What does it mean to be a born again Christian?

THE classic passage from the Bible that answers this question is John 3:1-21. The Lord Jesus Christ is talking to Nicodemus, a prominent Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin (a ruler of the Jews). Nicodemus had come to Jesus at night. Nicodemus had questions to ask Jesus.

As Jesus talked with Nicodemus, He said, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

“How can a man be born when he is old,” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again’” (John 3:3-7).

The phrase ‘born again’ literally means ‘born from above.’ Nicodemus had a real need. He needed a change of his heart—a spiritual transformation. New birth, being born again, is an act of God whereby eternal life is imparted to the person who believes (2 Corinthians 5:17; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:3; 1 John 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1-4, 18). John 1:12,13 indicates that ‘born again’ also carries the idea ‘to become children of God’ through trust in the name of Jesus Christ.

The question logically comes, “Why does a person need to be born again?” The Apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:1 says, “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins...” (NKJV). To the Romans in Romans 3:23, the Apostle wrote, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” So, a person needs to be born again in order to have their sins forgiven and have a relationship with God.

How does that come to be? Ephesians 2:8-9 states, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” When one is ‘saved’, he/she has been born again, spiritually renewed, and is now a child of God by right of new birth. Trusting in Jesus Christ, the One who paid the penalty of sin when He died on the cross, is what it means to be ‘born again’ spiritually. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

If you have never trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, will you consider the prompting of the Holy Spirit as He speaks to your heart? You need to be born again. Will you pray the prayer of repentance and become a new creation in Christ today? “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God” (John 1:12-13).

If you want to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and be born again, here is a sample prayer. Remember, saying this prayer or any other prayer will not save you. It is only trusting in Christ that can save you from sin. This prayer is simply a way to express to God your faith in Him and thank Him for providing for your salvation.

“God, I know that I have sinned against you and am deserving of punishment. But Jesus Christ took the punishment that I deserve so that through faith in Him I could be forgiven. I place my trust in You for salvation. Thank You for Your wonderful grace and forgiveness—the gift of eternal life! Amen!”

The Power of the Tongue

Proverbs 18:21 says,“Death and life are in the power of the tongue; and they that love it shall eat of the fruit thereof.”

Sins of the Tongue

Much can be said of a person's character by the way they use their tongue. Sanaca once said, "Speech is the index of the mind." Jesus said that "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." (Mat. 12:34) According to Proverbs 18:21, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." In James 3:6, the Bible says that the tongue is "a fire, a world of iniquity", and James 3:8 calls the tongue a "deadly poison."

As a fool would carelessly play and prank with a loaded gun, so many Christians today do likewise with their deadly tongue. If only we could fully realize the untold damage that we are doing to the body of Christ! If only we could see the full effect of the words we use!

Perhaps a closer look into the Bible can help. God made man, and God made man's tongue, so surely God should be qualified to comment on the subject. Surely God should have some good counsel concerning the use and misuse of the human tongue. Let us consider some sins of the tongue as we find them revealed in God's word.

The Lying Tongue

Proverbs 25:18 says, "A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow." So a lying tongue is a misuse of a deadly weapon. It can be used to harm others near at hand (a maul), a few feet away (a sword), or a great distance away (an arrow). Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44), and God said that he hates a lying tongue (Pro. 6:17). All liars will have their part in the lake of fire, according to Revelation 21:8.

The Flattering Tongue

Flattery is also a sin of the tongue. The Bible speaks of flattery as a characteristic of the wicked, not the righteous: "For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue." (Psalm 5:9) Imagine the improvements which could be made in our nation if voters elected leaders on the basis of the RECORD rather than on the basis of the flattering speeches! Flattery is just a form of lying, and it has no place in the life of a Christian.

The Proud Tongue

The Bible also speaks of the proud tongue. Psalm 12:3-4 says, "The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things: Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?" The most annoying Christians in the world are those with proud tongues because a proud tongue usually comes with two closed ears! Proud- tongued Christians are generally so full of themselves that they learn very little from anyone else. A proud-tongued Christian will talk much of his knowledge and service, but very little about the Lord.

In a church, a proud-tongued Christian will make all sorts of suggestions about how the church should function, yet his suggestions, if received, will place burdens on everyone but himself. A proud- tongued Christian is hard to teach or reason with because he thinks he knows everything.

Friend, God hates a proud tongue. Allow the Holy Spirit to use your tongue in the way of humility and kindness because pride will only quench God's Spirit and damage your testimony.

The Overused Tongue

Some people sin by simply overusing their tongue. Ecclesiastes 5:3 says that "a fool's voice is known by multitude of words." People think they appear smart by much talking, but the Bible states just the opposite. Ecclesiastes 5:2 says, "Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few." God doesn't like a blabber mouth. You say, "Well, that's just the way I am!" Then REPENT! Confess your sin and repent. Stop justifying your wickedness and ask God to help you repent.

The Swift Tongue

Some people are guilty of speaking too swiftly when they really need to wait before saying anything. God's word says the following in Proverbs 18:13: "He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him." How many times have you had to "eat" your words because you spoke too swiftly? James 1:19 warns us to be swift to HEAR and SLOW to speak. Why do you suppose God gave us two ears but only one mouth?

The Backbiting Tongue

Proverbs 25:23 and Romans 1:30 make mention of a backbiting tongue. A backbiter is someone who uses their tongue against you when you aren't present, yet they will not face you with their charges when you are present. This is a cowardly backbiter who would rather stir up problems than solve problems.

A backbiter would much rather talk ABOUT the preacher than talk TO the preacher. A backbiter would much rather talk ABOUT some weak Christian in the church than offer some words of encouragement TO them. A backbiter is of no use to anyone, and no one has ever been strengthened or edified through backbiting. Beware of the backbiters, especially the ones who sow discord among brethren (Pro. 6:19)!

The Talebearing Tongue

Proverbs 18:8 says, "The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly." Leviticus 19:16 says, "Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people. . ." Every Christian has the duty to deny his own desires and seek to edify other Christians (Rom. 14:19; Philip. 2:3). Talebearing runs wholly contrary to Christian edification. Talebearing (carrying and telling tales) spreads all sorts of hurtful information around, and Satan uses such information to hinder and tear down God's work. A victim of talebearing, according to Proverbs, is a "wounded" person. God forbid that a Christian should wound another Christian, but it does happen all the time! Some Christians live as though they think God has "called" them to bear tales on other Christians. Many "Christian" newsletters are dedicated to informing the body of Christ on the latest news about someone's ministry or personal life. There are many nice words and phrases used to justify such conduct, but the Bible word is TALEBEARING.

The Cursing Tongue

Some people, Christians included, have a nasty habit of using their tongue for cursing. Romans 3:13-14 says, "Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness." This passage deals strictly with unsaved people and their ungodly ways, yet there are a great many professing Christians who curse regularly. Friend, why would you want to identify yourself with someone whom God describes as being DEAD, DECEITFUL, and POISON?

"As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him. As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones."(Psalm 109:17-18) Many people curse because their life is miserable. They are unhappy so they make it known with their degenerate speech. This text says that God keeps them unhappy BECAUSE of their speech! God curses those who curse! Christian, don't expect God's blessings when your mouth is filled with cursing.

The Piercing Tongue

Another sinful tongue is the piercing tongue. Proverbs 12:18 speaks of this tongue by saying, "There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health." Some people have a sharp piercing tongue which Satan uses to offend and insult others. The Bible commands Christians to have their speech dominated by GRACE (Col. 4:6), yet most churches have a few people who use their tongue like a sword to pierce their brethren in Christ.

It was Teddy Roosevelt who said, "Speak softly and carry a big stick," but the truth is that if you speak softly you won't need a big stick! Titus 2:8 commands us to use sound speech which cannot be condemned. Friend, do you use graceful speech which cannot be evil spoken of, or do you possess a piercing tongue? Every Christian's prayer should be, "Lord, make my words gracious and tender, for tomorrow I may have to eat them."

The Silent Tongue

A silent tongue is also a sinful tongue because we have been commanded to speak up and witness for the Lord Jesus Christ. In Acts 1:8, Jesus said, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." We, as Christians, have an obligation to tell others about the saving grace of Jesus. To be silent about Christ is to sin against Christ. Jesus said, "Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." (Mark 8:38) Christian friend, if you do not want to be ashamed of yourself when the Lord returns, then don't be ashamed of Jesus today. Pray for opportunities to speak up for your Saviour. Don't be found guilty of having a silent tongue.

"For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body." (James 3:2)



As Christians, do we plot the ‘demise’ of our dreams, visions and our blessings with what we allow to come out of our mouth? Are we seriously watching the things that we say, not just about ourselves but also about our circumstances, situations and others?

Even more so today it is so pinnacle that we closely critique the things that we say before we say them. If it was ever a time to ‘think before you speak’ truly it is now! Many times we are speaking things that have put delays on our prosperity, promotions, blessings and we haven’t even realized it. When we fail to speak ‘continuous strengthened faith’ about what we are waiting on for others, or ourselves we delay their route to the manifestation realm.

