Who is God?

Who is God? (The Father)

The question, “Who is God?”, is probably the most asked question of all time, by both Christians and non-Christians alike.

To answer this question, and indeed any other question we have on Christianity, our first and only point of reference is the Bible. God’s handbook for all Christians – the creator’s Manual of Life for man.

What does scripture tell us of who God is?

Here we will have a look at what both the Old and New Testament’s say. The second book of Timothy tells us that all scripture, although written by man, is God inspired (men writing in the power of the Holy Spirit) and is useful in teaching us all things – all we ned to know about walking through life as a committed Christian – a born again believer:

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (KJV)

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.

God the creator:
Now in the very first verse of the very first book of the Bible we see that we are told that God is the creator of the heavens and earth.

Gen 1:1 (NIV)

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

He created all things including man!

Gen 1:27 (NIV)

So God created mankind in his own image,

in the image of God he created them;

male and female he created them.

So here we have it – God is the creator of man – You and Me!

Now at this point you are probably saying to yourself that this is all very well, but who created God?

Much has been written about this and man ofttimes likes to make things intellectually and scientifically complicated. So, I‘m going to keep this explanation simple, I hope!

Our Christian walk is a walk of faith and our belief in God is an integral part of this faith walk. The more we walk in faith and the more we believe in the Bible, the more God will reveal himself to us through our belief in Jesus and by revelation through the Holy Spirit.

We must believe in faith that that God has always been in existence and that it is He that is able to create things where there was once nothing. This is how all things created came into existence, planets, sun moon stars, galaxies, man and so on. Just examine the scriptures below from the Old Testament and see for yourself:

Isaiah 40:28 (NIV)

Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

and his understanding no one can fathom.

Nehemiah 9:6 (NIV)

You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.

And for good measure here’s one from the New Testament:

Colossians 1:16-17 (NIV)

16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

So, here we have it confirmed from the Bible that God has always been in existence, and He is the creator of all things.

God the sustainer:
We are told in the book of Colossians that God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) was here before all things came into being and that it is God that holds and maintains everything in its place. Everything God created was in, through and for Jesus – the Name above all names. The only name through which mankind can receive salvation.

Col 1:17 (AMP)

And He Himself existed and is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. [His is the controlling, cohesive force of the universe.]

God sustains and maintains everything, including life. He holds everything in place – all creation and that includes both you and me!

God is Spirit:

In the Book of John in the New Testament we are told that God is a Spirit.

John 4:24 (NIV)

God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

God is spirit and is therefore invisible to the human eye. The Hebrew word for spirit in the Old Testament is ‘Ruwach – pronounced roo-akh (ref: Strong’s Concordance H7307)’, the word also has the meanings of ‘breath’ and ‘wind’ both of which we can feel and hear but cannot see.

This is the same for us as born-again believers. We can both feel and hear God in our spirit (which is the spirit of God within us) but we cannot see him.

In Genesis 2:7 we learn that it is the spirit of God within us that gives our bodies life. He enables us to breath and to live within the boundaries of the world that He has created for us which includes our earthly bodies.

Genesis 2:7 (NIV)

Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

In the above verse, the Hebrew word for breathed here is again ‘ruwach’. Thus, as we’ve learned above from the Hebrew meanings of the word ‘ruwach’, the breath of life in us, that which enables us to live and gives us life, is God’s spirit! Man, therefore exists on earth through a body in which are housed our Spirit and Soul. All created and placed together by God.

God is love:
Whenever the New Testament writers are referring to God’s love, they use the Greek word ‘agapē’ – pronounced ‘ag-ah-pay’ which, when expanded to its full meaning, is translated in English as ‘a love that is unconditional, benevolent, charitable and freely given’ - we don’t have to do anything to earn it or give anything in return for it, we just need to receive it.

And as we receive God’s agapē love, so it is our duty as God’s children to show His love to others in all we do and in our service to Him.

This will bring glory to the name of Jesus! If we don’t have God’s love, then we don’t know God!

1 John 4:8 (NIV)

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

As believers we also need to realise that the fulness of God’s love also encompasses discipline and judgement. After man’s judgement, those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour from the heart will go to eternal life in Heaven, but thos who have not accepted Jesus will go to eternal punishment in Hell!

