New Hope Christian Church, 2/23/25
When I was very young, my favorite book was Tell Me About God. Mom got tired of reading it to me so many times that she sometimes attempted to skip ahead, but by then I could tell when she tried to omit something. Children like to hear about God. As grownups we seem to have lost that childhood wonderment and curiosity to learn more about Him. We have become so familiar with the concept of God that we take his Name and his Presence casually. For that reason, we tend to be uninterested in knowing more about Him, and our worship of Him becomes casual and ritualistic. That may be one reason why so many people walk away from the church.
The more we truly come to understand God, the more we will stand in awe of Him, drawing us into a closer and more meaningful relationship with Him. In this Part 1 of “The God We Worship,” we will examine four attributes of God that demonstrate His awesomeness. (Attributes relate to who and what God is. Characteristics relate to how He interacts with His creatures.)
God Is Real
The place to begin in our study of God is to realize that He is real. He is not a figment of our imagination or a concept, a crutch, to help us through the difficulties in life. The Bible was not written to convince us that there is a God—rather it assumes that we instinctively realize that there must be something larger than what we see. This assumption by the writers of the Bible, however, does not rest on that instinctive inference. They declare that there is not only a God, but that the God of the Hebrew people is the one and only God.
The message of salvation usually begins with a call to place one’s faith in Jesus Christ, but underneath that call is first the belief that there is a God who really exists. More than that, He is a God who cares for human beings and therefore rewards those who genuinely seek to know Him. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). Seeking to know God is not enough for salvation, but a genuine search requires examining and believing all the evidence for the message of salvation when it becomes known to the seeker. A prime example of such a person is found in Cornelius, a Roman centurion, whose coming to faith is recorded in Acts 10. We are told that he “and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly” (10:1). This description of Cornelius informs us that he sincerely believed in the Jews’ God but that he had not become a full-fledged convert. The ensuing narrative explains how God sent the apostle Peter to preach the gospel to him. Cornelius and family proved their earnestness in seeking God by believing the message after the evidences for its acceptance had been presented.
The apostle Paul would later write about the instinct common to mankind for a belief in God, although he also pointed out that this instinct had largely been suppressed and ignored: “what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:19-21). He does not claim that they knew much about God, but that they, observing creation itself, should have known at least “his eternal power and divine nature” since there is no other rational explanation for the existence and orderliness of the universe.
Preaching in Lystra, Paul reasoned, “‘Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy’” (Acts 14:17). Psalm 19:1-6 says:
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.
This poetic language affirms that God has made Himself known through nature, at least regarding His existence and power.
God Created the Universe
The existence of God, indicated in the natural inference of His “eternal power and divine nature,” leads to the next attribute as Creator of the universe. The Book of God (the Bible), indeed, begins with these words, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). The Greek version of the Old Testament labeled this first book, Genesis. The Hebrew title is simply, In the Beginning. The phrase “heavens and earth” refers to the entire creation, the universe, as known by man. The first two chapters refer to broad details of this act of creation. Since no human being was present to witness this creation, we must take God’s word (revealed through prophecy) for it: “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible” (Hebrews 11:3).
Taking the gospel into the Greco-Roman world, the messengers had to deal with the pagan beliefs in all sorts of gods. As they worked various kinds of miracles and signs, they used these to draw attention to the superior power of a God who could not only heal but who, in addition, was in fact the Creator: “‘We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them’” (Acts 14:15). Paul challenged the philosophers of Athens, the alleged world capital of intelligence and wisdom, with the fact of the resurrection of Jesus (17:31). Their concept of gods could not come close to measuring up to the Creator: “‘The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us’” (17:24-27).
The Biblical testimony of divine creation runs counter to two common theories (technically, hypotheses) regarding origins. (1) The “Big Bang theory” supposedly accounts for the origin of the universe as we know it. However, even this “theory” does not account for the presence of matter existing prior to the event. It still requires an assumption that matter has either existed eternally or that it spontaneously arose out of nothing—contrary to the first Law of Thermodynamics. (This is not to say that God may not have used something like the concept to fling the stars out into space.) (2) Evolution (that is, macro-evolution) has been posited as an explanation for the origin of life. This “theory” has many problems, including the evidence in the geologic strata that does not always support the claims. Both of these alleged explanations for our origins are denied by the testimony of nature and Scripture regarding God as the Creator.
God Is Spirit
The real God, the One who created the universe, cannot be limited to a particular place or image. As Jesus told “the woman at the well,” “‘God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth’” (John 4:24). We are familiar with physical forms (such as solid objects) and forces (such as gravity and electricity), but we do not know what the essence of “spirit” is since it is not like anything we can experience with the senses or even the imagination—in spite of our many attempts to do so. By faith, Moses “left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27). Of course, by definition, he did not literally see Him, but rather he acted on the basis of what he had heard and experienced of God as though he could see Him. This concept of the invisibility of God is also expressed in Colossians: Jesus Christ “is the image of the invisible God” (1:15); and again in 1 Timothy, in this case apparently to Christ Himself: “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever” (1:17).
Spirit is not physical; neither is it just an impersonal “force,” as in the Sci-fi Star Wars universe or even in the modern concoction of the universe itself as having some kind of influence on the affairs of human beings. Since we are to worship “in spirit” because He is Spirit (John 4:24), we must conclude that Spirit has to do with personhood, capable of relationships and communion with other spirits. Thus, the prophets often said, “Thus says the Lord.” An early example of this kind of interaction can be seen in the call of Samuel (1 Samuel 3:1-10). When Samuel was only a lad, one night God called to him three times, “‘Samuel.’” Not having previously heard God speaking to him, the boy assumed that the calls were coming from the priest Eli, who denied that he had called to him. Finally, Eli realized that God was calling and instructed Samuel, “‘Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening”’” (3:9). From that moment on, Samuel’s life took on a whole new meaning. He could not see God, but he definitely heard Him.
God Is Transcendent
In all three of the above attributes of God we can see that He is transcendent, that is, that He is far above and beyond anything else we know or can imagine; superior to the degree that He is separate from all else. (More will be said about this in Part 3 of this series.) As Moses said, “‘To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it’” (Deuteronomy 10:14). Paul was overwhelmed by this concept of God, “the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen” (1 Timothy 6:15-16).
A lesser being would not suffice. God is necessarily transcendent in order to be in control of the universe. This attribute of transcendence sets Him apart from all other gods:
“To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One. Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:25-31)
Conclusion
God is truly awesome! We should be careful how we speak of Him and how we live our lives in His presence!
New Hope Christian Church, 3/2/25
Do you have a problem understanding the concept of the Trinity? Join the club! (Actually, the word “trinity” never occurs in the Bible. It is simply a word constructed centuries ago to help us understand a concept that is taught in Scripture.) No mere human being fully understands the attributes of God as taught in Scripture, and certainly not the concept of the Trinity. Nevertheless, a failure to understand accurately what the Bible says about this concept we have labeled “Trinity” leaves us open to misunderstanding it. On the other hand, getting to know Him better always enhances our worship of this awesome God!
The God we worship is a Trinity, and an authentic worship of Him is largely dependent on our understanding, as best we can, of this concept. While on earth in the flesh, Jesus had strong criticism of those who had misunderstood what true worship was all about. He told the woman at the well, “‘You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews’” (John 4:22). He went on to tell her, “‘Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks’” (4:23). At another time, He also criticized the Jews, “‘Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men”’” (Matthew 15:7-9).
Here are three steps to understanding (as much as we can) the concept of the Trinity.
Statement: Three in One
The first step is to define the word Trinity: it simply means, three in one. The question is, three what and one what? Down through the centuries, the concept has been muddied by pagan and contradictory theological concepts. For example, some illustrated it as one God who, depending on the circumstances and settings, operated or acted in different ways and times, in a way similar to a man who is a husband, a father, and a son, sometimes functioning as one and other times as another, but all the time being just one man. Others illustrated the concept as one God existing in three forms, as water can exist as vapor, liquid, or solid—but the same water cannot exist in more than one form at a time. Others thought of three Gods all consisting of identical divine substance. Even some historic creeds of the church spoke of the Father eternally generating the Son (an illogical and self-contradictory concept—don’t worry if that whole concept seems impossible to you).
In spite of all these false understandings, the basic concept is Biblical. There is only one God, but in some sense, He is three—but not three Gods. We will now examine the Biblical data supporting the concept of Trinity.
Evidence: the Biblical Data
Both Old and New Testaments give evidence that the one God exists as a plurality. In the Old Testament, the basic word for God (Elohim) and sometimes the pronouns that accompany it are grammatically plural. That’s why most versions translate Exodus 32:4, “‘These are your gods [Elohim], O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt,’” in spite of the fact that there was only one golden calf and that the festival the next day was to be “‘to the Lord’” (32:5), that word with small caps being a common way of translating the proper name of God (YHWH or YHVH). The pronoun “these” is plural (for grammatical reasons), but in Nehemiah 9:18, the pronoun is singular in the original Hebrew citation as well as in English translations, “This is your god [or, God].”
Let’s examine some (certainly not all) of the Biblical evidence for a plurality within the one God. Genesis 1:26 hints at it: “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image . . . .’” Then verse 27 says, “So God created man in his own image . . . .” Jewish rabbis recognize this problem, but they view the plurals as plurals of majesty or some other figure of speech. (When the proverbial queen of England says, “We are not amused,” it is universally accepted as the “royal we,” referring only to herself.) For this reason, we must look further in our search for an understanding of God as both singular and plural.
First, the Biblical data from Genesis to Revelation is clear: there is only one God. All other claims to godhood are pretenses, fakes. The pagan gods were (are) only figments of the imagination. This includes how the Mormons think of the God(s) of the Bible. The apostle Paul wrote, “We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one” (1 Corinthians 8:4). Jesus, quoting the shema of Deuteronomy 6:4, clearly taught that there is only one God: “‘“Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one”’” (Mark 12:29).
However, even in the Old Testament, there are some clues that God is not always considered a singularity, even hinting at the concept of a Trinity: (1) Of course, there are multiple references to God as Father. (2) There are also references to God’s Spirit, as though the Spirit was somehow distinct from the Father. See Isaiah 42:1, speaking of the Messiah, “‘Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations.’” See also 44:3; 59:21; Ezekiel 36:27; 37:14; 39:29; Joel 2:28-29 (cited by Peter in Acts 2:17-18); Haggai 2:5; Zechariah 4:6; 6:8.
(3) Then there are references to “the Angel of the Lord” as Someone who was more than an angel. Christian scholars often associate this Angel with the Word, that is, the second Person of the Trinity, the pre-incarnate Jesus. In Exodus 3:2, this Angel appears to Moses in the burning bush, but then the language changes when He speaks: “When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush” (3:4). For the rest of the chapter, He is referred to as God. See also Exodus 14:19-24 and Judges 6:11-23. Joshua 5:14-15 introduces us to “the commander of the Lord’s army,” but when He speaks in the next few verses (6:2-5), it is the Lord who speaks. The prophet Zechariah’s puzzling references in 2:8-11 refer to the Lord who is speaking but then refers to Himself as being sent by the Lord. Since it is the proper name of God, the Lord, used throughout these verses, one can only infer that one Person is being sent by another Person, but both being the Lord!
