AUTHORITY

 2Timothy 3:16, "...All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, instruction in righteousness..."

The authority of Scripture lies in the fact that the Bible is the inspired and inerrant word of the living God.   Its authority is such that, despite the disdain and scorn of men its commandments will judge the world and these judgements, portrayed in the prophecies of scripture, declare the final and irrefutable authority of God.  All judgement has been placed into the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God, and in the eternity to come (with the benefit of hindsight), men will be able to see and understand the reality of that authority.  However, from the viewpoint of today the scriptures have authority only to those who believe and are exercised by them. 

The unbelievers of this world do not accept Jesus Christ as saviour so will not accept that which is written of him, therefore to them the scriptures have no authority. Though this is understandable it does not absolve anyone from the consequences of their rejection of God; for the reality of God is clearly seen both from the scriptures and creation; therefore man is without excuse in his unbelief.  

To the man who recognises the hand of the Almighty in creation and seeks in his soul to know him, God is obligated to give the message of salvation as it is found in Jesus Christ.  Even though salvation is through Jesus Christ alone (John 3:16-31), those who have never heard of him will be without excuse, for the things of God are clearly revealed in creation.  If man rejects the Creator God, it becomes futile and therefore unnecessary to give that man the gospel of Jesus Christ.  If, upon hearing the gospel of salvation, a man rejects Christ, he will never accept the authority of the Bible for the Bible is the story of Christ. 

If he accepts Christ he is born of the Spirit of God and becomes a spiritual being, able if he so desires, to discern and accept the authority of the scriptures (2Corinthians 2:9-16).  If the believing man will not accept the authority of the scriptures they will be of no value to him whatsoever (1Corinthians 3:1-17).  If he seeks truth without faith in the infallible scriptures he will be tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine and will ever learn but never come to a knowledge of the Truth (Ephesians 4: 14; 2Timothy 3: 5-7).  The believing Christian will seek from the Bible the word of life that he might be conformed to the image of God's Son and be thoroughly furnished unto all good works, rightly dividing the Word of Truth (2Timothy 3:16).

Our land is plunging into ungodliness because the ‘Church’ no longer accepts and is no longer obedient to the authority of God’s word.  Its members are not built up in the faith that was “once delivered to the Saints” (Jude 1:3), and have become carnal, knowing only the things of the flesh and of the emotions, without knowledge of God and subsequently having no real love for God or man; “having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof”. 

Today, Christendom is ruled by unregenerate or carnal men: men, who make public protestations of their love and empathy for their fellow man, but in their beliefs, show no regard to the commands and teachings of the Bible and therefore no love for God.  With all the paraphernalia of religion: the colourful robes, the staffs and icons, the gospel of good works; these men lead others who are just as blind as themselves and they are all fallen into the ditch of secularism.  These men are descriptive of those who claim to be Christian but who deny the very essence of Christianity.  These are the ‘grievous’ and ‘ravening’ wolves of Matthew 7:15 and Acts 20:29.

 

Others, who are leaders of so called fundamentalist churches and who, though born of the Spirit, have little understanding of scripture and attempt to compensate for their lack of true spirituality by claiming to themselves gifts they do not have and powers that are no longer available.  Knowledge and understanding are replaced with emotion and in their ignorance; the authority of scripture is rejected or ignored.  One illustration of their ignorance and rejection is to do with the use and eventual discarding of the temporary spiritual gifts of 1 Corinthians chapters 12 to 14.

GOD’S AUTHORITY in the CHURCH.

Another command ignored or rejected by Christians today, is the vested authority in the local church, the gift of Pastor-Teacher or Elder; no woman is to hold this office (1Corinthians 14:34, 35).

"...Let the women keep silent in the churches; for they not permitted to speak, but let them subject themselves, just as the Law also says.  And if they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church..."

The scriptures show, from Genesis to Revelation, that women, as spiritual, as strong in character and will and able to suffer as much, if not more than men, are to take a submissive role to man.  The demand by women to be allowed into the pulpit is a result of the ever-increasing disregard for God’s word that is so prevalent in the churches today.  The apostle Paul, who had much to say on the Christian position in Christ, the life of the Christian and the orderly running of the local church, has written under the inspiration of God (and all scripture is given by inspiration of God), the second and third chapters of 1Timothy. 

See particularly 2:9 to 3:12.  The relevant verses to the subject in hand are 2:11-12.

"...let a woman quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness.  But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet..."

3:2 "...A bishop then must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach...,"

3:12. "...let deacons be the husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households..."

The Bishop of 3:2 is another title for the Pastor Teacher and depicts the one who oversees or looks after the spiritual well being of the flock, while the Pastor Teacher depicts the feeding of the flock.  You will notice that the Bishop or Overseer is the husband of one wife, not the wife of one husband.  Where is this woman?  She is quietly receiving instruction and being entirely submissive. 

The verses of Genesis that have bearing on this matter of male authority are Genesis 3:16-17.  Verse 17 shows God's judgement on Adam for his weakness and lack of responsibility in listening to the voice of the woman.  Adam allowed his wife to usurp his authority.

Vs17 "...to Adam He said "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you saying, 'You shall not eat from it'; cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life..."

1Corinthian chapter 11 is a little hard to understand but the overall tone is one of male headship and woman's submissiveness. Vs 3 declares the authority that God has given to the man

"...But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ..."

Though vs.11 of the same chapter may be used by some to water down vs.3 it is speaking of the oneness that should exist between man and wife, with both fulfilling their different roles in the marriage bond.  Ephesians 5:22-25 is another passage on this same subject.

"...Wives be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church....But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything; Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her...." 

Titus 2:3-5 shows that God's word is dishonoured when women usurp the position and authority of the man.

"....Older women likewise are to be....subject to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be dishonoured...."

