What is Personal Prayer?

To answer this question, it is important that we should first examine the Greek word for ‘prayer’ to obtain its full meaning, as Greek is the main language that the New Testament was originally written in and translated from.

The main Greek word used for prayer in the New Testament is ‘proseuche’ (pronounced pros-yoo-kay), which is made up of two words, ‘pros’ and ‘euche’.

Pros is a preposition and means toward or with (being with or close to) and denotes a sense of personal closeness and intimacy between two people.

Euche is a noun and means ‘a prayer of desire or passion, or a vow’.

Bearing this in mind. we now see that when the New Testament writers (under the power of the Holy Spirit) speak of prayer, it means that when we pray it is designed to draw us intimately near to God and enable us to verbally share with him our earnest desires and passions for whatever it is we want to talk to him about.

Prayer, for a born-again Christian, is intimate conversation between believers in Jesus as individuals, and God or creator and Heavenly Father.

One on one prayer to God is designed to help a believer to build a close, intimate, and personal relationship with the Father in Christ Jesus. It is talking to God and having a conversation with Him.

As a conversation between two people is a two-way stream, when we pray it is just more important for us to listen to what God has to say to us as well. When you pray, make time to wait upon the Lord and be still so that you can hear His voice in your heart!

Why do we pray?

To build a close relationship with our Father in Christ Jesus

Prayer helps us to strengthen our love relationship with Jesus and thus with God the Father. Let’s have a look at an example of this through one of the apostle Paul’s prayers for the Church in Ephesus:

Ephesians 3:14-19 (NIV)

14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

In verse 14 above we see that the Apostle Paul is praying to the Father in the name of Jesus. From verse 16 his prayer, because the church is God’s family, takes on the essence of true love. He starts to pray that God would strengthen the Ephesian believers in their hearts (the inner man) through the power of the Holy Spirit.

In verses 17 through 19 Paul encourages the Church to cultivate our faith, grounded in Jesus, a deeper and deeper love for Jesus so that we may experience the fullness of God that the world cannot understand. This is how the Church will be unified in the Spirit to move powerfully in the ‘world’ and do even greater things than Jesus did to His glory. Moving in the love of God, the grace of Jesus and in fellowship with the Holy Spirit, the Church will be an undefeatable force in the world and signs and wonders, miracles and healings will follow us as the did with Jesus and the Apostles.

This is certainly the kind of relationship that Paul had with God and we would do well to emulate it! Paul encourages us to, as well!

1 Corinthians 11:1 (NLT)

And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.

It helps us to overcome sin and temptation
When we face the trials and temptations of life, we need to press into God more earnestly, move into Him and not withdraw from Him as we often tend to do, and he will strengthen us to overcome all things the ‘devil and his world’ throw at us in Christ Jesus.

Jesus himself is our prime example of this just before he was arrested and crucified:

Luke 22:39-44 (NIV)

39 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. 40 On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” 41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

And the Apostle John says this:

1 John 5:3-5 (NIV)

3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

It helps us to find out God’s will for our lives and to gain Godly wisdom
It is impossible for any believer to know God’s will for their life unless they are talking to him in prayer. That’s just plain common sense!

But let’s strengthen our common sense with scripture, and no better scripture than this one with Jesus once again as our prime example:

Luke 6:12-13 (NIV)

12 And it came to pass in those days, that he (Jesus) went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.13 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;

In these verses we see that Jesus has a big decision to make. From the many disciples he had at the time, he needed to decide which of them would be the chosen twelve apostles. To be able to make the right decision Jesus knew he needed to seek the will of God the Father’ so he took himself aside and prayed all night.

Only then, once he knew the will of the Father, was he able to make the decision of which of his disciples he would choose as the twelve apostles – even the one that betrayed him was the will of the Father. A decision that would rock the world of the time!

We, as disciples of Jesus, always need to pray about all things!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

In order for us to make right decisions we need to know the will of the Father and have the wisdom of God to implement our actions and good works in Christ Jesus. We can’t do this unless we are communicating with God in prayer! But in all our prayer we must have faith that it will come to be, don’t doubt, as long as it is in the Father’s will!

James 1:5-8 (AMP)

5 If any of you lacks wisdom [to guide him through a decision or circumstance], he is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask [for wisdom] in faith, without doubting [God’s willingness to help], for the one who doubts is like a billowing surge of the sea that is blown about and tossed by the wind. 7 For such a person ought not to think or expect that he will receive anything [at all] from the Lord, 8 being a double-minded man, unstable and restless in all his ways [in everything he thinks, feels, or decides].

And then – rejoice always!

Prayer helps us to achieve the work God wants us to do
Once we know (through prayer) the works that God wants us to do, we will also need to ask Him in prayer how we can achieve them.

John 14:12-14 (NIV)

12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

An active prayer life is one of the keys to our spiritual awakening
When we lead an active prayer life our spirits are lifted up to be with Jesus in the throne room of God.

When this happens changes not only happen within us but in those around us as well. Prayer brings revival - miracles, signs and wonders occur!

Revelation 8:3-4 (NIV)

3 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand.

The prayers of God’s children in Christ Jesus reach His throne room. They then have a profound effect on what happens on earth under God’s hand, especially now in these end times!

Revelation 8:5 (NIV)

5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.

An important part of our spiritual awakening comes to the fore when we start praying for others (called intercessory prayer) as Jesus prays for us. We need to always follow the example Jesus sets for us.