Now let’s look at some New Testament references that clearly indicate that the One God exists as Three Persons. The Father, of course, is God: “For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many ‘gods’ and many ‘lords’), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live” (1 Corinthians 8:5-6).
Jesus, the Son of God, is also God. John’s Gospel affirms this claim most clearly. John writes, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (1:1). He then identifies the Word, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (1:14); and then, “grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known” (1:17-18). See also 5:17-18; Colossians 1:15-17; 2:9; Hebrews 1:1-3. Also compare these parallel expressions:
• “God our Savior” (Titus 1:3), “Christ Jesus our Savior” (1:4)
• “God our Savior” (Titus 2:10), “our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (2:13)
• “God our Savior” (Titus 3:4), “Jesus Christ our Savior” (3:6)
• “our God and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:1), “our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (1:11, also 2:20; 3:18)
Jesus referred to Himself as the Son of God, an expression understood by His Jewish detractors (as well as by the Gospel writer) that He was “equal with God” (John 5:18). He claimed to be One with the Father (10:30). See also Colossians 1:16-17; 2:9. Hebrews 1:3 calls Him, “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.” Unlike angels, Jesus was due and accepted worship, worship that was proper only for God.
Finally, the Holy Spirit is God. (Of course, the Father and the Son are also holy and spirit, but God has chosen to refer to this Person as the Holy Spirit.) In Acts 5:3-4, the apostle Peter accuses Ananias of lying to the Holy Spirit, and then repeats the charge as lying to God.
All three share a common Name: “baptizing them into the Name [not, names] of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). They are listed together in one of Paul’s benedictions: “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14).
The Biblical data demonstrate that each Person in the Trinity is God, distinct from the others. (We acknowledge that the words Trinity and Person are not Scriptural words, but rather a way for us to describe our understanding of what the Bible does say.) This conclusion is seen clearly at Jesus’ baptism: “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased’” (Matthew 3:16-17); and also, regarding Father and Son, in Gethsemane: “Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will’” (26:39). Certainly He was not praying to Himself!
Explanation: Tri-personal, one God
Like Moses approaching the burning but unconsumed bush (Exodus 3:1-5), we must consider this holy subject with great humility and caution. As human beings, none of us can fully understand any of the attributes of God, especially this one. We can, however, take the Scriptural data and be certain of some details. First, there is only one God, one real, true, and living God (see, for example, the citation above from Mark 12:29 and Deuteronomy 6:4). Secondly, God’s revelation of Himself tells us that He exists as three distinct but not separate Persons; that is, His self-descriptions are not just three titles for the same Person (such as a single individual can be preacher, father, and husband). Beyond that, we can only imagine how this can be. As we do so, we must rule out any theory that suggests more than one God. We must also rule out any theory that Father, Son (Word), and Spirit are just three names for the same Person.
One theologian compared the Trinity to a single baseball with three faces, each of which emphasizes itself at a given time. Another illustration that might help is to see Him as three personalities simultaneously conscious in one brain. One brain, three minds, all simultaneously conscious and active. No example, however, is fully satisfactory in understanding this very Biblical concept since God is different (transcendent) from anything we can know or even imagine. The bottom line, however, is that Scripture reveals to us the living God who exists in three distinct but not separate Persons.
Conclusion
Consider this: the very concept, as taught in Scripture, leads to belief in God, for who could make up such a God? Furthermore, on top of the many other attributes and characteristics of God, this one more amazing thing about God leads us to stand in awe and to worship Him.
New Hope Christian Church, 3/9/25
“‘Shout louder!’ he said. ‘Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened’” (1 Kings 18:27). With these words the prophet Elijah taunted the prophets of Baal as he challenged them to prove that their god was real. The proof would be that Baal would answer their prayers to send fire from heaven and consume the sacrifice upon their altar. After six hours with no response from the sky, Elijah proceeded to show that his God could meet the challenge, even after Elijah ordered the sacrifice to be drenched with twelve jars of water.
God created man in His image; and ever since Eden, human beings have been trying to re-create God, sometimes in their own image, sometimes in the image of someone or something else. If there is one statement that is obviously true about the Creator, it is this: the one true God is an awesome God. We have previously seen (Parts 1 and 2) that God is real, that He created the universe, and that He is Spirit, transcendent, and a Trinity. Here we will examine four more attributes of God (that is, those things that make Him God).
God Is Omnipotent (All-powerful)
Psalm 135:5-7 says this about the God of the Bible: “I know that the Lord is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods. The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths. He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.” His control of the weather is an example of the fact that He “does whatever pleases him,” thus confirming the initial claim, He is greater than all others who are claimed to be gods. In fact, one of the names of God is, in the original Hebrew, El Shaddai (Genesis 17:1), or God Almighty.
God’s omnipotence is contrasted with the powerlessness of false gods: “The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them” (Psalm 135:15-18). With the possible exception of the Muslims’ Allah (who is patterned after the depiction of God in the Bible), no other so-called god has even been imagined by their adherents to have this much power. As the prophet Habakkuk wrote, “For he who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. . . . But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him” (2:18,20).
The “all-powerful” God does have limitations. The Bible does not say that He can do anything, only “whatever pleases him.” God cannot do things that are logically self-contradictory. He cannot make a rock so big He cannot move it. He cannot make two plus two equal five. He cannot make something exist and not exist at the same time. In addition, God cannot do things that are contrary to His nature. He cannot lie. He cannot be unjust. He cannot be unloving. He cannot cease to exist. He cannot cease to be holy.
In fact, these are not actually limitations but rather an assurance that He will always be who He is! For that reason, we can count on the certainty that God is able to do whatever He has promised.
God Is Eternal
Secondly, God is eternal, in the past, the present, and the future. One of His names in Hebrew is El Olam, God Everlasting or God of Eternity (Genesis 21:33). The word eternal has other connotations, but here we understand it to mean regarding time. He always was, He is, and He always will be: “who is, and who was, and who is to come” (Revelation 1:4). Romans 1:20 speaks of His eternal power. In 1 Timothy 1:17, Paul calls Him the King eternal or King of the ages. In Moses’ encounter with the bush that burned but did not burn up, God names Himself: “‘I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you’” (Exodus 3:13-14).
When we think too much about this attribute of God, we often find it hard to believe because it is unimaginable. We can think of eternity to come, but what about eternity past? God has always been? The question comes to mind, where did God come from? The child asks, who made God? And the only answer we have is, no one, for God has always been. Our imagination fails us here. Everything we know about had an origin. Yes, but to believe God had no beginning is no harder than to accept the alternatives. The universe is here. We are here. Where did we come from? Modern man has posited that we are here as a result of the Big Bang and evolution. However, neither of those hypotheses—not quite accurate, scientifically, to call them theories—offers an explanation as to where the matter came from in the first place. Just to say that matter or energy has always been here, in one form or another, is no easier to imagine than to say that God has always been here. The other guess, that matter just all of a sudden popped into existence, is also unsatisfactory.
So, we are presented two explanations regarding our existence: (1) “God created the heavens and the earth,” including human beings (Genesis 1) or (2) we exist as a result of purely natural causes. Either explanation requires a belief in some One or some thing being eternally in existence. Which explanation shall we accept? Since God has revealed Himself to us, particularly in His coming to earth in the Person of His Son Jesus, and He has told us that He has always been, then it makes more sense to take His word for it rather than making up our own philosophical theories!
What does God’s eternal nature mean for us? We can count on Him to be around forever. Furthermore, He is the answer to two of our most basic questions: (1) Where did we come from? (2) Where are we going?
God Is Omnipresent
A third attribute of God is that He is omnipresent, that is, He is everywhere. There is no place where He is not present. Through the prophet, He asked, “‘Am I only a God nearby, . . . and not a God far away? Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him? . . . Do not I fill heaven and earth?’ declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 23:23-24). It was for this reason that Solomon, after building the Temple as a dwelling place for God’s glory, queried, “‘But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!’” (1 Kings 8:27). As he had said to King Hiram of Tyre, “‘The temple I am going to build will be great, because our God is greater than all other gods. But who is able to build a temple for him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain him? Who then am I to build a temple for him, except as a place to burn sacrifices before him?’” (2 Chronicles 2:5-6). It’s a great shame that Solomon later forgot this attribute of Israel’s God (see 1 Kings 11).
King David said about God’s presence, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,’ even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you” (Psalm 139:7-12).
Because God is everywhere, sinners can never hide from Him—see Revelation 6:15-17—and His people are never out of His watchful presence. We sing, “I don’t know about tomorrow/It may bring me poverty; But the one who feeds the sparrow / Is the one who stands by me. And the path that be my portion / May be through the flame or flood, But His presence goes before me, / And I’m covered with His blood” (Ira Stanphill). “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me” (public domain).
God Is Omniscient
Finally, God is omniscient, that is, He knows all things. In Genesis 16:13, Abraham’s concubine Hagar (mother of Ishmael) called Him El Roi (God who sees [me]). The well nearby then became known as Beer-Lahai-Roi (Well of the Living One who sees [me]).
David said, “O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord” (Psalm 139:1-4). Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the Temple affirmed that God alone knows the hearts of men (2 Chronicles 6:30). Psalm 147:4-5 declares, “He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.” It does not matter that we are now aware of a great many more stars: God still knows their names, for He assigned names to them.
God even knows the future. “‘Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please’” (Isaiah 46:9-10). He frequently used this attribute as a way to distinguish Him from man’s false gods, served by false prophets. After predicting the future Messianic Prophet, whom Israel was to obey in all things (Deuteronomy 18:18-19), Moses set out a test, “‘You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?” If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him’” (18:21-22).
Because God is omniscient, we can be certain of the truthfulness of those things which He has revealed to us. That also means, He knows the best way to answer our prayers.
Conclusion
What do we need in a God? We need one who is always around, who knows our needs, and who is able to do whatever He wants. Such a God is the God of the Bible. Don't trade Him in for anything.
New Hope Christian Church, 3/16/25
When it comes to the Bible, we live in a new age: many people claim to believe in God and to follow Jesus but do not accept the Bible as the word of God. Furthermore, many claim to accept the Bible as the word of God but do not bother to read it! While many people have lost (or never had) trust in the Bible as the word of God, the philosophies of our modern culture call for us to believe the Bible for better reasons than “it’s just what we have been taught.”
Psalm 19:7-13 describes the Law—there meaning at least the books of Moses and later extended to all of the Old Testament—as perfect, trustworthy, right, radiant, pure, sure, and righteous. As a result, the Law revives the soul, makes wise the simple, gives joy to the heart and light to the eyes, and endures forever. For that reason, the psalmist declares, God’s word is more precious than gold and sweeter than honey, warning His servants and bringing them great reward! If that can be said of the Old Testament, then certainly the same can be said for the New.
The Bible is truly the word of God and therefore trustworthy in all it teaches. Here are three reasons to believe this claim.
