Disclaimer: The following study was originally done by Pastor Glenn Coon back in 1966, but I added a few minor edits. The original study can be found in the final section of Glenn’s book “The ABC’s of Bible Prayer”.
Jeremiah 30:7 speaks about the time of trouble that is coming, it refers to it as “the time of Jacob’s trouble;” and it says of God’s people, “(they) shall be saved out of it.” Isn’t that wonderful? God makes this promise to each of us. Let us keep that in mind as we share some of these promises now. This will be discussed again under point eleven, but I mention it at the outset to help us realize that provision has been made for each of us to come through this time, safely.
How was Jacob saved out of his time of trouble? Jacob represents God’s people, and so it is important to know how he was saved out of his time of trouble. His time of trouble represents a similar experience to that which Gods people will go through; this makes it doubly important for us to understand Jacob’s experience. This brings us to point one:
I. Jacob claimed a promise of God.
Jacob was on his way back home, with his family and all that he had acquired. He had heard that Esau was on his way to meet him accompanied by 400 soldiers. Imagine the fear that Jacob had. Here were all his little ones, his cattle and servants; not a single soldier in his group. Coming toward him was his brother, whom he had wronged and cheated, with an army of trained soldiers. In his agony and fear, he begins to talk to God about it.
Notice his words in Genesis 32:9, “And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the Lord which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee:” [This is a reference back to Genesis 31:3]
Jacob [essentially] says to God [we’re paraphrasing],
“Lord, You promised me that You would look after me. You told me to go home and promised that You would deal well with me. I’m not worthy of the least of Your blessings, I know that. But my brother is coming with four hundred soldiers, and I’m terribly afraid. I’m scared, Lord…. but You told me I’d make it home….”
Can’t you see him agonize with God and place before his God the promise that was made to him by a God that does not lie, nor go back on a promise? This is just what Jacob did, and he had a wonderful promise to claim.
We, too, are on the home-stretch. Our heavenly home is almost in sight. God says that those who do what Jacob did, will make it home! I want to make it home, don’t you? God gave Jacob a promise, and this same promise is ours: “I’ll be with you and you will make it home safely,” is the promise that we, too, can claim. I don’t know of anything I want more than to walk through those pearly gates into that city and see my heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, my Elder Brother, my guardian angel and all my friends, and know I’m home at last! Provision has been made; the promise has been given to make this dream a reality. The Bible tells us that if we are Christ’s then we are of the seed of Abraham. Jacob claimed the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac; we have the right to do the same. We, too, can say, “Lord, You have promised to see me home safely….” and know He will do it, because He did it for Jacob.
Notice with me this same promise phrased just a little differently. And in this promise we can know that God is speaking directly to you and to me. I John 2:25 says: “And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.”
I remember, as though it were yesterday, the first time I opened my Bible and put my finger on that promise. I put my name where it says, “us”, and it read, “And this is the promise he hath promised [Glenn Coon], even eternal life.” [You can insert your name in there too as well].
God has given us this promise and He wants us to take Him at His Word, doesn’t He? He most surely does. Abraham, we’re told, believed God, and it (the fact that he believed) was counted unto him for righteousness. It is not about how sinful we are, but rather how good God is. It is this God, the One who loves each of us, that says, “I’ll see you home.”
We have all been impressed, at one time or another, with the fact that during the time of trouble we will not be able to buy or sell. Revelation 13 describes that time. It says plainly in verse 17, “And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark or the name of the beast” This will be a terrible time! But the Bible has a promise for us that will take care of things for that time. It is found in Isaiah 33:16, “He shall dwell on high: his place of defense shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.”
Then Isaiah says that we will see the King in His beauty! This is a double promise. It assures us again that we will make it home, and also that we will be given bread and water. Although the rivers and water ways will be turned to blood – God wants us to think of Him and remember that our bread and water will be sure.
That doesn’t fill me with fear, does it you? Why no, we can look forward to that time without any trace of fear. I will be out there in the rocks, perhaps, but the Rock that will go with me will be Jesus. With Him by my side, I need never fear. He has promised to take care of me and supply me with the essentials of life – and all of this at a time when the world of ungodly men and women will be thirsty and hungry! No, this picture is not one of fear as far as I’m concerned. The only thing I’ve got to fear is sin, for this separates me from my Protector and Savior.