1Peter 3:1 emphasises the submissiveness of the woman.  Even when the husband is wrong the wife must keep silent, thereby revealing the graces of vs. 4 of the same chapter.

"...In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behaviour of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behaviour, and let not your adornment be merely external - braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewellery, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperisherable quality of gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God ..."

 

The pulpit is the place of ultimate authority in the Church and these Scriptures reveal that the woman who takes the pulpit is taking that authority to herself and placing herself in authority over all men including her husband.  Any Church that allows women to take the pulpit is out of line with God’s word.

Knowledge and belief of the truth will engender true humility and this in turn will subscribe to the truth, that truth is good.  Rejection of truth will engender pride and conceit, a distortion of the truth, and their destruction. 

Peter continues: “As also in all his (Paul’s) epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction” (2Peter 3:16).

Any believer, who dabbles in the values and beliefs of this world rather than adhere to the literal truth of God’s word, will also destroy his/her relationship with God for: - 

“…know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?  Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4).

“…But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man (or woman) shall be blessed in his/her deed” (James 1:25).

GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY / MAN'S VOLITION

Is the free will of man a major issue in his salvation or, even in the matter of belief, is he  subject to the mandatory will of God.   Are we free to choose for or against God or has God chosen us according to his own arbitrary will?

The question is prompted by certain scriptural passages that at face value counter one another but because we are dealing with the inerrant word of the Living God, no such contradiction can be allowed. Therefore we must look at these passages of contention to see if they can be reconciled.

Salvation itself is not subject to the allowance or the will of man but has been provided en toto by the will of God.  We have nothing to do in the providing of redemption, forgiveness, propitiation, sanctification; these are ours by belief and God's gift of faith. 

Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that (faith is) not of yourselves: it is the gift of God…”   

We are saved through faith which is given to us by God as a gift.  

A quote of a similar nature is John 6:44, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him”.   We are drawn by God so that we might come to Christ. 

In John 12:32 Jesus also said “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me” and since it is the ministry of the Holy Spirit “to reprove the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment to come” (John 16:8) it is the Spirit’s ministry that fulfills Jesus’ statement regarding the drawing of all men…

The Bible commands all mankind to ”believe in the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved”; it is a prerequisite to salvation; one must believe the gospel (follow the Spirit's leading) before saving faith can be bestowed.  

If this initial belief is of God and not man's responsibility then God is remiss in not giving that belief to all men so that all men might be saved .    2 Peter 3:9  "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" 

Most of mankind do not believe in Christ, they are not obedient to the Spirit's call therefore will not receive the gift of faith. 

In Romans 10:9-21 Paul uses the word obedience and cites Israel’s disobedience as his example.  God offers his ‘gospel’ to all men to draw them to Christ; some take heed (believe) the Spirit’s conviction and are given the faith to accept the gospel and are ‘born again’; born again by the Holy Spirit as he indwells them.  Others reject his conviction and in disobedience remain unconvinced and unsaved.

In this same passage we see both confession AND inner conviction; we confess to what we believe but it is the Spirit of God that gives substance to what we confess, it is the Spirit that engenders faith in us.  The ‘gospel’ is only words until the Holy Spirit adds his conviction to the mix.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that (faith is) not of yourselves: it is the gift of God…”   We cannot be saved unless we have the Spirit of God indwelling us.  If we do not have the gift of faith (the convicting ministry of the Spirit within us) we are not saved.

“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwells in you”  (Romans 8:9-11). 

It is the Spirit of God who engenders faith in us, and it is that faith that ‘quickens’ our mortal bodies.

The capacity to believe is a basic characteristic of mankind from the youngest to the oldest, godly or ungodly, and is therefore a God gifted quality set into the design and purpose of his creation.  In the Bible it is first seen in Genesis 2:16-17 where the prohibition was given to the parents of mankind.  “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it. For in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die".  Adam and his wife were to trust and obey God.

Belief is the foundation of all learning.  At every stage of the process our findings are dependent on the accuracy of what goes before; we place our trust in the accuracy of previous conclusions.  Even the atheistic evolutionist exercises belief and when he is unshakeable in that belief it can be said he has faith in what he believes;  he places trust in information used in establishing the tenets of his belief.  The issue here is not the truth of a man’s conclusions, but the use of belief in making those conclusions.  In all learning there is this progression, the progression from knowledge to belief.

Having knowledge of something does not necessarily constitute a belief in that thing.  Though a man may have knowledge of the theory of evolution, it does not necessarily mean that he believes it; knowledge only progresses to belief when knowledge is accepted as truth. We may have heard that the world is round, but until we accept it as truth we cannot claim it as a belief. 

  

And although a man may have knowledge, it does not follow that he will put his trust in what he knows.  It is this trust that reveals the delicate difference between ‘belief’ and ‘believe’, the subject of belief and the action of believing.  It is this action of believing, or trust, which is faith.

Knowledge progresses to faith when the object (or subject) of that knowledge is implicitly trusted.  We may understand the principles of salvation in Christ, but unless we accept the Spirit of God's leading we cannot in truth claim Christianity as a belief, and without his enlightenment we cannot say we have faith in Christ.  

Because the progression from knowledge to belief is true in both the secular and spiritual field of learning (in both evolution and theology), the conclusion is that God has given all men the capacity for knowledge and belief.  The faculty for belief is God’s gift; the act of believing is man’s responsibility.

Saving faith is a combination of both God’s sovereignty and man’s volition?  The evolutionist, as an example of all unbelief, uses his belief in trusting a lie; the Christian uses his in heeding the Spirits conviction and being led into all truth.

