You see, we are simply passing through life on earth with the mission of sharing the love and salvation found through Jesus Christ. All of us naturally identify with the country we were born in, but now that you are born-again, your citizenship is Heaven. This is why the scriptures tell us that we are to be ambassadors of Christ in 2 Corinthians 5:20. An ambassador is sent from their home country to another to represent the one who sent him. In our case, we represent Jesus Christ, the King of kings and the Lord of lords!

I love what the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:1, “And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” Paul made it very simple in verse 2, “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”

Even the Apostle Paul recognized the tendency of the church to identify with a person or belief instead of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 1 Corinthians 1:12 “Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” Paul saw that the church was breaking up into factions instead of being unified by the finished work of the Cross. What was true in the early church also exists today. 

Is there an identity crisis in the church today?

Someone asked me, “What kind of church do you go to? Is it evangelical or Pentecostal?” I answered, “The church I belong to is a full gospel church, we believe the whole Bible!” Believing the whole Bible means that I am Evangelical, Pentecostal, and Charismatic. I believe that the Bible teaches us that we are to be evangelical; that is our mission, Pentecostal, that is our empowerment, and charismatic, that is how we will attract people to Christ. Let’s take a closer look at each of these terms and what scriptures they are based upon.

The term Evangelical – one who preaches or announces the good news of the Gospel.

To be evangelical means we believe and actively pursue the Great Commission. The Great Commission is the charge to go into the world and make Jesus known. The Great Commission is found at the end of each of the four Gospels. Most of us look at the Gospel of Matthew Great Commission statement because it is the first book of the New Testament, however the Gospel of Mark was written before Matthew. So, let’s look at the Gospel of Mark.

Jesus said in Mark 16:15-18 (NKJV), “15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name, they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

All of us would agree with verses 15 and 16. “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature…” Where we sometimes overlook verses 17 and 18, And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

These verses speak of God’s supernatural spiritual power over the spiritual powers of darkness. We are given spiritual power to cast out demons, to speak in tongues, to combat the forces of Satan, and finally to lay hands on the sick and see them recover. All these abilities are the outworking of the Holy Spirit living in us. In the natural, we are powerless, but in Christ, we are empowered to pull down the strongholds of the Devil. Now, you may ask, “How are we empowered?” Now it’s time to look at the term Pentecostal.

The term Pentecostal – one who is empowered by the Holy Spirit to be a witness to Jesus. 

It is clear from the Gospel of John that Jesus promised the Father would send us a “Helper,” the Holy Spirit when Jesus departed from the earth. John chapters 14-16 show us Jesus’ intention that He would not leave us as orphans but would provide the Holy Spirit to encourage, exhort, and edify the Believer. The Holy Spirit guides, teaches, and reveals the heart of God. 

The Holy Spirit has two functions in the Born-again Believer. One is transformation, and the other is the Great Commission. 

1. Transformation is the process of learning how to overcome sin and walk in righteousness. When we come to Christ, all of us have areas of life that are not pleasing to the Lord. The natural human response is to use self-discipline to change; however, the Old Testament and personal experience will show that flesh, or self-control, is not enough. There must be a change on the inside of the heart, which only the Holy Spirit can produce. 
2.      The Apostle Paul says that the flesh and the spirit are always opposed to each other. This means that we must learn to be led by the Spirit of God, and this process is called transformation. Romans 12:2 (NKJV), “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.” Being conformed is man’s work; transformation is the Holy Spirit’s work.

• The Great Commission is the work of every Christian, to know Jesus and make Him known. 

In Luke 24:49 (NKJV), Jesus instructs the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the Promise of the Father. “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you, but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” I am sure that the disciples did not understand what Jesus meant by “until you are endued with power from on high.” However, by faith, they went to Jerusalem and waited. Acts 1:4-8 (NKJV), “4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Then, in verse 8, Jesus says, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” There are three things we need to see in this verse.

