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141 The Gospel: “I Am the Good Shepherd!”
There is power to change a life for eternity in the message of the Gospel or Good News. The Kingdom is represented by Jesus Christ, the King, and the finished work at the Cross of Calvary. Any message that does not focus on Jesus is not a Gospel message. To be sure, we need to be taught how to live the Christian life, but unless one is born again, that life will not bear fruit. Show More
The Good News
The Gospel is the “Good News” provided by God; He has provided free spiritual gifts to restore or reconcile us into a personal relationship with Him. God’s plan is “good news” because God has done all the work. God provided the perfect sacrifice for our sin and sinful life in the person of Jesus Christ! God demonstrated His love for us by sending the “Lamb of God,” Jesus, in our place, to the Cross of Calvary. That one act by Jesus accomplished the following:
- Forgiveness of our sins, thus eliminating the guilt and shame.
- Restoration of our relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
- Granting Believers eternal life. When we die, that is not the end; we will experience a resurrection and the beginning of a glorious life in Heaven with the Lord.
- God has given us His Holy Spirit to be a comforter, helper, and teacher to be successful Christians in this life.
The New Birth
When a person comes to a place where they believe the above statements, then they are experiencing faith in Jesus. This faith in Jesus is what makes a person born again! Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Now, as a born-again Believer, a miraculous thing happens the Holy Spirit comes to live in them, and they become a child of God, a member of God’s family.
The Church
All people past, present, and future who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior belong to something Jesus called the Church, the Greek word for Church is “ekklesia” which means “called out ones.” Believers have been called out of the world and are now a part of the Kingdom of God. Being called out means that you now have a purpose in God, and He sees you as righteous and holy.
The Spiritual Church
There is a spiritual church and a physical church. The difference between the two is that the spiritual Church is made up of individuals around the world, who are born-again, they have had an encounter with Jesus. The physical Church is made up of people who go to Church and identify as Christians but have not made Jesus Lord and Savior of their lives.
Generational Christian vs. Encounter Christian
I want to take a moment to distinguish between what I call a generational Christian and an encounter Christian. A generational Christian is one who was raised in a Christian family and came from a long line of Christians. They may have been raised in the Church and identify as Christians because they have not known anything else. However, they have never had a moment in time where they decided to say yes to Jesus and all that He offers and requires. In other words, they have never had an encounter with Jesus.
When I was pastoring, I had a woman about 65 years old join our Church from another church. She came from a long line of Christian families; she had been a churchgoer all her life and even served as a Sunday school teacher. When she came to our Church, she heard the Gospel for the first time and gave her life to Jesus. I remember her saying, through tears, “how could I not have heard what Jesus did for me until now?” You see, she heard the Gospel and decided to follow Jesus; she had an encounter with the Lord! Her life was changed. I say all of this to emphasize the power of the Gospel to change lives forever.
“I AM” statements
Today we will look at two of the seven “I AM” statements found in the Gospel of John. “I am the door of the sheep.” (John 10:7) and “I am the good shepherd.” (John 10:11, 14). As we know from previous messages, the “I AM” is directly associated with the name of God.
Some believe that entry into eternal life is open to everyone. They take the position that “there are many roads to God,” and they can’t believe that God would ever condemn anyone. Obviously, they have not read God’s Word because it is apparent in the Bible that there is a “Heaven to be gained and a Hell to be shunned.” Everyone has a choice.
Then there are those who believe that entry into Heaven and eternal life is obtained by being “good.” First of all, there is only one who is good. A rich young ruler approached Jesus and asked a question in Luke 18:18, “Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 19 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.” You see, only God is good! This also begs the question, “how good is good enough to get into heaven?”
Recall the scriptures about the woman caught in adultery in the Gospel of John 8; the pious religious leaders wanted to see what Jesus would say about the adulterous woman, “7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” The point here is that the religious leaders recognized that they were not perfect or good enough” to judge the woman.
In the same way, no one is good enough to deserve or earn salvation and Heaven! You may be able to think of someone so loving, kind, and pious that surely, they must be good enough, but sadly the answer is no. Remember what the Apostle Paul said in Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Not some have sinned, but all have sinned! However, Jesus, the perfect One, purchased our salvation and offers that salvation as a gift if we will believe in Him, and that He is the only way to the Father.
There is only one way into the Kingdom of God.
In John 10:1-6, Jesus is speaking to the people about the Kingdom of God and the fact that there is only one way into the Kingdom, which is through Him. Only Jesus can enter through the gate of Heaven and those who follow Him. Others may claim to know the way and try to lead the way differently, but the doorkeeper of Heaven will only open the gate to Jesus and His followers. Jesus clarifies this statement by saying In John 10:7, “I am the door of the sheep.” Jesus uses this as a metaphor to show that it is only through Him that the sheep (Believers) can follow and gain entrance into the Kingdom of God. His sheep hear His voice (the encounter) and follow, they will also be able to discern the voice of the thief (Satan) and run away. Jesus warns us that “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). Jesus is making the promise that if you follow Him, you will experience the abundant life.
I will take care of you!
Then in John 10:11 & 14, “Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” Then Jesus says again, “I am the good shepherd, and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.”
Jesus, the good shepherd, gave His life on the cross of Calvary for our sins and offers us His salvation for those who will trust Him. And if He gave his life, how much more shall He provide for us as it says in Romans 8:31, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”
We rejoice when we say that we know Jesus, but how much more we should rejoice that we are known by Him (Galatians 4:9). As the shepherd of our lives, Jesus is committed to caring and watching over those who are His. He has taken on the responsibility to provide for the health, welfare, maintenance, and protection of his flock. Think of what an actual shepherd does…
- He values his flock. Everyone in his flock is important.
