 - For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
God will foreknow or knows beforehand whether the people will believe in Him or not:
John 6:64 - 64 But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.
John 5:40,42 - 39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. 41 I do not receive honor from men. 42 But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you.
God puts every effort behind the seen to draw everyone to believe in Him:
God has revealed Himself to the entire humanity through His general revelation..
Rom 1:20 - For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
God has given the entire humanity the capacity/ability to know/identify the truth.
Rom 1:19,21 - because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
God created each one of us and placed us uniquely in different geographical location to make us to seek Him.
Acts 17:26,27 - 24 God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. 25 Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. 26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
God draws the entire humanity to believe in Jesus:
John 6:44 - No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.
Holy Spirit draws the entire humanity to believe in Jesus:
John 16:8,9 - 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
God loves all the people in the world and sent His only Son Jesus Christ to the world and saved those who believe in Him:
John 3:16-18 - 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
God knocks at the door of each and everyone's heart:
Rev 3:20 - Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
So, without God's faithful work it is impossible to choose Him out of our free will as Lord and Savior and believe in Him:
Matt 19:26 - 23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 25 When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" 26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
God will foreknow or knows beforehand whether the people will believe in Him or not:
John 5:40,42 - 39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. 41 I do not receive honor from men. 42 But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you.
John 6:64 - 64 But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. 65 And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father." 66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.
So, God foreknew those people who will believe in Him and chose/elected them before they were born or before the foundation of this world:
1 Peter 1:2 - 1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.
God Sends evangelist, missionaries to preach the gospel:
Romans 10:11-17 - 13 For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." 14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!" 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our report?" 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God
Heard the gospel and believe in Him on their own free will:
Romans 10:9-10 - 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.
Eph 1:13-14 - 13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
Romans 3:28 - Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.
Heb 11:6 - But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Our faith in God alone saves us. We are not saved with our deeds:
Romans 1:17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."
Romans 4:24 - 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 22 And therefore "it was accounted to him for righteousness." 23 Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, 24 but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.
We are saved with the great work of God and through our faith.
Note: Without the saving work of God it is impossible to choose Him with our free will.Eph 2:8-9 - 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Matt 19:26 - But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
So, God has foreknew/chose/elected those people who will believe in Him out of their free will and He foreknew them before they were born or before the foundation of this world:
1 Peter 1:2 - elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.
God chose us before the foundation of the world:
Eph 1:4 - just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
After God doing all these things there are some out of their free will suppress the truth by their unrighteousness and will not believe in Him:
Romans 1:18-21 - 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Rev 16:9,11 - 9 And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.10 Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. 11 They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.
God called all but only few accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior out of their free will:
1 Tim 2:4 - 3 - For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Matt 20:16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen."
Therefore, before the foundation of the world God foreknew/chose those who will believe Jesus Christ and accept Him as Lord and Savior out of their free will.
Application:
Application: Warnings: How not to interpret the word of God?
Never interpret the word of God based on your personal experience alone.
Never emphasize one set of scriptures and ignore the rest of the scriptures.
Never pick a verse or a passage and come up with new theology, but go through all the counsel of God and understand and know God.
Never think that Bible is compiled by many authors.
Even though God's word written by different writers in different time period but God is the author for whole scriptures. All scriptures are inspired by God:
2 Tim 3:16,17 - 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Never think that scriptures contradict each other if you could not interpret or understand rightly.
Scriptures never contradict but complement each other.
Never limit the understanding based on your capacity or ignore certain scriptures if you do not understand.
Read the Bible with open mindedness and expect God to reveal the truth He will teach us through His Holy Spirit:
1 John 2:27 - But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.
Do we really need to reach out all non-believers even though God foreknew those who will believe in Him?
God knows who will never believe in Him forever.
Since our God loves everyone so God will do His level best to reveal Himself to all everyone either they are potential believer or they are going to remain as non-believers:
Mat 25:31-46 - 31 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' 37 Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40 And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.' 41 Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.' 44 Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?' 45 Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
So, we need to reach out everyone and we need to do that as per His Holy Spirit's leading.
Summary:
God has foreknew/chose those people who will believe in Him out of their free will and He foreknew/chose them before they were born or before the foundation of this world:
1 Peter 1:2 - elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.
Eph 1:4 - just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
Before the foundation of the world God foreknew/chose future believers who will accept Him as Lord and Savior out of their free will.
What is predestined?
Past tense of predestine.
It means to destine in advance; foreordain; predetermine
In Greek it is called proorizō Strong's G4309
Biblically it means to predetermine, decide beforehand in the NT of God decreeing from eternity to foreordain, appoint beforehand, predetermine the destiny.
It is used 7 times in following four verses and 3 times in Romans 8:29,30.
Acts 4:28 - 27 "For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.
NIV: Acts 4:28 - 27 Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you [God] anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.
1 Cor 2:7 - 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Eph 1:5 - having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
Eph 1:11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,
Whom all are predestined?
29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.As we have already gone through the study about "Whom God foreknew" we came to know that "Before the foundation of the world God foreknew/chose future believers who will accept Him as Lord and Savior out of their free will".
So, God predestined those whom He foreknew/chose before the foundation of the world.
Is predestination is only for Christians(i.e. true believers in Christ)?
Yes, predestination is only for Christians i.e. to true believers who deny their self and follow Him.
God doesn't need to predestined anyone to hell/condemnation because we all are sinners by birth so we all are in condemned state.
Basically we all are in condemned state by birth because all are sinners by birth. Whomever believes in Jesus Christ are not condemned i.e. only those who will not believe in Jesus Christ till they die will be condemned:
John 3:18-21 - 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."
Rom 1:18b,19 - 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.
(Warren Wiersbe) Predestination applies only to saved people.
Nowhere are we taught that God predestines people to be eternally condemned. If they are condemned, it is because of their refusal to trust Christ (John 3:18-21).
God predestined His believers, His followers or Christians.
Where does God predestined Christians or believers in Christ?
God predestined Christians or believers in Christ to heaven:
God predestined Christians to be conformed to the image of His Son:
Romans 8:29 - For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
1 Cor 1:5-8 - 4 I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, 5 that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, 6 even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, 7 so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord
2 Cor 3:18 - But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
NLT: 2 Cor 3:18 - And all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.
God predestined Christians to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will:
Eph 1:4-5 - 3 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 should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
What really does God do as a part of predestination to the believers in Christ or Christians?