The Scriptures have innumerable passages where unbelieving men are commanded or encouraged to exercise their will. Every command to believe is proof of man’s freewill.  “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved” is a simple statement of fact including an encouragement to act positively.   In effect we are being told, “You have the God given ability to believe, therefore in the interest of your eternal soul, act upon the knowledge received”.  

The Scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation, constantly exhort men to take God’s word in active belief (Genesis 2:16-17; 2Chronicles 20:20; Isaiah 7:9; Jeremiah Chapter 27; John 1:12; Acts 16:31; Romans 4:23-24; 1Corinthians. 1:21; Revelation 21:8).  The evidence of these and many more passages is overwhelmingly in favour of free will being an essential issue in our salvation.  Man's will had nothing to do with constructing salvation, but is vital in accepting it.  

To use as argument, as some do, that ‘Freewill is not verbally stated in the Scriptures therefore freewill is nonexistent’ is a nonsense brought about by an illogical approach to Scripture.  Such an illogical approach is also seen in the extreme view on the depravity of mankind. 

The fact that man is depraved in every area of being is true, but to say as some do, that man is totally depraved and therefore unable to make good decisions is patently untrue.  It is true that man cannot bridge the gap between longing to know God and actually knowing him, of desiring fellowship with his Creator and actually attaining fellowship (that can only be achieved by God as he draws men to himself through knowledge of the truth), but we have the capability to recognise God’s ‘drawing’, and the freedom to respond or to disregard it.  God is not willing that any should perish yet many in their search for God reject Christ and are lost

If what some Calvinists teach is true; that the Scriptures which say “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” refers to the world of the elect and not the entire world of men, then it must be equally true where it says “God so loved the world that…” 

Does God only love the elect?  No, “he so loved the world”.

It is true that God has an affectionate love – phileo, reserved for his Son and for those who are ‘in the Son’, but it is equally true that God so loved – agapao (a charitable love) the lost world of sinners, and gave his only begotten Son to be a propitiation for our sins – and not ours only but the sins of the whole holos – whole, all, complete world – cosmos, generally referring to the world of men.

Any doctrine that limits God’s love to the elect places a limitation on God’s character and distorts the above quoted scriptures.

If the free will of man has no bearing on his salvation, God’s election of some to salvation is arbitrary, and “leaving others to their just condemnation” (as Calvinists teach) is also arbitrary.   Another aspect of God’s character is his grace but where is grace in an arbitrary condemnation to hell? 

The word election is similar in meaning to the word chosen and both mean exactly what they say.  We have been elected and chosen by God to eternal life and what is more, chosen before the creation.  “…According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:” Ephesians 1:4

 

Since we were not in existence before the foundation of the world, how could our volition be an issue?  1Peter 1:2 gives us the answer; “…elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ…” and 2Thessalonians 2:13 “…because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:”

  

We were chosen/elected in eternity past.  Eternity encompasses time.  God’s view from eternity foresaw all of history including our act of accepting his gospel as truth.  The election, choosing and predestination of believers are based on God’s foreknowledge of their “…belief of the truth”.  Remember that saving faith is the mental act of trusting God; not trust in ourselves, nor acts of self-righteousness.  Salvation is God’s gift of grace and it is attained by means of faith (trusting God), not of human effort.

An example of God’s election or choosing is the story of Esau and Jacob.  Jacob was given precedence over his older brother even while they were still in the womb (Genesis 25:22-26).  Faith was the issue then as it has always been, and Jacob and Esau were no exception.  Esau treated his position in the Messianic line with contempt; Jacob desired it above all else for he understood all the purposes behind it.  It was this foreseen faith and its ramifications that enabled God to say, “the younger would serve the older”.  The ramifications of Jacob’s life and the lives of all those who influenced him were known by God before the foundations of the world were laid, so God was not caught unawares; He does not run his creation on an ad hoc basis or at the whim of men?    

God can and has and will interfere in the schemes of men when those schemes are detrimental to his plan for the ages.  He has destroyed the earth with a flood; confounded the language of men, sent great and terrible plagues upon the earth, and destroyed the armies of his enemies.  He has spoken to man through the mouth of an ass, removed kings from their power, established others in their stead, chastised and disciplined his people and when necessary removes people, even his own, from that plan through premature death.  He is coming again to claim his Church from out of this world; he is going to judge mankind again with terrible plagues and in the end will physically return to rule this world with a rod of iron.  Is this a God who needs to bow to the will of man?  No, and he is able to use the volition, even the rebellion of man, to fulfil his will.

For all that some may desire it; no man ceases to exist at physical death for God has decreed human life to be eternal.  We all die at God’s chosen moment and we will all go to God’s appointed place.  In life we may plan and strive to achieve, but as we have virtually no control over the rest of creation, our plans are subject to the only one who has that control.  There are those who seem to prosper, yet what have they achieved if they gain the whole world and lose their soul?  There are those who are poverty stricken, yet in recognising their spiritual poverty look to God and gain everlasting life.  We are all subject to the ebb and flow of life, yet God is in all things working them together for the good of those that love him and who are called according to his purpose.

Vessels of honour and dishonour: It is this teaching above all, which I believe to be the crux of the controversy.  Can we overcome this seemingly unanswerable dilemma; can we find an answer which leaves God’s love and grace absolute and supreme?

“Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus?    Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?    What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory…” Romans 9:20-23

These verses in Romans chapter 9 are difficult but if we go back a little in the chapter and clear up the verse on the raising up of Pharaoh, we might make some headway.   Pharaoh had the faculty for faith as you and I have, he was born a sinner as were you and I, and he had as much opportunity to believe in God as we had.  The following verses applied to him as much as any other.

Ezekiel 33:11.

“Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?”

2 Peter 3:9

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

Jeremiah 18:3-7 uses the same analogy of the potter and the clay but uses it in regards to the Lord and Israel.  In verse eight we see the allowance for repentance (an act of human will), to change the Divine will.