- He is willing to lay down his life to protect the flock. Just a reminder, you do have an enemy that would try to “steal, kill and destroy.” However, you have the victory because Jesus defeated the enemy of our soul.
- He is involved with the spiritual, emotional, and physical health of his flock- Jesus is the healer and has a solution for all your needs.
Close
John 10:27, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. 30 I and My Father are one.”
You are His, and He is yours; no one can take your salvation away from Jesus. Walk as one who is secure in what Jesus has done and know that nothing can separate you from His love.
Romans 8: 37, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” That’s a promise!
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140 The Gospel: “I am the Light of the World!”
Review of the Significance of the Phrase “I Am.”
The phrase “I Am” is the name God used to identify Himself to Moses in the book of Exodus. When God revealed himself to Moses in the burning bush encounter, the Lord gave Moses his assignment to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. Moses protested at first because he looked at his own insignificance and imagined how he would look in the eyes of his fellow Israelites. It is then the Lord promised He would be with Moses and that the Israelites would believe that Moses was sent by God. Exodus 3:14, “And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent me to you.” Show More
When the Lord said to Moses, “I am,” He was saying, “I am” the ever-existent one, meaning the Lord has no beginning and no end, but He was also saying, “I am present with you!” The Israelites knew that Yahweh existed, but now they knew He was also with His chosen people. In like manner, when Jesus said that “I am the bread of life,” He was indicating that He was the Christ, Messiah, God in the flesh and that He is with us!
The Seven “I Am” Statements in the Gospel of John.
It is helpful to know that the Seven “I Am” statements found in the Gospel of John are metaphors, which I will explain in a moment, but first, here are the seven statements.
- “I am the bread of life.” (John 6:35, 41, 48, 51) As bread sustains physical life, so Christ offers and sustains spiritual life. Post 139 The Gospel: I am the Bread of Life
- “I am the light of the world.” (John 8:12) To a world lost in darkness, Christ offers Himself as a guide.
- “I am the door of the sheep.” (John 10:7,9) Jesus protects His followers as shepherds watch over their flocks from predators.
- “I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25) Death is not the final word for those in Christ.
- “I am the good shepherd.” (John 10:11, 14) Jesus is committed to caring and watching over those who are His.
- “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) Jesus is the source of all truth and knowledge about God.
- “I am the true vine.” (John 15:1, 5) We enable His life to flow in and through us by attaching ourselves to Christ. Then we cannot help but bear fruit that will honor the Father.
Parables and Metaphors
As you know, Jesus taught many moral and spiritual principles using Parables. A parable can be defined as a metaphor in narrative form. Let’s define a metaphor first:
- A Metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally used. For instance, the term “you are the apple of my eye” is not meant to be literal but gives the impression of a person being “beautiful or endearing.” The word apple is regarded as representative or symbolic of something else, especially something abstract or, in our case, spiritual.
- A Parable is a metaphor in narrative form; in other words, the story is symbolic of something else, something abstract or spiritual.
Jesus used practical terms and images to help people relate to his message to bring out spiritual truths. For example, in the Parable of the Sower, found in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus used farming terms to engage with those He was speaking to. We understand that Jesus was using the word “Seed” to represent the Word of God, which is the Gospel or Good News, and the “Soils” represent the different conditions of people’s hearts.
The Parable of the Sower.
In the Parable of the Sower, the seed or the Gospel falls on four distinct “soils” or souls:
- The seed or the Gospel that is sown on the wayside (on ground that has not been prepared); the birds (Satan) come and snatches away the truth with lies. The seed is unfruitful.
- The seed or the Gospel that is sown on the stony places (hard-hearted) this is when the Sun scorches the ground producing a hostile environment (trials and tribulations); the roots of the seed dry up, and the seed is unfruitful and dies.
- The seed or the Gospel that is sown among the thorns, the thorns are the “cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches” they crowd out the Gospel, and the seed is unfruitful.
- The seed or the Gospel that is sown in the good ground, this is the ground that has been prepared and open for the incoming seed, and it produces a harvest 100, 60, and 30-fold.
Hopefully, you can see that:
- The seed is a metaphor for the Gospel,
- The wayside is a metaphor for the ground that is not ready to receive the Gospel,
- The stony place is a metaphor for the legalistic or religious mind unwilling to see the truth,
- The thorns is a metaphor for a worldview that is not based upon the Word of God.
- Finally, the good ground is a metaphor for a heart that is open to the truth, accepts the Gospel seed, and commits to its growth.
Why Parables?
As you can see, the Parable of the Sower is made up of several metaphors. You may ask why did Jesus speak spiritual truths in parables? Why didn’t He use plain language? Jesus explains why He speaks in metaphors and parables in Matthew 13:10-17. Jesus explains that the hidden things of the Kingdom are mysteries. Mysteries, in this sense, means something that can only be understood with “spiritual eyes and ears.” The Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:9-16 that those who believe Jesus have spiritual eyes and ears because they have the mind of Christ; they can understand spiritual truths. He then goes on to say that the “natural mind” or the unredeemed mind cannot comprehend the spiritual things of God. You see, the unredeemed mind will not keep asking, seeking, and knocking for personal revelation from the Lord. Luke 11:9, “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, it will be opened.”
