Tag: Gospel Leadership

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Orthopraxy: Welcoming Visitors

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Many of the topics we will discuss in this series have strong biblical foundations. For example, practices such as corporate prayer, intercession, and fellowship all have theological roots in scripture, which regulate how we participate in them. However, other things we will look at are things most churches practice, yet the biblical links are minimal. That isn’t to say they are unbiblical or not good, only that they are often more culturally-based than scripturally. Despite this fact, I want to go deep into everything we do as a church and see how the Bible does imply we should view those activities.

One of these practices, which we will look at today, seems to be a regular part of church life everywhere in the world I have been privileged to visit and ministry. That is our practice of welcoming guests.

Current Trends

How we welcome guests varies from one culture to another. For example, in America, many churches have a designated area to meet with guests, either before or after services. Some give first-time visitors gifts, such as coffee cups with the church name, a bag of candies, or some other small trinket, as well as ask the guests to fill out some form of information card. In addition, volunteers are usually available at the entry or in various places around the church to answer any questions guests may have or to simply greet them and make them feel welcomed.

While most churches in the U.S. will take a moment in the service to welcome visitors, they are usually asked to meet with someone in the designated guest area after the service, rather than having any pressure put on them to move or speak at that moment.

This is very different from what I have seen in East Africa, where I live and work as a missionary. Instead, in Uganda and Kenya, time is made in the service to welcome guests, who are usually asked to stand and receive some kind of personal greeting from the whole church.

In fact, in most small to medium-sized churches, visitors are usually asked to speak, telling the church who they are, where they come from, if they are born-again, where they usually “pray from,” and what brought them to the service that day. Giving the visitors this opportunity to speak is a culturally appropriate way to honor them and show that the church values them.

In the U.S., asking first-time visitors to speak would be quite awkward for them, making them feel put on the spot. Most guests would rather not have everyone’s attention put on them. However, an informal request to fill out an informational card would make guests in East Africa feel undervalued. That culture takes pride in giving time to people, whether personally or in group settings. 

The point is that while every culture is different, churches everywhere want to make guests feel welcomed.

What Does the Bible Say?

While the Bible does not have anything specific to say about how we greet guests in our services, it does have a lot to say about hospitality and welcoming outsiders.

The Church is Commanded to Show Hospitality

The Lexham Bible Dictionary defines hospitality as “the generous and gracious treatment of guests.” (1) This is why the author of Hebrews commands the church:

“Let brotherly love continue [which deals with biblical fellowship]. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” 

Hebrews 13:1–2 (emphasis mine)

In the same way, Paul explains what the culture of the church ought to be in the book of Romans:

“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.” 

Romans 12:9–13 (emphasis mine)

In many places in scripture, it is clear that, though we are members of the local church fellowship and care for one another, we should also be conscious of how we treat strangers (or we might say, “newcomers”), as we welcome them with grace and hospitality.

Church Leaders are Commanded to Value Outsiders

If it is not enough that the church is commanded to show hospitality, the Apostle Paul also, very clearly, instructs church leadership to value and show hospitality to outsiders. He writes to Timothy, the pastor at Ephesus:

“Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach… Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.” 

1 Timothy 3:3,7 (emphasis mine)

And again, he writes to Titus, the Pastor at Crete:

“For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.” 

Titus 1:7–8 (emphasis mine)

Even in the way a church service runs, especially the use of spiritual gifts, Paul wants to make sure we are aware of the impact it has on visitors:

“If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds? But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all…” 

1 Corinthians 14:23–24 (emphasis mine)

We will come back to this passage in a minute.

Let’s Get Practical

It is clear from all of this that when the church meets together, it should pay attention to guests and make sure they feel welcomed and valued. The question is, in light of all the reasons the church gathers, how should we treat guests, and is there a limit?

Again, the cultural background of the church will have a lot to say about specifics. However, I think there are some general guidelines we can use to ensure our guests are valued appropriately.

1. Jesus Must Be the Focus

While we want to make guests feel at home among us, the truth is that non-believers should see Jesus exalted in prayer and worship, hear the gospel preached, and be confronted with their need for salvation. Unfortunately, many churches have moved too far into the “seeker-sensitive” realm and refuse to talk about sin, the cross, or God’s judgment, because those topics might make people uncomfortable.

When we come into the church, we must always keep in mind that Jesus is the focus; not the visitors. Though we are happy to have them and should go out of our way to welcome them, the service is not about them or even for them. In the same way, it is not about us, people’s comfort, meeting needs, or anything else. It is about Jesus. It is for Him.

When too much emphasis is on visitors and their comfort, the church becomes another social club rather than a house of God. However, when Jesus is the focus, we will see the lost get saved. We will see the church grow. We will see lives changed. And so much more.

2. Visitors Are Guests of Jesus

Although we should not center our service around visitors and their needs or comfort, we also must make sure we view them in light of God’s grace and mission. We must have a healthy respect for God’s sovereignty and the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives, and understand that He is ultimately the one who brought them into our services. They are His guests first; ours second.

As such, our attitudes toward visitors should be guided by the realization that Jesus has big plans for them, and the Holy Spirit should guide our actions toward them. This is what Paul was talking about when he wrote to the Corinthian church:

“But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.” 

1 Corinthians 14:24–25

This means that, while we may have great volunteers to greet guests, welcome gifts for them to take home, or special time in the service for them to introduce themselves, our ultimate goal should be to be the hands, feet, and mouth of Jesus toward them. The best care we can offer to guests is that they would have an encounter with Jesus.

It’s All About Jesus. Seek Him and Follow His Lead.

I would highly encourage you to pray and ask the Holy Spirit how your church can better welcome guests prophetically. In other words, ask Him how He would welcome guests if He were leading the service, then do that. After all, it is His church, and the service is for Him. They are His guests, and we are His servants. 

As I am fond of saying, the goal of everything in the Christian life is “listen to God, and do what He says.” Greeting visitors is no different. We will do well, therefore, if we can keep our focus on Jesus and follow His leading toward His guests.

Let’s Connect

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Endnotes

1 Douglas K. Wilson, “Hospitality,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).

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© Anthony Scott Ingram 2021. All Rights Reserved.

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

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The Emotional Qualifications for Leadership

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This is Part 9 of the Biblical Leadership Series. Click here to go to Part 1.

So far in this dive into the biblical qualifications for leadership, we have already discussed, in depth, the spiritual, calling, capability, and family qualifications for Christian leadership. In this post, we will continue to look at the private life of the leader by looking at the emotional qualifications for Christian leadership.

Emotional Qualification 1: Lover of good (Titus 1:8)

At first glance, this qualification seems obvious. I mean, you cannot be a good leader but love it when bad things happen. It is usually in the stressful, negative moments of ministry that leaders have the most thoughts about throwing in the towel and doing something else. What kind of sane person would give their lives to ministry to enjoy the worst moments of life?

However, that isn’t exactly the meaning here. There is a nuance to what kind of “good” a person must be a lover of, and it has very little to do with the good of yourself. The Greek word used here specifically means loving the public good. In the Greco-Roman world, this trait would be “a characteristic of an especially respected and responsible citizen” of the empire.1

This means, that as a leader, in your emotional life, you do not spend your time thinking about your own welfare or problems. Rather, you spend your time delighting in purposes and making plans that will benefit the body of Christ and the community you are called to serve. Even in your most introspective self, you must be outwardly focused, and love it when good things come to those around you. You must not be guilty of the sin of jealousy or of comparison with others!