Hebrews 7:25 (NIV)

Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

When we intercede for others as Jesus intercedes for us, we help others to live their lives in accordance with the will of the Father and to receive all His promises and benefits. This is how the family of God ought always to be towards each other in their prayer lives, daily!

Prayer is the key weapon in Spiritual Warfare
It is important for every new believer and indeed, every believer to know that because we are God’s children, we automatically become the target for God’s enemy, who is Satan or the devil as he is quite commonly known as.

Satan’s mission on earth is to kill and destroy anything that belongs to God and anything that He created. This is primarily us, His Church and mankind in general.

John 10:10 (NIV)
The thief (Satan) comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

There is much to be said about Spiritual Warfare that warrants it receiving more attention, but that is a topic for another time.

Did Jesus pray?

In a nutshell – most definitely, yes!

Jesus was constantly in prayer to the Father. We should follow his example.

Luke 5:16 (NIV)

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

Hebrews 5:7 (NIV)

During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.

Matthew 26:39 (NIV)

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

There are at least twenty-five other scriptures in the New testament that tell of Jesus praying. See if you can find others as you read the Bible. Let the Church do the same, let’s be imitators of Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and bring glory to His name!

How do you pray?
Jesus gives us the model prayer in Matthew:

Matthew 6:9-13 (NIV)

9 “This, then, is how you should 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 today our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one.’

Jesus says in verse 9 that when we pray, pray in this order:

Verse 9: This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,

Acknowledge that you are praying to the Father in heaven as a child would address its earthy father and recognize that his name is holy and to be revered. The ‘Our’ here indicates that we need to recognize that we are part of a family of God’s children and that as a good Father we should recognize that He loves us all.

Verse 10: your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Make sure that what you are praying for is in accordance with His will and not your will, and ask with the right motive, one that is selfless, so that His kingdom will come on earth.

James 4:3 (AMP)

You ask [God for something] and do not receive it, because you ask with wrong motives [out of selfishness or with an unrighteous agenda], so that [when you get what you want] you may spend it on your [hedonistic] desires.

Verse 11: Give us today our daily bread.

God is our sole provider. Let your requests for provision be made known to him. You won’t always get what you want, but He will always give you what you need, even the things you didn’t know you needed! And very often you get much more than you ever expected!

Verse 12: And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

When we come before God, we need to have a repentant heart. Examine your heart and repent of any unconfessed sin and even more importantly, forgive those that have sinned against you, cleanse yourself of any ill feeling, anger, jealousy, and grudges that you may be holding against others.

Verse 13: And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’

Temptation in this verse can also be translated from the original Greek as ‘trials’. We will all face trials and temptations in life and we need to ask God daily to give us the strength to overcome them in Christ Jesus and to lead us away from them. In Jesus we are overcomers, and we will be protected from evil.

Just quoting the Lord’s prayer verbatim every day is not really prayer, it will just become a mantra. The Lord’s prayer serves as a way for us to prepare ourselves for prayer, to come into God’s presence through Christ Jesus.

If we live our lives according to the Lord’s prayer, we will find ourselves walking closely with him in the Spirit. Prayer is one of the keys to living the life through the Spirit that the Apostle Paul refers to in Romans 8:1-17. Please read this for yourself, it will change your life dramatically for the better!

Our prayers and petitions we pray in the name of Jesus.

The below verse speaks for itself very clearly.

John 15:16 (NIV)

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.

How do we end a prayer time?

Journalise:

Keep a journal in which you can make a note of your prayers and include in your notes a date the prayer was made, what God said to you if anything and when the prayer was answered.

The answering part might be immediate, or it may take a while to be fulfilled. Be patient and don’t give up – sometimes it may even take years!

When you pray, believe and have faith that it will come to be:

The Bible tells us clearly that when we pray, we must believe that we have received whatever it is we are praying for, and we will receive them.

It also warns us not to hold any unforgiveness in our hearts against anybody. The inference here is that if we do, our prayers could be hindered!

Mark 11:24-25 (NIV)

24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

Matthew 9:27-30 (NIV)

27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”

28 When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

“Yes, Lord,” they replied.

29 Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; 30 and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.”

Give praise and thanks to God with a grateful heart:
This is probably the most important part of a Christian’s prayer life – giving thanks to the Lord for everything! Especially that he answers our prayers.

Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

2 Chronicles 5:13-14 (NIV)

13 The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang:

“He is good;

his love endures forever.”

Then the temple of the Lord was filled with the cloud, 14 and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God.

Dear Father in Heaven

Teach me your ways, O Lord, and teach me to pray as you pray. I ask that by your Holy Spirit that you would keep my motives pure in all areas of my life and particularly when I am praying. May my life bring glory to your Name. Amen.

List of other Bible verses related to prayer for you to read and study:
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; Philippians 4:6-7; 1 John 5:14; Colossians 4:2; Mark 11:24; Jeremiah 29:12; Romans 12:12; Matthew 6:7; Psalm 145:18; Jeremiah 33:3; Matthew 18:20; Hebrews 4:16; Matthew 6:6; Psalm 18:6; 1 John 5:15; James 5:16; James 1:6; Acts 16:25; Luke 6:27-28; John 15:16; Acts 1:14; 1 Peter 4:7; John 14:13; James 4:2; 1 Corinthians 13:1

What is Man's Freewill?

What does the Bible say about man having a ‘free will’?

Well, speaking literally, the Bible doesn’t mention the term ‘free will’ at all. But figuratively speaking the Bible has quite a lot to say about man’s freedom to chose right or wrong, to sin or not to sin and to choose between good and evil!