The Bible Is Unique
First, the Bible is one of a kind, unlike any other book, religious or otherwise. It’s not the leather binding, the number of words, or the golden edges of some editions that make the Bible unique but rather the contents of this Book. Written by 40-50 authors, spanning some fifteen centuries and three continents, the Bible contains multiple genres, all of which form a single story, ranging from the beginning to the fulfillment of creation. These genres include historical narratives, poetry, parables, allegories, genealogies, clerical lists of duties and personnel, predictive prophecies, prophetic preaching, love stories, wisdom literature, philosophical inquiries, laments and eulogies, praises, complaints, ballads, instructions to churches and church leaders, and references to beings from another dimension as well as apocalyptic (futuristic and end-times predictions in highly symbolic language) scenarios. And yet they all fit together as a single story (see next point).
The Bible is unique in the way that, in spite of many mysteries, recordings of miraculous, supernatural events, and reports of God speaking, when you read through it, you get the impression that these things were not fabricated. The text has the Ring of Truth even though this conclusion requires you to ignore the problems you may have with parts of it—such as the sun and moon standing still in order to give Joshua’s army time to win the victory or Jonah surviving after being swallowed by a large fish. Especially the Gospels and the book of Acts are written in such a way that you think, this just cannot be fiction. One thing that aids that feeling is the fact that there are indeed some things that you have a problem with, as well as small items mentioned without an explanation—if they were not the truth, why would someone make them up?
The Bible is also unique in that, in spite of its being a religious book, it speaks to our human condition, both in heart and mind. For example, in the Psalms we read of people who lived through the same kinds of ups and downs that we experience in our own lives. Praising God exists alongside (sometimes in the same writing) with doubts about God’s care.
Its Internal Unity
Another reason to believe the Bible is the consistency between the parts. In other words, it is not just a collection of writings and documents; rather it combines them all into one single story, from beginning to end. It is the story of God’s creation of the world and how He deals with the men and women He has created to live on this earth in order to bring them into an eternal relationship with Him. In other words, the differing parts all fit together into a single whole. The Bible is the story of God sharing His love with His creatures.
This claim of internal unity is often challenged by skeptics who see alleged contradictions in the text. However, all of these alleged inconsistencies can be reasonably explained, although, admittedly, not always simply.
Jesus’ Testimony
Finally, and most convincingly, we believe that the Bible is truly the word of God and therefore trustworthy in all it teaches because of Jesus’ testimony regardng what He thought of Scripture (the writings that compose the Bible). (For a more detailed treatment of this point, see Ermal Allen, Christianity 101, bookstore.thecra.org/collections/all-books.)
First, though, we must answer the question, why should we believe Jesus? Our faith in His teaching is grounded in the evidence for His resurrection. This faith arises from a three-step process summarized in Romans 10:17, faith “comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” The first step asks the question, are the historical parts of the New Testament documents, especially the Gospels, the book of Acts, and allusions in the Letters, to be taken as historically accurate?
That question is answered by the answers to the following: (1) Are these documents the testimony of credible eyewitnesses who had the opportunity to observe the facts related? Or if not, are these documents the testimony of someone who acquired his information from credible eyewitnesses who had the opportunity to observe the facts related? (2) Did these alleged witnesses have opportunity to observe the facts? (3) Are these witnesses credible? The historical process gives us the following conclusion: Of all the historical documents prior to the invention of the movable-type printing press (ca. AD 1455, which made possible many exact copies), the New Testament documents are not only reliable but are the most historically reliable. If we cannot accept these documents as providing accurate historical knowledge, then we should also refuse to accept any fact of ancient history that is supported only by written testimony. No serious historian would be willing to do that.
The next step is to examine the New Testament’s claims that Jesus arose from the dead: the two primary claims for this fact are the empty tomb and the resurrection appearances to His disciples. After the evidence is closely examined, it is best explained only if Jesus of Nazareth really did arise from the dead! If we approach with an open mind, the evidence is so solid that we have to lay a very high probability on a yes answer. That is why the resurrection of Christ is the rock-bottom foundation for our faith.
The third step asks, what does the resurrection prove? The factors involved in answering this question cause us to come to the conclusion that Jesus is Lord! Not just someone to be praised, but the One to whom we belong and whom we obey. In other words, the testimony that Jesus arose from the dead establishes His deity. Then we ask, what did Jesus, the Son of God, say about the Bible?
Of course, the whole Bible had not yet been written when Jesus was here; and so we have to separate what He said about the Old Testament from that about the New. What did He say about the Old Testament, that is, the Bible of His day? Because of time and space, here we will examine only a very small portion of what He had to say. In Mark 12:36, Jesus quoted from Psalm 110:1 and ascribed it to King David, “speaking by the Holy Spirit.” In John 10:35 He referred to Scripture (specifically, Psalm 82:6) as “the word of God,” which “cannot be broken.” Many other times, He quoted from Scripture with only the words, “It is written,” implying that it spoke with the authority of God. At other times, He insisted that “Scripture must be fulfilled”—again implying that it found its origin in the word of God.
The New Testament was different since none of it had been put on paper prior to Jesus’ return to Heaven. However, He did speak about it as coming from God. For example, just prior to His crucifixion, Jesus promised His apostles, “‘But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you’” (John 14:26). In other words, they would be inspired to teach the word of God just as the Old Testament prophets had been. Again, in 16:13, He promised them, “‘But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.’” After the Holy Spirit came upon them on the following Day of Pentecost (Acts 2), they were empowered to speak on behalf of Christ; and so their preaching and writing were, in effect, the word of God.
We believe the Bible because the Son of God taught that it was (is) God’s word.
Conclusion
Therefore, we can accept the accuracy of scriptures such as 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work,” and 2 Peter 1:21, “For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
Do you believe the Bible is God’s word? Is your belief confirmed by your reading and study of it? After describing the word of God (see above regarding Psalm 19:7-13), David concluded, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer” (19:14).
New Hope Christian Church, 3/23/25
What part or parts of the Bible do you consider necessary for a Christian to read and study? For some, just the “red letters,” for some just the Gospels, for others, just the New Testament (and maybe Psalms and Proverbs). (For some, none of it!) Many Christians, after constant urging from the pulpit, realize they need to read the whole Bible and decide to read it all the way through. Not many who make this journey actually succeed. They start with Genesis 1 but then get bogged down in the second half of Exodus. Leviticus and much of Numbers are also difficult for the beginner. Then, giving up the journey, these readers miss out on a wonderful journey with God. Success on such a journey requires an understanding that all parts of the Bible are important for spiritual well-being; certainly some parts more than others, requiring a discerning attitude toward it.
While the New Testament is geared primarily for the AD world, knowledge of the Old Testament is also necessary for our spiritual maturity. (Technically, the Old Covenant is just the Ten Commandments, but all of what we call “Old Testament” relates to that covenant between God and Israel; and all of it is, of course, the word of God. So when we refer to these Scriptures, we are speaking of the Old Covenant Scriptures.) The Old Testament consists of three sections that demonstrate this necessity.
History
The historical books include the Law (first five books) as well as what we traditionally refer to as history (Joshua through Esther) since historical events are recorded in all. Why is it important to study this ancient history? We know people through their actions as well as through their words; likewise we learn about God through His interaction with people (Israel and other nations as well) down through the ages. What do we learn about God in this history? First and most of all we learn that He is holy, that is, He is different from all other so-called gods as well as all of creation. This holiness is demonstrated in His many majestic attributes, some of which we have seen in recent sermons: (1) God is real, (2) the Creator of all that exists, (3) Spirit rather than physical, (4) transcendent (above and beyond all else), (5) a Trinity—three Persons but only one God, (6) omnipotent (all-powerful), (7) eternal (no beginning or end), (8) omnipresent (everywhere), and (9) omniscient (all-knowing).
The history also demonstrates that God is just. He always does what is right and fair. His justice is seen in His protection of (at times) and punishment of (at others) Israel. His justice also extends to all nations of the world, holding everyone accountable for the way they treat His law (both revealed in Scripture and inferred from nature). God’s justice is horrifically seen in the Flood that destroyed the world and in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Specifically, in relation to Israel, God’s justice works together with His love, for Israel frequently wandered away from Him, to their detriment: “‘You say, “We want to be like the nations, like the peoples of the world, who serve wood and stone.” But what you have in mind will never happen’” (Ezekiel 20:32) because their penchant for idolatry would only work against their best interests, the fulfillment of the covenant with Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3).
Many think of the Old Testament God as primarily a God of wrath, but this is a gross misunderstanding. His love is demonstrated in many, many ways. In fact, His wrath, although a reality, is considered to be an exception to His dealing with human beings: “The Lord will rise up . . . , he will rouse himself . . . to do his work, his strange work, and perform his task, his alien task” (Isaiah 28:21). Consider Hosea 11:8-9, “‘How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I treat you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboiim? My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused. I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I turn and devastate Ephraim. For I am God, and not man—the Holy One among you. I will not come in wrath.’” (Admah and Zeboiim were two cities destroyed along with Sodom and Gomorrah. “Ephraim” refers to the northern tribes of Israel.) His love is exhibited in His compassion, mercy, and deliverance from many troubles.
Many events in Old Testament history, both providential and miraculous, demonstrate that God is awesome and thus worthy of our worship and obedience. “I am the Lord who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45). Without obedience, worship is a farce.
Wisdom
The wisdom literature (Job through Song of Solomon) is of a different genre than history. Even when historical events are mentioned, they are presented in poetic form, often symbolically. These books deal with life lessons. Job explores the question, why do bad things happen to good people? Psalms are songs for personal and national use. Proverbs describes and encourages making wise decisions. Its statement of purpose could actually apply to all five Wisdom books:
for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight, for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair; for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young—let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance—for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”
Specifically, Ecclesiastes asks, what is the meaning of life, and the Song of Solomon (one of the two Bible books that never mention God) deals with romantic love.
The apostle Paul’s reference in 2 Timothy 3:15-17 regarding the whole Old Testament could apply to the New as well, but it especially applies to the Wisdom literature: “from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” The same could be said for his statement in Romans 15:4, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
The Books of Wisdom are not to be read as law but rather to see life through the eyes of the writers.
Prophets
The Major Prophets (generally longer) and the Minor Prophets have much to say about Israel and the nations around them. However, we must read these prophecies in their context. Their primary goal is to prepare Israel for the coming Messiah and the Messianic age (which in the New Testament is explained to be the church age). In other words, there is one overarching theme: MESSIAH IS COMING.
The last of these prophets wrote:
“See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty. But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years. (Malachi 3:1-4)
Then (4:1-2), “‘Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘Not a root or a branch will be left to them. But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.’”
The apostle Peter explained:
Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things. (1 Peter 1:10-12)
Neither those who prophesied the coming age nor the angels really understood what was meant—many of the prophecies used Old Testament imagery and scenarios which must be understood in New Testament terms.
The apostle Paul explained in Galatians 3:21-29 that the time of “the Law” was used by God to prepare the way for Christ (the Messiah). He was not willing to let them go their own way, both for their own good and the good of the whole world, for God’s plan of salvation.
Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.
As a result: “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Peter referred to this work of the prophets in an early Christian message:
But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from among his people.’ Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have foretold these days. And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’ When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.” (Acts 3:18-26)
Israel was being prepared (disciplined, taught) for themselves as well as providing hope for the Gentiles.
Conclusion
All parts of the Old Testament are equally true but, admittedly, not equally important; nevertheless each section is important for a healthy spiritual life. The more we delve into all three, the more prepared our hearts are for a true worship of God. “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?’ ‘Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?’ For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen” (Romans 11:33-36).
Do you want to know God better? Don’t omit the Old Testament!
New Hope Christian Church, 3/30/25
After the death of King Saul and the defeat of his son’s army, David (1003 BC) began mustering his army from all twelve tribes of Israel. The note regarding the tribe of Issachar, instead of citing the total number of their troops, said they “understood the times and knew what Israel should do” (1 Chronicles 12:32). Jesus also talked about understanding the times. Some of the disciples of John the Baptizer asked, “‘How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?’ Jesus answered, ‘How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast. No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved’” (Matthew 9:14-17). He was saying that a new age requires new actions. Luke’s account, 5:39, records Jesus’ comment, “‘And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, “The old is better”’”; that is, people often prefer the old ways even though new times call for new ways. Traditions have always been hard to change even after they have outlived their usefulness. Nevertheless, Jesus calls for His disciples (followers) to realize that the Old Testament times were important in God’s plan but New Testament times demand new insights and actions by those who want to follow God’s will: “‘Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old’” (Matthew 13:52).
Last week we looked at the importance of the Old Testament Scriptures, but it’s important not to neglect either the Old or the New; for the Old is prologue to the New. The New Testament completes the story of the Old: the New finishes the one story begun in the Old.
Now that we are living in the age of the New Covenant (predicted in the Scriptures of the Old), we also must pay attention to all of the New Covenant Scriptures (what we call, the New Testament) in order to prepare ourselves for eternal life with God. It is not enough just to read, study, apply, and obey the “red letters” or the Gospels. Indeed, there are four segments of this part of the story.
Gospels: Messiah Has Come
The first segment is the four books called Gospels, which tell the Good News that the Messiah has come, and His name is Jesus. “Messiah” is Hebrew, Old Testament, for the Greek, New Testament, “Christ.” Both titles mean “the Anointed One,” that is, the God-appointed Savior of the world. (See John 4:25, and compare 4:29 with 4:42.) The Gospels not only tell us about the life and teachings of Jesus—their main function is to set forth reasons for believing His claim.
These reasons include fulfilled prophecy. See, for example, Matthew 26:54,56. “‘But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way? . . . But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.’” The Gospels quote many instances of Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah that were fulfilled in the life and actions of Jesus. These examples are so numerous that the odds in favor of Jesus being their fulfillment are astronomical. Studying His fulfillment of prophecy is a major reason for us to continue diving deeply into the Old Testament Scriptures.
In addition to prophetic fulfillment in favor of the premise that the Messiah has come, and that His name is Jesus, are the supernatural miracles—not just marvelous happenings that we call miracles in our world—performed by Jesus as well as those performed by His apostles in His name. To people, many of whom had been present to witness these miracles, the apostle Peter asserted, “‘Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know’” (Acts 2:22). Some thirty-five years later, the book of Hebrews (2:3-4) reported, “This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.” Jesus Himself challenged His hearers, at least, to “believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves” (John 14:11; see also 10:35,38).
To those who heard Jesus, and indeed as we read His recorded words, His teaching came across not only as true but also authoritative. “ When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law” (Matthew 7:28-29). Temple guards, who had been sent to arrest Jesus, returned empty-handed, responding to those who had sent them, “‘No one ever spoke the way this man does’” (John 7:45-46).
Finally, the Gospels present eyewitness testimony to the teaching and deeds of Jesus. This testimony was summarized by Peter (Acts 10:36-41): “
You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached—how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.”
Luke introduced his Gospel with these words: “Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning . . . so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught” (1:1-4). The closing chapters of John’s Gospel included these assertions: “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ” (20:30-31); and, “This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written” (21:24-25).
Acts of Apostles: Spreading the Word
Written by Luke, Acts is a book that records the work of the first church in spreading the word about the Messiah. It is, therefore, the first church history as it describes the spread of the Gospel to Jews (chapters 1-7), then the Samaritans (chapter 8), and finally into the Gentile world, following the outline in the commission that Jesus gave to the apostles (see Acts 1:8). After the first chapter, only four apostles are mentioned by name (Peter, John, James, and Paul). It’s purpose is not to describe the preaching of the apostles (although it does that for Peter and Paul) but rather to demonstrate how rapidly the message of the Kingdom of God spread throughout the Roman Empire. (Acts leaves us with a cliff-hanger about Paul, having become a prisoner of Rome with no mention of what happened to him.) Students of Acts are intrigued by two glaring omissions (in addition to ignoring most of the apostles): no mention of Paul’s letter-writing nor of Titus, an evangelist-protégé of Paul, appearing significantly in the next section of the New Testament, the Letters.
Letters: Living for Jesus
Twenty-one of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament are letters, most of them (13 or 14) by Paul. Some were written to local congregations, some to churches in a certain region of the Empire, and some to individual members of churches. Their overall purpose was to instruct Christians (followers of Jesus) how to live for Jesus in a world of darkness.
Often, these letters begin with the theological foundation upon which practical Christian living is based; for example, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2 Peter 1:3-4). See also James 1:17-27, which includes these words, “He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created” (1:18); and, “But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does. If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (1:25-27).
Some books begin with a lengthy theological lesson and then conclude with practical Christian applications arising out of the lesson. See Romans, chapters 1-11, followed by 12-16; also Galatians 1-4, then 5-6; Ephesians 1-3, then 4-6; and Colossians 1-2, then 3-4. For example, Ephesians 4:1 sets the stage for the rest of the letter with these words, “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.”
Revelation: Hold Fast
Fittingly, the final section of the New Testament is a single book that looks forward to the future of the church (some/much of which is now in the past), just as Acts was a single book looking back at the past of the church. Students of this book often get tangled up in the symbolic and apocalyptic imagery without realizing that it is a book intended to be understood. It is written as though it were describing the future in Old Testament terms. The message of this book can be summarized in three propositions: (1) The devil is out to get us, and he’s not alone. For example, see chapters 12-13. (2) We must remain loyal to Jesus no matter how bad things get: “This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus” (14:12). (“Saints” in the Bible are not especially good people but rather all of God’s people, set aside to serve Him and seeking to follow His word.) (3) Jesus is coming back to earth, and, when He does, He will destroy His enemies and reward His faithful followers. See especially chapters 20-22.
Conclusion
Do you like working on jigsaw or crossword puzzles? If so, are you satisfied with a partial completion? Or, when you get a letter from a loved one, do you read just part of it? We need to read the whole Bible, while emphasizing the parts that are especially applicable to us. Admittedly, some parts of the Bible are easier reads than other; but we must not neglect any of it, or we will miss out on getting the whole picture and benefitting the most from our time in God’s word.
New Hope Christian Church, 4/6/25
In Acts 8 we read of a divinely arranged encounter between the evangelist Philip and an Ethiopian official. Following instructions from an angel (8:26) and then the Holy Spirit (8:29), “Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ Philip asked. ‘How can I,’ he said, ‘unless someone explains it to me?’” (8:30-31). People don’t read the Bible for many reasons; one often heard is, “I can’t understand it.” However, if we are to (1) be saved and (2) grow spiritually, Bible reading is essential. 2 Peter 1:3-4 informs us, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” Two phrases here imply Bible reading: (1) “through our knowledge of him” and (2) “his very great and precious promises.”
Furthermore, here is the good news: Yes, you can understand the Bible. The apostle Paul wrote about his own letters: “For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus” (2 Corinthians 1:13-14). The apostle Peter would later write, Paul’s “letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures.” That is why it often takes some effort and help in order to understand some parts of the Bible.
Three keys are necessary for understanding the Bible.
Recognize Hindrances
The first key is to recognize the hindrances to our understanding of God’s word. One such hindrance is in our choice of which English version to read, especially versions that are not in modern English, such as the KJV, which was translated in 1611. Like all other translations, it has its weaknesses, especially in regard to ease of understanding. The English language has changed drastically in the last four centuries, and it takes a great deal of work (as well as a good dictionary) to understand much of it. If you are quite familiar with the language, then it is okay to use it; but it is helpful to have another version on hand with which you can compare it. (Do not be misled by the view that the KJV is the only real “Holy Bible.”)
A second hindrance to our understanding is using versions that make it too easy to understand what the text means. Paraphrases, especially, can lead you astray, for they are not really translations as much as the editors’ views of what the text means. Instead, choose one or more of the several good versions available today that are quite good at translating the ancient Hebrew and Greek texts into current English.
Another hindrance is thinking that the version that makes the most sense to you or that you like the most means that it is the most accurate translation. It’s acceptable to quote from a different version as long as the passage is an accurate translation of the original—check other versions and compare them. If there is a significant difference in the meaning (rather than just how it is worded), seek help from someone who has studied the original languages. The original text was inspired of God, but no English version is inspired—each one is only as accurate as the translation—therefore, the need for checking different ones if there is a question.
Bringing our previous understandings into our reading and study without questioning their faithfulness to the original is often a hindrance to understanding the text. Sometimes that leads us to forcing our understanding onto a verse or passage without letting it speak for itself.
That brings us to a pair of hindrances that are opposites of each other: (1) thinking that you do not need teachers to help with the difficult passages and (2) following commentaries and teachers blindly, without thinking for yourself. Every teacher, every commentary, has a theological bias. This bias does not necessarily lead to error, but often it does. Remember, no post-first-century teacher or commentary is inspired. We all just try to do the best we can. And there are many—especially those who do not believe in revelation and inspiration—who deny or twist Scriptural teaching. “I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord” (Jude 3-4).
Finally, for a proper understanding of Scripture we need to learn the principles of hermeneutics (a big word, yes, but it just refers to principles of interpretation). More will be said about this under the third key.
Realize That God Wants You to Understand
The second key to understanding the Bible is to realize that God wants you to understand it. Since He is God, He is able to express Himself clearly. Indeed, Jesus is actually called “the Word,” probably because He is the Person of the Deity who is most easily understood by human beings, having become one of us. The Gospel of John includes these verses about the Word:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . In him was life, and that life was the light of men. . . . The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. . . . For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known. (John 1:1,4,14,17-18)
God can express Himself clearly, but can mere mortals understand? Yes, you can. You were created in His image and thus able to understand Him: having “put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator” (Colossians 3:10).
Furthermore, He loves you and wants you to hear and therefore understand His word.
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete. This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:1-5)
Even the sections that are hard to decipher have understandable lessons in them. Because of the nature of apocalyptic (end-times) language, most of the book of Revelation is cryptic; but the message is clear: “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near” (1:1-3). What are we to understand, to “take to heart”? No matter what is happening in this world, no matter how evil and catastrophic: “This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus” (14:12).
