Power To Be Different
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You Will Be Changed If You Meet Jesus
You Will Be Changed If You Meet Jesus
“If you Love me You Will Obey My Command” — This is a very simple statement. However, what John is testifying to is more than adherence to the ethical teachings of Jesus. He means that if you love Jesus you will follow all of His teachings. Your life will mimic Jesus
That may seem like a tall order and it is. In fact it is completely impossible apart from the power of the Holy Spirit operating within and through us. We will get to that in a minute!
The operative thing we must begin with is this…You cannot say you love Jesus if you ignore His teaching and live your life as though He does not exist…living as though you had no relationship with Him.
To put it another way…if you know Jesus your life will look like it because you will be different.
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments.
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments.
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.
A little boy went over to a pastor's house, where the pastor was doing some carpentry in his garage. The boy simply stood there and watched him for quite a long time. The preacher wondered why this boy was watching him and was finally so curious that he stopped and said, "Son, are you trying to pick up some pointers on how to build something?" The little boy replied, "No. I am just waiting to hear what a preacher says when he hits his thumb with a hammer."
The little boy replied, "No. I am just waiting to hear what a preacher says when he hits his thumb with a hammer."
This is not to say that Christians are perfect this side of heaven but we are very, very different. We are the opposite of what we once were. We are concerned with holiness, what God thinks, His way of doing things. Our desire is to obey Him…and we express our love for Him by doing so!
John makes it clear in His epistle
No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
The Holy Spirit abides in believers and changes us. We cannot be who we were before we were saved because we have been born again. We are a new creation and it changes us.
A great picture of this is found in
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
“A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.
“Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
“So then, you will know them by their fruits.
There is a great problem among this generation of believers in the United States of America, “Easy Believism” and an “Unregenerate Church.” There are thousands and perhaps millions of people who say they are Christians and that they love God but their life does not mimic Christ. They are not genuine followers of His teachings.
What is the fruit of your life?
And it does nothing for the cause of Christ to be this kind of person or to encourage them in their hypocrisy....
Joseph
Joseph quoted Brennan Manning this week in our prayer team email Friday, Brennan Manning once said, "The single greatest cause of atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable."
We do no favors to any of the lost among us if we give overt or tacit encouragement when they charade as believers. We should instead do as Jesus did and seek to save those who are lost!
This is not about being a judge of whether someone is lost or saved. We are simply talking about being an encouragement for people to have a genuine relationship with Christ.
It is about accountability and our responsibility as believers to ask the question, “Do you know Christ?” when someone among us shows no indication that they do.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Do they have the mark of the Spirit? Is the fruit of the Spirit evident in them? If the answer is no then we MUST ask the question, “Do you know Jesus?”
Jesus makes it clear…If you love Him, genuinely have a relationship with Him, you will obey what He commands…your life will mimic Him. You will want it to do so!
An irony in this is that I have found the genuine believer is much more concerned with this question than the man or woman who is lost. The believer is concerned that their life reflects that of the Savior. The lost doesn’t care.
The Ministry of the Holy Spirit
The Ministry of the Holy Spirit
You cannot obey Jesus apart from supernatural help. No human being is capable of obedience to God apart from the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit working in and through them.
You do not become a follower of Christ by works. It does not happen by your attempts to mimic His life.
You have to come to Christ through faith so you might be filled with the Spirit and then your life will mimic HIm. Then you have the desire to be like Jesus. Then you have power to obey and follow His teachings.
It is when you come to faith in Jesus that the Holy Spirit infills and indwells you…changing you forever.
Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, led the first expedition to traverse the Northwest Passage in 1906 and the first expedition to the South Pole in 1911. On one of his trips, Amundsen took a homing pigeon with him. When he had finally reached the top of the world, he opened the bird's cage and set it free. Imagine the delight of Amundsen's wife, back in Norway, when she looked up from the doorway of her home and saw the pigeon circling in the sky above. No doubt she exclaimed, "He's alive! My husband is still alive!" So it was when Jesus ascended. He was gone, but the disciples clung to his promise to send them the Holy Spirit. What joy, then, when the dovelike Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost. The disciples had with them the continual reminder that Jesus was alive and victorious at the right of the Father. This continues to be the Spirit's message.
So it was when Jesus ascended. He was gone, but the disciples clung to his promise to send them the Holy Spirit. What joy, then, when the dovelike Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost. The disciples had with them the continual reminder that Jesus was alive and victorious at the right of the Father. This continues to be the Spirit's message.