I believe this qualification will sum up the rest of the emotional qualifications. Unfortunately, this is a trait that is lacking in many leaders in the body of Christ. Too many are consumed with making things happen for their own benefit — overcoming their own problems, receiving their own blessings, and building up themselves — that they actually become jealous and spiteful toward others whose circumstances work out for the better.

A self-serving heart can not be a lover of the good of others, and therefore cannot qualify for biblical leadership.

Emotional Qualification 2: Sober-minded (1 Timothy 3:2, 11, 1 Peter 5:8)

This qualification is not specifically talking about being a drunkard. We will get to that in the next post, when we discuss the character qualifications. Instead, being “sober-minded” means that as a leader you are emotionally cable of being sensible. It implies that you are level-headed or well-balanced in your thinking.

Most people get emotionally overwhelmed and cannot think straight in extreme circumstances. That is normal. However, ministers of the Lord are called to serve others in the most difficult and heart-wrenching times of their lives and should have a level of extra stability in their emotional balance. We must be capable of keeping our sensibilities at all times.

We must be aware that if we are easily overwhelmed emotionally, then we will struggle to stay tuned-in to the Lord in order to hear Him clearly, or to lead others effectively.

In 1 Peter, he actually adds that we must be sober minded and watchful, because our “adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” If we are unable to keep our thinking clear, we will be an easy target for him!

No Drama Queens

Another type of person who falls into this category of not being “sober-minded” is the leader who loves drama. They love it when there is controversy and things are out of balance between people. This kind of person loves to “stir the pot” and keep the confusing situations going. That is not a characteristic of an emotionally balanced person.

Not only should we value our own emotional stability, but we must encourage it in others as well.

To fulfill this qualification as leaders, we must be able to think clearly in every situation, and to be able to submit our minds to the voice of the Lord, rather than getting knocked off track by overwhelming emotions.

Emotional Qualification 3: Not Arrogant (Titus 1:7)

Some people might list “not arrogant” among the character qualifications for leadership rather than emotional. However, as I was praying through them, I felt it is more fitting among the emotional qualities. That is because many people tie arrogance to the person’s public persona and appearance. Yet it is not only leaders who wear brand-name clothing, get expensive haircuts, and drive big black SUV’s with tinted windows who are capable of arrogance. (Nor do those things necessarily mean that those people are arrogant, either.) Instead, arrogance is first and foremost a condition of the heart. Yes, it has outward fruit, but it is an emotional trait first.

The biblical idea for not being arrogant means that the person should not be “self-important.” Just as the first qualification says they must be focused on the public good of others. This trait says that in our minds, we value others personally more than we value ourselves. Paul echos this sentiment in Philippians 2:3,

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”

When we truly view ourselves as less important than those we minister to, lowering ourselves in humility to serve, then our motives will never be self-willed. Instead, we will give our time and emotional energy to others, no matter their circumstances or character, because we truly value them more than we value ourselves.

Arrogance also carries the idea of primarily being concerned with your own interests. Again, this means that leaders who only look out for “number 1” (themselves), and resist things that do not glorify or validate themselves, are not qualified to lead God’s people.

Emotional Qualification 4: Not Double-Tongued (1 Timothy 3:8)

According to one lexicon, “in some languages the equivalent of [double tongued] is ‘to speak in two directions’ or ‘to cover one’s thoughts by means of one’s words.’”2 It means that when you open your mouth to speak, you are saying one thing while thinking or doing another. You are a hypocrite or “two-faced.”

The obvious outcome is that you are not a trustworthy person. If people doubt the sincerity of your words because your actions say otherwise (or because you say one thing to one person, but the opposite to another), then they will never be able to believe you as a person.

No One Follows Two-Faced Leaders

Sadly, in my own life, I have had a number of jobs where my manager was a “double-tongued” person. One boss in particular would give instructions to our team in how he wanted us to do our work. However, when his overseers were not happy with the work, my manager would blame us, telling his boss that he instructed us to do something else, but we failed to obey. Needless to say, his lack of integrity in this way made it difficult for people to work for him, and the rate at which people quit that job was high.

Within the church, where leaders are suppose to hold to the word of God with a clear conscience, it is difficult to teach people the truth, when our words and actions do not demonstrate them. We must have the emotional strength to speak honestly and tell the truth, even when it might cost us personally.

Emotional Qualification 5: Not Quick-Tempered (Titus 1:7)

This qualification simply means that your emotional state cannot be “always ready for a fight.” If your default personality qualification is that you are inclined to anger and short-tempered, then you will lack the grace to deal with God’s people effectively. You must not get offended quickly, whether it is by direct personal attacks or by the outward actions of others.

In the Bible, we do see Jesus getting frustrated at times, and He is even overcome with righteous anger when He made a whip and chased the money changers from the temple (John 2:15). However, as the physical representation of God (Colossians 1:15, John 1:14), Jesus’ default emotional state was “merciful and gracious” and “slow to anger” (Exodus 34:6). Remember, His name is “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

If we are going to be the hands and feet of Jesus in the world today, representing as the leaders of His church and servants of His Kingdom, then how can our emotional state be any different? If He is “slow to anger,” we must also be if we are going to be qualified to lead others for Him.

Emotional Qualification 6: Not Quarrelsome (1 Timothy 3:3)

In the same way as not being quick-tempered in how we respond to others, we must also not be out looking for a fight. The Greek word, here, means that we must be peace-makers. We cannot be contentious in our relationships to people, and especially in the things of God.

There are way too many self-proclaimed teachers of the Word of God who are simply making bold declarations, looking for an argument. They don’t speak from a conviction of truth. Instead, they want to fight and play “devil’s advocate.” (I cannot think of any role that should be less desirable to the servant of God than advocating for the devil.)

Beware Those Who Quarrel to Prove Themselves

One danger that is found in those who do not fulfill this emotional qualification is that they are quarreling with others, hoping it will somehow prove their own value and worth.

I personally believe the “not quarrelsome” requirement is especially necessary when evaluating younger men for ministry service, for this reason. Until the young man realizes that he does not know it all, and learns to lay down the prideful pursuit of “proving himself,” then he shouldn’t be given leadership over others.

Again, in humility and in truth, we should allow God to prove us, rather than looking for a fight to demonstrate our credibility or superiority.

Emotional Qualification 7: Not Greedy (1 Timothy 3:3,8, Titus 1:7, 1 Peter 5:2)

The final emotional qualification for leaders is that they are “not greedy.” This is one of the only qualifications which makes all three of the apostles’ lists.

At face value, it seems easy to understand. To Timothy, Paul says you cannot be a “lover of money.” To Titus he says, as Peter also writes, you cannot be “shamefully greedy.” Both of these statements mean that you cannot be obsessed with the pursuit of wealth or excessively hoarding of your finances.

If Peter and Paul saying the same thing is not enough, we must also remember the words of Jesus Himself:

No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

Luke 16:13

Money-Hungry Leaders

As we have discussed before, seeking financial gain is the absolute worst reason to get into ministry! But to add the weight of Jesus’ words to this reality, I will say this: if you are in Christian ministry for personal financial gain, you are disqualified and you need to quit, immediately. If you are actively pursuing money from your service to the body of Christ, you are not serving the Lord! (This does not mean pastors should necessarily work for free, but money should not be the motivation.)

Again, greedy people are the ones who abuse God’s flock by manipulating them for money. They will promise blessings that God never promised, and they will prostitute any spiritual gift God may have given to them, for their own gain.