29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.God has given those whom He foreknew (believe in Him) to Jesus Christ:
John 6:65 - And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."
Matt 11:27 - 25 At that time Jesus answered and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. 26 Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. 27 All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.
God has given His Holy Spirit as a guarantee/down payment or sealed us with His Holy Spirit to believers until they see Jesus Christ and God face to face either after their death or taken up (raptured) to heaven before the Great Tribulation:
Eph 1:13 - 13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
NLT: Ephesians 1:13-14 - 13 And now you also have heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God's guarantee that he will give us everything he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. This is just one more reason for us to praise our glorious God.
2 Cor 5:5 - Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
John 14:16 - And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever
1 Cor 6:19 - 17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.
God's Spirit within believer gives life to their mortal body:
Romans 8:11 - But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
God enlighten those whom God foreknew (ie those who believe in Him):
2 Cor 4:6 - 3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake. 6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
The counselor i.e. the Holy Spirit guides us by revealing the God's truth and will:
John 16:13-15 - 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
God guard and protect us by not allowing enemy ie Satan to snatch believers away from Him:
John 10:29 - 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone 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 My Father's hand.
Jesus Christ is interceding for us:
Romans 8:34 - Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
1 John 2:1 - My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
God will defend on our behalf if anyone harm/attack us or No one can be against us if God is for us:
Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
Romans 12:19 - Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord
God's love endures forever or No one and nothing can separate us from the love of God:
Romans 8:39 - 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Ps 118:1 - Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
God allow all necessary circumstances and situation as a refiners fire to make our faith strong in Him:
1 Peter 1:6,7 - 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith--the salvation of your souls.
1 Peter 4:12 - 12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
God will work all things together in our life according to His will:
Romans 8:28 - And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Eph 1:11 - 11 - In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
Jonah - God didn't remain silent and just wait for Jonah's permission/will. He corner down Jonah and made him to submit to Him.
Application: So, do not run against God's will once you surrender your life to God
Phil 1:6 - being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
(Smith) "Of course I believe in predestination, since it's plainly taught in the Scriptures. The doctrine could be assumed, even if the word was never explicitly used. It's a thrilling truth that doesn't upset me at all. The fact that He chose me and began a good work in me proves that He'll continue to perform it. He wouldn't bring me this far and then dump me."
Our God is the author and finisher of our faith:
Heb 12:2 - 1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
(Morris) "Paul is saying that God is the author of our salvation, and that from beginning to end. We are not to think that God can take action only when we graciously give him permission."
When did God add/write believers names in the Book of Life?
Do God keep adding and removing names from the book of life?
Interpretation I: God adds/writes the name in the Book of Life whenever a person believe in Him and removes whenever a believer denies God utterly due to backsliding slowly or left the faith deliberately.
This approach
Emphasize only the freewill
Discounts the all knowing power of God or the foreknowledge of God.
This approach discounts the Sovereign power, Grace of our God and teaches that we earn or lose salvation based on our deeds. It is up to us to earn and keep the salvation.
Denies the predestination and the work of God for the believers. Denies verses such as
Phil 1:6 - being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
John 10:29 - 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone 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 My Father's hand.
2 Cor 5:5 - Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
John 14:16 - And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever
This approach also makes our God busy by adding and removing names based on our deeds:
Assume if a person accepted Christ and followed God on and off then God adds him and removes him from the book based on his deeds.
If a believer follows God just before he dies then Jesus will add his name in the book and he goes to heaven after his death.
If a believer does not follows God just before he dies then Jesus will remove his name in the book and he will not go to heaven after his death.
Is this fair? or Is this what Bible teaches?
This will introduce the concept that God will weigh good and bad on judgment day let the people into heaven.
God uses Gospel to judge on the Final judgment. Those who believe once they die the will be taken in to heaven as Luke 16 as described in Lacarus and Rich man's death.
2 Cor 5:8 - We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
Interpretation II: God has all human beings names in the Book of Life before the foundation of the world and removes name when a person deny God utterly by blaspheming the Holy Spirit.
This approach seams great but discounts the All knowing ability of our God so it denies the verses such as God choose and saved us for a specific purpose before the foundation of the world.
KJV: 2 Tim 1:9 - Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
Rev 13:8 - All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Rev 17:8 - The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
They use the following verses to come up with their interpretation but these verses conflict with Rev 13:8 & Rev 17:8 so these verses may be warning to believers not for the non believers.
Ex 32:32 - Yet now, if You will forgive their sin--but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written." 33 And the Lord said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book.
Rev 3:5 - He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
So, this is may not the correct interpretation.
Therefore God will not play a game removing and adding.
We have already gone through that God foreknew/chose those who believe in Him before the foundation of the world in Who are those whom God foreknew/chose?
Romans 8:29 - For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
So, following interpretation is not considered at all ...
Interpretation III : Before the foundation of the world God by His Sovereign power chosen some group of people and added their names in the Book of Life. Here God's election is not based on individual freewill but by His own (random) choice.
This approach emphasize the Sovereign power, and
this implies that our God shows partiality in choosing specific group of people to heaven and leave the rest condemned in Hell,
this also makes our God unrighteous,
and discount foreknowledge of God or all knowing ability of our God.
Is it hard for our God to foreknew whether a person produce fruit once he believe in Him?
No, our God foreknew whether a person believe, follow and produce fruit. He sees our beginning till the end.
Nothing is too hard for the Lord.
Our God is author and finisher of our faith (Heb 12:2).
God added them by foreknowing our life before the foundation of the world:
Eph 1:4 - just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
Rev 13:8 - All who dwell on the earth will worship him [the Antichrist], whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
NASB: Rev 13:8 - All who dwell on the earth will worship him [the Antichrist], everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.
Rev 17:8 - The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
Therefore, (Interpretation IV:) "Before the foundation of the world by His foreknowledge God added/written those names who believe in God out of their free will".
This approach never discount Sovereign power, all knowing or foreknowledge, righteousness or any other attributes of our God.
This may make believer to relax and live on their own way if they didn't develop the love relationship and walk with Him as per His plan.
Matt 11:29-30 - 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
Warning: But never forget that our God is the Sovereign God so He is sovereign enough to remove the names from the Book of Life anytime:
God warns all of us through the following verses so that we will know that He has power and authority to remove our name from the book of life:
Ex 32:33 - And the Lord said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book.
Rev 22:19 - 18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Rev 3:5 is more of assurance from God than warning:
Rev 3:5 - who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
Similar scriptures in the Bible:
Ex 32:32 - Yet now, if You will forgive their sin--but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written."