Jesus was about to go away. Up to this point He had been the “Paraclete” or “Counselor” for His disciples. He had been there to instruct them in all truth, be their encouragement to follow the truth and the power in whom they found it possible to do so.
After He was gone they would need another to do these things for them. This would be the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
When the Holy Spirit arrived on the day of Pentecost it was just another evidence that Jesus, although not with them in physical body, was still alive and working through the power of His Holy Spirit to be for His followers all He was when He walked with them on earth…and even more...
Let’s take a moment to look at the term used here for the ministry of the Holy Spirit so we might understand more fully His help to us...
“Counselor” — (NIV and CSB)A counselor in our vernacular is someone who comes alongside and advises us. This is not what Jesus meant. When you look at the original language the ministry of the Holy Spirit is much more than this.
Comforter — (KJV) Some translations will use the word comforter to describe the one Jesus would send. ‘Comforter’ was not bad in Elizabethan English, when the verb ‘to comfort’ meant ‘to strengthen, give succour to, to encourage, to aid’ But honestly in our day and age the word brings to mind a blanket, bedspread or someone who consoles those in grief. Jesus meant much more than this.
‘Comforter’ was not bad in Elizabethan English, when the verb ‘to comfort’ meant ‘to strengthen, give succour to, to encourage, to aid’ (from Latin confortare, ‘to strengthen’
(from Latin confortare, ‘to strengthen’ Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (p. 499). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans.
Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (p. 499). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans.
Neither of these terms really sums up what John meant here in the Greek.
The common meaning of paraklētos in the ancient world was “one who gives legal assistance.” This is what the original reader of John would have thought of. Therefore, “Advocate” (NRSV) is an acceptable translation if understood in a legal sense. “Counselor” (NIV) is also a good translation if understood in a legal sense, as one attorney might address another. He is “counselor” in the sense of “the judge appointed legal counsel for the accused.” Bryant, B. H., & Krause, M. S. (1998). John (). Joplin, MO: College Press Pub. Co.
Bryant, B. H., & Krause, M. S. (1998). John (). Joplin, MO: College Press Pub. Co.
So in one very key ministry of the Holy Spirit is to intercede for us before the Throne of God in a way we could not possibly do. He is our heavenly lawyer/advocate, interceding for us before God who is our righteous judge.
The Holy Spirit is our friend. Our legal friend. But His ministry goes well beyond the legal sphere. He strengthens and helps disciples of Christ to love, obey and glorify the Father.
Now a few other important notes here...
Give You — The Holy Spirit is something for whom Jesus prays be given to those who place faith in Him for salvation. The Holy Spirit is always received. He is never gotten or taken but received.
Spirit of Truth — The Holy Spirit is also the one who bears witness to the truth of Jesus. Jesus is the Truth and the Spirit of God makes that clear in the hearts of those who would accept Him by faith.
This witness comes to us the moment we are saved. But then as we follow Christ the Spirit continually bears the truth to us…God’s mind on things…what He says is right and true.
The Spirit lives in us, abides in us — The Spirit of God lives in us bearing constant witness to us. He convicts us of God’s way of doing things and directs us into all that is right and true.
“The ministry of the Holy Spirit is transforming freedom.” — Our minds are unveiled. We see the truth. Truth is freeing, it is always freeing. Ultimate spiritual truth frees us from the unknown in our relationship to God. Ultimate spiritual freedom is knowing that you are in a right relationship with God, and this is a part of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Bryant, B. H., & Krause, M. S. (1998). John (). Joplin, MO: College Press Pub. Co.
The ministry of the Holy Spirit is transforming freedom. Our minds are unveiled. We see the truth. Truth is freeing, it is always freeing. Ultimate spiritual truth frees us from the unknown in our relationship to God. Ultimate spiritual freedom is knowing that you are in a right relationship with God, and this is a part of the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
God reminds us that we are His and then speaks truth into our hearts so we might know what that means…how it changes everything about us.
Bryant, B. H., & Krause, M. S. (1998). John (). Joplin, MO: College Press Pub. Co.
The World Cannot Accept The Holy Spirit
The World Cannot Accept The Holy Spirit
One of the most incredible of things in the American church right now is the shock believers seem to have at the thoughts and actions of unbelievers. Another incredible thing is the shock and offense some believers have when rejected or hated by unbelievers.
“Why do we expect to be better treated in this world than Jesus was?” — Leonard Ravenhill
The “world” — in the Gospel of John always represents those apart from Christ. The world cannot accept the Spirit of Truth. Cannot accept His testimony about Christ, sin or righteousness.
Not a single person of the world is going to come to our way of thinking unless they come to a saving faith in Christ first. We should not expect them to accept us or even to tolerate us.
