Foundation of Reality

 

 Foundation of Reality

John 8:32; 14:6; 17:17; 2 Cor. 5:7; Hebrews 11:1

Theme: Authentic facts point to God’s truth; we must live by God’s truth and not mere facts…by faith and not by sight.

Relevance:

John 8:32, says, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Accepting and actively living by Christ’s teachings breaks the heavy chains of sin, fear, and spiritual blindness. God also delivers us from spiritual confusion when we believe Him instead of our circumstances. Facts are subject to misleading, but embracing God’s truth is freeing, liberating, and life transforming!  

Hebrews 11:1 states: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Rather than relying strictly on physical observation or human scientific measurement, biblical faith treats God, His word, and unseen spiritual truths as the ultimate foundation of reality.

Introduction:

God’s spiritual truth (His word and promises) supersedes temporary earthly facts (physical or biological realities or human observations). Again, selecting God’s reality over our mere visible or empirical world perceptions is the very meaning of living by faith (Heb. 11:1-6). While the exact phrase “truth over facts” is rather modern, the King James Bible explains that God’s eternal word overrides human circumstances, obstacles, and observations always. God’s statements in the Bible are not dismissed merely because some misguided soul says so. Bible teachings are not relegated to sheer superstition or nonsense just because some supposedly ‘intellectual,’ ‘highly educated’ person, or ‘vastly esteemed group’ demotes it to such status. I do not apologize for valuing God’s revelation over human education! 

Message:

Secondly, Truth Must Override Facts as a Standard!

Once more, God’s truth does not change with time, culture, or personal feelings, nor is it diminished in its real significance by an elite group of esteemed individuals. Truth always remains constant for all people, and abiding within truth (embracing complete reality) is the power of authentic spiritual freedom! Truth provides a correct foundation for reality. 

This Tendency to Select God’s Truth is a Recurring Thesis in the Word:

• John 17:17: “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” — God’s standard as always is absolute truth. Jesus in His ‘High Priestly Prayer’ is asking the Father to cleanse the disciples and separate them from worldly corruption so they can serve Him.
• “Truth” (the content and occurrence points to ‘what happened’ or ‘whole truth’) constitutes the environment God uses to make us holy—His word. His message and standards do not change. In a confusing world, His word is the ultimate, absolute stable reality.
• Now His second petition for them was for their sanctification. Sanctify means “set apart for special use.” A believer is to be distinct from the world’s sin, its values, and its goals.
• The means of this sanctifying work is God’s truth. The truth is communicated in the Word, which is both personal and propositional. As the message about Jesus was heard, believed, and understood, the disciples’ hearts and minds were captured. This change in their thinking resulted in changes in their living. The same is true of believers today. As they appropriate God’s Word to their lives, they are sanctified—set apart for God and changed in their living in order to honor God (cf. 15:3). God’s message set the apostles apart from the world so that they would do His will, not Satan’s.^[1]
• John 14:6: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life...” Truth is a person, Jesus Christ, —a divine reality, not just data points, a collection of metrics, or a clear pattern for making informed decisions. Jesus during the Last Supper is telling His disciple Thomas that He is the sole path, ultimate truth, and source of eternal life required to reach God the Father.
• Beloved, Jesus literally embodies divine reality; He is God’s absolute standard. He represents the final, complete, and most accurate revelation of God to the world. God does not simply consider some data pipeline that directly drives operational performance and strategic growth. He relies on Jesus, the TRUTH and so should we!
• As the Father is Truth and Life, Jesus is the embodiment of God so people can come to the Father (cf. 1:4, 14, 18; 11:25). By His words, No one comes to the Father except through Me, Jesus stressed that salvation, contrary to what many people think, is not obtainable through many ways. Only one Way exists (cf. Acts 4:12; 1 Tim. 2:5). Jesus is the only access to the Father because He is the only One from the Father (cf. John 1:1–2, 51; 3:13).^[2]
• 2 Corinthians 5:7: “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” — This may be taxing for some individuals, but Believers are instructed to live by spiritual reality rather than physical evidence or observations.
• The word [faith] is not used actively in the sense of vision. Faith is contrasted with the actual appearance of heavenly things.^[3]
• To “walk” in the Bible indicates our daily life, habits, and the way we conduct our journey through life.
• “By faith” is literally trusting the truth of God and His eternal promises even without physical/material proof or verification.
• “Not by sight” is refusing to let temporary physical data, struggles, fears, or worldly-wise emergences control our hope or decisions.
• Beloved, by this strategy we can overcome difficulties by permitting this ‘truth’ when facing intense suffering remind us that earthly life is brief but rather hard at times. We MUST remember our eternal hope constantly! We are to look ahead to an eternal, perfect home with God after physical death, which cannot be seen now but is gripped by our faith.
• The fact that we walk by faith, not by sight is abundant proof that we are absent from the Lord. We have never gazed upon the Lord with our physical eyes. Only through faith have we ever seen Him. As long as we are at home in the body, we have a life that is less close and intimate than the life of actual sight.^[4]
• What sustained Paul was the realization that this was a temporary and transitory state (2 Cor. 4:18). He focused not on present but on future conditions, not on the seen but the unseen. To live this way is to live by faith, not by sight. It is to live in light of ultimate rather than immediate realities (cf. Rom. 8:24–25), to be obedient to God’s commands despite the hardships that obedience produces (e.g., 2 Cor. 11:23–29). Such was Paul’s life. If the choice were his, he would have seized the opportunity to depart this pilgrimage life and take up residence (be at home) with the Lord (Phil. 1:21–23). But the constraints of his commission caused him to press on (cf. Phil. 1:24; Eph. 3:1–13).^[5]
• Child of God, genuine believers are instructed to live according to spiritual reality rather than physical evidence. It is not that we forsake our ability to think, we conscientiously choose to ‘see’ things God’s way! We make daily choices by trusting God’s unseen promises instead of relying only on physical circumstances, the perceptions of human logic, or what our eyes can see…what seems extremely real. Remember, you must exercise your faith; your ability to reason will not give you all the information…only what’s tangible. We are called to steadily trust in the Lord Jesus always and especially during difficult times.