Often times we are too quick to say the things that come into our mind without evaluating if they are edifying or not. There’s a process to speaking mature strengthened faith on a continuous basis to your situations. First, you must have firm and solid faith; next your attitude must exemplify your non-wavering faith and thirdly, you must stand strong in your conviction to believe beyond all doubt. When all these things are in spiritual sync then your mindset parks in the ‘critique mode’ for the things your mouth tries to utter.


You will begin to arrest your thoughts and frisk them thoroughly to see if they are carrying doubt of any kind. II Corinthians 10:5 says,
“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing captive every thought to the obedience of Christ.”
If the thought in your mind is not supporting your faith, ‘you don’t speak it!’

What we must continually remind ourselves about faith is, its what we do ‘not’ see naturally, so no matter what we see visibly, faith sees the opposite and it is on this sight we process our belief. As we believe what we see through our faith, we speak only those things that promote, support and encourage the forward progress of the blessing of the manifestation to us. We must talk faith to our circumstances at all times just as it says in Romans 4:17,
“…Even God, who quickens the dead, calls those things which be not as though they were.”
If we wait until we ‘see’ the visible results of what we are asking for, this is not faith!

We have to do something with the span of time between when we have it in mind and when it tangibly becomes ours. If we don’t ‘speak’ strengthened faith to ourselves, the thoughts in our mind will keep us on an endless emotional roller coaster acting on the impulse of them, intentionally or unintentionally, speaking them out loud and being influenced by negative comments of others. We must always ‘choose’ to speak life to everything that is of a concern to us and believe what we say until complete manifestation.

Scripture Memory

You must let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but only what is beneficial for the building up of the one in need, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Ephesians 4:29-30

Protection from God

And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for his heavenly kingdom. II Timothy 4:18


Life without ups and downs will not be interesting. But for many it is only downs and no ups. Every day we struggle so hard to meet the ends meet. We struggle from morning till evening may be with our boss or colleagues or other friends. Some dread to go home and face their spouse. We assume our boss, colleagues, spouse, etc. are our foes. In reality it is not so. Our foe is the satan who walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. He makes us cry, suffer from disease, breaks the homes and hearts and puts in all the evil thought in our minds. You have comfort in Jesus. For the Lord says even though your father and mother may forsake you, I will protect you. Your parents can be with you till you finish your schooling or in some cases till you get married after that they may not be able to help you. The Lord says, everyone in this world may forsake you and you may be all alone. The Lord shall take care of your every need be it emotional or material.

The world is filled with evil designs. The very people whom you trust may act snidely behind your back. Lord says I will He will deliver you from every evil work (II Timothy 4:18). May it be caused by friends or foes. He shall take care of you from their evil deeds. For the Lord loves justice, and does not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever. But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off (Psalms 37:28). He does not tolerate wickedness, the wicked shall be surely punished although it looks as if they are flourishing very well, their end will come abruptly. If you want the Lord to protect your ways should be acceptable to Him. He expects you to be just. How do you treat your subordinates, elders and parents. Do you give your parents the respect? Are you taking care of them in their old age? If you have hardened your heart against them the Lord is watching over you. He is a God who loves justice. If they are far away from them and are in a situation where you cannot take care of them physically at least send them money or provide them what they need.

He is a God who keeps you from stumbling (Jude 24). Are you weary and discouraged and feel as if you are slipping. Jesus can keep you from stumbling. He will lift you up and put your feet on the rock to stay. Surrender yourself to Jesus your weaknesses and qualms and tell Him you cannot face this world alone. He will give you the strength to face this world and resist the sin. Bible says, "The Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught" (Proverbs 3:26). The world is filled with attractive sins which lead a person astray easily. If you are careless you feet can be caught in its snares. Trust Jesus and keep fellowship with Him always then the Lord shall guard your feet. Scripture says, "He will guard the feet of his saints" (I Samuel 2:9). For the Lord to guard your feet you should be a saint. Abstain for evil ways and keep your body, mind and soul pure and holy before Him.
Not only will He keep your feet from stumbling, He shall also see that the sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night (Psalms 121:6).
Trust in the Lord and you shall be saved.
May the Lord bless you and keep you (Numbers 6:24)

Walking over the storm with Jesus

Every Christian will experience dark times in their life — times when storms of doubt and confusion may be raging around them. It is during those times when it seems that Jesus is far from us that we need to be looking for him. We may discover that he is coming to us walking on the very waters of the storm.

We have the promise from God’s word that he will deliver us. Psalm 34:19 tells us, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all." And Isaiah 43:2 promises, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you."

Matthew 14:24-32 shows us some real lessons of how we need to react when our life seems in turmoil and upheaval.

Verse 24

But the boat by this time was many furlongs distant from the land, beaten by the waves; for the wind was against them.

The boats that were used to fish the Sea of Galilee had a large triangular sail suspended on a central mast so it could be moved to catch the wind. A large oar in the rear of the boat acted as a rudder steering the boat. The fishing boat that the disciples used would not be very large, and so it would be very vulnerable in a storm. The Sea of Galilee is surrounded by hills. When the warm air from the lake would rise to meet cooler air blowing in from the Mediterranean Sea, it would cause great turbulence and a storm could arise quickly without warning. This may have been what happened to the disciples.

The men were in the middle of the Sea of Galilee far from the shore when a heavy storm came up. This verse tells us their boat was being beaten by the waves and the wind was against them. The safety of the shore was far away.

Have you been going through a difficult time? Does it feel like storms are beating against you? You try to fight it and get out of the tempest, but you can’t seem to make any progress. It seems the wind is blowing against you hindering your every effort. This is the way the disciples felt. These were experienced fishermen. They had been through many storms on this Sea before. But this one was a difficult one. Even with all their expertise they could not make any progress against it.

Verse 25

And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.

The fourth watch of the night was between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. Are there times when you are lying awake late at night unable to sleep? You may be burdened down with worries and concerns. Your mind may be wracked with despair and confusion. In the midst of their storm Jesus came walking to them to help them. No matter what terrible or frightening situation you may be facing, you need to realize that Jesus is coming walking to you on the waters of the storm. He is there. All you have to do is look for him.

Verse 26

But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear.

Why did they think Jesus was a ghost? First of all, they weren’t looking for him. The last place they expected to find Jesus was walking on the water. We can fault the disciples, but sometimes we’re the same way. We are in the midst of our struggles busy trying to solve the problems ourselves, and we never look to see if Jesus is around to help us. We may even feel that God has abandoned us, and maybe start to think the tempest we’re facing is some kind of punishment from Him. So we never look for Jesus. And if we do spot something resembling the Lord, we assume it must be a shadow, an illusion, a ghost.

Another reason they might have thought Jesus was a ghost was because the crashing waves of water on the boat formed a foggy mist which made Jesus appear surreal. Even though Jesus was there, he was masked by the mists of the storm. You may be going through a dark time. You may only see the mists of the crashing waves, but be assured Jesus is right there standing in the midst of the tumult ready to help.

The last part of this verse says they cried out for fear. Things had gotten so bad. The waves were crashing over the boat, the wind was against them, and now it seems they were haunted by a ghost. Fear gripped their heart and took control of them. Are things going bad for you? Is the storm crashing around you? Does it seem like everything is blowing against you? Are you haunted by fear? Has terror gripped your heart? Do you dread another day? It is at those times that Jesus will speak to your heart.

Verse 27

But immediately he spoke to them, saying, "Take heart, it is I; have no fear."

As soon as they cried out in fear, Jesus spoke to them words of comfort. This verse tells us he spoke to them "immediately." When we seem overwhelmed by the turbulence of this life, it is then that Jesus speaks to us. Are we listening for his voice?

Notice the 3 things Jesus tells them: take heart, it is I, and have no fear.

1. Take heart. The Greek word here is < Qarsei&te> tharseite which means be of good courage. When we are facing howling storms, we need to be of good courage. We need to stand firm and not waver in our faith. Tempests may be thundering around us, but Jesus is with us so we can be confident in Him and trust in His word.

2. It is I. There is only one who can truly help us. Sometimes we can figure things out ourselves, other times friends can help us, but no one knows what’s best for us like Jesus. If we haven’t gone to him yet, then we haven’t received the best help we can get.

3. Have no fear. No matter how dark the storm may appear, we don’t need to fear. No matter what trials or difficulties you are going through, the Lord is beside you, so don’t be afraid.

Verse 28

And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on the water."

Now our focus in this story is going to shift to Peter. Peter makes a bold statement indicating absolute trust in Jesus. We might think that Peter was being impulsive here, and that’s why he got in trouble when he tried to walk on the water. But I think Peter is simply reaching out to his Lord in faith. Peter is simply saying, Lord if you’re really there, reveal it to me. When we feel all alone and helpless, we may wonder if God has abandoned us. Perhaps all we can see are the boiling mists from the tempest clouding our vision of the Lord. At those times it’s all right for us to say, Lord if your really there, reveal yourself to me. God understands our doubt and our confusion. He knows how we can become so easily distracted by the churning storms around us. If you’re not sure if God is with you in your dark time, call out to him. He will reveal himself to you.

Verse 29

He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.

Jesus said come. Whenever we need to find Jesus, whenever we need to meet him and spend some time alone with him, he says, Come. The Lord wants his children to come to him. He loves to bless us and help us through our difficulties. If you are facing a fury of trouble, Jesus is saying to you, Come. Come for help, come for strength, come for comfort.