I don’t know how to say it any more clearly than Jesus did. “You cannot serve God and money.” If you are going to serve God, then you must become like Paul, who says,

“…I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

Philippians 4:11-13

Money-Obsessed Leaders

In the same vein, there are many leaders who are not in ministry for financial gain, yet they are still emotionally obsessed with money — usually the lack of it — and it prevents them from fulfilling the call of God on their lives.

In the case of “not being greedy,” the Greek language implies that in no way should our minds be obsessed with money, at all. While worrying about the lack of money is not the same sin as hoarding cash, it is still sinful, nonetheless.

God has revealed Himself to be Jehovah-Jireh, or “YHWH, Your Provider.” If we, then, doubt His provision, and fail to do the work He has called us to because of lack, then we have sinned against Him. This is literally taking the name of the Lord in vain!

Confession: This is My Greatest Anxiety

To be transparent, this is the emotional qualification I need the most sanctification in. I used to have a small, framed quote in my office which said, “We have done so much, with so little, for so long, that we think we can do anything, with nothing, in no time flat.” I lived with a poverty mindset for a long time, always obsessing over what I lacked.

The Lord had to rebuke me for this attitude. While earthly appearances may show that my family are poor missionaries in East Africa, begging for money for every project or need. The truth is that we are servants in the Kingdom of God, and that we have access to the abundance of heaven to do anything He calls us to do.

This is a reality I have to remind myself of often, as the enemy is quick to prick my anxiety with a perception that there is not enough money for the ministry.

A Mindset of Trust

To fulfill the biblical qualification of “not greedy,” we must keep a balanced mind, focused on God as our provider in all circumstances. We cannot be seeking to get rich and hoard money. Neither can we be obsessed with our poverty, and desperate for where to get our needs met. We must trust Him alone, and handle our money as stewards of His gifts.

When He says save or invest, we do. When He says spend or give lavishly, we do. That is what it means to serve God instead of money. Any other mindset, constantly fixed on money, is disqualifying for leadership.

In Summary

To fulfill these emotional qualifications, we must have a balanced, stable state of mind. We should be able to think clearly, and make decisions based on truth and the leading of the Holy Spirit, rather than the outcome or consequences.

We don’t look out for ourselves, but focus on the public good. We don’t build ourselves up or try to prove ourselves to others by winning arguments. We don’t seek our own financial blessing over the needs of others. Instead, we keep a mindset of trust in the Lord to fight our battles and provide our needs. Most of all, we are emotionally prepared to follow His will and do what He says at all times. Anything less than that is not acceptable to serve as a leader in the body of Christ.

Let’s Connect

In the next post we will look at the final category of qualifications as we look at a person’s “character” requirements for biblical leadership, and deal with their public reputations. You can make sure you don’t miss any future posts by subscribing to my newsletter below. I promise never to spam your inbox or share your info with others.

You can also join me on social media for more #ChristianLife and #Gospel Leadership insights throughout the week. I can be found on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Parler, and LinkedIn, and would love to see you there.

1 William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 1055.

2 Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 766.

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© Anthony Scott Ingram 2020. All Rights Reserved.

Photo by Andrew Seaman on Unsplash

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

Please note that I do get a small kickback from Amazon for purchases made using the links on this site. 
Should you choose to purchase from them, I just want to say thank you for further supporting my work in ministry! 
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The Shoes of The Gospel of Peace

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Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.

Ephesians 6:13-18a

So far in this series on Spiritual Warfare and the Armor of God, we have learned how to put on the Belt of Truth, by filtering everything through the lens of Christ, and the Breastplate of Righteousness, as we guard our hearts from sinful passions and temptations. Now we turn our attention to the shoes of our spiritual armor, which is “the readiness of the gospel of peace.”

As the commandment given by the Apostle Paul in this passage is to “stand firm,” we must be very careful to understand this piece of the armor. After all, it is our shoes which give us the ability to stand. If your shoes are slippery, or do not fit well, you will surely fall.

Mixed Understanding

To be honest, this piece of armor may be the most misunderstood. A quick survey of other materials on the “shoes of the gospel of peace” leads in various directions. The most common is to say that to put on the “shoes of the gospel” is a call to evangelism. Some writers will allude to Romans 10:15, where Paul quotes from Isaiah 52:7, “As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’”

While I do believe that part of our spiritual warfare in this life includes sharing the gospel with others, I do not believe that is what the armor of God passage of scripture is referencing. To understand the shoes we will put on, we must first truly understand the definition of this “peace.”

Understanding Peace

The Greek word used in this verse is “eirēnē,” (or “Irene”) which is the New Testament equivalent of the Hebrew, “shalom.” In fact, the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament used by Jesus) usually translates the Hebrew word “shalom” as “eirēnē.”

The Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible say that this word means:

Total well-being, prosperity, and security associated with God’s presence among his people.

Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Peace,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 1634.

To fully grasp the understanding of this peace, we should not be thinking of person-to person peacemaking, such as a treaty to end a war. That would typically be spoken of using the Latin word “pax,” which is legislated peace by treaty or law. (The Pax Romana was “the peace of Rome” granted by citizenship under Roman law.) 

While the Latin pax “in the first instance denotes a reciprocal legal relationship between two parties,” eirēnē is “primarily no more than the passionately asserted, emotionally felt and palpable opposite of polemos (war, battle).”

Werner Foerster, “Εἰρήνη, Εἰρηνεύω, Εἰρηνικός, Εἰρηνοποιός, Εἰρηνοποιέω,” ed. Gerhard Kittel, Geoffrey W. Bromiley, and Gerhard Friedrich, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964–), 401.

We should, therefore, understand eirēnē in Ephesians to mean the existence of peace itself, rather than the act of bringing peace. In Jesus, we have peace. We live in peace, even if there is war outside.

The Gospel of Peace

Another Bible dictionary says the definition of peace includes the idea of:

prosperity, success; welfare, state of health; friendliness; deliverance, salvation…

The Lexham Analytical Lexicon of the Septuagint (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012).

When we truly understand the Gospel of Peace, we come to know that all of these are gifts from God to His children. These are not just promises which await us in eternity, but they are realities we can and should live in now, by faith!

The Baker Encyclopedia goes on:

In prophetic material, true peace is part of the end-time hope of God’s salvation. In the NT, this longed-for peace is understood as having come in Christ and able to be experienced by faith.

(emphasis mine)

We must understand then, that the gospel of peace is this: through Jesus Christ, God has not only forgiven our sins, but He has already established His Kingdom (His reign) in us, which grants us His peace, now! 

As believers, we should be living in this peace of God (shalom/eirēnē), right now, even though the war over the rest of creation is still raging! On the final judgement day, when God defeats all of His enemies, then the pax (legislated peace) of God will be established over all creation for eternity.

How Does Peace Become Shoes?

Take note that Ephesians does not tells us that it is the “Gospel of Peace” itself which is the shoes for our armor. It is “the readiness of the Gospel of Peace.” Not to make things more difficult than they need to be, we must take a look at this word readiness, since the English use of the word may be slightly different than the Greek author’s intention. 

In English, the simple reading sounds like it is saying, “for shoes, make yourself ready with the Gospel of Peace.” Although this might be considered technically true, it does not give the proper understanding.

The root word does not mean “get yourself ready,” but rather implies that something “is already made ready.” The Septuagint writers used this same Greek word as they translated Old Testament words like “foundation” and “support.”

