In John 3, John the Baptist is baptizing people and his disciples are worried about Jesus baptizing as well. John explained to his disciples that he was privileged with the joy of preparing the way for the coming of Jesus, the Heavenly Bridegroom. John understood that Jesus is superior, that he, just like us, must decrease so that Jesus can increase, and with this, he, just like us, must submit to the authority of Jesus, our Bridegroom.
28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”[a]
John equated himself to the friend of the bridegroom who helps arrange and prepare for the wedding. Think of this as “the best man” in our wedding culture today. He makes plans, arranges matters, and serves the bridegroom faithfully. Once he finished his job, he stepped aside for the bridegroom. He was content and humble, acknowledging Jesus as the bridegroom whom he had prepared the people for.
In biblical times, the bridegroom to be married would go away and prepare a place for his bride to come and dwell with him. During that time the bride would wait for her bridegroom by actively preparing for his arrival. His arrival was not announced or arranged ahead with the bride or her family. It was a surprise when he would show up to take his bride away to their new home which he had prepared for her.
She did not know the day or the hour, so she had to be ready at any time for his arrival. It was not a passive waiting, nor did she procrastinate or put things off for later. She prioritized actively preparing for her bridegroom’s arrival, and learning to be the wife she was intended to be to her husband. When the bridegroom would show up, he would take his bride away to the wedding ceremony and feast, and they would dwell together in the place he’d prepared.
As followers of Jesus, the Church, we are the bride of Christ, and Christ is the bridegroom. He is off preparing a place for those who believe in Him and who are actively preparing for his return to be taken away and dwell with Him. As the bride we should be prioritizing and actively awaiting His arrival, preparing ourselves to be the wife to our Lord that He calls on us to be for Him.
What should the Bride do while waiting for the Bridegroom?
Throughout scripture, we see many teachings and examples of marriage and all believers should pay careful attention to the lessons on being a godly wife. These are not only lessons for earthly wives to live by, but for all believers to also live by as the bride of Christ. We should be actively growing and learning how to be the bride of Christ, preparing for Him to come and take His bride away with Him to our eternal dwelling place with Him.
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.[a] 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Wives should submit to their husbands as believers are to submit to the Lord. We are all to submit to the authority of our Savior. This is a respectful and loving kind of submission. It is a submission that acknowledges and accepts God-given order and roles.
Wives are to submit to their husbands, so also believers are to submit to Christ. Husbands should also love their wives as part of their own body, just as Jesus loves the Church which is the Body of Christ. He nourishes, loves, cherishes, and saves His bride. We are to respect Christ as our Bridegroom, and He will love us as His own flesh.
As we wait for Christ to return for His bride, we are to be like the 5 virgins who were wise. They prepared for a long wait, not knowing how long before their bridegroom would come for them. Because they prepared, they were ready when their bridegroom came for them.
We must be careful not to follow the example of the 5 foolish virgins who were not prepared and expected those who were prepared to provide for them when the time came. Due to their lack of preparation, they were left behind.
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps[a] and went to meet the bridegroom.[b] 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
We must be watchful, carefully preparing ourselves for the return of our bridegroom to take us away with Him. Throughout scripture, we are given instructions on how to prepare. He gives us the Armor of God to equip us for the spiritual battles we will face as followers of Jesus, so that we may grow stronger in our faith and become more prepared for what is ahead. Learning what the Armor of God is and how to use it will help us to prepare for the day Jesus will return for us.
16 All Scripture is inspired by God[a] and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Some key elements of being prepared are growing a strong, personal prayer life between yourself and God, making time for God every day both in prayer and in His Word, earnestly seeking God’s wisdom and applying it to your life, and learning to live in a way that pleases God and brings Him glory, and actually applying what you have learned.
If you have not accepted the grace of God and chosen to believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I encourage you to pray to God now and invite Him in, accept Jesus as the sacrifice for your sins, and repent of your sins. Submit it all to God, lay it at His feet, seek the forgiveness of God, welcome Him into your life, and believe that Jesus died and rose again to save you from your sins.
If you would like to learn more about salvation, you can find a couple of studies that may help here:
We can be confident knowing that Jesus Christ is our advocate, but what does this mean and why is this so important? 1 John 2 tackles some vital truths about Jesus as our advocate, and what this should mean in the lives of every believer. This name of Jesus also helps us to better understand how we can come to know Jesus, and what that means for our lives as well. Jesus as Advocate is an important name for new believers, seasoned believers, and even those asking questions about Christianity. No matter where you are at on your faith journey, understanding what it means for Jesus to be your advocate can change your whole life.
Jesus is our Advocate
In 1 John, we see Jesus named as our Advocate with the Father. As our advocate, Jesus pleads our case with God. He acts as our intercessor. Jesus steps in on behalf of those who have faith in Him with God and declares them pardoned of their sin debt, proclaiming that He Himself paid the price on our behalf.
1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
one who pleads another’s cause with one, an intercessor
of Christ in his exaltation at God’s right hand, pleading with God the Father for the pardon of our sins
3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life,[a] and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Jesus Christ willingly died on the cross bearing all the sins of the entire world so that those who would have faith and believe in Him would be saved from the penalty of their sins. He took your sins, my sins, and everyone else’s sins entirely upon Himself and when Jesus died on the cross His blood covered every sin so that those who would have faith in Him as their Savior, declaring Jesus as their personal advocate with the Father, would then be pardoned of the sin debt He died to pay for on our behalf.
4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
By the grace of God alone, not anything we could possibly do, God sent His Son to be our advocate so that we could enter into a personal relationship with God the Father through faith in Jesus, the Son of God, our Advocate. By accepting Jesus as your personal advocate, declaring Him your Lord and Savior through faith through grace, we can begin to know Jesus through a personal relationship with Him.
3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.
4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
Right after telling us that Jesus is our advocate, John goes on to explain that by keeping His commandments we can come to know Him. Keeping His commandments is evidence of a personal relationship with the Lord, and of Him being our personal advocate with the Father, declaring our sin debt paid.
Here are some of the ways we can begin a relationship with Jesus and come to know Him better.
Believe and have faith in Jesus
The first step is to believe He is in fact the Son of God, your personal advocate, who died to pay the penalty for your sins past, present, and future to redeem and restore you to God.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
We must also come to confess and repent of our sins, which is to admit our sins to the Lord and agree with Him entirely about our sin, which should lead us to turn away from our sin and towards Jesus. As we humbly submit our sins to the Lord, we accept His power and authority over our lives, agree with Him that because of our sins we deserve death, and accept the grace of God that provides Jesus died for us, on our behalf, so that we wouldn’t have to pay that price and we could receive forgiveness and eternal life from God.
8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Confessing our sins to the Lord and seeking His forgiveness is one of the ways we get to communicate with the Lord personally. Through prayer, we get to talk directly with God. The New Testament tells us that Jesus is not only our advocate but also our Great High Priest, by whom we now have a direct line of communication open with God the Father. We get to pray to Him whenever, wherever, however we are. He hears the prayers of those in His family and wants you to talk to Him.
Communication is essential to a growing, healthy personal relationship, and our relationship with Jesus is no exception. Pray to Him, rejoice in Him and in all He does and provides, and give thanks to and for Him. Confess your sins through prayer, and talk to God honestly as you would talk to a friend.
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Through faith, repentance, and prayer we get to grow in our relationship with Jesus, and through reading His Word we get to understand Him even deeper. The Bible is God’s written Word, living and active, and through His Word we get to learn about who God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are, what they do and have done for you, who you are to the Lord, how you are called to live, and so much more.
By being in the Word, reading and studying the Bible regularly, and making this a priority in your life you can come to know Jesus on a deeper, more personal, and intimate level, and continue to grow in your understanding of and relationship with Him. Scripture is given to us to teach us, train us, and prepare us. It is how Jesus speaks to us and instructs us in His ways and wisdom, and how we learn to live a life worthy of the calling we have received. We all have the same 24 hours every day, and we are all responsible for how we choose to spend that time. Choosing to make time every day to be with the Lord is imperative to knowing Jesus as your personal advocate.
