What Faith Is Not
Did you know what faith isn’t?
Faith is not active denial. Some confuse these two very different dynamics.
Denial is a refusal to accept something simply because it is undesirable. There is a place for resisting. We are called to resist the devil, and he will flee from us. That is an appropriate application of resistance.
Faith is rooted in hope, which produces faith in the unseen because of a desire to see God’s glory on display. Faith is grounded in knowing Jesus and having confidence in His character and nature.
Jesus walked in active faith when He declared I see the Father working and I work, I hear the Father speaking, and I speak. Jesus knew that as long as He stayed in step with His Father, whatever the Father was up to would be manifested here on earth. Jesus walked according to the Spirit. He did not walk according to the flesh.
There’s no evidence of Jesus panicking, getting upset with worry, or engaging in drama over what could be seen. Jesus was too busy watching what His Father was doing and then seeking to bring that into the reality of the moment.
Someone might ask, since Jesus miraculously fed multitudes twice, why didn’t He just perform a miracle to end hunger for the destitute in Israel at that time? Obviously, He didn’t see the Father carrying that out.
Since Jesus healed several blind men, why not heal every blind Israelite in that time? Again, the answer would be the same. The answer does not indicate an unwillingness on the part of the Father to heal and to deliver or provide.
It could very well demonstrate that other believers would be given the privilege to partner with Him at a later point in someone’s life. If Jesus had ended all the things that were ailing people while He walked the earth, the church would not have had an opportunity to demonstrate His presence after His ascension.
The peace Jesus walked in wasn’t a result of denial. It was a result of knowing the Father and knowing that in the unseen realm, there is a reality that is even more powerful and real than that which is seen. Denial cannot produce lasting results and produce health in one’s soul.
Pretending is another thing that cannot produce fruit. Just because a person sees someone else act in step with the Holy Spirit doesn’t mean that doing something the same thing the same way they saw another do it is on par with partnering with the Holy Spirit as a Person who is available to them through a relationship with Jesus. It requires being in step with the Holy Spirit, not a method. The supernatural is not a science. It is birthed from a place of relationship with the Father by grace through faith in Jesus and being baptized in the Holy Spirit, which is as much a part of the gospel as the message of salvation itself.
I do not wish to function in what faith is not. I find walking according to the Spirit is a much better way of doing things. It produces a confidence in Jesus.
Faith Is
Did you know what faith is?
The storm was raging, the boat was being tossed, waves were coming in, and the disciples were bailing water and trying to stay afloat. This was their reality at that moment. Facts screamed that it was a dire situation worthy of worry, fear, and panic. Meanwhile, Jesus was asleep in the stern of the boat.
The reality of the moment was so strong that the men awakened Jesus and were upset that He was sleeping.
Mark 4:36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
They haven’t been with Jesus for a long time yet. However, they have witnessed His power and have just seen a great miracle and been part of it. They’re still getting to know Him, and now the test of a desperate situation is upon them. However, their knowing Him is still developing.
I can’t help but think, was Jesus having a good dream while He was asleep?
Do we actually think He would have been asleep and dreamless?
One thing is for certain: the imagination of Jesus was not like that of His disciples at that moment. Their imaginations had them perishing. In their imaginations, the boat was going to sink, and they were going to drown. Their imaginations were driven by their reality in the natural. Jesus was unaffected by what was happening factually at that moment. His imagination was in another place.
We can know what faith is because the Bible teaches us what it is and what it looks like.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance (Assurance, confidence, concretely, essence) of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Faith is not based on the facts in the present. Faith is concretely confident and assured, to the point of affecting one’s emotions and outlook. It overrides the facts of a moment and a situation and looks forward to the possibility of the hope that is in the heart. It sees things differently than they currently appear. When faith is activated as it should be, it activates speak.
2 Corinthians 4:13 And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak,
Faith is not speaking to convince oneself of something. It is speaking because one is already convinced even though the object of hope is not seen yet. I’ve never seen heaven, nor have I been there bodily, yet I believe and speak of it as though I have, and the truth is I am seated in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. I am there by faith in Him. The source of faith is a person, and the more I know Him, the more my faith increases. Jesus is loving, good, great, powerful, merciful, and willing.
Is your boat presently sinking under the crashing waves? Will you choose to try to bail the water in hopes you can do it faster than the waves are coming in? or will you choose to place your hope in Jesus and begin to imagine an outcome based on His love and goodness towards you? We have a choice; the path of faith can seem silly and ridiculous to those who think of themselves as sensible and intellectual enough to see what they call reality. But to those of us who believe in things not yet seen but hoped for, faith is powerful because it rests in the One who is faithful.
He Did It
Did you know?
Jesus was sinless. He was born without sin because His Father was God. By not having an earthly father, a sinful nature was not passed to him through the bloodline. He then lived a sinless life and grew up believing in God and having a relationship with Him. This is evidenced by the story of when he was just twelve years old and having discussions with the religious leaders. When His mom expressed her concern over His absence and having to return to find Him, He simply said, “Didn’t you know I would be about my Father’s business?” So we know that at an early age, Jesus was aware of God being His Father and desiring to do His will.
Fast-forward to when He is older. His cousin John the Baptist has entered his ministry and is baptizing at the River Jordan as a prophet sent from God. Jesus goes out to John.