But, firstly let’s take a look at how modern society looks at the term ‘free will’ from the below definitions from three different sources.

“Free will is the capacity for agents to choose between different possible courses of action unimpeded. Free will is closely linked to the concepts of moral responsibility, praise, guilt, sin, and other judgements which apply only to actions that are freely chosen.” Wikipedia.

“Free will, in humans, the power or capacity to choose among alternatives or to act in certain situations independently of natural, social, or divine restraints”. Britannica.com.

“freedom of humans to make choices that are not determined by prior causes or by divine intervention.” Merriam-webster.com.

From the above three definitions, the thing that jumps out at me is that all three quotes contain the word choose or choice! It is abundantly clear that the term ‘fee will’ means that human beings have the freedom to make their own choices in life.

Our will is that part of the mind – the mind resides in our souls - that evaluates things and allows us to make our own choices on things. Our will enables us to chose between good and evil, to obey God our creator or not to obey him. To believe in the God of Christianity or not to believe in Him.

This freedom to make our own life choices was given to us by God. We can choose between doing good or doing evil! This is our free will and God does not violate it in any way in any circumstance – and as we all know, man can create some pretty awful and disgusting life circumstances that not only affects his life but the lives of many others as well. The wars, criminal activities and abuse of each other, that man perpetrates are prime examples of the evil choices that man often makes.

Romans 14:12 (NIV)

So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.

2 Corinthians 5:10 (AMP)

For we [believers will be called to account and] must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be repaid for what has been done in the body, whether good or bad [that is, each will be held responsible for his actions, purposes, goals, motives—the use or misuse of his time, opportunities and abilities].

From the above two verses we can see that for every choice we make, on judgement day we will all have to give an account of why we made these choices, good or bad, did we choose to sin or not to sin? Sin is doing or saying something that is contrary to God's Word and will!

Man has the Freedom to Choose between Good and Evil:

Let’s have a look at what God tells us in the Old Testament Book of Deuteronomy about our freedom to choose, and yes even though it is from the Old Testament, it still applies to everyone today especially to Christians because:

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)

16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Let’s examine the below verses from Deuteronomy 30 in segments and I’ll put my thoughts in after each segment in ordinary text – please remember that it is the Word of God that is infallible, not mine!

Dt 30:15-20 (NLT)

15 “Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster.

God tells us here that He is giving us the freedom to choose between life and death. Here the Bible is talking about eternal life and eternal death of man’s soul. Life means eternal life in heaven with God (through our acceptance of Christ Jesus) and death means eternal separation from God in Hell for those who have rejected Christ Jesus.

We also have the freedom to choose between prosperity (a rich spiritual life in Jesus) and disaster (a life without Jesus) whilst we are physically alive! Remembering here that the choices we make whilst we are alive on earth will have a bearing on whether we will spend eternity in heaven or hell.

16 For I command you this day to love the Lord your God and to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy.

If we love God with all our very being and we adhere to and live according to His Word (this includes accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour – being born again), God will bless us in everything we do. This is not a promise of an easy, idyllic life but a promise that we will be able to overcome life’s difficulties through Christ Jesus.

17 “But if your heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and if you are drawn away to serve and worship other gods, 18 then I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live a long, good life in the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy.

If we chose not to follow God’s ways (including not accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour – not being born again), we willfully remove ourselves from God’s blessings and will ultimately end up in Hell.

19 “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!

20 You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

God will allow us to choose Him (life) by committing our lives to Him, this means repenting from our sin, turning away from it and living a righteous life by accepting His son Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, becoming born again or rejecting Him by refusing to accept His son Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour (death) and refusing to live according to the teachings of the Bible. It is God’s desire that we all chose Him and have life, but he doesn’t force us to!

We learn valuable lessons from the Old Testament and its teachings are still valid to us today as born again Christians!

1 Corinthians 10:1-11

For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” 8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9 We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10 And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.

11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.

How did Jesus handle his ‘free will’?

As born again Christians it is so important for us to follow Christ’s example in all we do, including the choices we make with our freedom to choose! The scriptures urge us to be imitators of Christ and be conformed to his image. There is nothing that we go through that Jesus hasn’t experienced and had victory over!

Romans 8:29 (NIV)

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

Ephesians 5:1 (NLT)

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.

Hebrews 4:15 (NIV)

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.

So, let’s examine the below scriptures and hopefully learn to emulate the way Jesus handled his free will. Let’s have the mind of Christ and let’s always echo his words to the Father: “Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

Mark 14:36 (NLT)

“Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

Matthew 7:21 (NIV)

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

John 5:30 (NLT)

I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will.

John 6:38 (NLT)

For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will.

In the four scripture verses directly above Jesus tells us that:

He wants the Father’s will to be done and not his. Only those of us that do the will of the Father will enter the kingdom of heaven. That is those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour (are born again) and actively pursue a life of righteousness by being led by the Holy Spirit – living life in the Spirit (Romans 8). He does nothing on his own and judges only as God tells him.

God's will leads to everlasting life!

He came down from Heaven to do God’s will – to be the Saviour of mankind, to everlasting life in Heaven to those that receive him of their own choice.

John 3:16-18 (AMP)

16 “For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world [that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world], but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 Whoever believes and has decided to trust in Him [as personal Savior and Lord] is not judged [for this one, there is no judgment, no rejection, no condemnation]; but the one who does not believe [and has decided to reject Him as personal Savior and Lord] is judged already [that one has been convicted and sentenced], because he has not believed and trusted in the name of the [One and] only begotten Son of God [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, the One who alone can save him].

