How then do we live?
You will receive a power very unlike the one that held you captive.
Receive the Holy Spirit
TyronRoss/Shutterstock.com
How the Holy Spirit is received
"Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38
Marked with the seal of Holy Spirit
"And when you heard the word of truth (the gospel of your salvation)—when you believed in Christ—you were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit, who is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory." Ephesians 1:13
Spirit will also make your mortal bodies alive
"You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, this person does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is your life because of righteousness. Moreover if the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will also make your mortal bodies alive through his Spirit who lives in you." Romans 8:9-11
Frees you from the power of sin:
"And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death." Romans 8:2 NLT/Paraphrase
And specifically it is the law of the Spirit that overcomes the law of sin and death
which can be seen in a more idiomatic & literal translation:
"For the law of the life-giving Spirit in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death." Romans 8:2 NET
God has spiritual laws in effect.
Power to put to death the deeds of our sinful nature
“Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.” Romans 8:12-13
Did you observe the contingency?
-If- through the power of the Spirit/you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature/you will live?
We are empowered with the Spirit and commanded to action. And if not, in the second sentence of the passage, can you see there is another contingency--that if you live by its dictates (your sinful nature), you will die? (Remember reading in What Is This Power, that after the earthly body dies, there is a continued existence in a state of suffering called "the second death" for those that are not saved? These are specifically, according to the above verse, those who live by the dictates of sin). You are no longer obligated to sin but are free to choose and have the power of the Spirit to do what is right. This is what Jesus has done for us by his free gift of grace.
(Jesus speaking) "But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more." John 16:7-10
"When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future." John 16:13
"But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you." John 14:26
Summary of what the Holy Spirit does:
The Holy Spirit
convicts the world of its sin,
of God's righteousness and coming judgment,
teaches everything, guides into all truth,
tells you what he has heard,
reminds of everything Jesus taught,
and tells about the future (prophecy)
Baptize with water and the Holy Spirit
(John the Baptist speaking about what Jesus would do) “I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." Matthew 3:11
The passage continues,
"He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.” Matthew 3:12
Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words describes, Chaff:
"chaff, the stalk of the grain from which the kernels have been beaten out, or the straw broken up by a threshing machine"
We are being separated from our sin
The Lord tests the heart
"Fire tests the purity of silver and gold,
but the Lord tests the heart." Proverbs 17:3
"But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold." Job 23:10
Genuineness of your faith tested
"So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world." 1 Peter 1:6-7
We are instructed to sow to the Spirit:
"Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith." Galations 6:7-10
Sow to the Spirit
Do you see the truth clearly? That salvation is a free gift that equips us with the means to obey God and he assigns us that responsibility? That we are not left to defeat but are actually supernaturally empowered to obey him by the Holy Spirit? If we sow to the Spirit, we will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
Let the Holy Spirit guide your life
"So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses."
When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God." 5:16-21
Have you seen that scripture teaches there are conditions to salvation? This presents no conflict with the provision of his grace. Ephesians 2:8-9 "by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast."
The very next verse tells us God's purpose for us is good works.
"For we are his creative work, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we can do them." Ephesians 2:10
Salvation is not acheived by our works but it's purpose includes works. If we conflate the two or omit that we are called to works, it can obstruct our view of God's message.
We can observe that the means of salvation by his grace does not displace his purpose, it enables us to fulfill it by obeying his commands. (Please note that his purpose for us also extends beyond good works in this life. Please see the video, If God is Good, How Do We Explain Evil?)
"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives." Galations 5:22-25
Grow into a full experience of salvation
"So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness." 1 Peter 2:1-3
Work out your own salvation
"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling," Philippians 2:12
Those who are not holy will not see the Lord
"Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord." Hebrews 12:14 Holiness is preparation to see the Lord. If you're not on the path of holiness, it's not the right path.
Fear of the Lord is the beginning of both wisdom and knowledge
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight." Proverbs 9:10
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." Proverbs 1:7
And then we are perfected in love which removes fear of punishment
"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us." 1 John 4:18-19
Through abiding in love, in God
"So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us.
God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world." 1 John 4:16-17
If we abide in love we can have confidence for the day of judgment and be without the torment of fear.
And his love remains upon us:
"But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear him." Psalm 103:17a
You will find rest
"Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
His commandments are not burdensome
"Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith." 1 John 5:3-4
Jesus uses an illustration in John 15:1-5:
“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing."
Did you notice the requirement? The next verse reveals the consequence:
"Anyone who does not remain in me
is thrown away like
a useless branch
and withers.
Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned."
John 15:6
Remain in Christ
How do we remain in him? “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you." John 15:9-12
Please note we must remain in him. If we do not, we are likened to branches as severed from Jesus and burned.