Verse 30

But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me."

What happened? Peter was doing fine. He was walking above the storm. The same thing happened to Peter that so often happens to us. He took his eyes off of Jesus and started looking at the storm-driven waves. As long as he kept his eyes on the Lord, he was able to walk above the storm. But as soon as he looked at the raging storm around him, he was afraid and began to sink.

We can fault Peter, but the truth is we do the same thing. We spend most of our time inspecting all the bad things that are happening to us, and worrying how we’re going to survive the mess we’re in, when we should be looking to Jesus. The result is we sink deeper and deeper into despair and confusion. We need to keep our eyes on Christ. Our focus must be centered on the one who tells us, Be of good courage, it is I, have no fear. When we stop looking at the storms around us and start looking to the Lord, we will find ourselves walking above the storm on top of the waves.

This verse closes with Peter crying out, Lord save me. If you feel that you are sinking in deeper and deeper and it seems that you are drowning in your troubles, cry out to Jesus, Lord save me.


This verse tells us that Peter actually got out of the boat and walked on the water. Jesus was walking above the storm. Now he invites Peter to come, and we find Peter is also able to walk above the storm. No matter what tempest is howling around you, Jesus is inviting you to walk above the storm. He is saying come. Will you listen to his call?

Verse 31

Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "O man of little faith, why did you doubt?"

Usually, when we read this verse, we tend to notice the Lord’s rebuke of Peter. Peter had failed. But so have all of us. There are many times we lack faith and we have doubts. Peter was no different than most of us. So these words to Peter are really to us: "O people of little faith, why do you doubt?" Just like Peter, doubts enter our minds when we become fearful. God really wants us to live by faith, not fear. O Lord, help increase our faith!

Simon Peter, who was audacious enough to say, ‘Lord, bid me come unto thee on the water’ and actually walked on the water, which should have cemented his faith, got his eyes off Jesus, and his faith failed. I don’t want to criticize Peter because that has been my problem, also. I have stepped out on faith many times and then have taken my eyes off Him."

The part of this verse we tend to ignore is the first part that tells us that Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught Peter. Peter had failed. He had demonstrated his lack of faith. Now, if we were God, maybe we would let Peter bounce around in the waves for awhile so he could learn his lesson. But this is not what Jesus did. As soon as Peter cried out for help, Jesus was there to rescue him. As soon as we call out for help, the Lord is there to rescue us.

Verse 32

And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

As soon as Jesus got into the boat, the wind and storm ceased. As soon as we let Jesus come into our time of difficulty, the winds and storms of confusion will cease. So what’s holding you back from allowing Jesus to come into your time of difficulty? Are you trying to handle it yourself, but you are still miserable? Are others helping you, but you still are confused? Are you being treated by good doctors, but nothing seems to be getting better? Are you receiving good counsel, but the darkness doesn’t seem to go away? Allow Jesus to enter your time of difficulty. He will take you above the storms and give you peace and comfort.

Verse 22

Then he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.

This verse should have actually been at the beginning of the study but I wanted to conclude with it. Notice that it was Jesus who sent the disciples into the boat to go across the sea. He knew he was sending them into a storm, but he sent them anyway. Sometimes God allows us to go through storms so we can learn to trust in him. Whatever difficulty you may be going through, know that Jesus has allowed you to go through this storm. He cares about you, and he wants you to learn how to put your complete trust and faith in him.

We must live in the Tabernacle which is Christ

Psalm 91:1-3

1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Dwelling in the secret of the Most High under the shadow of the Almighty is a safe and marvelous place to dwell, we can dwell in a safe place where we can have sweet and beautiful communion with him. Imagine standing behind the Almighty God beneath His shadow and His towering might, it’s a safe place where you are protected and feel like you’re invincible.

2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust."

When we dwell in the secret place of the Most High we stand in an impenetrable fortress and a protected refuge. No matter where we are or what trouble we’re in, as long as we stand in the secret place of the Most High the enemy will not be able to prevail against us, because the Lord is like a fortress that stands before us.

3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence.

Those who dwell in the secret place of the Most High shall be delivered from the net or trap that the enemy tries to catch them in, they will be delivered from all the devices the enemy uses against them, and the weapon of the enemy shall not prosper against them.

These are amazing promises from the Almighty God, and it shows us that those who dwell in the secret place of the Most High are protected from: pestilences, the traps of the enemy, and no weapon shall prosper against them because they stand in the fortress of the Almighty God. But are there conditions to these marvelous promises? Does going to church on a Sunday and praising God with my mouth and lips guarantee these promises? Going to Church once a week does not allow you to claim these promises, as there are conditions to receive these promises, in Psalm 15 we are shown what conditions and requirements bring the promises of Psalm 91 into fruition. Psalm 15 turns the key and opens the door to the Almighty’s secret place, and without exercising and putting into action the love and pureness of Psalm 15, we will never be able to walk into the Lord’s secret tabernacle and fortress.

Psalm 15:1-2,5

1 LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?

King David is asking the Lord, who is able to dwell in your tabernacle or secret dwelling place? King David really wants to know who can dwell in the shadow of the Almighty’s holy hill.

2 He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart

The Lord tells David that he who can dwell in the Lords secret place is he who: walks uprightly, works righteousness and speaks the truth from their heart, is able to abide in the secret place and tabernacle of the Lord. Jesus said that it is what that comes out of a man that defiles him, for out of the abundance of a person’s heart the mouth speaks. So to walk into the tabernacle of the Almighty you must not be defiled in your heart and words, so you need to speak the truth and have a truthful and pure heart which only Jesus Christ can give you, and you need to continue to seek Jesus to have this truthful and pure heart.

3 He who does not put out his money at usury, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.

Those who put out money at usury and take advantage of people economically will not abide in the Almighty’s tabernacle. Politicians like George W Bush who take brides from oil companies in the form of lobbying, to invade countries like Iraq to plunder their oil, are not able to abide in the Lords tabernacle. Those businessmen who oppress the poor and exploit wage earners, such as those Western businessmen who import cheap slave labor made products from China, will be banished from the Lords Tabernacle and sent to Hell fire.

If you would like to dwell in the Lords tabernacle, fortress and secret place so you are protected from all things, I would like you to invite the following prayer:

Dear Jesus,

I desire to dwell in the house of the Lord forever, so I can be protected beneath the wings of the Almighty, I desire to dwell in a protected fortress in My Fathers Kingdom. I believe you died on the cross for my sins and I believe you are the son of God. Help me to obey your commandments and love others as you loved me, help me to stand up against: unjust wars, corrupt politicians and evil that abounds. Help me to take a stand for those whose wages are being exploited.

In Jesus name I pray. Amen

Holding on the promises of god in hard times

One of the biggest tests of faith is holding on to God's promises when going through a rough time in a Christian's life. Often Christians tend to believe that the reason for their troubling times is because of a sin or simply that "God hates them", when actually it is the furthest from the truth. One can find this through the great example of Abraham in Genesis 22: 1-24, that God's promises hold true even through times where faith might run thin. The first thing one can learn from Abraham's example is to be obedient to God even when rough events come. Often one can let circumstances rule their emotions, and the first mistake one will make is misplacing their trust in God's promises for their own feelings of fear and inadequacy. In verses two and three , the first thing that Abraham does is stay obedient to God as he prepared the next morning to go to the place God had asked him to sacrifice his son. The next lesson is that even though one might feel far away from God in troubling times that is when God is the closest. A great example is the well-known poem, Footprints in the Sand. The character in the story looks back on his life and sees only one set of foot prints in the hardest time of his life and two sets with God by his side when his life was going well. He first thought that at the hardest points in his life he was alone, but God explains in those times he was being carried just like that in Abraham's story God stayed with Abraham the entire way as God arrives on the scene to supply him with the alternate sacrifice after God sees Abraham's faithfulness. When Christians are going through hard times it is crucial to rely on the promises that God has given. Abraham relied on the promise that God gave him in Genesis 17:19, which Sarah would have a son, and that son God will establish his covenant through to everlasting generations.

As believers in Jesus Christ, we can trust our Savior and turn to him in hard times. God cares for us and he is sovereign. His Holy Word is sure and his promises are true. Take some time to ease your worries and calm your fears by meditating on these Bible verses for troubled times.


Dealing with Fear

Psalm 27:1
The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid? (NIV)
Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (NIV)


Loss of Home or Job

Psalm 27:4-5
One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.
For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle
and set me high upon a rock. (NIV)

Psalm 46:1
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. (NIV)

Psalm 84:2-4
My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.
Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
O LORD Almighty, my King and my God.
Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
they are ever praising you.
Selah (NIV)

Psalm 34:7-9
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.
Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
Fear the LORD, you his saints,
for those who fear him lack nothing. (NIV)
Philippians 4:19
And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. (NLT)

Dealing with Stress


Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (NIV)

Joy and encouragement in the midst of difficulty

Philippians:

1:6 "he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." In other letters, such as the first chapter of Ephesians, Paul takes great care to show how God chose us and began this good work through the redemption that was provided in Jesus Christ. But here, he explains that the good work continues, it is more than just getting to heaven someday. The good work is a continuing growth in our Lord and being conformed to His image, which will not be complete until the day of Christ Jesus. Even when we are backsliding, the Lord is at work. He will discipline his children when necessary, and encourage them when appropriate, but He will in either case continue the good work He has begun in us.