God loves mankind, His prized creation, and gave up His only son to die for our sins so that in Jesus we may receive forgiveness of our sins and receive eternal life in heaven.

2 Peter 3:9 (AMP)

The Lord does not delay [as though He were unable to act] and is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is [extraordinarily] patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

It is God’s will that no man should perish (be cast into Hell for eternity) but He gives us the freedom to choose between eternity in Heaven or eternity in Hell!

If we chose to submit our human will to His will in everything, out of love for him as Jesus does, we will spend eternity in His glory in Heaven!

Man's will leads to destruction!

It is man’s desire to have his own way and to chose evil (follow the way of Satan) that causes the depravity in the world today.

Genesis 6:5-6 (NIV)

5 The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. 6 The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.

God sent the flood to destroy mankind, but he saved Noah (who was the only man found to be righteous) and his family. And through Noah the human race began again but man soon reverted to his old ways of sin and being disobedient to God’s ways and commands.

Jeremiah 7:24 (NLT)

“But my people would not listen to me. They kept doing whatever they wanted, following the stubborn desires of their evil hearts. They went backward instead of forward.

And this is the position that the world finds itself in today with those outside of salvation in Christ Jesus both knowingly and unknowingly aiding and abetting the Devil in destroying God’s creation.

Those who do not accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour will perish (spend eternity in Hell) where there will be eternal spiritual death which is eternal separation from God! Hell is a place of eternal torment for the devil and his fallen angels and for the human soul without Christ Jesus!

Revelation 21:8 (AMP)

But as for the cowards and unbelieving and abominable [who are devoid of character and personal integrity and practice or tolerate immorality], and murderers, and sorcerers [with intoxicating drugs], and idolaters and occultists [who practice and teach false religions], and all the liars [who knowingly deceive and twist truth], their part will be in the lake that blazes with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Revelation 20:13-15 (NIV)

13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

2 Thessalonians 1:8-10 (NIV)

8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might 10 on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father
I pray that by your Holy Spirit that with each day that passes you would transform me more and more into Christ’s image. I pray Lord in every moment of my life that my will be submitted to yours and that I would become nothing, and Jesus would become everything in my life. Father let not my will be done, but yours. Let my life bring glory to Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise!

Jesus, the Name above all names!

Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for reading and studying the Bible for yourself! I am flawed the Bible is not!

Last updated: 19 November 2022

Faith Without Works Is Dead!

 

The Bible tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God.

Hebrew 11:6 (NIV)

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

The Bible also tells us that faith without deeds or works is dead – it is no faith at all!

James 2:26 (AMP)

For just as the [human] body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works [of obedience] is also dead.

From the above two verses we see that when we have faith in Jesus it is pleasing to God but if our faith is not accompanied by actions or works of obedience, our faith is dead, it is useless.

In these times, where many Christians fall down in their spiritual walk is in the ‘works of obedience’ bit. What does this mean to us?

Well, Paul gives us the answer in Ephesians 2 where he tells us that we are God’s workmanship and because we have been born-again (put our faith in Him through Christ Jesus being our Lord and Saviour) we must be ready to be used to do the good works that God has prepared for us to do long ago by following His path for our lives (His will) – we, as born-again believers, being completely submitted to His will and fully compliant with his Word.

Ephesians 2:10 (AMP)

For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].

So, it pretty much stands to reason that the key to us putting our faith into action is knowing what good works the Father has prepared for us to do!

Let’s have a look at what Jesus taught us about this from his life on earth:

John 4:34 (NIV)

“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.

John 5:19 (NIV)

Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

John 6:38-39 (NIV)

38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.

Jesus came into the world to bring God’s salvation to mankind, whoever believes in Jesus will have eternal life and those that don’t believe in Jesus will have eternal death (separation from God) in Hell.

John 3:16-17 (NIV)

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall 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. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

So, from the above verses form the Book of John we see that the purpose of Jesus is to be our Saviour, to do the will of the Father, to lose no one that the Father has given to him and to do only what he has seen the Father do.

Now we have already seen from Ephesians 2:10 above that God has prepared in advance the good works He wants each and every one of His children to do and in Ephesian 5 we are told to be imitators of God – do everything in Love!

Ephesians 5:1-2 (NLT)

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

And in 1 Corinthians 11 the Apostle Paul tells us to imitate him as he imitates Jesus!

1 Corinthians 11:1 (NLT)

And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.

In the Book of Acts we have a prime example of how Good leads his children into the good works He has prepared for us to do. Let’s take a look:

Acts 13:2 (NIV)

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

In the above verse we see that it is the Holy Spirit that guides us into the work that God has prepared for us. This is why Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to us once he ascended into heaven to take his place at the right hand of the Father. It is now the Holy Spirit that guides us in all truth. He will make known to us the works that the Father has prepared for us to do and he sets us apart to do them!

John 16:12-15 (NIV)

12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

In Galatians Paul reveals to us that the work God had prepared for him to do when he was still in his mother's womb was to preach Jesus to the Gentiles.

Galatians 1:15-16 (NIV)

15 But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being.

So, in all this we see that we believe in Jesus by faith, but our faith must be accompanied by deeds or works and these works should be the works that God has prepared for us to do and these works are shown to us by the Holy Spirit. This is why Jesus sent the Comforter to us, to lead us and guide us in all truth, and why Paul exhorts us to be baptised in the Holy Spirit and to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 5:18 (AMP)

Do not get drunk with wine, for that is wickedness (corruption, stupidity), but be filled with the [Holy] Spirit and constantly guided by Him.