Rom 9:3 - (similar to Ex 32:32) - 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh,
Ps 69:28 - Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, And not be written with the righteous.
Why God predestined Christians or believers in Christ?
29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.Following are the three major reason God predestined Christians or believers in Christ:
God predestined Christians so that Jesus might be the firstborn among many brethren:
Romans 8:29 - For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Christians or believers in Christ are predestined by God so that Jesus Christ might be the firstborn among many believers.
What is firstborn among many brethren?
Eldest child among all children.
(David Guzik) (the ancient Greek word prototokos) can describe either priority in time or supremacy in rank. As Paul used it here, he probably had both ideas in mind, with Jesus being before all created things and Jesus being of a supremely different order than all created things.
(Peake) "Prototokos in its primary sense expresses temporal priority, and then, on account of the privileges of the firstborn, it gains the further sense of dominion. . . Whether the word retains anything of its original meaning here is doubtful."
The Firstborn here refers to preeminence of Jesus Christ. He is preeminent among all those who are or will be resurrected. There is no one above Him or greater than Him. For more details about firstborn read What does firstborn mean? in Jesus Christ is the Firstborn article.
Col 1:15 - He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
Col 1:18 - And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things
Warnings:
Firstborn doesn't mean that Jesus born first because Jesus is God and He is not a created being.
(David Guzik) In no way does the title firstborn indicate that Jesus is less than God.
Jesus is already firstborn/preeminent/supreme so believers are not making Him as firstborn.
It means ...
(David Guzik) He adopts us into His family (Romans 8:15) for the purpose of making us like Jesus Christ, similar to Him in the perfection of His humanity.
God adopted and predestined all the believers to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ so that people who see Christians has to see Jesus Christ not in outward appearance but through their inner character especially the love of God. By this way Christians prove that their eldest brother is Jesus Christ. So, that non-believers will come to them to know about Jesus Christ.
John 17:22-26 - 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. 24 Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."
How many of you parents who put all your effort to make your children to do well for your family name's sake?
Even if we do this to our children how much more our God can put all his effort to confirm His children to the image of Jesus Christ:
Ps 23:3 - He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake.
NLT: Ps 23:3 - He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.
God is doing this to His children believers for His name's sake and he loves us.
God predestined Christians according to the good pleasure of His will:
Eph 1:4-5 - 3 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 should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
Eph 1:9 - 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth--in Him.
Phil 2:13 - for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
NLT: Phil 2:13 - For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him.
Because God predestined Christians because God really enjoy working with believers.
God predestined Christians according to His purpose:
Eph 1:11-12 - 11 - In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
Romans 8:28 - And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Heb 12:2 - looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
This means God has purpose for our life, God has unique plan for every believer in Christ.
NIV: Jer 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
He saved us for His own purpose and He will walk us through as per His plan
2 Tim 1:9 - who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,
Eph 2:10 - 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
NLT: Eph 2:10 - For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Acts 13:2 - 1 Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, "Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." 3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.
God doesn't want us to be ignorant:
PS 32: 9 - Do not be like the horse or like the mule, Which have no understanding, Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, Else they will not come near you.
Psalm 32:8 - 8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.
Psalm 37:4-5,23-24 - 4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass... ... 23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way. 24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand.
John 16:13-15 - 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
Phil 2:13 - for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
NLT: Phil 2:13 - For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him.
Application: Do you leading your life as per your plan? or Do you allow God to lead and Do you follow Him as per His leading according to His plan and purpose?
Of course we all plan for
vacation, what to study, where to live, where to work or do business, when to marry, what qualification our spouse has to have, what work our spouse has to do, how many kids to have, ...
There is nothing wrong is planning but let us see what he Bible teaches about our plans:
Proverbs 16:9 - A man's heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.
Proverbs 19:21 - There are many plans in a man's heart, Nevertheless the LORD's counsel--that will stand.
Proverbs 21:2 - Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the hearts.
So, the Bible clearly teaches that we plan as per our ability, our likes and dislikes.
All these verses are ties with God because God has unique plan for each believer in Christ.
That is why James says ...
James 4:13-15 - 13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit"; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that."
So,
We need to believe God has unique plan for each believer in Christ:
NIV: Jer 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
We need to know God's plans are way greater than our plans and it is the best for our lives:
Isaiah 55:8-9 - 8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. 9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
Always wait for God's guidance when you make any decision especially important decision:
Isaiah 30:21 - Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.
Proverbs 3:5-6 - 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Now, What?
God foreknew/chose future believers who believe in him out of their free will and God predestined or secured them through adoption and by working on their character until the believer was reached safely to heaven.
Shall we ask by faith to bless God financially and materially and lead a own happy life?
Shall we claim by faith all the financially and materially blessing and live a worldly prosperous life?
How predestination and the believer's responsibility works together?
God gave the promise in Philippians 1:6 that the work that He has started in each believer will complete it:
Phil 1:6 - being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
Does God work independently without the believers and complete the work He started in them?
He can and able to work independently but God expect us to work together or coordinate with Him by obeying as per His direction.
In fact God gives the task to believers and expect them to complete with the help of God:
NIV: Revelation 3:2 - Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God
(David Guzik) However, our participation in this eternal plan is essential, reflected in its goal: that we might be conformed to the image of His Son; and this is a process that God does with our cooperation, not something He just "does" to us.
If any believer delights in Him and eager to do His will then He will put his will/desire/burden in our heart and give you power to obey Him.
Phil 2:13 - for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
NLT: Phil 2:13 - For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him.
Ps 37:4 - Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Can a believer remain sinless from the day one when he/she started to believe in God?
No, it is impossible to remain sinless perfection from the day one when they started to believe in God. That is the reason God gave following verses:
1 John 1:10 - If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
Gal 5:16-18 - 16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
At the same time believers not to be remain in sin but when we sin
1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 2:1 - My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous
In reality ...
Some believers grieve and/or quench the Holy Spirit who lives with in us:
Eph 4:30 - And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
1 Thes 5:19 - Do not quench the Spirit.
Many believers struggle serving two masters, i.e. they try to satisfy God and the world (job, money,...)
Matt 6:32,33 - 24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
How then God has predestined us to confirm to the image of Christ? and How then God will complete the work that He started in every believer in Christ?
Does God let the believers go astray or allow enemy to snatch them away?