1. We shall receive power; power in this verse is the original Greek word “dynamis” which means miraculous power or mighty wonderful work. In other words, we are not talking about natural ability, talent, or skill. This kind of power is supernatural power from God.
2. To be witnesses to Jesus means that we are to testify of what Jesus has done for us as an individual. How Jesus has saved us, delivered us, and changed us is our testimony, and that is how we share Jesus with the world.
3. We are to be witnesses to Jesus in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, and to the end of the earth; this means that we are to go to our families, neighborhoods, our country, and to the outermost parts of the world, sharing our testimony of what Jesus has done. 

These three charges or expectations of the Lord clearly show us why we need the Helper, the Holy Spirit of God!

This outpouring of the Holy Spirit occurred on the Day of Pentecost and represents the birth of the Christian Church, birthed in the power of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:1-4 (NKJV) “1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” To the new Believers, this outpouring was a sign that the presence of God was present and gave them hope and boldness. It is no different today; the Holy Spirit of God wants to be made manifest in our lives, homes, communities, and churches. This event was a charismatic event.

The term Charismatic – one who exercises the spiritual gifts given by God to draw people to Christ. 

The term charismatic comes from the Greek word “charisma,” which is used to describe certain giftings or enablements by the Holy Spirit to demonstrate the power of God. Listen to the Apostle Paul’s description of charisma in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 (NKJV), “4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:” Notice two things here:

1. In describing the gifts, in verse 4, the name Spirit is used; in verse 5, the name Lord is used; and in verse 6, the name God is used. What we see is the triune nature of God is used to authorize the gifts or charismas. Then in verse 8 thru 10 the nine gifts of the spirit are listed; 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 
2. Verse 11 holds the purpose of the gifts, “11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.”

The purpose of the gifts of the Spirit is to draw attention to the Lord and to encourage, exhort, and edify the Body of Christ, the Church!

Conclusion:

In conclusion, as believers in Jesus Christ:

We are to be Evangelical (evangelistic) –that is our purpose in God.

We are to be Pentecostal or filled with the Spirit –that is, the empowerment of God.

We are to be Charismatic – the demonstration that draws people to God.

We will talk more about the Gifts of the Spirit the next time.

Listen to what Jesus said in John 15:15-17 (NKJV), “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. 17 These things I command you, that you love one another.” Being a friend of Jesus is another way of saying there is a friendship relationship based upon two-way communication; in other words, friends dialogue or talk to one another. Being a genuine friend of Jesus will eventually cause you to become more like Him because we are in a daily relationship with Him. We are not like some who believe that going to church on Sunday is all we need to be in a relationship with the Lord.

The relationship the Lord desires with us is a spiritual one. Remember what Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:24 (NKJV). “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”Therefore, our true worship is spiritual; that is why the Lord gave us the Holy Spirit when we were born-again. The key to an overcoming life is to learn how to be led by the Holy Spirit. 

How to be led by the Holy Spirit.

When Jesus speaks to us, He speaks to us through the Helper or the Holy Spirit; therefore, we must learn the language of the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit speaks to our minds, and we must learn how to discern that one voice because there are so many voices speaking to us. It takes practice, and it takes faith. It means that we may fail in the beginning, but we mustn’t quit. It is like learning a foreign language; however, once learned, it becomes natural and recognizable. My wife and I have been together for a great many years, and when she calls me on the phone, she doesn’t have to identify herself because I know her voice.

In the same way, we must not quit! Luke 11:9-10 (NKJV), “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.” As you can see from these verses and the context, it is a constant pursuit of the presence of God in our lives. 

There can be no relationship with the Lord apart from the Word of God, the Bible, and Jesus.

The Bible is the inspired Word of God. 

The wonderful truth about the Bible is that you don’t have to be a theologian or scholar to understand it. Every person who will invest time in the Bible will benefit; that is because the Bible is not simply a book, it is a spiritual book and must be spiritually appraised. To non-believers, it is just a book of history or myths, but to us, it is the book of life and life everlasting. From Genesis to Revelation is a thread of blood, a thread of redemption. Animal sacrifices in the Old Testament, the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus the Christ in the New Testament. Jesus, the way, the truth, and the life.