One of the most difficult sections of the Old Testament is the last nine chapters, not because the language itself is difficult but because it is difficult to understand when the temple described there would be built—in fact, the closing chapters describe a place that does not exist on the present Earth, and neither do the descriptions seem to fit the New Earth (Revelation 21-22). Nevertheless there is a lesson that can be understood: “Son of man, describe the temple to the people of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their sins” (Ezekiel 43:10).
Still, you will find many passages you do not understand—make a note, mark with a pencil, check out with teachers—and give it time: some things you do not understand now, you will later (and then erase the pencil mark!)
Use Common-Sense Principles
The third key is this: you already use principles of interpretation in daily life without realizing it. You interpret poetry differently than prose, comics differently than news, and political talk differently than common-sense talk! Understanding the Bible just requires using the same principles we already use for everyday language. For example, we use satire, figures of speech, and idioms—none of which is taken literally. (See below for a list of common-sense principles.)
Along with these principles, we must let Scripture interpret Scripture; that is, let the easier to understand passages help us to understand similar passages that may not be so easy. For example, Luke records Jesus saying, “‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple’” (14:26-27). We recoil at that statement, for why would He want us to hate anyone, much less our family? The problem is resolved by looking at another similar statement, “‘Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me’” (Matthew 10:37-38). The context makes it clear that we are not literally to hate our parents, etc., but rather that if circumstances should require us to make a choice between family or Jesus, we must be willing to choose Jesus.
Another good example of comparing Scripture with Scripture to help us understand is found in a comparison between Matthew 26:28 and Acts 2:38. Both have the phrase, “for the forgiveness of (your [Acts]) sins.” The phrases are identical in the original Greek text except for the addition of the word “your” in Acts. In these verses, what does the word “for” mean? Some interpret it in Acts as meaning “because of,” thereby making the sense to be, be baptized because your sins have been forgiven. But the word in Matthew cannot mean “because of” since the blood of the covenant “is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins”—Jesus certainly is not saying that His blood was poured out because their sins had been forgiven—and therefore the blood was to be poured out so that their sins could be forgiven. Applying the same meaning in Acts would indicate that Peter’s hearers were told to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus so that their sins could be forgiven (by the blood)! Scripture, not humanly devised theology, interprets Scripture. (For more on this point, see Acts 22:16; Romans 6:3-4; Colossians 2:12; Galatians 3:26-27; Ephesians 5:26; Titus 3:5.)
Not all Scripture, of course, is easily understood at first look. It often takes time, as implied by Paul in Philippians 3:15-16, “All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.” Hebrews 5:11-14 informs us that we are not always ready for understanding some of Scripture—it takes some maturity: "We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." 1 Corinthians 3:2 affirms the same, “I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.”
However, much of Scripture is easily understandable, especially the historical narratives and also the teaching about God and salvation. Regarding salvation, do not let others tell you that it doesn’t mean what it says. Use your head. Doesn’t it make sense that the parts about how to be saved would be among the easiest passages to understand?
Christ has anticipated our need for help, both in understanding the gospel and in spiritual growth. “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists [preachers], and some to be pastors [church elders] and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13). Paul instructed evangelists, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2); and to “appoint elders in every town” who would be able to “encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it” (Titus 1:5,9).
Conclusion
So, not understanding the Bible is no excuse for not reading it. When are you going to start? Or if already reading it, when are you going to do more, reading and obeyin
HERMENEUTICS – RULES OF INTERPRETATION
1) Humility – Approach the text with humility. Do not force your previous beliefs upon the text. Be willing to go where the text actually takes you. Remember: you may be mistaken. Do not be dogmatic (blind to other ways of looking at it). Also, do not be too independent: check out your thinking with experienced students of the Bible (although they can also be mistaken).
2) Use common sense. Use the same rules of interpretation that are used in reading ordinary human language.
3) Pay attention to grammar and figurative language. Compare different translations.
4) Be very careful in your use of commentaries. Use them to check out background and other introductory matters. Be careful which ones you use. Get some advice. Many are written by people who do not believe that the Bible is the word of God. All are written with a theological bias. Use commentaries to interpret the text only after you have already studied it yourself.
5) Look at the context. What is the book about? What is the main point of this passage? How does this passage fit in the overall plan of the book?
6) Read and study the Scriptures everyday. The more you read and the more often you read, the better you will be at interpretation. Too many people read more books about the Bible than they do the Bible itself.
New Hope Christian Church, 4/20/25
The apostle Paul declared that he preached nothing but “Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). Then why does the book of Acts elevate the resurrection of Jesus to the central theme in all the gospel presentations? We must understand that the cross does not stand apart from or above the empty tomb. This concept seems alien to most of the “Christian world.” Indeed, at “Easter” we hear a lot about the resurrection, but even then many of the sermons deal more with the crucifixion than the empty tomb. Furthermore, in December the birth of Christ receives much greater attention than His resurrection in spite of the fact that, apart from the nativity narratives in Matthew and Luke, the New Testament says almost nothing about the birth of Christ (no year, no month, no day)! No doubt this modern-day lack of emphasis on the resurrection relative to the birth and the crucifixion of Jesus is due to the relative ease of understanding the facts surrounding the latter events. Other than believing that Jesus arose again, the average church-going or nominal Christian knows very little of the theology of the resurrection.
The resurrection of Jesus is not just a doctrine taught in the New Testament; it is the event that empowers our purpose for living. Here are three essential propositions about the resurrection that help us to understand how it gives us hope for the future and strength for the present.
His Resurrection Was Physical (Bodily)
When the New Testament says that Jesus arose from the dead, it does not mean in some metaphorical or spiritual sense, but rather that His body actually came back to life: the tomb was empty. (Many books on this subject, including Christianity 101: an Introduction to New Testament Christianity as Taught in the Bible [Ermal Allen], examine this claim, ruling out the possibility that it was not empty.)
In addition to the empty tomb, Jesus offered proofs (Acts 1:3) to His disciples that He was once again physically in their presence. For example, Luke records their testimony (24:39-40), “He said to them, ‘Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.’ When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet.” John 20:24-28 refers also to His side (which had been pierced by the soldier’s spear, 19:34). The physical wounds were still visible.
The bodily nature of the resurrection also received confirmation when He ate with the disciples as recorded, for example, in Luke 24:41-43. “And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, ‘Do you have anything here to eat?’ They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.” Another example is found in John 21:9-13 when He cooked the food, which they themselves then ate.
Two objections to the physicality of the post-resurrection body of Jesus have occasionally been raised. (Although these do not challenge the fact of the physical body being raised, they do cast doubts on some of the proofs offered in the Biblical text.) One challenge refers to Jesus’ prohibition to Mary, not to “touch” Him (John 20:17, KJV), and infers that His body was in the process of being transformed from flesh into glory. The NKJV, like other more current translation, corrects the translation with, “Do not cling to Me.” The word literally means to “seize” or “hold on to.” In other words, He wasn’t telling her not to touch Him but rather not to delay Him (nor to delay her own testimony to the others).
The second objection regards His sudden appearances (and subsequent disappearances) to the disciples behind locked doors (John 20:19,26) or to the two on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:15-16,31). The charge is made that these actions rule out His body still being physical. However, prior to His death, Jesus overcame the laws of physics by walking on water (Matthew 14:25) and, perhaps, by passing untouched through hostile crowds (Luke 4:29-30; John 8:59). He was in His physical body when, on the mountain with Moses and Elijah, He transformed His appearance (Mark 9:2-3).
The apostle Paul cited the bodily resurrection of Jesus as proof that our bodies will also be raised from the dead when Jesus returns to earth: “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:20-21). He preached this bodily resurrection as the essence of hope, in the Old Testament as well as in the New (see Acts 23:6; 24:15; 26:6-8).
His Resurrection Is the Historical Bedrock Foundation for the Faith
The second essential proposition regarding the resurrection of Jesus is this: the resurrection of Jesus, established by normal standards of certifying historical facts, is the bedrock, unassailable, foundation of the Christian faith. The apostle Paul made such a claim in 1 Corinthians 15, which we have dubbed “the resurrection chapter.” In the first eight verses, he asserted:
Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
Note especially the following expressions: “on which you have taken your stand” (15:1), “hold firmly to the word I preached to you” (15:2), and “of first importance” (15:3). He emphasized four foundational beliefs: (1) “Christ died for our sins,” as prophesied in the Old Testament, (2) He was buried—making it possible to verify that He was really dead, (3) He was raised from the dead on the third day, also as prophesied, and (4) the risen Jesus was seen by multiple witnesses.
Appeal to witnesses became a standard motif in the first century preaching of the church. “He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead” (Acts 10:41). Here the apostle Peter makes it clear that Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances were not just momentary or imagined sightings. Paul answered a charge by Governor Festus that he was insane by challenging Herod Agrippa II, “‘What I am saying is true and reasonable. The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner’” (Acts 26:25-26). See also Luke 24:48; Acts 1:22; 2:32; 3:15; 5:32; 13:31; 22:15; 26:16.
In addition to the empty tomb and subsequent appearances of Jesus, the apostles appealed to the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. In Paul’s appeal to Herod (see above), he topped it off by appealing to the prophets of the Old Testament (Acts 26:27). The Gospel writers, two of whom (Matthew and John) were apostles, and the other two, who were closely identified with apostles, frequently cited and alluded to the predictions of the Old Testament regarding the Messiah (Christ) and the Messianic Age. For example, Jesus “said to them, ‘This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.’ Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, ‘This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem’” (Luke 24:44-47).
Bolstering the resurrection as the solid foundation of the faith was the fulfillment of Christ’s own predictions regarding His death and resurrection. The Gospels record around 9-10 of these predictions (not counting the parallels in more than one Gospel). These predictions do not themselves prove His resurrection, but their fulfillment proves that He knew what He was talking about and that He was more than a common magician. The testimony of witnesses, the empty tomb, the post-resurrection appearances, and the fulfilled Old Testament prophecies all contribute to answering the question: what proves the resurrection? The resurrection then proves that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. Our faith is not just in a series of propositions; rather it is grounded in a Person.
His Resurrection Won the Victory
This solid foundation for our faith in Jesus also confirms our hope in a resurrection of our own bodies and the subsequent entrance into eternal life. Victory over death has been won not just for Him but also for us who put our faith in Him. “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him” (1 Corinthians 15:20-23).
I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (15:50-57)
By His resurrection, Jesus defeated death, which is the ultimate enemy; for it keeps God’s creation from enjoying fellowship with Him. Christ’s resurrection also won the victory—in theology it is called, Christus Victor—over all others, human or spirit. Peter sees in baptism both salvation and victory: Noah and family “were saved [from the corruption of that generation?] through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge [or answer] of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him” (1 Peter 3:20-22). Paul had made a similar connection: God “raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:20-21).
We, Christ’s church, are included in this victory: “And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way” (1:22-23). Therefore, we have victory in Him: “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (6:11-12).