1:21 "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." The context is that Paul is under house arrest awaiting trial by Caesar, and did not know if he would lose his life (he was set free, but probably arrested again a few years later and put to death). Instead of being fearful, Paul proclaimed Christ to the guards, taught Christians in Rome, and dictated letters such as this one. He realized that this life is inferior to being 'absent from the body but present with the Lord', and would gladly die if it were the will of God. He does conclude that being alive is beneficial for other believers. The goal of his life is not his own comfort or ambition, but to be of service to other Christians. We should not fear death if we know Jesus as our Lord and Savior, but we should not seek it either. We should follow the example of Paul in living for others and not for ourselves.

II. Examples for Living the Christian Life (2)

2:1 Another way of reading the ‘if’ clause is "If you have any encouragement, and you do, then ..."

2:4 "Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others." (KJV) This prefaces the example of Jesus - referring to both his coming to earth and his dying on our behalf. We are not told to ignor our own needs, simply to also consider the needs of others. Looking out for others also includes 'seeing to it' that real needs are met (to the extent that we are able).

2:5 "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus" (KJV)

2:12 Working out your salvation does not mean earning your way to heaven, the price of that ticket was paid on the cross. Salvation includes sanctification, the lifelong process of becoming like Jesus. Working out salvation means putting our freedom from sin and the ability to do God's will into practice in our life. It is characterized by service to others and by good works.

2:15 We must face the fact that God considers our society to be a "crooked and peverse generation". We may think of the positive aspects of our nation, even considering it as a beacon of democracy in the world. But we must also consider how little honor is paid to God, and our very materialistic and selfish national character. (Come to your own conclusion on this.)

2:21 Paul had to say of Christians that he knew and loved, "Everyone looks out only for his own interests, and not for the interests of Jesus Christ" (My paraphrase). If this was true of some early Christians, we should ask ourselves whose interests we are looking out for. It was not that they looked out for themselves, but that they only looked out for themselves.

III. Exhortations for Living the Christian Life (3)

3:2-9 The immediate problem was the false teaching that men must be circumcised to become true Christians. Paul had to warn against this in many of his letters. But Paul also warns against a more subtle deception, that we might begin to trust in other things we do in place of trusting in Christ for our standing before God. Paul boasts, but only to show that his accomplishments are nothing when compared to faith in Christ. It is a great error to think that this only applies to 'being saved' or first coming to Christ. It also concerns our daily walk with the Lord. We can enjoy serving him, but we can never earn this privilege of walking with Him. It always remains a gift of His grace by faith. Did you notice what harsh words Paul has for the false teachers? He calls them dogs. He does not extend polite words to those who would lead the saints astray. False teachers, different from people making honest mistakes or asking questions, are dangerous.

3:12-14 If Paul, who wrote this letter by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, admits that he is still being perfected, then certainly we still have some perfecting to look forward to. This is one more section reminding us of our growth in Christ. Paul pressed toward 'the goal', are you moving toward the goal?

3:20-21 "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body so that it may be conformed to His glorious body ..." We are reminded that Jesus will return to Earth someday. Our final destiny is not as a spirit in the presence of God, but as perfect people complete with a transformed body. For Paul, this was more than an abstract doctrine for someday, he eagerly waited for it and lived for this goal. The chapter break was not in Paul's original letter, his exortation to 'stand fast' immediately follows the reminder that we will be transformed.

IV. Enablement for Living the Christian Life (4)

4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice."

Lyrics to "I'm Gonna Praise the Lord"

I'm gonna praise the Lord, I'm gonna praise His name
Oh, I'm gonna praise the Lord, I'm not gonna be ashamed
The Devil won't like it, but I don't care
I'm gonna sing about my Jesus everywhere
I'm gonna praise the Lord

Verse 1
Sometimes my load is heavy, sometimes the road is long,
But the Lord is always fathful and He always gives a song,
In the mist of trouble the Lord will give me peace,
If I can just call on Jesus, He'll set my mind at ease.

Verse 2
He is the rock of ages, His kingdom has no end,
He's closer than a mother, father, sister, brother, friend,
and He made me a promise, if I live like I should,
He'd take my circumstances, and work them for my good.

Strengthened in Faith Regarding God's Promises

He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. (Rom_4:20-21)
Faith is the proper response to the promises of God. Also, our faith in God's promises can increase day by day, year by year. These present words offer helpful insight into being strengthened in faith regarding God's promises.

It is so often the case that the circumstances we are in tend to cast doubt upon the promises God has made. This was certainly what happened to Abraham concerning the promised son, Isaac. It was obvious in God's first set of promises to Abraham that a son would be provided some day. "I will make you a great nation" (Gen_12:2). Soon thereafter, the Lord promised that the land He had for Abraham would go to his seed. "Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, 'To your descendants I will give this land' " (Gen_12:7). The years rolled by, and no son had arrived. Eventually, a son was specifically included in God's promises. "And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 'This one (Eliezer, his servant) shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir' " (Gen_15:4). Still, the years passed by without the arrival of the son.

Now, as Abraham approaches one hundred years of age, God repeats promises that necessitate a son. "When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, 'I am Almighty God . . . I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly... And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you' " (Gen_17:1-2, Gen_17:7). More time passes. Once again, the Lord restates His promise of a son. "Sarah your wife shall have a son" (Gen_18:10). At this point, the scriptures record the natural impossibility of this promise being fulfilled. "Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well-advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing" (Gen_18:11).

Nevertheless, "He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith." How did he grow in faith? His circumstances gave reason to doubt: "his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb" (Rom_4:19). He focused upon the ability of the God who had promised a son, and he was assured: "being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform."

Learning from the Suffering of Job

The suffering of a man named Job explains much about why character is more important in God's eyes than the discomfort and pain we experience in this life. Job was an exceptionally righteous man. He carefully avoided acts of transgression against God's laws. He behaved blamelessly. But, like all of us, he had weaknesses (Mark 14:38). He was not perfect.

God decided to test Job's character to see how his commitment to Him would bear up under adversity. The account of Job is in Scripture to help righteous people, when they go through discouraging and traumatic experiences, to learn to trust God patiently while awaiting the resolution of their problems.

God boasted of Job's righteous behavior to Satan. (Job 1:8). Satan responded, ". . . Stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and [Job] will surely curse You to Your face!" (Job 1:9-11). Later events proved Satan wrong. Job's character was not that weak.

God granted Satan permission to strip Job of his possessions and his family and to afflict him with excruciating boils (Job 1:12-19). Job at first accepted his plight, saying, "The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD" (Job 1:21).

Later "Job's three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, [and] each one came . . . [to] mourn with him, and to comfort him" (Job 2:11). After a week of lamenting with him, they began to discuss his calamities and suffering. Job listed his complaints, showing the inequities of life. Later God agreed with him. Not everything in this life is fair and equitable.

Job's three friends, however, were certain that God was punishing Job for some secret sin, something Job could hide from everyone but God. Job vehemently denied that such was the case, and he was right. God later verified this also.

However, during his ordeal of loss and suffering, Job gradually came to resent God. This often happens to people in the midst of inexplicable calamity.

Many chapters relate the faulty reasoning and accusations of Job's three friends and Job's denials. Finally, one of Job's younger friends, Elihu, spoke up. He recognized that Job's perspective was flawed and distorted. Job had convinced himself that his afflictions served no purpose. He decided that God was simply not treating him fairly.

Elihu realized that Job was so obsessed with his innocence (Job 33:8-9) that he was finding fault with God rather than looking for lessons to learn from his trials. To Job's complaints Elihu replied: "Do you think this is right? Do you say, 'My righteousness is more than God's'?" (Job 35:2).

Instead of seeing his adversity as opportunity for patience and for letting God mold him, Job had grown in his resentment toward his Creator. He closed his mind to the possibility that he could learn something valuable from his suffering.

Job's principal objection was that God was unresponsive to him, that He was not properly acknowledging his righteousness.

God challenged Job, suggesting that he try to tame a sea creature, a great beast that was "made without fear" (Job 41:33-34): "Can you draw out Leviathan with a hook, or snare his tongue with a line which you lower? Can you put a reed through his nose, or pierce his jaw with a hook? Will he make many supplications to you? Will he speak softly to you?" (Job 41:1-3, 4-10).

In the end Job saw that the basis of his problem was his lack of understanding and excessive confidence in his own righteousness. Then his view of God's fairness changed. He saw that His critical attitude toward God was wrong: "I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know . . . I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes" (Job 42:3-6).

Job's experience is recorded in great detail so we can learn the folly of holding too high an opinion of ourselves. "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud" (Proverbs 16:18-19).

Job's experiences can explain why righteous people may go through discouraging and traumatic times and be tempted to resent God for not obviously and quickly intervening on their behalf. Like Job, we can fail to understand that God sees far more than we see.

No matter how severe a trial is, we should never assume God isn't listening or doesn't care. He sees lessons we need to learn that are beyond our present understanding. We need always to remember some excellent advice from King David: "Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!" (Psalm 27:14). We should learn from Job's experience to maintain patient respect and trust in God even in the midst of our sufferings (James 5:10-11).

