Freedom!

2 Cor 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  NIV

Two obvious questions come to mind when reading this verse. First, where is the Spirit of the Lord? Second, what kind of freedom are we talking about? Knowing the answers to these two questions and living in light of that knowledge, will bring about a life filled with hope, peace and joy, so let’s look closely for those answers.

Question one, where is the Spirit of the Lord? In the context of this chapter, Paul has been comparing the ministry of the Holy Spirit with the ministry of the Law. He explains that though the Law is righteous and holy, it results in death because no one is able to fully keep it. The ministry of the Spirit, on the other hand, is working to bring us into a glory (life with God) that lasts eternally (v11). The key in discovering where “the Spirit is” though, is found in verses 2-3. Paul explains that these Corinthians are a “living letter” to the world because the Spirit Himself has written on “the tablet of their hearts.”

The Spirit then, is to be found in the life of a believer in Christ. Every person who has trusted in Christ for their salvation has received the Holy Spirit into their life. If you are a Christian, you need look no further for the Spirit. God has placed His Spirit inside you, for His own purposes. He is there to provide comfort in times of trouble and to teach you (Jn 14:16, 26). He comes to give you power (Ac 1:8) and He lives in you to bring you freedom.

Freedom from what? From the power of sin and death! To really understand this concept, it is good to go to the book of Romans, chapter 8. In that chapter, Paul makes this truth very clear. There are two types of people described in this chapter. Those who are still in bondage to the law of sin and death and those who are free from that law. Which category they are in, is based upon of their acceptance or rejection of Jesus Christ.

Here is how he describes those who have not received Christ, “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires…” (Rom 8:5 NIV) “… the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.” (Rom 8:7-8 NIV) The person who has not received Christ as their Savior and Lord, is controlled (slaves to) their sinful nature. They cannot please God. They are not free.

The believer in Christ however, is set free from bondage to the sinful nature and its resulting death. We are free to live under the control of the Holy Spirit living inside of us. Rom 8:9, “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.”  “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.”  (Ro 8:11 NIV)

What an amazing truth! If you are a believer in Christ, the Spirit of the Lord is in you and you are free! This is what Jesus was talking about all the way back in the book of John 8:31-32, “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’  “…everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” (V34) “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (NIV)

So Christian, live your life in the light of this truth. Follow Paul’s instruction in Gal 5:25, “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” (NIV) Surrender your life daily, even moment by moment, to the control of the Holy Spirit living inside of you. That is where freedom is found!

Do Not Be Afraid!

Matt 14:27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid."  NASU

The context of this verse is very familiar. Jesus had sent his disciples away, to the other side of the lake, while He went up the mountainside to pray by Himself. During the voyage, the boat and its occupants were being battered by the wind and the waves. All of a sudden, they see a figure on the water, walking towards them. The biblical account says that they were terrified, believing that they were seeing a ghost. Then Jesus shares the comforting words. “It is I.”

It is interesting how many times the bible records Jesus talking to His followers about their fear. It occurs at least eight times in the book of Matthew. It seems that it is an important topic. We could tend to believe that His followers were rather easily frightened because Jesus spoke about it so often, but I don’t think that is the case. After all, it took tremendous courage just to follow Jesus at this time. For many, it meant leaving their homes, families and businesses, without any knowledge of what might happen. It meant being despised by many of their kinsmen and ridiculed by the Romans.

No, I think that the twelve and all of Jesus’ other disciples were just ordinary people, like you and I. We all experience fear at times. Some commentators say that this event showed lack of faith on the part of the disciples but that is incorrect. If you read the account closely, only Peter is rebuked for lack of faith and that came after he had demonstrated great faith by walking on the water to meet Jesus. Once he got out there, he lost the courage he started out with.

I think we can understand the fear of these men considering their circumstance. After all, Jesus had not said anything about meeting them out in the middle of the lake! It was a pretty natural reaction to a very supernatural event. What is important to see here, is the response of Jesus to their fear. Instead of rebuking the disciples, Jesus encourages them. How does He do that? He does it in two different ways.

First, He encourages them with His words. “Take courage,” might also be translated, “be bold,” or “have confidence.” He is telling them to replace their fear with courage, boldness or confidence. That is nice but it brings up a question. Why should they do that? The storm is raging and they see a strange figure walking toward them on the water. What would give them any reason to replace their fear with boldness or courage?

The answer to that is in the second way Jesus encourages them. It is a point I want you to pay close attention to, because it will make a huge difference in how you approach fear in your life. You see, the second way that Jesus encourages His disciples is with His presence! He assures these men that He is the one who is there with them. “It is I.” What an amazing statement! Jesus is letting them and consequently us know that as long as He is present, there is no need to fear. In His presence, fear can always be replaced with confidence, courage and boldness.

You might be thinking, “yes, but what about when I don’t feel His presence?” Then you must again go back to His words. This is what He says, Matt 28:20 “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (NIV) We base our courage on what He says, not what we feel.