In the Old Testament, the commandments were written in stone and to be blindly obeyed. There was an element of fear of failing to live up to the standard of the Law. In the New Testament, the commandments are written in our hearts, which moves us to obey as the Spirit leads us. There is no fear because of the grace and truth the Lord brings into our lives. 

Romans 8:15-16 (NKJV), “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our Spirit that we are children of God.”

The single most important truth is that we are loved by God! The love of God is the motivation for coming to Him, and it is the love of God for us and through us that produces the desire to be transformed and become like Jesus. Jesus is the perfect model we look to and the reason for living because He gave His life for us. 

Since the Bible is the inspired Word of God and contains the only truthful information we have about God and His expectations of us. Many books, articles, videos, and podcasts have been published, and we may be tempted to believe what we read and hear; however, there is only one source of truth: the Bible. The Bible is the source of all knowledge about God, so everything we hear or read must be compared to the Bible for accuracy. It is easy to hear “what we want to hear” instead of the truth, which is found in the Bible. You have no one else to blame if you stray from the truth found in the Word of God! 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV), “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

As important as the Bible is, it was never meant to be worshipped; never lose sight of the author of the Word, God, and only God should be worshipped. The Bible is the holy instrument God uses to make His will known. 

Personal revelation is Holy Spirit-inspired understanding.

The information in the Bible is called Logos, which is a Greek term in the New Testament; logos is used to refer to the constant, written word, which is recorded in the Bible. The logos word or the Bible is the foundation of our knowledge about God.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10 (NKJV), “But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.” What the Lord is saying here is that we are capable of Personal revelation, that is, Holy Spirit-inspired understanding. 

The Bible is not a book you read once and then put down. The Bible is a lifelong study, and each time you read it, you gain more knowledge, understanding, and wisdom.

Logos – instruction from the Bible.

Knowledge: The logos word of the Bible is comprehended on three levels. The first level is knowledge. This is the fact-collecting stage, and every believer starts here. In a sense, it is like Elementary School. It is sometimes difficult and frustrating to learn all the names of the books of the Bible, the order they are found in, the names of all the characters and learning to focus on the most important people of the Bible. It’s hard work but a necessary step! Matthew 6:33 (NKJV), “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Seeking, in this sense, means not to give up.

Understanding: Once you have a foundation of knowledge, you move to the next level, and that is understanding. Understanding, in this sense, means to make the connection between all the parts of the Bible. I personally like to look at the Bible as a series of Covenants. The Mosaic Covenant, or the Law of Moses in the Old Testament, and the Covenant of Grace, which Jesus brought to us, is what the New Testament is about. An important understanding is that you can’t mix the old with the new, the Law with Grace. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV), “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.” The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke all state that “you cannot put new wine in old wineskins or else the wineskin will burst, and the wine spilled.”

Understanding is like having an “ah ha” moment when the Word becomes clear.

Wisdom: With understanding comes the next big step, and that is to do the Word by faith. We are called to be “doers of the Word” and not forgetful hearers. Wisdom is taking the knowledge and understanding from the Bible and, by faith, applying it to your life. From the world’s point of view, what we believe doesn’t make sense. 1 Corinthians 2:14 (NKJV) says, “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” It is for this reason we must walk by faith and not by sight. Remember the parable Jesus spoke in Matthew 7:24-27, the Parable of the Two Builders. The wise man heard the word of the Lord and did what he heard, building his house on the rock foundation, and it withstood the storm. The foolish man heard the same word but did not do it. Instead, he built his house on the sand; the storm came, and great was the house’s fall. 

You see, the wise man was a doer of the word, whereas the foolish man was a hearer only. Here is an important question: what does it mean that the wise builder “heard” the words of Jesus in the parable Matthew 7:24 (NKJV), “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock…” The verse clearly says hears these sayings or words of Mine. So here is an example not of the Logos word [written] but of the spoken word, which is the Rhema word.

