| After salvation, what’s next? Spiritual birth is not the end-all of Christianity. One has to go through its progressive stages. No one can ever claim that he has arrived.
Life, in general, is a continuing education. So is Christianity. The moment we stop learning, we stop growing. The moment we stop growing, we will not just stagnate, but we will fall and return to our former state, perhaps far worse than when we first began. It is, therefore, God’s desire for us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:18). Do not be afraid of growing slowly, instead be afraid of not growing at all. Most of us have ceased to mature in the faith because of the wrong belief that Christianity is all about head knowledge. Let us be reminded that head knowledge does not take the place of growth because growth has something to do with our character and love for Jesus. We look at the life of Peter as an example of how we should grow in the Lord. In 2 Peter 1:1, Peter identified himself as a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ. He no longer emphasized his apostleship, instead he acknowledged himself as a slave of Jesus. He came to a point in life where he voluntarily submitted himself to become the slave of Jesus. We must come to a point in life where we realize ultimately that Jesus is our Master. And as slaves, we have one primary purpose: to please our Master. As we grow in faith, we must embrace the fact that it is not by our own doing but it is by God’s grace. As we learn more about Jesus and what He has done for us, our experience grace will grow. God has done His part. Unworthy as we are, His undeserved favor has flowed out to us. Hence, GRACE, aptly put, is God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. Because of grace, we have the certainty of our salvation. No longer are we under the yoke of the law, but under grace. Failing to understand grace makes one legalistic, never free from struggles. We, like the apostle Peter, have received the same apostolic faith from God that grants us everything pertaining to life and godliness. He has given us His DNA, the divine nature that gives us the desire and power to do His will, to live out Christianity and grow into maturity (2 Peter 1:1-4). There is no shortcut to Christian growth. God has provided everything but we have got to do our part. We are to be trained in the spiritual disciplines of Scripture reading (God’s Word), Supplication (prayer), Small group (fellowship and accountability), and Solitude (quiet time with God). “ Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, in your moral excellence, knowledge; and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love” (2 Peter 1:5-7). As the preceding verse prescribes, we need to grow in the following areas: Faith. Our faith in action is shown through acts of obedience to God. Moral Excellence. This is synonymous to integrity. It is meaning what you say and doing what you say. Meeting deadlines at work or at school, arriving early at the office or for appointments, fulfilling commitments and promises are just some of the ways to exhibit moral excellence. Knowledge is power. Aside from the Bible, reading Christian books is tapping into the source of knowledge. Self-control. This requires a lot of discipline. Physical exercise, diet, anger management, TV and film watching – these are a few things where self-control needs to be exercised. Perseverance. When discouragement says “Quit!” perseverance says “Never give up!” Moving forward past the obstacles of life is to grow in perseverance. Godliness. As Christians, we mature in godliness through reverence for God and duty towards Him and men. It measures spiritual growth in terms of Christ-likeness and not head knowledge. Brotherly kindness. Genuine concern wants what is good for another person. It is not afraid to point out the other person’s fault or weakness, but does it with gentleness without subjecting the person to humiliation. Love. People will forget what we say, but acts of love will be treasured in the memory chest. The story of long-haired, barefoot, jeans-and-t-shirt-clad Bill is one example of love in action. He entered church to attend Sunday service where the people donned their Sunday best. Finding no vacant seat in the jam-packed place, he walked over to the middle aisle right in front of the pulpit where the pastor was preaching. There was an uncomfortable silence as everyone watched Bill squat on the floor. An elderly deacon with a cane approached him, and with a lot of effort, sat right beside Bill. At this sight, the churchgoers were moved to tears. The pastor remarked, “You will forget my message, but you will never forget what you’ve just seen.” There are growing-up pains in the Christian life, but the gains far outweigh them. Fruitfulness ripe for service (2 Peter 1:8), confidence that keeps us from falling (2 Peter 1:10), a grand entrance into God’s Kingdom (2 Peter 1:11; Matthew 25:23) – these are but a few of the blessings. Where are we at this stage in our Christian life? Are we growing towards spiritual maturity as we should? Or are we stagnating, or worse, backsliding? May it never be the latter! |
GROW UP May 29, 2008
THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT May 19, 2008
Whoever we welcome into our lives can influence us, and may even master us. People will see who has control over us by how our lives turn out. Romans 6:16 says, “Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey – whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?” A statement in Physics says, “There is a common sense thesis that no two things can exactly occupy the same place at the same time.” Hence, when we give all the room to the Holy Spirit, there will be no space for ‘unclean spirits’ and we will definitely bear good fruit. It is very important, therefore, to comprehend the essence of the fruit of the Spirit.