But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him (Psalm 37:39-40).

David's life was a life of strife. It was through this that the Spirit worked sanctification in his heart, but also that he learned what it meant to trust in the Lord his God. It was through these struggles that David learned the language of our text: salvation is of the Lord. He learned what it was for the Lord to become his strength. The Lord delivers the righteous because they trust in Him.

We read in Psalm 37:1-3: "Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed." The strife and struggles of this life teach God's children to be weaned from themselves, to be weaned from the world, and to build their trust in the Lord.

So often we take our food and water and other blessings for granted, but Scriptures clearly teach otherwise. It is a great blessing of the righteous to know "bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure" (Isaiah 33:16).

We want to see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked. The contrasts are set forth in Psalm 37. The wicked borrow and pay not again, but the righteous show mercy. David illustrates the contrast between the wicked and the righteous throughout this psalm.


1: For our first point, let's endeavor with the help of the Lord to show who the righteous are, and how their salvation is of the Lord.

2:For our second point, let's consider how these righteous will, and must have their time of trouble, but that in this time of trouble God proves to be their strength, will help them, deliver them and save them.

3:For our third point, let's consider why the Lord will do all these things unto them: "because they trust in Him."


First, who are the righteous spoken of in our text? Who is the judge? One judge's opinion can be totally different from another's. We experienced a change in our nation's highest court when Thurgood Marshall, a liberal justice, retired. It was said by a newspaper editor, "He was always honest."

Yet, who is the judge? How do we determine whether he was a righteous man? Public opinion? Do we go by our news media? According to the editor's judgment you would say Justice Marshall was a righteous man. By whose standards? That is what you and I have to come to grips with—by what standards was he righteous?

During his term on the high court Justice Marshall strove tirelessly for the rights of minorities. He was a strong advocate for women's rights. He was an adamant advocate of women's right to abortions. He was always honest? By whose standards?

When you attend a funeral conducted in today's liberal philosophy, all you hear is praise for the deceased. The mourners are told that the departed one has ascended into mansions of bliss based on the fact that they have lived a good life. How do you discern who are the righteous that are blessed? The standards upon which we must judge this are what we must call into question. Who said he lived a good life?



Satan told Eve in the garden of Eden that man should be the judge of what is right or wrong, that is, "ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:5). This judgment is the fruit of deceit. This is what we must learn to decipher. When we start passing judgment, not upon our fellow man, but upon our own hearts, we must realize that we must come to stand before a righteous judge, and we must ask whether we have passed righteous judgment upon ourselves. Are we the righteous of whom our text speaks? Can we say that our salvation is of the Lord? Can you and I say we have grounds to believe that we have the salvation of God?

If we use God's Word as our authority we find none are righteous of themselves. This is where we have to start. We find in Romans 3:10-12: "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one."

We need to use the authority of God's Word as the basis of our judgment. Judging righteously, by the authority of God's Word, we must say that "there is none that doeth good, no, not one."

If we use God's Word as our authority we find none are righteous of themselves. This is where we have to start. We find in Romans 3:10-12: "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one."

We need to use the authority of God's Word as the basis of our judgment. Judging righteously, by the authority of God's Word, we must say that "there is none that doeth good, no, not one."

How then do we know who are these whom our text calls the righteous? See the context of our text. Let's go to Psalm 37:30-31: "The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment. The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide."

Going back to verse 4 to 6 we read: "Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday." In other words, if we commit our ways to the Lord, and if we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will make our righteousness to stand out as brightly and distinctly as the sun in the sky. Then we won't be in question any more, will we? The righteous are those who have the law of love—loving God above all, with our hearts, souls and minds, and loving our neighbors as ourselves. When that law of God is in the heart, when that is the basis on which we judge every decision in our lives—is it according to the will of God, is it to promote our neighbor, then we can see who the righteous are.

As Christ becomes formed in the heart and soul through sanctification of the Spirit, those whom our text calls the righteous become engrafted into the true Living Vine. They become built upon Christ as their corner stone. They become part of Christ's mystical body. Christ is revealed in them. That Spirit of Christ, that law of love, is revealed in every thought process of their hearts. Why? Because the law of God is in their hearts.

We read in 1 Peter 2:4-5: "To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." Holiness is complying with the first table of the law. A holy priesthood makes holy sacrifices—sacrificing that ugly monster self on the altar as an offering to the Lord. We need to sacrifice self on the altar and sacrifice self for our fellow man. Christ becomes our corner stone.

Through the work of regeneration and sanctification this union is formed, and Christ becomes precious. By nature Christ is not precious to us. We see this in 1 Peter 2:6-7: "Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner."

This precious union of Christ and His church is not only for the joy of the bride, but the bridegroom rejoices in that marriage union as well.

The blessed union between Christ and those whom our text calls the righteous springs from the electing love of the Father, the sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience, and the washing of the blood of Christ. We see this in 1 Peter 1:2: "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied." God the Father is the author, the source, of our salvation. It was the love of the Father, having loved His own from the foundation of the world. And it was that foreknowledge—elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through the sanctification of the Holy Spirit and the blood of Jesus Christ. Salvation is of the Trinity. It is sanctification unto obedience. That rebellion of the heart must be broken. That will has to be conquered, and our will has to be dissolved into the will of the Bridegroom.



It is through the regeneration of the Spirit that the righteousness of Christ is imparted in the souls of the righteous—therefore none can do anything to effect his own salvation, nor that of his brother. If you have a child who has no work of regeneration in their soul, you cannot effect it. You cannot bring it to pass. You cannot redeem that child or that father or mother or brother or sister or wife. I want you to see this in Psalm 49:7-8: "None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him: (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:)." We need the redemption of the Son of God through the process of the economy of grace.

The children who have been born of God are righteous by virtue of the new nature imparted in them. It is the righteousness of Christ, Christ formed in you. We read in 2 Peter 1:3-4: "According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." We have godliness and the precious promises through the righteousness of Christ imparted to us. That is where the new heart and desires come from.

God's Word tells us the righteous cannot "commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God" (1 John 3:9). You and I are not children of God because we were righteous. We become children by birth. We are children of our parents by birth totally outside of anything we did. The branch that abides in Him bears fruit. Those born of Him abide in Him. God comes with His restraining grace and He prevents them and protects them from falling into sin.

When God Doesn't Seem Just

Deuteronomy 32:1-4

Have you ever felt that a situation in your life was an exception to the promises of Scripture? In today's passage, Moses declares that the Lord is faithful and all His ways are just, but we have all been in circumstances that seemed wrong and blatantly unfair. And because God did not intervene, we've struggled to reconcile our experience with Moses' statement about Him.

Scripture is filled with examples of godly people who faced hardships that seemed totally unfair. Joseph was sold as a slave, David was hunted like an animal by King Saul, and the apostle Paul suffered with a "thorn in the flesh" (2 Cor. 12:7-10).

Situations like these can cause us to question whether God is good and just. If left to fester in our minds, these doubts may give way to discouragement. We can easily start thinking, What is the use in serving the Lord? Look what it has gotten me--suffering!

It's important to remember that what we know about God from His Word is more accurate than what we feel. Scripture tells us that God is good and just, so we can know with certainty that He has a fantastic purpose for us in whatever we experience.

God allows each of us to face some trials that we won't understand to our satisfaction this side of heaven. Our job is not to comprehend everything He does and permits, but to know how to respond. He'll make all things right in eternity. In the meantime, trust the Rock when all else is shaky.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear

Fear of other people and things and events around us is something we often have to
come to grips with. No one likes to live in fear, but the sad reality is that most of us at times feel fearful. As God began working with Abraham, the man the Bible calls "the father of all those who believe" (Romans 4:11), God told him, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward" (Genesis 15:1). "Fear not," the King James Version says.

What a wonderful concept for us to understand as we come to God! He wants us to respect Him, but He does not want us to be frightened of anything. A simple saying encapsulates this truth: Know God, no fear. Its corollary expresses the opposite effect: No God, know fear.

King David had his ups and downs. On several occasions he fled to avoid being killed. Though his enemies often sought his life, David found a remedy for his fears.

In Psalm 27:1-3, he wrote: "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh, my enemies and foes, they stumbled and fell. Though an army should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war should rise against me, in this I will be confident."

David found great peace in trusting God to take care of him. In verse 5 of the same psalm, David continued: "For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock." In his own meditations, David could envision God hiding him in a secret place in His house or setting him high on a rock so his enemies could not reach him.

Small children often seek out secret hiding places so they can escape perceived troubles. As God's children, even we adults should realize we have a hiding place with God, where we can be cared for and comforted.

God's Holy Spirit performs this comforting function for us. It drives away our fears. David knew his faith in God sustained him through his difficult times. He said, "I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living" (verse 13).

In taking this refuge from fear, David knew the importance of coming before God with a pure mind. That is why he asked God to create in him a clean heart and renew a right spirit within him. David realized God could take His Spirit from him if he did not approach God in this attitude (Psalm 51:10, 11). When David was able to maintain this proper outlook, he could pray to God with the confidence that God would save him (Psalm 55:16-18).