No, God never let any true believer to go astray or He never allow enemy to snatch you away from Him:
John 10:29 - 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone 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 My Father's hand.
Romans 8:35,39 - 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Does God warn or gently remind believers when they will not coordinate with Him?
Yes, God warn and gently remind us:
Rev 2:4-5 - 4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place--unless you repent.
What God will do if believer didn't repent even when God gently warned or reminded their sin?
Does God discipline His believers/children?Yes God discipline His believers because they are His children and He loves them and transforming them to confirm to His image:
Heb 12:5 - And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives."
Does God's discipline is gentle or painful?
God's discipline is painful:
Heb 12:11 - Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Rev 2:21-23 - 20 Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. 22 Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. 23 I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.
Does God discipline every believer?
Yes, every true believer will go through His discipline because some point in time every believer will rebel against God:
Heb 12:5-11 - 5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives." 7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
For example:
Jonah - God didn't remain silent and just wait for Jonah's permission/will. He corner down Jonah and made him to submit to Him.
When David sinned with Bathsheba God didn't remove his name from the book of Life but He disciplined him severely.
Psalm 32:1-2 - 1 A Psalm of David. A Contemplation. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit.
Romans 4:6-7 - 6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: 7 "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin."
So as a believer in Christ and once you surrender your life to God:
do not run against God's will.
God will help you in your unbelief and
give you power to overcome sin by filling you by His Holy Spirit.
What are all the believer's responsibilities?
In faith obey God's commandment and produce fruits:
Saving/Genuine faith will produce fruit. If your faith not producing fruit then you are not saved at all or you have backslidden badly:
James 2:26 - For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
To produce fruit we need to abide with Jesus Christ:
John 15:5 - I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing
To do above we need to deny our self and seek His Kingdom first:
Luke 9:23 - Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
Matt 6:33 - 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
This is not enough we need to power to accomplish the God given task.
This is done only with the power and work of the Holy Spirit:Romans 8:11,13 - 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. 12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors--not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
In faith yield to the Holy Spirit and obey His leading, who lead according to God's unique plan for you:
Romans 7:6 But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.
Gal 5:16-18 - 16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
John 16:13-14 - 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.
Romans 8:14 - For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
If you are not sure what to do or which direction to go then
Jer 33:3 - 'Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.'
Always approach God in faith or Never hesitate to go to God (the throne of grace) in faith:
Romans 5:2 - 1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God
Hebrews 4:16 - Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Warning: Never try to please God with your works or flesh. Only please God by faith:
Romans 8:8 - So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Heb 11:6 - But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
We entered in to God's Kingdom by faith and let us continue walk in faith till we see Jesus Christ:
2 Cor 5:7 - For we walk by faith, not by sight.
Romans 1:17 - For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."
NLT: Romans 1:17 - 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."
Application:
Heb 12:1,2 - 1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Do Christian or the believers in Christ has free will to deny God utterly?
Let us go through this in detail from the basic:
Do Christian or the believers in Christ has free will?
Every human being has free will and once they become believer God didn't remove the believer's free will:
Luke 9:23 - Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
Does God respect our free will?
Sure, God respect our free will. So, He expects us to obey His commandments only if we love Him:
John 14:15 - "If you love Me, keep My commandments.
Do Christian or the believers in Christ has free will to disobey God?
Christian or the believers in Christ are freed from bondage of sin:
Romans 6:7 - For he who has died has been freed from sin.
So, believers has choice either to choose to obey God or choose to obey their self or Satan.
Romans 6:16 - Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
NLT: Romans 6:16 - Don't you realize that whatever you choose to obey becomes your master? You can choose sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God and receive his approval.
Does believers can hold on to their will like how they were before accepting Christ?
Is anything good dwells within us?
No, nothing good dwells within us:
Romans 7:18 - For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.
All believers before accepting Jesus Christ were lived a sinful lifestyle focused on their self:
Eph 2:1 - 1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
Once anyone become believer they need to adopt the new culture built on God's moral teachings in the Bible:
Eph 4:17-24 - 17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Eph 5:1,2 - 1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. ... ... ...
Eph 5:8 - For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.
Col 3:8-10 - 8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.
If a believer didn't grow in the grace of God to deny their self then they need to question their salvation.
What needs to happen to the believer's free will?
Luke 9:23 - Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
Establishes the Lord and bondslave relationship:
2 Cor 12:3 - Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit
This is what Jesus demonstrated in His life while He lived here on the earth:
John 6:38 - For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
Luke 22:42 - 41 And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done." 43 Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.
That is the reason Jesus taught us:
Matt 6:32,33 - 24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. 25 "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 28 So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Same way if a believer instead of deny himself and exercise his free will and denies Jesus Christ utterly then he in first place not a true believer at all.
What more God does to Christians once He predestined?
29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.God called all the believers whom He predestined: God called all the believers to serve in His kingdom. We have already gone through this in Romans 8:28.
Romans 8:28 - And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
God justified all the believers whom He called: God justified or saved us with His purpose. We have already gone through this in detail in Romans 3:19 through Romans 5:1.
Romans 3:19-26 - 19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Romans 5:1 - Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
God glorified all believers whom He justified: God has already glorified all the believers in Christ (John 17:22); the revelation of the glory awaits the coming of the Lord (Rom. 8:18).
Romans 8:18 - For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
John 17:22-26 - 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. 24 Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."
Does these mean "once saved always saved"?
29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.Do we have this saying/statement "once saved always saved" in the Bible?
No, like we do not have the word Trinity in the Bible same way this saying is not in the Bible but group of believers come up with this based on verses that refers to eternal security.
NLT: Ephesians 1:13-14 - 13 And now you also have heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God's guarantee that he will give us everything he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. This is just one more reason for us to praise our glorious God.
2 Cor 5:5 - Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
Is it important like Trinity that all Christians needs to accept it?
No, like Trinity this is not the required theology that every Christians needs to accepted it .
In fact some Christians/believers will hate this saying.
Why some believers hate this saying?
Because this type of saying makes the believers to live as they like i.e. worldly not Godly
They believe that they may lose salvation without working for God.
They may point verses such as
1 Tim 4:1 - 1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
2 Peter 2:20-22 - 20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. 21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit," and, "a sow [pig], having washed, to her wallowing in the mire."
And they emphasize following verse and underestimate the work, grace and love of God:
Phil 4:12-14 - 12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
All these verses are true and we should not discount these but at the same time we should not emphasize our works and put down rest of the verses that refers the great work of God that He did to save us.