“If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.”

So how and why did God harden Pharaoh’s heart time after time until it was impossible for him to repent?  (Exodus chapters 6-10) 

Natural and spiritual laws govern the universe and all its creatures.  Natural laws are ordained by God and spiritual laws are the very essence of his nature; perfect righteousness and perfectly just.  To defy any of these universal laws will bring certain retribution.  Let me illustrate…

“A half tonne lead crystal chandelier is suspended twenty feet above the ballroom floor.  The ceiling support is slowly pulling apart.  One of the foolish says, “I will defy this law of gravity” and stands directly beneath the mass.  The chandelier falls and that foolish one crushed.” 

The law of gravity will not allow such defiance and neither does spiritual law.  If we defy what is good we will be that much more subject to our old base nature which is at enmity with God.  The vicious criminality of today, whether it is wanton vandalism or wanton cruelty is the end result of rejection of authority and ultimately of God.  Continued indulgence in the lusts of the flesh, leads to a breaking down of self-control and eventual enslavement to those lusts.  Continued sexual sins will inevitably lead to the breakdown of family life and if widespread within a society, to the destruction of that society.  These are laws that history and our own society undeniably prove.     

Pharaoh’s pride and sense of his own authority was the probable cause of his rejection of Moses’ command, to “…let my people go”, and each subsequent refusal to comply with God’s authority made it harder and harder for him to submit.  God brought about the hardness of Pharaoh’s heart through the outworking of eternal law, but Pharaoh through his rebellious unbelief, brought about his own condemnation.  God’s control over creation is complete, even to the regulating of human rebellion and it is in this sense that Pharaoh was permitted his part in history.  Pharaoh was a vessel of dishonour brought about by his own self-will, but with the permission of God. 

“Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?    Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?    What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory…”

Man’s volition coexists with God’s sovereign will, and our freedom to act in faith or in rebellion is God’s gift.  He is however, able to subdue all things unto himself and despite the free will of man; history will end as He has decreed, to the praise of His glory.     

  

Summary:

God is not willing that any should perish therefore the testimony of creation is common to all, so that all might be aware of the Creator’s existence.

The ungodly are without excuse in their rejection of God: -

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse”:  Romans 1:18-20 

The application of grace is the ministry of the Holy Spirit:

"No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him…" (John 6:44).  See also John 12:32, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me".   This gracious act is the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit.

We cannot come to God unless he first touches our spirit with the truth, but the onus is on us to believe - to accept the truth, when he convicts.   Although Christ says he will draw all men unto him, the facts show that not all men come to him, therefore the final decision to whether a person will be saved lies in his/her positive reaction to the Holy Spirit's ministry

The Scriptures have innumerable passages where men are commanded or encouraged to exercise belief. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved” is a simple statement of fact including an encouragement to act positively.   In effect we are being told, “You have the God given ability to believe, therefore in the interest of your eternal soul, act upon the knowledge received”.  

TO BE BORN AGAIN

Religion is the greatest hindrance in understanding the spiritual reality behind the material world and temporal life.  What needs to be understood is the uselessness of religion and the crucial need for a relationship with our Creator.    

I don’t know if the following is necessary but first of all, a relationship with God naturally and logically requires belief in Him.  In our so-called scientific and ‘enlightened’ era, belief in God has become unfashionable to say the least yet the laws of science (in point of fact they are God’s laws) demand a beginning and a design to the universe.  Such laws, i.e. of thermo dynamics, of probability, of design, and the law of cause and effect are fascinating in that they prohibit the ‘unscientific’ theory of evolution and ‘prove’ the existence of an omnipotent and omniscient ‘First Cause’.  As the Apostle Paul wrote, “Ever since God created the world, his invisible qualities, both his eternal power and his divine nature, have been clearly seen; they are perceived in the things that God has made. So those people (evolutionists and others) have no excuse at all.” (Romans 1:20).

 

Mankind is part of God’s creation and has been created with sensibility and will (volition) the attributes that are the image of God and which result in the ability to choose, and the freedom of choice.  The parents of humanity chose against God’s perfect will and subsequently became less than perfect; a state that quickly degenerated into the moral and spiritual ills history so regularly records.  But even against all the influences of that degeneration mankind has retained a belief in divinity, whether personal (the desire for immortality) or impersonal (a belief in God or gods). 

Religion is mankind’s attempt to reconcile himself with the Divine and in that attempt he fashions gods of his own making; we need only look around the world to see the multiplicity of religions, the multiplicity of gods.  Religious Westerners tend to associate their concept of God to the context of Judaism and Christianity, but because of an innate religious thinking they mould the God of the Bible into whatever image suits them.  Generally what suits them is a god who allows them to continue on in their own ways.  This is religion, it is not ‘Biblical’ Christianity.  Over the centuries religion has infiltrated and distorted Christianity into what one might call ‘Christendom’ and a great deal of Christendom has been and is hypocritical and ugly because of it.

God is the omnipotent, omniscient being who brought the material universe into being by the power of his will.

He is absolute in every aspect of being and therefore beyond the comprehension of imperfect and mortal beings.  To think that we can offer some invention of our flawed nature to satisfy perfection is the height of egotistical pride and yet it is the rationale of the religious.  It is these works of ‘self-righteousness’ that make men religious. 

Christianity (as the Bible portrays it) is not a religion but a personal relationship with God brought about by God when the individual does no more than accept that which God has done for them in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.  What Christ did was to die, to pay the penalty of sin on behalf of all mankind so that all mankind might be reconciled to God through (by means of) him.  To try to come to God by any other means is to be classed as a thief and a robber (John 10:1).