When the seeds of the Gospel are sowed into hearts (the good ground) that are open and willing to believe, a miracle occurs. The miracle is the miracle of the new birth, and with the new birth comes the faith to believe and understand the Kingdom of God, which is a spiritual Kingdom. Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
“I Am the light of the world.” John 8:12
Sometimes a metaphor is as simple as a statement like “I am the light of the world.” So, you must ask yourself what does Jesus mean by that statement, how is He the Light, and what does light mean? In the Bible, most would take light as being good and the opposite darkness as evil. While that is true, there is much more to fully appreciate the difference between light and darkness. The concept of light and darkness is an essential spiritual concept to understand because it helps us to understand the deeper spiritual truths of the Kingdom.
Light and the Glory of the Lord!
In the Gospels, the word “light” is used 58 times, in the Epistles 29 times, and in Revelations 6 times. When Jesus is described as light, it is much more than a comparison to the light of the Sun or the light of a candle. From the first book of the Bible in Genesis, the very first thing the Lord did in creation was to create light! Genesis 1:1-3, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.” However, the Sun is not created until the fourth day. So, the light that God created was not light in the usual sense, but a light of the glory of God!
Then let’s go to the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation, and listen to what it says about Jesus and Heaven. Revelation 21:22, “But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city had no need of the Sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. 24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.”
Revelation 22:5, “There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the Sun, for Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.” Again, the light of heaven is Jesus and is the glory of God!
Jesus is the light of the world.
Therefore, when Jesus says, “I am the light of the world.” He is saying that He is the manifest presence of the glory of God! The Hebrew word for glory is “kabod,” which is defined as weight or heaviness. This ties in with the following definition of glory: “The glory of God is the invisible qualities, character, or attributes of God displayed in a visible (or knowable) way.”
Habakkuk 2:14, “For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea.” Isn’t this what the “Great Commission” is about, “to know Jesus and to make Him known, throughout the world.” We are to be lights in the world, demonstrating the glory of the Lord in our words and deeds.
When Moses wanted to see the LORD’s glory in Exodus 33:13, “Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. 16 For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.” 17 So the LORD said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.” 18 And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.” 19 Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” 20 But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.”
One day you and I will face our God face to face, and we will experience the full weight of His glory, and what a glorious day that will be. I am reminded of the chorus of a Christian song called “I can only Imagine” by MercyMe. This song speaks of what it may be like when we get to see Jesus face to face.
- Surrounded by Your glory.
- What will my heart feel?
- Will I dance for You, Jesus?
- Or in awe of You be still?
- Will I stand in Your presence?
- Or to my knees, will I fall?
- Will I sing hallelujah?
- Will I be able to speak at all?
- I can only imagine
- I can only imagine
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139 The Gospel: I am the Bread of Life!
The Pastor’s Call:
Hello and welcome back to PVN; before we go on with today’s topic, “Jesus is the Bread of Life”, I want to tell you about new material available on my website; The Pastor’s Call.” This eight-part series is produced by World MAP. Let me quote the lead into the series.
“The Pastor’s Call is an incredible teaching about one’s ‘call to ministry’. Dr. Vic Torres explains Who calls you, the challenges involved, understanding what the “work of ministry” truly is and isn’t, how essential the Holy Spirit is, and the goal and true purpose for those that are being called to be in ministry.”
I hope you will take a look at it. Show More
Gospel vs. Discipleship
As we continue to look at the differences between the gospel and discipleship, we realize that the lines between the two are easily blurred. So let us refocus on those differences as a reminder the gospel is the “good news” about what Jesus accomplished on the cross of Calvary. Jesus accomplished the following: our salvation which means that we are part of the Kingdom of God now, we have access to heaven now, and we will experience eternal life with Jesus in the future. In comparison, discipleship is about how to live our lives now so that God can work through us to touch a lost and dying world.
We are spiritually born-again through the gospel message and have the Holy Spirit living in us. Having the Holy Spirit means that we have access to the authority and power of the Holy Spirit. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that enables us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Our worldview or perspective in life is now through the eyes of Jesus, our Lord, and Savior. We no longer live for ourselves but now live for Jesus, and the evidence of that new life is that we demonstrate love for others.
Our spiritual citizenship is heaven which is much more important than our physical citizenship because that which is physical or temporal will pass away, but that which is spiritual is eternal.
“I Am”
Today we will look at the phrase Jesus used to describe himself; he said, “I am the bread of life!” The term I am the bread of life is the first of seven “I am” statements found uniquely in the gospel of John.
The significance of the phrase “I am” can be found in the book of Exodus when God revealed himself to Moses in the burning bush encounter. The Lord gave Moses his assignment to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. Moses protested at first because he looked at his own insignificance. It is then the Lord promised that he would be with Moses and that the Israelites would believe that Moses was sent by God. Exodus 3:14, “And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent me to you.” When the Lord said, “I am,” He was saying, “I am” the ever-existent one, meaning the Lord has no beginning and no end. So, when Jesus said that “I am the bread of life,” He was indicating that He was the Christ or Messiah. The Son of God!
The Seven “I am” statements of Jesus
- “I am the bread of life.” (John 6:35, 41, 48, 51) As bread sustains physical life, so Christ offers and sustains spiritual life.
- “I am the light of the world.” (John 8:12) To a world lost in darkness, Christ offers Himself as a guide.
- “I am the door of the sheep.” (John 10:7,9) Jesus protects His followers as shepherds watch over their flocks from predators.
- “I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25) Death is not the final word for those in Christ.
- “I am the good shepherd.” (John 10:11, 14) Jesus is committed to caring and watching over those who are His.
- “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) Jesus is the source of all truth and knowledge about God.
- “I am the true vine.” (John 15:1, 5) By attaching ourselves to Christ, we enable His life to flow in and through us. Then we cannot help but bear fruit that will honor the Father.
I am the bread of life!