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God[a] may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Faith, repentance, prayer, and reading the Bible are all part of beginning your relationship with Jesus but are also all part of an ongoing and growing relationship with Him. None of these are one-and-done steps. All are constantly necessary. By continuing in faith, repenting of our sins and submitting to the Lord, learning to turn away from our flesh desires and toward the life He is teaching us to live, praying constantly, and being in the Word daily we learn to submit to Jesus and depend on Him in all things.
We must continually deny ourselves and strive to become more like Jesus. To do this we must be constantly devoted to growing in our relationship with Him, learning more about Him, and allowing His Spirit to lead us in His ways and will. We need to lean not on our own understanding, but let Jesus teach us His understanding and lean on that. We must also learn how to respond, fight, progress, persevere, and endure in faith with Jesus as the cornerstone of every area of our entire lives.
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: [a]adultery, [b]fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, [c]murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 [d]gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Scripture teaches us that if we abide in the Lord, live as He teaches and calls on us to live, be diligent in prayer, meditate on scripture, and obey it, we will know that we are in Him. It is very clear that true faith is evident in the works produced because of that faith. These works stem as a result of true faith, and will always match up with what scripture teaches.
This is how we will know we have Jesus as our advocate – that our faith produces godliness in our lives, character, nature, actions, and words. True faith changes our heart condition and we begin to naturally desire and display godly things instead of worldly and sinful things. There is a true inward-to-outward transformation that happens when we have Jesus as our advocate.
5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God [a]is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
16 “For God so loved the world,[a] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
If you have not accepted the grace of God and chosen to believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I encourage you to pray to God now and invite Him in, accept Jesus as the sacrifice for your sins, and repent of your sins. Submit it all to God, lay it at His feet, seek the forgiveness of God, welcome Him into your life, and believe that Jesus died and rose again to save you from your sins.
If you would like to learn more about salvation, you can find a couple of studies that may help here:
Ephesians 1 is a powerful chapter of scripture that explores some vital themes and lessons for all people, believers and unbelievers, to learn and seek to understand. In this chapter, we learn yet another name of Jesus, and the surrounding passages express the significance of the name of Jesus as the Son of Man. Jesus Christ is the Beloved; He is the Beloved Son of God, and He is also the Beloved Saviour of all mankind.
What are spiritual blessings?
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He [a]made us accepted in the Beloved.
A concrete blessing or benefit’ of the blessings of Christianity
Spiritual Blessings are concrete benefits and blessings of Christianity that come from the Holy Spirit and exhibit the fruit of the Spirit, which are the divine characteristics of God’s Spirit. These benefits correlate with God’s character for the benefit of Christians.
Our Spiritual blessings are reserved for us in Heaven but in this earthly life those who believe in the Son of Man get to see and experience glimpses of the full blessings to come while we actively wait in hope, in confident expectation, for the fulfillment of the promise. By God’s grace, our souls are accepted through faith in the Beloved, and these blessings come through the power of God’s Holy Spirit to those whose souls have been accepted by God. We get a glimpse of these spiritual blessings in this life, but believers get to experience the perfect and full blessings when we get to Heaven to spend eternity with the Lord.
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Fruit of the Spirit
13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who[d] is the [e]guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
The Holy Spirit gives believers a glimpse of the spiritual blessings in store for those who endure to the end of the race in faith and perseverance. As believers grow in faith and dependence on God and persevere in faith through trials and sufferings, the characteristics of the Holy Spirit begin to shine through us. His Spirit is teaching and refining us to live Holy lives, set apart for Him. We are sanctified until the very end of our race when Christ perfects us as the Author and Perfector of our faith, and we get to reside with Him.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.[a]
The fruit of the Spirit are traits that believers should be exhibiting and growing in. All spiritual blessings will line up with these fruits. If spiritual blessings do not line up with the fruits of the Spirit, they are not from the Spirit, not Spiritual Blessings. As believers, we must diligently filter all things through the Word of God, and seek the counsel of the Holy Spirit.
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
As believers, we have peace with God through our faith in Jesus. We are reconciled to God and granted His divine peace for our very souls. Peace with God provides peace for our souls, even when life is in chaos. To have the spiritual blessing of peace is to be at peace with the author of peace, and we must rest in faithful obedience to His divine will and instruction.
This peace and rest for our soul in this life is a glimpse of the perfect peace we will have in Heaven where there is no sin, evil, or unholiness of any kind. To receive the spiritual blessing of peace we have to turn away from evil and earnestly desire the peace of God. We must desire to be at peace with God by living obediently to His Word and growing in obedience to His Spirit who has sealed us for the day of promise.
16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.
4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He [a]made us accepted in the Beloved.
10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, [a]both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
As believers who have trusted the Beloved as our Savior and placed Him as Lord over our lives, we become coheirs with Him. We are adopted as sons and daughters of God through our faith in the Beloved. Being coheirs, we share in the heavenly inheritance and all things work together for the good of those who are in God’s family through their trust in the Beloved, for the glory of God
12 giving thanks[a] to the Father, who has qualified you[b] to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
When we become children of God through faith in the Beloved, we also receive forgiveness of our sins. God’s Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins and leads us to repentance. Through true repentance, we admit our sin and agree with God about it, and He forgives us if we have truly turned away. This repentance washes us clean by the blood of Jesus and makes it possible to be in the presence of God.
Once we have been forgiven, the Holy Spirit begins the sanctifying works in us. Every time we repent of our sins He continues to forgive and sanctify us and heals us as we continue to grow in faith and become more like the Beloved. The Beloved came to call sinners to repentance so that they would experience a glimpse of the Spiritual blessing of forgiveness, but also receive the promise of forgiveness in order to spend eternity in Heaven with Him
19 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,
9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you,[a] not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
38 And Peter said to them, “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.
14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and [b]prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself.
When we have faith in the Beloved, we are granted the Holy Spirit who guides us with His wisdom and understanding, revealing what God wants us to know at the right time in the right circumstances and seasons of our lives. We are granted glimpses over time as we grow in faith, apply and obey the knowledge we have learned, continue to seek God’s wisdom, and lean on His understanding.
All of this wisdom and understanding granted in this life is merely a glimpse of what God will reveal to us when we get to Heaven. God’s Spirit helps us to discern the Word of God, and to apply His Word to our lives, and filter all things through His Word and wisdom
13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:
Prayer is our direct line of communication with God, because of the relationship we have with Him through our faith in the Beloved. The Holy Spirit teaches us to pray, and intercedes, giving us the words to say. As believers, God promises to hear our prayers when we are living in obedience to Him. His Spirit not only teaches us how to pray, but also teaches us how to live in a manner pleasing to God, and therefore teaches us the right things to desire and ask for in prayer. When we are in Heaven we will be able to talk with God directly and dwell with Him.
3 Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and incomprehensible things you do not know.
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.[a]
14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
26 In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us[a] with inexpressible groanings. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your [f]understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
By our faith in Christ, we have hope in the Beloved for the promise of eternity in Heaven with Him. We experience a glimpse of this hope when we trust Him in faith, learn to seek first the Kingdom of God in this life, and focus on living worthy of the calling we have because of our faith in Him. Our hope is in Heaven, and we can be confident in the promise of eternal peace where there will be no sin, and therefore no pain, suffering, sadness, or anything but the goodness of God.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality[g] and [h]power and [i]might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
God’s power is unfathomable. God grants us His power in order to share His gospel all over the world and resist the power of sin and evil in this world. His power in our lives is meant to be used to advance the Kingdom and to participate in God’s redemption plan by helping to draw others to saving faith in the Beloved so they, too, can share in the inheritance.
In Heaven, the full weight of God’s power and glory will be revealed and we will be able to dwell in safety in His Kingdom. Sin will be completely defeated once and for all by His strength and power, and in this life, we have a glimpse of His power over sin as the Holy Spirit helps us to resist temptation and sin.
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
20 Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us— 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
In this life, we are given the offer of salvation by the grace of God through the blood of the Beloved. By faith, we can accept the free gift of salvation and be sealed by the Holy Spirit, and our names are written in the Book of Life so that when the Day of Salvation arrives, we are judged as spotless because of our faith in the purifying blood of Christ. When that day comes, we will receive the promise of eternity in Heaven with the Lord.