What do you say about this saying based on what God has done for our salvation?
So far we have seen the work of God on our behalf regarding salvation and our responsibility:
Jesus is the author and finisher of each and every believer's faith. He orchestrated many things for the believers by leading, guiding, protecting/securing them.
As the true believers who has genuine saving faith that produces fruit by
denying themselves,
abiding with Jesus and
obeying the leading of the Holy Spirit.
These believers will eventually reduce exercising the free will but volunteers to be bond slave to God and say "not my will let God's will be done". For any reason if they backslide or rebel against God by exercising their free will then God will discipline them out of love bring them back to Him.
If we say that since believers has free will so it is difficult to say that "once saved always saved". In this case we are saying the work that God started in each believer may not complete it based on believer's coordination. Here we discount God's foreknowing power and ability to accomplish His promise but emphasizing believer's free will which he needs to deny.
Let us understand this better by going through the Sowing the Seed parable:
Matt 13:1-9,18-23 - 1 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. 2 And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. 3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: "Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" ... ... ... 18 "Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. 20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. 22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."
Who is really saved according to this parable and the Bible?
In this parable it is clear that people who has genuine faith will produce fruits:
Matt 13:23 - But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."
This is why James says faith without works/fruit is not genuine saving faith ...
James 2:20-26 - 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Romans 4:20-22 - 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 22 And therefore "it was accounted to him for righteousness."
Therefore those who have genuine faith in God then they will produce some fruits by abiding in Jesus Christ. We can see this in life of Abraham.
God by His foreknowledge saved Abraham when he believed in God i.e. when God promised Abraham at his 86 years (Gen 15:4-5).
After stumbling with Hagar God reiterate the promise at the age of 99 and God fulfilled part of the promise by blessing Isaac when he is 100 years old (Gen 17:17,21).
Later at the age of 130 God requested Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Through his obedience God demonstrated to all of us His foreknowledge and Abraham's genuine saving faith that produces fruit (Gen 22:1,15).
In other words whenever the Bible talks about faith then it will produce fruit. If anyone have faith that does not produce fruit then it is not genuine saving faith or it is not faith at all.
Note: We all know that we are saved by grace through faith. The thief on the cross is saved by grace through his faith just before his death. He didn't get a chance to produce fruit before his death. But given a chance to him that he must have produced fruit because God knows these things through His foreknowledge. Same way those who accept Jesus as their Lord and savior on their death bed will go to heaven if their faith is genuine. God knows their heart. Given an opportunity they will produce fruit.
Eph 2:8-9 - 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Who are all saved according to God?
According to God, He foreknew those who believes in Him and produce fruits by denying himself and abiding in Jesus Christ and obeying the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Matt 13:23 - But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."
Who are all saved according to us?
But we humans see outwardly and we cannot foresees like how God foresee whether a the person believed will produce fruit or not. We call them believers those who received the gospel and confessed that Jesus is Lord and savior. We never know whether he/she confessed out of emotion, or due to pressure like how the seed fall on wayside, stony places and thorns. If they didn't rooted and grounded in the word and love of God or didn't come to the church regularly then we say that person left the faith:
Matt 13:19-21 - 18 "Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. 20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. 22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.
We cannot see clearly as God sees. For this reason we say that they left the faith, gone astray, ...
Only God and the individual knows whether a person is really saved or not. Others may not know.
Based on God's foreknowledge if God says a person is saved as He said to Abraham when he believed in Him then that person will remain believer even though he may sin like David or backslide like Solomon but God will discipline them, intercede for them, guide/lead them until He sees them in heaven.
If you understand the God's work on the cross for our salvation and God's continual work on our behalf to stay and serve in His kingdom then you will never question the eternal security that God offers instead you will be thankful to God and serve as a bondslave.
Application:
Each one of us know whether we committed our life to God or not.
If you are really committed your life to God then
Never waver and worry about your salvation.
Never serve God just
to enter into His kingdom and
to protect your salvation.
We are saved by grace not by our works. Let us continue approaching God by faith
We need to fear God but at the same time never live in fear. Instead develop the love relation with God.
Let us live in the freedom and eternal security that Jesus offers
Romans 8:31,34,35 - 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ... ... ... ... ... 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Allow God to work within you so that our faith will produce fruit.
Ps 37:24 - 23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He [God] delights in his way. 24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand. 25 I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.
Never forget God will lead you according to His plan and purpose as He prepared for you before the foundation of the world for His good pleasure.
Psalm 32:8 - 8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.
Is 55:8-9 - 8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. 9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
Let us serve Him dedicatedly as per His leading like how Paul and Jeremiah served God even in their difficult ministry that God called him to do.
Due to people's opposition many times he tried to quit but couldn't quit the ministry which God gave it to him:
Jer 20:9 - 9 Then I said, "I will not make mention of Him, Nor speak anymore in His name." But His word was in my heart like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, And I could not. 10 For I heard many mocking: "Fear on every side!" "Report," they say, "and we will report it!" All my acquaintances watched for my stumbling, saying, "Perhaps he can be induced; Then we will prevail against him, And we will take our revenge on him." 11 But the Lord is with me as a mighty, awesome One. Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail. They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper. Their everlasting confusion will never be forgotten.
NLT: Phil 3:12-14 - 12 I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.
Heb 12:1,2 - 1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Summary: (Warren Wiersbe) The believer never need to faint in times of suffering and trial because he knows that God is at work in the world (Rom. 8:28), and that He has a perfect plan (Rom. 8:29); God has two purposes in that plan: our good and His glory. Ultimately, He will make us like Jesus Christ! Best of all God's plan is going to succeed! It started in eternity past when He choose us in Christ (Eph. 1:4-5). He predetermined that one day we would be like His Son. Predestination applies only to saved people. Nowhere are we taught that God predestines people to be eternally condemned. If they are condemned, it is because of their refusal to trust Christ (John 3:18-21). Those whom He chose, He called (see 2 Thes. 2:13-14); when they responded to His call, He justified them, He also glorified them. This means that the believer has already been glorified in Christ (John 17:22); the revelation of the glory awaits the coming of the Lord (Rom. 8:21-23).
How can we Christians ever be discouraged and frustrated when we already share the glory of God?'
Our suffering today only guarantees that much more glory when Jesus Christ returns!
2 Thes 2:13-14 - 13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, 14 to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Eternal Security in God:
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
To whom God is for? or Is God is for terrorist/jihadist?