Matthew 3:13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” 15 But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him. 16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Have you ever struggled with what Jesus said to John to get John to baptize Him? “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” If Jesus was sinless, why would He need to be baptized? This is what goes through the minds of many.
Under the Old Covenant, anytime Israel had a prophet sent from God, they were expected to believe him and act on his instruction. The Prophet was their way of knowing what God desired. A Prophet communicated God’s will to the people. In other words, John’s baptism of repentance in preparation for the coming Messiah was God’s will.
John the Baptist was a Prophet sent from God—but not just any Prophet, the greatest Prophet because he was the one sent to proclaim the coming of the Messiah (also known as The Anointed One) and prepare the way for Him. The act of preparation was being baptized. So, those in Israel who acknowledged John as a Prophet went to the Jordan to be baptized by him and prepare their hearts and minds for the arrival of the Messiah. Jesus submitted Himself to the Prophet, as everyone in Israel was expected to do by God. Jesus acknowledged John as a Prophet and as doing the will of God by submitting Himself to John’s baptism.
Jesus was expected to enter into His ministry through the steps God desired, not His own way. The first step in that process was submitting to John’s baptism. So, it is true that the Father was pleased with Jesus before He had done anything in ministry, but it would not be true that the declaration came before Jesus had done anything at all. Jesus submitted Himself to the Father’s will in the moment.
The amazing thing is that once that surrender is accomplished, Jesus comes up out of the water, the heavens are opened to Him, He sees the Holy Spirit coming upon him like a dove, and that Father declares, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” The Holy Trinity was manifest in one moment in time at that river Jordan.
The Father’s will drew Jesus to a place of surrender. Jesus believed God ordained this Prophet to do this, and His act of submission substantiated His belief. That act led to seeing the heavens open and the Holy Spirit come upon Him. The Father declared His pleasure, and then the Holy Spirit led Him to the next step.
If Jesus desired to please the Father by doing His will, shouldn’t we? If Jesus submitted Himself to water baptism because it was God’s will, shouldn’t we? If Jesus needed the heavens open through surrendering Himself to the plan of God and thus being filled with the Holy Spirit to be able to go to the next step of His purpose, shouldn’t we? He did it! Jesus believed and acted on what He believed. This moment gives us a picture of what our new creation reality is meant to look like. We, too, are called to surrender to the will of God in a faith that is followed by an act in accordance with the will of God. He did it, and now we get to do it.
Kingdom Evidence
What do you offer others?
Imagine encountering a badly injured person in need of emergency assistance. You wouldn’t seek to treat them without any advice on what to do in that situation for fear you might do them greater harm than good. But if you called 911 and a trained medical person were to coach you on what to do, you might be of life-saving assistance to the person who is in great need.
In other words, by relying on the person who can actually provide a real solution and following their instructions, you could effectively be a great blessing to the person in great need.
This same idea applies to spiritual matters. Many people need supernatural solutions to their situations in life.
Supernatural- ADJECTIVE- (of a manifestation or event) attributed to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature. NOUN - manifestations or events considered to be of supernatural origin
It is a manifestation that a mere human being cannot ordinarily perform. It is understood to be supernatural on the basis that it is not common in the natural. Thus, it exceeds human ability and denotes assistance from the Holy Spirit, such as the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit, miracles, signs, and wonders. God is not looking to use us according to the limits of our human abilities. He desires to use us according to His ability as we walk in surrender to the Spirit. The DNA of God is supernatural. The Trinity is supernatural. Christ lives in us, and we have been placed in Him, which makes us supernatural. We are not of this world.
Supernatural does not simply involve teaching fascinating subjects that wow and excite people—that can be anointed, no doubt. But when we consider what the supernatural at work is like, it transcends talking at people. It involves bringing the power of God to bear on the situation.
The question is, what demonstrations of the Spirit are we walking in towards others? It is one thing to agree with the truth of something; it is another to ask ourselves in what way this truth is being manifested in our life and practice.
When we truly love others, we desire to be able to offer them real solutions to their situations in life. We desire to offer them something powerful and capable of carrying them way beyond the moment. Supernatural solutions help a person’s faith be in the power of God as opposed to convincing words. Let’s face it: all it takes to discredit convincing words is for someone to present a more crafty and convincing argument against what you were originally told. That’s what happened to the first woman, Eve. She had been given information from a very reliable source, and yet she accepted the twisted information from a less reliable source. Agape love offers more than just good advice. Jesus loved at the highest level; he provided supernatural solutions to everyday problems and then went on to give Himself the ultimate solution to our greatest problem.
To walk in the supernatural, we must put ourselves out there, trust in the Holy Spirit, and minister to others with the expectation that He will use us supernaturally for their benefit. This is what Paul was doing.
1Corinthians 2:4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
1Corinthians 4:20 For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.
Matthew 12:27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore, they shall be your judges. 28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Luke 11:20 But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.
The evidence of the kingdom is revealed by power and authority in the Spirit, not by words.
Man Doesn’t Live
What do you live by?
What does it take to live? The common answer would be food, shelter, clothing, health care, and finances.
When Israel was brought out of four hundred years of slavery in Egypt and was in the wilderness, they needed to eat. God supplied them with manna from heaven. Then Moses told them that God humbled them and let them hunger and then fed them with manna, something their fathers had never known about or experienced, to show them that men do not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. (Deuteronomy 8:3)
There is life in what God speaks to His children. Real life comes from His word. We know this must be true because when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He quoted this word.