Truth always remains constant for all people and cultures, and abiding within truth (embracing complete reality) is the indisputable power of authentic spiritual freedom! Truth provides the only correct foundation for all reality. 

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^[1] Edwin A. Blum, “John,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 333.

^[2] Edwin A. Blum, “John,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 322.

^[3] Marvin Richardson Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, vol. 3 (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1887), 319.

^[4] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1838.

^[5] David K. Lowery, “2 Corinthians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 566.

The Spirit Sets Us Free 2

“The Spirit Sets Us Free 2”

Gal. 5:13-14

SUBJECT: GRACE AND CHRISTIAN LIVING

THEME: Living the Christian life in freedom involves receiving Christ’s real-world uprightness by faith and not by mere mechanical obedience to rules. We are set free from the curse and the control of the law to liberty that does not warrant permission to sin, but rather to mature responsibility and holiness before God. To live by grace, through faith, gives us a free and satisfying Christian experience, and the Holy Spirit is the secret to “everyday life.”

INTRODUCTION:

1. Freedom from our Sinful Nature Results in Service to our Lord and Others. 

2. Legalism Does Not Positively Influence our Wicked Nature.

3. The Holy Spirit Does Impact and Conquer our Sinful Nature.

This paragraph is perhaps the most crucial in the entire closing section of Galatians; for in it we discover three ministries of the Holy Spirit that enable the believer to enjoy liberty in Christ.

MESSAGE:

The Spirit Enables Us to Fulfill the Law of Love (Gal. 5:13-15).

We are prone to go to extremes. One believer interprets liberty as license and thinks he can do whatever he wants to do. Another believer, seeing this error, goes to an opposite extreme and imposes his laws on everybody. Actually, something quite different from license or legalism results in true Christian liberty.

A.  THIS IS OUR CALLING.  Vs. 13, For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty;”

B.  WE MUST HEED A CAUTION.  Gal. 5:13

This is where we need to pause and clarify to avoid confusion.  

C.  WE MUST NOTE A CONTRAST.  Vs. 5:13

Galatians 5:13, For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

     1. A Warning to Heed.  

A warning about falling again into slavery (captivity, compulsive behaviors, feeling trapped, and frustrated), in this case the warning is changed into the demand not to allow this freedom to become an excuse for sinful self-indulgence. Here the contrast is between self-centered indulgence and the serving of one another in love.