1. Necessity of fruit. Fruit-bearing is needed for at least three reasons:
Necessity #1: To set us free. No one can earn salvation and righteousness with God by following the law of religion, rituals and ‘right’ appearances. This kind of religiosity simply confronts us with the stark reality about our guilt and our inability to satisfy the requirements of the law, that no matter what we do, we will always fall short.
What Christ has done on the Cross has delivered us from the power of sin. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). This freedom allows us to no longer be enslaved to what comes natural to us, but to fight the old nature and live a life that is holy and pleasing to God. A pardoned death convict who has been given a new lease on life will do more than say “thank you”, but will turn a new leaf. And as a safeguard, we need to constantly be in touch with the truth to avoid being captive again to prison life. Abiding in God’s Word inevitably prepares us for obedience. “If you hold to My teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32).
Necessity #2: Proof of life. A tree is recognized by its fruit. Hence, the evidence that we have life in Christ is a Spirit-filled life. “No one who has been washed clean will want to puddle in the mud. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God” (1 John 3:9). Distaste for sin develops. Personal transformation follows. Moreover, we will no longer look out for ourselves only, but we will grow in concern for the spiritual well-being of others. Galatians 6:1-2 exhorts: “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
Necessity #3: Benefits others. A fruitless tree is good for nothing (Matthew 21:19). Fruit is good for the picking that others may eat of it. We bear fruit to be of service to others. “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Galatians 5:13-14).
2. Purpose of fruit. The fruit we bear is not that we may be glorified, but that we may glorify God. To serve others in love is to do so unto the Lord. In a “fish-eat-fish” environment, we need to have our tanks filled with the Spirit of God, not only for our survival, but also for those who are drowning. Too often, we go spear fishing rather than being fishers of men. How many of us go fishing but do not care about the fish? How many of us are so focused on getting converts, yet do not really care for the people’s needs? Is it any wonder, then, that we are perceived as un-Christian by a great number of people. “We are known for what we oppose rather than what we stand for.” To remove the “un” from un-Christian, we need to do two things: to love them the way Jesus Christ loves them and to build relationships with them because as the old saying goes, “They will not care what you know, until they know that you care.”
3. Quality of fruit. Are we rotten, bitter, sour or sweet to the taste of people around us? Do they get to sample quality fruit that make them crave for more? If the navigational instrument called the Global Positioning System recalculates and gives directions to get us from point A to point B, we should be built on Christ using God’s Positional System to bring us to where we should be as Christians. To produce quality fruit, we should be partakers of God’s divine nature, where LOVE is on top of faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness (2 Peter 1:3-8). Just as compliance to best practices merits a high-grade certification for quality control in organizations, the quality of our fruit depends on the Vine we are attached to. “But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward” (1 Cor. 3:10b-14).
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Are others enticed to Christianity because of our “patikim” (sampling)? Think about it.
I hope that it will be used if ever we are having a series called the Fruit of the Spirit in Victory Cavite, it can be used as the Introudction. I hope and pray that it will be manifested in our lives!!
WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT? May 17, 2008
It was a scene straight from the pages of biblical history. Jesus was bidding his disciples farewell. Sadness mixed with fear must have gripped the disciples. But Jesus spoke words of comfort as He assured them, that though He was going away physically, He would be with them in Spirit. “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you” (John 16:7). The Holy Spirit, in Greek, is called “Parakletos” which means “One called alongside” to help or to protect.
This is the same message everyone needs to hear after hearing the Gospel, for how else do you encourage Christians who are in despair, defeated and discouraged? “A lot of Christians do not realize the inner power of the Holy Spirit to handle things which they think they must take into their own hands.” Don’t be like the junkyard dog that even after breaking free from the chains, still lives chained to the past.