Matthew 4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”
Why didn’t Jesus just say, “Leave me alone, Satan?” Jesus did His warfare with Satan in each temptation by quoting what God has already spoken in His word.
The enemy picked up on this and started quoting the word to Jesus in an attempt to trick Him. However, Jesus quoted the correct word to refute the twisting of Scripture that Satan was attempting to use against Him. Satan tempted Jesus with three primary temptations.
Prove you’re the Son of God by turning stones into bread.
Prove You’re the Son of God by sacrificing yourself and testing the promise of angels bearing you up.
Gain Your inheritance much quicker by worshipping me.
Basically, Jesus overcame the three foundational temptations that fuel all other temptations.
1John 2:16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.
Jesus did not cave into identity confusion or deception because He stood on the word of God with understanding and proper application. When believers neglect to be immersed in the word of God for their lives, they risk being unprepared to stand on it in moments when it is most needed. Being filled with truth correctly revealed and understood prepares believers for any crisis that comes up and seeks to catch them off guard and tempt them to put their confidence in their flesh or the wisdom of this world as opposed to what God has said and is now saying about it. Never forget that man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Never forget, “It is written.”
Out Of Context
Do you know what context is?
Have you ever been engaged in a conversation and a switch to a different subject happened, but someone never made the switch and started talking based on what was being discussed two or three subjects before?
Have you ever been in a situation in which someone, oblivious to what was going on around them, suggested something completely out of place with what was actually occurring?
We call these types of scenarios “out-of-context.” A statement made by someone taken out of context leads to a wrong conclusion about the point being made. This happened to Jesus.
Matthew 16:5 Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. 6 Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.” 7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have taken no bread.” 8 But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? 9 Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? 10 Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? 11 How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
The disciples likely thought they were astute when they deduced that Jesus was talking about the lack of bread. However, they had boarded a boat and gone to the other side after witnessing and participating in the miracle of feeding the multitude. They witnessed bread being multiplied, and now the next mission was underway. Upon arriving in Magdala, the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus and asked Him to show them a sign from heaven. Some significant time had passed since the miracle feeding, and now Jesus is dealing with the religious leaders in another region wanting signs. Jesus rebukes them for their ability to predict the weather based on watching the sky in the morning but being unable to understand the signs of the times. Much has transpired since the miracle on the other side of the lake took place. But the disciples arrive, realizing they forgot to bring any bread, and they are concerned about it, and it leads them to think Jesus is talking about bread.
Sometimes, a person can feel they are in step when they make a deduction based on word association. That was what the disciples were doing here. They heard the word “leaven,” but their minds were still on the fish and the loaves. When they heard the word “leaven,” they thought maybe we were supposed to keep some of the bread to bring with us. However, Jesus had moved on to the next thing that needed to be considered. Jesus is speaking of an encounter with the Pharisees and Sadducees that just unfolded. The disciples were out of context in their thinking, but thinking they understood.
Missing the context can result in an unrealized misunderstanding that, unless pointed out, will remain. I wonder how many of the twelve that day were confident they understood what Jesus was saying until He clarified it? What would have been even worse would have been if they resisted Him when He brought clarification and would have continued to state their opinion on it. Clinging to an opinion based on an assumption made from an out-of-context perspective is not a position that will bring good results. It is wise to make sure you are in the right context of the moment and understand what transpired in that context before inserting an opinion as though you were an expert—context matters.
Lord Jesus
Who is Jesus?
Were you aware that the Title Lord Jesus is used 116 times in the New Testament?
In other words, Jesus, when being referred to, is called Lord Jesus.
Titles do not seem to be as important in the United States as they are in other parts of the world. For instance, in Europe, having the title Sir in front of one’s name is a title of prestige. The title denotes a recognition from a higher authority of accomplishment and position.
In Scripture, this is also true of a Title being given. However, the Title of the Lord in Scripture differs from that of the Title of the Lord in England. Both indicate that one has authority. However, one is limited in its scope of authority, while the other is not.
In Greek, the word kurios actually means supreme in authority, i.e., (as a noun) controller; by implication, it means Master (as a respectful title): —God, Lord, master, Sir.
When this is applied to Jesus, it is more than just a respectful title. It identifies His right to rule and decide and who is in control. He now rules over the Kingdom of God and has been given all authority in heaven and on earth.
This idea is reflected in,
Romans 11:36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
It is fitting that Jesus be given such a title as Lord. He was, after all, God in human flesh. He did live a sinless life. He fulfilled the righteous requirements of the Law and offered Himself as a perfect sacrifice for us all. He completed His obedience to the Father with perfection and absolute surrender, even to death, the death on the cross. Jesus completed with perfection the mission He had been given from start to finish.
Colossians 1:19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
This is why Paul said in,
1Corinthians 12:3 Therefore, I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.
To call Jesus accursed is to accuse Him of fraud or failure. It is akin to calling Him a liar, and when the Jews were trying to spoil the church by saying to the Gentiles that unless they come under the law for their righteousness, they were not truly saved, they were, in a way, calling Jesus accursed and failing to recognize Him as Lord. In other words, such a ministry is not of the Holy Spirit. True Holy Spirit ministry gives glory and honor to Jesus as having fulfilled the Law in Himself and thus having the authority and power to impute God’s own righteousness to those who put their faith and hope in Him.