It is Jesus that baptises us with the Holy Spirit:

Luke 3:16 (NIV)

John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

The writer of the Book of Hebrews in chapter 11 tells us exactly what faith is:

Hebrews 11:1-2 (AMP)

Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses]. 2 For by this [kind of] faith the men of old gained [divine] approval.

And the chapter goes on to tell us about how it was this kind of faith that the great men of the Old Testament gained divine approval (salvation). It also shows how these great men put into action their faith.

• By faith Abel brought an acceptable offering to God.

• By faith Enoch walked closely with God and did not face physical death.

• By faith Noah was obedient and built the ark and he and his family were saved from the flood.

• By faith Abraham left his home and went when God called him.

• By faith Sarah was able to bear a child when she was past childbearing age.

• By faith Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice and believed that God would provide a lamb.

• And so on with Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Rahab, the Judges, Samuel, David and the prophets – all put their faith into action and believed the Word of God.

Please read Hebrews 11 for yourselves – it will greatly inspire you!

In the Book of James we are told by the writer just how important it is for a Christian’s faith to be accompanied by good works:

James 2:14-26 (AMP)

14 What is the benefit, my fellow believers, if someone claims to have faith but has no [good] works [as evidence]? Can that [kind of] faith save him? [No, a mere claim of faith is not sufficient—genuine faith produces good works.]

Merely claiming to have faith without evidence of good works (the bearing of good fruit) is not sufficient to ensure our salvation.

James 2:15-17 (AMP)

15 If a brother or sister is without [adequate] clothing and lacks [enough] food for each day, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace [with my blessing], [keep] warm and feed yourselves,” but he does not give them the necessities for the body, what good does that do? 17 So too, faith, if it does not have works [to back it up], is by itself dead [inoperative and ineffective].

John 15:8 (NIV)

This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Practical demonstrations of good works that anybody can do!

James 2:18 (AMP)

18 But someone may say, “You [claim to] have faith and I have [good] works; show me your [alleged] faith without the works [if you can], and I will show you my faith by my works [that is, by what I do].”

Stressing here that faith must be accompanied by good works!

James 2:19-20 (AMP)

19 You believe that God is one; you do well [to believe that]. The demons also believe [that], and shudder and bristle [in awe-filled terror—they have seen His wrath]! 20 But are you willing to recognize, you foolish [spiritually shallow] person, that faith without [good] works is useless?

Here James is giving the Church a serious wake-up call. If demons shudder at God’s wrath, then why don’t we. A further warning that merely claiming to have faith alone without the evidence of good works that God prepared for you to do in advance is not enough to save you!

James 2:21-23 (AMP)

21 Was our father Abraham not [shown to be] justified by works [of obedience which expressed his faith] when he offered Isaac his son on the altar [as a sacrifice to God]? 22 You see that [his] faith was working together with his works, and as a result of the works, his faith was completed [reaching its maturity when he expressed his faith through obedience]. 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and this [faith] was credited to him [by God] as righteousness and as conformity to His will,” and he was called the friend of God.

Here James highlights that works of obedience, expressed Abraham’s faith in and dedication to God!

James 2:24 (AMP)

24 You see that a man (believer) is justified by works and not by faith alone [that is, by acts of obedience a born-again believer reveals his faith].

A believer’s good works of obedience shows his dedicated faith in Christ Jesus! We are justified by the good works we do in Christ Jesus!

James 2:26 (AMP)

25 In the same way, was Rahab the prostitute not justified by works too, when she received the [Hebrew] spies as guests and protected them, and sent them away [to escape] by a different route?

A further example from the Old Testament of faith in action through good works!

James 2:26 (AMP)

26 For just as the [human] body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works [of obedience] is also dead.

Another warning from James that our faith if not accompanied by good works of obedience in Christ Jesus is a dead faith!

Faith in action – be doers of the Word – be obedient to the Word!

Matthew 7:24-27 (NIV)

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

James 1:22-25 (NIV)

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

When we put our faith into action in obedience to the Word and do the good works that we are supposed to do, we will be blessed in what we do, and we will be able to withstand the storms of life without crumbling!

Prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven

I pray in the name of Jesus that you would continually fill me with your Holy Spirit and help me to put my faith in Christ into action. I pray that you, Lord, by your Holy Spirit, will show me the good works that you have prepared for me to do long ago so that my life and actions may bring glory to Jesus and that I might be a blessing to others in Jesus’ name. Amen.

To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise!

Jesus the Name above all names!

Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for reading and studying the Bible for yourself! I am flawed the Bible is not!

How Did God Create Us: Spirit, Soul and Body?

The Bible tells us that we are created in God’s image!

Genesis 1:26-27 (NIV)

26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

But what does this mean? Do we physically look like God? I don’t think so, nobody has ever seen God and God is Spirit and therefore cannot be seen by the human eye. So, what does ‘being made in God’s image’ mean?

Let’s have a look at this extract that I have taken from the ‘Ancient Hebrew Research Center’ website and we will get a clearer picture of what is meant by being made in God’s image.

“Image (Strong's #6754)
The word image in Hebrew is צלם (tselem) and literally means, a shadow which is the outline or representation of the original.

Gen 1:27 And Elohiym, the Great Powerful One, filled the man with a representation of himself.