Heb 13:5-6 He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU," so that we confidently say, "THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?"  (NASU)

If you are “in Christ,” you do not need to approach life with fear. Jesus is always present in your circumstance. Let Him speak His words of encouragement to you and replace your fear with confidence and boldness in Him. His power, proven in this instance by His ability to walk on water, knows no bounds. He is able to deliver you from any circumstance, any situation. Trust in Him!

A Good Work

Phil 1:3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  NIV 

This often quoted passage, is one of the most encouraging pieces of scripture I can think of. The Apostle Paul begins a personal letter to the church at Philippi, which had been established shortly after Paul visited the city on his second missionary journey. It is evident by looking at verses 12-14, that he was a prisoner at the time he wrote the letter.

What you see in verse 5 is that the Philippians had partnered with Paul in ministry. How had they done that? One way was by sending Ephaphroditus to minister personally to him. Another way was by sending Paul financial gifts, to make his imprisonment a little more comfortable (Ph 4:14-19). They had done this on at least two other occasions.

This is a result of the good work that Jesus had begun in the Philippians. As you read through all of chapter one, you can see that the practical application of God’s spiritual work in the believers at Philippi, had stimulated great affection from Paul. Notice, in verses 3 and 4, how Paul prays for this group of committed believers in Christ.

When God begins a good work in your heart, it should also be demonstrated through practical application. In verse 9, Paul mentions that he prays that their love would abound more and more. It stands to reason then, that their love must have already been abounding! When Christ comes into our hearts, one of the first changes that we will see is that our love for Jesus will be demonstrated in love for other believers (Jn 13:35). 

This kind of love (agapee- love without conditions or expectation of anything in return) is a love that only Christ can give. It is visible proof of one’s relationship with God. This love must be the motivation for any good works. Without it, Paul says our actions gain nothing (1Cor 13:1-3).

Here is the best news of all. Look back at verse 6. Who was it that began this good work in these people? It is God. When did it begin? It began on the day that they received Jesus as their Lord and Savior, the day of their salvation. How long will it continue? It will continue until the “day of of Christ Jesus.” That means until He returns for His church or until your personal day of meeting Him face to face arrives. 

Remember, it is He who begins the work in you and He is the one who “carries it on to completion.” That means that no matter what is going on in your life, He is working. When you feel discouraged, beaten up by the world, He is working. When you are excited about life, He is working. When you can’t understand what is going on around you, He is working. He is always working to complete the work of love that He began in you and He will finish the job! Don’t ever let anyone, including the enemy of your soul, who is the father of lies, convince you otherwise. Be confident (convinced by argument), just as the Apostle Paul was, that God will do His great work in you. Then, give Him thanks and praise for His glorious work!

God Bless You

Coach

ON SALE!!!

Starting May 22nd, you can get Walk in the Way for only $.99. The sale will last until May 29th. There are fifty nine studies in the book. Below is an excerpt for you to check out. You can click on the cover picture on the right side of the blog to order your ebook.

God bless you,

Coach

6: Perfect?

Matt 5:48 Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. NASU

Was there ever anything that Jesus said that seemed more impossible than this? Perfect? How could we be perfect? We still sin every day of our lives. Even the apostle Paul said that he did things he didn’t want to do and didn’t do that which he wanted to do. If he couldn’t be perfect, I am sure I can’t be perfect! Why would Jesus command us to do the impossible? Take comfort, I don’t think He did.

The word for “be” in Greek is a future tense for the word meaning “I exist.” You could say it this way, “will be.” You may still be saying, “But that is still impossible, I cannot envision even a time in my future where I will be perfect!” That is understandable, especially if you will read the context in which Jesus is saying this (Lk 5). He has just finished telling His disciples several things that they should do such as:

Love your enemies.

Pray for those who persecute you.

Give people more than they ask of you materially and time wise.

Turn the other cheek when someone slaps you and many other difficult commands, which seem impossible to keep.

Is this really the expectation level the Lord has for the believer?

The word perfect in Greek is teleioi. It comes from the word telos which means, “end,” “goal” or “limit.” It is sometimes translated as complete or mature. The idea here is that we are moving toward this end. We are becoming more and more like our Savior, doing His will more often. We are in modern vernacular, “works in progress.” It needs to be the major goal of our lives as Christians.

Even so, it seems difficult to always be striving for that goal, does it not? Well, the good news is that as a believer in Christ, you have the Holy Spirit living in you to empower you towards that end. That’s why Paul could say in Phil 1:6 “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” (NASU)

There are two encouraging thoughts in that verse. One, we don’t have the power to do this on our own. That’s ok, God provides the power for us. That is why the bible tells us, "With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."  (Matt 19:26 NASU, emphasis mine) Two, there will come a day when we have been perfected. We don’t know when that day is but we can certainly look forward to it.

So, don’t shy away from this call to perfection but embrace it. Make it your desire to follow the Lord’s instructions to the uttermost and let His Holy Spirit empower you to do it. It won’t mean striving, but thriving in the “living water” Jesus promised! John 7:37-39 "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'" But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive;” (NASU)