II. When the seven last plagues come, the saints will have a place to hide.
Psalms 91:1-4, 10 “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust …Because thou has made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.”
III. Hiding in Jesus we will be delivered.
Let’s do what the wise man suggests in Proverbs 22:3, “A prudent (wise) man forseeth the evil and hideth himself….” He does something about it. He doesn’t emphasize the fear, but rather seeks refuge in a safe place. We have been provided with this place and the place is Jesus. We can hide in Him.
Notice: Daniel 12:1 “….and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time; and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.”
IV. We can have the assurance that our names are written in the book of heaven.
Notice with me several verses of scripture. John 1:12, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” I John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
By taking advantage of the provisions offered, we have our name written in the book of life. This is recorded in Revelation 3:5, “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before His angels.” There it is! Our names are in the book of life, and we can claim the promise of Daniel 12:1. God says He will not blot out our name out of this book if we are overcomers.
V. Beholding Jesus and what He’s doing, we become overcomers.
Deuteronomy 8:2 says, “And thou shaIt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee…. ”
God is bigger than the devil. I know He is, because God put the devil out of heaven. I know that Christ is bigger than the devil because in Matthew 4 the devil came to Jesus with his strongest temptations, and Jesus said, “Get thee hence, Satan….”. When one reads the gospels, we find that every time Christ met the devil there was a conflict and each time Jesus won.
Let us follow the counsel of II Corinthians 3:18 and behold the face of our lovely Jesus and become changed into His Image, what do you say? As we dwell on the attributes of Christ, we’ll become like Him and in Him we can conquer the devil and meet his temptations victoriously.
Oh, that we might remember that, “By beholding we become changed.” Paul admonishes us, “Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report think on these things.” Philippians 4:8.
Here are the things that we are to think on. These are the positive traits of character that we want growing in our lives, isn’t that right? Why, yes.
My favorite author has a priceless gem suggested for us in the book Education, page 297:
“When once the gaze is fixed upon Him, life finds its center.”
Here Christ is plainly shown to be the center of a life that is in balance. When the gaze is removed from Christ, we become unbalanced Christians (thus we backslide). Now how can we avoid falling into this trap of the devil? How can we grow to be like Jesus (rather than become like a trouble maker)?
Here’s the promise. It’s found in I John 3: 1-3.
“Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”
Isn’t this what we ought to be feeding on? Isn’t this the promise that should be the inspiration of our souls? Isn’t Jesus the One who should be the center of our thoughts?
When someone says, “Say, by the way, did you hear what the devil did this week?” you can say, “No, but have you heard what the Lord did this week?”
We need to talk more about what the Lord is doing. This is what those, whose names are in the Lord’s book, will be doing (testifying of what the Lord is doing).
Notice Malachi 3:16, 17.
“Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before the Lord for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.”
What a promise for the time of trouble! Isn’t this marvelous? God says, if you will talk of me and think of me, I’ll spare you in the time of trouble. I will look after you, is the promise of God. When we’re thinking of Christ and talking about Him, it is virtually impossible to be talking about the erring members of the church. It is impossible to be finding fault with a brother or sister in the family or in the faith. We can be centered on only one side at one time; it’s either Christ-centered, or Satan-centered.
VI. The Bible indicates clearly that as we near the end, the Lord is going to slowly, but surely withdraw His Spirit from the world. Genesis 6:3 says, “My spirit shall not always strive with man…” But in the face of this, we need not fear. The Lord has given us sufficient evidence of His power for that time, too. In Luke 11:13, the Lord has said that if we ask, believe and claim the promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit, we shall receive it – as a gift from our heavenly Father. Many people are afraid of the Holy Spirit. They don’t understand what it means to have Him in the heart. What does it mean to have the Holy Spirit in the heart?
Notice Galatians 5:22, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,”. Don’t you want joy and peace during the time of trouble? Isn’t that the most priceless gift for a time when people will be devoid of these qualities, their souls dry and barren and full of pain and anguish.