The Word of God, the Bible, is one way in which we receive direction for life; however, there is another way also; it is the Rhema Word. The Logos word of the Bible is objective and always true. The Rhema word is subjective and is applied to circumstances or situations. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to bring the Logos word or principle of the Bible to your mind. When this happens, it is called a Rhema word. Look at what Jesus said in John 14:25-26 (NKJV), “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”

Jesus is the Word of God, and He communicates with us in two ways. Jesus communicates with us by the Spirit, through the written word or the Logos, and through the Holy Spirit speaking to our minds, which is the Rhema word. Both the Logos and Rhema are necessary to fulfill God’s plans, purposes, and pursuits. John 1:1 & 14 (NKJV), “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 14 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.” As you can see from these verses, Jesus is the Word of God! So, the Holy Spirit speaks to us through the Bible and our relationship with Jesus. 

When we turn to the Lord, He is faithful to hear us and respond to us. We just have to recognize those thoughts, promptings, or leadings are of the Lord, especially when they line up with the character of God. I remember when the acronym WWJD or What Would Jesus Do? was popular. Well, that question is still a worthy question to ask ourselves when we make decisions in our lives. 

Our Gift-giving God.

I understand that the concept of the Trinity, or three persons in one God, is a concept that is beyond my mental capacity to understand. Therefore, I accept this truth by faith. Honestly, how can I fully understand the creator of the universe, who can speak a word, and it is done? Just read the first two chapters of the Book of Genesis, and you’ll see what I am talking about.

It helps me to look at the Trinity in the following way: I am a son to my parents, a husband to my wife, and a father to my children, yet I am still one. In each of those relationships, I interact differently with my parents, wife, and children, but I am still one person. In the same way, we believe in One God. However, our God can express Himself in three persons. He is the Father, who loves us; Jesus, who saves us; and the Holy Spirit, who enables us. Each of the three persons of God interacts with humanity in three different ways. While this may be an imperfect example of the Trinity, it helps me to understand the Trinity of God, and I hope it helps you.

The scriptures tell us that there are mysteries that we must accept by faith. After all, look at Isaiah 55:8-9 (NKJV), “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” Because God is love, I know that I can trust Him with my life and eternity. Listen to 1 John 4:16 (NKJV), “And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” Love is the unifying attribute that ties all three, the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit into One.

I also want to point out that the word “love” that is used three times in the above verse is the Greek word “Agape.” Remember that all the modern Bibles we have were translated from the original New Testament manuscripts, which were written in Greek. The Greek language has several words that we translate as love, and it is important to distinguish the word “Agape” from the others. There are at least four Greek words translated as love, and they are:

1. Storge – compassion and understanding associated with family love for one another—the love of a mother or Father for a child, or the love between brothers and sisters.
2. Philia – brotherhood, friendship, comradery type of love.
3. Eros – romantic and sexual love between husband and wife. This term is not used in the New Testament.
4. Agape – an unconditional, unearned, and undeserved type of “God” love.

If you look at the first three expressions of love, they involve emotions or feelings, whereas agape involves a decision or a choice. God has decided to love you; His love is not based on how you make God feel, how good you are, or what you can do for Him. No one and nothing can change God’s mind!

God the Father is Love.

Let me repeat: When we say that God is love, we are saying that God is “Agape,” which is unconditional, which means He will never stop loving us; recall what the apostle Paul said in Romans 8:37-39 (NKJV), “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.” 

You can count on the unconditional love of God. Further evidence of this love is found in the well-known verse of John 3:16 (NKJV), “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.” Therefore, Jesus is the expression of God’s love for us.

You can have confidence in God’s love for you because it is an “agape” love. It doesn’t matter what your past was; it doesn’t matter what you are going through now. God’s forgiveness, through Jesus Christ, is total and absolute, and you can stand on the truth that nothing can separate you from the love of God.

