Bible Ballistics: BBs #791 You Can Do This!!! But How???
I have a word to share this morning, a word that we all can use on most days and probably today! And to set just a bit of context before we dive into this first passage, Paul was talking about Israel in the wilderness (and yes, we are to study the Old Testament as well as the New, so we might learn from the testimonies that God recorded for us!), and how we can learn from their choices. We can know that God is in charge, and our ‘temptations and trials’ are filtered through His fingers of love; we just need to look up, knowing that HE will provide!
“Now all these things happened unto them
for ensamples:
and they are written for our admonition,
upon whom the ends of the world are come.
12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth
take heed lest he fall.
13 There hath no temptation taken you
but such as is common to man:
but God is faithful,
who will not suffer you to be tempted
above that ye are able;
but will with the temptation
also make a way to escape,
that ye may be able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:11-13
Paul is teaching us to not only live in the truth of God’s written Word, but to remember the examples HE has recorded for us to learn from as we walk through this world of chaos and confusion. But we need not be either of those things as those who have seen the promise fulfilled of the Messiah who delivered salvation on the cross—salvation for all who will believe and receive the Gospel that Jesus paid for sin—my sin and yours! And not only has HE paid for our sin but has given HIS gift of The Holy Spirit, just as HE promised to all those who are born again by His power, His provision and His purposes through The Holy Spirit/The Comforter—the source of God’s provision to His own!
So, let’s peruse some references about who the Holy Spirit is, and what HE would accomplish. First of all, HE is the one who brings us to faith in Jesus (and the “HE” in this passage from John 1 is a reference to Jesus–“The Word…The Creator…The Light of the world!” The One who promised to send HIS precious Holy Spirit to HIS own!
“He was in the world,
and the world was made by him,
and the world knew him not.
11 He came unto his own,
and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him,
to them gave he power
to become the sons of God,
even to them
that believe on his name:
13 Which were born,
not of blood,
nor of the will of the flesh,
nor of the will of man,
but of God.
14 And the Word was made flesh,
and dwelt among us,
(and we beheld his glory,
the glory as of the only begotten
of the Father,)
full of grace and truth.” John 1:10-14
God brings us to the cross via the conviction (the work of the Holy Spirit in man to bring them to see sin as sin, and Jesus as the only cure, see John 14:16-18 & 16:6-8) of sin which HIS Holy Spirit reveals to man! He leads to the truth of the gospel—on which I stand like Paul, and you can too!
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ:
for it is the power of God unto salvation
to every one that believeth;
to the Jew first,
and also to the Greek.
17 For therein is the righteousness of God
revealed from faith to faith:
as it is written,
The just shall live by faith.” Romans 1:16-17
The gospel that Paul declared and stood on is the foundation of our faith—JESUS, and HIS substitutionary, atoning, sacrifice for sin– the truth we stand upon! Paul also gave us the “Gospel in a nutshell”, if you would allow me to call it that! Consider how concisely He proclaims Jesus!
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you
the gospel which I preached unto you,
which also ye have received,
and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved,
if ye keep in memory what I preached
unto you,
unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all
that which I also received,
how that Christ died for our sins
according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried,
and that he rose again the third day
according to the scriptures:
5 And that he was seen of Cephas,
then of the twelve:” 1 Corinthians 15:1-5
The Gospel IS JESUS:
It can only be shared by those who have “received” it—
Christ died for our sins—the only way (See John 14:6)-
ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES—
Christ Jesus was buried—HE WAS DEAD—
HE AROSE—on the third day—victorious over—
Sin, death, and hell—
ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES—
HE was seen alive by many witnesses!
Jesus paid the price that only the Lamb of God could pay. Have you come to HIM in repentance and faith? I pray that you have and if you haven’t, that you will come to HIM today! The choice is yours, but choose wisely, there is a test!