1. Compulsive behaviors are repetitive actions that you feel driven to perform to relieve anxiety. You might feel like you “have to” do them, even if they do not make sense. Common examples include excessive hand washing, checking locked doors, or arranging items in a specific order. (See Mayo Clinic)

2. People living with obsessive behaviors often describe feeling trapped in a frustrating cycle. These actions rarely bring satisfaction but rather act as temporary tools for managing overwhelming stress or intrusive thoughts. (See Mayo Clinic)

3. Compulsions are generally driven by fear or anxiety. They feel urgent and hard to stop. This is partly why the Bible addresses this problem so often offering solutions to compulsive behaviors by addressing the root emotional pressure, renewing the mind, and relying on Christ’s power rather than self-reliance. These verses provide practical steps to break free from these cycles. (See Gal. 5:1; Phil. 4:6-7)

The life of legalism includes not only the Ten Commandments, but a set of regulations that Bible believers follow today. They tell you where you can’t go, and what you can’t do. ^[a]

     2. A Paradox to Understand. 

It is ironic that, having discouraged the Galatians from becoming slaves to law, Paul should now encourage them to become slaves of one another--for that is what the word "serve" means. It is a paradox, but the paradox is instructive. The Galatians are to be slaves of one another, though this slavery is not at all like the first. In fact--this is the paradox--it is the Christian form of being free. (Dr. W. W. Wiersbe)

The Bible teaches that real freedom is freedom from sin’s control, not freedom to sin. When people use freedom to do bad things, it is called license. These are ways we may apply these ideas of liberty to daily experiences: 

• Focus on others: Instead of just doing what you want, you should care for your fellow church members, your neighbors, or coworkers.
• Avoid bad habits: Do not let your selfish desires, like being mean, ‘sassy’, or egotistical, control you. A craving or goal where your primary focus is on your own gratification, often without considering the impact on others will naturally trigger conflict. Carefully distinguish between healthy self-care and harmful selfishness by whether your actions build up or harm those around you.
• Do godly good: You put love into action. That is loving others by doing good deeds instead of just using words or using them for certain outcomes—transactions. It means showing kindness, serving people without expecting a reward, forgiving others, and helping those in need. Such love is like a circle: God gives love to you, and you share that love with others.

Christian liberty does not permit sin; it rather encourages loving service. Love is seen as the motive of all Christian behavior, whereas under law, the motive is fear of punishment. Findlay says: “Love’s slaves are the true freemen.”^[b]

      3. A Slavery to Avoid.

Slavery to sin is involuntary and terrible; a person is born into sin (Ps 51:5) and cannot escape it on his own (Rom 7:18). Slavery to law, which comes by choice, is foolish and burdensome. On the other hand, slavery to one another is voluntary and a source of deep joy. It is possible only because Christians are delivered through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit from the necessity of serving sin in their lives.

1. “Slavish behaviors,” however, in modern churches refer to practices where members blindly obey leaders or follow unwritten rules out of fear, rather than out of genuine faith or freely and willingly. This creates an environment where control and dependency replace healthy spiritual growth.

2. In contrast, healthy churches promote love, freedom, and mutual respect. But slavish behaviors turn the ‘churches’ into places of work, debt, and control. Much like a cult uses fear to keep members compliant, these toxic behaviors abuse religious trust to manipulate people.

3. They may welcome you in with loving arms and excitement. But as you become more regular a new expectation arises that is not grounded in biblical ideas. There is more focus on the ‘church,’ the buildings and its structures. It becomes less about a place to celebrate our faith in Christ and building one another up in the Lord to more focus on ‘raising money’ and the ‘facilities.’ Membership classes, expectations that you will bring in new people, more financial gain for those few in power, and increased loyalty to the ‘church’ are typical features of such ‘ministries.’ Child of God this is not what Jesus started and is a part of today!

Members are afraid to express personal concerns regarding issues with leaders or resolve conflict due to fear they will be ostracized, shunned, gaslit, or mistreated by the ‘church.’ Again, this slightly resembles ‘commitment’, but it is actually enslavement.

D.  HERE IS OUR COMMANDMENT. Gal. 5:13

This leads to a commandment: “By love serve one another” (Gal. 5:13). Beloved, this is the imperative of service to Christ!

    1. Liberty is Expressed by Love.

The key word, of course, is “love.” The formula looks like this:

• liberty + love = service to others
• liberty - love = license (slavery to sin)

Use your spiritual freedom not for selfish desires, but to humbly and sacrificially care for one another.