Hebrews 12:5-6 (NIV)

5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,

and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,

6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,

and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”[Prov 3:11-12]

Hebrews 9:27 (NIV)

Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,

Matthew 25:46 (NIV)

“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

God is our Father:
Probably the most famous bible verse that shows us that God is our Father comes from Matthew 6:9, the Lord’s Prayer:

Matthew 6:9 (NIV)

“This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

This verse is the start of the Lord’s prayer where Jesus is teaching the disciples, and ultimately us as well, how to pray. It is quite clear from this verse that we can address God as our Father!

When we are born-again we become, and have the right to call ourselves, children of God. And if we are children of God it, makes sense that He is our Father. Just examine the two verses following to confirm this!

John 1:12, 13 (NIV)

12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

When we receive Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, we become born-again and therefore, we become the sons and daughters of God and He becomes our Father. A father better than any earthly father we will ever experience.

God is three persons but one entity:
This characteristic of God can be difficult to grasp for many new Christians. God is three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Commonly referred to in most Christian circles as The Holy Trinity.

When we examine the scriptures in Genesis 1:1, 2 in the Old Testament and in John 1:1-5, 14 in the New Testament we see quite clearly that God is three persons in one.

Genesis 1: 1, 2 (NIV)

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters

So then in the verses above from Genesis, we are told that God created the heavens and the earth and right there with Him at the very beginning is the Spirit of God (the Holy Spirit).

Now let’s jump forward a few thousand years to the New Testament and the book of John – not the Baptist, but John the beloved disciple of Jesus, the one who wrote the Book of John.

In the below verses from the book of John we see quite clearly that the Word (The Bible) was with God in the beginning and in verse 14 it clearly states the Word was made flesh and lived among us, this is Jesus.

John 1:1-5, 14 (NIV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Now, what do these Genesis and John verses tell us? Simply this, they expose the full Godhead to us, Father, Son and Holy Spirit – The Holy Trinity!

Just to summarise these verses quickly into three main points, we have:

‘In the beginning’ was:

a. God – The Father

b. And Jesus (the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us) – The Son

c. And the Spirit of God – the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of God and thus the Spirit of Jesus

The Holy Spirit is God, just as Jesus is God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the Holy Trinity – God in three persons. Just like there are three parts to an egg – yolk, white and shell, three parts but one egg!

Other scriptures referring to who God is:
There are many other scriptures throughout the Bible that refer to who God is, and I am listing a few of them in the table below.

I would encourage you to read and study them in your own time. The more you read God’s Word (the Bible), the more God will reveal himself to you and your mind will be renewed through the washing of the Word!

All verses are from the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible.

Ex 3:14
And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus, shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you.

Nu 23:19
God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

1 Tim 1:17
Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Prov 3:19
The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.

Is 40:28
Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

Is 44:24
Thus saith the Lord, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the Lord that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;

Rev 1:8
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Conclusion:

To summarise this section, we now know that God is:

• Love

• Our Father

• The creator of all things created

• The sustainer and maintainer of all things

• Spirit

• Three persons in one – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – The Holy Trinity

• Our discipline and our judge.

• Believed on by all born again Christians in faith

• Who is Jesus? (The Son)

The most popular, modern-day depiction of Jesus is as a baby in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes. This is such a misleading representation of who Jesus really is and, although he started his human life as a baby, it is so far from his true, godly persona.

Jesus the Man
Jesus was born supernaturally of a virgin, Mary the wife of Joseph. Before Joseph and Mary had consummated their marriage, Mary was found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit.

The birth of Christ is told in Matthew 1:18-25 and was the fulfilment of a prophecy spoken by the Old Testament prophet Isaiah some 800 years before Jesus’ actual birth:

Matthew 1:18-25 (NIV)

18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Isaiah 7:14 (AMP)

4 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Listen carefully, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will call his name Immanuel (God with us).

Immanuel is a Hebrew word and means: God with us. This tells us that God walked among us in human form as Jesus the Son of God!

Jesus the Son of God
Having been born miraculously through the Holy Spirit we can safely say that Jesus’ father is God.

Scripture also confirms this, at Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist just before he begins his ministry as an adult.

Matthew 3:16 and 17 (NIV)

16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Jesus is God
Now this is a controversial topic and one that stumbles many people, particularly ‘religious’ people.