When we read "And God created man in his own image" our minds form a mental picture of what we look like and then attribute this picture to God himself. In the Hebrew’s mind it is not the appearance of something that they concentrate on but its function. This passage is not implying a picture of man or God but their function. Through the Hebrew words of this text, we see that God had placed within man a shadow or representation of his own function, - goal, purpose, thought, etc. It is our responsibility as born again Christians to live our lives as representatives of God, acting in the same manner as he would.”

So, from this we see that man was created to be a representation of God’s character here on earth. Which we were of course until our fall in the Garden of Eden at the instigation of Satan the destroyer! Then corruption and decay, because of sin, took its grisly hold of us and still clings to us to this very day.

Right, now that is cleared up let’s go back to looking at how we are created in our human form. Just as God, our creator, is three in one, Father, Son and Holy Spirit so man is created as three in one, spirit, soul and body.

Let’s now first take a look at the ‘Body’ – that part of us that encases or houses the soul and spirit - separately and then take the ‘Soul and Spirit’ together because they are so closely knit together.

Body

How did God create man’s body?

The body is the casing in which God houses our spirit and soul. It consists of our skin, skeleton, organs, blood, veins, arteries, and other such perishable things.

Genesis 2:7 (KJV)

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

So here we have it, God formed man (Adam) from the earth of the ground, but he made woman (Eve) in a different way. He made woman (Eve) from Adam’s rib.

Genesis 2:21-22 (NIV)

21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

Now, in the above verse we are told that God made woman (Eve) from the rib of Adam. So as man was made from the earth and the woman was made from the man, she thus is made of the same stuff as man!

How God performed these two miracles of creation we aren’t told, but because God does not lie, we believe in faith that God’s Word is the truth! Without faith it is impossible to please God.

Now, what about the rest of mankind?

That is pretty easy, the rest of us, since Adam and Eve, are created from the sexual union between man and woman. Our bodies are therefor, all made from the same’ perishable stuff!

It is our bodies that are perishable and decay when we die – they return to the earth! But when Jesus returns our bodies will be renewed in the twinkling of an eye and our bodies will become a spiritual bodies - imperishable.

1 Corinthians 15:52-55 (NLT)

52 It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. 53 For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.

54 Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.

55 O death, where is your victory?

O death, where is your sting?”

If a person is not born-again both body and soul will face hell:

Matthew 10:28 (NIV)

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Soul and Spirit

Now, how did our human soul and human spirit become encased in our body? Let’s have a look at Genesis 2:7 again.

Genesis 2:7 (KJV)

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Looking at the above verse, God formed the human body from the earth or the dust of the ground as some Bible versions translate it. But the body didn’t have any life in it until God breathed into it the breath of life.

In verse above the Hebrew word for Spirit is “ruach or ruwach” (pronounced roo-akh) and it speaks of wind or breath and even a violent exhalation or a blast, a picture of power and by resemblance, spirit. (ref. Strong’s H7307).

From this we can see that the breath God breathed into the body was of His Spirit. This is the Spirit that is in each and every human being and is known as the human spirit. It is our spirit that is reborn when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour – we become born-again Christians. It is from this action too, the spirit of God in us, that we become a living soul – our soul is formed. It is the Spirit that gives us life.

John 6:63 (NIV)

The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.

So, our soul comes into being at the same time God places the human spirit within us. As I mentioned earlier, after Adam and Eve every person is born from a woman and, by a miracle of God, He places His spirit within us at the time of our conception in the womb, and at the same time our souls come into existence and we become living souls or beings.

The human soul is imperishable and like the human spirit it lives forever – it is eternal. It is the soul that will end up in heaven or in hell according to whether or not a person is born-again and our new bodies will be spiritual bodies. The human soul is that part of a person that is eternal—the part that lives on after the body dies and decays. It is the human soul that will face God’s judgement!

The soul is the area where man chooses to sin or not to sin – the area where man decides to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour or not to believe. It is where man’s freewill (the freedom to choose between good or evil) and decision making process resides.

When we die, the human spirit returns to God who gave it to us – the spirit is incorruptible it will always belong to God.

Ecclesiastes 12:7 (AMP)

then the dust [out of which God made man’s body] will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.

Some schools of Christian thought say that the human spirit and the human soul are one and the same thing, but it is my opinion that they are not – it is my opinion that they are separate entities. The below scriptures would confirm this.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NLT)

Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.

Hebrews 4:12 (AMP)

For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Matthew 10: 28 (NLT)

“Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Jesus himself because he was fully man also had a human soul. We know this from the anguish he experienced in Gethsemane before going to the cross. The difference between our Lord’s soul and ours is that he was born without sin because he was conceived through the Holy Spirit and His soul was completely submitted to the Spirit and so no sin was found in Him as he walked among us in human form. His will was completely submitted to the Father’s in the power of the Holy Spirit!

Matthew 26:37-38 (NIV)

37 He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. 38 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

1 John 3:5 (NIV)

But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.

1 Peter 2:22 (NIV)

“He committed no sin,

and no deceit was found in his mouth.”(Isiah 53:9]

The human spirit is wholly God’s and because of this it returns to him when we die. Sin is not found in the human spirit but is found in the human soul which is where man’s freewill is found. The soulish desires of man are often referred to in the Bible as the ’flesh.’

When we die it is the human soul that awaits God’s judgement!

The born-again Christian is justified by his heart felt belief in Christ Jesus as Lord and Saviour. It is Jesus who intercedes for the believer when he sins. The non-believer does not have this privilege and stands condemned.