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust[a] destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. 5 You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
If you have not accepted the grace of God and chosen to believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I encourage you to pray to God now and invite Him in, accept Jesus as the sacrifice for your sins, and repent of your sins. Submit it all to God, lay it at His feet, seek the forgiveness of God, welcome Him into your life, and believe that Jesus died and rose again to save you from your sins.
If you would like to learn more about salvation, you can find a couple of studies that may help here:
As we explore the names of Jesus that teach us about Him as the Son of Man, Emmanuel is a vital name to know. It’s a beautiful name we often hear in Christmas carols, we see it in both the new and old testaments, but what does it mean? Today we will explore what the name Emmanuel means, how it applies to us, and how Emmanuel impacts our faith.
What does Emmanuel mean?
Jesus’ name Emmanuel means “God with us”. The Greek emmanouēl (G1694) identifies Jesus as God, Jesus uniting man with God, and that God was dwelling with man. The Hebrew ʿimmānû’ēl (H6005) is the prophetic name for the Messiah. In the Old Testament, we see this name given for the One who would be born of a virgin to be the savior of the world, and that His name would be Immanuel, God with Us.
“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
The name Emmanuel emphasizes the nearness of God to His people. Throughout scripture, we are given insight into what it means that God is with us, when He is with us, and what it means for each of us to have God with us.
symbolic and prophetic name of the Messiah, the Christ, prophesying that He would be born of a virgin and would be ‘God with us’
What does it mean for God to be with us?
For Jesus to have the name “God with Us”, means God was with us in the physical body while He lived on earth, but we also see Jesus promise He will always be with us. Not only was He with people when He lived on earth, but He is with us always, wherever we go, to the end of the age.
14 The Word became flesh and dwelt[a] among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son[b] from the Father, full of grace and truth.
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it [a]robbery to be equal with God, 7 but [b]made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
Jesus is not physically here in body with us now, but He is still with us. When we choose to believe in Him, our faith gives us direct access to God. Jesus bridged the gap between God and His people so that we may be reconciled to God through the blood of Emmanuel. When we are reconciled to God through Emmanuel, we are given His Spirit – a constant indwelling of God within us.
18 Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of[a] all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember,[b] I am with you always,[c] to the end of the age.”
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or [a]principalities or [b]powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
We were all created by Jesus’s power and authority, through Himself, and for His purposes. We were not made to be separate from God, but rather God created us for Himself. We were made to be with Him. Sin separates us from our Holy God, and Jesus was sent to earth to dwell among us and die a horrible death to pay the penalty for the sins of the entire world so that those who believe in Him as their Savior would be reconciled into a personal relationship with God, which we were designed for. By entering into a relationship with God through the spilled blood of Emmanuel, God’s Spirit indwells us and begins the process of making us holy and set apart for God and the works He has called us to.
14 And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
When we have God within us through the gift of His Holy Spirit, we begin to see the world through His eyes rather than our own. We are made new in Him by our faith because of His grace. As He changes our perspective, He also changes our hearts, our minds, and our nature.
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
Through faith in Emmanuel, we are also granted His peace that surpasses understanding. He tells us all over scripture that we have no need to be afraid, and that He will be with us and give us peace – true peace that truly satisfies. Through His peace, we find strength. With Christ in us, we can tap into His peace and also His strength, so that no matter what we go through we can get through it with Him. We will face troubles throughout our lives, but His peace and His strength granted because of our faith by His grace will help us to endure every trial.
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
As we endure, we will get stronger in our faith, and deeper in our dependence on God. We will learn to be patient with His timing and instruction and trust that whatever He chooses to provide is for our good. We will learn to hear Him and see Him all over our lives, and as we keep our focus on Him, guarding our hearts and minds in Him, He will continue to be with us and guide us to the end of the race, and into the eternal promises that await those who believe in Emmanuel, God with Us.
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the [a]author and [b]finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
If you have not accepted the grace of God and chosen to believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I encourage you to pray to God now and invite Him in, accept Jesus as the sacrifice for your sins, and repent of your sins. Submit it all to God, lay it at His feet, seek the forgiveness of God, welcome Him into your life, and believe that Jesus died and rose again to save you from your sins.
If you would like to learn more about salvation, you can find a couple of studies that may help here:
Jesus Christ proved while He dwelled among people on earth that He was the promised Messiah the Jewish people had been waiting for for many generations. Through His earthly ministry and all the works He has accomplished He fulfilled many prophecies, gave understanding, fulfilled the Law, and ascended back to Heaven after His death and resurrection with a promise that He would return and fulfill what remains to be fulfilled. Most of all, He became the Way of salvation for all who will believe in faith that He is the Messiah and that salvation comes only through faith in Him by the grace of God.
In John 1, we get to see Jesus referred to as the Messiah, being acknowledged as the One the people had been waiting for. In this part of the gospel story Jesus was identified by John the Baptist as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”, and he explains that this was the One he, John, was to come before and prepare the way for.
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I told you about: ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.’
A couple of John’s disciples followed Jesus immediately after hearing this from John, and before going with Jesus Andrew went to get his brother, Simon (Peter). Andrew clearly wanted to share this news and experience with his brother. He was excited about finding the Messiah and clearly knew the importance of getting his brother first to join him.
40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John and followed him. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah”[a] (which is translated “the Christ”),
Not only did Andrew go get Peter, but he also acknowledges his belief in who Jesus is when telling his brother he found the Messiah, the Anointed One, the promised savior of the Jewish people. When Andrew and Peter showed up again, Jesus called out to Peter, letting him know that He knew who he was.
42 and he brought Simon to Jesus. When Jesus saw him, he said, “You are Simon, son of John.[a] You will be called Cephas” (which is translated “Peter”[b]).
I love that Jesus displays His knowledge of Peter, and I love also that He does the same for us. Not only does Jesus know each of us by name, but He knows every detail of our lives, thoughts, personalities, likes, dislikes, and every other grain of information even we don’t know about ourselves. He knows all of this, and also He knows every sin, every slip, every hurt, and every idol. He knows where we are in our lives, where we’ve come from, and where we’re going. He knows us better than we could ever know ourselves because He made us, crafted us, designed us, numbered our days, and prepared a plan for our lives according to what we would do each step of the way and how He would provide, call, and teach us along the way.
For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
26 “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.[b] 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?[c] And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
He knows all of this, and because he knows it He knows we could never pay the penalty for all of our sins, that He is also intimately aware of, so from the very beginning He knew He would come to be the sacrifice that would pay the penalty for our sin in order to redeem us. He knows every detail of your life and died to save you from your sins so that you could have abundant and eternal life through faith in Him.
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
16 “For God so loved the world,[a] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
When Andrew told Peter that they had found the Messiah, he was acknowledging his belief in the prophecies of the One to come and save them from their oppressors, bringing peace to the Jewish people. We see in other parts of the gospels the acknowledgment that Jesus is the Messiah, and the faith of those who believed this of Him.
16 and Jacob fathered Joseph the husband of Mary,
who gave birth to Jesus who is called the Messiah.
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations; and from David until the exile to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the exile to Babylon until the Messiah, fourteen generations.
While the Jewish people commonly believed it was their worldly enemies the Messiah would save them from, Jesus came and taught them, just like us, that He came to save every person who would believe in Him from their sins. He wasn’t there to defeat the romans, but to defeat sin. For us today, we ehave hope in that He did defeat the power of sin over those who give their lives to Him by faith.
The Messiah suffered in our place
It is important that we recognize that Jesus is the promised Messiah, but also that we recognize that the Old Testament is filled with foretellings of His coming, as well as explanations about why we should believe in Him. In Luke 24 Jesus explains that He was the One written about in the Old Testament, through the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and Psalms.
44 He told them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. 46 He also said to them, “This is what is written:[a] The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead the third day, 47 and repentance for[b] forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Here we read that Jesus was destined to suffer, and not just suffer but suffer in our place. He obtained salvation through the blood sacrifice of Himself. The just punishment for sin is death, and that is the punishment we all deserve. Jesus, though, wanted us to be restored to God and paid for our sins with His own. Life. He defeated the power of sin and death when He rose again from the dead, making the way for all who would believe in Him to be saved from the penalty of sin and restored to our He
The Messiah gives understanding
Luke also states that Jesus “opened their minds to understand the scriptures”. Not only is He the promised Messiah who died in our place to save us from the penalty of sin, but when we have faith in Him He grants us understanding as well as salvation. He explains that the Messiah will suffer, die, and rise again on the third day. By this, those who repent will be forgiven because of His sacrifice on the cross.