Paul enumerated for the Christians at Rome these same principles: "For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit [itself] testifies with our spirit that we are God's children" (Romans 8:15-16, New International Version).

One of God's gifts that He imparts to us through His Spirit is freedom from fear. As Paul said in verse 31, "If God is for us, who can be against us?"

Under Grace

You are not under law but under grace" (Rom 6:14)

This lesson allows Paul to cast some light on the statement he makes in Romans 6:14, "You are not under law but under grace". This statement would be easy to misunderstand if we did not have other statements from Paul to clarify what he means. In this lesson we will work through some of those scriptures so that we will know what it means to be "not under law but under grace".

We are Under Obligation

Rom 8:6-9

Paul contrasts the mind transformed by Christ with the mind still in darkness. He says, "the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace" (Rom 8:6). Then he says, "For the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God, for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so" (Rom 8:7).

You can see how clear Paul is about the problem anyone has who "does not have the Spirit of Christ" (Rom 8:9). The problem is that this person is disobedient to God's Law.
What Law Does Paul Believe In?

When Paul says "You are not under law but under grace" (Rom 6:14), he certainly does not mean that we have no obligation to keep God's law. Paul describes the law that we must keep in the following terms...
"The law of faith" (Rom 3:27)
"The law of the Spirit of life" (Rom 8:2)
"The law of Christ" (Gal 6:2)

Rom 8:12

Having said that "the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God because it does not subject itself to the law of God" Paul goes on to say, "Therefore brethren we are under obligation, not to live according to the flesh" (Rom 8:7,12). Putting both statements together, we find Paul showing that, in his mind, being under grace involves being under an obligation to keep God's law.

Tit 2:11-14

Paul makes it plain that he believes "the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in this present age... zealous for good works" (Tit 2:12,14). Paul, in his teaching, links the grace of God to the keeping of the law of Christ and the leading of an obedient life.

So we have established that Paul in saying, "You are not under law but under grace" (Rom 6:14), does not mean that you are under no obligation to obey God's law. Everyone is under obligation to keep the law of Christ.

But Not Under Condemnation


Rom 8:1-2
Paul shows that those who are in Christ, are not under condemnation because they have been set free from law. But he is not talking about God's law, but rather "another law" in opposition to "the law of God" (Rom 7:22-25). It would make no sense to say that the law of Christ sets us free from the law of God. Paul is talking about "the law of sin and death". Paul says, "The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death" so "there is no condemnation" because by God's grace you have been able to get out from under the wrong law (the law hostile to God), and get under the right law (the law of Christ).

It is important to understand that those who are under "the law of sin and death", who "live according to the flesh" are under condemnation by God's law. So when Paul says, "you are not under law..." he means that in Christ we are...
no longer under the law of sin and death but set free from it, and
no longer under condemnation by God's law.

It is the law of God that anyone who wishes to be free from the law of sin and death, and to be no longer under condemnation by God, shall be granted this grace and shall be enabled to live no more according to the flesh, but to live according to the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. This is what Paul means when he says, "You are not under law but under grace".

A Comment on the law of Moses

Rom 7:4-25

In Romans chapters seven and eight, Paul has in mind three laws...
The law of Moses (Rom 7:6,22)
The law of sin and death (Rom 7:23, 8:2)
The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:2).

Paul refers to the law of Moses in the earlier part of chapter seven. He did not believe that law of Moses was "the law of sin and death" because he refers to the law of sin and death as "a different law" at work in his body, hostile to "the law of God" with which his spirit joyfully concurred (Rom 7:22-23). So Paul did not believe the law of Moses was "the law of sin and death" rather he believed the law of Moses to be "the law of God" and he believed the law of Moses to be "holy, righteous, and good" (Rom 7:12). He asks, "Is the law sin?" and he answers, "May it never be!" (Rom 7:7). He asks again, "Did that law which is good become death for me?" and he answers, "May it never be!" (Rom 7:12-13). You see how careful Paul is not to make the law of Moses a law of sin and death.

What Paul did believe about the law of Moses, however, is that it could not set anyone free from the law of sin and death. Only the law of Christ, which replaced the law of Moses, could do that (Rom 8:1-2). Consequently Paul believed that the law of Christ had set Christians free not only from the law of sin and death (Rom 8:2), but also had released them from being bound to keep the law of Moses (Rom 7:6).

THE NAME OF GOD IN PSALMS 23

THE NAME OF GOD HIDDEN IN PSALMS 23
Psalm 23 is a Psalm for all occasions- death, birthday, marriage etc. It is an all time heavenly Shepherd Psalm. We have heard many messages in the Psalm and may be hearing even now. But I want to point out the 7 names of God hidden in this beautiful Psalm.

PSALM 23

Ver 1: The Lord is My Shepherd-

The very first verse hides ONE NAME OF GOD.

"SHEPHERD"-JEHOVAH-RA(Jehovah the Shepherd)

or

-JEHOVAH-ROHI

If the Lord is your shepherd, then you can own this Psalm 23 as yours. All others will follow

Notice the word "LORD" is all in capital letters. "The LORD is My Shepherd". If the "LORD" is all in the capital, in the original Hebrew it means "JEHOVAH". A classic example is found in Psalms 110:1

"The LORD said unto my Lord"

LORD in capital means "JEHOVAH"

Lord in small letters means "ADONAI"(the son)

Therefore the meaning of Psalm 110:1 is

JEHOVAH said unto my Savior(His Son)

THE SECOND NAME

Ver 1 : "I SHALL NOT WANT "

When the Lord is my Shepherd, I don't lack in anything. HE is my Provider. That is the second name of God hidden in Ver 1.

Read carefully Genesis 22:9-14

"……And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and beheld behind a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place JEHOVAH-JIREH…" Here, notice the name of the person was ABRAHAM. His Original name was ABRAM. God changed his name.

ABRAM or ABRAHAM

What is the difference? The letters "HA" is added to the original name. When you breathe of life into an ordinary man 'Abram' and changed him into a spirit filled man 'Abraham', the father of all faithful. He only could say JEHOVAH- JIREH.

I shall not want… JEHOVAH-JIREH(JEHOVAH is my Provider)

When you know the Lord as your 'Shepherd' he will be your provider, all sufficient-one. Therefore, I shall not lack or want anything.

Notice, the original name of the city of Melchisedek in Gen 14 was SALEM. Now, when Abraham called it Jehovah-Jireh it became

Jireh + SALEM ® JIREHSALEM or JERUSALEM

THE THIRD NAME

Ver 2: He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me besides the still waters"

The sheep is very happy. Lying down in Green pastures and still waters (not turbulent waters) all speak of peaceful conditions. That is the third name.

Isreal was in turbulent condition. The Midianites surrounded them. At that time, they cried. God gave a deliverer called 'GIDEON'

"And the Lord said unto him, peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.

Then Gideon build an altar there unto the Lord, and called it JEHOVAH- SHALOM" Judges 6:23 , 24
Third Name Hidden (Psalms 23:2) JEHOVAH- SHALOM
THE FOURTH NAME

Ver 3: "He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake" Psalm 23: 3

In the book of "JEREMIAH" it is written "…and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness" Jeremiah 33 :16

In the coming days when Israel will come to know the Lord this verse will be fulfilled in the land.

Now, if you look at your Reference Bible, in the margin that name is given and that is the Fourth Name
THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS…JEHOVAH-TSIDKENILL (Jer 33: 16)
THE FIFTH NAME

Ver 4: "Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For thou art with me…"

The Amalekites came against the Israelites after they crossed the Red sea. Remember, the Devil is going to severely attack you after you are saved and baptized in the Lord. No Amalekite came against them in EGYPT. When Moses went up the Mountain Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands when Joshua defeated the Amalekite with the edge of the sword. That is it my friend, Our Lord suffered on the cross and his hands were lifted up with two nails. Here down on earth we could defeat Satan through our Heavenly Joshua, even through our Lord the HOLY SPIRIT using the word of God(sword). That is the fifth Name hidden.
Psalm 23: 4…. JEHOVAH- NISSI( Exodus 17:15)
THE SIXTH NAME

Ver 5: "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil: my cup runneth over"

The sheep sometimes fight with each other. They but each other with their head. So in the evening the shepherd will carefully look each head of the sheep for any wound and apply oil there. That is the sixth Name

Psalm 23: 5…. JEHOVAH- RAPHEGA( Exodus 15:26)The Lord the healer.
When the waters of Marah was bitter, the Lord showed Moses a tree which turned bitterness into sweetness.