(David Guzik) Most all men say or think that God is for them - terrorists commit horrible crimes thinking that God is for them. Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit guards this statement with an "if," so we may know that just because a man thinks God is with him does not make it so.
(David Guzik) God is only for us if we are reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ.
(David Guzik) We certainly can be deceived into thinking that God is for us when He actually is not (as do cultists and those like them). Yet it cannot be denied that for those who are in Jesus Christ, God is for them!
Does God is for all believers or Does God draw near to those who draw near to Him?
If God draw near only to those who draw to Him then no one might have saved in first place. The Bible clearly teaches that God first loved us:
1 John 4:19 - We love Him because He first loved us.
At the same time God will draw near to those who draw near to Him. There is no doubt that there is always more intimacy based on how much we love Him:
James 4:8 - Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
In general God's love towards believers are not based on how much we love Him.
Always remind yourself by going through list of things God has done for the believers:
We have already gone through these already as a part of Predestination under this topic "What really does God do as a part of predestination to the believers in Christ or Christians?"
God is for us and God demonstrated these to us through out the Bible. Paul explains these in the following verses.
How God demonstrated or proved to all of us that God is for all the believers?
God demonstrated this by sending His son
to deliver us from our sinful lifestyle and
He is our Savior:
John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Romans 8:32 - He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
Romans 5:8 - But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
He will closely watches us and lead us because we are His apple of His eyes
Deut 32:10 - 10 "He found him in a desert land And in the wasteland, a howling wilderness; He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye. 11 As an eagle stirs up its nest, Hovers over its young, Spreading out its wings, taking them up, Carrying them on its wings, 12 So the Lord alone led him, And there was no foreign god with him. 13 "He made him ride in the heights of the earth, That he might eat the produce of the fields; He made him draw honey from the rock, And oil from the flinty rock;
Zec 2:8 - For thus says the Lord of hosts: "He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye. 9 For surely I will shake My hand against them, and they shall become spoil for their servants. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me.
He is our hedge of protection:
Ps 91:2,14-16 - 2 I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust." ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 14 "Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. 15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation."
to bless us freely in all areas materially, spiritually, physically and emotionally:
Romans 8:32 - He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
(David Guzik) If the Father already gave His ultimate gift, how can we think that He won't give us the smaller gifts?
(Warren Wiersbe) The argument here is from the lesser to the greater., If when we were sinners, God gave us His best, now that we are God's children, will He not give us all that we need? Jesus used this same argument when He tried to convince people that it was foolish to worry and fear. God cares for the birds and sheep, and even for the lilies; surely He will care for you! God is dealing with His own on the basis of Calvary grace,' not on the basis of Law. God freely gives all things to His own!
He will grant our request if we pray according to His will:
1 John 5:14-15 - 14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
God is always for us no matter how much we love him. At the same time if you draw closer to God He will draw closer to us.
(David Guzik) If all we had were the first few chapters of the Book of Romans, some might believe that God was against us. Now that Paul has shown the lengths that God went to save man from His wrath and equip him for victory over sin and death, who can doubt that God is for us?
(Newell) "Our weak hearts, prone to legalism and unbelief, receive these words with great difficulty: God is for us . . .They have failed Him; but He is for them. They are ignorant; but He is for them. They have not yet brought forth much fruit; but He is for them."
(David Guzik) Evidence that God is for us: the gift of Jesus Christ.
(Warren Wiersbe) The Father is for us and proved it by giving His Son (Rom. 8:32). The Son is for us (Rom. 8:34) and so is the Spirit (Rom. .8:26). God is making all things work for us (Rom. 8:28). In His person: and His providence, God is for us. Sometimes, like Jacob, we lament, "All these things are against me" (Gen. 42:36); when actually everything is working for us. The conclusion is obvious: "If God be for us, who can be against us?"
The believer needs to enter into each new day realizing that God is for him. There' is no need to fear, for his loving Father desires only the best for His children, even if they must go through trials to receive His best. "'For 1 know the plans that I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to 'give you a future and a, hope' "(Jer. 29:11, NA5B).
Application:
Let us know Him more by reading closely His divine revelation the word of God:
Prov 7:2 - 1 My son, keep my words, And treasure my commands within you. 2 Keep my commands and live, And my law as the apple of your eye. 3 Bind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart.
2 Peter 1:2-4 - 1 Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Let us thankful to Him and prayerfully ask Him to continue to bless us with His hedge of protection:
Ps 17:8 - Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings,
Whom all are can be against believers?
Satan
1 Peter 5:8,9 - 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
Rev 12:10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. 12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time." 13 Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. 14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. 16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Non-believers:
Persecuted believers when they grow or when they see conversion happens form their faith to Christianity. (Acts 7)
Martyred believers in Christ for their faith. (Acts 7)
NLT: Romans 15:31 -30 I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. 31 Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there, 32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed.
Believers in Christ or other Christians:
What type of opposition comes among believers in Christ?
Doctrinal differences,
Theological debate.
Emphasis on My Church instead of Kingdom Spirit.
Envy/Pride saying that I have this gift of Holy Spirit, or eloquent speaker, this particular fruit of the Holy Spirit,...
Envy/Pride - harm other believers when they grow spiritually.
Easily believers judge/condemn other believers:
Matt 7:1 - 1 "Judge [condemn (Gk:kirno)] not, that you be not judged.
Ourselves or our heart:
Blame ourselves when things go wrong.
Suicidal thoughts to kill ourselves.
Live in fear and negative thoughts.
Can they conquer believers?
No.
Why they cannot conquer believers?
Because God is for us and He delivered His son Jesus Christ on our behalf.
Romans 8:31 - What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
(David Guzik) If God is for them, what does it matter if others are against them? One person plus God makes an unconquerable majority.
Romans 8:37 - Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us
We will see more reasons in the following verses:
Romans 8:31-35 - 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
33 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.
Can anyone charge against believers?
Yes.
Who can charge against believers?
Satan, non-believers, believers, believers themselves can condemn believers as we have already gone through in Whom all are can be against believers?
Can the believers charged/punished because of their accusation?
No
Why the believers are not charged/punished because of their accusation?
Because God justifies all who believes in Him truly.
(David Guzik) We are secure from every charge against us. If we are declared "not guilty" by the highest Judge, who can bring an additional charge?
(Warren Wiersbe) Justified means that He has declared us righteous in Christ. Satan would like to accuse us (Zech. 3:1-7; Rev. 12:10), but we stand righteous in Jesus Christ. We are God's elect—chosen in Christ and accepted in Christ. God will certainly not accuse us since it is He who has justified us. For Him to accuse us would mean that His salvation was a failure and we are still in our sins.