Those who turn to Him in full surrender, acknowledging Him as Lord over their lives, believing in what He did to bring salvation and life to them, and confessing Him from their heart as their Lord are saved. This kind of faith at work produces transformation that is evidence of a new creation in Christ.
I am pleased to say that Jesus is my Lord and Savior, and my life belongs to Him.
Faith Produces
What moves you to act?
There are many videos out now that show how someone pranks another person to get a reaction. For instance, in one video, someone secretly pins a fake snake to a person’s shirt tail. The person suddenly notices the snake and reacts by trying to get away from it. They bring an action based on what they believe in that moment. In this case, it is to try to outrun the snake.
In the Bible, Abram believed he had heard God tell him to leave his country and his family and go to a land that God would show him. God promised to make Abram a great nation and to bless him. He promised to make Abram’s name great and to make Abram a blessing. He also promised to bless those who blessed Abram and curse whoever cursed Abram and that in Abram, all the families of the earth would be blessed.
What did Abram do with this faith in what he heard? He packed his things and went on a pilgrimage. We know that God rewarded him. Here we are talking about him all these many years later. He is known throughout the world. His greatest challenge of faith came when he was tested by being told to offer his only son Isaac. Because he believed he had heard God, he acted on it. He put Isaac on the altar he had built and raised the knife to kill him. That was when God stopped him and declared he had passed the test of faith. Once again, God spoke amazing promises over Abraham.
One of the first acts that follow on the heels of faith is the act of speaking.
2 Corinthians 4:13 And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak,
In the kingdom of God, it is not seeing that is believing. It is speaking according to what isn’t yet seen, which is believing. The step that follows the speaking is an action in the direction of the declared faith.
James 2:18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
Like the person who believes a snake is after them will react, someone who takes God at His word will also react to it. Faith produces the fruit of a response in step with whatever is believed. The claim of faith becomes suspect if it doesn’t produce the fruit of an action in the direction of the belief.
James 2:9 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!
James is making the point that even rebellious demons who oppose God believe He exists and, therefore, know they will one day be judged by Him. This causes them to tremble. They tremble at believing in His power, might, and authority to do as He says He will. Their belief that there is an almighty God brings action.
Faith first produces confession and then moves on to producing action. To say I believe in Jesus and not confess Him as Lord is to bear witness that I do not really believe. To confess Him as Lord and neglect following Him as His disciple demonstrates a shortcircuited faith.
To claim a promise but fail to declare it and act on it reveals doubt rather than faith. True faith always produces the fruit of the evidence of that which is unseen yet believed.
Pleasing God
Who do you seek to please?
It can be healthy to please another when it isn’t rooted in manipulating or meriting anything. A truly healthy desire to please another is rooted in loving and respecting them.
Colossians 1:9 For this reason, we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
One key characteristic of a love that respects is the fruit of a desire to please. When someone resists the idea of pleasing someone who rightfully deserves it, we call that rebellion.
1Thessalonians 4:1 Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God;
Jesus modeled the importance of living to please God by being in total surrender to Him and making the following declaration,
John 8:29 And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.”
Jesus always did what pleased the Father! That was the expression of His love and respect for the Father. Love and respect work hand in hand.
There’s something powerful about knowing that the one you love and respect is pleased with you. When someone from a place of glory declares they are pleased with you, it is called being given honor and glory.
2 Peter 1:17 For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
This declaration came after Jesus submitted Himself to the baptism of John. John’s baptism of repentance was controversial to many in the culture of the time but was ordained by God, and when Jesus submitted to it, even though he had not sinned, He was acknowledging the wisdom, authority, and will of God for it to exist and be submitted to in that time and context. The Father made sure everyone knew of His being well pleased by the Son in this act of obedience. The knowledge of the Father’s pleasure gave Jesus the strength to endure the wilderness temptation. The joy of the Lord is a powerful thing.
Nehemiah 8:10 Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
Israel had just found the books of the law again and discovered the truth regarding their context. It brought grief upon them to discover they had displeased God. But they were being called to return to Him and told that in being shown the way, they should take heart in His joy in their submission to the truth. Notice it says the joy of the Lord, not my joy. His joy is my strength. Knowing He is pleased is powerful fuel for endurance and perseverance in life. If it can empower those who were under the law, imagine what it can do for you and me now that we are under the New Covenant of Grace.
His will for you and me is for us to believe in the One He has sent! Believing and taking Him at His word brings Him great pleasure. Our trust in His goodness empowers us to follow His will even in times of uncertainty in the natural. Desiring to please Him by how we walk in this life is not bondage. It is empowerment! After all, we have the DNA of the One who declared, “I always do those things that please Him.”
A Promise Of Provision
Want provision?
Did Jesus make a very clear promise of provision?
Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
He stated this after talking about how the Gentiles are driven and make it their priority to seek after earthly things like shelter, food, and clothing.
Jesus is saying that choosing to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness will automatically bring these necessities into your life because, as the Psalmist stated, “I’ve never seen the righteous forsaken, nor their seed begging for bread.” God provides for His children.
But it is His kingdom (His rule and reign), and it is His righteousness, not a righteousness we manufacture by means of keeping rules that we are to seek.