It does not imply that you need to get yourself at peace so that you may stand. Rather it means that your peace, protection, provision, and well-being is ALREADY established in Jesus Christ, as the foundation upon which you must choose, daily, to stand! It literally says that for shoes, put on the solid foundation which has been laid for you by the Prince of Peace.

Standing on a Stable Foundation

As I said in the beginning, it is our shoes which give us the ability to “stand firm” or cause us to fall. Paul is telling us that our standing is all about our foundation; our support — The Gospel of Peace.

The shoes given by the Lord, as part of our armor, give us stability as we stand on the foundation of God’s peace in our lives. When we are grounded in the Lord as the one who fulfills His promises to us — to be our provider, our protector, our healer, etc — then our well-being will be secure, and we will have the resilience to “stand firm.”

If, however, we do not stand on the foundation of the gospel of peace, we will never be secure when opposition comes. If Jesus isn’t our security, then we will build false idols to protect ourselves. (How many times did Israel fall because they trusted other nations to protect them, rather than God?) If Jesus isn’t our provider, then we will stumble in our calling, as we struggle to find resources outside of His plan. If Jesus isn’t our healer, the enemy can use any form of sickness to shake our stability. (COVID19 anyone?)

We must remove any counterfeit shoes, given to us by the world or the enemy, which do not give true peace. Although they may offer temporary comfort and stability, they will not be able to stand up in the day of testing!

The Gospel of Peace is our only solid foundation, as we have assurance that Jesus cares about our total wellbeing, and will do whatever it takes to give us His security, even when the world around us is at war.

Jesus’ Plan for Us is Peace

This is one of the toughest lessons of the Christian life, but it is one we must learn quickly, if we are to overcome “the evil day.” Jesus is the Prince of Peace and He promises us His peace, if we will receive it, and stand on it!

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

John 14:27

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Matthew 6:25-34

Let’s Connect

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts, questions, and testimonies in the comment section. 

In the next post we will look at the Shield of Faith.

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

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Christian Healing: The Believer’s Authority

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In the last post, we discussed the issue of whether or not Christian healing is for today. Concluding that there is no biblical expectation that this (or any) spiritual gift would cease in the first century, we must now turn our attention to the practice of Christian healing. As I have studied scripture, I see two major elements continually at play when the Bible discusses the issue: the believer’s authority to heal given by Jesus and the anointing for healing which comes from the Holy Spirit.

Although these two things work in tandem (and are often indistinguishable in Jesus’ ministry), I believe it will be helpful to discuss them separately. Therefore, in this post and the next, we will take on the topic of the believer’s authority to heal, then later we will look at the Holy Spirit’s power for healing. 

In laying the foundation for the believer’s authority to heal, there are two areas we must discuss. The first is our own beliefs and expectations concerning our authority to heal, which we will discuss today, and then how we put that authority into practice, which we will tackle in the next post.

The Basis of Our Authority to Heal

Jesus made a very casual statement in the book of John, which has been the topic of much disagreement between Christians for millennia. However, as you know, my general approach is to simply take the Bible at it’s word unless there is something to imply there is more behind what is stated. In this case, there does not seem to be a hidden meaning. 

Jesus’ statement was this:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.

John 14:12

This verse follows after an explanation in verse 10 that everything Jesus was doing was not on His own authority, but an extension of the authority of God. He then gives us His radical expectation that if a person would believe in Him, then that person will also do what He does! 

We have previously discussed that what He did was to fulfill all the Messianic prophecies he quotes in Luke 4:18-19. One of these Messianic promises which Jesus was doing daily when He made this statement was healing the sick, and now He says he expects that the disciples belief in Him would translate into their doing the same thing!

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The Name of Jesus – Our Place of Authority

Looking again at John 14, Jesus goes on to say:

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

John 14:13-14

From this passage of scripture alone, it is easy for the human mind to race with unlimited possibilities. After all, Jesus said “whatever you ask,” I will do. Unfortunately, though, within the passage itself there is a limitation on the scope of this promise. It does not mean we can ask Jesus for a new Land Rover or for a million dollars, and expect it to come.

His statement that He would do “whatever we ask” was directly tied to our accomplishing the same works that He was doing by the Father’s authority! He is implying a chain of command!

Jesus’ Authority Becomes Our Authority

God commanded Jesus to heal the sick, in fulfillment of His promises (see John 5:19). That command carries with it the authority of the One giving it. Then, in the same way, Jesus commands those who would believe in Him to continue doing His work – including healing the sick. This command, therefore, also carries the same authority of God to do so that Jesus had. This is why when we pray for the sick, we pray “in Jesus’ name.” 

That phrase — “in Jesus’ name” — means that we are praying as someone who has a right to be heard in the heavenliness, because we have Jesus’ authority backing us up! It is the same as when a police officer shouts, “stop in the name of the law,” or when a judge places his name on a court order. The name of the person in authority is what validates the command, even when someone else enacts it! (We will discuss this topic further in the next post.)

What I want you to understand for now is that Jesus’ gave His own authority to the church, to continue the works He began, and He expects them to continue “in His name!”

Jesus Gave His Authority (Before He Gave His Holy Spirit)

Most people look at healing and think, “Well, I don’t have that gift” or “God can do whatever He wants to do. It’s not up to me.” This isn’t a correct attitude, however. This is why I said we must first fix our belief system, before we can talk about the practice of healing itself!

Do you realize that Jesus’ first commissioning on His disciples was not an impartation of the Holy Spirit — He would not impart the Holy Spirit to them until after the resurrection in John 20:22, and again at Pentecost. His first commissioning was an impartation of His authority:

And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction.

Matthew 10:1

After listing the names of the 12, it goes on:

These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.

Matthew 10:5-8

Jesus does not tell the disciples to go and “pray for the sick.” He told them to go heal them. The disciples did it through the authority they had been given!

In Luke 10, Jesus “appoints” 72 others with the same authority and the same commissioning! 

Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’

Luke 10:8-9

I believe these instructions — proclaim the gospel, heal the sick, and cast out demons — are primarily what Jesus is referencing in Matthew 28, when He says “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you,” in the Great Commission. This is also validated by Marks’ rendering of the Great Commission in Mark 16.

…And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Mark 16:17-18

It is Your Authority to Heal

You may be asking, “why does any of this matter?” After all, haven’t we already laid a foundation and know that healing still happens today from the last posts?

Yes! But the point I want to make today is that not only does healing still happen, but that YOU, as a believer, have been given the authority to heal the sick. It is not someone else’s job.

The bible says that “all may prophesy,” not just the prophets (see 1 Corinthians 14:31). It also instructs all believers are to “do the work of an evangelist,” not just those with the gift of evangelism (see 2 Timothy 4:5). In the same way, the Bible teaches that all believers have authority over sickness and disease in Jesus Christ! However, we MUST believe in this truth, before we can effectively operate in healing.

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The Necessity of Faith

The Bible makes it very clear that there is a direct link between our belief and our authority to heal. Before we can get to the “doing” what Jesus did, we must do the harder work of “believing” what Jesus said.

Over and over again, the Bible tells us that it is belief that matters. One example is in the book of James:

Is anyone among you sick?… the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up…

James 5:14-15

In another story, Jesus comes out of His private prayer time and finds the disciples unable to heal a child with a demonically-caused epilepsy. After He heals the child, the disciples ask why they weren’t able to do so. Jesus answers:

He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

Matthew 17:20

When Mark shares his version of this same story, the family demands to know if Jesus can heal their child after his disciples had failed. Jesus reassures them:

(The boy’s father said) “But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”

Mark 9:23

The Faith of the Sick Person

From this verse, it seems that not only does Jesus place the onus of faith on the one doing the healing, but He also includes the faith of the sick to be healed, as well as those in the crowd around Him! 