What one main thing happens through the work of justification?
Our past, present and future sins are covered.
(Warren Wiersbe) Understanding the meaning of justification brings peace to our hearts. When God declares the believing sinner righteous in Christ, that declaration never changes. Our Christian experience changes from day today, but justification never changes We may accuse ourselves, and men may accuse us; but God will never take us to court and accuse us. Jesus has already paid the penalty and we are secure in Him
Psalm 103:12 - As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
Can anyone condemn believers?
Yes.
Who can condemn believers?
Satan, non-believers, believers, believers themselves can condemn believers as we have already gone through in Whom all are can be against believers?
Can the believers condemned because of their accusation?
No
Why the believers are not condemned because of their accusation?
Because Jesus already delivered those who believe in Him from condemnation by dyeing on the cross and resurrected from death.
John 3:18 - He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Romans 8:1 - There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
John 5:24 - "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
Why Jesus intercedes for us?
1 John 2:1 - My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
Whether we notice or not Jesus intercede for us whenever we sin.
Through this great and amazing work of Jesus our present sins are covered.
God raised Jesus Christ from the dead
To justify those who believe in Him:
Romans 4:25 - 24 but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.
To intercede for those whom He justified:
NLT: Heb 7:25 - Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.
Romans 8:34 - Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
Romans 5:10b - 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
(Warren Wiersbe) A dual intercession keeps the believer secure in Christ: the Spirit intercedes (Rom. 8:26-27) and the Son of God intercedes (Rom. 8:34). The same Saviour who died for us is now interceding for us in heaven. As our High Priest, He can give us the grace we need to overcome temptation and defeat the enemy (Heb. 4:14-16). As our Advocate, He can forgive: our sins and restore our fellowship with God. (1 John 1:9-2:2). Intercession means that Jesus Christ represents us before the throne of God and we do not have to represent ourselves. . .
Paul hinted at this ministry of intercession in Romans 5:9-10. We are not only saved by His death, but we are also saved by His life. "Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them" (Heb. 7:25, NIV). Peter sinned against the Lord,. but he was forgiven and restored to fellowship because of Jesus Christ. "Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has asked permission to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed especially for you that your own faith may not utterly fail" (Luke 22:31-32, WMS). He is interceding for each of us, a ministry that assures us that we are secure.
Application: What really you learn from this truth?
God is for us so, we can:
Overcome Satan's accusation by resisting him:
James 4:7 - Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
1 Peter 5:9 - 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
Overcome non-believer's persecution/tribulation with the help of God just by holding on to His hands and walk as per His leading:
John 16:33 - These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
Overcome fellow believer's accusation not by repaying doing evil but by doing good:
Romans 12:19-21 - 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord 20 Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Believers can make sound judgment:
Matt 7:15-20 - 15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
But believers should not condemn anyone:
Matt 7:1 - 1 "Judge [condemn (Gk:kirno)] not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. 6 Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces. [NLT: 6 "Don't give what is holy to unholy people. Don't give pearls to swine! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you."]
Overcome our heart's condemnation by trusting our great God: Never condemn yourselves God is greater than our heart:
1 John 3:20,21 - 20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.
Prov 3:5 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
God is for us always so, no one can stand against us or condemn us or God cannot fail us.
(Warren Wiersbe) In Romans 8:31-34 Paul proved that God cannot fail us.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us,
who can be against us?
32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
33 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect?
It is God who justifies.
34 Who is he who condemns?
It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
Psalm 23 - 1 A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Who and what shall separate the believers from the love of Christ?
What these list in Romans 8:35b points to?
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?tribulation,
or distress,
Distress means great pain, anxiety, or sorrow; acute physical or mental suffering; affliction; trouble.
or persecution,
or famine,
or nakedness,
Poverty
(Earle) "This term today suggests indecency on parade. Then it meant a lack of clothes simply because one had no ways or means of getting any."
or peril,
Peril means loss or destruction; grave risk; jeopardy; danger
or sword?
It represent execution for their faith in Jesus or martyring. In today's context we can say gun. Forcing to deny our faith in the gun point.
(David Guzik) This word implies execution. It is the only item on the list that Paul had not yet personally experienced (1 Corinthians 4:11, 15:30).
These list of items points to intense sufferings.
What are these list in Romans 8:35b imply to the believers?
This implies that believers will go through these sufferings due to circumstance or for God's sake.
We have learned already that suffering is also part of Christian package while we study about suffering in
Romans 8:17 - and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together
Peter reminds about this suffering all the believers in
1 Peter 4:12 - 12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy
That is why Paul is quoting Ps 44:22.
36 As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."
Believers are martyred every day and they are not excluded from the intense suffering.
What one important thing does this suffering do to new convert/believer?
Intense suffering reveals whether the believer is truly believe in God or not. If their faith is not genuine then they may not continue as a believers like the seed that fall among thorns.
Matt 13:22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.
True believers will endure intense suffering.
Why God allows suffering to the believers?
Believers will strengthens in their faith.
NLT: 1 Peter 1:6-7 - 6 So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while. 7 These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold -- and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
(Warren Wiersbe) To begin with, God does not shelter us from the difficulties of life because we need them for our spiritual growth (Rom. 5:3-5).
God permits trials to come that He use them for our good and His glory.
Romans 5:3-14 - 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
For more details go through the study notes for Romans 8:17c under Why God allows suffering to His faithful believers or Christians?
Can these intense sufferings separate us from God?
Not any of these intense sufferings shall separate the true believers from God.
Why does intense suffering will not separate the believers from God?
Because true believers are not alone when they go through intense suffering they will go to God for help.
(Warren Wiersbe) We endure trials for His sake (Rom. 8:36), and we do, do you think that He will desert us Ofcourse not! Instead,. He is closer to us when we go through the difficulties of life.
They will conquer these through Jesus Christ who loved us:
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
(Warren Wiersbe) Furthermore, He gives us the power to conquer (Rom. 8:37). We are "more than conquerors," literally, "we are super conqueror through Jesus Christ! He gives us victor more victory!
(David Guzik) No matter what our circumstances, none of the sufferings of this present time can separate us from the love of God. This makes us conquerors and more.