In knowing His identity as Messiah we learn the importance of the history in scripture, the foretellings and prophecies, and the gift of understanding provided when we choose to have faith in Him. He provides us with all we need in this earthly life to prepare us for the promise of abundant and eternal life in Heaven with Him all throughout His Word, and commands us to learn from His Word, meditate on it, remember it, and do what it says. Seek Him and His Kingdom, obey Him in love, and follow Him in faith.
8 This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to meditate on[a] it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.
2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.
If you have not accepted the grace of God and chosen to believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I encourage you to pray to God now and invite Him in, accept Jesus as the sacrifice for your sins, and repent of your sins. Submit it all to God, lay it at His feet, seek the forgiveness of God, welcome Him into your life, and believe that Jesus died and rose again to save you from your sins.
If you would like to learn more about salvation, you can find a couple of studies that may help here:
After exploring many names for Jesus as the Son of God, we are jumping into some of the names of Jesus as the Son of Man. This is a vital part of Jesus’ identity and role in our lives that we should seek to understand. What does it mean that Jesus is the Son of Man, and why is this important for us to know?
In Luke 19:9-10 we see Jesus name Himself the Son of Man, and with this, He also declares His purpose for coming to dwell among mankind for a time. We will be taking apart this passage in context, referring to the original Greek, and exploring what He is teaching us in this chapter and other relevant passages.
9 “Today salvation has come to this house,” Jesus told him, “because he too is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”
In Luke 19, we see the story of Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, trying to just catch a glimpse of Jesus as He passes by. He climbs a tree to be able to see Jesus, and Jesus ends up calling upon him and telling Zacchaeus that He will be staying with him. The crowd is not pleased and begins to complain that Jesus is choosing to stay at a sinner’s house.
In response to their complaining about His choice to stay with Zacchaeus, Jesus reveals that not only does He know their hearts and intentions but He knows Zacchaeus’ as well. This man is a known sinner, a chief tax collector who extorted money from the people. Not only do the people know of his sin, but Jesus does as well. Jesus also knows that Zacchaeus just repented and that his commitment to repay much more than the law requires is a result of a true change of heart. Jesus, therefore, declares that “salvation has come to this house”.
10 I, the Lord, examine the mind, I test the heart[a] to give to each according to his way, according to what his actions deserve.
45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Jesus knows the true condition of our hearts, knows our every sin, and knows if we have truly repented, truly had a change of heart, and have honestly turned away from our sin and toward Him. Therefore, He can declare who receives salvation or not. Salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ by the grace of God, and only those who have truly repented and turned to Jesus in faith will receive salvation. It is Jesus, the Son of Man, who will intercede with God on behalf of those who have faith in Him. It is up to the Almighty whose name is written in the Book of Life and will be saved in the last days.
5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man[a] Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.
12 I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books. 13 Then the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them; each one was judged according to their works. 14 Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
In Luke 19:9 Jesus says that Zacchaeus is now a son of Abraham. Whether he is or is not actually a descendant of Abraham, He is now counted as part of God’s chosen family. Jesus is teaching that those who choose Jesus in faith will become sons of Abraham, adopted children of God, and thus counted as part of God’s chosen people and saved. He also explains in John 15 that those who do not have faith in Him, abide in Him and Him in them, will be cut off from the Vine.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
Just as the Son of Man intercedes for believers with God, declaring the believer’s sins paid for by His blood, He also grafts believers into the Vine when we choose to have faith in Him as the Son of Man. Jesus is the true Vine, and those who have faith in Him are then grafted in to abide in Him and Him in us, making us part of the Body of Christ. Those who reject Him will be cut off because of unbelief, no matter who they may be. He wants our sincere faith and knows when faith is sincere or not.
17 Now if some of the branches were broken off, and you, though a wild olive branch, were grafted in among them and have come to share in the rich root[a] of the cultivated olive tree, 18 do not boast that you are better than those branches. But if you do boast—you do not sustain the root, but the root sustains you. 19 Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 True enough; they were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but beware,[b] 21 because if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. 22 Therefore, consider God’s kindness and severity: severity toward those who have fallen but God’s kindness toward you—if you remain in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. 23 And even they, if they do not remain in unbelief, will be grafted in, because God has the power to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut off from your native wild olive tree and against nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these—the natural branches—be grafted into their own olive tree?
In Luke 19:10 Jesus says that He, the Son of Man, has come to seek and save the lost – the sinners. Why would Jesus seek the lost, broken, sinners of the world? God’s plan was always for His people, created in His image, to be with Him. His plan has always been to reconcile His people to Himself, and the means for this plan is Jesus. He seeks us in order to restore to Himself those who will accept Jesus Christ in faith.
19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,[a] in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
God reveals Himself to all of His creation and draws us all to His Truth and to His Son. No one can come to Jesus in faith unless God draws them, and God draws all of His creation into a relationship with Him. It is then up to each of us whether we choose to acknowledge Him, to have faith in Jesus, or not. If we choose to believe and have faith in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we will be justified in the sight of God and receive the gift of salvation through the blood of Jesus. If we choose to reject God’s promptings and revelations of Himself, He will give us up to sin and the consequences of our sin which is eternal separation from Him and all that is good.
God wants to save each of us so much that He chose to send His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, to save the sinners who would choose Him in faith. When we respond in faith to Jesus seeking us out, we receive the gift of salvation by the grace of God because of our faith. We then enter into a personal relationship with God through Jesus. Jesus saves the lost sinners who choose to have faith in Him, the Son of God and Son of Man, who came to reconcile us to our Heavenly Father and Creator.
16 “For God so loved the world,[a] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
God does not want to see His creation perish, and does not want to be separated from any one of us. He does not want to condemn us, but because of His holiness, there has to be justice for sin. The penalty for sin, to transgress against the holiness of God, is death. Jesus paid that price with His own life for the sake of those who would have faith in Him, accept His sacrifice for their own sake, agree their sin deserves this punishment, surrender to Jesus, repent of sin, and allow the blood and power of Jesus Christ to make us new.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.[a] The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
What work does the Son of Man give His people to do?
We are called to have faith in the Son of Man, repent of our sin, turn toward Him, and be made new in and by Him. Just as He grafts in those who have faith in Him, He also grants us His Spirit and begins sanctifying us, making us more like Him, and as evidence of true faith we will begin to bear fruits that coordinate with God’s Spirit. If we are following Jesus with a pure heart and honorable intentions, God will know, and our life will reflect our faith.
8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, 9 and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.
When we choose faith in Jesus, it shouldn’t stop there. We are called to an active faith, a transforming faith, a faith that is seen throughout our lives. When we are truly living and growing in faith, there will be evidence of this in our lives. We will bear good fruit, the fruit of the Spirit, and will also be able to participate in God’s plan to draw others to Himself by the power of Jesus dwelling, living, working inside of us and pouring out into our lives.
3 Those who have insight will shine like the bright expanse of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
17 If you appeal to the Father who judges impartially according to each one’s work, you are to conduct yourselves in reverence during your time living as strangers.
Seek God’s way and instruction in all circumstances, filtering all things through His Word
2 Do not be conformed to this world,[a] but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.[b]
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God[a] may be complete, equipped for every good work.
12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
24 And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, 25 not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.
The Son of Man came to seek and save the lost, and He calls on those who have been saved to participate in His great plan of redemption by learning and growing in the Lord’s wisdom, love, and ways. He also commissions us to share this Truth with others in the same love He has for us. We should be so grateful for the blessing of salvation that we cannot help but share it with others so they may accept and grow in it as well.
How can you share the love and Truth of the Son of Man with the people in your life this week? What are some ways that you disciple others and share the gospel? How have you experienced the transforming power of Jesus in your own life? I would love to hear about your ideas and experiences and am sure others reading along with you would be encouraged by your story as well.