Conclusion
We can rest assured in the veracity of our faith. Furthermore, we can have confidence in our mission to bring life to others. “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
New Hope Christian Church, 4/27/25
“If it’s in the Reader’s Digest, it must be true” has been replaced by “If it’s on the internet, it must be true.” The Bible, though . . . ? Our modern world, for the most part, has ignored the Bible, concluding that it is no more reliable in ascertaining truth than any other book. Human philosophies, teaching, and TV programs cast doubt on the truthfulness of Scripture, and even many Christians fall for the lies.
If we are going to be loyal to Christ, however, we must have confidence in the teaching of the Bible. Our view of and acceptance of the absolute truthfulness of the Bible has consequences for our lives, both now and in eternity. Consider these three factors regarding the inerrancy of the Bible.
Defining Inerrancy
What do we mean by inerrancy? The word, admittedly not a common word, relates to the characteristic of being “without error” (inerrant). It is different from infallible —“incapable of error”—although both are true when talking about the Bible. (Literally, infallible is the stronger of the two words, but it has often been limited to only parts of the Bible.) When we say the Bible is inerrant, we mean that it is without error.
The scriptural basis for our belief that the Bible is without error does not come from our examination of everything it says and then deciding that there are no errors in it. There are two problems with that approach: (1) a lack of evidence regarding many claims in the Bible—for example, the names of people and cities—there are many thousands of examples, and (2) the limitations mentioned in the next point. Rather, we believe the Bible is inerrant because Jesus taught that it was. For example, regarding the teaching of His apostles, He said, “‘But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you’” (John 14:26); and, “‘But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come’” (16:13). Thus we believe the New Testament is without error because Jesus, the Son of God, taught that it was inspired by the Spirit of God.
Regarding the Old Testament, Jesus said that “‘the Scripture cannot be broken’” (John 10:35), basing His argument on the meaning of a single word in Psalm 82:6. Several times, He asserted that “Scripture must be fulfilled” (Mark 14:49; Luke 22:37; 24:44)—”must be,” implying that it could not be false. At least twice the apostle Paul (inspired by the Spirit) equated the words of Scripture with those of God—compare Romans 9:17 with Exodus 9:13,16. Compare also Galatians 3:8 with Genesis 12:3. And if God says it, it must be true, for God does not lie (Numbers 23:19; Titus 1:2).
Therefore, we believe the Bible, Old Testament as well as New, is without error because Jesus taught us that it is inspired by God. See below for more on this point.
Limiting Inerrancy
For many students of the Bible, the hardest thing to accept about inerrancy is its limitations. What do we mean when we assert that “the Bible” is inerrant? What do we mean by “the Bible”? Here we are not referring to every ancient manuscript of the Bible nor to every translation or version of the Bible. The technical term is autographs, that is, the original manuscripts of the Bible: those that Moses and the Old Testament prophets actually wrote, and also what the writers of the New Testament actually wrote. These originals (autographs) were without error because they were inspired by God.
* Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. . . . But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” (Matthew 22:29,31-32)
Notice that Jesus asserts that God was speaking not only to Moses but also to the readers of this passage.
* “David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared: ‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.”’” (Mark 12:36)
* All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness . . . . (2 Timothy 3:16)
The apostle Peter accepted Paul’s writings as Scripture (and therefore inspired and inerrant):
* Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. (2 Peter 3:15-16)
Paul claimed the same for his own teaching (and thus also his writing):
* And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe. (1 Thessalonians 2:13)
The second limitation of inerrancy deals with the copies of the original manuscripts. They are inerrant only to the extent that they reproduce the text of the autographs. The problem is, that due to their constant usage and the passage of time, we do not have any of the original manuscripts. We may not have any of the original documents; but textual critics (scholars who are trained in determining what the originals said), working with tens of thousands of manuscripts, have produced a virtual original text. So the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts that we use are virtually inerrant.
Regarding the Old Testament, the intricate procedures of scribes left very little room for error; and their accuracy has been verified by comparing the Dead Sea Scrolls (copies from 100-200 years prior to Christ) with the Masoretic text (the common Hebrew text, copies made approximately 900 years after Christ—thus 1,000 years apart). There are some differences but very few.
Regarding the New Testament, there are tens of thousands of copies of Greek texts plus ancient translations, enabling textual scholars (“critics”) to determine the original text within 99.9%, and we know where the 0.1% of uncertainties are. No doctrine is at stake in these places that we judge to be incorrectly copied. The errors are sometimes matters of spelling, miscopied numbers, or places where a copyist inserted or omitted words; and then later copyists just followed them. Most modern translations call attention in footnotes to these differences.
The third limitation of inerrancy deals with translations. Contrary to the understanding of many Bible readers, translations of the Bible are only inerrant to the extent that they accurately translate the original text. Translation from one language to another is not so easy as one might think. Just as in English, Hebrew and Greek words often have multiple meanings, and it is the translators’ task to choose the correct wording in any given text. Sentence structure as well as idioms (words that have less than a literal meaning in actual use) make it difficult for the translator.
If you are not proficient in Hebrew and Greek or have access to someone who is, then consult commentaries as well as various translations to alert you to possible differences between your usual version and the original text.
If you are uncomfortable with the thought that only the autographs (and thus the original text) were inerrant, which copy or translation would you set forth as being without error?
Relevance of Inerrancy
Here’s the good news, even though we must take into account the above limits, we can count on the Bible as the word of God. Paul was speaking of the Bible he used (which happened to be a translation into Greek), when he wrote that the Jews had been “entrusted with the very words of God” (Romans 3:2). He was speaking of the same Bible when he wrote to Timothy: “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:14-15).
Furthermore, realizing that the Bible is the word of God, we can count on it as true in everything it claims and relevant for our lives: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (3:16-17). We can then accept the Psalmist’s evaluation (19:7-11) of the Law—applying it also to the whole Bible:
The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
Conclusion
As we approach the Bible on a daily basis, let us pray, “Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:12-14).
Your life (now and eternally) depends on it:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. (Matthew 7:21-29)
New Hope Christian Church, 5/4/25
I hope you wore your steel-toed shoes today. You might need them! And you might not like what I have to say! “‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled’” (Matthew 5:6). Do you hunger and thirst for righteousness as much as you do your daily meals? In the prayer example that Jesus gave His disciples, He told us to pray, “‘Give us today our daily bread’” (6:11). Do you also feed your soul on a daily basis? Reading and studying the Bible regularly is necessary for our spiritual health and our eternal salvation as well.
Every Christian stands responsible for knowing and obeying the word of God, the Bible. This is not my opinion—it’s the challenge of the word itself, as we will see as we study four responsibilities of Christians in relation to that word.
Submit to Its Judgment
Our first responsibility to the word in our search for personal righteousness is to submit to its judgment. As we read, study, and ponder the word we will encounter the Spirit’s desire for us. We need not examine our lives on the basis of our opinions or the opinions of others, for the word of God searches the motives and attitudes of our hearts as well as our actions. In doing so, it convicts us of our shortcomings. “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:12-13). This may be one reason why more people do not regularly read the Bible, for its message convicts them of their sins.
Reading the Bible does for the soul what looking in a mirror does for our physical appearance: “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like” (James 1:21-24). It not only points out our faults but also shows us what to do to correct them.
Many sins are obvious, but the way of righteousness sometimes requires a more mature understanding of God’s will. This maturity comes from experience as we live the word, not just reading it: “We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:11-14). As we grow in Christ, we learn that not every right or wrong is explicitly mentioned in Scripture, and so we must make wise decisions based on scriptural principles.
We must submit to the Bible’s judgment, but if you don’t read it . . .
Stand on It
A second responsibility toward Scripture is that we must stand on it, that is, rely on its truthfulness rather than yielding to our own opinions or the opinions of others. Just because “everybody does it” or “no one else thinks it’s wrong” does not mean that God agrees. We must stand by the word, to “hold firmly to the faith we profess” (Hebrews 4:14). “Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of his servant [the Messiah]? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God” (Isaiah 50:10). “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn” (8:10). “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls” (Jeremiah 6:16).
We must stand on the word of God, but if you don’t read it . . .
Stand by It
In addition to standing on the Bible, Christians have the responsibility of standing by it or standing up for it. Technically, this is called apologetics (from the Greek apologia, meaning a defense). Regarding the resurrection of Christ, Luke wrote, “After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive” (Acts 1:3). Note the word proofs, which were considered strong enough to be convincing. The preachers of the gospel in the first century considered the evidence to be so convincing that only those who were unaware of these proofs or who just stubbornly refused to believe them would not believe them. John wrote about many of the Jewish leaders that they “could not believe” (12:39) because they “would not believe in him”—notice the difference—even “after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence” (12:37).
Standing by the Bible first means that we stand up for its truthfulness when others attempt to deny it. The apostle John connected its truthfulness with its use in persuading others to believe it: “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30-31).
The apostle Peter wrote that we need to speak up in defense of our faith when others question it: “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander” (1 Peter 3:15-16). Note that this defense is not only the reasons why we believe but also the change it makes in one’s life. The Bible’s truths are not just theoretical but also very practical in producing righteous character.
We must stand by the Bible, stand up for it, but if you don’t read it . . .
Share Its Message
We are not just responsible for standing up for the Bible. The reason we submit to its judgment, stand on it, and stand by it is that God wants others to know the salvation that He offers through Jesus as written in His word. The first step in sharing the message requires us to help one another understand it better and to live by it: “I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another” (Romans 15:14).
The next step is to let the light shine (see also Matthew 5:14-16): “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life” (Philippians 2:14-16). The apostle Paul gives these suggestions for an effective sharing of the word: “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:5-6).
Why is it so important to share the Bible’s message with others? Judgment Day is coming, and people need to know how to escape it. But if you don’t read it . . .
The judgment can be averted, for God has a plan, summarized in John 3:16-18. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” This summary, of course, written in the early part of the Gospel of John, does not include all that a person needs to believe or the necessity for repentance and baptism (immersion) in the Name of Jesus Christ. On the Day of Pentecost, Peter set forth those terms (Acts 2:38) and then warned his hearers with many other words, “and he pleaded with them, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation’” (2:40). Then we are told that those “who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day” (2:41).
Of course, our relatives, friends, neighbors, and work associates need the message of the Bible, but so do many others beyond our own influence. Therefore, we need to support those who are trained and willing to take the gospel elsewhere. We call this “missions.” John’s third letter (verses 5-8) writes of some in the first century who were taking the message to other places: “Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth.” And Paul wrote to the church at Philippi:
Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account. I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. (Philippians 4:15-18)
He then assured them, “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (4:19).
Paul also asked the Colossians (4:3-4), “And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.” We, too, should support our missions with our prayers as well as our money.
Conclusion
Luke 10:38-42 tells us of the importance of sitting at the feet of Jesus—for us, that means reading the word: “As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’ ‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’” Is it significant that Luke records this immediately after the Parable of the Good Samaritan, which emphasizes the need to help others in their time of need?
Reading and studying the Bible are not optional for Christians, for it is the word of God. It is not sufficient just to attend church and hear a message from the Bible. Your salvation depends on it. “‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening’” (1 Samuel 3:9).