“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith,
Behold the Lamb of God,
which taketh away the sin of the world.” John 1:29
“For God so loved the world,
that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him
should not perish,
but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world
to condemn the world;
but that the world
through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him
is not condemned:
but he that believeth not
is condemned already,
because he hath not believed
in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation,
that light is come into the world,
and men loved darkness
rather than light,
because their deeds were evil.” John 3:16-19
There is so much more that I wish I had time (and finger strength left) to share here, but I pray that God will open our hearts to receive HIS truth as truth—that we will respond in faith and obedience—and share that which we have received, in whatever ways God provides and leads us to! I would like to share a few passages to encourage and assure us that Jesus died for you and me—for our sin—but when HE died, rose again, and ascended to heaven (until HIS return), HE sent us the amazing gift of HIS Holy Spirit to reside within and lead us into HIS truth, equipping us to minister truth to a lost and dying world. Jesus promised that The Holy Spirit would bring us into all truth if we will but receive and heed HIS leading in our lives—our every day, our walking about days, our tear-filled days, our laughing days—our EVERY hour days! Jesus promised us all we would need to press on.
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth;
It is expedient for you that I go away:
for if I go not away,
the Comforter will not come unto you;
but if I depart,
I will send him unto you.
8 And when he is come,
he will reprove the world
of sin,
and of righteousness,
and of judgment:
9 Of sin,
because they believe not on me;
10 Of righteousness,
because I go to my Father,
and ye see me no more;
11 Of judgment,
because the prince of this world
is judged.” John 16:7-11
And some more from Paul’s letters that I pray will help and encourage each of us to look up, walk straight and press on! (See Acts 1:1-8)
“In whom ye also trusted,
after that ye heard the word of truth,
the gospel of your salvation:
in whom also after that ye believed,
ye were sealed with that holy Spirit
of promise,
14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance
until the redemption
of the purchased possession,
unto the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14
“Let no corrupt communication
proceed out of your mouth,
but that which is good
to the use of edifying,
that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God,
whereby ye are sealed
unto the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness,
and wrath,
and anger,
and clamour,
and evil speaking,
be put away from you,
with all malice:
32 And be ye kind
one to another,
tenderhearted,
forgiving one another,
even as God
for Christ’s sake
hath forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:29-32
And the message to the Galatian believers:
“This I say then,
Walk in the Spirit,
and ye shall not fulfil
the lust of the flesh…
….. 24 And they that are Christ’s
have crucified the flesh
with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit,
let us also walk in the Spirit.” Galatians 5:16 & 24-25
Are we walking in The Spirit, or our own ways? Oh, Jesus, please do your work in our hearts through this precious Holy Spirit which you have imparted to all who are born again by HIS work of conviction and awakening to the debt of sin we owed. Thank you, Lord, for your love, your sacrifice, and your forgiveness of my sin—for paying my ‘sin debt’!
“Giving thanks
unto the Father,
which hath made us meet
to be partakers of the inheritance
of the saints in light:
13 Who hath delivered us
from the power of darkness,
and hath translated us
into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14 In whom we have redemption
through his blood,
even the forgiveness of sins:” Colossians 1:12-14
Jesus gives forgiveness of sin, and we should be recognized by actions which reflect the ONE who lives in us. How about me? How about you? Will we honor the One who saved us—the ONE who calls us to walk in “holiness”? While it’s simple to remember that God “has it”, it’s not always easy to remember how that looks. Remember that God filters everything that comes into our lives, and whether its “Job” like tragedy and strife, or blessings—He is working “all things” for our good!
“For God hath not called us unto uncleanness,
but unto holiness.” 1 Thessalonians 4:7
“And we know that all things
work together for good
to them that love God,
to them who are the called
according to his purpose.
29 For whom he did foreknow,
he also did predestinate
to be conformed
to the image of his Son,
that he might be the firstborn
among many brethren.” Romans 8:28-29
‘Nuff said!!!
Amen and Amen!!!