If you have not accepted the grace of God and chosen to believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I encourage you to pray to God now and invite Him in, accept Jesus as the sacrifice for your sins, and repent of your sins. Submit it all to God, lay it at His feet, seek the forgiveness of God, welcome Him into your life, and believe that Jesus died and rose again to save you from your sins.
If you would like to learn more about salvation, you can find a couple of studies that may help here:
Who wrote the Book of Hebrews and who did they write it for?
The author of Hebrews is unknown. It is commonly believed that whoever the author was, they wrote the book of Hebrews to Jewish Christians in Rome who were second-guessing their conversion.
When did the events of Book of Hebrews happen?
Many topics within the book of Hebrews point to it being written before the persecution by Nero, likely before 64 AD.
What was the setting of the Book of Hebrews?
The book of Hebrews was written in a time of great Christian persecution. This was causing many Christian converts to second-guess their decision and question whether they should convert back to Judaism. They needed reassurance of their faith in a time when believing in Jesus could mean death or torture.
Teaches that living by faith is superior to legalistic living.
Explains that Christianity is the true faith, and that the New Covenant is superior to the Old Covenant.
Provides a clear understanding and answers key questions regarding the Old Testament and Christianity.
Grab your printable copy of this study!
Summary
The book of Hebrews was written to Jews who had converted to Christianity and were considering converting back to Judaism because of the persecution of Christians. There were a lot of questions and fear that Jesus was not enough. The book of Hebrews was written to tackle some essential questions for those wondering if Christ is really enough and if Christianity is really the true faith.
Hebrews addresses key topics every Christian should be familiar with, such as salvation and the supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus Christ. The writer of Hebrews exhorts Christians to keep on in the true faith and teaches valuable lessons for Christian living. Hebrews helps Christians understand their relationship with Christ, and the spiritual life we have through our relationship with God.
The book of Hebrews also expresses a deep understanding of the Old Testament, Old Covenant, and Jewish beliefs in order to help the Jewish people understand and trust that Jesus is truly superior and sufficient. The New Covenant is superior to the Old Covenant, and Jesus is superior to all Old Testament faith heroes. This was a major argument for the Jewish people that grew up under the Law of Moses and the Old Testament teachings.
The book of Hebrews is filled with exhortations, wisdom, and firm warnings for those wavering in their faith. It is absolutely relevant and important for Christians of all generations to read, study and understand.
Study the book of Hebrews more deeply
Check out our deep-dive studies through the book of Hebrews where we focus on the various warning signs given throughout its pages.
If you have not accepted the grace of God and chosen to believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I encourage you to pray to God now and invite Him in, accept Jesus as the sacrifice for your sins, and repent of your sins. Submit it all to God, lay it at His feet, seek the forgiveness of God, welcome Him into your life, and believe that Jesus died and rose again to save you from your sins.
If you would like to learn more aboutsalvation, you can find a couple of studies that may help here:
After diving into what grace is and why we need it, what it means to be justified by grace, and how grace abounds in our lives, we must bring it all together to realize how to also be good stewards of God’s grace. Knowing how to be good stewards of God’s grace is vital to the life of every Christian because it helps us to understand the calling we have all been given.
Having a grasp on what grace is and how God uses it in our lives, we then turn to how we should be good stewards of God’s grace. Each follower of Jesus Christ receives the same calling to follow Christ; abide in Him, obey His instructions, and love as He loves.
34 “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
By following Jesus we live like Christ. We display His attributes, bearing the fruit of the Spirit, and draw others to Him by His love and grace pouring through our lives. To be good stewards of God’s grace is to imitate His grace, pouring it out onto others as Christ did and does for us.
4 Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.[a]
We do not become more like Christ by our own efforts or power, but by the power of the Holy Spirit, indwelling us by the grace of God, transforming us from the inside out. His Spirit works in us as we choose to follow and learn more about the ways of Christ throughout our lives. By investing time with God in prayer, in His Word, and with His people, we can come to know Him more and therefore become better examples of Him to others.
20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
2 Do not be conformed to this world,[a] but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.[b]
Remember, grace is undeserved. We likewise don’t deserve forgiveness from God, and we often believe others don’t deserve it from us. If we hold to and act upon that belief then we are neglecting the grace we have been given that we likewise do not deserve, and we fail to imitate Christ. While you, me, and that person you don’t want to forgive are all sinners who deserve punishment for our sins, Christ died and paid that price for every one of us.
23 For all have sinned and fall short of the[a] glory of God;
25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. 28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
5 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.
Christ died for all people, not just the ones you like or agree with, or the ones you think deserve it – all. This is all by God’s grace that any of us are offered this free gift of salvation and can repent and be forgiven of our sins, to then be transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit within us who leads us to Christ-like, godly living. By forgiving others, we are being good stewards of God’s grace, and obedient to His commands.
32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
All we do should be done for God, with a heart of willing and obedient service, out of love for our Creator and Savior. We are instructed to love as He loves and forgive as He forgives us. Love others as God defines love, bear with one another, encourage each other, build others up, and serve in the ways with the blessings and resources which God, by His grace, has blessed you with.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, 5 is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. 6 Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
To be a good steward of God’s grace is to use the blessings, resources, skills, position, talents, and all that we have been given to follow Christ, live like Him, forgive, love, and serve God. All that we have is by the grace of God, and should likewise be used to display His grace in all areas and relationships in our lives.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.
23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
God blesses us with everything we need and more to complete the work He has prepared for us to do. He gives us opportunities to love and serve people in order to honor and serve Him. By serving His people with the desire to serve and bring Him glory, we are good stewards of the grace of God. Nothing we have is of our own making or doing. All of it is a gift from our Heavenly Father by His grace alone and should be used in the ways He instructs and prompts us.
35 And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.[a]
By believing in and following Jesus, loving and obeying Him, forgiving and serving others out of love, and recognizing that all we have is from and for God, we can be good stewards of God’s grace in our lives. By these things, we can pour out His grace into all areas of our lives, as well as to the people around us, which can plant seeds in the hearts of others and draw them closer to the Truth of the Gospel and faith in Jesus as well.
If you have not accepted the grace of God and chosen to believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I encourage you to pray to God now and invite Him in, accept Jesus as the sacrifice for your sins, and repent of your sins. Submit it all to God, lay it at His feet, seek the forgiveness of God, welcome Him into your life, and believe that Jesus died and rose again to save you from your sins.
If you would like to learn more about salvation, you can find a couple of studies that may help here:
I used to hear the word “justified” and think I didn’t really need to understand what it meant. I felt like it was one of those big fancy words that only theologians with years of Biblical study behind them understood. I was content for a while with the milk stage of understanding, but over time God has worked on my heart and taught me how important it is for all of God’s children to understand what it means to be justified by grace. The deeper concepts, truths, and theological topics found in scripture are not only for scholars but are for all of God’s people to know and understand.
12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.
We have studied what the grace of God is and why we need it, and to understand grace deeper we should also strive to understand justification. Justification is hard for us to grasp on our own, but with God’s help, we can soak in the glory that is God’s wisdom given graciously to us.
Grace is a free and beautiful gift from God for all mankind. Through God’s grace, we are offered salvation through Jesus Christ. By this salvation, we are made right with God. By our faith in Jesus, believing in His great works for the redemption of mankind, God “passes over” our sins, demonstrating His righteousness by forgiving us our sins.
23 For all have sinned and fall short of the[a] glory of God; 24 they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as the mercy seat[b] by his blood, through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed.
The original Greek word for justified in Romans 3:24 is dikaioō(G1344). This word is found all over the New Testament and means to declare or regard as righteous or guiltless, to be acquitted of charges, freed, and absolved. Justified means to be judged acceptable by God.
Why do we need to be justified?
Sinners cannot be in the presence of God, but through justification, our sins are forgiven and we are deemed acceptable to God and able to enter into a relationship with Him through faith. This redemption is a display of God’s grace and mercy. Once justified, God sends us His Holy Spirit, who will then work in us, transforming us by His grace for His glory, sanctifying us for the works God has prepared in advance for us to do.