When Jesus is not in the heart, it’s hard to get along with our loved ones, and these eternal things seem insipid. Jesus makes the difference. At a time when the Spirit of God is being withdrawn from the earth, we can be assured that He will give us a great measure of it, if we truly seek Him, and if we really want Him. It will be revealed, whether or not we have the Spirit by whether or not there is love in the home.
VII. Jesus says, in Matthew 24 that just before He comes, it will be like the days of Noah. [“Every intent of the thoughts of [man’s] heart was only evil continually” Genesis 6:5]. Do you know of those who enjoy talking about and dwelling on the sins of the present day? People who enjoy talking about the sex perverts and the sins of the flesh and those things that are shameful – this is a special breed of people. Their saliva flows in double strength at a time when these things are discussed. The world is terrible, alright. We live in a very wicked age. But are we justified in talking about it and making this the center of our thoughts? What would this thinking do for us? “As he thinketh in his heart,” says the wise man, “so is he.” Proverbs 23:7.
How much better it would be to center our thoughts on this promise:
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers (parents) to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers (parents), lest I come (if I didn’t do it) and smite the earth with a curse.” Malachi 4:5, 6.
The Lord says He will do this for us (reconcile our families). Things will be so bad that if He didn’t do this for us, He just couldn’t stand it any longer and He would have to destroy the earth before it was time to do it; before the world had run its course. A mighty revolution is promised. Revolutions that will make the home, “Home, Sweet Home”. Homes that are looking forward to Jesus’ Coming, will major in sweet homes. Tell your husband that you love him. Tell your wife that you love her. Tell your children that you love them! Make home a happy place.
When we keep the words of the Lord in our hearts and teach them to our children, we are promised days, “as the days of heaven upon the earth.” [Deuteronomy 11:18-21]. What a promise to take with us as we approach the time of trouble.
VIII. What about these children of ours that are out of the ark of safety? How many there are that have a real burden for the children who have left the church. Here is a promise that you can claim: “And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the Lord: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.” Jeremiah 24:7
God doesn’t want us to whine about our children who are out of the fold. No, we can ask God for help, believe that He is giving it to us and saving our children, and return thanks that He has done it.
Notice the words of Jeremiah 31:16, 17.
“Thus saith the Lord; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy. And there is hope in thine end, saith the Lord, that thy children shall come again to their own border.”
You can put a dance in the eyes and a song in the heart and claim this promise, believing that the Lord is working our His purpose for our loved ones. He has promised to do it. Let us claim and believe Him.
IX. Do you want to be guided into this kind of an experience? You don’t have to sit and wish for it. Here is a promise by which you can have it and have it now. We don’t have to wait for a time in the distant future; it is ours to have now.
Notice: Isaiah 42:16 “And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do for them, and not forsake them.”
Isn’t this a wonderful promise for guidance and light as we enter the dark days that lie ahead? How wonderful God is to us!
X. And now let’s look back again at the promise we have for the time of trouble
Jeremiah 30:7 “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.”
Here it is! God’s word that we will be saved out of the terrible time of trouble that lies just ahead. Surely, it will come. It will be terrible! It will be the worst kind of existence this world has ever known. We had better believe it – because God says it will be just that kind of a time. But we can live in the assurance, that, if our hearts are right with God now, and we continue to have fellowship with Him each day, when that time comes, we will be saved out of it. Let us anchor our hopes and vision in God’s promise.
XI. Now we turn to Hebrews chapter six.
In this chapter, the writer of Hebrews says under inspiration, that God made a promise to Abraham and backed it up with an oath. This arrangement constitutes an immutable structure of truth. It is impossible for God to lie. This gives us hope and an anchor.
There are some rough waters ahead over which we must sail. But come what may; let the waters get rough – we have a promise and an anchor! What more can we ask for? God Himself has promised us safety and victory.