ILLUSTRATION: “I have an extra day off this week,” Carl told his wife as he walked into the kitchen. “I think I’ll use it to fix Donna’s bike and then take Larry on that museum trip he’s been talking about.” “Fixing a bike and visiting a museum hardly sound like exciting ways to spend a day off,” his wife replied. “It’s exciting if you love your kids!”

Real care for others is an action, not just a feeling, and helping others should be motivated by genuine compassion rather than an obligation or a desire for personal gain, manipulation, notoriety, competition, money, or some perceived advantage. 

     2. Law is Fulfilled by Love. Gal. 3:14, “For all the Law is fulfilled in one word….”

The amazing thing about love is that it takes the place of all the laws God ever gave. “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” solves every problem in human relations (see Rom.13:8-14). If you love people (because you love Christ), you will not steal from them, lie about them, envy them, or try in any way to hurt them. Love in the heart is God’s substitute for laws and threats. Whether harsh laws established by mere human leaders, or ancient Old Testament laws that seem unfair to us today. God condemns leaders who create bad, oppressive laws. However, ancient Old Testament laws that modern readers find morally difficult or overly severe show how everything is summarized by genuine love for Him and our fellow man.

“When our children were small, we lived next to a busy highway, and the children knew they would be spanked if they went near the road. As they grew older, they discovered that obedience brought rewards. They learned to obey not only to escape pain but to gain pleasure. Today they live in different metropolitan areas and all of them drive. But we neither threaten nor bribe them in order to keep them safe. They have a built-in discipline of love that regulates their lives, and they would not deliberately hurt themselves, their parents, or other people. Love has replaced law.”—Dr. W. W. Wiersbe

1. On a much higher level, the Holy Spirit within gives us the love that we need (Rom.5:5; Gal. 5:6, 22). Apparently, the Galatian believers were lacking in this kind of love because they were "biting and devouring one another" and were in danger of destroying one another (Gal. 5:15). The picture here is of wild animals attacking each other. This is proof that law cannot force people to get along with each other. No matter how many rules or standards a church may adopt, they are no guarantee of spirituality. Unless the Holy Spirit of God is permitted to fill hearts with His love, selfishness and competition will reign. Both extremes in the Galatian churches—the legalists and the libertines—were destroying the fellowship.

2. This mentioning of the word “law” is most instructive, because it shows that despite all Paul has said, there remains a sense—a principle—in which the requirements of the law are a proper concern for Christians. This does not mean that the Christian is to make progress in holiness by once again setting up a system of rules and regulations. No…nothing in the last half of Galatians or any other part of the NT suggests this. Still, it means that the essential ends of the law will be met in those who, being called by God and being filled with the Spirit, allow God to produce the Spirit's fruit in our character. The foundational goals, purposes, or destinations of the “law”—the core goals that guide us, the primary purposes of a legal stipulation—is personal spiritual growth.

Paul quoted Leviticus 19:18 and stated that the entire Law was summarized in this single command to love their neighbors. Jesus affirmed the same truth (Matt. 22:39; Luke 10:25–28). But Paul also wanted to show that Christian love is the “fulfillment” or “the carrying out” of the Law. The apostle developed this point in Romans 13:8–10.^[c]

CONCLUSION:

Beloved, the Holy Spirit does not work through emptiness or nothing. He uses means like the Word of God, prayer, worship, giving and the fellowship of believers to build us up in Christ. The believer who spends time daily in the Word and prayer, and who yields to the Spirit’s operations, is going to enjoy “liberty” and will help build up their church. The Glory of God will be manifested through our lives, and it need never fade nor be suppressed. The more we develop our relationship with Christ, the more we reflect His glory.  The more we study the Scriptures the more His image should be reflected. And the more we allow the Word of God and the Spirit of God to change our lives, the more we will be transformed into the men and women God wants us to become. Yes, the light of Jesus Christ should shine through our lives every moment of every day! (See Dr. W. W. Wiersbe)

So, the great evidence of our walking by the Spirit or being filled with the Spirit is not some private mystical experience of our own, but our practical relationships of love with other people. Since the first fruit of the Spirit is love, this is only logical. But it is easy to talk about “love” in an abstract and general way; it is much harder to get down to concrete, specific situations in which we really demonstrate our love for one another.