26 But the [a]Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
14 “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may[a] have eternal life. 16 For God loved the world in this way:[b] He gave[c] his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Through our justification, we can enter a relationship with God and receive His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit then works to sanctify us, transforming us to become more like God and less like our old selves. Justification adopts us into the family of God, making us co-heirs with Christ, and gives us the promise of eternal life with God. All of this is only by the grace of God, not by our own doing.
17 and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— 31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”
Being justified by grace we are forgiven of our sins, made right with God, enter into a relationship with Him, and receive the Holy Spirit who begins the work of sanctification, making us new creations for, by, and through the glory of God.
Have you accepted the grace of God?
If you have not accepted the grace of God and chosen to believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I encourage you to pray to God now and invite Him in, accept Jesus as the sacrifice for your sins, and repent of your sins. Submit it all to God, lay it at His feet, seek the forgiveness of God, welcome Him into your life, and believe that Jesus died and rose again to save you from your sins.
If you would like to learn more about salvation, you can find a couple of studies that may help here:
Grace can be difficult for us to grasp. It is complex to understand, and likewise difficult to give. Did you know that you have been offered grace? Every day, God showers His grace on all of us. Every day we are given the gift of grace and are also commanded to show grace in our lives. What does this mean? What is grace, and why do we need it? Why should we accept it, and why should we give it? I’ve heard, read, and seen so many different definitions for grace, but today we are going to look at what the Bible teaches us about grace.
What is grace?
Throughout the New Testament, the Greek word charis is used for our word “grace”. According to Strong’s Concordance and Zondervan’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, charisboils down to undeserved favor bestowed on believers by God through Jesus Christ. It is loving-kindness, goodwill, and mercy from God given to sinners who don’t deserve it. Grace is a gift to humans who could never earn it. It also has to do with the spiritual condition of those who have been given grace.
Therefore, grace not only initiates the means of salvation but is also continuously poured out to sustain believers and lead them to become more like God. God’s grace is sufficient to save sinners, and then to transform and sustain them through sanctification.
10 By this will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time.
By the grace of God, believers receive salvation, are given spiritual gifts, empowered to love the way God loves, and display His grace to those around us. Just like God bestows love and grace on us while we do not deserve it, we are called and empowered by His Spirit to do likewise.
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation[a] for all people, 12 instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
This grace, and this salvation, is not “of yourselves”. This is a gift from God. We cannot earn it, we don’t deserve it, but God offers it freely as a gift to each of us. His grace then sustains us and leads us to become more like Him as we wait for Christ’s return.
8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— 9 not from works, so that no one can boast.
As we receive grace from God, we are to share in this grace by living in it, living it out, and bestowing it on others. We must remember that we don’t deserve this beautiful gift, and neither do others, but we have received it and are instructed to give it as well in love. We must show grace to others, loving others as God loves them, and loves us. Accept this gift with a grateful and humble heart and then live in it, not rejecting the grace of God.
9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good. 10 Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters. Take the lead in honoring one another. 11 Do not lack diligence in zeal; be fervent in the Spirit;[a] serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. 13 Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Give careful thought to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes. 18 If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
If I speak human or angelic tongues[a] but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give away all my possessions, and if I give over my body in order to boast[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
If you have not accepted the grace of God and chosen to believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I encourage you to pray to God now and invite Him in, accept Jesus as the sacrifice for your sins, and repent of your sins. Submit it all to God, lay it at His feet, seek the forgiveness of God, welcome Him into your life, and believe that Jesus died and rose again to save you from your sins.
If you would like to learn more about salvation, you can find a couple of studies that may help here:
There are many callings a follower of Christ may have in their life, but one, in particular, is shared between us all. This shared calling is so important, so special that we should all long to band together to tackle it with the utmost importance in our lives, and the utmost care to do it properly. We should have a true desire to grow in our wisdom and faith in order to ensure we’re doing the best job we can and utilizing every bit of resource and knowledge available to us. We should be so filled with gratitude, awe, and unexplainable love that we can’t help but press forward in this calling no matter what. This is the way each follower of Christ should approach obedience to the will of God.
“But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.
The unfortunate truth is that we live in a fallen, broken, sinful world that is filled with temptation at every turn. This sinful lawlessness is deceptive yet alluring to our humanness. This sin separates us from God, but because of sin God sent Jesus Christ to be the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of all mankind allowing those who choose to accept Him as their sacrifice to come into a relationship with God and no longer be separated from Him.
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
And said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
God calls on us to come to Him with a repentant heart and to atone, or be reconciled to God, through the forgiveness of our sins. This forgiveness is made available through accepting salvation offered by the blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ. When we come to God in love, obediently bringing our sins to Him for forgiveness with a truly repentant heart, desiring to be in a right relationship with Him, and accept Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins, we are then justified by faith, which comes from a heart of submissive obedience to the Lord.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
It is through Christ Jesus that we have salvation, and through the grace found in Christ Jesus that we are saved. There is only one mediator between us and God, only one way to heaven. His grace is not something that we can earn and can only be obtained through faith in Christ Jesus.
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Obedience to God also includes the constant and mindful study of His Word. It is through His Word that we find help in times of trouble and encouragement when we are feeling low. His Word is alive and active, teaching, correcting, and speaking to us.
The Holy Spirit promises to bring to memory the lessons and messages we are taught and to guide our lives to be in obedience to God but we must learn to listen to Him. Learning to turn aside from our own understanding and lean into God to provide for all our needs is an act of obedience and one that strengthens our relationship with Him as well as causing our faith to grow exponentially.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”
But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’
How does my relationship with God grow with my obedience?
Our relationship with God grows as we learn to come to Him in all things, through prayer, and work to align our hearts with His will. Scripture promises us that when we are aligned to the will of God that He will provide for the desires of our hearts. God is not a genie that we can simply ask for wishes and He will grant them. God does what He knows is best for us. While we can ask for all things, we need to understand that if God is saying no, or wait, it is because He knows what is best for us.
Learning to submit to God’s will is another form of obedience as we learn to cast aside the desires of our flesh and place God on the throne of our hearts, His rightful place. The peace that we receive is beyond human understanding, is not related to our circumstances, and can be obtained as we live in obedient faith.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Faith, hope, and love are at the heart of Christian values. We receive them from God and are called to continue to live in obedient faith by sharing God’s truth and blessings with the world.
Our relationship with God begins with faith, which helps us to recognize that we are freed from the sins of our past by Christ’s death and resurrection. Hope grows as we learn more about God’s love for us, that He has promised to be with us in all things, and that this life is not all there is.
We can rejoice in the fact that no matter the trials that come, nothing can separate us from the love of God when we place our faith and hope in Him. Jesus provided us with the greatest commandments of all time; the first is to love God with all our hearts, minds, and strength. The second is to love others as Christ has loved us.
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Developing and growing our faith is an exercise of obedience that God calls for from all those who are known by His name. We must learn to listen to the Holy Spirit and to respond to the promptings that He provides which requires effort and intent. A personal relationship with God, through Christ our Savior, facilitated through the Holy Spirit is the only way in which we grow in obedience as faith is obtained through willful submission to God’s will.
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Obedience is a personal choice
We cannot find obedience through the faith of our parents, our friends, or our church leaders. Faithful obedience is developed only through a willing heart and spirit to do as God commands. Faithful obedience is like a child submitting to the discipline of his father, not the actions of a slave submitting to his master. A slave does not know the coming and goings of his master nor does he understand the methods by which his master conducts his business.
When we submit to Christ, we are adopted into the family of God and become His children. God disciplines those He loves and when we accept that discipline with a willing heart we learn to be obedient in conforming to His will and are blessed. We will be disciplined in order to help us conform to the will of God and obtain His blessings, and we also will undergo trials and suffering that can test and grow our faith and obedience to His will.
Rejoicing in our sufferings does not mean that we celebrate the trials but rather that we can place our faith and hope in a saving God, one who promises to never leave or forsake us when we follow His commandments with obedience and trust. We can find hope in that God works all things to His glory and for those who love Him.
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Endurance, or “perseverance”, is the ability to continue on without giving up, remaining obedient to the call and command of our loving Heavenly Father. It does not mean that life will be trouble-free, but that through our obedient faith in God, He will continue to strengthen us for the trials we will face.