Notice the promise found in Isaiah 43:2 “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee: and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee:…”
Isn’t that plain? Isn’t that satisfying? There are a total of 3,573 promises, or clusters of promises in which we can find hope and confidence as we approach the time of trouble so that we need not fear and lose heart. These form an anchor that will hold us secure in the most tempestuous storms. Our destination is the sea of glass. This is the final wharf the Lord has planned. He has promised to be the Captain of our ship, if we will allow Him the privilege. There we will sing the song of Moses and the Lamb. What a chorus that will be. And the wonderful thing about it is that each of us can be a part of that large throng.
“We’re sailing home, we’re sailing home;
Oh, won’t you come on board; our Pilot is the Lord.
We’re sailing home, we’re sailing home
To the new Jerusalem.”
It is my prayer that I shall be there and have the privilege of meeting you there too.
Friday, June 8, 2018
The Science of Prayer
God's willingness to answer our prayers
God is eager to help us and give us good things
2 Chronicles 16:9a
For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.
Matthew 7:11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
James 1:17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
2 Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes
Calvary shows us how willing God is
Romans 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
Pray God's Word
John 15:7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
Jesus' ABC's of Prayer
A. Ask and it will be given to you
Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
B. Believe and you shall receive
Mark 11:24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
C. Claim the promise by thanking God for hearing your prayer
John 11:41
Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man [Lazarus] was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me."
The Power of God's Word
God's word is creative, when He speaks it gets done
Psalm 33:6, 9
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.... For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.
Isaiah 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
God can speak of future things as if they already existed
Romans 4:16-17 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did
God cannot lie
Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
Hebrews 6:18 "it is impossible for God to lie"
Pray in Jesus' name
John 14:14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
Pray With God's Spirit
The Holy Spirit Helps Us Pray
Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
The Holy Spirit reminds of God's promises
John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
God is more than willing to give His Spirit to those who ask Him
Luke 11:13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!
Take time to pause and wait for God's leading
1 Kings 19:12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.
Isaiah 30:20-21 And though the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, Yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, But your eyes shall see your teachers. Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it, ”Whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.
John 16:13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
Focus of prayer: God's kingdom
Matthew 6:13b ...For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Conditions of Prayer
A. Prayer requires faith
Hebrews 11:6 But 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 diligently seek Him.
God gives you faith
Faith is a gift from God
Romans 10:17 ...faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God
Ephesians 2:8b... faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God
Romans 12:3b ...God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
Matthew 17:20 ...if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
B. Humble Willingness to Obey God's Will
2 Chronicles 7:14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
1 John 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
1 John 3:22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.
God gives you the power to obey
Ezekiel 36:27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.
C. Prayer requires repentance from sin
Psalm 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.
Proverbs 28:9
One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.
God gives you repentance
Acts 5:31 Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.
The Holy Spirit you convicts of sin
John 16:8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment
God will forgive and cleanse the sins you confess
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
D. You must be willing to forgive others
Mark 11:25
And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.
Matthew 6:15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
God offers you a new heart filled with love
Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
Romans 5:5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
E. Persevere in Prayer
Luke 18:7-8 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”
Matthew 5:6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled
1 Chronicles 16:11 Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore!
Romans 12:12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer
God will gives you the desire to pray
Zechariah 12:10 And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.
A Time and Place for Private Prayer
Mark 1:35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.
Matthew 6:6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
Praise and thanksgiving in prayer
Psalm 22:3 But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel.
Psalm 100:4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
Psalm 16:11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Matthew 6:9
In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
Intercessory Prayer (Praying for Others)
1 Timothy 2:1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men
Matthew 5:44 "... pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you"
James 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
Job 42:10 And the Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.
The Power of United Prayer
Matthew 18:19-20 “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
Prayer and Fasting
Matthew 17:18-21 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
Keep a Journal
Deuteronomy 8:2 And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.
Example Prayer of 2 Chronicles 20
Praise God (verse 6)
Thank God (verse 7)
Claim a promise (verse 8-9)
Your present situation (verse 10-12)
Praise God (18-19)
Thursday, June 7, 2018
The Doctrine of Christ
2 John 1:9b ."... He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son."
Eternal Life is knowing God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent
John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
The Significance of Christ's Incarnation
John 1:14
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Romans 8:3-4 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
1 John 4:1-3 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
God's word will point you to Jesus
John 5:39 [Jesus said] You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.