Jesus said that unless someone is born again, they cannot even see the kingdom of God. Jesus also said that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees and Sadducees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus is not saying that you will be righteous if you keep the law better than the Pharisees and Sadducees did. This statement involves obtaining righteousness from a better source than they had. The righteousness of the Pharisees and Sadducees was based on trusting in and keeping the law.
Jesus was speaking of a more powerful and reliable righteousness, God’s own righteousness.
Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
Jesus summed up the Ten Commandments into just two. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Love your neighbor as yourself.” This is the essence of the Ten Commandments given through Moses. No one ever kept them perfectly until Jesus came along.
Jesus loved God perfectly, even to the point of submitting Himself to the will of the Father by going to the cross. He also loved His neighbors perfectly, giving His life for them to pay for their sins and offer them redemption through His death on the cross. He did this for His neighbors’ past, present, and future. Jesus now lives in me, and I live in Him.
My hope, faith, and trust are in His obedience, not my own. I get to live a life of surrender to His rule and reign in my life and have the righteousness of God as my own through faith in Him. I fulfill loving God and my neighbors perfectly through my position in Jesus. Not that I get to ignore the practice in my flesh. However, I do not measure myself according to my flesh. My confidence comes from trusting in His obedience on my behalf. When I embrace and embody this faith life in Jesus, I get to enjoy the promise of provision that comes with it.
Everyone should honestly answer the simple question: Am I seeking His rule and reign and His righteousness in my life, or am I trying to make things happen with the strength of my flesh and resolve? The promise points us to Him, not ourselves. Guaranteed provision comes from seeking His kingdom and His righteousness.
Too Heavenly-Minded?
What do you dwell on?
Have you ever heard that old saying that goes, “Don’t be so heavenly-minded that you’re no earthly good?”
It was used to convince believers that they needed to keep their feet firmly planted on the ground and their thoughts in touch with what they could see so they could identify with it rather than something they couldn’t see. This seems so logical, and many thought it was wise.
It’s surprising the things many can embrace as wisdom when, in fact, it is contrary to the counsel of the Word of God. To step into who God says we are to be and to do requires faith, and faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).
I may not always appear to be the completed work on the outside that I already am on the inside, but I am still a completed work and need to believe that to be true so I can move forward into it as a believer in a Jesus I have never seen and yet believe. The heroes of faith that went before us believed in a Messiah yet to come that they had not seen, and the hope of it shaped their lives. We believe in a Savior who has already and will come again and whom we have not seen, and the hope of it shapes our lives.
My hope gives birth to faith in something I cannot yet see, but I choose to believe nonetheless. Although it cannot be seen, it is very real to me. It occupies my thoughts and empowers my choices and actions. My faith paves the way for living life from a place of expectation. Faith is not just some static state of being; it is a force that motivates and moves me into action in life. In the Bible, James said it this way,
James 2:17 Thus, faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works, faith was made perfect?
We’ll never escape faith’s activating nature because it is in its DNA to do so. Hope and faith offer us something to expect, and that expectation moves us to pursue the object of the hope. The Bible conveys this idea when Paul wrote to the church at Colossae.
Colossians 3:1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
Doing this by faith is what motivates us to put to death and put off specific things that manifest in our lives, and then put on the things we find are the characteristics of Jesus in whom we have our hope and faith. Read Colossians 3:5-17, and you will see what I am referring to. The fact is no one is too heavenly-minded to be any earthly good. We are meant to have our minds set on the things above where Christ is seated in the heavenly places. We need to identify more with our heavenly reality according to hope and faith so we can identify with who He says we are more than what we think about ourselves based on what we see, feel, and think in the natural. Faith-based new creation thinking is meant to replace the way we used to think about ourselves and about others.
Go And Make
What matters to you?
Every born-again person on this planet has Jesus’s DNA. Just as a baby shares the DNA of its father, we who have come to Christ by grace through faith have His DNA.
The more time a child spends with their father, the more of his characteristics they tend to pick up. The same is true when it comes to knowing Jesus. Scripture indicates that the more time we spend with Him, the more like Him we become.
2Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
There are a couple of things about Jesus that stand out to me—first, His closeness with the Father, and second, His desire to do His Father’s will. It was the DNA of Jesus to make doing His Father’s will a number one priority in His life here on earth. He desired to reflect His Father in all that He spoke and all that He did. Through this desire, we witness the heart of the Father toward us. Jesus understood that during His time on earth, His Father had all authority, and He submitted Himself to His Father out of love for Him.
After embracing death on the cross, being raised from the dead, and preparing to ascend to heaven, Jesus revealed that there had been a shift in who has authority in heaven and on earth. He then revealed His heart to His disciples.
Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Jesus understands the idea of being sent because He was sent from heaven to earth to do the Father’s will. The Father, possessing all authority, sent Jesus to destroy the works of the devil by making Him a perfect sacrifice and to bring eternal life to all who would believe in Him. In doing His Father’s will and dismantling the power of the enemy, Jesus was given all authority in heaven and on earth.
A centurion soldier who wanted healing for his servant asked Jesus to heal his servant. Jesus was willing to go to his house to heal the servant, but the man explained that he understood authority and felt unworthy of Jesus coming to his house. Therefore, if Jesus simply spoke the word, he knew his servant would be healed. To this, Jesus declared,
Matthew 8:10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!