1 John 2:1-2

My little children (believers, dear ones), I am writing you these things so that you will not sin and violate God’s law. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate [who will intercede for us] with the Father: Jesus Christ the righteous [the upright, the just One, who conforms to the Father’s will in every way—purpose, thought, and action]. 2 And He [that same Jesus] is the propitiation for our sins [the atoning sacrifice that holds back the wrath of God that would otherwise be directed at us because of our sinful nature—our worldliness, our lifestyle]; and not for ours alone, but also for [the sins of all believers throughout] the whole world.

Judgement for the born-again believer – those who have repented of their sin and have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour – will receive eternal life in the presence of God:

2 Corinthians 5:10 (NIV)

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Judgement for the unbeliever – those who refuse to repent of their sin and have rejected Jesus as their Lord and Saviour – will receive eternal damnation, eternal separation from God which is spiritual death. They will spend eternity in Hell!

2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 (NIV)

8 He (Jesus) will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might

When a person is born-again, he/she acknowledges his/her sin and repents of it - says sorry to God and asks His forgiveness and turns away from their sinful life and follows the path of righteousness in Christ Jesus.

At this point it is the human spirit that is renewed or born-again by the Holy Spirit, it is a spiritual awakening and we become new creations. The human spirit is then able to be energised and empowered by the Holy Spirit to overcome their sinful nature and walk a path of righteousness in Christ Jesus!

2 Corinthians 5:17 (AMP)

Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life].

This is the start of a born-again Christians walk as a true believer in Christ Jesus and a follower of the Word (the Bible) and all its teachings.

But! And here’s the rub!

Although our human spirit is now renewed or born-again, we now have to submit our human soul (our ‘flesh’) to the leading of our renewed human spirit in the power of the Holy Spirit. This is not an overnight conversion and is a life-time process. It requires fully submitting our human will to the Father’s will day by day. This is called dying to self.

From here on the more and quicker we are in submission to the Father’s will and are obedient to the Word (Bible) the more quickly we will mature as Christians – this process and the speed of our transition is entirely up to us, nobody else can do it for us!

We can only successfully do this if we are living life in the spirit – we cannot do it in our own strength. We can only do this when our human spirit is fully partnered with the Holy Spirit, when we are continually being filled with the Holy Spirit and living live in the Spirit as Paul tell us in Romans 8 and in many other parts of his letters to the Church!

It is so important for each and every born-again believer to be baptised with the Holy Spirit and to keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit. It is only in this way that we can bring our human soul into full submission to the spirit that God has placed within us and which is energised and renewed by the Holy Spirit when we are born-again!

Romans 8:1-2 (AMP)

Therefore there is now no condemnation [no guilty verdict, no punishment] for those who are in Christ Jesus [who believe in Him as personal Lord and Savior]. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life [which is] in Christ Jesus [the law of our new being] has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

The human soul is where the Christian has a spiritual battle in bringing it under submission to the Spirit. It can be strong or weak depending on how well we respond to the teachings of the Bible and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will lead us in all truth and bring conviction to our souls when we step out of line. The Holy Spirit conviction is there so that we can be quick to repent and put things right in whatever we have done wrong! This is why Jesus sent him to us so that we can put to death the desires of the ‘flesh’.

John 14:15-17 (AMP)

15 “If you [really] love Me, you will keep and obey My commandments.

16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive [and take to its heart] because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He (the Holy Spirit) remains with you continually and will be in you.

Our human spirit enables us to be conscious of our actions, our thoughts and our inner workings. This why it is so important for human beings to be born-again in Christ Jesus and be filled with the Holy Spirit:

1 Corinthians 2:11 (NIV)

For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

It is our spirit that enables God to search our hearts. Because the human spirit always belongs to God, He always knows the condition of our hearts. He always knows who is for Him and who is against Him no matter what words our mouths speak.

Proverbs 20:27 (NLT)

The Lord’s light penetrates the human spirit,

exposing every hidden motive.

Matthew 7:21 (NIV)

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden, the human spirit became fatally flawed. While mankind did not physically die, they did die spiritually. Human spirits have been born under the shadow of the fall ever since, which is why salvation and renewal of the human spirit is necessary.

We all need a Saviour – Jesus!

We are all spiritually dead before accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. We have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God!

Romans 3:23 (NIV)

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Isaiah 53:6 (NLT)

All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.

We have left God’s paths to follow our own.

Yet the Lord laid on him

the sins of us all.

2 Corinthians 4:16 (NLT)

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.

Romans 6:4 (AMP)

We have therefore been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory and power of the Father, we too might walk habitually in newness of life [abandoning our old ways].

The Spirit continually leads us on the path to eternal life; our job a born-again Christians is to "keep our souls in step with the Spirit.”

Galatians 5:25 (AMP)

25 If we [claim to] live by the [Holy] Spirit, we must also walk by the Spirit [with personal integrity, godly character, and moral courage—our conduct empowered by the Holy Spirit]. 26 We must not become conceited, challenging or provoking one another, envying one another.

John 3:3 (AMP)

Jesus answered him, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a person is born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified], he cannot [ever] see and experience the kingdom of God.”

If you have never given your life to Jesus and you know you are not a born-again Christian, and after reading this blog you feel like you need give your life to Jesus and ask him into your life to be your Lord and Saviour, please pray the following prayer.