It is true that not only the faith of the one praying matters. After all, how many times do we see Jesus, the one who IS God, not base His authority for healing on Himself, but also on those He is ministering to? How often do we hear Him say the words, “Your Faith has made you well”? (See Luke 8:48, 17:19, 18:42, Mark 5:34, 10:52, and Matthew 9:22 for examples).

Still, I would caution putting too much emphasis on the faith of others, though, as you practice your own authority to heal. After all, when Jesus went to Nazareth — the faithless city — the Bible says:

And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching. Mark 6:5-6

Even when he could do no great miracles due to their lack of faith, Jesus’ authority to heal the sick was still working!

I will add that in my own experience, some of the most radical healings I have seen have been while praying for people who didn’t believer, and/or being surrounded by unbelievers.

You Have The Authority of Christ to Heal

The dynamic of the believer’s authority to heal is undeniably tied to their ability to believe, even more than it is tied to the power of the Holy Spirit working inside us. Again, I believe both are necessary, but you cannot deny that in the examples we have shared today, Jesus and those He personally trained healed people by their authority more than by their anointing!

Yes, there are those who are given a special anointing to heal, but healing in the Bible is not just a gift of the Spirit. It is a part of your inheritance in Christ. It is within your authority as a representative of heaven on earth. All you must do is believe it in order to see it.

In the next post, we will lay the foundation for how to operate in your authority, and actually heal sickness and disease, in Jesus’ name. For now, I would love to hear your thoughts, questions, and testimonies in the comments below!

If you are looking for a good resource on the authority of the believer to heal, I would recommend the book, “Authority to Heal: Restoring the Lost Inheritance of God’s Healing Power” by Randy Clark.

As always, if you are enjoying what you are reading on my blog, I would also be honored if you would subscribe to my weekly email below. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for regular blog updates, and other ongoing #ChristianLife and #GospelLeadership insights!

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

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Principles From Joshua: #2 – Blessing Abides in Obedience to the Lord

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If you were to take a cross-cut of Christianity in the world, you would come up with a broad spectrum of viewpoints concerning the finer points of theology and the Christian life. Some of these perspectives are good and some not-so-good; some are on the rise, and some are clearly on the way out. One of these shifts in perspective bothers me often, and I believe is grievous to living out the calling of God in our lives. That is the move away from a focus on the Lordship of Jesus Christ and submission to Him, toward a stronger emphasis on our receiving the blessings of the Lord.

What I mean is that, in far too many Christ circles, of various denominations and cultural settings, there is a major emphasis on “the prosperity gospel.” That is the teaching that says Jesus died simply to make you happy, healthy, and rich. The gospel is about you being blessed, rather than overcoming sin. All-too-often, the same teachers proclaiming the unfettered blessing of the Lord in our lives, who actively downplay the issues of sin and disobedience, as old fashioned and irrelevant.

As we continue to look at the principles we learn from the book of Joshua, we see a truth that stands in stark contrast to this exchange in our focus. That is that God’s blessing abides in obedience to the Lord. If we want to live the blessed life, and see all the prosperity God wants to give to us, then we must learn to walk in submission to Him, and keep His commandments. We will see that, just as in principle number 1, this reality is made explicit not only in Joshua, throughout the Bible.

The Background

This principle pops up in Joshua, very early on, after the people of Israel cross into the promised land. As they claim their inheritance, the first city that they are to conquer is Jericho. God has a very unique plan of attack, and gives Joshua the battle plan. In giving the instructions to Joshua, to destroy the walls of the city and defeat the people, God says, “but you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it” (Joshua 6:18).

What God was saying is that all of the spoils of this city were to be sacrificed by the people, unto God. They were to keep nothing back from themselves.

You can think of this as a kind of tithe, as God gave all the spoils from every subsequent city to the people. In making this command, however, God clearly says that if the people claim for themselves anything which God has designated to be destroyed, then that disobedience to His command will infect the camp of Israel, and destine them for destruction as well. Although they were called to be a people blessed by God, He wanted it to be clear that disobedience would remove the blessing.

Selfishness Sets In

Joshua 7 begins by telling us what happened next. “But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things, for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. And the anger of the LORD burned against the people of Israel” (Joshua 7:1).

Of course, Achan did this in secret. He was seeing God’s prosperity coming to them, just as Moses had been prophesying for the last 40 years. “If God wants us to enjoy the fruits of the land,” he seemed to have reasoned, “why would he want this stuff to go to waste?” Surely obtaining the blessing was more important than the obedience thing, right? Surely this was an opportunity from the Lord for Achan to claim his own prosperity, right?

Wrong!

After the battle of Jericho, the next city to be taken down was called Ai. Now, Ai was a small city. Joshua had such confidence that God was giving the land to Israel, that this obstacle didn’t even register as a real threat to him. Instead of sending the full army of the people, Joshua instead commissions a small troop of about 3,000 men to go take the city. However, things turned sour quickly, and the men of Israel were chased away in defeat. Thirty-six dead, and a quick retreat was the result.

Joshua wanted to know why. He hit the floor in prayer, but is quickly rebuked by God! “The LORD said to Joshua, ‘Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings. Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you…’” (Joshua 7:10-12).

This rebuke is followed by a long process of Joshua bringing the tribes and clans before the Lord, in order to determine, by casting lots, who the perpetrator was. This leads to a strong judgement and even the death penalty for the one who sinned! It also set a major example to the people of Israel, both as individuals and as a nation, that their blessing abides in obedience to the Lord. (They remember back on this incident later in Joshua 22:20, in a call to remain faithful.)

The Principle Made Clear

This is a truth that runs throughout the Bible. From Adam and Eve losing the paradise God gave them by eating a fruit, to Jonah’s very life being consumed by a fish when he refuses to preach grace to some pagans, we see that God works by covenant.

What was that covenant?

Before Moses died, while the people were still in the wilderness, he told the people, “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, to go after other gods that you have not known” (Deuteronomy 11:26-28). In fact, that whole chapter is filled with God’s promises of blessing if people obey Him.

Now, I know that we live post-crucifixion. We live in the age of grace, as some call it. And all of that is true. Jesus has died for our sin, and imparted His righteousness to us by faith. Yet, even in the New Testament, we are called to obedience to Christ!

Didn’t Jesus love overcome our disobedience?

Everyone loves John 3:16, which declares the saving love of God in Christ. However, many people move quickly past this scripture a few verses later. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36). Note that it doesn’t say belief brings eternal life and disbelief brings wrath. It says belief brings eternal life, but if your belief is not followed by obedience then you cannot enter into the blessing. It says wrath “remains” on the one who believe, yet continues in disobedience.

Romans 2:8 repeats this same idea, when the Apostle Paul declares that, “for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.” Why? Because even if salvation comes through faith, God’s blessing abides in obedience? If we walk in disobedience to Him, the blessing on our life is automatically removed!

Jesus’ Victory Required Obedience

This concept that blessing abides in obedience, but curses come when we disobey, is not seen anywhere more clearly than in the sacrifice of Jesus. In order to bring about our salvation, and restore all the blessings we lost through sin, He had to defy this principle by living in obedience AND taking the curse of disobedience.

Here’s what that means. We humans try to break the principle by living in disobedience and yet still claiming the right to a blessing. This leads to compounding sin, because when we don’t receive the blessing directly from the Lord, we, just like Achan, decide to bless ourselves.