Charles Spurgeon warned that unholy churches are a disaster to the world. He famously declared that avowed atheists are less dangerous than pastors who subtly promote false teachings. He believed this compromises the Bible and destroys the true Gospel. In 1887, Spurgeon led the “Down Grade Controversy”. He strongly criticized churches that traded orthodox beliefs for worldly, modern ideas. He called these shifts “downward.” He left the Baptist Union when many leaders tolerated or promoted this spiritual drift. (See Puritan Board)

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^[a] J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible Commentary, electronic ed., vol. 5 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1997), 187.

^[b] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1892–1893.

^[c] Donald K. Campbell, “Galatians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 606.

Jesus Clears the Way for World Evangelization

Jesus Clears the Way for World Evangelization

 

John 16:7-16, Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. ⁸ And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

⁹ Of sin, because they believe not on me;

¹⁰ Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;

¹¹ Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

¹² I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. ¹³ Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. ¹⁴ He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. ¹⁵ All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. ¹⁶ A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.

A description of the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of Jesus would be most beneficial especially when considering worldwide evangelization. The work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Lord Jesus began when Joseph has a dream and discovers Mary has conceived a Son by the Holy Spirit (Matt 1:20; Luke 1:35).  Secondly Peter’s preaching in Acts 10:37-38, revealed that Christ was anointed by the Holy Ghost and that the Spirit descended on Him at His baptism (Luke 3:22).  Immediately afterwards the Spirit of God lead Christ into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil (Matt 4:1).   Thirdly, the Lord Jesus was crucified in the power of the Holy Spirit as He offered Himself according to Hebrews 9:14, and Christ was raised from the dead by the power of the Spirit (Rom. 1:4).  Then finally the Lord Jesus commanded His apostles “through the Holy Ghost” (Acts 1:2). Again, the main work and function of the Holy Spirit is in connection with the application of the redemption that has been achieved and worked out by the Son of God, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The importance of John 16:7-16 must be carefully considered to see this invaluable truth. These verses suggest that the very coming and presence of the Spirit in the Church and in the world is a part of the work of applying redemption (making it available) in a general way to all people—the world.  The Lord Jesus in John 16:8-11, teaches the effect the actual coming of the Spirit has upon the world, and the very presence of the Holy Spirit in the Church convicts it of sin, and righteousness, and judgment (Acts 5:29-32). As Father and the Son before Him, the Spirit takes up the work of God’s leadership. This is just one way the Spirit of God will lead our evangelism efforts.  

First is the fact that people did not “believe” on the Lord Jesus— “sin”. Therefore, the Spirit’s coming “reproves” or convicted the world of its complete error when it had denied Jesus of Nazareth; it is proof positive and final that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God, the Savior of the world.  The second element deals with “righteousness” because Jesus returns to His Father and is currently unseen. The Father has not only accepted Jesus, but His perfect work at Calvary and the empty tomb also.  In fact, the greatest proof of God’s acceptance of Christ as our “justification” is the sending of the Holy Spirit into this world. The third element deals with the fact that the “prince of this world is judged.” The Spirit’s descent on Pentecost was the final proof that Christ defeated Satan and of the “judgment” pronounced upon him.

This is significant because the Holy Spirit convicts people of God’s coming judgment on them. This judgment is guaranteed because Satan (the “prince of this world”) has now been legally condemned through Christ’s death and resurrection. Those who reject Jesus share the devil's fate, while believers are forgiven. Notice John 16:11,

• “Of judgment”: The Holy Spirit alerts people to God’s final justice and the reality of divine judgment. It does not matter what a person believes is or is not possible…whether they ascribe to absolutes or not. They must deal with conviction and judgment.
• “The prince of this world”: is Satan’s temporary influence and control over the rebellious, ungodly systems of the world. “Prince of this world” implies an evil worldwide kingdom. Satan once led this world’s kingdoms excluding Christ, but now we who have believed on the Lord are now subjects of Christ’s kingdom. Colossians 1:11, says, “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: ¹⁴ In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: ¹⁵ Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:” …. We can celebrate our spiritual transfer from the dominion of darkness (sin and evil) into the light-filled, loving rule of Jesus Christ. Our heavenly Father delivered us from the “power of darkness” and conveyed us into the kingdom of His beloved Son!  
• “Is judged”: The Greek verb is a past-tense, completed action pointing to Jesus ultimately defeating Satan and his condemnation as already settled and cannot be reversed. These are guaranteed realities because of the cross and resurrection of Christ. 