Luke 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
Luke 24:44 Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”
1 Peter 1:10-11 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.
God's Spirit will point you to Jesus
John 15:26 But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.
John 16:7-11 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 depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
John 16:12-15 I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
God's Spirit will make you like Jesus
2 Corinthians 3:15-18 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Eternal Life is knowing God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent
John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
The Significance of Christ's Incarnation
John 1:14
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Romans 8:3-4 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
1 John 4:1-3 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
God's word will point you to Jesus
John 5:39 [Jesus said] You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.
Luke 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
Luke 24:44 Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”
1 Peter 1:10-11 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.
God's Spirit will point you to Jesus
John 15:26 But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.
John 16:7-11 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 depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
John 16:12-15 I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
God's Spirit will make you like Jesus
2 Corinthians 3:15-18 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Why Jesus came the first time
Jesus did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance
Mark 2:17 ...“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Jesus didn't come to destroy God's law, but to fulfill
Matthew 5:17 Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
Jesus didn't come to destroy lives, but to us save lives
Luke 9:56 "For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.
Jesus came not to condemn but to save the lost
John 3:17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
Luke 19:10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.
1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve
Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.
Jesus didn't come to do His own will, but the will of the Father
John 6:38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
Hebrews 10:7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come— In the volume of the book it is written of Me— To do Your will, O God.’ [Psalm 40:7]”
Psalm 40:8 I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart.”
Luke 22:41-42 And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”
To bear witness of the truth
John 18:37 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
To taste death for us
Hebrews 2:9-11 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren
To destroy the works of the devil
1 John 3:8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
That we may have an abundant life
John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.\
To redeem us and adopt us as sons
Galatians 4:4-5 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
God loves us and wants us to have eternal life
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Abiding in Christ's word, you'll know the truth to be free from sin
John 8:31-32 “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”. John 8:34-35. “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever."
Eternal Life is found in knowing Him
John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
Jesus is the way, truth and life
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
Mark 2:17 ...“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Jesus didn't come to destroy God's law, but to fulfill
Matthew 5:17 Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
Jesus didn't come to destroy lives, but to us save lives
Luke 9:56 "For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.
Jesus came not to condemn but to save the lost
John 3:17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
Luke 19:10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.
1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve
Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.
Jesus didn't come to do His own will, but the will of the Father
John 6:38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
Hebrews 10:7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come— In the volume of the book it is written of Me— To do Your will, O God.’ [Psalm 40:7]”
Psalm 40:8 I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart.”
Luke 22:41-42 And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”
Okay, done with disclaimers, why so DID Jesus come?
John 18:37 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
To taste death for us
Hebrews 2:9-11 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren
To destroy the works of the devil
1 John 3:8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
That we may have an abundant life
John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.\
Why God sent Jesus to us
To redeem us and adopt us as sons
Galatians 4:4-5 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
God loves us and wants us to have eternal life
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Other helpful verses:
Abiding in Christ's word, you'll know the truth to be free from sin
John 8:31-32 “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”. John 8:34-35. “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever."
Eternal Life is found in knowing Him
John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
Jesus is the way, truth and life
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
Tuesday, June 5, 2018
The Will of God
Post updated On February 2020
How to know God's will
1. We must be willing to do God's will
John 7:17
If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.
Matthew 26:39
He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”
2. We will know God's will when we trust that God is clear when he speaks
A. Through Scripture
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
B. Through Divine Providence
Deuteronomy 8:18 And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.
Revelation 3:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”
[Also read the story of Joseph in Genesis 37-50]
3. God can speak to us is through the influence of His Spirit
John 16:13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
How to know God's will
1. We must be willing to do God's will
John 7:17
If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.
Matthew 26:39
He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”
2. We will know God's will when we trust that God is clear when he speaks
A. Through Scripture
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
B. Through Divine Providence
Deuteronomy 8:18 And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.