How do we remain in him? The passage above says "When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love." John 15:10
You can see there that to love him is to obey him and in the verse below that to obey is to know and love God:
"And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him." 1 John 2:3-5 (You can also observe commandments and God's word are used interchangeably)
Those who obey remain in fellowship with him and he with them
"And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us." 1 John 3:23-24
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Here we arrive at bookends.
The truth is anchored on one side by God's hand as seen here:
"Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault." Jude 1:24
And anchored on the other by our obedience as shown through many scriptures you've read. It was pinpointed in the verses you saw from Revelation describing the
ones who are not harmed by the
second death as the victorious.
The victorious are defined as
those who obey him to the end.
It is through your faith that God protects you by his power:
"And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see." 1 Peter 1:5
If you remain faithful to my teachings:
"Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings." John 8:31
Everything else as dung
"More than that, I now regard all things as liabilities compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things—indeed, I regard them as dung!—that I may gain Christ" Philippians 3:8
Lose your life for Christ's sake to save it
"And He summoned the crowd together with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it benefit a person to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what could a person give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” Mark 8:34-38
Endurance produces completion and lack of need
"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing." James 1:2-4
Guard your heart
"Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life." Proverbs 4:23
Make the most of your time
"So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." Ephesians 5:15-17
Doing God's will is our source of well-being as it was for Jesus :
The
Word of God
The word is actually alive, "For the word of God is living and
active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division
of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the
thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden
from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account." Hebrews 4:12-13
This is because the word IS Jesus. "In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it." John 1:1-5
It's made known again in John 1:14; "the Word became human":
"So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.
And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son."
Reading Genesis to Revelation gives you access to the full counsel of God's word. Scripture removed from the context of other scriptures can lead to error. Even if it's not clear and you don't yet understand, see for yourself why it's worthwhile to keep reading:
His word always produces fruit
"“The rain and snow come down from the heavens
and stay on the ground to water the earth.
They cause the grain to grow,
producing seed for the farmer
and bread for the hungry.
It is the same with my word.
I send it out, and it always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to,
and it will prosper everywhere I send it." Isaiah 55:10-11
Word of God has power to save your soul. You must do what it says.
"So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it." James 1:21-25
Born again through the word of God
"for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable, but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God." 1 Peter 1:23
Not the word of men but the word of God
“And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.”
1 Thessalonians 2:13
All Scripture profitable
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,” 2 Timothy 3:16
Endures forever
"But the word of the Lord endures forever." 1 Peter 1:25
Proves true; shield to you
Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him." Proverbs 30:5
Recognize deception by learning the word
The only way to recognize a lie is by knowing the truth. You can measure everything by the scriptures. Satan tried to deceive Jesus in the wilderness by quoting portions of scripture and disregarding others. We can stand firm as Jesus did by knowing the full counsel of scripture. Scripture warns that deception would also come through those who falsely represent the church (see Warnings in Bible Prophecy). The Word of God is our lifeline and safeguard.
God transforms you by changing the way you think
"Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." Romans 12:2
What to think about; what not to think about
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Philippians 4:8
"For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen.
For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever." 2 Corinthians 4:17-18
Colossians 3:2 says:
"For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." Colossians 3:3-4
If you watch for them, you'll find scripture contains many if/then conditions.
Reading the word and taking to heart his teachings comes with a unique promise:
It's the ultimate treasure hunt. The more you listen, the more you will be given. But our understanding also depends on our listening to his teaching. Otherwise, here's what the full verse has to say, "To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them." Matthew 13:12
These next passages contain a surprising revelation about God's greatest commandments.
Love - The Two Greatest Commandments
See if something unexpected stands out to you:
"Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this:
‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord.
And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul,
all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important:
‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater
than these.” Mark 12:29-31
Did you see that God has made loving your neighbor as yourself equal
in importance to loving him?! In fact, Galations 5:13-14 says,
"For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters.
But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use
your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be
summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself."
Love fulfills the law
Romans 13:10 tells us "Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law."
No longer live for yourself but for Christ
"He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 2 Corinthians 5:15-16
Proves you are his disciple
"So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” John 13:34-35
Especially to the family of faith
"Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith."
Galations 6:10
In this next passage, you can see that to "keep on loving others" ensures our hope will come true. Being dull and indifferent is juxtaposed against those who are going to inherit God's promises. "Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance." Hebrews 6:11-12
So what IS love?
According to 1 John 4:16, "God is love"
What does love do and not do?
"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love
Supplement your faith; receive a significant promise
2 Peter 1:3-11 says "By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.
In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises.
Supplement your faith with a generous provision
of moral excellence,
and moral excellence with knowledge,
and knowledge with self-control,
and self-control with patient endurance,
and patient endurance with godliness,
and godliness with brotherly affection,
and brotherly affection with love for everyone.
The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.