God is using the trials and attacks that we face in this life to create a stronger faith within us which deepens our relationship with Him and instills an even greater sense of hope for the future. The more we submit to Him and His will in faith and love, the deeper He can work within us.
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Character, also translated as “proof”, is used in the concept of the purification of metal. As the metal is heated, the impurities found within are brought to the surface and cast off causing the metal to become stronger. Self-discipline is necessary for perseverance, which leads to a change in habits, a transformation of character, and becoming more Christ-like.
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Through the Holy Spirit, we are intimately connected with God at all times, we can receive revelation and guidance directly from Him through prayer and the reading of His Word. Prayer is our personal communication with God and through the Holy Spirit, we can receive revelation and understanding of God’s desires and will for our lives.
When we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Redeemer, the Holy Spirit comes upon us to dwell in us, guiding and helping us throughout our life. When we don’t know what to pray for, or we lack the words to express ourselves, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with wordless groanings. Through the Holy Spirit, we are convicted of our sins, allowing for us to humble ourselves before Him and seek forgiveness.
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
According to God’s plan, in His scheduled time Christ came, died, and was resurrected so that all people may be saved and reconciled to Him. Christ died for all people, but in order to receive that salvation, we must faithfully accept His sacrifice for our sins out of love and obedience to Him, fully intent on turning from our life of sin into the new life He gives us in Him.
Through faith in Christ, being justified before God, we are saved from the wrath of God. Jesus stepped in and took the punishment that we should have received. Through accepting the resurrection of Christ, we are also raised again – saved from the eternal separation from God that sin requires. Just as surely as Christ took our punishment, He has secured our future in heaven with God if we choose to accept Him in faith, love, and obedience to Him.
Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Jesus taught us through a parable just how our obedient faith works. In this parable, Jesus is the Vine and God the Father is the gardener. We become the branches that the gardener prunes in and out of season, preparing us to bear more fruit in abundance. We cannot bear fruit if we are not connected to the vine and branches, and those that do not produce good fruit are cut off and cast into the fire. Jesus concludes that when we keep His commandments the fruits of the Spirit will become evident in our lives. We are not saved because of our works, but our works are evidence of our saving faith and obedience to Him.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Choosing Christ isn’t always easy, but once we’ve chosen to accept Him, believe in Him, and live for Him we begin the journey into understanding this gift of salvation we’ve just received and its benefits. God provides us with wisdom to help us understand what salvation is, why we need it, why we should want it, and how to apply it.
What is salvation?
In the Old Testament there is a Hebrew verb “yasha” translated salvation which means help, deliver or save, and the noun version means preservation from danger or suffering. In the New Testament we find the Greek “soteria” which means deliverance, and is related to the personal, spiritual deliverance through repentance and faith in Christ.
Salvation: Personal, spiritual deliverance from sin and death; rescued from the danger of eternal separation from God
‘And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” ‘ Acts 4:12 ESV
‘For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” ‘ Romans 10:13 ESV
How does salvation occur?
Salvation occurs when we repent and place our full trust and saving faith in Jesus and begin to experience the blessings of salvation. When we do this, we are justified and regenerated by the Holy Spirit.
Repentance: A radical change from living in sin to living in Christ
‘“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” ‘
‘because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” ‘
Regeneration: Holy Spirit indwelling repentant sinners and breathing eternal life into their soul, making them new in Christ
‘ And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved— ‘
When we put our full faith in Christ, believe in His life, death, and resurrection, and place our full trust at His feet we have saving faith; the faith that leads to salvation. Saving faith happens when we not only trust Him, but we believe in who He is and His works, and live in a way that displays our faith, and honors Him and this gift of salvation, fully intent on setting Him as the priority in our lives and as the superior example for ourselves. Obedience to Him should be a result of our love and belief that He is the Way, Truth, and Life.
Putting our saving faith in Christ brings us into a relationship with Him, which also gives us a personal relationship and connection with our Heavenly Father who blesses us with the gift of His Spirit to guide us and change us to be more like Christ.
Why do we need salvation?
Once we repent and are justified and regenerated, we then go through the life-long process of being made holy, being gradually made whole and complete in Christ. We are called to “pick up our cross and follow after Christ” (Luke 14:26-28), meaning we must follow Christ in all things, knowing that there will be a personal cost paid sometimes but no matter how hard it gets we must continue on in faith, following Him no matter what, no matter how hard it gets, no matter who we lose in order to gain a relationship with Him who is greater than and Ruler of all things.
Sanctification: The process of spiritual growth and development by which we are purified of sins and transformed to become more like Christ, holy and complete
‘So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. ‘
‘“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? ‘
We need salvation because it is the only way to be saved from our fate of spiritual death from our sins and being eternally separated from God. If God is good and God is love then being eternally separated from Him is to be eternally separated from love and goodness. We were created to be in a relationship with Him and because sin entered the world God prepared a way to bring us back to Him. A relationship with God is the only way to be made complete, fill the voids humans experience on their own, find our purpose and the meaning for our lives, and rest in His love and goodness. In order to live a truly satisfying life, we must come into this relationship through saving faith, love, and devotion to living for Him.
‘But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. ‘
Salvation is the only way to be made right with God and is only possible through the way He provided in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus was God’s chosen way of saving us, but He also gives us the choice to accept His way to Him. God did not want to force us into this relationship, instead, He wants us to choose Him out of love and gratitude to Him for all that He has done and continues to do for us.
When we’ve made this commitment to live as Christ, giving our lives fully to God, something incredible happens. We are restored to God and freed from slavery to sin, no longer under the power of sin which leads to spiritual death. Sin’s power over us and our lives is dead and we are given God’s own armor to fight against Satan and his lies. We cannot fight sin on our own, but only through the saving power of Christ.
God breathes His life into us, washing us clean from our sin in the blood of Jesus the holy and perfect sacrifice, and fills us with His Spirit, blessing us with His power, love, armor, protection, provision and promises. In accepting and believing in His Son we open the door to all that God wants to bless us with and we gain a new identity as His child. These blessings are part of the sanctification process and prepare us for the day of glorification, when we will get to be face-to-face with our Lord and Savior, having been made holy and complete in Him.
Glorification: The ultimate salvation that occurs when we are face-to-face with our Savior in His coming Kingdom.
‘For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. ‘
‘who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, ‘
Once we begin the sanctification process we are transformed from our former self and made to be more like Christ. We should then seek God and His Word for instructions, wisdom, and relational growth. Through prayer and scripture, we get to learn more about who He is, who He calls us to be, and how we’re called to live. We are designed not only for relationship with Him but also with others in the family and body of Christ. We should spend time with God and in His word, and we should also spend time in fellowship with His people. By these means we get to come closer to Him, learn how to live better, learn to recognize God speaking and working in our lives, and also learn how to share His truth better, further, and deeper so as to grow the body of Christ for the glory of God.
God will give us each a personal mission as well as instruct us in how Christ-followers are supposed to live. We are not intended to do this alone and must always rely on God’s truth and fellowship to help us cling to our faith and not let the world pull us away, causing us to drift from Christ and neglect this gift of salvation. Anchor yourself in Christ through a strong prayer life, constant heartfelt time in His Word, and learning and growing with His people. We should spend time with Him every single day fully intent on learning to be more like Him all the time, and apply what we learn as we learn it.
‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. ‘
And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
Salvation is our personal, spiritual deliverance from sin through repentance and saving faith in Jesus. We are justified through our salvation, which is to be made right with God due to our faith and regenerated by receiving the Holy Spirit who gives life to our soul. God then sanctifies us, working in us to become more like Christ every day until the day of glorification when we are completed, standing face to face with Jesus in His coming Kingdom.
Salvation is needed because it is and the only way to be saved from our fate of eternal separation from God and enter into this personal relationship with Him, receiving the sanctification and glorification that is promised. God wants us to choose His salvation because we love Him and are grateful for what He has done for our sake. We are called to live faithfully to Him, fully intent on honoring and glorifying Him and becoming more like Him all the time. Our belief in Him is to be displayed in the way we live, bearing the fruit of the Spirit in all things, sharing the truth of the gospel with others, and growing the body of Christ.
