Posts Tagged ‘ Holy Spirit ’
May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus
Romans 15:5, ESV
We are to live in peace with those around us, especially our family in Christ.
Yes, it can be trying at times, but our Lord helps us by His Spirit.
I am doing a short series! We are going through some of the sayings of Jesus that can be … confusing … difficult … misapplied … whatever!
What does this mean? I will look at passages that I have personally heard misapplied, misunderstood, or simply confusion expressed over what Jesus meant.
Also, one of these should be appearing on The Domain for Truth later this month to help out SlimJim with some coverage of his blog while he travels. (No worries. I will share it here on this blog when it happens!)
Two weeks we looked at blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.
Last week we looked at Jesus saying Christians should be perfect.
Now, what is our next passage? (Maybe you already have an idea based on the title.)
“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.
“So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.“
Matthew 10:24-28, ESV
Firstly, thank you in advance for your forgiveness for my play on words, but it is appropriate. Because we are discussing the one who literally damns people to Hell.
Secondly, if you search the simple man of God posts, you will find strong evidence that I am a big fan of – not so much Blue Oyster Cult who sings “Don’t Fear the Reaper”, though I do appreciate their talent – Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey. That is the source of my quote for the title of this post.
Why do I like those movies?
I am a huge sci-fi nerd, and I also like making connections with the gospel. And, if you click on the titles of the movies up above you will see how I did that with these movies.
The connection today, though, is that our society has a tendency to misconstrue our fear of death.
Whether it is the personification of Death as the Grim Reaper or some other source, we are often told to have a fear of what is to come after this life if we are apart from Christ.
Satan.
The Devil.
Lucifer.
Beelzebub.
Choose your name/title.
Perhaps you have heard people speaking of watching out that the Devil could drag you to Hell, or maybe that (like in Bogus Journey) the Grim Reaper will lead you either to Heaven or Hell.
Firstly, we have two concepts of Hell that we need to deal with:
Notice, the Devil is not dragging people into Hell. He, and many others, are thrown in. Either they are in chains now, or they are in the burning lake of fire in eternity.
Who does the throwing?
“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.“
Matthew 10:29-33
The Lord Himself casts those who rebel against Him into eternal torment.
Therefore, when Proverbs says repeatedly something along the lines of “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge,” it is very literal.
We should begin with a fear (yes, a dread) of God, because we are sinners in need of forgiveness.
Then, our fear can turn to that respect and awe when we realize the Christ was sacrificed so that we could have that needed forgiveness. All we must do is repent (change our entire way of thinking) and believe. (And the Holy Spirit helps with these, too!)
Don’t fear the reaper. Or the Devil. Or anyone else.
Only fear God.
And I pray that fear leads to the knowledge of the Son of God and His work on the cross for your salvation.
Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
Hebrews 7:25, ESV
We have a High Priest who has made the ultimate sacrifice for our sin.
Because He lives and can never die, He can perfectly petition the Father on our behalf, no matter how many times we fail, rebel, and fall short.
We were saved at the cross, and Christ saves us still and until eternity.
For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.
1 Timothy 2:5-6, ESV
There is only one way we can be saved, through Christ.
There is only One to whom we should pray for all people and things in life, our Father in heaven.
We should give thanks and seek His face, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
Romans 6:14, ESV
This may be one of the hardest things for us to learn and know: that our sin only has as much control as we let it have over us. God’s grace, imparted through Christ’s atonement and by the Holy Spirit, frees us from sin’s power.
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct
1 Peter 1:14-15, ESV
We are made new in Christ. We should no longer live by what we have known and thought, or by what the world says, but by what God says through His Word and Holy Spirit.
Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out
Acts 3:19, ESV
The Father loves us and invites us as we are, but He does not expect us to stay as we have been.
God expects us to change, to be transformed by the Holy Spirit to be more like His Son.
I have started a short series! I am going to take you through some of the sayings of Jesus that can be … confusing … difficult … misapplied … whatever!
What does this mean? I will look at passages that I have personally heard misapplied, misunderstood, or simply confusion expressed over what Jesus meant.
Also, one of these should be appearing on The Domain for Truth later this month to help out SlimJim with some coverage of his blog while he travels. (No worries. I will share it here on this blog when it happens!)
Now, what is our first passage? (Maybe you already have a good idea based on the title.)
Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.”
Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
Matthew 12:22-32, ESV
In 2007, I saw a televised debate between two atheists and Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron. I was not too surprised by much of the debate, to be honest, and feel like both sides could have done a better job.
However, the atheists mentioned a website they created where people could upload a video of themselves saying “I deny the Holy Spirit” to show they were not concerned with ever being saved.
You probably know that the answer to this leading question is “No.”
But what is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?
There are two parts:
Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”
John 6:29, 44
“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.“
John 16:7-15But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit
Titus 3:4-5
Denying the work of the Holy Spirit – blaspheming His name – is saying that Jesus the Christ is a) not the son of God, b) did not die for our sins, and c) is not needed for our salvation.
Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is to say we do not need Jesus, to claim we are sinless.
This also hearkens back to the Third Commandment: “Do not use the Lord’s name in vain.”
If you claim to be a Christian while denying Jesus’ divinity or claiming you are without sin …
If you claim to be “spiritual but not religious” without a need for God/Jesus …
If you claim you do not need to do anything, because “I’m good with Christ” yet never show any growth in Him …
In other words, believe the Holy Spirit, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the second Person of the Trinity, and that you need forgiveness for sin found in the blood of Christ.
Then go out and share the gospel and help those in need.
If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
Galatians 5:25, ESV
Living by the Spirit means we will grow in love and self-control (along with all the fruit of the Spirit), serving others and glorifying Christ in all things.
a simple man of God 