In order to counteract this compounding sin, Jesus had to do the opposite of what we attempt. He lived in complete obedience to the law and commands of God – something we cannot do. Then, when He deserved all of the blessings for His righteousness, He willingly took our place in the wrath of God, and received the curse for our disobedience.

As the writer of Hebrews says, “Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him…” (Hebrews 5:9-10).

The Christian Life Calls for Obedience

Not only did Jesus fulfill our righteousness by His perfect obedience, He also offers His salvation and blessing to those who will obey Him, now.

Jesus wants our obedience. It is actually impossible to live the Christian life without that submission to His commands. He said, “do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:17-19).

He even says that our obedience to Him, or lack thereof, is the proof of whether we love Him or not: “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me” (John 14:21).

Obedience is even vital in fulfilling the Great Commission Jesus gave to the church! “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20).

Our Blessing Abides in Obedience to Him

I believe it is time for us to stop trying to defy this principle. Does God want to bless and prosper HIs people? Yes! Absolutly! However, the Bible makes clear that even for the Christian, our blessing abides in obedience. If we willingly live in sin and selfishness; living for our own passions and trying to bless ourselves, we will not see the blessing of God. Even in our salvation, if we willingly run back to sin, we lose the right to our blessing. This is why Martin Luther said, “The entire life of the Christian is one of repentance.”

When we pray for the sick to be healed, there are many times the person has to repent of sin and unforgiveness before their healing comes. When we do deliverance ministry, before we can effectively cast out the demons, the person must confess of their sins that opened the door to the tormentors. We must return to obedience, in order to regain the blessing!

This principle is not just old fashioned preaching. It is true and relevant to our lives today. If we want to live the blessed life, we must learn to obey the Lord.

So what is your takeaway?

Are you throwing out obedience as “old covenant” and irrelevant? Are you seeking prosperity from the Lord without submission to Him? What is the Holy Spirit speaking to you in all of this? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

As always, if you are enjoying what you are reading on my blog, I would also be honored if you would subscribe to my weekly email, below. You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram for regular blog updates, and other ongoing #ChristianLife and #GospelLeadership advice!

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Five Supernatural Works of the Holy Spirit

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On my blog, I have written much about the Holy Spirit, hearing His voice, and some of His gifts. He is one of my favorite topics. However, I have never spent much time writing generally about who He is or what He does. I want to change that. In asking the question, “What does the Holy Spirit do?,” I want to look at 5 works of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer.

After all, as followers of Christ, we should expect His Spirit to work in our lives! The Holy Spirit is God. He is one with the Father and the Son (Jesus). Yet, He is “God inside you.” He is always present. Once a person is saved, it is the Holy Spirit who comes to live with them; to help them and guide them in the Christian life. 

He brings conviction of sin and reveals righteousness.

Jesus said in John16:8 that“ when (the Holy Spirit) comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment…”  I love that the Bible does not just say that He convicts believers of sin and righteousness. It is the Holy Spirit of God who empowers human conscience to recognize right and wrong, and to feel guilt and shame when we do bad things.

This revelation of sin and righteousness is part of the ‘common grace’ God bestows on the world. It is what allows non-believers in governing roles to set up just systems of laws. This grace is what keeps communities civilized, and working for the common good. It allows restraint of our sinful nature, even when we do not believe in Him.

More than that, it is the Holy Spirit’s conviction of sin and righteousness at work in people’s lives that first draw them to the offer of salvation in Jesus Christ. Unless a person is aware of the separation between themselves and their creator, caused by sin, they will never seek a way to overcome the gap.

As Jesus said in John 6:44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.”

He is the one who gives us new life in Jesus. 

In a conversation with a religious leader of Israel, Jesus was explaining how a person enters the Kingdom of God. In John 3:3-6 He says, “‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ Nicodemus (the religious leader) said to him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.’” 

We know that Jesus died for our sins, in order to allow us to be born again. Yet He tells us that it is through the work of the Holy Spirit that we are brought into God’s kingdom and family.

When a person puts their faith in Jesus, we often say things like “Jesus came into my heart.” That statement isn’t actually true, however. Jesus is seated in heaven at the right hand of God. It is the Holy Spirit who comes in and lives inside of us, mingling with our own Spirit, from the moment we believe in Christ. The Bible calls this being “sealed by the Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 1:13). 

As we will see shortly, this is just the first step of the Holy Spirit’s activity in our lives as believers. There is so much more to come!

He makes us holy (or “sanctifies” us).

In 1 Corinthians 6:11, the Apostle Paul tells us, “ but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”  It is not enough simply to be saved from sins and justified before the Father. We must be washed clean, and sanctified, which means “to be made holy.”

This shouldn’t come as a surprise, that when the Holy Spirit comes into our lives and mingles with our own spirits, that He does a work to make us like Him. In fact, the command on the believer’s life is, “Be holy as I AM holy” (see 1 Peter 1:16).

As a student of history, I love reading about the great revivals of the past. What strikes me as very interesting in this study, however, is that most of the most powerful revivals did not start with miracles, healings, and supernatural wonders. They started with a conviction of sin and a great calling out to God to make us holy! The first Great Awakening in America was the international spread of what was first called The Holiness Revival in the U.K. The Welsh Revival, which preceded Azusa Street, began when a youth group confessed sin and called out to be made Holy.

This pursuit of holiness attracts the activity of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and into our communities. Again, it shouldn’t surprise us that the Holiness movement, marked by a pursuit of “complete sanctification” in the Holy Spirt preceded the Pentecostal movement, marked by the pursuit of power.

God wants to clean us up and make us like Himself, before He wants to send us out as witnesses and examples to the world. In Him there is power and authority to resist temptation and put sin to death in ourselves. While we may never achieve perfection on this side of eternity, when we put our trust in the Holy Spirit’s activity in our lives, we will definitely get closer to His perfect holiness, the longer we walk in Him. 

He teaches us. 

One of the more incredible things that Jesus said to His disciples is in John16:12-13: He said“ I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” 

I believe that the Bible is the final authority and revelation of God. It is to be trusted above all other revelatory “words.” Yet Jesus clearly says there is still more to be told to us, and that we should expect the Holy Spirit to speak to us.

As I have already written extensively on the subject of hearing God speaking to us, I will not say much here. (You can find those articles here, here, here, and here.)

However, we cannot neglect the fact that the Holy Spirit is not impersonal. He lives in us and wants to interact with us in relationship. We must listen to His teaching and wisdom for our lives!

He empowers us with gifts for His service. 

One of the last things Jesus spoke to His disciples before He left was concerning the Holy Spirit’s work. In Acts 1:8 He says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses…” This filling of the Holy Spirit with power has historically been called “the baptism of the Holy Spirit.” This is very different than our being sealed with the Holy Spirit at the point of salvation. This is now an overtaking of our lives for service to the Kingdom of God.

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit releases us to walk in the love of Christ for everyone we meet. As the Apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:14, “the love of Christ controls us.” Being activated in that love, His power then comes to work releasing the Kingdom of God in power, signs and wonders.

Once a person is baptized in the Holy Spirit, they will begin to develop supernatural gifts, such as prophecy, healing, miracles, speaking in tongues, and many more. You can read about these gift in depth in 1 Corinthians 12-14, but please take note of the emphasis on love that Paul makes as He explains their use.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is secondary to salvation. This is why in the book of Acts, the question is asked multiple times of new believers, “did you receive the Holy Spirit when you first believed?” (For examples, see Acts8:14-17 and Acts 19:2.) Often, the answer was no, so the mature believers would lay hands on them and pray for them to be filled.