The apostle Paul was being delivered by ship to stand trial before Caesar in Rome. The ship encountered a raging storm that lasted for days, and the ship’s crew gave up all hope. It was then that Paul received a visitation from an angel of God, and the angel said that they would be saved from the storm without loss of life. I want to point out what Paul said in Acts 27:23 (NKJV), “For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve.” In the midst of the storm, Paul knew who he belonged to and who he served. That confidence and assurance Paul expressed in the middle of a crisis was the result of the relationship that was built upon understanding and embracing the agape love of God the Father!

God the Son, Jesus, is Love.

Jesus the Son is also God; however, He is God in the flesh. Jesus is the expression of the invisible Father’s love in that Jesus became the perfect sacrifice, provided for our redemption. It is quite clear that the only way to the Father is through Him; John 14:6 (NKJV), “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” The term “no one” means that there is no other way except believing that through the sacrifice of Jesus, we are forgiven and reconciled back to the Father. 

Listen to what the apostle John wrote about Jesus in John 1:1-5 & 14 (NKJV), “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” 14 “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.” Jesus always existed because He is part of the Trinity, three persons in One. Therefore, Jesus is love, the Love of the Father expressed in human form.

As the Father is a giver of gifts because He gave us Jesus, Jesus also gives gifts. By believing and confessing to Jesus, we have the greatest gift: the forgiveness of sin and reconciliation with the Father. We are saved, redeemed, sanctified, and promised eternal life with Jesus in Heaven.

Jesus also knew that we could never live a Christ-like life without help, so Jesus also gave us the Holy Spirit with authority and power to enable us to overcome sin, temptation, and all the plans of the enemy, Satan. 

Jesus says in John 16:12-15 (NKJV), “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth [the Holy Spirit], has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.” Can you see the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit working as One?

God the Holy Spirit is Love.

The Holy Spirit is the helper or enabler that Jesus promised that the Father would send to us. John 14:26 (NKJV), “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” The Holy Spirit will bring the Rhema word to us, which will enable us to make the right decisions of righteousness that will bring us closer to the Lord in our relationship with Him. The Spirit will strengthen us with truth, authority, and power. I believe it is impossible to fully serve the Lord without the help of the Holy Spirit. Anyone who relies on their own personal strength and wisdom alone to serve the Lord is a very weak Christian indeed. 

John 4:24 says, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” So, how do we worship in Spirit and truth? First, realize that the word worship used here is not about a worship service or music but a transformed life! Romans 12:1-2 (ESV), “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” You may ask, what does a transformed life look like? A transformed life is a life that looks like Jesus and is enabled by the fruit of the Holy Spirit. 

The Fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit has to do with our character. By fruit, I mean that because our nature has been changed, now that we are born-again, we are guided by the Holy Spirit. Of course, we must learn how to be led by the Spirit of God, but that is another topic. It is now the character of God living through us as we now live our lives to glorify the Lord. Look at Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV). “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering (patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control.” These nine characteristics or traits of the Holy Spirit are available in us because the Holy Spirit lives in us. 

Notice the first fruit; it is “love,” and the other characteristics follow that love. The love in this verse is the “agape” love we talked about earlier; it is unconditional love. Unconditional love enables us to experience joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. All of humanity seek these nine qualities of life; however, it must begin with the agape love of God in our hearts. The apostle Paul makes a statement under the influence of the Holy Spirit as he explains how our faith helps us endure difficult times. He says in Romans 5:5 (NKJV), “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” In other words, we experience the love of God through the Holy Spirit! We love others with the love of God in us.

Conclusion

I haven’t forgotten the original question in this message, “When I pray, who do I pray to, God the Father, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit? It really doesn’t make any difference because we serve only One God!

In the name of the Father.

Jesus gave us the “Lord’s Prayer” in Matthew 6:9, and He told us that when we pray, we should pray to our Father in heaven. 

In the name of Jesus.