New Hope Christian Church, 5/18/25
The prophet Elisha one time started telling the king of Israel where the enemy forces were lying in wait, resulting in the Israelite army avoiding certain defeat. The Aramean king thought that there must be a spy among them, but he was told that Elisha had been responsible. Accordingly, the king sent someone to discover Elisha’s whereabouts so that he could capture him. After the report came back, the army was sent to surround the city during the night. “When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. ‘Oh, my lord, what shall we do?’ the servant asked. ‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ And Elisha prayed, ‘O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.’ Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (see 2 Kings 6:8-17).
The Bible book of Revelation is self-described as “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.” Jesus is not the subject of the revelation but rather it is the message He had for the churches of the late first century. What does John mean when he calls Jesus “the Word of God” in Revelation 19:13? Part of that meaning is described in 1 John 5:20: “We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true.” As the Word, Jesus was (and is) the primary revealer of God’s testimony to the world. Here we will consider four revelations from Jesus.
Jesus Revealed the Creator
The Bible tells us that “God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). We can learn something about God simply by observing this creation. “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands” (Psalm 19:1). The apostle Paul, under the influence of the Spirit given him by Jesus, wrote, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him” (Romans 1:18-21).
Although we learn much about God from the Old Testament, our most explicit understanding of the Creator has come through Jesus. “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe” (Hebrews 1:1-2). In fact, we discover that Jesus, “the Word of God,” was actually the Person in the Deity who actually did the creating. “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him” (Colossians 1:15-16).
The apostle John wrote, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. . . . He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him” (1:1,3,10). That does not mean, however, that God the Father had nothing to do with the creation. Indeed, He was the one who actually spoke the command to create, and then the Word did the work. This joint effort is described by Paul in 1 Corinthians 8:6. Note the prepositions he used, writing that “there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.”
Jesus Revealed the Father
Secondly, Jesus revealed the Father in a way that was less limited than it was in the Old Testament. “No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known” (John 1:18). The apostle Philip, after spending about 3½ years living with Him, queried Jesus: “‘Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us’” (14:8). Showing His frustration with the apostle, Jesus responded, “‘Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work’” (14:9-11). (According to the record, Philip had been the first person whom Jesus had called to follow Him, and therefore may have been His first disciple [1:43,45].)
Jesus’ revelation of the Father to Nicodemus left us with these immortal words: “‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him’” (3:16-17). Hours before His crucifixion, Jesus prayed, “‘Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. . . . I have revealed you [literally, your Name] to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. . . . Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you [literally, your Name] known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them’” (17:3,6,25-26). The “Name” of God refers to His character and attributes which are known through the revelation of His Son.
Jesus Revealed the New Covenant
At the Last Supper, Jesus “took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you’” (Luke 22:20). What did He mean by “the new covenant”? Six hundred years earlier (Jeremiah 31:31-34), God had promised a New Covenant between Himself and Israel, one that would replace the first one, the Ten Commandments:
“The time is coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
Isaiah had earlier spoken of this New Covenant, but had identified it, not as a set of commands but rather, as a person, a “suffering servant,” who can only be identified as the promised Messiah (the Hebrew word for “Anointed One”). He was to be the New Covenant: “‘I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness’” (Isaiah 42:6-7). Also (49:8-10):
“In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances, to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’ They will feed beside the roads and find pasture on every barren hill. They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the desert heat or the sun beat upon them. He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water.”
Isaiah 55:1-4 describes blessings included in this New Covenant, in addition to the forgiveness of sins as described in Jeremiah 31:
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander of the peoples.”
This New Covenant is described in the New Testament as having been revealed by Jesus. After His resurrection, He spent 40 days instructing His apostles about God’s kingdom (Acts 1:1-3), which certainly included the details of this New Covenant, which up to that time had only been mentioned at the Last Supper. Further instruction came to and through the Spirit-inspired apostles (John 14:26; 16:13). (For more on the New Covenant itself, see Hebrews 8:6-13; 9:11-15,23-28.)
The New Covenant was not just with Israel but with the Gentiles as well. See above, Isaiah 42:6; also: “‘It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth’” (49:6). This would be a fulfillment of part of the covenant with Abraham: “‘all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3), and expanded in 17:4, “‘As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations.’” See also, “‘Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him’” (18:18). See also Isaiah 2:2; 42:1-4 (quoted by Matthew in 12:17-21); 51:4-5; 52:10,15; 56:7 (“a house of prayer for all nations”); Jeremiah 3:17 (“all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the Lord); 4:2 (“‘the nations will be blessed by him and in him they will glory’”).
Of course, these references to the Gentiles, in relation to the New Covenant, are not so clear as they could be. Paul wrote that one of the blessings that we have in Christ is the revelation of “the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ” (Ephesians 1:9), that is, the Messiah. This mystery was “to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ” (1:10). In 3:2-6, he identifies this mystery while admitting that it “was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets” (3:5). He then clarifies the Gentiles’ position under the New Covenant: “This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus” (3:6). (See also Romans 9:23-24.)
Jesus Revealed the Way of Salvation
In revealing the New Covenant, Jesus revealed the way of salvation. Isaiah 9:1-2 identifies the primary ministry area of the Messiah (see 9:6-7): “in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan—The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” The Gospel of John identifies Jesus as this “great light.” Jesus Himself said, “‘While I am in the world, I am the light of the world’” (9:5). John began His Gospel by identifying Jesus as the Word of God (1:1,14,17), writing, “In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it” (1:4-5). His life itself (sacrificed upon the cross in our stead) revealed the light (truth, path) of salvation: “‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’” (8:12).
At the Last Supper, Jesus promised that He was going away to prepare a place for His followers, asserting, “‘You know the way to the place where I am going’” (14:4). When Thomas objected that they did not know where He was going, much less the way there, Jesus responded, “‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’” (14:6).
Conclusion
In 1 John 5:9-13, we read:
We accept man’s testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
As the Word of God, Jesus reveals to us the way of salvation, and indeed everything we need to know about the future (Revelation 5:2,5,7-10). He is therefore worthy of our commitment to follow Him, wherever He leads. He calls, “Follow Me.” Are you following Him?
New Hope Christian Church, 6/1/25
Anyone familiar with TV police dramas is familiar with two legal terms that are used to hide one’s true identity: a.k.a. (“also known as”) and alias. Understanding the several a.k.a.’s of Jesus in the Gospels requires us to comprehend what was meant by each one. To most of His contemporaries, Jesus was known as Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph and Mary; but the writers of the Gospels call us to look deeper into His designation as “the Son.” Let’s examine five scriptural designations of Jesus as “the Son.”
Son of Abraham
Matthew’s Gospel (1:1) begins with two of these a.k.a.’s of Jesus as the Son. These two appellations introduce the reader to Matthew’s purpose for his testimony about Jesus. Both of these have significance for mankind in general but especially for his fellow Jews. He begins with Jesus’ genealogy (1:1-16), which includes Abraham (1:2) and concludes with Joseph (1:16), whom we may refer to as Jesus’ presumptive, adoptive, and legal father. The genealogy in Luke’s Gospel, in reverse order (last to first), also refers to Abraham (3:34). These references were no mere historical references—although they are historical—but they are calling attention to Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment of the promise to Abraham that his offspring would be blessed, not just for themselves as his biological descendants, but also as a blessing to the world: “‘all peoples on earth will be blessed through you’” (Genesis 12:3). The covenant with Abraham was repeated to his son Isaac (and then to Isaac’s son Jacob): “‘through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me’” (22:18, see also 26:4 and, to Jacob, 28:14).
Although these promises include references to Abraham’s descendants (his “seed”) in general, the apostle Peter (under inspiration of the Holy Spirit) clarified that one particular offspring was the primary and ultimate fulfillment of those promises. That descendant was to be the Messiah (the God-appointed Savior of the world), Jesus of Nazareth: “‘He said to Abraham, “Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.” When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways’” (Acts 3:25-26). The apostle Paul said even more regarding this promise: “The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say ‘and to seeds,’ meaning many people, but ‘and to your seed,’ meaning one person, who is Christ” (Galatians 3:16). Of course, Paul realized that “seed” as well as “offspring” could be either singular or plural; but, speaking under the inspiration of the Spirit, he was revealing what God specifically meant, and that was one Person, namely, the Messiah.
Son of David
Matthew listed first, “the Son of David,” for it was widely recognized in Jesus’ day that the term was Messianic. In other words, “the Son of David” was the “offspring” who would fulfill the promise to Abraham. The discerning reader will notice that Matthew (1:6-16) and Luke (3:23-31) listed different genealogies between David and Jesus. Matthew traced it through David’s son Solomon (1:6), whereas Luke’s account refers to David’s son Nathan (3:31). The most likely explanation for the difference between these two genealogies is that Matthew’s is that of Joseph, whereas Mary is the subject of Luke’s. (It’s interesting to note that King Jeconiah, a.k.a. Jehoiachin, could not have a biological descendant who would reign on David’s throne—see Jeremiah 22:30. That is how we know that Matthew records Joseph’s rather than Mary’s line.) Neither refers to Joseph as the actual father of Jesus.
The reference to the Son of David began with 2 Samuel 7:12-13,16. After David had made an overture through the prophet Nathan (not his son) for building a Temple for God rather than continuing to worship in the Tabernacle (Tent), God sent him the message that David’s son would build a “house” for God. “‘When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. . . . Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’” Building the Temple would be the project of David’s son Solomon, but the One who would sit on that throne forever would be the Messiah.
David himself wrote Psalm 2 in which God declares, “‘I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill.’ I will proclaim the decree of the Lord: He said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have become your Father. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession’” (2:6-8, see also 2:12 and the apostles’ reference to this psalm in Acts 4:24-27).
Isaiah 9:1-7 refers to this Son in the familiar words, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever” (9:6-7).
In Peter’s Pentecost sermon (Acts 2:29-36), he spoke of David and his Son:
“Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, ‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’ Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
Son of God
Yes, Jesus was the fulfillment of the son of Abraham and the son of David, but He was much more. Mark (writing for non-Jewish readers) did not refer at all to the birth of Jesus or His genealogies. Rather, he began with another a.k.a., writing, “The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (1:1). Mark was not the only one to call Him this. The demons, spirits from the spiritual world, knew Jesus’ true identity: “Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, ‘You are the Son of God’” (3:11). And after hearing the jeers of the crowd at the cross, mocking Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God, the centurion, having heard his cry and seen how he died, said, “‘Surely this man was the Son of God!’” (15:39). Martha, in the face of the death of her brother, Lazarus, professed, “‘I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world’” (John 11:27).
The apostles, some sooner and others later, came to the conclusion also, that Jesus was no mere man but rather the Son of God. Nathaniel (a.k.a., Bartholomew) recognized Him as such almost immediately after meeting Him (John 1:49), no doubt as a result of John the Baptizer’s preaching (1:26-34). Others, after seeing Him walk on water and then calming the storm, exclaimed, “‘Truly you are the Son of God’” (Matthew 14:33); capping it off with Peter’s later confession, “‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God’” (16:16).