Revelation 3:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”
[Also read the story of Joseph in Genesis 37-50]
3. God can speak to us is through the influence of His Spirit
John 16:13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
Isaiah 30:21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.
4. God can speak through other people
Proverbs 11:14 Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.
5. Believe that God is good
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
God never leads His children otherwise than they would choose to be led, if they could see the end from the beginning and discern the glory of the purpose which they are fulfilling as co-workers with Him. MH 479
Relevant quote:
“No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.” Matthew 11:30; Psalm 84:11. Our heavenly Father has a thousand ways to provide for us of which we know nothing. Those who accept the one principle of making the service of God supreme, will find perplexities vanish and a plain path before their feet. The faithful discharge of today's duties is the best preparation for tomorrow's trials. Do not gather together all tomorrow's liabilities and cares and add them to the burden of today. “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Matthew 6:34. [DA 481]
More on what the bible says about God's will
Understand the will of God
Ephesians 5:15-21 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.
How to prove what is the perfect will of God
Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
What God's will is
John 6:40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Peter 2:15-16 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-6 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified.
1 Timothy 2:1-4 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Praying According to God’s Will
1 John 5:14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
The Spirit Intercedes According to God’s will
Romans 8:26-27
Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
God Enables You To Do His Will
Hebrews 13:20-21 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Doing God’s Will As Christ Did
Matthew 26:39
He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”
1 Peter 4:1–2 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.
Doing God’s Will From The Heart
Psalm 40:8 I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart.
Having the Father’s love in you
1 John 2:15-17 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
Doers of God’s will enter God’s Kingdom
Matthew 7:21 Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
Doers of God’s will are brothers and sisters
Mark 3:35 For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.
Isaiah 30:21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.
4. God can speak through other people
Proverbs 11:14 Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.
5. Believe that God is good
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
God never leads His children otherwise than they would choose to be led, if they could see the end from the beginning and discern the glory of the purpose which they are fulfilling as co-workers with Him. MH 479
Relevant quote:
“No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.” Matthew 11:30; Psalm 84:11. Our heavenly Father has a thousand ways to provide for us of which we know nothing. Those who accept the one principle of making the service of God supreme, will find perplexities vanish and a plain path before their feet. The faithful discharge of today's duties is the best preparation for tomorrow's trials. Do not gather together all tomorrow's liabilities and cares and add them to the burden of today. “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Matthew 6:34. [DA 481]
More on what the bible says about God's will
Understand the will of God
Ephesians 5:15-21 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.
How to prove what is the perfect will of God
Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
What God's will is
John 6:40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Peter 2:15-16 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-6 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified.
1 Timothy 2:1-4 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Praying According to God’s Will
1 John 5:14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
The Spirit Intercedes According to God’s will
Romans 8:26-27
Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
God Enables You To Do His Will
Hebrews 13:20-21 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Doing God’s Will As Christ Did
Matthew 26:39
He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”
1 Peter 4:1–2 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.
Doing God’s Will From The Heart
Psalm 40:8 I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart.
Having the Father’s love in you
1 John 2:15-17 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
Doers of God’s will enter God’s Kingdom
Matthew 7:21 Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
Doers of God’s will are brothers and sisters
Mark 3:35 For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.
Monday, June 4, 2018
The Self-Forgetful Praying Christian
The following is based on a sermon
In the epistles to the Corinthians, we learn that it is unwise to compare yourself with others (2 Corinthians 10:12). "For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?" 1 Corinthians 4:7. It's also carnal and immature to make an idol out of another Christian's work (1 Corinthians 3:1-4). "For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building." 1 Corinthians 3:9. As God's building, our foundation is Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11).
With that in mind, notice this passage: "But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord." 1 Corinthians 4:3-4.
Here we see Paul didn't care what others think, nor what he thought of himself, but rather what God thinks. Now let's look at this principle point by point.
"It is a very small thing that I should be judged by you"
The fear of man is a trap and depending on man is a curse (Proverbs 29:25a, Jeremiah 17:5-6). Jesus said, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:31-32.