As Stephen the Martyr was being stoned, he cried out in Acts 7:59 (NKJV), “And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.“

When the apostle Paul pleaded with the Lord (Jesus) about the “thorn in the flesh” in 2 Corinthians 12:8 (NKJV), “Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.” The context of the word Lord in this verse is Jesus.

In the name of the Holy Spirit. 

The Holy Spirit is the enabler or helper; when we don’t know how to pray, listen to Romans 8:26 (NKJV), “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”

Because God is One, there are times I pray to the Father, and then there are times I pray or talk to Jesus because I know that He makes intercession for me. Then, there are times I pray in the Spirit, especially when I am overwhelmed and don’t know how to pray with my understanding. So, whoever I pray to I am confident that the Lord hears me, and you can be too!

Listen to what James says in James 1:22-25 (NKJV), “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”

You see, if you treat the truths of the Bible as something to be studied and to know and stop there, you miss the point of applying the truths to your life. Everyone at the beginning of their walk with Jesus starts out learning about the truths of the Bible, but eventually, the goal is to apply the truth to your own life; this is how one is blessed. Jesus says in John 8:32 & 36 that the “Truth will set you free,” but it does not simply know the truth; it is walking, breathing, and living the truth that sets you free. Don’t deceive yourself into thinking that knowledge alone is the key.

Deceiving myself

In my younger years, I wanted to learn how to fly an airplane; however, just wanting to fly didn’t make me a pilot. I also read all I could find on the history of aviation and the biographies of great pilots, and as a result, I was sure I could fly a plane. When I was about 22 years old, I signed up to a flight school to learn how to pilot a plane; the first thing they did was make me spend hours in classes learning about the science of flight. I learned about aerodynamic terms like lift, drag, thrust, and airspeed, and after hours of learning and testing, I thought, surely, I could fly a plane. Then, the day came when I got into the cockpit of an airplane and learned the purpose of all the controls and instruments. I was really sure I could pilot a plane. However, it wasn’t until the day came that I got into a plane’s cockpit, started the engine, rolled out onto the runway, and took off that I was flying the plane. The moment the wheels left the ground, I was piloting the plane.

The point is that learning the facts and theory of flight wasn’t enough; I had to apply all I knew to the task of actually flying a plane. The same is true of our life as a Believer in Jesus Christ. It is not how much you know about Jesus and the Holy Spirit; it is realizing how much Jesus and the Holy Spirit know you. I have known many in my life who were Bible scholars but lacked the love and compassion that is the hallmark of one who knows Jesus in a personal way. Understanding that you are loved and known by the Lord will change everything in your life. Jesus said in John 14:21 (NKJV), “He who has My commandments [or obeys my commandments]and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

Known by God

There is a major difference between knowing about someone and being known by that someone. The Apostle Paul knew the difference. Listen to what he says in Galatians 4:9 [emphasis mine], “But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage?” in this verse Paul is admonishing the new Christians to not return to their old forms of worship, worshiping those things which are not god. Paul is speaking to Born-again Believers because he refers to them as being known by God! It is not enough to know God; our faith and confidence should lie in knowing that he knows us!

I Never Knew You

Let’s look at a very powerful verse that speaks to the issue of being known by the Lord. Jesus says in Matthew 7:21, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” From these verses, the individuals Jesus speaks about are followers of Christ in name only. They approach their Christianity in a ritualistic way. They know how to “talk the talk.” They dress right and act right, but they really don’t know Jesus; they know about Him but don’t know Him! So, what does a real Christian look like? The rest of Matthew 7 will give us some insight.

Matthew 7 – Known by God

1.     Don’t Judge Others

The chapter begins with a warning that we should not judge others. What is especially important is that we do not judge others until we have judged ourselves. When we judge ourselves honestly, we often discover that we are in no position to judge others. Very much like the religious leaders who brought the women caught in adultery to Jesus in John 8. The hypocritical leaders expected Jesus to condemn the sinning woman to death by stoning as was prescribed by the Law. Instead, Jesus asked the simple question, “Whoever is without sin cast the first stone!” One by one, the accusers withdrew and left Jesus and the woman alone. In John 8:11, Jesus said to the woman, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” Instead of judgment, Jesus extended grace and mercy. As followers of Jesus Christ, we must do the same.