So, what does Jesus mean when he says, “I am the Bread of Life?” Well, what Jesus means is that we will never be spiritually satisfied until we know Him. Bread has always represented the “staff of life,” in other words, that nourishment necessary for life. Recall that bread was a gift from God when the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. The Manna which fell from heaven was the sustenance and provision which was converted to bread.
In the Old Testament, bread, the staff of life, was used in the worship of God, mainly in the tabernacle and then later in the temple. The bread symbolized the “I am” or eternal presence of God (Exodus 25:30, Leviticus 24:5 – 9). The Manna or bread was so important that an Omer was placed inside the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 16:32 – 34).
The bread used for our present-day communion signifies the body of Jesus, which was broken for us, and he took on all our sin, iniquity, rebellion, disease, grief, and shame. The wine or grape juice represents His blood, which was shed to establish a new covenant (this was covered in the last post). It brought the forgiveness of sins and set us apart for holiness or for His purposes.
The bread also symbolizes the Word of God, which is spiritual food us as we read God’s word, the Bible.
Let’s set the stage for Jesus’ statement of “I am the Bread of Life.”
John chapter 6 starts with the feeding of the 5000 with five barley loaves and three fishes and ends up with 12 baskets of leftovers. What a miracle that was! As a side note, Jesus asked the disciples to feed the multitude of people as a test of their faith in Him. How often do we face tests or difficulties of faith in our everyday lives?
That evening the disciples crossed the Sea of Galilee without Jesus. Jesus came later, walking on the sea to the disciples’ amazement. When the 5000 who were fed the loaves and fishes realized where Jesus had gone, they followed him across the sea.
Now you have to realize that Jesus knew that many of the disciples that followed him across the sea of Galilee followed him simply looking for more free food. They weren’t looking for spiritual food; they were looking for bread to eat. That’s why Jesus said in John 6:26, “Most assuredly I say to you, you seek me not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled.” Jesus then says, “do not labor for the food which perishes but for the food which endures to everlasting life which the son of man will give you because God the Father has set his seal on him.”
The crowd then responds by saying, “What shall we do that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God that you believe in him whom He sent.” Then the followers asked for proof or signs that Jesus is from God. Verse 30, “What signs will you perform then that we may see it and believe you what works will you do they go on to say our fathers ate the manna in the desert as it is written he gave them bread from heaven to eat.” Jesus then corrects them, and he says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven but my father gives you true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to this world.”
Then the crowd shouts, “Lord, give us this bread always.” In verse 35, Jesus says, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall never hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.” That’s wonderful news. Knowing that Jesus will never turn his back on us.
Jesus then goes on in verse 38, “For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of Him who sent me. 39 This is the will of the Father who sent me that of all He has given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up on the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent me that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
So, you may ask, what is the point of this episode in Jesus’ life? It should be clear that many come to Christ looking for what Jesus could provide and missed who Jesus was. He is God in the flesh, and those who come to Him, with that understanding, have the most important gift, eternal life or what is commonly referred to as salvation. While all the promises of God for hope, health, and wholeness are important, nothing is more important than knowing that after this life on earth is over, we pass on to be with Jesus in Heaven forever.
Many walk away from Jesus.
Let’s go a little further in John 6. Many of the early followers of Jesus had a problem with what Jesus said about Himself: He was the Bread of Life. However, Jesus does not apologize or try to soften the truth! While in the Jewish Synagogue, He states, 53, “Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58 This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the Manna and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”
Many of His early disciples could not accept these strong and challenging words. They viewed these words in a literal sense when in fact, Jesus was speaking in a symbolic sense, very much like a parable. Have you ever heard the expression, “You are what you eat”? The proverbial saying ‘You are what you eat is the notion that to be fit and healthy, you need to eat good food. In the same sense, Jesus was saying that to be spiritually healthy; you need to have Jesus in you.
This reminds me of the encounter between Jesus and Nicodemus in John 3.3 Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Then Nicodemus answered Jesus and said, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”Nicodemus understood Jesus’ words literally instead of understanding that Jesus was speaking about being spiritually born again.
In the same way many misunderstood Jesus’ meaning and turned away from the Lord. John 6:66, “From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67 “Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” 68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also, we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Here you see that Peter and the apostles understood Jesus was speaking in spiritual terms.
Do You Know Him?
Knowing Jesus in a true sense is not through human logic but by personal revelation. Jesus made this clear when the Apostle Peter rightly recognized Him as the Christ, the Son of God, in Matthew 16:13. “When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” 14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”
There is a big difference between knowing about Jesus and having a personal relationship with Jesus. Knowing Jesus means that you have had a personal revelation that Jesus is the Christ or Messiah, and having this knowledge means that you have taken of the “Bread of Life”, and He lives in you.
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138 The Gospel: The Lamb of God!
The Gospel is the “Good News” that has the potential to change a life and change a person’s eternal destination. When we talk about the Gospel, we are talking about Jesus and what He has done and continues to do in the life of a Believer. When we share, teach, or preach about Jesus, our focus should be on the Kingdom, the Cross, the Blood, and the Name of Jesus. There is power and authority in these terms that identify Jesus Christ. Today we will be looking at another Gospel term, “The Lamb of God”! Show More
Old Testament means of reconciling with God.
We see very clearly the practice of making offerings or sacrifices as a means of reconciliation with God in the Old Testament. These sacrifices had specific purposes and consisted of two types of sacrifices, burnt offerings, and grain offerings. The burnt offerings were sacrifices of animals and often involved lambs; by the way the term lamb can mean a lamb or a goat in the Bible.