The result of coming to God through belief in Jesus Christ is to be ‘born again’; something that Christ himself tells us is an absolute imperative (John 3:3-7).  He also, and at the same time, revealed the means of this rebirth: A man must be born, not of water only, but of water and of the Spirit if he is to enter into the kingdom of God. 

Being born of the Spirit can be contrasted to being born of the flesh (John 3:6), for as ‘born of the flesh’ refers to physical birth (or natural generation) resulting in a family relationship between parents and child, so being ‘born of the Spirit’ refers to spiritual birth (regeneration) and a subsequent family relationship with God.  This is not some indefinable event; it is not some form of self-hypnosis but is an actual event, which God accomplishes by taking up residence within the one believing in Christ.  The Bible calls it the indwelling of the Spirit (John 14:17; Romans 8:11; 1Corinthians 3:16, 1Corinthians 6:19; 2Corinthians 5:16; Ephesians 2:22).

The true Christian is one who has been ‘born again’, but is likened to an earthen vessel, imperfect and fragile yet one who has been given all the treasures of eternal life (2Corinthians 4:6-7).  To receive the ‘new’ birth, one does no more than believe and accept Jesus of Nazareth as Saviour, for salvation is by grace, through faith, and not of works.  If it were of works, imperfect man would boast of some equality with God and God in turn would have to admit some measure of imperfection.  But God has no imperfection therefore imperfect men/women can only come to him by his gracious gift of forgiveness of sin through the avenue of faith; faith in the one who bore our sins in condemnation and judgement, Jesus of Nazareth the Christ and Son of the Living God.        

YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN

“There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him: How can a man be born when he is old; can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”   John 3:1-8

In using the words ‘except a man’ be born again and ‘you must’ be born again, the Lord Jesus is giving, not only Nicodemus but every member of the human race an imperative; none of us can see the kingdom of God except we be born again.  It is not an option but an absolute necessity.  As Albert Barnes the 19^th century compiler writes: -

‘Except a man’ is a universal form of expression designed to include all of mankind. Of “each and every man” it is certain, that unless he is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. It includes, therefore, men of every character and rank, and nation, moral and immoral, rich and poor, in office and out of office, old and young, bond and free, the slave and his master, Jew and Gentile.

It is clear that our Saviour intended to convey to Nicodemus the idea, also, that “he” must be born again. It was not sufficient to be a Jew, or to acknowledge him (Christ) to be a teacher sent by God, that is the Messiah; it was necessary, in addition to this, to experience in his own soul that great change called the “new birth” or regeneration.

To use Barnes line of thought and make the issue relevant to our present generation, and especially to those who are religious, it is not sufficient to be a “Christian” in its nominal sense, as one who belongs to a group who call themselves Christians; it is not sufficient to profess with the lips a belief in Jesus or even to acknowledge him as Christ; it is necessary in addition to this to experience in one’s own soul that great change called the “new birth” or regeneration.  This is a real experience as many can testify.  Regeneration is accompanied with differing experiences, for some it is a gradual awareness, others immediate and emotional but the end result is the same; people know with a certainty that they are “born again” that they have experienced the “newness of life” Romans 6:4; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15.

In today’s religious climate it is not acceptable to quote the above passage or even to mention the name of Jesus Christ for he makes this and other dogmatic statements, which in effect denounce all forms of religion as false.  An example; “I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father but by me” John 14:6. 

Christ Jesus has made these statements however and they are recorded for all men and for all time, and because it is Jesus Christ who has made them mankind should sit up and take notice.

In truth Christianity is not a religion, but any belief that expects the God of heaven to accept the efforts of men as the means of appeasement and conciliation is, and this includes many who claim to be Christian.  This includes all and any acts that are initiated by man, carried out by man and offered to God for this purpose. People attend church, they pray, they give, they are baptized, they go on pilgrimages and some even scourge their bodies; all to gain points with God, and yet these are nothing more than acts of ‘religion’.  This is in contrast to and distinct from biblical Christianity where we see God doing the initiating and reconciling men to himself through nothing more than their simple genuine trust and acceptance of his Anointed Saviour.  “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

Nicodemus recognized in Jesus a divine authority, for though he himself was a leader of the Jewish people he sought out Jesus to hear our Lord’s teaching more perfectly.  Jesus did not beat around the bush and went to the very heart of his need.  In spite of his knowledge and his religious beliefs, Nicodemus, as with all of mankind, must be born of the Spirit.

 Adam Clarke 1831, in his commentary on the New Testament tells us that the Jews (and therefore Nicodemus) supposed every baptized proselyte was “like a child new born”.  This birth was of water, as was the baptism of John the Baptist, but the birth that Jesus referred to was anothen, from above or by implication - anew.  Therefore ‘you must be born from above -born anew or – again’.

Clarke continues: - “Every man must have two births, one from heaven, the other from earth—one of his body, the other of his soul: without the first he cannot see nor enjoy this world, without the last he can not see nor enjoy the kingdom of God. As there is an absolute necessity that a child should be born into the world, that he may see its light, contemplate its glories, and enjoy its good, so there is an absolute necessity that the soul should be brought out of its state of darkness and sin, through the light and power of the grace of Christ, that it may be able to see, to discern, the glories and excellencies of the kingdom of Christ here, and be prepared for the enjoyment of the kingdom of glory hereafter. The Jews had some general notion of the new birth; but, like many among Christians, they put the acts of proselytism, baptism, etc., in the place of the Holy Spirit and his influence: they acknowledged that a man must be born again; but they made that new birth to consist in profession, confession, and external washing…”

The strong language used by our Lord makes the necessity of the ‘new birth’ clear; Adam Clarke’s illustration of the distortion placed upon the phrase by those who are ignorant of its spiritual emphasis shows a need for that emphasis to be explained.  This spiritual emphasis is revealed by the words, anothen, from above, which instantly requires us to relate it to God and therefore to the realm of the Spirit.  That emphasis will be understood when the structure of New Testament salvation is comprehended.