Understanding the Holy Spirit begins with an understanding of the Trinity. God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are one and the same, equal in position and being. God the Father is our Sovereign, Almighty Creator. God the Son is our Savior. God the Holy Spirit is our Sanctifier. God the Father is God for us. God the Son is God with us. God the Holy Spirit is God in us, which brings us to the following two points:
1. He is God’s Spirit living in us. The Holy Spirit, being God, has divine attributes:
a. Omnipresent. He is everywhere. (Psalm 139:7-8)
b. Omnipotent. He is All-powerful. (Luke 1:35)
c. Omniscient. He is All-knowing. (1 Corinthians 2:10-11)
d. Eternal. He always was, always is and always will be.
(Rev. 22:17).
What does this mean for us today? The Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Eternal Father is in complete control so we can trust Him. We can rely on Him who is in us as we face the challenges of life. With banner raised, we can declare: “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philip. 4:13). Since God’s Spirit is living in us, we can BE STRONG in the Lord!
2. He is Jesus’ Spirit living in us. (John 14:17). Jesus, in reference to the Holy Spirit, said: “…that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you” (John 14:17). The Holy Spirit, being a Person, possesses the following:
a) Mind. The ability to know, understand, recognize, and have meaning. “For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:11).
b) Will. The ability to make choices and decisions on the basis of what one chooses to do: “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine, and shall disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said, that He takes of Mine, and will disclose it to you” (John 16:13-15).
c) Emotions. The ability to feel and sympathize. He identifies with our pains, sorrows, and joys. Therefore, we ought to BE SENSITIVE to the “tugging” of the Holy Spirit in at least two ways:
In Old Testament times, God’s presence filled Solomon’s temple. Today, the Holy Spirit indwells every believer. If we let Him, He will mold us into Christ’s image, strengthen us in our weakness, and lead us on to a life where God is glorified. Know Him, therefore!
CHANGING LANES WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT May 16, 2008
Have you driven around Metro Manila needing directions, hoping to see road signs to guide you but they served to confuse you instead? We also need directions to navigate the road of life. Missing the right turns can make it difficult to go back and start all over. Are you finding it difficult to know God’s will for a situation in your life right now? Do you know God’s will for your situation, but find it difficult to follow? Are you pursuing a direction for your life that may not be God’s will for you?
A wisely-lived life makes the most of every opportunity to be in accord with the Lord’s will. We see this in the example of Paul, whose turning point in life changed him from Saul, the persecutor of Christians, to Paul, the avid Christ-follower. The main point is changing lanes in life to be what God wants us to be and do what God wants us to do. For this, we need to rely on the Holy Spirit:
1. To lead us in the right direction. Saul, before his conversion, was passionately pursuing a mission he believed was right. By executing Christians, he thought he was doing God a favor. He was stopped in his tracks, however. Saul was knocked down to the ground with a bright light that left him blind for three days. When God finally got Saul’s attention, He gave him a new vision so his energy could be redirected toward doing God’s will.
Are we stubbornly heading in a direction that may require the Holy Spirit to knock us down before we move in the right direction? God could be saying, “Change your pursuit, your priority, your attitude. Stop doing that, start doing this.” He gives us that chance now, for when our life is over, there are no second chances. And when we do seek God’s will, let us not just consider it as an option or resist the Holy Spirit. As the voice of God through the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert” (Hebrews 3:7-8).
2. To convict us of sin. “’Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’ ‘Who are You, Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’” He replied (Acts 9:4-5). The very God whom Saul believed he was serving turned out to be the God he was persecuting. He had a “blind spot,” and he did not know it. But God opened his eyes, after which he confessed his sin without any excuse and extolled the grace of God (1 Timothy 1:13, 15).
Jesus may be saying through His Holy Spirit, “I am Jesus whom you grieve and dishonor when you disrespect your spouse, when you take your spouse for granted, when you disobey your parents, when you provoke your children to anger, when you lie, when you complain instead of giving thanks, when you refuse to forgive, when you boast about yourself and do not acknowledge Me, when you insist on your way even when it’s wrong, when you put your desires before Mine.” The Holy Spirit exposes our sin and convicts us so that we may come to terms with our own guilt, be granted forgiveness and move on in victory.
Since we have a heart problem, only the Holy Spirit can override the deceitfulness of our hearts. Our prayer should, therefore, be: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24).
3. To transform us and use us. God could have struck Saul dead on his way to Damascus. But God had other plans for his future. “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads. Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Me” (Acts 26:14-18). The Lord first had to mold Saul so he can be of use to Him. Saul, transformed into Paul, became the greatest missionary in history.