God comforts us believers by revealing that the ultimate enemy, Satan, has already been and is finally defeated. Because the ruler of this world stands condemned, his power over those who trust in Christ is broken. We are free from His control.

Again, the ultimate proof of God’s acceptance of Christ as believers’ justification is the sending of the Holy Spirit. This is why the events of Pentecost are included in a great sequence of historic events, that establish our salvation. The very coming of the Spirit pronounced that there is only one way to salvation, righteousness, and it is through Christ Jesus (1Cor. 1:30). Nothing proclaims this so powerfully as the descent of the Spirit sent by Christ upon the Church on Pentecost.

So, the connection between Satan’s defeat and the coming of the Holy Spirit is set before us in John 16:7-13. The death of Christ at Calvary, His resurrection, and ascension, and His sending of the Spirit soundly declared the defeat of Satan (John 16:11).  Satan is now cast out as the Lord Jesus predicted and no longer controls this world. Satan once held all nations except Israel in a form of spiritual bondage, but Christ has dethroned him and now Christ reigns supreme and is controlling the world. It is incumbent upon Christ’s churches to get the gospel out to the farthest reaches of the earth to “every creature” then (Matt. 28:18-20; Luke 24:46-49; Act 1:8).

We cannot pay this “spiritual debt” simply by giving money for missions and praying for missionaries, even though both of these ministries are important and essential. We must present ourselves to the Lord as living sacrifices (Rom. 12:1-2), available to him for whatever work he wants us to do, starting at home. The first missionaries began their witness right at home in Jerusalem and then enlarged their circle of ministry to include “the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Dr. Oswald J. Smith often said, “The light that shines the farthest will shine the brightest at home.”

“Are people in today’s world lost?” is not an academic question for theologians to debate in some ivory tower. The question is at the heart of the church’s ministry, and the answer to the question is, “Yes, all men without Christ are lost.” And what are you doing about it? Are you paying your debt by sharing the gospel with others? (W. W. Wiersbe)

Certainly, our Lord Jesus cleared the way for worldwide evangelization, and we must recognize our opportunities to share the hope of Christ with others immediately before us and around the world. May we follow carefully the Spirit’s guidance as we steward the gospel to the world. Beloved, this is ‘kingdom’ work and our church’s mission.

 

Who You are in Christ

Ephesians 2

Who Are You in Christ Jesus? Just take a moment to ponder that question.... 

Once again, our identity is presented by God to forge unity, and harmony among believers in the same church. These are true confessions we can make to God daily as believers in Jesus Christ. It is vital that we pay attention to how these truths apply to anyone suffering from an over-inflated ego, delusions of grandeur, false self-importance convictions, distorted perceptions of oneself, or a superiority complex.

Caution: these concepts are true, humbling, chastening, corrective, and helpful. Let’s look at each one.  

1.      I am saved, quickened, and made alive…or suddenly awaken to the reality of my sinfulness and life in Christ (Eph. 2:1)

 

The sinner who trusts Christ has been raised and seated on the throne (Eph. 2:1–10), and believing Jews and Gentiles have been reconciled and set into the temple (Eph. 2:11–22). What a miracle of God’s grace! We are taken out of the great graveyard of sin and placed into the throne room of glory.^[1]

 

2.     I was loved by God even when I was living for worldliness, by the devil’s influence, and for myself in carnality like everyone else (Eph. 2:2-3)

3.     I am saved by God’s merciful grace and made alive together with Christ because of God’s great love (Eph. 2:4-5)

 

It comes as a shock to some people when they discover that we are not saved “by God’s love,” but by God’s mercy and grace. In His mercy, He does not give us what we do deserve; and in His grace He gives us what we do not deserve. And all of this is made possible because of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. It was at Calvary that God displayed His hatred for sin and His love for sinners (Rom. 5:8; John 3:16).^[2]

 

4.     I am raised-exalted and seated-enthroned with Christ in the heavenly realm so I may be an ageless demonstration of His grace and kindness (Eph. 2:6-7)

5.     I am reconciled-a recipient of God’s gracious salvation gift through a simple act of faith in His matchless work and impeccable character (Eph. 2:8-9)

6.     I am free from all bragging, personal determination, prideful efforts, and arrogance for this salvation in Christ (Eph. 2:9)