This structure not only involves regeneration but also justification and sanctification.   In relation to this, Adam Clarke writes: Sin must be pardoned, and the impurity of the heart washed away, before any soul can possibly enter into the kingdom of God. As this new birth implies the renewing of the whole soul in righteousness and true holiness, it is not a matter that may be dispensed with: heaven is a place of holiness, and nothing but what is like itself can ever enter into it.

Sin itself must be overcome, and since human beings cannot undo past sins, and cannot control their nature, sin will always prohibit a relationship between God and mankind, unless God himself undertakes on our behalf.  At this point it is probably a good idea to expound a little on the question of sin.  What is it and why is it so disastrous to a relationship with God? 

In the scriptures sin is seen as a ‘missing of the mark’, a falling short of a standard, and is most clearly seen in Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God”.  The fact that all have sinned is not only stated in God’s word, but will quickly be verified to those who are willing to make an honest appraisal of themselves.  The question is not… am I a better person than my neighbour, but, am I as good as God?  Do I come up to the standards of God’s glory, God’s perfection?  Am I perfect as He is perfect? 

The answer is self evident and we can only acknowledge that we have come short of his glory.  It is by our imperfect or inglorious thoughts and actions that we sin.  Jesus said that sin is not only in the action of murder, but in the anger and contempt we have for our fellow man, not only in the act of adultery but also in lustful thoughts.  Not only in an angry rejection of people, but in a lack of forgiveness in our hearts.

It is the reality of personal sinfulness that is difficult for so many to accept.  To compare oneself with others in an attempt to justify oneself is a fruitless exercise, for in the matter of sin we are not accountable to others but are accountable to God.  God cannot accept anything less than perfection therefore our imperfection separates us from him.  It is in separating himself from sinners that God judges and condemns us and it is in this separation that we find ourselves lost.  God is perfect and cannot lower his standards because an imperfect god ceases to be God. 

This is a logical conclusion and one that demands the separation of perfection from imperfection, holiness from sin.  Therefore our sin remains a barrier that we cannot remove or overcome; we are lost in the most awful sense of the word.  Being ‘lost’ to God is to be separated from all that is perfect and eternal.  Love, joy and peace in their fullest sense are not now part of the human experience, for the sorrows, regrets, strife and discords of life tarnish them almost to the point of exclusion.

Yet fullness of love, joy and peace is God’s desire for mankind, he is not willing that any should perish but that all should have everlasting life.  This life is not the life we now live, but an everlasting life - God’s life, where there is love, joy and peace, a life freely given and eternal.  It is a gift because it is something we do not have and cannot earn; as Ephesians 2:8 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”

This everlasting life is the salvation we are given through faith… and not of ourselves, and when we do no more than acknowledge our sin, turning to him for mercy we operate on faith, and God’s perfection (his holiness) is uncompromised.  God being uncompromised means that his perfection is unsullied by our actions, our ‘good deeds’ or our imperfect offerings, and he is then free to give us all things.  We stand back as it were and allow God to do it all.

But what does this all encompass?

First of all, sin, as a barrier between God and man must be removed.  It must be judged and condemned, and if God is to do it all, then it must be he who bears that judgment and condemnation.  Because it was the sins of men that were to be judged and since God is spirit it was necessary that God became a man to bear such a burden.  In the Old Testament there is a progressive revelation of the coming of such a man, a man appointed by God to take away the sin of the world, John 1:29.  In the sacrifice of the Passover lamb (Exodus 12), and all subsequent animal sacrifices, we see a type, a picture of the taking away of sin, and this man, this ‘anointed one’ or ‘Messiah’, in fulfilment of these types, would take away sin by giving his soul as an offering for sin (Isaiah 53:10). 

This passage in Isaiah is the most detailed prophecy of the sufferings of Messiah, or Christ (for the Greek word for anointed is Christos).  It cannot be read and believed without seeing its fulfilment in the gospels of the New Testament and the sufferings of Jesus of Nazareth. 

      

Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

It is in the sacrifice of Messiah/Christ where we find the end of sin and the death it brings, for as the apostle Peter wrote, “…because Christ also suffered for us… Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls” (

1 Peter 2:21-25).

In the above passage from Isaiah were it says, “by his knowledge (or knowledge of him) shall my righteous servant justify many”; it is shown that those who do no more than believe in him will be justified: justified as Abraham was when he believed and was accounted righteous because of his belief (Deuteronomy. 15:6).

It is by God’s grace that we are saved, through faith and not of works.

CHRISTIAN LOVE

There are certain commands given to the Christian upon which all Christian integrity depends.  If these commands are not adhered to there could be few if any rewards at the judgment seat of Christ, no ‘well done’ for faithful service; no gold, silver and precious stones, only a life of perishable works; the wood, hay and stubble of 1Cor. 3:12.               

                                                                        

The first and greatest of these commands, the catalyst of Christian living is to “...love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind...” Matthew 22:37.   This is an all encompassing love; with no self-delusion, no hypocrisy or false humility, but from a contrite and a humble heart which God will not despise.                                                                

                                                                        

How many can truthfully say that they love God when faced with the demands of this command, "all thy heart, all thy soul, all thy mind"?   Only those whose heart, soul and mind are saturated with the knowledge and experience and application of the Word of Truth.  God reveals Himself through His Word of Truth and no longer by means of dreams and visions and certainly not through the emotional responses of our flesh.  Any such divinations, are of the flesh and/or of Satan.                                  