But there are many Bible verses that clearly show that Jesus is God. One of my favourite passages that shows this is found in the Book of Colossians and another is in the Old Testament in the Book of Isaiah:

Col 1:15-17 (NIV)

15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

So, in the above verses we are shown many things that confirm that Jesus is God:

1. Jesus is the image of God who is invisible – the visible representation of the invisible.

2. He is the creator of all things created – the visible and the invisible.

3. He existed before everything else and his power holds things together.

4. And in Isaiah 9:6 the child born is referred to as ‘The Mighty God’ and The Everlasting Father

And just to strengthen this, let’s have a look at what the disciple John writes:

John 1:1-5, 14 (NIV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

When we examine the above six verses, they are quite clear in their exposition of Jesus being God and are easily understood:

1. The Word was God – verse 1.

2. All things were created by him – verse 2.

3. He is the creator of everything – verse 3.

4. He (Jesus) was the light of men – verse 4.

5. The Word was made flesh (Jesus) and lived among us – verse 14.

So here we have it, Jesus is God. He came to us in the flesh to identify with humanity and to sacrifice himself willingly for us on the cross so that all those that accept him as Lord and Saviour can be born-again of the Spirit, receive forgiveness of our sins and receive eternal life.

Romans 9:5 (AMP)

To them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to His natural descent, came the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), He who is exalted and supreme over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

Colossians 2:9 (AMP)

For in Him all the fullness of Deity (the Godhead) dwells in bodily form [completely expressing the divine essence of God].

Who is The Holy Spirit?
Let me try and introduce you to Him as I have grown to know him – my friend, my comforter, my guide and my permanent connection to Jesus, God and my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, throughout the world!

When we examine what the Bible tells us about the Holy Spirit (or the Spirit of God or the Spirit as He is sometimes referred to) we can see quiet clearly just who He is, and just what He does, and just how important He is to God, to Jesus and most importantly, to us as believers.

Right, now let’s examine scripture and discover just who the Holy Spirit is. Let’s unfold the mystery together, shall we? In this section I will be repeating some of the verses that we have already covered but I believe this will be a good reinforcement of our topic!

Without trying to get too complicated, I suggest that we start at the very beginning.

Genesis 1: 1, 2 (NIV)

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

Okay then, here we are told that God created the heavens and the earth and right there with Him at the very beginning is the Spirit of God (the Holy Spirit). Now, as I’ve said before (a bit of repetition is good), let’s jump forward a few thousand years to the New Testament and the book of John – not the Baptist, but John the beloved disciple of Jesus, the one who wrote the chapter.

John 1:1-5, 14 (NIV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Here in John 1 and in the very first verse, John takes us right back to the beginning, Genesis 1 verse 1.

Now, what do these Genesis and John verses tell us? Simply this, they expose the full Godhead, Father, Son and Holy Spirit – The Holy Trinity!

Just to summarise these verses quickly, we have ‘In the beginning’:

a. God (and the Word which is Jesus) – The Father

b. Jesus (the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us) - The Son

So, does this answer our original question? Who is the Holy Spirit? I think so!

The Holy Spirit is God, just as Jesus is God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the Holy Trinity.

Just like there are three parts to an egg – yolk, white and shell, three parts but one egg!

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD!

2 Cor 3:18 (NIV)

The Lord is the Spirit

And for good measure just look below and see what the apostle Peter said about the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts.

Acts 5:3- 4 (NIV)

3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”

Here Peter is chastising a fellow called Ananias about lying and asks in verse 3 why he lied to the Holy Spirit and in verse 4 he goes on to say that he has lied to God thus equating the Holy Spirit in verse 3 to God in verse 4 making them one person. The Holy Spirit and God are one!

Now that we know who the Holy Spirit is, let’s see how He relates to us as believers.

Although the Trinity or the Godhead is one God, when He (God) relates to the world (us), He becomes three distinct persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

So, in the Trinity, God the Father is the supreme creator, Jesus the Son is our Saviour and the Holy Spirit is the power of God, and thus Jesus, in action, he is also our comforter and guide and is also called the Spirit of Truth.

God sees believers as sinless as we belong to Jesus, and now, because Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven, He has sent the Holy Spirit to be with us as our counsellor and to lead us in all truth to fulfil God’s purpose for us here on earth.

Everything the Holy Spirit does is for the Glory of Jesus and, with the Holy Spirit guiding us, everything we as believers do should also be to glorify Jesus!

Conclusion

To summarise this article, we now know who God is, He is:

· The Father

· The Son

· The Holy spirit

· The Holy Trinity

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (NIV)

4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and Praise. Amen!

Jesus, the Name above all names!

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!