2.     Keep Asking, Seeking, and Knocking

Then, beginning in verse seven of Matthew 7, we’re told that we’re to “keep asking seeking and knocking.” This is speaking of the fact that we should never give up on the promises of God, especially when we are going through difficult times. You and I both know that God is never late. He’s never early, but he is always on time. We struggle with the fact that there are times when God does not seem to move fast enough in our difficult situations or circumstances. However, we are to never lose heart; we must be persistent in coming before the Lord, making our petitions known to Him, and behaving as one who knows that the answer is coming.

3.     The Narrow and Wide Gate

Then Matthew 7:13 tells us that the path to life, both in the present and future, is sometimes difficult. We are told to enter through the narrow gate, for the wide gate leads to destruction. There are no shortcuts in God. We must not abandon our righteous standing with the Lord. That means never resorting to lying, cheating, stealing, or any unrighteous act. We are called to be a people of integrity at any cost.

4.     False Prophets or Teachers

Then, beginning in Matthew 7 15, we are warned that there are false prophets in the world; this phrase means that there are those who are intentionally trying to deceive us or, for lack of knowledge, lead us in the wrong direction. We are told to observe their fruit and that we shall know them by their fruits. This means that we need to watch them not only when they are in public because everyone behaves properly in public, but we need to find opportunities to observe them in private. Many people act righteously when in public but are unrighteous in their private lives. How a person treats their family will tell you much about that person.

5.     I Never Knew You

Now we arrive at the relevant scriptures to the message today: Matthew 7:21 and I quote, 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ pay special attention to verse 23, Jesus says, “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” 

You see, it’s one thing to act like a Christian. It’s another thing to be a Christian. A true Christian is one who has accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. That means he has surrendered his will to do the will of the Father, just as Jesus did. To do the will of the Father means, first and foremost, to love the Lord God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and here comes the hard part that you will love others as you would have them love you. This may seem difficult at times, but remember you have the “Helper,” the Holy Spirit of God living in you!

6.     Build on the Rock of Obedience

The key to being known by the Lord is found in the following section, which is Matthew 7:24, and it has to do with building on the rock. I’m sure you know the parable of the two builders; one builder built a house on the sand, the other built a house on the rock. Jesus said that the floods rose, the winds came, and the wind blew down the house built on sand, whereas the one built on the rock withstood the storm. We know that Jesus is the Rock that we need to build our lives upon Him, but the parable is really about hearing (knowing) and doing what Jesus taught and not just hearing (knowing) alone. We are called to be “doers” of the Word and not just hearers. Being a doer of the Word is the kind of believer Jesus knows. 

Conclusion

The evidence that you are known by God is that you love God; this means that you are obedient to Him to the best of your ability. Listen to what Jesus says in the Gospel of John 14:15, “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” Loving God is the natural response of the Holy Spirit in you, and the Holy Spirit is the evidence that you are known by the Lord.

To love God means more than an emotional feeling of love; the kind of love that God is talking about is what the Greeks called “Agape.” Agape love is unconditional; it is the kind of love God has for us. It is not earned or deserved but given as a gift of grace. As followers and disciples of Jesus, this is the kind of unconditional love that God responds to. Someone defined love as “living your life for someone else’s good.” That is a good way for us to look at how we are to respond to those around us. The Lord only has good for you, as we like to say in church, “God is good, He is good all of the time!” We demonstrate our love for the Lord by blessing and glorifying Him through our lives. Our words and deeds reflect the grateful heart that we know that the Lord knows us! As it says in 1 Corinthians 8:3, “But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.”

Live your life as if Jesus were always by your side because He is. Do this, and you will never have to worry that Jesus would say, “I Never Knew You!” because you are His, and He is yours. James 4:8 (NKJV) says, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”