This shows me that great faith is that which understands who is truly in authority and is, therefore, prepared to trust what that authority says and act on what it decrees. Jesus exemplified this by submitting to the will of His Father, even to death on the cross. We see this kind of faith in the centurion, who understands how authority works, and it is attributed to his great faith. Jesus, having received all authority, has made known His desire for His disciples. It is to go and make disciples, baptizing them and teaching them to observe all that He commanded. Disciple-making is His DNA, and it is supernaturally supported by Him according to His authority. This is the mandate of the church in every generation. It is the vision for the church according to the one who is the head of the church. I want to be in step with the One who has all authority in heaven and on earth because I love Him and trust Him. I want to be a disciple-maker like He was.
Jesus Is The Way
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Jesus Is The Way
Romans 3:19 Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses and to show that the entire world is guilty before God.
This verse reveals how the law is to be used. When the law is used properly, as it is intended, it is good. The law came with glory under Moses for a purpose: to show the world just how sinful it is and reveal the great need humankind has for a Savior.
Romans 3:20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.
The Law was never intended to make a person righteous. As Romans 8 reports, the Law was weak because it relied upon the strength of the flesh, which is weak.
There needed to be a sure way of making people right with God. A foolproof way planned in eternity past before the creation by the Trinity. That plan, “The Plan,” was that Jesus would come in the fullness of time and offer Himself as the once-for-all sacrifice for sin. Once Jesus’ work was finished, the Law was no longer needed to govern the people of God, who became children through their faith in Jesus and could now receive the Holy Spirit and live according to the Spirit. Jesus fulfilled the law on our behalf. If Jesus failed to fulfill, then none of us would be saved because His sacrifice would have fallen short of the requirement. Scripture confirms these thoughts.
Romans 3:21 But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. 22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. 23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, 26 for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.
Because this is so true, there’s no way that even one of us could boast about our position in the faith. Not one of us can boast about what we have freely received as though we did anything to earn it or deserve it. It is a free gift. But when people think in terms of performance or think the Law is still a way of gaining God’s attention or affection, they then make the mistake of thinking they can compare their walk with others in the faith to measure their progress or the lack thereof. Such comparisons are rooted in wrong thinking and result in a wrong perspective about God and the way He is relating with His children today. They need to cast down any idea that the Law can in any way make them righteous to start with or keep them righteous going forward. They need to learn to walk by faith in the Son of God.
Romans 3:27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.
Law-based thinking is wrong-based thinking for a New Covenant believer in Jesus. Jesus is the one who condemned sin in the flesh and paid for sin past, present, and future. His death paid for the sins of the whole world. His blood was enough to pay for sin from the beginning of mankind to the end of mankind. Only by faith in Jesus is my sin, or your sin in its entirety, completely removed so that we are now clean and righteous. Only by grace through faith in Christ can we be made the very righteousness of God in Christ and have a relationship with God with strong confidence and assurance.
I encourage you to look to Jesus today and find strength and hope in Him alone. In Jesus, there is no longer condemnation, but if you go back under the law to ascertain whether or not you are okay with God, you bring yourself under the ministry of death, and you will find that in your flesh, you do not measure up. Jesus is the only way!
Right Expectations
What are you expecting?
Psalm 27:13 I would have lost heart unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
Psalm 27 reveals the potential for despair turned to praise based on seeking the Lord with expectation despite all that is happening in the natural to discourage. It speaks of being forsaken by father and mother, being pursued by haters who wish him great harm, having his reputation assaulted by false witnesses and an army encamped against him.
In other words, the circumstances threaten hindrance, opposition, assault, and potential for destruction.
“I would have lost heart unless.” What prevents the psalmist from losing heart? He expects to see the goodness of God in the land of the living!
What is your expectation today?
Is there something in your thoughts being allowed to hinder you from coming before Him as you should?
“I would have lost heart unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.”
God gives us a way to keep expectations of His goodness alive and active. It begins with taking every thought captive to the obedience Christ performed on your behalf and applying His obedience to your reality. Christ’s obedience is the means by which we have been given acceptance and the right to draw near with great boldness to the throne of grace. By faith, take hold of what Jesus did and let it bring you before the Father with an expectation of His goodness. Jesus said in,
John 16:23 “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you. 24 Until now, you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive that your joy may be full.
What does it mean to ask in His name? It means asking based on Jesus’ obedience, not on our own actions.
“I would have lost heart unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.”
Jesus established a kingdom that is full of life, hope, joy, and peace! It is the land of the living the psalmist spoke of. Jesus is the goodness of God! You do not have to lose heart! You do not have to live a life of settling for things the way they are right now! You can believe that the goodness of God will show up on your behalf!
Coming to Jesus established you in a New Covenant of better things. If you’ve received Jesus, you get to live with an expectation of the goodness of God!
The Power Of Him
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The Power Of Him
In my home, there are what are called electrical outlets. I know that if I plug in an electrical device, it will have power to operate.
I also know that if I were to touch the outlet inappropriately, I could receive a shock that tells me that there is power present in that outlet.
Electrical current is the essence of that outlet, which would be useless without the flow of electricity.
We expect that if we plug something into an electrical outlet, it will draw on the essence of that outlet. Things meant to draw on the essence become empowered for the purpose for which they were created when they draw on the essence.
Luke 8:46 But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.”
A woman who had been bleeding for twelve long years touched the hem of Jesus’ garment, and (Power) His essence went out from Him into her, resulting in her healing.