Prior to the covenant the Lord made with the Israelites through Moses, which became known as the Mosaic Covenant or the Law, most pagan peoples worshiped pagan gods, and their worship was often a means of appeasement. By appeasement, I mean worship and sacrifices were made to prevent the capricious gods from becoming angry and punishing the people. Sacrifices were also made to make up for sins committed in the eyes of heathen gods. Heathens would also try to manipulate their gods with sacrifices for favor.
To some pagan religions, the greatest sacrifice was human sacrifice, but they also sacrificed various animals, including lambs. Often their worship and obedience were motivated by fear and not love for the pagan gods.
The Law
With the covenant of the Law (Moses), the Lord established an intricate system of sacrifices and offerings. All the sacrifices and offerings were not made as appeasement to hold back an angry God but as an effort to reconcile with the Lord when an individual or group strayed from the covenant. These atoning sacrifices were the means by which God would deal with the Israelites’ sin and provide a reliable system the Israelites could use to maintain their proper relationship with God when they did sin. Again, it is so important to recognize that these animal sacrifices were not offered by the Israelites hoping to appease a volatile and angry God.
The book of Leviticus describes several offerings that the Lord commanded the people of Israel to perform using a lamb as a burnt offering; here are some important examples:
Peace Offering, Leviticus 3. The Peace Offering had three possible purposes.
- Thankfulness for the Lord’s provision and protection.
- Votive offering; a votive offering is when a person or group of people make a vow; they make a sacrifice to show their commitment to fulfill the vow to the Lord.
- A Peace offering could also be a spontaneous expression of joy and worship of the Lord.
Sin Offering, Leviticus 4. Remember, the Hebrew Law or Mosaic Law consisted of the first five books of the Old Testament (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). These five books were called the Torah. In these five books are instruction on how to approach God, how to worship Him, how to interact with fellow Jews and how to interact with “strangers” or non-Jews. As you can imagine, there were many rules and regulations alongside the Ten Commandments. Some calculate 613 of these commandments.
The Sin Offering was used when one of these laws was unintentionally broken.
Trespass or Guilt offering, Leviticus 5. The trespass or guilt offering was required when a person unintentionally violated some of the Lord’s holy things. “Holy things” would normally refer to things dedicated to the Lord, anything from the sanctuary itself to the portion of the offerings normally reserved for the priests.
The trespass offering was also brought when someone committed a violation against another person. In this case, the offender had to repay damages in addition to making the animal sacrifice.
The trespass or guilt offering is primarily about making reparations or restitution, and it demonstrates the seriousness of violations against God (even accidental ones) and against one’s fellow man.
The Passover Lamb (Exodus 12 & 13). When the Israelites were in bondage in Egypt, the Lord sent Moses as a mediator to deliver them from slavery. The Pharoah of Egypt was reluctant to let them go free. So, the Lord sent ten plagues to convince Pharoah to let the people go. Through the plagues, the Lord showed that He was far greater than all the Egyptian gods put together. The final plague was the death of every first-born male in Egypt, and this included animals as well. However, God provided an avenue of escape from this tragedy to the Israelites and anyone else who would obey the Lord.
The Lord instructed the Israelites to kill a lamb, take its blood, and paint it on the lintel and doorposts of every home. When the Angel of death came to fulfill God’s promise, it “passed over” every home marked by a lamb’s blood. It was the blood of the Passover Lamb that protected the Israelites from the death angel who passed over all of Egypt and killed all the first-born males in the land.
The Scapegoat Leviticus 16:8, “Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for the LORD and the other lot for the Scapegoat. 9 And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the LORD’s lot fell, and offer it as a sin offering. 10 But the goat on which the lot fell to be the Scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make atonement upon it, and to let it go as the Scapegoat into the wilderness.”
On the Day of Atonement, the High Priest would bring two goats. One goat was sacrificed as a burnt Sin Offering unto the Lord. The other goat was set aside as the “Scapegoat”. The high Priest would lay hands on the head of the goat and transfer all the sins of Israel upon it, then release it into the wilderness. The idea is that the Scapegoat carried the sins of Israel away never to return. Thus, Israel atoned for its sins.
New Testament means of reconciling with God.
One glorious offering of Jesus, the Son of God, once and for all for all who would believe in Him. The book of Hebrews was written for Jewish Christians and therefore written from a Jewish perspective. The author of the book of Hebrews identified Jesus as the great High Priest (Hebrews 9:11) who replaced the system of animal sacrifices with a once-for-all sacrifice of Himself (Hebrews 9:12-28). In the light of Christ’s full and final offering for sin, Paul urged Christians to “present your bodies a living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1).
When John the Baptist first saw Jesus approaching him, he prophetically proclaimed, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” This is testified in all four Gospels (John 1:29, Matthew 3:13, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-22). In the book of Revelations, the term Lamb of God is used 24 times to describe Jesus.
The Old Testament Law, which was for the Jews, was replaced by the New Covenant Grace, which was for all, Jews, Gentiles, Slave, and Free, man and woman. The Old Covenant Law, which is what the Old Testament Bible reveals, is but a shadow of the real found in Jesus Christ and the New Covenant found in the New Testament Bible.
The New Covenant is called “new” in contrast to the “Old Covenant” or the Mosaic Covenant (Jeremiah 31:32; Hebrews 8:6-13). The new replaces the old because the old Mosaic Covenant was limited. The Old Covenant could only point to the things that the New Covenant fulfilled; the child of God living a victorious life consistent with God’s righteous commands and character.