Right now we have a government debating over whether it is right or wrong to kill infants after birth. We have a generation being raised with the idea that sexual gender is a choice. We have an entire generation being raised with the idea that sexuality of any kind is simply a personal preference.
We will soon have an entire generation of children raised in a world where marriage between two person of the same sex is the norm.
Wayfarers passing through San Antonio International Airport will be out of luck if they’re craving Chick-fil-A's crispy chicken or waffle fries, as the city council has banned the chicken-centric chain from opening up shop in the air hub due to the company’s alleged “legacy of anti-LGBTQ behavior.”
The day before, Think Progress published tax documents revealing that in 2017, the Chick-fil-A Foundation gave over $1.8 million in charitable donations to some organizations that have come under scrutiny regarding their stance on LGBTQ issues.
The day before, Think Progress published tax documents revealing that in 2017, the Chick-fil-A Foundation gave over $1.8 million in charitable donations to some organizations that have come under scrutiny regarding their stance on LGBTQ issues.
Over $1.65 million of that contribution was given to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, which writes in an online “Statement of Faith” that it believes “marriage is exclusively the union of one man and one woman,” and believes “sexual intimacy” should only be expressed “within [that] context,” CBS News reports.
Over $1.65 million of that contribution was given to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, which writes in an online “Statement of Faith” that it believes “marriage is exclusively the union of one man and one woman,” and believes “sexual intimacy” should only be expressed “within [that] context,” CBS News reports.
The ethic of our day is relativism and we are currently seeing where such philosophical thought leads...Everything is a personal choice…whatever is right for you is ok, good and right…you are the judge…you are the arbiter of truth…you are your own truth. Nothing YOU decide to be right can ever be judged by another because who are they to determine YOUR right and wrong.
Unless of course you contradict the current dogma of relativism itself…then you are an anathema and pariah who doesn’t deserve to live.
This is what Satan offered Adam and Eve in the Garden and most of the world has fallen for it ever since. The idea that you can be your own god.
The natural man is not going to accept the Spirit of Truth because in his mind he is his own truth.
Only those in relationship with Christ are going to hear, know, love and obey the Holy Spirit…the Spirit of Truth. The world will completely and utterly reject it.
Conclusion
Conclusion
“The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.
What is in your heart? Is the Spirit of Truth there? Does your life demonstrate this fact? Are you changed? Are you different? Do you hate sin? Do you love to obey God and be a part of what He is doing in the world?
Does your life exhibit actual repentance from sin? Do you hate sin? Are you broken when you do it?
Jesus said that on Judgement Day there will be a lot of people who did a lot of religious things who thought they were saved because of what they had done…
He will tell them to depart from Him because He never knew them…never had a genuine relationship with them. Their actions were self-centered and never done for the love of God.
Many are doing religion to preserve themselves! They aren’t worshipping God with their life...they are worshipping self preservation…they are not serving and obeying Him from a relationship with Him or love for Him...but are instead doing what they think they need to “do” in order to achieve heaven when they die…all the while living for themselves…being their own “god.”
Are you tired of religion? Are you tired of a powerless, boring, lifeless kind of life? Are you tired of trying? Are you just tired? Maybe its time to genuinely get saved…or…maybe its time to have faith for the ministry of God’s Holy Spirit in your life.
Live in The Power to be Different
Make certain you have genuine faith in Christ for your salvation
A lot of Christians quench the work of God’s Spirit in their life because they are afraid of a kind of faith and relationship with God that seems beyond the natural or beyond their control. Is that you today?
Pray and ask God to show you where He is at work so you might be a part of what He is doing
Have faith that God’s Spirit in you is doing what He said He would do…advocating for you in Heaven before the Father and empowering you to live pleasing to God.
Ask God to constantly give you a sensitivity to His voice so you might be aware of what is true
Have faith that God’s Spirit in you is doing what He said He would do…advocating for you in Heaven and empowering you to live a life pleasing to God
Ask God to empower you to obey and follow what He says is true
If you are saved you will be different because you love God and want to be pleasing to Him. Is that your life this morning?
Leonard Ravenhill — “I’m tired of mediocrity. I’m tired of living among spiritual dwarfs. I want to see men who are not just writing books for money’s sake, or parading some 'big thing' to be known. I want to know men who feel the hurt of God!”
There is a power for life beyond the natural…one of extraordinary power in which you might live a life that looks like Jesus. It is yours for the asking today…if you ask He will give it. The Savior is waiting to enter your heart…He is waiting to consume and illuminate your life. Will you trust Him and have faith for such a life today?