Why should we worry what others think or we think of ourselves when it is God's word that stands forever? (Proverbs 29:25b, Isaiah 40:8). God's word is alive, with creative power, and will not return void (Hebrews 4:12; Psalm 33:6, 9; Isaiah 55:11). Our worth comes from God who says, "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine." Isaiah 43:1.
The Example of Jesus
Jesus didn't worry what the religious leaders of his day thought of him when they complained “Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” (Luke 5:30). Jesus' reply: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Luke 5:31-32. Jesus didn't come to seek His own glory, but rather to do the will of the Father who sent Him (John 8:50, John 6:38). Jesus willingly chose come and taste the cup of suffering and death for our sins (Hebrews 10:7, Matthew 26:39).
Christ never murmured, never uttered discontent, displeasure, or resentment. He was never disheartened, discouraged, ruffled, or fretted. He was patient, calm, and self-possessed under the most exciting and trying circumstances. All His works were performed with a quiet dignity and ease, whatever commotion was around Him. Applause did not elate Him. He feared not the threats of His enemies. He moved amid the world of excitement, of violence and crime, as the sun moves above the clouds. Human passions and commotions and trials were beneath Him. He sailed like the sun above them all. Yet He was not indifferent to the woes of men. His heart was ever touched with the sufferings and necessities of His brethren, as though He Himself was the one afflicted. He had a calm inward joy, a peace which was serene. His will was ever swallowed up in the will of His Father. Not My will but Thine be done, was heard from His pale and quivering lips. – {Manuscript Releases Vol. 3, p. 427}
In the heart of Christ, where reigned perfect harmony with God, there was perfect peace. He was never elated by applause, nor dejected by censure or disappointment. Amid the greatest opposition and the most cruel treatment, He was still of good courage. But many who profess to be His followers have an anxious, troubled heart, because they are afraid to trust themselves with God. They do not make a complete surrender to Him; for they shrink from the consequences that such a surrender may involve. Unless they do make this surrender, they cannot find peace. [Desire of Ages, p. 330]
"I do not even judge myself"
We are not justified or saved by our own works, but rather by faith, which itself is a gift from God, so how could we boast about anything? (Galatians 2:16, Ephesians 2:8-9). We are God's workmanship, "created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10. We simply "work out" what God "works in" us (Philippians 2:12-13). As believers we pray in Jesus name, acknowledging that without Him we can do nothing (John 14:12-14, John 15:5).
Any righteousness we think we have is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). Righteousness comes to us through faith in Jesus (Romans 3:21-22). In Christ, we can have a living faith that works through love (Galatians 5:6, James 2:26). The Christian life doesn't revolve around self, but around Christ who lives in you by faith. Like Paul, you can say, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20
Don't let your feelings judge you either. Feelings are no evidence of God’s displeasure. The heart can play tricks on us, but God knows our hearts (Jeremiah 17:9-10, 1 Samuel 16:7). John says, "And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things." 1 John 3:19-20.
"He who judges me is the Lord"
Our thoughts are not like God's thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). God says, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11. It is a blessing to trust in God and what He says (Jeremiah 17:7-8).
God already established our worth by redeeming us with the precious blood of Jesus (1 Peter 1:18-19, 1 Corinthians 6:20). "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8. Knowing this, we are to live for His glory, not for ourselves (1 Corinthians 10:31, 2 Corinthians 5:15).
The only way to destroy the idolatry of people pleasing is to worship Jesus!
“All experiences of the fear of man share at least one common feature: people are big. They have grown to idolatrous proportions in our lives. They control us. Since there is no room in our hearts to worship both God and people, whenever people are big, God is not. Therefore, the first task in escaping the snare of the fear of man is to know that God is awesome and glorious, not other people.” When People are Big and God is Small, p. 95
“A growing knowledge of God displaces the fear of people, and it casts out our tendency to be casual with our secret sins. And the good news is that it can be learned…You must simply be a person who prays and seeks after this great gift.” When People are Big and God is Small, p. 107-108
Proverbs 29:25
The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.
How to be a self-forgetful praying Christian
Isaiah 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.