The New Covenant fulfilled (consummated, completed) all previous covenant revelations. It also established something infinitely greater, a Savior! Thus, it exceeded all previous covenants. All that was promised by God, all that had been revealed in the previous covenants by prophetic foreshadows, was now completed, and embodied in the Person of Jesus Christ. There was much that the prior covenants could not do or were inadequate to perform. The prior covenants could not:
- Open a way of salvation as a gift of grace to all people.
- Change a person’s heart and nature.
- Give every recipient of God’s salvation the power, ability, and gifting, through the Holy Spirit. That wouldenable them to lovingly obey God, be transformed from within, and live victoriously.
All that the prior covenants could not accomplish is now fully realized in the New Covenant. It is all available through Jesus Christ and the person of the Holy Spirit now living within every believer!
Jesus, by His death and resurrection, was the Lamb of God so that He alone would become the Peace Offering, the Sin Offering, the Trespass or Guilt offering, and the Scapegoat for everyone who would put their trust in Him. Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
In closing let me remind you of a story about Abraham, the father of faith.
God the Father gave us a type, or a shadow of what Jesus would do when in the Old Testament Abraham was told by the Lord to take his son, Isaac, and sacrifice him on the Mountains of Moriah. Genesis 22:2, “Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”
Genesis 22:7, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” To which Abraham responded, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So, the two of them went together.
Here is the wonderful truth about this episode of Abraham and Isaac, the Lord did provide a sacrifice at just the right moment. We can see this starting in Genesis 22:11, “But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham! “So he said, “Here I am.”12 And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So, Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.”
Jesus is your Lamb of God and He offered Himself so that you would have eternal life and live your life here on earth as a son of the Most High. God has demonstrated His great love for you, by giving His own Son so that you might have life and life more abundantly. All the Lord expects from you is to learn how to walk with Jesus by learning to be led by His Holy Spirit. Walking in truth and righteousness. Jesus has fulfilled all the Old Testament sacrifices, offerings, and prophecies. All that the Lord expects from you is found in Romans 12:1-2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
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137 The Gospel: The Name!
Over the last several posts I have been making a distinction between the Gospel (salvation) and Christianity (discipleship). The Gospel is about what Jesus has done; Christianity is the response of a born-again believer to what Jesus has done. The message of the Gospel is what turns a heart towards the Lord! Trying to preach or teach how to live as a Christian to people who have not been converted or born-again simply makes people religious and dutiful, but not born-again. Remember, Jesus said in John 14, “no one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus also told Nicodemus, in John 3, that one must be born-again to see and enter the Kingdom of God! As born-again Christians, our responsibility is to first “know Jesus and then make Him known!” Show More
In previous messages, I’ve talked about the Gospel as the Kingdom, the Cross, and the Blood. Jesus came preaching the Kingdom of God on earth residing in the hearts of true believers. The Cross is a powerful symbol and reality of the forgiveness available to all sinners. The Blood is the seal and symbol of the New Covenant made available to those who believe. Today I will look at the Gospel in terms of the “Name of Jesus”!
Our Identity is in Him.
The name of Jesus is about the authority (exousia, Gk.) and power (dynamis, Gk.), these two terms are often interchanged in the New Testament. As Believers, we have, by faith, the right to use Jesus’ authority and power against spiritual forces of darkness! The name of Jesus is not a “magic spell” or enchantment to ward off evil but is used as a proclamation that, as believers, we have the authority and power to speak and act as representatives of Jesus. We also believe that we are Ambassadors of Christ (2Corinthins 5:20) and therefore act as His representative. Jesus has given us authority to use His Name to represent Him and do what He would do on earth. Using the “Name of Jesus” means that we are speaking for and wielding the power and authority of our King, King Jesus (Luke 9:1, 10:19)! In using the name of Jesus, we are identifying with Jesus Himself, that we belong to Him, and He belongs to us! We are not ashamed to name Jesus our Lord and Savior.
We use that authority to further the Kingdom of God, not our own personal desires. Too often Believers will try to use the Name of Jesus to further their own kingdom. We are to use the Name of Jesus to seek His face not just His hands or provision. If you have Him, you have everything you will ever need!
While all power and authority have been given to you, that authority and power are only effective when you believe! Remember Hebrews 11:1 and 11:6
Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Faith is needed when there is no physical evidence. If you can see it, you don’t need faith!
Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
Someone once said, “Faith is impossible unless the will of God is known!” How do we know the will of God? We learn through His will through His Word, the Bible, and through the leading of the Holy Spirit.
The Apostle Paul’s proclamation of Jesus.
Philippians 2: 9, “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name, which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
The demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit, in the Believer, is evident in the book of Acts. The book of Acts is a model of the early church which all Believers have available to them. Therefore, it makes sense that phrase “the Name of Jesus” should be so prominent in this book.
Examples of the Name of Jesus being used in the book of Acts.
Remember the Book of Acts represents the beginning of the Christian Church, in Acts Jesus ascends to heaven and the Holy Spirit descends on the Believers. So, it is not surprising that the early Christians understood the significance of ministering in the Name of Jesus!
1. Peter preaches the Gospel for the first time, three thousand accepted Jesus Christ…
Acts 2:38, “Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
2. Peter preaches the Gospel to an individual and heals the lame man…
Acts 3:6, “Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”
3. Peter preaches the Gospel to the Sanhedrin
Acts 4:10 10, “let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.”
4. The Name of Jesus Forbidden
Acts 4:13 & 18, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. So, they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.”
5. The Apostles are arrested for preaching the Gospel…
Acts 5:40, “And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus and let them go.”
6. Phillip preaches the Gospel to Simon the sorcerer and he comes to Christ.
Acts 8:12, “But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.”