The truth is that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is for all believers, just as the rest of His works we have discussed in this post.

To wrap up, let me just say this to you, my dear reader. The Holy Spirit is still alive and active in the world. If you have never felt a conviction of your sin, or put your faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, I would encourage you to say a simple prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus to you. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.

If you have been born again, but have never found freedom from your sin and temptations, then spend some time in prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to give you power to overcome the sin in your life. Out loud, confess your sins to Him and take authority in the name of Jesus to rebuke those temptations in your life. He will empower you to find the victory.

If you have never heard the voice of God, then right now find a quiet space and simply ask Him to speak to you. If you need guidance in how to listen for Him, you can check out my other posts on that subject.

Finally, if you have never received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and His supernatural power to be a witness for Christ, you should begin praying for God to fill you with the Holy Spirit and release those gifts to you. If you struggle with this, then find another believer how is baptized in the Spirit, and simply ask them to lay hands on you and pray for you to receive.

All of these things are for you! We must simply ask

As Jesus said in Luke11:14, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” 

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How to Practice Discernment in Hearing God’s Voice

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So far in our discussion on hearing the voice of God, we have looked at the three “revelatory gifts” given by the Holy Spirit to the church, as well as some biblical ways in which all believers can hear Him speaking to them. However, no matter how we hear God’s voice for ourselves, we must turn our attention to the fact that learning to practice discernment is of the highest importance in this pursuit. 

THE THREE VOICES IN YOUR HEAD

As simple overview of the bible seems to tell us that, for all believers, there are actually three different voices you can hear in your head at any given time. Yet all of them will sound like your own thoughts. It is important to learn what these three voices are and how to recognize them. Then we can begin to align ourselves with the voice of Holy Spirit as we live our lives.

1. The Voice of Your Mind

The most obvious voice we all hear is our own thoughts and imagination speaking to us. This is key to human existence. This is how you reason, and determine your thoughts, wants, and needs. According to some philosophers, it is this mental capacity that make you who you are, and without it, your ‘self’ wouldn’t even exist! 

“Cogito ergo sum.” “I think, therefore I am.”

The problem is that our mind and thoughts were corrupted in the fall. The self-voice in our head is influenced by emotions and external stimuli, and as such cannot always be trusted to make the best decisions. Certainly, it is our mental passions that lead us into temptation and sin. However, as we follow Christ closer and more intimately, this voice will become more and more conformed to the mind of God.

2. The Voice of the Enemy

The second voice we hear all-too-often is that of the enemy. He wants to flood our head with sinful desires and discouraging, condemning thoughts. He is always speaking lies to us to see if we will accept what He is telling us as truth. “You are not good enough.” “You are all alone.”  “No one loves you.” “You’ll never stop sinning in that way. Why try?”

These are the thoughts that lead many Christians to withdraw from community and live in self-loathing solitude, believing they can never be used by God in a meaningful way. In reality, though, these are not your own thoughts. They are lies that we must reject. We must learn, through faith, to believe and hold to the the things God says are true about us.

3. The Voice of God

The third voice we can all hear is the Holy Spirit speaking. While many people talk about the supernatural ways God speaks say, “God is talk to me like that,” the truth is, most of them just don’t know how to tune in to what he’s saying. 

I’ve heard Kris Vallotton, one of the pastors at Bethel Church in Redding, California, compare it to a radio where God is speaking on the FM channel, but we are searching the entire AM dial wondering why we can’t tune in. In order to practice discernment, we must learn how to tune to God’s station.

The key, then, is discerning how God speaks to you! Then you can make every effort to tune in, as often as possible, to hear how He’s speaking and leading you on a daily basis. The good news is, we can learn from history how God has spoken in generations past, and have a pretty reliable idea of how He will still speak to us today (see the last post).

GROWING IN DISCERNMENT

Once we recognize that these three voices are all present in our lives, it is time to grow in discernment.

Early on in my own process of learning to hear the voice of God, I was taught to keep a “two-way” journal. (This is something I will discuss more in the next post.) One night, during this time with Him, He gave me some insight on discerning these three voices. Here is what I asked, and what He spoke:

//Lord, what do you want to teach me tonight?//

“Tonight I want to focus on your discernment of when it’s My voice you’re hearing, giving you insights into thoughts and situations, and when it is your own imagination’s voice or a deception.

//Ok, so let’s start with the basics. What is Your gift of discernment as opposed to a natural discernment?//

“Natural discernment most often plays out for self-protection or self-promotion. My discernment, on the other hand, is for Kingdom promotion. There may be elements of personal benefit as a byproduct, but that is never the primary focus.

//So then, how does that play into discerning between the three voices in my head?//

“First, you need to understand that your thoughts will come based on where you have most focused your mind. Remember, you are transformed by the renewing of your mind, so to have sanctified thoughts, focus on Me and seek My Kingdom and your thoughts will follow.

“Second, when the enemy speaks it will sound like truth, yet underneath will be the ‘permission’ to rebel and sin without consequences. He is working to build a false image of Me and who I want you to be becoming.

“Third, to know for sure if it’s Me speaking, learn to ask me the question, ‘How is the Kingdom or my personal sanctification advanced by what I’m hearing?’”

THREE STEPS TO PRACTICE DISCERNMENT IN HEARING GOD’S VOICE

Based on this wisdom from the Lord, we must begin practicing discernment, and aligning ourselves with Him.

This means we must learn to identify the devil’s deceptions. We must recognized when He is speaking to us those permissions to glorify self, at the expense of God’s word. That is exactly how He spoke to Adam and Eve! “Did God really say you can’t eat the fruit or you’ll die?…” He led them to believe their own desires were more righteous and true and they doubted God.

As we grow in maturity in Christ, we should be able to distinguish truth. In fact, the writer of Hebrews describes mature believers as “those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:14).

Let’s look at three steps we must practice daily, train ourselves to discern God’s voice, and align ourselves with Him.

1. Train Our Senses.

The Bible makes it clear that we are transformed by the direction our minds go. Too often, we allow our mind to be polluted with everything coming at us on the news, the sitcoms, Facebook feeds, twitter updates, and every other tool for entertainment and information. Most of us do this without the filter of scripture in place to keep us from the downward pull!

There is only one definite way we can train our senses to know truth, and that is through God’s only infallible revelation to man: the Bible. We must read the Bible. We must study the Bible. The Bible should become the foundation of our mindset, each and every day!

If we want the voice of our own minds to lead us into righteousness, and to come into agreement with everything the Holy Spirit wants to speak, then we have to begin guarding what we put in, and it must be filtered through the teachings of scripture.

There is only one definite way we can train our senses to know truth, and that is through God’s only infallible revelation to man: the Bible. We cannot just read the Bible; study the Bible. We must make the Bible the foundation of our mindset, each and every day!

2. Reject the Devil’s Input

In Luke 4 we see the devil tempting Jesus in the wilderness. Once again, He comes challenging the Word of God. The last thing heard spoken to Jesus before this is, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” The first thing out of the devil’s mouth is, “If You are the Son of God…” followed by the temptation to sin and prove it.

Jesus, however, had grounded His own thinking in the Word of God, and used it as His weapon of choice to reject the devil’s temptations. Responding to every lie out of the devil’s mouth with scripture, Jesus successfully defeated the attacks.