In the same way, God wants us to change lanes towards a changed life and changed priorities. The appointment Saul received is the same one given to us. God goads us to the way we should go. But when we willingly go where He leads, the benefits far outweigh the price we may have to pay.
A certain man was shocked to find his name mistakenly placed in the newspaper’s obituary section, although the write-up referred to him. He made a huge fortune selling weapons of war, and was thus labeled the “dynamite king.” Like a man looking at a mirror, he asked himself, “Is this who I am? Is this how I want people to remember me when I do actually die?” From that moment on, he changed lanes and decided to promote the cause of peace instead. His name is Alfred Nobel, of the Nobel Peace Prize fame. Are we on the wrong lane in need of changing lanes like Alfred Nobel? Are we truly seeking God’s will, and are we listening? Let us rely on the Holy Spirit to lead us in the right direction, to convict us of sin, and to transform us and use us.
WALK IN THE SPIRIT May 16, 2008
| Now that i’m back to blogging after many days of mourning and thanksgiving for the life of my spiritual mother, who’s changing her address from earth heaven, although she is gone but i know i’ll see her again. But nevertheless i’ll be talking about something that inspires me most.the title of blog is WALK IN THE SPIRIT |
| Our journey on earth is unmistakably difficult. We go through peaks and valleys, twists and turns, sometimes stumbling over roadblocks and occasionally slowed down by spiritual sickness. “…for we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7) is our walking stick as Christians. A believer should graduate from milk to the solid food of God’s Word in order to enjoy the Spirit-filled life that develops into a life of faith. It is a fully-surrendered life characterized by: 1. CONFIDENCE. Do you get dwarfed by your problems? Only if you measure them by human standards would you see them as insurmountable mountains. But, against our BIG God, they shrink into manageable molehills. Twelve men were asked to spy on Canaan, the land God promised to the Israelites. They discovered a land flowing with milk and honey, a walled city and giant inhabitants. A majority report cited a no-win situation, with recommendations not to attempt entry. Because they focused on their situation and their feebleness, they lost heart even before they could try, grumbling as they did. The minority report filed by Caleb, however, pushed for a move to claim and possess the land already promised, declaring by faith, “do not fear the people of the land, for they shall be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them” (Numbers 14:1-9). A man of faith sees beyond the problem, knows that God is on top of the situation, and says “Go!” when everything else says “No way!” To walk by faith is to have confidence in God, trusting He can and will do exactly what He promised. In contrast, to walk by sight is to complain and question the character of God. The Bible says: “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). Confidence in God believes that He has our best interests at heart even when the odds seem to go against us. As Gary Thomas said: “Faith is not tested by how often God answers prayer with a yes but my willingness to continue serving and thanking Him even when I don’t have a clue as to what He is doing.” 2. OBEDIENCE. An understanding of God’s holiness, righteousness and justice should prompt us to obedience. Obedience is the gauge of a life lived by faith and is unarguably costly. The cost of disobedience, however, is far more expensive. Many of us struggle with obedience because we are afraid. We are afraid because we do not believe. We do not believe because we do not understand the heart of God. “I can’t do it” is actually “I won’t do it.” That’s oftentimes the reason why we fail to obey. Although there is forgiveness of sin, sin has its consequences and one of which is forfeiture of blessing. “Surely all the men who have seen My glory and My signs …yet have put Me to the test…and have not listened to My voice, shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it. But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it” (Numbers 14:22-24). As a result of Caleb’s obedience, he and his descendants after him received their portion of God’s inheritance. Unfortunately, those who did not obey because they did not trust God missed the blessing. 3. PATIENCE. Faith is waiting with patience for the Lord to answer prayers in His way and in His time. However, faith is active obedience. While waiting, we must keep doing what He asks us to do. We must fight the deception of the mind that says, “I can’t” and instead cling to the truth: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Caleb’s faith gave him the patience to wait for his share of the inheritance. He did his part, though, by claiming the promised blessing till it finally became his (Joshua 14:10-14). We can choose to be grasshoppers allowing the giants to intimidate us. Or we can let our big God go alongside us in order to experience the fullness of life and the fullness of the Holy Spirit. A warning is sounded off in Hebrews 3: 18-19: “And to whom did He swear that they should not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? And so we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.” Are we walking by faith or by sight? |