7. Barnabas testifies to Saul’s (Paul) preaching in the name of Jesus in Damascus.
Acts 9:27, “But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.”
8. Paul commands the spirit of divination out of the slave girl in the name of Jesus.
Acts 16:18, “And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour.”
Conclusion:
What has been demonstrated for us in the Book of Acts is a model of how the Body of Christ should advance the Kingdom of God, with power and authority that has been given to us by our Lord!
Let me remind you again of the great proclamation in Philippians 2: 9, “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
We serve the King of kings and the Lord of lords, there is no other like Him. As the scripture testifies every knee shall bow and tongue confess that Jesus is Lord of all. Thankfully we have chosen to accept all that Jesus accomplished on the Cross and He now calls us friends.
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136 The Gospel: The Blood!
As we look at the issue of the blood of Jesus, we must be sure that we are not talking about traditions and practices found in many church denominations. In my last post, we looked at the Cross as a reality and also a symbol of God’s great love for us. It is so amazing that the Lord would give His beloved Son to die on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins.
In the same way, the blood of Jesus is also a reality and a symbol of something that many Christians miss and that is the New Covenant. Jesus said in Matthew 26:28, “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins.” As believers and followers of Jesus, we are graced by a New Covenant purchased through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.Show More
The Cross and the Blood have forever transformed our relationship with the Lord. The evidence of that new relationship is the fact of the New Covenant. The New Covenant is an unconditional covenant of Grace established between Jesus and the Father and extended to anyone who would put their faith and trust in Jesus alone. We may fail but the covenant cannot fail, because neither the Lord nor Jesus can fail!
Because of the New Covenant the Old Covenant of the Law no longer applies to us! No longer is our heavenly relationship based upon obeying legalistic rules and regulations, but the focus on our relationship with our heavenly Father is based upon what Jesus has done for us.
The shedding of blood is a characteristic of all covenant relationships with the Lord. Even under the Covenant of the Law (the Mosaic Law or Torah), blood was essential to make atonement. Therefore, it says in Leviticus 17:1, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.” And then again in Hebrews 9:22, “And according to the law, almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission(forgiveness).”
Under the Old Covenant, the blood of animals was shed to cover sin and renew a relationship with God. In the New Covenant, as was accurately said by John the Baptist in John 1:29, “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” Jesus became the sacrifice once and for all.
To fully understand the significance of the New Covenant I want to take something from my book about grace and the New Covenant, Seeing the Forest For the Trees, which by the way is available as a free download on my website.
New Covenant Grace (Chapter 21)
Grace is an attribute of God that is foreign to our natural experience because God’s grace is perfectly selfless and motivated by love. The trials and tribulations of life can make us wary of expressions of perfect love. We may not know how to react or respond to this expression of grace.
- Some people feel unworthy of God’s grace and try to run away and hide from God.
- Others try to understand God’s grace by attempting to intellectually comprehend Him; the result is a very small concept of God.
- Still others try to earn the right to “deserve” God’s grace by being “good”, but who can ever be good enough?
- Finally, there are those who set up rules and regulations, and make legalistic sacrifices, so that they might try to“earn” God’s grace. A true gift cannot be earned.
God’s grace is an unconditional promise.
It is His free-will gift motivated by pure love. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
The availability of this kind of grace depends entirely on the one who offers it. God offers His grace to all of mankind (the world), the just and the unjust alike. Grace is not offered on the basis of merit or deeds, but only upon God’s divine decision and invitation to love and bless His creation.
We cannot gain salvation or eternal life by our works (or the Law), or by a combination of works and grace. It is by grace alone that we receive eternal life and salvation (Acts 13:39; Rom 3:20; Gal 2:16; 3:21). Jesus did it all for us! The only thing we can do is to put our faith (belief and trust) in Jesus Christ: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph 2:8, 9). There is nothing and no one who can add to or replace what Jesus has already done and provided (Rom 4:1-5).
As has been stated, the New Covenant was ushered in by the finished work of Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary and His shed blood for the New Covenant: “So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit” (John 19:30). Jesus fully completed what He was sent to earth to do (John3:16). As a result of His work, He accomplished the following for each of us:
- Jesus replaced the Old Covenant (Law) with a New Covenant (Grace); “In that He says, ‘A new covenant,’ Hehas made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away” (Heb 8:13).
- He provided a way to the Father who is holy and righteous. “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me’” (John 14:6).
- Jesus cleansed us from our sins. Sin is what has kept us apart from God the Father. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
- He has prepared an eternal place in Heaven for us. “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2).
- Jesus exchanged our old sinful nature for a new nature able to resist sin. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is anew creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Cor 5:17).
- He sent the Holy Spirit to empower us to live for Christ. “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantagethat I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you”(John 16:7).
- Jesus destroyed the works of the devil; “… For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).
What Jesus accomplished on the Cross of Calvary, in obedience to the Father, was something totally new. He guaranteed salvation to all who would put their trust in Him (Rom 10:13). He also gave the Holy Spirit to every believer as a sign, or seal, of being born again (2 Cor 1:21, 22).
The Holy Spirit makes it possible for believers to live the life they are called to by God. The Holy Spirit gives power and help for a believer to be both willing and obedient (Phil 2:13). It is the person of the Holy Spirit that makes the difference in the life of a New Covenant believer (Acts 1:8).
The Holy Spirit is also given as a “guarantee” of God’s full redemption of our lives; spirit, soul, and body (2 Cor 5:1-5; Eph 1;13,14). Those who believe in Christ for salvation can be assured of that salvation and live with great faith. We can know that we are empowered to live the life here on earth and that we have a place reserved for us in Heaven.
