The Holy Spirit is a very complicated subject, one that we cannot know or understand all about since He is the Spirit of God. But we know a lot of what He did and does....so we can examine a few of these things.
When Jesus was still on the earth, teaching His apostles and getting them ready for the time that He would no longer be with them, He gave them these words: "These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. 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." (John 14). Elsewhere, the Holy Spirit is described as the "Comforter"; and they needed a comforter because they would be lost without Jesus. He had been their everything for 3 years.
We learn more of the work of the Spirit in Acts 1, where Jesus is just about to leave: "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses of Me....." The power of the Spirit would give them the ability to work many miracles, and also to be able to pass on this ability through the "laying on of hands."
But we should note that there was a specific purpose for the miracles to be performed. These miracles are called "signs" in John 20:30-31: "And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name." The stated purpose of the miracles was to cause people to believe. It wasn't to heal all people, though many were healed.
We know that it was not Jesus' intention to heal all people, nor the purpose of the miracles. And we know that because later Paul would have a "thorn in the flesh" for which he would ask God to remove. But the answer was "My faith is sufficient for you." And in 2 Timothy 4:20, Paul mentions that he left Trophimus sick in Miletus. Trophimus was important to Paul; so why didn't he just heal him? The answer is that this was not the purpose of miracles. Miracles were available to these early Christians to confirm the Word, to prove that what they were teaching was true, to establish faith among those who witnessed the miracles.
The writer knows that this is complicated stuff. Feel free to let me know that further teaching is needed and we will get that done. The work of the Spirit is important!
Thanks for reading. I hope your week is great.
Thursday, March 31, 2016
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Peter's Second Sermon
In the last blog entry, we discussed the first sermon that Peter preached after Jesus had left them and gone back to heaven. In that speech, Peter was asked by the Jewish people, who realized that they were guilty in having Jesus killed, "What shall we do?" The apostle's answer was "Repent and be baptized....for the remission of sins."
In this second sermon, given in Acts chapter 3, after healing a lame man, Peter says, "Men Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?" He explains to them that it is by the power of God that Jesus triumphed over death, just as it was the power of God that healed this lame man.
Using different words, but the same main thought, Peter proceeds to tell the people that they need to be converted: "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord...."
In Acts 2, the apostles say, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
In Acts 3, Peter says, "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord."
This isn't two differing instructions; it is just the same process being stated in two different ways. This is a common way of teaching that is found in the New Testament. Many times we must look at a number of passages to get the whole lesson about a subject.
We see the term "repent" used in both of these passages. Repent simply means to "change." It isn't enough to say we are sorry, to confess. The Lord expects us to change our behavior, to repent.
And to be baptized is a part of the conversion process, as it says in Acts 2, to be baptized for the remission, or forgiveness, of sins.
Acts chapters 1-3 are wonderful reading.....and very enlightening.
Thanks for reading. Have a great week!
In this second sermon, given in Acts chapter 3, after healing a lame man, Peter says, "Men Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?" He explains to them that it is by the power of God that Jesus triumphed over death, just as it was the power of God that healed this lame man.
Using different words, but the same main thought, Peter proceeds to tell the people that they need to be converted: "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord...."
In Acts 2, the apostles say, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
In Acts 3, Peter says, "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord."
This isn't two differing instructions; it is just the same process being stated in two different ways. This is a common way of teaching that is found in the New Testament. Many times we must look at a number of passages to get the whole lesson about a subject.
We see the term "repent" used in both of these passages. Repent simply means to "change." It isn't enough to say we are sorry, to confess. The Lord expects us to change our behavior, to repent.
And to be baptized is a part of the conversion process, as it says in Acts 2, to be baptized for the remission, or forgiveness, of sins.
Acts chapters 1-3 are wonderful reading.....and very enlightening.
Thanks for reading. Have a great week!
Saturday, March 5, 2016
Great Sermons
The greatest sermon of all time has to be the Sermon on the Mount as given by Jesus and recorded in Matthew chapters 5-7. I won't focus on that at this time; for one reason, it is filled with so much teaching that I could never adequately cover that.
Perhaps the second greatest sermon is the first sermon that Peter gave, as recorded in Acts chapter 2. This on stands out because it occurs just after Jesus has ascended into heaven and left the apostles to carry on without Him. In this sermon, Peter, standing with the other apostles, explains to this large gathering of Jews in Jerusalem that they have just killed the Savior. He explains to them that this was the very Savior, Messiah, that had been foretold about by their prophets of old, people like Joel and king David, people that they respected and revered. And when the people realized what wrong they had done, they asked, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" Peter said, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." These people were sorrowful and needed to change their lives and to follow the teachings of Jesus, as explained by these apostles.
This gospel sermon should be studied by all who are seeking to find God, who need Jesus and His salvation. It applies just as much to us today as it did to these Jews.
How one might rank the various sermons of the New Testament could be up for question. But it is possible that the third most significant lesson follows in the next chapter of Acts, Acts 3. I won't try to cover that in this lesson but will likely do so in a future blog entry. This is an interesting lesson that would benefit any reader.
If a person wanted to do a little reading in the Bible, something that wouldn't take a lot of time but would be understandable and meaningful, it would be good to read the last chapter of Luke and the first 3 chapters of the book of Acts. These chapters flow together, all having been written by the same man, Luke, and cover a major time in human history, as well as a critical time in the beginnings of Christianity. This is powerful stuff!
Thanks for reading. Sign on as a follower of this blog to show your support and to receive automatic receipt of this blog each week through your email. Thanks! And feel the love....
Perhaps the second greatest sermon is the first sermon that Peter gave, as recorded in Acts chapter 2. This on stands out because it occurs just after Jesus has ascended into heaven and left the apostles to carry on without Him. In this sermon, Peter, standing with the other apostles, explains to this large gathering of Jews in Jerusalem that they have just killed the Savior. He explains to them that this was the very Savior, Messiah, that had been foretold about by their prophets of old, people like Joel and king David, people that they respected and revered. And when the people realized what wrong they had done, they asked, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" Peter said, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." These people were sorrowful and needed to change their lives and to follow the teachings of Jesus, as explained by these apostles.
This gospel sermon should be studied by all who are seeking to find God, who need Jesus and His salvation. It applies just as much to us today as it did to these Jews.
How one might rank the various sermons of the New Testament could be up for question. But it is possible that the third most significant lesson follows in the next chapter of Acts, Acts 3. I won't try to cover that in this lesson but will likely do so in a future blog entry. This is an interesting lesson that would benefit any reader.
If a person wanted to do a little reading in the Bible, something that wouldn't take a lot of time but would be understandable and meaningful, it would be good to read the last chapter of Luke and the first 3 chapters of the book of Acts. These chapters flow together, all having been written by the same man, Luke, and cover a major time in human history, as well as a critical time in the beginnings of Christianity. This is powerful stuff!
Thanks for reading. Sign on as a follower of this blog to show your support and to receive automatic receipt of this blog each week through your email. Thanks! And feel the love....
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