For a woman to have an issue of blood meant a life of isolation. Women during their time of bleeding under the law were to be separated from the community. Under the law, they were not to come into contact with others during that time.
For this woman to be anywhere near a crowd, let alone someone who is a respected teacher, is a direct violation of the law. But she had suffered at the hands of doctors for many years and felt the isolation of her condition. She had heard about the power and goodness of Jesus. How He had healed and set free so many, and she imagined that if she could just touch the hem of His garment, she would be healed. She determined to sneak in through the crowd and get what she needed.
But she did not know that Jesus would perceive it if power went out from Him. Just as your electrical meter knows every time you use electricity in your home, Jesus knows when a person draws on His power.
To draw on His power, she first had to believe in His goodness. It all starts there because unless He is good, there’s no capacity for believing in the possibility of something needed being available to me. It is the draw of His goodness that overrides a sense of shame and unworthiness!
That woman perceived His goodness and somehow knew that she could be healed just by touching the hem of His garment. She was healed, and Jesus told her, “Daughter, your faith has made you whole.”
Her faith. Faith in what? Faith in His love, goodness, and power to heal, save, deliver, set free, affirm, love, and be joined with Him.
It is this kind of belief in who He is that results in drawing on the power that He is. A faith that draws on Him often manifests in real, outward, tangible solutions that cannot be explained except that it was the supernatural power of Jesus at work. It was the Holy Spirit accomplishing His will according to His goodness.
I want a faith that knows how to draw on Him all the time. A faith that doesn’t think it to be too much to expect His goodness in the land of the living! To lack such an expectation means losing heart. To live with such an expectation leads us to tap into the power of an abundant life He has already promised to us.
Oo Oo That Smell
Do you smell?
When I was young, I liked a song by Lynyrd Skynyrd titled “Oo Oo, That Smell.”
It’s a song about party life and addiction and how it has the smell of death on it. It’s a wake-up call song meant to get rockers to think about what they’re doing for a pleasure-filled life. The smell of death used in the lyrics of this song is metaphorical, no doubt, but it makes a strong point.
The Bible speaks of smells. It speaks of smells that believers are. That’s right; Scripture says you have two different kinds of smells about you when you are in Christ and representing Him to others.
(NLT) 2 Corinthians 2:14 But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now, he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. 15 Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. 16 To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this? 17 You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us.
We refer to attitudes with reference to smell. That attitude stinks, or that idea stinks, or someone might say that smells sweet! It’s a way of describing something as being pleasant and good or unpleasant and bad.
The truth is that you can live according to the Spirit, secure in Christ and full of peace and joy, and be accused of smelling bad. You can also do that and be appreciated for smelling good.
Preaching for profit and popularity is not the right fragrance to wear—it’s a fake perfume of sorts. Preaching with sincerity and Christ’s authority is the only type of preaching that really counts and carries the true fragrance. Getting the gospel right, getting it in, and then getting out really does matter. Doing it from the right motive is also of great importance.
All Powerful
What if you couldn’t lose?
Power is multifaceted. Everyone knows a little something about it.
Two hundred forty volts of electricity is powerful enough to power strong motors, appliances, and other devices that yield significant results. However, when we see lightning, we realize that the power in a lightning strike far exceeds 240 volts. We understand that there is much greater electrical power in nature.
A 60-mile-an-hour wind can be powerful and cause some damage, but a tornado with 200-mile-an-hour winds is far more destructive due to its much greater power. We respect a hurricane’s power far more than a 60-mile-an-hour wind.
The idea of power can be subjective based on what kind of power we are discussing and what situation it is applied to. We witness isolated expressions of power in some way every day of our lives. The matter of powerful things or people is important to all of us. So what would all-powerful look like? How would the idea of someone being all-powerful impact us? Is there such a person?
Jeremiah 32:17 “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.
Psalm 62:11 God has spoken once, twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God.
Power belongs to God. Power is not outsourced to Him. He doesn’t pay the local power company for His supply.
God is not just mighty, as if He is slightly stronger than other things or His enemies. He is almighty and all-powerful. Nothing can even come close to His power. God is the only one who can truly say that nothing is too hard for Him.
You can try to put your trust in a man or someone you think has power, but only God can say nothing is too hard for Him. We define this attribute of God by using one word - Omnipotent - meaning all-powerful. You can spend every day fighting for yourself and trying to be tougher or smarter. Or you can run to your Father, who has all power, knowledge, and wisdom and can impart what you need in any situation. But to be inclined to run to Him, you need to believe He is good and has the power to help you and will use His power to do so.
Believe He is for you and not against you, and believe that He will use His power to help you. If God be for us, who can be against us? I encourage you to turn to Him, who has all power in any and every situation, regardless of how small or big it might be. Let Him lead and help you today.
The Final Three
It’s time to finish
Jesus commanded His disciples to go and make disciples, teaching them to observe all that He had commanded them. In a previous devotion, I covered two of the seven I am aware of. Today, we’ll look at two more.
Today, I will review Jesus’s final three important commands. These commands are incorporated into the New Covenant and are meant to be taught to those who come to know Christ Jesus as Lord.
5. Love One Another
John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
John 15:12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
John 15:17 These things I command you, that you love one another.