He overcomes with a greater power, the power of Jesus
He overcomes with a greater motive, the glory of Jesus
He overcomes with a greater victory, losing nothing even in the battle
He overcomes with a greater love, conquering enemies with love and converting persecutors with patience
(Warren Wiersbe) In Romans 8:28 God assures us that the difficulties of life are working for us and not in us.
Application:
(Warren Wiersbe) We need not fear life or death, things present or things to come, but Jesus Christ loves us and gives us the victory
As the believer in Christ we don't have to fear about our death:
1 Cor 15:55 - 55 "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.
When the believers die they will not condemned and suffer in hades or hell but live with Jesus Christ forever and ever:
2 Cor 5:8 - We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
The true outcome of suffering is
NTL: 2 Cor 4:8-10 - 8 We [Paul and companions] are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don't give up and quit. 9 We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going. 10 Through suffering, these bodies of ours constantly share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.
Is there anything that can separate us from God?
Believers may keep away from God slowly due to
Too much Blessings -
Once God Blessed the believers they slowly fix their eye upon the blessings instead of God who blessed.
Some believers keep receiving too many blessings from God and keeping those things to themselves like hoarders instead of giving away to others.
1 Tim 6:10 - For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
Application:
Prov 30:8-9 - [Agur the son of Jakeh says] 8 Remove falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches-- Feed me with the food allotted to me; 9 Lest I be full and deny You, And say, "Who is the Lord?" Or lest I be poor and steal, And profane the name of my God.
Tradition/ritual,
self righteousness,
Lust of eyes/flesh, - movies/TV shows with adult content, pornography, fornication, adultery,
...
In general Sin - Believers may slowly backslide and live in sinful lifestyle and separate themselves from God:
Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Does these sins separate us from the God?
As we have already gone through that no one can charge against or condemn the believers because God is for the believers.
At the same time when the believers sin or live in sinful lifestyle that makes
Jesus to grieve
Jesus intercedes for the interceding for sinning believers:
1 John 2:1 - My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
Jesus is looking forward for the believers repented heart.
So, God never forsake those who come to Him broken and contrite heart:Ps 51:17 - The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart-- These, O God, You will not despise.
James 4:6,8 - 6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." 7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
1 Peter 5:5-7 - 5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
But this will not make Jesus to stop loving the believers.
Jesus loves us indefinitely
God demonstrated His love through Jesus while we were sinners
Romans 5:8 - But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Greater love God has for believers through Jesus Christ.
Paul also convinced this great truth and testifying this:
38 For I am persuaded thatneither death nor life,
nor angels nor principalities nor powers,
nor things present nor things to come,
39 nor height nor depth,
nor any other created thing
shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(David Guzik) Nothing which appears to be good or nothing which appears to be evil can separate us from the love of God.
That is the reason God provisioned a way to all believers to confess their sins and bless them by forgiving and cleansing all their unrightesouness. So, let us leave our pride and practice to
Confess our sins
1 John 1:9 - 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
Forgive others without holding the bitterness against others:
Matt 6:12,14,15 - 9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. 14 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
That is why Paul raised this question and answered that what God is doing now in heaven for us:
Romans 8:34 - Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
1 John 2:1 - My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous
Why Paul raises question that "Can these sufferings separate us from the love of Christ?" instead of asking "Can these intense sufferings separate us from God?"
Because he already taught us in Romans 8:31-39.
We already studied thoroughly that no one can separate us from God this includes us and our deeds. Why? Because God is for us. God never fails.
Romans 8:31 - 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
What is the major difference "separate us from the love of Christ" Vs "separate us from God?"
Can we maintain a relationship without love?
Yes.Many country make peace treaty not any of these are due to love relationship.
We can maintain a relationship with other without having love.
Maintain a relationship without love is very common in secular world. It is also becoming common among Christians.
There are many families live together without love relationship for the sake of society, children, extended families, ...
It is easy for anyone to spoil the love relationship than to stop the relationship without love.
If a husband hear/see unfaithfulness in his wife then
he can solve the problem and reconcile by forgiving each other and establish the love relationship
he can be unfaithful and live a pretending relationship without love.
or he may break the relationship and divorce.
Due to envy one friend can spoil the love relationship with another friend to
To establish the intimate relationship with one person he/she can spoil other friend's love relationship of that person.
Most of the time gossip is very important tool for that. Satan uses this among believers to spoil the love relationship.
Likewise Satan will point all our sins to Jesus and tries his level best to stop the love that Jesus has for us.
But Satan, anyone or anything will separate us from love of Christ.
(Warren Wiersbe) In Romans 8:31-34 Paul proved that God cannot fail us, but is it possible that we can fail Him?
Suppose some great trial or temptation comes, and we fail? Then what?
Paul deals with that problem in this final section and explains that nothing can separate us from the love of Jesus Christ.
No one and Nothing will separate us from love of Christ.
(Warren Wiersbe) This is not a promise with conditions attached "If you do this, God will do that." This Safety in Christ is an established fact, and we claim it for ourselves because we are in Christ. Nothing can separate you from love! Believe it—and rejoice in it!
Application:
Have you persuaded/convinced that nothing can separate you from love of Christ?
Yes.
What should be your response?
Love Him whole heartedly:
Matt 22:37-40 - Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
Demonstrate our love towards him practically by obeying His commandments:
John 14:21 - He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."
John 14:23-24 - 23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you.
1 John 4:20 - If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen.
What are the advantages if God is for the believers?
No one can be against the believers
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
No one can stop any blessing that God offers freely
32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
No one can charge against the believers
33 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.
No one can condemn the believers
34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
No one can separate us from Christ's love
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Summary: (Warren Wiersbe) Freedom from Fear—No Separation (Rom. 8:31-39)
There is no condemnation because we share the righteousness of God and the Law cannot condemn us. There is no obligation because we have 'the Spirit of God who enables us to overcome the flesh and live for God. There is no frustration because we share the glory of God, the blessed hope, of Christ's return. There is no, separation because we experience the love of God: "What shall separate us from the love of Christ?" (Rom. 8:35)
The emphasis in this final section is on the security of the believer. We do not need to fear the past, present, or future because we are secure in the love of Christ.A review of this wonderful chapter s that the Christian is completely victorious are free from judgment because Christ for us and we have His righteousness. We free from defeat because Christ lives in His Spirit and we share His life. We are from discouragement because Christ is for us and we shall share His glory are free from fear because Christ intercede for us and we cannot be separated from love.
No condemnation! No obligation! No, tradition! No separation!
If God be for us, who can be against