In order to commune with God, we must have something to say to Him concerning our actual life. Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend. Not that it is necessary in order to make known to God what we are, but in order to enable us to receive Him. Prayer does not bring God down to us, but brings us up to Him. [Steps to Christ, p. 93]
Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
There is never a reason to worry, only a reason to pray
Luke 5:16 So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.
And if the Saviour of men, the Son of God, felt the need of prayer, how much more should feeble, sinful mortals feel the necessity of fervent, constant prayer. [Steps to Christ, p. 93]
None need feel that they are too busy to pray, too full of business cares to spend an occasional fifteen minutes to seek counsel from God. My brethren, make God your entire dependence. When you do otherwise, then it is time for a halt to be called. Stop right where you are and change the order of things. Pray first, before taking up the work of the day. [10MR 233]
A worker cannot gain success while he hurries through his prayers to God, and rushes away to look after something that he fears may be neglected or forgotten. He takes time to give only a few hurried thoughts to God, that is all. He does not give himself time to think, to pray, to wait upon the Lord for a renewal of spiritual and physical strength. [LHU 263]
"Prayer does not equip us for greater works— prayer is the greater work"
Oswald Chambers
Often times ministry is our biggest hindrance to quality time with God. Many of us become like Martha, so busy serving God, but not taking the time to listen to Him (Luke 10:38-42). Many times we wonder why our ministries don't have power. But how can we share Jesus if we left Him at home? And how can we share Him if we're not even sure we know Him for ourselves? That comes from spending meaningful time with Him.
So remember, it does not matter what other people think, it does not matter what we think, it only matters is what God knows. In order to know what God knows, we should spend that meaningful time in prayer with Him.
A self-forgetful praying Christian is consumed with the image of Jesus Christ.
When you feel confused
Test All Things According To God's word
1 Thessalonians 5:21 Test all things; hold fast what is good.
Isaiah 8:20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
Acts 17:10-11 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
Let God's Word be your guide
Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness
Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Notice what Jesus says in these verses
John 14:6
I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
John 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
John 10:5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.
John 8:31-32 If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Other Helpful Verses:
1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.
2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
James 3:16-18 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
James 1:5-6 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
Romans 10:17 ...faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Deuteronomy 29:29
The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.
Isaiah 8:20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
Psalm 119:165
Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble.
Isaiah 40:8 The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.
2 Peter 1:19, 21
And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts... for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
John 15:26 But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.
John 16:13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
John 5:39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.
John 8:31-32 ...If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
John 12:46 I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.
2 Timothy 1:12 For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.
Romans 8:38-39 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
Isaiah 55:8
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Proverbs 16:3
Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.
Proverbs 16:9
A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.
Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.
Isaiah 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.
Psalm 32:8
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.
Isaiah 30:21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.
Related posts
How to know God's will
God's guidance and wisdom
Helpful music playlists on Youtube
Hymns for troubled minds
Assurance in uncertainty
Faith and Courage
Songs of faith (bluegrass)
Songs for the storms of life (bluegrass)
1 Thessalonians 5:21 Test all things; hold fast what is good.
Isaiah 8:20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
Acts 17:10-11 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
Let God's Word be your guide
Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness
Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Notice what Jesus says in these verses
John 14:6
I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
John 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
John 10:5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.
John 8:31-32 If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Other Helpful Verses:
1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.
2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
James 3:16-18 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
James 1:5-6 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
Romans 10:17 ...faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Deuteronomy 29:29
The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.
Isaiah 8:20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
Psalm 119:165
Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble.
Isaiah 40:8 The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.
2 Peter 1:19, 21
And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts... for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
John 15:26 But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.
John 16:13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
John 5:39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.
John 8:31-32 ...If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
John 12:46 I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.
2 Timothy 1:12 For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.
Romans 8:38-39 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
Isaiah 55:8
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Proverbs 16:3
Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.
Proverbs 16:9
A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.
Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.
Isaiah 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.
Psalm 32:8
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.
Isaiah 30:21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.
Related posts
How to know God's will
God's guidance and wisdom
Helpful music playlists on Youtube
Hymns for troubled minds
Assurance in uncertainty
Faith and Courage
Songs of faith (bluegrass)
Songs for the storms of life (bluegrass)
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