                                                                         

The emotions are so easily aroused by the enticements of this the Devil’s world; they respond to stimulus both mental and physical and can quickly become subject to the world, the flesh and the Devil, unless as in the case of the Spirit filled Christian, they are subject to the mind of Christ.  However God has not left us at the mercy of these forces or of our own weaknesses, but has given us a complete canon of scripture upon which we can rule our lives, so that even against all the pressures of lust and emotion, we can say; ...sin shall not have dominion over me, for "...Thus sayeth the Lord...”

          

The heart, in the context of Matthew 22:37, is not the heart of flesh which pumps the blood throughout the body: but is the centre of ones being, the real you that resides deep within the consciousness and is reached only by means of your mind.  We are made in the image of God and as God is Spirit and not flesh, His image in us is not in the flesh but in the unseen part of our being: the soul, the spirit, the mind.                                                                   

                                                                        

It is with our mind that we gain knowledge of God and it is from this knowledge that a love for God is built up in our heart and soul.  Therefore, we need to know God in truth before we can begin to say we love Him.  We can test our love for God at any moment of the day, by simply gauging our feelings toward our fellow man, especially our Christian brethren.  If we say we love God and are angry toward our brother, we are lying to ourselves.  For if we are angry, contemptuous or even indifferent toward our brother whom we have seen, how can we love God whom we have not seen?  This leads us to the second of the commands so vital to Christian maturity.                                         

                                                                        

1John 4:21

And this commandment have we from him, That he who loves God love his brother also.                            

                                                                        

The force of this verse is in the context of chapters 4 & 5 of 1John; that the one who loves God in truth, will love his brother also; it will be a spontaneous action stemming from his love for God.                    

                                                                        

The Christian, who does not love God will find it impossible to love the brethren, and those who do not love the brethren do not love God. For as it is stated in: -

 

1John 5:1                    

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loves God loves those who are born of God.               

This is not wishful thinking, but a statement of fact, every one that loves God, "loves those that are born of God".  You will love the brethren, the good, the bad and the ugly if you love God with all your heart, soul and mind.  As has been said, you can love God in this manner only when your being is saturated with the knowledge of Him and when your character has been transformed, by that knowledge into the likeness of Jesus Christ the Son of God.  We are then able to love, but only because God first loved us. 

God has expressed his love for mankind through Christ Jesus, yet there is more to His love than that outward expression for God does not just love, he is love.  He is eternal, immutable, tranquil integrity.

This scripture, "...God is love..." is another proof of the triune Godhead, inasmuch as love denotes oneness, empathy, esteem, honour and regard, and by its very nature has the characteristic of expression.  Love, because of its very nature, must express itself.  In eternity past, God the Father loved the Son and the Holy Spirit; God the Son loved the Father and the Spirit, and God the Holy Spirit loved the Father and the Son.  Divine love has been eternally expressed, expressed within the trinity of the Godhead.                                      

                                 

If we love God, we will walk in that light as he is in that light and will not only have fellowship with him but will love those who are born of his Spirit.                                                     

                                                                         

If we have aggravation, hostility, bitterness and even frustration toward the brethren, we are not ‘loving the brethren’ and are walking in darkness.  If we are not honest with ourselves in recognising these negative and therefore destructive emotions, we will never know ourselves, never judge ourselves, never confess our sins and never have fellowship with the Father in whom lies the only source of love.  If we have these negative feelings toward our brethren and say we love God, we lie and have no understanding of truth.

                                                                        

Entwined in this command to love the brethren, is the command to love our neighbour; for Jesus stated, that to "...love the Lord thy God with all thy heart..." is the first and greatest commandment, with the second being similar, "...Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”                        

                                                                        

How do you love your neighbour?   To help resolve this question, ask yourself the following.  How well do I love myself?  How well do I look after my own interests and how much do I desire privacy and freedom from the interference and meddling of others?  This passage is saying; be mindful of the needs and desires of others; respect their freedom, understand and be compassionate toward them in their failings.  This does not allow us to condone their sin.  But to recognise the frailties of men and to forgive those who trespass against us is to maintain both our compassion for them and our peace of mind even in the midst of their transgression.  In this we are able to prove our love for God, by having an unfeigned, non-hypocritical love for the brethren and our neighbour.    

                                                                        

With these two commands fulfilling all the Law and the Prophets, surely they must also be the fulfilment of the spiritual life.  Yet how are we to love the Lord our God and our neighbour?  This takes us to a third command, a command so vital to their fulfilment.  “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;” Ephesians 5:18

It is only by means of the perfect God within us that we are able to know God and to love as God loves, for as 1Corinthians 2:12 says 

"...we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God...".   

These truths are not the production of men’s wisdom, nor of his imagination or his emotions: they are the wisdom of God, which the Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.  The natural man, the one who lives according to the fleshly emotions, including many believers (1Corinthians 3:1-3), cannot understand the things of the Spirit of God for they are spiritually discerned, but he who is filled with the Spirit is able thereby to make judgments in all matters and also remain just himself.  

                                                                         

Despite the belief of many Christians, to be emotional is not and never has been spirituality.  To be ‘spiritual’ is to be filled with the Spirit and manifest the fruits of the Spirit as delineated in Galatians 5:22,23

"...But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law..."      

                                                                        

The Christian may be able to engender all sorts of ecstatic feelings toward other people, but unless you sustain a longsuffering or patient and gentle attitude towards them, and live a life of temperance or self-control, the fruits of the Spirit are not yours, and you in your claims to spirituality, are living a lie.                                               

                                                                        

To be ‘filled with the Spirit’ is not the same as the ‘indwelling of the Spirit’: we as Christians are commanded to be ‘filled’, but in regard to unbelievers Jesus said, ‘You must be born again’; born again by means of the permanent indwelling of God the Holy Spirit (John 3:7, 8). 

It is by means of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that we become children of God and therefore spiritual beings; and Paul, in his letter to the Romans, chapter 8:9, describes the standing of those who belong to God as being ‘indwelt’ by the Spirit. 