THE SEVENTH NAME

Ver 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"

That is the seventh Name. The Lord will be with us forever. In the book of Ezekiel the last chapter , the last verse
Ezekiel 48: 35…..JEHOVAH- SHAMMA (Ezekiel 48:35)

"and the name of the city from that day shall be The LORD is there"

The seven names of God hidden in the Psalm 23 are:

1.JEHOVAH-RA
2.JEHOVAH-JIREH
3.JEHOVAH-SHALOM
4.JEHOVAH- TSIDKNELL
5.JEHOVAH-NISSI
6.JEHOVAH-RAPHEGA
7.JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH

A message on PSALMS 23

David had himself been a keeper of sheep, and understood both the needs of the sheep and the many cares of a shepherd. He compares himself to a creature weak, defenceless, and foolish, and he takes God to be his Provider, Preserver, Director, and, indeed, his everything.
A sheep is an object of property, not a wild animal; its owner sets great store by it, and frequently it is bought with a great price. It is well to know, as certainly as David did, that we belong to the Lord.
He does not say, “The Lord is the shepherd of the world at large, and leadeth forth the multitude as his flock,” but “The Lord is my shepherd;” if he be a Shepherd to no one else, he is a Shepherd to me; he cares for me, watches over me, and preserves me. The words are in the present tense. Whatever be the believer's position, he is even now under the pastoral care of Jehovah.
“I shall not want.” I might want otherwise, but when the Lord is my Shepherd he is able to supply my needs, and he is certainly willing to do so, for his heart is full of love, and therefore “I shall not want.” I shall not lack for temporal things. Does he not feed the ravens, and cause the lilies to grow? How, then, can he leave his children to starve? I shall not want for spirituals, I know that his grace will be sufficient for me. Resting in him he will say to me, “As thy day so shall thy strength be.” I may not possess all that I wish for, but “I shall not want.”

” It is not only “I do not want,” but “I shall not want.” Come what may, if famine should devastate the land, or calamity destroy the city, “I shall not want.” Old age with its feebleness shall not bring me any lack, and even death with its gloom shall not find me destitute. I have all things and abound; not because I have a good store of money in the bank, not because I have skill and wit with which to win my bread, but because “The Lord is my Shepherd.” The wicked always want, but the righteous never; a sinner's heart is far from satisfaction, but a gracious spirit dwells in the palace of content.
“He restoreth my soul.” When the soul grows sorrowful he revives it; when it is sinful he sanctifies it; when it is weak he strengthens it. “He” does it.
“He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.” The Christian delights to be obedient, but it is the obedience of love, to which he is constrained by the example of his Master. “He leadeth me.” The Christian is not obedient to some commandments and neglectful of others; he does not pick and choose, but yields to all. Observe, that the plural is used - “the paths of righteousness.” Whatever God may give us to do we would do it, led by his love. Some Christians overlook the blessing of sanctification, and yet to a thoroughly renewed heart this is one of the sweetest gifts of the covenant.

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” This unspeakably delightful verse has been sung on many a dying bed, and has helped to make the dark valley bright times out of mind. Every word in it has a wealth of meaning. “Yea, though I walk,” as if the believer did not quicken his pace when he came to die, but still calmly walked with God. To walk indicates the steady advance of a soul which knows its road, knows its end, resolves to follow the path, feels quite safe, and is therefore perfectly calm and composed
Some one has said that when there is a shadow there must be light somewhere, and so there is. Death stands by the side of the highway in which we have to travel, and the light of heaven shining upon him throws a shadow across our path; let us then rejoice that there is a light beyond. Nobody is afraid of a shadow, for a shadow cannot stop a man's pathway even for a moment. The shadow of a dog cannot bite; the shadow of a sword cannot kill; the shadow of death cannot destroy us. Let us not, therefore, be afraid. “I will fear no evil.” He does not say there shall not be any evil; he had got beyond even that high assurance, and knew that Jesus had put all evil away; but “I will fear no evil;” as if even his fears, those shadows of evil, were gone for ever. The worst evils of life are those which do not exist except in our imagination.

“For thou art with me.” This is the joy of the Christian! “Thou art with me.” The little child out at sea in the storm is not frightened like all the other passengers on board the vessel, it is asleep in its mother's bosom; it is enough for it that its mother is with it; and it should be enough for the believer to know that Christ is with him. “Thou art with me; I have in having thee, all that I can crave: I have perfect comfort and absolute security, for thou art with me.” “Thy rod and thy staff,” by which thou governest and rulest thy flock, the ensigns of thy sovereignty and of thy gracious care - “they comfort me.” I will believe that thou reignest still. The rod of Jesse shall still be over me as the sovereign succour of my soul.
“Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.” The good man has his enemies. He would not be like his Lord if he had not. If we were without enemies we might fear that we were not the friends of God, for the friendship of the world is enmity to God.

“Thou preparest a table before me.” When a soldier is in the presence of his enemies, if he eats at all he snatches a hasty meal, and away he hastens to the fight. But observe: “Thou preparest a table,” just as a servant does when she unfolds the damask cloth and displays the ornaments of the feast on an ordinary peaceful occasion. Nothing is hurried, there is no confusion, no disturbance, the enemy is at the door and yet God prepares a table, and the Christian sits down and eats as if everything were in perfect peace. Oh! the peace which Jehovah gives to his people, even in the midst of the most trying circumstances!

“Thou anointest my head with oil.” May we live in the daily enjoyment of this blessing, receiving a fresh anointing for every day's duties. Every Christian is a priest, but he cannot execute the priestly office without unction, and hence we must go day by day to God the Holy Ghost, that we may have our heads anointed with oil.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.
Just as when great princes go abroad they must not go unattended, so it is with the believer. Goodness and mercy follow him always - “all the days of his life” - the black days as well as the bright days, the days of fasting as well as the days of feasting, the dreary days of winter as well as the bright days of summer. Goodness supplies our needs, and mercy blots out our sins. “And I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.” “A servant abideth not in the house for ever, but the son abideth ever.” While I am here I will be a child at home with my God; the whole world shall be his house to me; and when I ascend into the upper chamber I shall not change my company, nor even change the house; I shall only go to dwell in the upper storey of the house of the Lord for ever.
May God grant us grace to dwell in the serene atmosphere of this most blessed Psalm!

Christ the lord has risen today

THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION
This morning we are celebrating the power and glory of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. For many people, however, Easter Sunday morning brings a major crisis of faith. Easter confronts them with the essential question: Is the Christian religion natural or is it supernatural? Some people avoid the question even while attending annual Easter celebrations. The following poem suggests the possibility of such superficiality. The first two stanzas say,

On the third day
we eat brunch
wear bright dresses
munch on jelly beans
and marshmallow bunnies

On the third day
we sing hymns
and go to church
if we can find a parking spot.

It is possible for Easter to be nothing more than that. But to those of us who are alive in Christ, we confess the third stanza of the poem with gratitude and praise:

And on the third day
this God of ours
recovers from death
in a way that changes everything. (1)

In 2 Corinthians, the apostle Paul explains his biblical conviction that the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead does in fact change everything. Easter puts human history in perspective. The resurrection of Jesus Christ brings to Paul's present, personal experience creativity, vitality, and a confident hope for the future. Paul knows he will be raised from death to live eternally. The supernatural power and brilliant glory of God is consistently displayed through the Easter perspective of the past, present, and future.

Paul's powerful confession of faith in 2 Corinthians 4:3-15 explains why people cannot see the supernatural truth revealed in the Easter story. Eugene Peterson paraphrases it as follows:

If our Message is obscure to anyone, it's not because we're holding back in any way. No, it's because these other people are looking or going the wrong way and refuse to give it serious attention. All they have eyes for is the fashionable god of darkness. They think he can give them what they want, and that they won't have to bother believing a Truth they can't see. They're stone-blind to the dayspring brightness of the Message that shines with Christ, who gives us the best picture of God we'll ever get.

Remember, our Message is not about ourselves; we're proclaiming Jesus Christ, the Master. All we are is messengers, errand runners from Jesus for you. It started when God said, "Light up the darkness!" and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful.

If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That's to prevent anyone from confusing God's incomparable power with us. As it is, there's not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we're not much to look at. We've been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we're not demoralized; we're not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we've been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn't left our side; we've been thrown down, but we haven't broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us--trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us--he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus' sake, which makes Jesus' life all the more evident in us. While we're going through the worst, you're getting in on the best!

We're not keeping this quiet, not on your life. Just like the psalmist wrote, "I believed it, so I said it," we say what we believe. And what we believe is that the One who raised up the Master Jesus will just as certainly raise us up with you, alive. Every detail works to your advantage and to God's glory: more and more grace, more and more people, and more and more praise! (2)

That incomparable power of God and the brightness of his glory was displayed in the resurrection. The apostle Matthew's account of the resurrection emphasizes both dynamics. Although Jesus had already been raised from the dead, God's power was still evident in the violent earthquake and in the boulder being rolled away from the tomb. The brilliance of his glory shines through in the blinding, dazzling white of God's angelic messenger (Matthew 28:1-8).

Paul knew the story of Jesus' resurrection even before he became a Christian, just as many people today know the story. While still an enemy of the gospel he was personally confronted by the risen Lord Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus. In addition to Luke's account of Paul's conversion in the New Testament book of Acts, Paul himself tells his own story two other places in Acts. Both times Paul emphasizes the power of God that knocked him to the ground and the brilliance of his glory reflected in Jesus Christ: "...a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me" (Acts 26:13).