John 13:35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Loving one another is a pinnacle foundational kingdom value. It characterizes the citizens of His kingdom and sets them apart from those who are of this world. John would say in his epistles that if we fail to love our brothers in Christ, we are not of God. Love is a litmus test of sorts as to whether or not we are truly in Christ and growing.
6. Lord’s Supper
Luke 22:19 And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 20 Likewise, He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.
1 Corinthians 11:25 In the same manner, He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
Some have concluded that every time believers come together, they should observe this privilege of communion. However, the wording Paul gives it “as often” implies that it was not every time they came together. There would have been a fairly decent frequency to it, but it is doubtful that it was practiced at every gathering. However, I will say it should not be ignored, nor should it be thought of as an insignificant command.
7. Give
Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”
Mark 12:41 Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. 42 Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans (means one-fourth. It was the lowest valued coin in all of Rome.) 43 So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.”
This widow’s ability to give was not based on her abundance. It was rooted in her desire to share in the privilege of trusting God with her provision, which enabled her to give to the temple. Amazingly, she did not give from the place of her abundance but rather all she had to live on. The practice of giving was important enough to Jesus that He watched it taking place at the temple and even invited His disciples to watch and explain what was unfolding to them. Giving is still an important part of the New Covenant.
Three & Four Of The Seven
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Jesus commanded His disciples to go and make disciples, teaching them to observe all that He had commanded them. In a previous devotion, I covered two of the seven I am aware of. Today, we’ll look at two more.
Today, I will review two more important commands Jesus gave. These commands are incorporated into the New Covenant and are meant to be taught to those who come to know Christ Jesus as Lord.
3. Pray & Believe
Command: Matthew 6:5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
This is not a “repeat after me prayer.” It involves an attitude toward prayer and an outline of prayer motivations. We do not pray to be seen by others; prayer is not a show. Using lots of words and repeating phrases does not make a prayer more effective. Prayer should begin with acknowledging your relationship with the Father and reverencing His greatness. It should be motivated primarily by a desire to see His kingdom come and include any specific known areas that require His aid in seeing it come to pass. A yearning for His will to be accomplished affects what we pray. We bring anything that currently appears to be outside His will to Him, desiring that it be brought into submission to His will. It’s not just His will in the passive sense, either. It is His will to be done like it is in heaven, without dispute, without question, and joyfully so. Then prayer can progress to daily needs, and any behavior that gives us a sense of needing His forgiveness. All our sins were paid for at the cross—all past, present, and future sins. So we are forgiven in the atonement, no doubt, but our souls register any disobedience or sense of falling short, and thus, we wash the soul clean with our request for forgiveness and our faith to receive it. Then, knowing that we are so easily forgiven, we ought to as well forgive others who have wronged us. Finally, we ask for His protection against the wiles of an enemy who desires to steer us in the wrong direction continually, and we cap it off with praises in faith, acknowledging that it is our Lord who has all authority and power and who rules this kingdom we’ve been made a part of. This model of praying means nothing, though, without faith.
Mark 11:24 Therefore, I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
Faith is and will always be the way we please God. Therefore, faithless prayer is like not praying at all.
4. Make Disciples
Command: Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
God has not called us to make mere converts. He does not say, "Go out and get someone to pray a prayer and then move on. " No, this desire communicates an intentional and invested endeavor not just to see someone accept Jesus as Lord but to go even further and invest in making sure they are His disciples. It involves a process that brings that person into your community of faith to grow in Christ and contribute to fulfilling His desire for their lives and His kingdom’s purposes. They are to receive instruction on the things Jesus taught the first disciples so they might observe them.
Two Of The Seven Commands Of Jesus
Do you know?
Jesus commanded His disciples to go and make disciples, teaching them to observe all that He had commanded them.
Today, I will review two important commands Jesus gave that are incorporated into the New Covenant and are meant to be taught to those who come to know Christ Jesus as Lord.
1. Repent, Believe in the Gospel & Follow Jesus
Mark 1:15 “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
We are meant to have an awakening of realization that leads us to see the futility of doing life on our own terms that leads us to change our minds and renounce the former things and those things that are of this world's value system in order to embrace the values of His kingdom. In other words, we change our minds to agree with what Jesus says, believe in who He is and what He has done, and receive how it applies to us.
We are to let go of our own way of thinking and embrace the good news and way of the gospel and His kingdom. This is the starting point for every disciple. We are to look to Jesus, put all our trust and hope in Him, and walk by faith in Him. We are expected to receive His mercy, grace, and love, which He offers so freely, with the aim of knowing Him more fully.
2. Be Baptized
Matthew 28:19 ………, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Acts 10:44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. 45 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, 47 “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.
If someone struggles with the idea of following Jesus in the obedience of being water baptized, how will they reckon the old man dead when it comes to other issues in the flesh? Water baptism is like a first act of obedience to Christ.
Jesus Himself was water-baptized by John the Baptist. This practice was so prevalent that when Philipp was joined to the chariot of the Ethiopian Eunuch and shared what Isaiah was saying concerning Jesus with him when the eunuch believed and then saw a little water, he asked to be baptized by Philipp.
Romans 6:3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so, we also should walk in newness of life.
I’m not saying water baptism saves a person, but just because it isn’t the means of salvation doesn’t diminish its significance in a disciple’s life.
These are just two of the seven commands Jesus gave to His first disciples. We know they stand because the disciples practiced them and because they were taught to new disciples in the New Covenant.