When we are born again it is by means of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, with this indwelling being a permanent feature of our life on earth.  Notwithstanding, in 1Corinthians 3:1, Paul speaks to Christians as being, not spiritual but carnal or fleshly, and likens them to babes in Christ: a clear indication that Christian growth includes a period of spiritual immaturity and indulgence in the things of the world.  This last scripture places great emphasis on the necessity of being ‘filled with the Spirit’ and thereby enabled to produce the fruits that include, first and foremost, the fruit of love.                         

                                                                        

Being born again is to be ‘indwelt’ by God the Holy Spirit; being a spiritual Christian, is to be ‘filled’ with the Spirit.

The filling of the Spirit is a prerequisite to spiritual growth and stability.  Without his ministry we are without power to understand, without power to perform, without power to hold our ground against the world, the flesh and the Devil.  There are two things we need to live the victorious Christian life: the filling of the Holy Spirit and knowledge: knowledge of God and his provisions, knowledge of ourselves and knowledge of the enemy.       

                                                                              

Gods provisions include, a. the filling of the Holy Spirit, b. the mechanics of spiritual warfare, c. the assurance of his continuing and unceasing support, d. the promise that though we may lose the battle, Christ Jesus has already won the war for although we might constantly be defeated in life’s struggles, if we persevere in truth the victory will be ours.               

                                                                             

These are God’s provisions to us and it is up to each of us as individuals to take hold of them personally, no one else can fight your battles for you, no one else can gain spiritual strength for you - you must do it for yourself.  During the trials of spiritual growth it is always good to remember that God will not allow you to face temptation you are unable to bear but will with that temptation give you the means to overcome.  He will never leave you nor forsake you and though he will sometimes apply the spiritual rod to chastise; you will be benefited by it.  

                                                                             

The mechanics of spiritual warfare are those steps of faith we take that lead us to know and experience the joy of our salvation and keep us from being entangled with the ‘yoke of bondage’; bondage to our emotions, bondage to pride and conceit, to the pressures from our unbelieving and our non Christian friends, bondage to anything that has priority in our thoughts over and above our Lord and Saviour.  This does not mean you cannot have fun in the world, but it does mean your enjoyment should be because of your salvation, not in spite of it.                                                                          

                                                     

The entry into this salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour; the victory in that salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord.          

                                                                             

How do we make Christ Lord of our life?   How do we make anyone lord of our lives; by giving to them our allegiance, our loyalty and our obedience?  If Christ commands us to love the Brethren (John 13:34), do we obey and forgive from the heart even when they are unlovable or do we obey only when we feel they deserve it?

                                                                             

Salvation at any stage is not dependent on how we feel but on what the Word of God says.  He commands we obey.  When we are angry, contemptuous or even indifferent to our fellow men, those sins will separate us from the fellowship of the Holy Spirit and we will lose his power to obey and fulfil Christ’s commands.                                                                     

                                                                   

We must obey the commands of Christ literally; it is of no use to spiritualise or minimise those commands, they are to be obeyed as you would obey your superior officer in any army.  Love your neighbour, go into all the world and preach the gospel, pray without ceasing, be filled with the Spirit, study to show yourself approved of God.  These are some of God’s commands to us as believers, but if we follow these commands without the filling of the Spirit, we will accomplish only wood hay and stubble (1 Cor.3: 10-12).     

                                                                             

How can you love that absolute pig of a man next door?  With what power and authority do we preach the gospel to the world?  How can we understand God’s word from our finite understanding?  These things can only be accomplished by the power of God’s Spirit within. 

Therefore the first step toward Christian maturity is to,   "...confess our sins..." so that we will be  "...filled with the Spirit..." and by being filled with the Spirit, enabled to "...study so that we may be approved of God...” and approved of God by "loving our neighbour" and by "praying without ceasing".                                             

                                                                             

Galatians 5:16-18                                                      

So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.  For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature.  They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.           

                                                                             

If we sin the Law condemns us, but because of the Cross we are able to confess our sins and God is faithful and just to forgive us those sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1John 1:9).                                      

                                                                             

To be "...filled with the Spirit..." we must be cleansed of all unrighteousness, therefore it is through confession of sin that we are filled with the Spirit and enabled to follow out the mechanics of Christian living.  The confession of sin is the first step to fulfilling those two great commandments in loving God and our neighbour.                            

                                                                             

If we say we have no sin, we are saying that God is a liar and by doing so, we display the fact that the truth is not in us; if we confess our sin then God is faithful, not to us, but faithful to his Son’s obedience unto death, and he is justified in forgiving us those sins because those sins have already been judged on the Cross.                                       

His character remains uncompromised, for confession of sin is an act of faith; recognition and an acknowledgement of the victory of the Cross and our dependence on it.  God accepts that confession as an act of faith and cleanses us from all unrighteousness on that basis.  Righteousness is always by means of faith; it is not by means of works lest any man should boast.    

By confession, the filling of the Spirit is restored and with that filling, so also the power by which we live the Christian life and glorify God.                                                                          

                                                                             

There are definite steps by which we, as children of God, are equipped with the whole armour of God to live victoriously in this the Devil’s world and confession of sin is the foremost step.                                  

"...If we confess our sins, he is faithful to Christ and justified in forgiving us our sins and in cleansing us from all unrighteousness..."                                                   

"... Be filled with the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature..."                                             

                                                                           

Therefore:

"...be filled with the Spirit. Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Singing and making music in your heart to  the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name  of our Lord Jesus Christ...".

                                                                              

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.  Through faith in God’s word we confess our sins, are forgiven and cleansed and empowered by means of the filling of the Spirit, to share with our brethren, in love; the praise and worship of our God.