One reason why salvation is a free gift of God and not earned by works, is given us in the words; “lest any man should boast.” Grace glorifies God. Works would glorify man.^[3]

 

7.     I am re-created in Christ for the good works that God ordained for me to fulfill and complete with/during this incredible new life (Eph. 2:10)

8.     I am delivered by God from alienation regarding heritage, estrangement to God’s promises, and hopeless worldliness and brought into peace, promise, and harmony through the precious blood of Christ (Eph. 2:11-13)

 

When they trusted the Savior, God placed them in Christ Jesus and accepted them in the beloved One. From then on they were as near to God as Christ is, because they were in Christ Jesus. The cost of effecting this marvelous change was the blood of Christ. Before these Gentile sinners could enjoy the privilege of nearness to God, they had to be cleansed from their sins. Only the blood of Christ shed at Calvary could do this. When they received the Lord Jesus by a definite act of faith, all the cleansing value of His precious blood was credited to their account.^[4]

 

9.     I am no longer alienated, but rendered near to God who is uniting all believer’s bringing peace, union, agreement, and cultural connectivity (Eph. 2:13-14)

10.  I am reconciled to God as a new individual regardless of my guiltiness, my offensiveness, and national origins and united with other believers through the cross (crucifixion) of Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:15-17)

11.   I presently share a new position—access to God the Father by the Spirit as a fellow-citizen with other saints and belong to and included in God’s household of faith (Eph. 2:18-19)

12.  I am built on the same foundation of Christ, the chief cornerstone, and we share together in the work of the apostles and prophets (Eph. 2:20)

 

Paul has shown that though the Gentiles were formerly outside God’s household, they are now one “new man” with Jewish believers. This new entity is like a temple that is structured on the apostles and prophets, with Christ being the chief Cornerstone; it is indwelt by God through the agency of the Holy Spirit.^[5]

 

13.  I am gifted and enabled by God to contribute to the ever-growing welfare of the Church as a part of the Lord’s living Temple—his Spirit-provided dwelling place (Eph. 2:21-22)

And so the chapter that began with a description of Gentiles who were dead, depraved, diabolical, and disobedient, closes with those same Gentiles cleansed from all guilt and defilement, and forming a dwelling place of God in the Spirit!^[6]

In conclusion, recite these God-centered statements to your Father in prayer.  Your daily confessions, your frequent acknowledgements, and agreements with his views of you as his child will transform your perspective. Try this for a solid month. Consciencely recognize this corrective position for your own ‘freeing’ benefit and mental adjustment. Gradually let go of any over-inflated ego observations…any erroneous delusions of grandeur…all untrue self-importance persuasions… all distorted perception of oneself, and every wrong superiority complex. Reject cultural and political ideas or definitions of yourself. Stop now any efforts to overcompensate for any feelings of inadequacy or shortages from your entire life! You may need to forgive some people (including yourself), but please do not allow their failures, flaws, or 'mindset' define you or limit your potential in Christ Jesus.  Spiritually we are all equal “in Christ” and this includes every believer without a single exception. That means no racial, political, socio-economical, or social factors should outweigh this unity we enjoy in Christ. Unity and not necessarily uniformity! This is a wonderful start!

It is true that our heavenly Father regards all of us, His children, in the same way. We are equals…special, but not individually unique. We are privileged and exalted because of who God is, not in or of ourselves. This strike at a point of pride, but let it! We all enjoy elevated gracious blessings and not mere individual earthly rights in God’s eyes. The honors that we have do not favor one over the other but are evenly distributed to all believers alike “in Christ.”

Go ahead and admit these ideas to our heavenly Father. Adopt this correct perspective for yourself; embrace these God-given ideas fully. Personally witness God's wonderful truth transforming your understanding of yourself and freeing you from elevated arrogance, fault-finding comparisons, and paranoid fears. In the name of Christ Jesus be free from hoax-laden cover ups, double-standard pretenses, two-faced hypocrisies, national or cultural expectations, fraudulent lifestyles, fakeness, and other delusional ideas rooted in distorted perceptions of reality. God, your heavenly Father, wants you to be ‘free’ indeed!

 

 

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^[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 17.

^[2] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 19.

^[3] Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader, vol. 4 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 70.

^[4] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1920.

^[5] Harold W. Hoehner, “Ephesians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 628.

^[6] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1924.