No Condemnation
Sin always has consequences; sin always places obstacles in our relationship with God. A significant change between Law and Grace is that the condemnation for sin has been removed by the work of Jesus’ shed blood. When we, as believers, stumble and sin, we are not cast away or rejected by God. We are still His sons and daughters! “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, butaccording to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death”(Rom 8:1, 2).
Jesus’ shed blood has made us holy and righteous, but obedience is a process that will continue throughout our lifetime. When children are learning to walk, they stumble and fall. As parents, we do not reject or abandon our children because they fall down! In the same way, God will not abandon you if you fall as you are learning to walk with Him. God’s expectation is that you repent, learn from the experience, and endeavor to do better.
Grace is a wonderful gift from God, it is never to become an excuse to live a fleshly (carnal) life or ignore the teachings of Scripture. Our goal should always be to do our best to live in a manner that is obedient and pleasing to God. We might fall into a pit along the way, but we should not return to or stay in that sinful pit!
God expects us to mature as Christians. As we learn and grow in the Word of God, and mature in following Christ, we should no longer be stumbling or falling into temptations or sin. “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things” (1 Cor 13:11). Immature children may stumble. However, the things we stumble over in our immaturity should not still cause us to stumble when we are more mature.
Now, as a Christian, if we sin, the Holy Spirit will convict us of our sin. We will feel “a godly sorrow” and a need to repent. If instead, we feel like running away from God and trying to hide our sin, that is “worldly sorrow” (2 Cor 7:8-10) and leads only to shame, guilt and condemnation. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Our confession and genuine repentance is the process to receive God’s forgiveness when we stumble. When we repent (turn around), and ask God to forgive us, three things happen:
- We face our sin and take responsibility for it, no excuses.
- The feelings of guilt, shame or fear are removed as we confess our sin to God.
- Our open relationship with God can continue, and the sin no longer creates a sense of separation from Him.
Repentance has the added benefit of helping us admit our weaknesses to ourselves and to God. This will teach us to ask for God’s help and to rely on the Holy Spirit for the strength to avoid that sin in the future.
Grace Is God’s Idea
If you have any ideas about what grace is (or is not), and those ideas are contrary to what is in God’s Word, you must abandon those ideas! Embrace God’s Word, embrace His grace: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth… For the Law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:14, 17).
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141 The Gospel: “I Am the Good Shepherd!”
/RSS FeedThere is power to change a life for eternity in the message of the Gospel or Good News. The Kingdom is represented by Jesus Christ, the King, and the finished work at the Cross of Calvary. Any message that does not focus on Jesus is not a Gospel message. To be sure, we need to be taught how to live the Christian life, but unless one is born again, that life will not bear fruit. Show More
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140 The Gospel: “I am the Light of the World!”
/RSS FeedReview of the Significance of the Phrase “I Am.”
The phrase “I Am” is the name God used to identify Himself to Moses in the book of Exodus. When God revealed himself to Moses in the burning bush encounter, the Lord gave Moses his assignment to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. Moses protested at first because he looked at his own insignificance and imagined how he would look in the eyes of his fellow Israelites. It is then the Lord promised He would be with Moses and that the Israelites would believe that Moses was sent by God. Exodus 3:14, “And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent me to you.” Show More
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139 The Gospel: I am the Bread of Life!
/RSS FeedThe Pastor’s Call:
Hello and welcome back to PVN; before we go on with today’s topic, “Jesus is the Bread of Life”, I want to tell you about new material available on my website; The Pastor’s Call.” This eight-part series is produced by World MAP. Let me quote the lead into the series.
“The Pastor’s Call is an incredible teaching about one’s ‘call to ministry’. Dr. Vic Torres explains Who calls you, the challenges involved, understanding what the “work of ministry” truly is and isn’t, how essential the Holy Spirit is, and the goal and true purpose for those that are being called to be in ministry.”
I hope you will take a look at it. Show More
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138 The Gospel: The Lamb of God!
/RSS FeedThe Gospel is the “Good News” that has the potential to change a life and change a person’s eternal destination. When we talk about the Gospel, we are talking about Jesus and what He has done and continues to do in the life of a Believer. When we share, teach, or preach about Jesus, our focus should be on the Kingdom, the Cross, the Blood, and the Name of Jesus. There is power and authority in these terms that identify Jesus Christ. Today we will be looking at another Gospel term, “The Lamb of God”! Show More
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137 The Gospel: The Name!
/RSS FeedOver the last several posts I have been making a distinction between the Gospel (salvation) and Christianity (discipleship). The Gospel is about what Jesus has done; Christianity is the response of a born-again believer to what Jesus has done. The message of the Gospel is what turns a heart towards the Lord! Trying to preach or teach how to live as a Christian to people who have not been converted or born-again simply makes people religious and dutiful, but not born-again. Remember, Jesus said in John 14, “no one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus also told Nicodemus, in John 3, that one must be born-again to see and enter the Kingdom of God! As born-again Christians, our responsibility is to first “know Jesus and then make Him known!” Show More
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136 The Gospel: The Blood!
/RSS FeedAs we look at the issue of the blood of Jesus, we must be sure that we are not talking about traditions and practices found in many church denominations. In my last post, we looked at the Cross as a reality and also a symbol of God’s great love for us. It is so amazing that the Lord would give His beloved Son to die on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins.
In the same way, the blood of Jesus is also a reality and a symbol of something that many Christians miss and that is the New Covenant. Jesus said in Matthew 26:28, “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins.” As believers and followers of Jesus, we are graced by a New Covenant purchased through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.Show More