‘ “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. ‘
Last week we talked about how our testimony can impact someone else’s faith journey. This week, I want to focus more inward. We asked the question of who you want to model your life after; Jesus, Judas or Peter, and today we are going to explore that question a little deeper.
Many of the people who followed Jesus into Jerusalem thought He had come to save them from the Romans. Unfortunately, once they began to realize He was not there for this, they began turning on Him. As soon as they felt He wasn’t there to help them with what they saw as their most important and immediate needs, they bailed on Him and His divine mission.
Before the Last Supper Judas went to the Pharisees and agreed to betray Jesus, after which Satan entered him. Judas chased after wealth by stealing from the ministry money while following Jesus, by betraying Jesus for money, and being greedy along the way. Judas started with petty crimes, even while following Christ, then over time they progressed to bigger sins, until he had spiraled so far that he allowed Satan to overtake him. After betraying Jesus he realized he had made a great mistake and tried to undo what he’d done by giving the money back to the Pharisees, and then went and hung himself instead of asking forgiveness.
When Jesus was about to be killed, Peter was caught up in the crowd, watching Jesus get beaten. People recognized Peter as one of Jesus’s friends and followers but because Peter was scared and did not want to have the same fate as Jesus, Peter denied even knowing Jesus not once but 3 times.
After the rooster crowed, Peter realized what He’d done and wept. When Jesus rose again, Peter was among the remaining 11 disciples that met Jesus in Galilee and worshiped him. Peter returned to Jesus even after he had denied him to save himself, knowing he had done wrong.
Jesus was beaten, ridiculed, hated and judged along the way to Golgotha, and as He hung nailed to the cross he asked God to forgive all of the people who had hurt Him, accused Him, turned away from Him, and killed Him. He begged forgiveness for them and then He died for those very same people so that they, and all who came after, could forever be saved from their sinful nature, and forgiven for denying, betraying, killing and walking away from Him.
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Despite the crowds and even His disciples turning on Him, Jesus still chose to go to the cross for them – and for us. He knew what was going to happen then and in the future, that people would still reject, deny, and turn away from Him for generations to come.
Even though we reject Him when He doesn’t answer us in the ways we want or expect; even though we turn our back on His plan because it gets tough or scary; even though we put fame, wealth, popularity, and common culture before Him He still paid with His life to save us in a way we never knew we needed saving.
Even though He knew what was ahead He did it anyway so that we could have a relationship with God, be saved from our old selves, and be given the gift of New Life through that relationship, which is only available because He paid the price for us.
Even though we mess up, miss the mark, give up, walk away, reject and deny Him we are still able to do as Peter did and come back to Christ. Don’t lose hope. You are never too far gone. You are not a lost cause. You have never messed up so badly you can’t turn back or bring your mistakes to Him. That is what He died for – so that we could all run back to God, confess our sins, and find an eternal relationship full of love, hope, and forgiveness.
‘When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.” So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. ‘
‘Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.” But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said. A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” “Man, I am not!” Peter replied. About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.” Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. ‘
‘They were delighted and agreed to give him money. He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. ‘
The Easter story is the story of Jesus Christ sacrificing Himself and rising again in order to defeat death, save all of mankind from their sins, and bring us back into a relationship with God. There are so many incredible lessons we need to take away from this cornerstone of Christianity, I want to focus on one lesson that is likely a viewpoint we haven’t looked at this story in how to live as Christ, and what that means beyond ourselves.
Before Jesus came into Jerusalem he had raised a man named Lazarus from the dead. Many people heard of the miracle Jesus performed and came to see Him in Jerusalem, not only because of who Jesus was but also to see Lazarus. They followed Jesus to see the fruit of the miracle He had performed.
The Easter story is a perfect example of how we should live as Christ (Christ prioritizing the salvation of mankind to the point of sacrificing Himself for the sake of saving everyone else), how we typically do live (Peter denying Him and Judas betraying Him when it got tough to follow Him), and how others (believers and unbelievers) can be drawn in by the way we live and the testimonies we share about Christ’s saving grace in our lives even though we’ve denied and betrayed Him.
Here is a vital point that I don’t want us to miss or discount. We don’t always seek Jesus because He is our Savior. We often seek Him because of what we heard He did in someone else’s life. Sometimes we are drawn to Him because of how He has changed, used, helped or blessed others.
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Each of us is given a story and testimony that we are called to share with others. That is one of the most powerful ways we can draw others into the love and truth of Christ. We don’t always need to be throwing scripture at people and telling them how they should apply it to their situation. There is a time and place for that approach, but let us not miss the opportunities to use the story He gave us to draw others closer to the water.
So, will you live by Christ’s selfless example, putting the salvation of your fellow human as a priority in your life by walking the walk He intended for you and sharing the testimony He gave you? Or will you instead walk like Judas who betrayed Jesus for the sake of wealth and gain? Or like Peter, who denied Jesus when it became tough to continue following him? Whatever you choose, it is all part of your story. It all has the power to either draw someone nearer to or further from the waters we’re all called to step out onto.
‘When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus. ‘
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.
“In my distress I called to the Lord , and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry. You hurled me into the depths, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me.
There have been plenty of times in my life where I felt like I’d been swallowed up, trapped in chaos, utterly overwhelmed, just like Jonah when he was swallowed up at sea. Nine years ago I moved across the country with my then fiance. I was a few weeks pregnant, in completely new territory, experienced massive culture shock, had none of my family or friends, and was completely isolated.
We had not even settled in before he started working long, crazy hours and I was left home where it was unsafe for me to walk the neighborhood alone, cooped up in the heat and humidity, where I was required to cook and clean all day for my fiance, his uncle, and his teenage cousin. After only about six weeks of this, I found myself in such excruciating pain I was brought to the emergency room where I discovered I was no longer expecting a child.
I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.’ The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head. To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you, Lord my God, brought my life up from the pit. “When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord , and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple.
I felt like Jonah; banished from God’s sight, engulfed, drowning, and utterly consumed and strangled by darkness. I fell into complete despair and as I cried to God I felt like He was surely not going to help me out of the deep, monstrous cavern I’d fallen into.
I remember crying night and day, praying for God to change what had happened, to heal me, and to take me out of what turned into an absolutely horrendous experience after an already horrible loss. Not only had I lost the baby, but the man I thought loved me more than anything quickly began to hate me more than anything. While enduring every kind of abuse I kept pleading for God to bring me out of my terrible fate. I didn’t want to lose faith, and He was the only thing I could hold onto anymore.
“Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them. But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord .’ ” And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.’
After a couple of months, a light finally shone on my darkness. My family was flying me home. I was leaving this place I’d only experienced immeasurable pain. I was terrified but so relieved to leave. The pain was not over, but God had delivered me, moving me forward, providing an escape and refuge, and reminding me there is reason to hope and trust Him.
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God, in His time, in His way, provided me with knowledge and experience that changed everything about who I was, and a way out of the sinful, hateful, painful existence I’d been living in. God vomited me out onto dry land like Jonah from the belly of the fish.
“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Life was not immediately easier, nor was it pain free. I have been through countless struggles even since then, but with each struggle comes another lesson of faith. During every experience of suffering I come even closer to understanding what salvation means; what it means to be saved.
This Prayer of Salvation is a beautiful prayer to thank God because, even when we are suffering, even when we are lost and hurting, even though we are so incredibly sinful and undeserving, He loves us anyway. He loves us enough to sacrifice His son, Jesus Christ, to save us from the damnation of eternal pain and separation from His mercy and love.
Even though we screw up, reject Him, walk away, curse Him, live in utter sin, and disrespect everything that He has done for us He loves us enough to chase after us and pull us out of the deepest depths of darkness and into impossible peace.
Because of His salvation, I know that my faith in God is good and right and that I can depend on Him to pick me up and deliver me to His kingdom when He says it is time. Every trial we face here on earth is another stepping stone toward God and His promise of salvation.
Don’t forget to thank God today, especially while life is especially difficult. It will change your life.
I am a wife, mom, writer, crafter, and above all, a Child of God. I love to study the Bible, fellowship with other Christians, and serve God. I am thrilled to invite you to join me in seeking to satisfy our thirsty souls with the Living Water of Christ, which is what Water On Thirsty Land is here to do.