Creation, resurrection and conversion

Paul ties three events together: his own spiritual transformation, the creation of the world when God spoke light into being, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. All three are past events, objective and historical displays of God's power and his glory. In 2 Corinthians 4:4b-6, Paul calls us to see

.the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give us the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

The Easter message that the apostle Paul and the early church preached declares that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Lord of life. He died a voluntary death and suffered crucifixion as the Savior of the world. He bore our sins in his body on the cross, but he died as a victorious Savior. In his voluntary death, he won the victory over sin, death and hell, and was raised to the newness of resurrection life on Easter morning. The New Testament always links his absolute sovereignty as Lord of life to that event. The resurrection endorsed, proclaimed and demonstrated the victory that Jesus won at the cross. He died as our Savior, but he now lives as our Lord.

Paul surrendered his life to Jesus as Savior and Lord on the road to Damascus. For the first time Paul could see clearly God's glory and power as it was reflected in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. He also understood that the same glorious, creative power that spoke the world into existence and replaced darkness with light was in fact the explosive power and glory of resurrection that brought Jesus out of the grave. God transformed Paul's life, and gave him a new perspective and dynamic for living.

My concern this morning is very personal. We sang in worship this morning:

Come and see the beauty of the Lord;
Come and know the wonder of his grace.
Come and see how much He cares for you;
Gaze at the compassion in His face. (3)

My question is: Have you seen the glory of God in the face of Christ? Has God driven back the darkness of sin and unbelief in your life?

A songwriter in the last century wrote:

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
"I am this dark world's Light.
Look unto Me, thy morn shall rise,
And all thy days be bright."
I looked to Jesus, and I found
In Him my Star, my Sun;
And in that light of life I'll walk,
ill traveling days are done." (4)

Have you seen the glory of God in the face of Christ?

Resurrection life as our present experience

In the next section of the passage, Paul explains what it means to walk in Jesus, "the light of life." The New Testament teaches that if we experience salvation from our sins through Jesus Christ then we have been given a new birth and a supernatural power to live. Paul explains that the very resurrection life of Christ is expressed through us as Christians. The amazing creativity and vitality of resurrection life can be our present, personal experience of God's power and glory. Paul describes it as a treasure inside of us (2 Corinthians 4:7-11):

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

Paul understands that the real treasure is the resurrection life of Jesus Christ within him. He is merely a vessel that carries it. Is there a more beautiful description of the Christian life than "we have this treasure in earthen vessels"?
Paul's life was lived under tremendous pressure. His clay pot was subjected to the strain of affliction, perplexing confusion, persecution, catastrophe, and constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake. Paul understood that what filled him up and resisted the external pressures of life was the surpassing greatness of the power of God inside of him. The power that spoke the world into being is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, and spiritually transformed Paul's life when he met Jesus on the Damascus road.

The following excerpts are a wonderful description of resurrection power, both as it was displayed on Easter morning and as it can be displayed in the lives of people who respond to Jesus as Savior and Lord. Ray Stedman writes in Body Life:

We must understand that resurrection power is like no other power on earth. It is unique, and has no possible rival. For one thing, it is the kind of power that operates in the midst of death. It works when everything around it is dull, dead and barren. It works best in the midst of a cemetery, for that is where it was first demonstrated. When Jesus Christ was resurrected he came out from among the dead. Therefore, if you learn to live by resurrection power you can be alive and vital when everything and everyone around you is dead and lifeless.

Resurrection power is also irresistible. It cannot be thwarted or turned aside. It takes absolutely no account of any obstacles thrown in its path, except to use them for further opportunities to advance its cause. When Jesus came bursting from the grave, he paid not the slightest attention to the obstacles man had placed in his way. There was a large stone in front of his tomb; he passed through it. He himself was wrapped in yard after yard of linen cloth; he left the graveclothes undisturbed behind him. There were Roman guards in front of his tomb; he ignored them. He took not the slightest notice of the decrees of Caesar, or the orders of Pilate or the fulminations of the Jewish priests.

Furthermore, resurrection power makes no noise. Other kinds of power that we know usually make some kind of sound: they pound, pulsate, throb, hum, buzz, explode, or roar. But resurrection power is quite silent. Without any display or ostentation it quietly accomplishes its purpose though there is nothing audible or visible to mark it. When a Christian is living by resurrection power he does not advertise it or seek to dazzle others by its display. His effect upon others is quiet and unobserved at first, but soon there are evident changes that mark the inevitable effect of resurrection power at work: the return of life, vitality, excitement and joy to an individual or situation. (5)

How did the apostle Paul evidence resurrection power in his own life? We read that in spite of his afflictions he was not crushed. He never despaired in spite of perplexity and confusion. Although people abandoned him, he knew he was not forsaken by God. And even though he was struck down, he was not destroyed. He said the life of Jesus was made public, or "manifest," in his own body by the way he lived. There is a tone of celebration in verses 7-11. Even though life had knocked Paul down at times, it never knocked him out. His life demonstrated creativity and vitality because he experienced God's power and glory in his life. If we are God's "resurrection" people like Paul, we are a lot tougher than we usually think. It is encouraging to know that we can cope with great pressures because we have the power of the resurrection within us.

During my years as a pastor at PBC I have seen many who are "in Christ" endure realistically and triumphantly with calamity, sorrow, tragedy, illness, death--losses of every sort. With time and patience, and with the Holy Spirit ministering encouragement personally and through brothers and sisters in the Lord they have bounced back with renewed faith and confidence. Are you experiencing that same resurrection power of Jesus Christ in your life?

Our confident hope of resurrection from death

In verses 12-15, Paul turns to the future and offers the confident hope of his own resurrection from death. It is the time when we look forward to hearing God's creative and commanding voice call us to eternal life. At that point we will finally know the completeness of his power and glory. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:12-15:

So death works in us, but life in you. But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I BELIEVED, THEREFORE I SPOKE," we also believe, therefore also we speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God.

At the end of chapter 4 Paul begins a discussion of death and the hope we have in the resurrection of those who die as Christians. For Paul, the present experience of resurrection life is not enough. He writes in his first letter to Corinth, "If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied" (1 Cor 15:19). Paul's unconquerable faith is spelled out against the backdrop of his belief that the same God whose Spirit renewed him daily was the one who raised Jesus on Easter morning. To the church in Thessalonica he writes, "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus" (1 Thess 4:14). One of the most important implications of Easter Sunday morning is that if we are in relationship to Christ, we no longer have to be afraid of death.

Apart from Jesus Christ, the fear of death is universal. The comedy of Woody Allen speaks to his obsession with it. In an Esquire magazine interview, Allen is quoted as saying, "It's not that I'm afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happens."(6) Most of the article shows that he is filled with dread. He says, "The fundamental thing behind all motivation and all activity is the constant struggle against annihilation and death. It's absolutely stupefying in it's terror and it renders anyone's accomplishments meaningless."(7)

The Easter message proclaims that Jesus rescues his followers from the horror of death. We will not only survive death, but we will be raised from it. We will be given new bodies like Jesus' resurrection body, bodies with new and undreamed of powers. We will have no more afflictions, perplexity, persecution, catastrophe, and no more "being delivered over to death." Revelation 21 is a promise of eternal life in a beautiful glimpse of heaven. The apostle John writes, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them, and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away" (Revelation 21:3, 4).

And on the third day
this God of ours
recovers from death
in a way that changes everything.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead does, in fact, change everything--the past, the present, and the future. Easter affects our understanding of the past--of salvation history at work in the creation of the universe, at work on Easter morning, and at work in our own conversion to faith in Jesus Christ. The resurrection brings to our present, personal experience the amazing creativity and vitality of resurrection life. And Jesus' resurrection gives us confident hope for the future. We will be raised from death ourselves to live eternally. The supernatural power and the brilliant glory of God is consistently displayed in the Easter perspective on our past, present and future.

You can experience the resurrection life of Jesus--as your Savior and Lord

Paul's concern at the end of verse 15 is that God's saving grace in Jesus Christ is spread to more and more people. I ask again: Have you seen the glory of God in the face of Christ? Has God driven back the darkness of sin and unbelief from your heart? Are you experiencing the resurrection power of Christ in your life? Has Jesus rescued you from bondage to the fear of death?

If your answers this morning are no, do you perhaps realize that you are spiritually blind, and that you are living in the darkness of sinful rebellion against God? Is your life dull, dead, and barren? Are you in bondage to the fear of death?

The good news of the Easter message is that Jesus can open your eyes to spiritual reality. He can forgive your sinful rebellion, dissipate your fear of what happens after you die, and he can give you life to the fullest right now. All you need to do is turn to him as Savior and Lord. Romans 10:9-10 explains that "...if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness [being made right with God], and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."

What better way to celebrate Easter than to accept the new life Jesus offers today? Trust him as your Savior, surrender your will to him as Lord. Then you will know the thrill, the joy, and the security of the resurrected Christ Jesus living inside of you.

Later in this letter, Paul writes with a sense of heightened seriousness and urgency, "And working together with Him [Jesus], we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain--for He says, [God speaking through Isaiah] 'AT THE ACCEPTABLE TIME I LISTENED TO YOU, AND ON THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU.'" Paul adds, "behold, now is "THE ACCEPTABLE TIME," behold, now is the "DAY OF SALVATION..." (2 Corinthian 6:1-2).

If you have never asked Jesus Christ to come into your life, I want to invite you to open your heart to him and accept the salvation he offers. Jesus says to you, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him, and will dine with him, and he with Me" (Rev 3:20). Please respond to his gracious invitation