The same is true of us! “Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). There is no better way to resist a demonic lie, than to be prepared with the truth of God’s Word. “You shall know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). 

So when the devil brings shame and guilt, telling you that you are not good enough: Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus”

Or when the devil tries to tell you that God doesn’t love you. You are too sinful. God is punishing you: “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

The Bible teaches that the weapons we use against the devil are not fleshly weapons. Through the Word of God and our new identity in Christ, we have supernatural power to take every thought captive, and bring it into obedience to Christ (see 2 Corinthians 10:3-6). We do this by contracting every temptation of the devil with truth!

The devil can talk to us all He wants, but when we know the truth of God’s word, and practice our discernment over every thought that come in, he cannot fool us!

3. Obey the Voice of the Lord

Once you have overcome the lies of the enemy, and are seeking to keep your own mind conformed to the thoughts of Christ, the only thing left to do is listen to God and do what He says. That is the foundational principle for the life of a Christian.

We want to be hearing Him speak to us. He definitely wants to speak to us. So once we are sure it is Him we are hearing, then we act on His revelation. Relationship with Him requires obedience (see John 14:15). It must be the goal of listening to Him, to then obey whatever He tells us to do.

As we begin to act on what He says, our lives will come into alignment with His will for our lives. We will walk in power. We will see blessings and breakthrough. Our whole lives will be changed!

It is the greatest privilege of the Christian to live a life led by the Holy Spirit. We must be diligent to ensure we hear His voice clearly, and to dismiss every other distraction. 

Practice discernment. Listen to God. Do what He says. 

I’d love to hear from you in the comments. How have you experienced living with these three different voices in your head? What testimonies can you share of when God has spoken and the fruit of obedience?

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© Anthony Scott Ingram 2019. All Rights Reserved.

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

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3 Keys to Redeeming Your Time

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Being busy is not a priority in life. We must break this tendency of western culture, which has even taken hold in the Body of Christ. It keeps us too engaged with activity to even stop and breathe. We must learn to redeem the time and live the life God has for us.

As we discussed in the last post, one way we do this is to learn to find our identity in Christ alone, rather than in what we do. Yet that, by itself, will not break the cycle of overwork and stress. If we are to beat the bondage of busyness, we must also learn to rely fully on the leading of the Holy Spirit in how we spend our time each day.

We said that a daily habit of prayer is necessary to reveal our new identity in Christ. Most often, it is not a lack of time, but a lack of priority that keeps us from deep, meaningful prayer. What we must see is that not making time for the Holy Spirit to speak to us daily will affect more than just finding our identity in Him. Without His daily guidance in our activity list through prayer, we will also not be in sync with God’s plan for our day-to-day lives.

Redeeming the Time

Ephesians 2:10 tells us that “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus (that is identity) for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (that is our activity).” God cares about who we are becoming, and is shaping our “new man” after the image of Jesus, but He also cares about how we spend our time.

This should automatically tell us that in order to be onboard with the works God has for us, we must be living in relationship with Him continually. We should find His priorities, daily, for our lives.

The truth is that having families, careers, friends, and other commitments in life will always bring demands that we cannot say “no” to. We simply cannot control everything that gets onto our schedules without isolating ourselves. However, the reality is that we usually have way more control of our time than we take responsibility for.

The Apostle Paul gave some important keys to the Ephesian church for redeeming the time. He said, “look carefully how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:15-17, ESV).

Key #1: Walking in Wisdom

In this command, He first says that it takes wisdom in determining how you walk in this world.

Too many people simply float through life in an unwise way. They do not strategically think about how they prioritize their lives or how they accept new items on their to-do list. They simply let life happen to them. For example, how many times have you found yourself spending hours on social media, binging Netflix, or wasting time in countless other ways, without giving it a second thought? Yeah… me too.

In order to change this lifestyle, we must first make a commitment to wisdom. 

Where do we find wisdom when it seems to be lacking? In relationship with the Lord, of course! 

James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

So the first step in overcoming an out-of-control busyness, is to come to the Lord and ask for wisdom in how you will live your life. It is His delight to guide you in your calling, your activities, and how to make decisions going forward. He will instruct you on the things that should be a priority. He will also reveal the things that will lead you down the wrong path. Trust His wisdom.

Key #2: Make the Best Use of Your Time

Once we have asked God for wisdom, we must walk in it. This is where calling Him “Lord of our lives” actually takes affect, and we let Him be the one in charge; the master we submit to.

To be honest, there have been many times in my life that the Holy Spirit has told me to say no to something I really wanted to do. And there have been times I have ignored Him, and done what I wanted. And it has usually turned out bad for me.

Sometimes, it becomes very obvious that what I thought would be the best option was not, and things have gone bad. At other times, I have found that by saying yes, rather than listening to God, I have actually missed out on other, better opportunities. Now, of course there are times when I have ignored God’s leading and do not see the negative affect it has. However, in making the best use of our time, we should realize that the one who controls the universe will always lead us in the best option for our lives.

Submission to God means listening to Him guide us, and then obeying what He tells us to do. That is how we put the wisdom of God into action, and make the best use of the time.

Key #3: Understand the Will of the Lord

Finally, Paul says that in order to redeem the time, we must understand what the will of the Lord is, because left to its own devices, time defaults to “evil.”

Of course this means we must be reading the Bible, daily, and understanding the “full counsel” of the Lord. However, if we believe that God has a will for our lives, that is personal to each one of us, then we must remain in the posture of prayer and listening throughout our day, as well.

If you are married, intimacy with your spouse cannot happen in a 15-minute private time each morning, before you move on with your life. It takes an ongoing relationship, throughout the day. We send texts, make phone calls, share a passing glance or touch on the shoulder, and make time for long conversations whenever possible. Relationships require ongoing connection.

In the same way, intimacy with the Lord means that we give Him our time. We desire Him to speak to us, continually, in everything we do. We seek Him out, even in the busy moments.

If we are making an important decision at work, we should inquire of the Lord. If we are spending time with our family, we should be asking Him how to be a better spouse or parent. In everything we do and every decision we make, we should be consulting with our “Lord.”

His divine will for our lives is not an abstract, far-out idea. It is a moment-by-moment desire that we should be becoming like Christ, and a plan to make that happen in every action. You must make it a priority to determine His will in all things, every day.

Our Divine Assistant

The good news for us is that God did not intend on us to live our lives on our own. He wants to lead and guide us, and to show us the way in all things.

Jesus says, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you” (John 14:16-17).

He went on to say that when the Spirit comes, “He will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you” (John 16:13-15).

If God cares, so much, about how you live your life each day, that He sent His own Spirit to dwell with you and guide you in all things, then you should rely on Him, fully, to do so. 

Although I do not intend to limit Him in any way, you can think of the Holy Spirit like a “Supernatural Life Coach,” who will lead you into Christ-likeness. He is also like a “Divine Executive Assistant” who will help you plan your calendar and to-do list.

No matter how you choose to think of His help in your life, what you cannot do is neglect the Holy Spirit’s presence and guidance. If you see being busy for busyness sake as the distraction and destructive force it is, then you must rely on God to be the one to lead you into His abundant life, rest, and peace.

I would encourage you to begin right now. Before you move on to the next thing, take a moment and ask Him what you should do next; how you need to do whatever it is, and to lead you in any decisions that will come of it. He wants to be involved, if you will let Him.

In the next post, I will show you the best productivity system I have found, and that I use in my own life and ministry to keep myself moving forward in what God has called me to do. Stay tuned…

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