Paul’s preaching centered around the death and resurrection of Jesus, confirming that He was the long-awaited Messiah, but his preaching identified the Christ as the Son of God (just as Peter and Martha had acknowledged). Compare Acts 9:20 with 9:22. “At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. . . . Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.” Like the other apostles, Paul preached that Jesus’ identity was proved by His resurrection, that He was “declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 1:4).
Son of Adam
Luke’s genealogy (remember it’s in reverse order) ends with “son of Adam, son of God” (3:38). All the names between Nathan (son of David) and Adam are just names, but these last two are significant. Adam was not the (Greek, “a”) son of God in the same sense that Jesus was, but Adam was God’s immediate creation, and therefore Luke considered it appropriate to give him the title.
After Adam and Eve’s sin, God confronted them as well as “the Serpent” (that is, the devil). Recorded in the verse that has been labeled “the protoevangelium” (Latin for the “first gospel”), God warned Satan, “‘And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel’” (Genesis 3:15). Cryptically, this verse refers to the crucifixion of Jesus, referring to the blow that Satan would give to Eve’s son (descendant) by having Him crucified, and at the same time referring to the crushing blow that the cross would bring down upon Satan. As Hebrews 2:14-15 says, “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”
Since Adam was the beginning of the human race, Jesus is compared (and contrasted) with him as the beginning of the spiritual race, and so He is called the Second Adam.
So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven. (1 Corinthians 15:45-49)
Son of Man
“Adam” in Hebrew means “Man.” Jesus’ favorite designation for Himself, Son of Man, could simply be understood as a human being (son of Adam), just as the prophet is called, “Son of Man,” many times in the book of Ezekiel. By cryptically using this title, Jesus kept His true identity hidden to the masses since He did not want to arouse too much opposition until He was ready. However, in reality He was referring to Himself as the One in Daniel: "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed" (7:13-14).
When the Jewish religious authorities recognized that Jesus, calling Himself “the Son of Man,” was referring to this Person in Daniel rather than just a human being, they were incensed and demanded that He be put to death for blasphemy since He was claiming to be God.
The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” “He is worthy of death,” they answered. (Matthew 26:63-66).
Conclusion
“The Jews insisted, ‘We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God’” (John 19:7). Once we understand that “Son of Man” was in reality a Messianic term, then it becomes clear that it included all of the above identities. When we look at these terms through the eyes of Jesus’ contemporaries, including His enemies, then we must realize that “Son of God” was a claim to deity for “he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God” (5:18), and to be equal with God means to be God (since there is only one true God).
John wrote about his purpose in composing his Gospel, “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (20:30-31). Do you believe? If not, why not? If so, has that belief affected every aspect of your life? Are you living for Jesus? He demands it. He is worthy of it.
New Hope Christian Church, 6/8/25
Consider: if some scientist were to develop a cure for all diseases but then died without passing the information along to others, what good would it do? The same could be said for the saving work of Jesus Christ if no one was told about it. For that reason, we need to appreciate the place of Pentecost in God’s plan. The birth of Christ and His subsequent death, burial, and resurrection would have no practical effect on us without Pentecost. The coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (probably on May 28, AD 30) was essential to the success of God’s plan of salvation which He had put into effect in Jesus. In that first public proclamation of the risen Savior, the apostle Peter said, “‘God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear’” (Acts 2:32-33). Here is a brief review of five results of God’s sending the Holy Spirit.
Revelation & Inspiration
First, and foundational to the other four, the work of God’s Holy Spirit included revelation and inspiration. In the Scriptures (the Bible) revelation refers to the unveiling or uncovering of something that cannot be discovered by human effort, searching, or reasoning alone. Not all of the Bible is revelation, for much of it was written by men about things they had experienced themselves or had been told by others who had experienced them. For example, as the apostle Paul was being transported to Rome for his trial before Caesar, his companion Luke described their trip, including a very vivid account of the storm that they encountered along the way. Revelation was not needed since Luke was there. On the other hand, that Mary’s first child was the Son of God could only be known by revelation. When Peter affirmed his faith that Jesus was the Messiah, Jesus responded, “‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven’” (Matthew 16:17).
Inspiration (as taught in Scripture), like revelation, is from God. Unlike revelation, inspiration involves every part of Scripture: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). This means that God’s Spirit oversaw everything written in the Bible, whether revealed or personally experienced, to the extent that the material related is without error since it is, in fact, the word of God. The writers “spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). The word translated “carried along” is the same word that refers to Paul’s ship being “driven along” by the storm (Acts 27:15,17).
With these definitions, let us now consider just a few of the many scriptures that illustrate the Spirit’s work in revelation and inspiration. For example, “So, as the Holy Spirit says: ‘Today, if you hear his voice . . . .’” Then he quotes from Psalm 95:7-11 even though the psalm itself attributes its authorship to King David. Another example: regarding God’s plan to include believing Gentiles among His chosen people and thus heirs of His promises to Abraham, Paul writes, “In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets” (Ephesians 3:4-5).
Jesus had promised that His apostles would be inspired by the Spirit, resulting in their ability both to recall everything He had taught them and also to receive new truth from Heaven: “‘But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you’” (John 14:26); and, “‘But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come’” (16:13). Therefore, we can count on the veracity of everything they taught. That was the reason why the church, from the beginning, “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching” (Acts 2:42).
Confirmation
Revelation and inspiration are marvelous concepts, but how do we know that Christ’s apostles were inspired, in the scriptural sense? After all, they were the ones who wrote about His promises to them. That question requires more space than we have here to discuss in detail. However, they did not ask us just to take their word for it any more than Jesus asked them to take His word for what He taught them. The historical evidence (detailed in the Gospels and the book of Acts) gives us reason to believe. Again, just a few of the many references will be related. Regarding the Messiahship and deity of Christ, Paul wrote, “through the Spirit of holiness [He] was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 1:4). Jesus Himself had declared more than once, “‘Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves’” (John 14:11).
Regarding the apostles, it is recorded, “This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will” (Hebrews 2:3-4). See also Acts 2:43; 4:33; 5:12-16; and 8:6-7,13-18. If these reports were not true, the apostles would have been exposed as liars. The early fantastic growth of the church demonstrates that they were not.
A special confirmation was needed by the early church (made up solely of Jews and Jewish converts) for them to accept Gentiles as being included among God’s chosen people, His spiritual Israel. The Spirit provided this Heaven-sent confirmation. After preaching to and baptizing the Roman centurion Cornelius and his family, Peter reported to the church, “‘As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said: “John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?’” (Acts 11:15-17). (See a similar need for confirmation regarding the Samaritans, Acts 8:14-17.)
Certification
The Spirit’s work in certification was primarily an assurance to us that, because we have received the Spirit, God accepts us as a result of our sins having been forgiven when we were baptized into Christ. Paul wrote, “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession” (Ephesians 1:13-14). (That inclusion in Christ takes place in baptism is affirmed, among other scriptures, in Galatians 3:26-27.) A seal was an ancient (and in some cases even modern) method of certifying the authenticity of a document. The Holy Spirit in us certifies that the promises received in salvation are genuine. A “guarantee,” literally, an earnest, is a pledge that the giver, in this case, God, will keep the promises associated with the transaction.
The apostle John wrote, “Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us” (1 John 3:24). The context implies that the “us” and the “we” refer to the apostles. If so, then the verse means that Christians know that the Spirit lives in them because the Spirit has revealed/inspired the apostles that it is so, and thus we believe what the apostles have written. (See the conclusion below regarding how Christians know that they themselves have received the Spirit.)
The Spirit in us confirms to the Father (not directly to us) that we are His children: “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with [not “to”] our spirit that we are God’s children” (Romans 8:15-16).
Regeneration
Revelation, inspiration, and confirmation are all important and necessary works of the Holy Spirit, but what does He do for us personally? Two words describe His work in us (as opposed to or for us). The first word refers to His first work in us (chronologically and logically): regeneration, that is, giving us new life. The Bible describes this new life in at least three ways: new birth (1 Peter 1:23), resurrection from spiritual death (Romans 6:3-4), and adoption (into God’s family, Ephesians 1:5). The most famous reference to this new life is found in John 3:3 and then clarified in 3:5. “Jesus declared, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. . . . I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.’” Regardless of what others claim, this “water” must refer to baptism into the Name of Christ, in which we receive the Spirit. (If in doubt, check out all the New Testament references to baptism, especially comparing Acts 10:47 with 10:48.)
Paul wrote “he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). The word translated here by the NIV, “rebirth,” is literally, “regeneration.” It means to be given new life. What is meant by this new life? Some mistakenly believe that it is the removal of original sin (that is, Adam’s sin inherited by us, a concept not actually taught in Scripture). Others think the new life is an instantaneous change in our nature—then they have to explain why there is no instant change in our thinking and behavior. So then, what is it? It is a new relationship with God as a result of His Spirit’s presence in our lives. Sin separates us from God (a state referred to as death); the presence of God’s Spirit in us brings us back into a right relationship with Him (life). Jesus defined eternal life as “knowing God” (John 17:3).
What about the “renewal by the Holy Spirit” in Titus? That is a reference to the second word used to describe the Spirit’s work in us: sanctification.
Sanctification
The word “sanctification” means to be set apart. It is used in two ways in reference to the Spirit’s work in us. One of these is instantaneous, for it means that God has set us apart for service unto Himself. That happens also in baptism. In its usage in the New Testament, it is not always clear whether it refers to this initial, instantaneous setting apart, or the progressive work in leading us to be more like Christ. 1 Peter 1:2 may refer to a third usage of the word sanctification, referring to the work of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost and then again upon Cornelius, signifying that God has chosen to offer salvation to all people: “the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood . . . .” If so, then Peter means that the Spirit has cleansed both Jews and Gentiles as subjects of His offer for salvation. See Acts 10:15, “‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean,’” that is, acceptable for coming to Him to have one’s sins forgiven.
The “renewal” in Titus 3:5 refers to the process of becoming like Christ by being led by the teaching of the Spirit, thus bearing the fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:16-25). Paul refers to one particular item in our sanctification in 1 Thessalonians 4:3,7-8—”It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality . . . . For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.”
The sanctification of the Spirit involves His intercession on our behalf:
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Romans 8:26-29)
What God wants for us, in this life, more than anything else is that we might become more like Jesus. And to help us do that, even when we do not know what specifically we need to pray for, the Spirit intercedes for us.
Furthermore, the Spirit empowers us for service to God in the Name of Christ: "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:16-19). And if you think He cannot do much through you, think again: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!” (3:20-21).
This empowerment for ministry (service to God) includes special gifts from the Spirit: “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. . . . Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:4,7). Furthermore, He helps you in using your gifts (talents, abilities): “May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever” (Hebrews 12:20-21). Although the Spirit is not explicitly mentioned in these two verses, it seems a natural inference based on the above quotations from Ephesians and 1 Corinthians.
Conclusion
Are you following the Spirit?
And, if you have not yet received the Spirit, the apostles have told us how the Spirit is received: “‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 2:38); and, “‘We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him’” (5:32).