Dear Lord Jesus

I confess before you now that I am a sinner and ask that you come into my heart right now to be my Lord and Saviour. I repent of my sins and ask for your forgiveness for all the sinful things I have done. I thank you that you died on the cross for my sins. I pray too that from now on you would fill me with your Holy Spirit and help me to lead a righteous life. Help me Lord to become the person that you created me to be and help me each day to be more and more conformed to your image. Amen.

If you have prayed this prayer then let me offer you my congratulations, you are now a born-again Christian. I would encourage you to start reading the Bible, the Book of John is a good place to start, every day. Join a local fellowship that preaches the Bible and faith in Christ Jesus alone and nothing else, and begin a life of service to Christ Jesus. Share your new faith with others as soon and as often as you can!

To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise!

Jesus the Name above all names!

Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for you reading and studying the Bible for yourself. My words are fallible, the Word of God (The Bible) is not!

The Five-Fold Ministry in a Nutshell!

 

Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers

These are the gifts that Jesus himself gave to the Church and are often referred to as ‘the five-fold ministry’.

Ephesians 4:7-8 (NLT)

7 However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ. 8 That is why the Scriptures say,

“When he ascended to the heights,

he led a crowd of captives

and gave gifts to his people.”[Psalm 68:18]

Ephesians 4:11-13 (NLT)

11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

The function of the ‘Five-fold Ministry’ is to equip the body of Christ to do his work and to build it up and lead it into maturity in Christ Jesus. This is done in an attitude of servanthood – serving the body in God’s love, grace and mercy, in the power of the Holy Spirit - just as the ministry of Jesus is.

When we look at verse 13 above, we see that the function of the five-fold ministry is not to stop until we reach full maturity and unity as a body which, in all likelihood, will only be when our Lord returns, and we are clothed in our imperishable bodies!

The gifts of Christ in the ‘Five-fold Ministry’ are not just gifts alone but are also positions or offices within the local church – these five gifts are people! We find that these gifts also come, sort of naturally, with the gift of Leadership!

When expressed correctly, spiritual gifts will always point to Jesus and give him glory. There are four passages in the Bible which touch on spiritual gifts: Romans 12:4–8, 1 Corinthians 12:4–31, 1 Peter 4:10–11 (in these verses Peter is just exhorting the Church to use the gifts), and Ephesians 4:11.

One of the most common questions regarding this topic is, “What is the difference between the gifts described in Ephesians 4 and those found in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12?”

In Ephesians 4 there are two key factors that are unique to them that the Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 gifts do not have.

1. The source is Jesus (Eph 4:11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,), whereas the gifts in Romans 12 come from the Father (Rom 12: 3-8 by God’s grace and the faith He has given us), and the gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 come from the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them).

It is fascinating how this highlights the Father, Son and Spirit (the Holy Trinity) working together in perfect harmony and unity to generate and distribute all these gifts! And it is these gifts operating and functioning in the Church in the power of the Holy Spirit that will ensure that the body of Christ work together in perfect harmony and unity of the Spirit to reach full maturity and be conformed more and more to Christ’s image!

2. The second factor is that the Ephesians gifts are nouns and are thus actual people who hold this office in the local Church congregation because they carry that particular anointing from Jesus, rather than showing an activity or manifestation through any member of the congregation as are the other gifts.

For example, an evangelist or a pastor is a person who holds that office in the local body; in contrast, a person showing the gift of mercy as an activity or someone sharing a word of wisdom are manifestations of the gift through a person speaking under the power of the Holy Spirit or a person prophesying under the power of the Holy Spirit for a certain time or event for encouraging an individual or a group of people.

Moreover, the Ephesians gifts result in a singular and unified effect with the other gifts of the five-fold ministry (rather than showing diverse effects as the other gifts do): specifically, equipping and building the saints to perform the works of service in the ministry, which builds up the body of Christ towards the goal of unity, and displaying the full measure of Christ Jesus in the Church both as individual believers and as a corporate body.

The gifts Paul describes in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 are all transitive verbs and are thus doing words – they require an action to be done to or for someone, for example giving a word of knowledge to someone; showing mercy to someone or giving an act of service to someone. They are the gifts that the children of God use under the power of the Holy Spirit for a specific event and/or time. These gifts can also be used by the person holding an office in the five-fold ministry.

The importance of the fivefold ministry in the local congregation
The Church, including every local body, needs every part of the five-fold ministry that Jesus has given to us. One or two are not enough; we need all of the five-fold ministries working together in unity to build up a vibrant and Spirit-filled body!

Sadly, in recent times, the five-fold ministry has not been operating to its fullness in many local Churches, one or more of them are missing. But as God restores these ministries to the Church, as He is about to do, we must correctly respond to them.

God’s purposes will not be fulfilled outside of His divinely appointed leadership. When the Church embraces the fullness of the ‘Five-fold’ ministry, then the more the Church in every local congregation will flow in God’s gifts under the power of the Holy Spirit and the more we live life in the Spirit, so the more we will become like rivers of living water – more like Jesus, glorifying His name and bringing life to the local community in general!

A local congregation that is not built on and governed by the five-fold ministry will be unable to function to its true potential in the power of the Holy Spirit. It will be like a bicycle wheel that is missing a number of spokes – it will wobble and misfire and will only be able to progress so far and then buckle or just stagnate, injuring many people in its wobbly path!

To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise!

Jesus, the Name above all names!

Prayer:

Heavenly Father

I pray in Jesus name that you would restore the five-fold ministry to your Church, to each and every local congregation across the world so that the Church can be empowered by your Holy Spirit to be the Church that you intended it to be. Amen.