So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
Did you catch that ending? Do these things and you will never fall away. If we do these things they are a safeguard to help us obtain a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
Supplement Your Faith
Reconcile
Others to Christ
Reconcile others to Christ
"And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.
For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us.
We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ." 2 Corinthians 5:18-21
Explain your hope
"Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way." 1 Peter 3:15-16
Be patient with difficult people
"Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants." 2 Timothy 2:23-26
Show mercy with great caution hating sins
"And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives."
Jude 1:22-23
Try to find common ground to save
"Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings." 1 Corinthians 9:22b-23
Persuade others
"Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too." 2 Corinthians 5:11
Teach to obey
"Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
Fellowship
Meet together and encourage
"Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”
Hebrews 10:24-25
"So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Function together as Christ's body (see all of chapter 12)
"All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it." 1 Corinthians 12:27
Help that person back onto the right path and share each other's burdens
"Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important." Galations 6:1-3
Full accord and of one mind
"So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind."
Philippians 2:1-2
Mutually strengthened and encouraged
"That is, that we may be mutually strengthened and encouraged and comforted by each other’s faith, both yours and mine."
Romans 1:12
Build each other up in faith to keep yourself safe in God's love
"But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love." Jude 1:20-21
What about prayer?
Prayer
Requests granted if pray according to his will
"And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.
And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him." 1 John 5:14-15
If remain, ask for anything you want
"But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!" John 15:7
Have faith that he can call into existence what you ask for in prayer
"—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist." Romans 4:17b
Keep on asking
“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:7-8
Without ceasing
"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:16b-18
Pray instead of worry
"Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7
Pray for purpose of keeping yourself safe in God's love (same verse you saw above, second instruction to keeping safe)
"But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love." Jude 1:20-21
Praise; a way to enter his presence
"Oh come, let us sing to the LORD;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!" Psalm 95:1-2
A response to learning his righteous rules
"I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules." Psalm 119:7
In all his holy splendor
"Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor. Let all the earth tremble before him." Psalm 96:9
Jesus gave example and taught you will be rewarded
"When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
“When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!
Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
Give us today the food we need,
and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one." Matthew 6:5-13
Believe you've received it and it will be yours
"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” Mark 11:24-25
You can see that prayer, forgiving and forgiveness are intertwined
Forgiveness and Unforgiveness
Unforgiveness costs salvation
“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins." Matthew 6:14-15
The big question is are we required to forgive if they are unrepentant? There is not an explicit answer to this question in one verse which is why we are carefully going to examine what the scriptures say when put together.
What does it mean to forgive?
According to Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, the Greek word (aphiēmi) translated as forgive in this verse, signifies "to send away, set free;" also "to let alone."
Strong's Concordance of the Bible includes these words in its definition: lay aside, suffer, yield up, remit.
The Oxford Dictionary defines remit as "cancel or refrain from exacting or inflicting (a debt or punishment)"
Scripture has more to say about the basis for forgiveness
"Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.” Luke 17:3-4
Our first observation is that we are warned this is so important we need to be on our guard to do it.
Next, do you see conditions? We can observe:
1. Our responsibility: We are to rebuke him
2. His responsibility: Repent
3. Our responsibility: (If he repents) forgive him
4. Each time this reoccurs, even if seven times a day, the pattern of responsibility continues
Take a look at the parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18.
First, a prelude into the illustration in verse 21-22. Jesus expounds on the requirement to forgive
"Then Peter came up and said to Him, “Lord, how many times shall my brother sin against me and I still forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy-seven times." Jesus now uses more generous math to illustrate his requirement of us.
The parable begins
"“For this reason the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves. And when he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25 But since he did not have the means to repay, his master commanded that he be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment be made." Matthew 18:23-25 Observe that the king did not initially forgive the slave. Instead, he commanded that he and his family and belongings be sold. It continues,
26 "So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ 27 And the master of that slave felt compassion, and he released him and forgave him the debt." Matthew 18:26-27
Observe, now that the slave has humbled himself, which appears to be a picture of repentance, he is forgiven.
Notice also, the servant was not required to work off his debt. Instead, when he humbled himself before the master,
he was then granted forgiveness.
The slave then finds a fellow slave who owes him money.
28 "But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe!’ 29 So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ 30 But he was unwilling, and went and threw him in prison until he would pay back what was owed." Matthew 18:28-30 The fellow servant likewise pleaded with him, just as he himself had done, but instead of granting the same mercy, he threw him in prison and now the master finds out.
Continuing on
31 "So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their master all that had happened. 32 Then summoning him, his master said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me." Matthew 18:31-32
Why was his debt forgiven? Was it unconditional? We can observe it was conditional because the slave was going to be sold
until he pleaded with the king. "I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me." (verse 31)
33 "Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ Matthew 18:33
What was the same way? By way of pleading the king's mercy came. But because the slave did not extend forgiveness as he had received when his fellow slave likewise pleaded with him, the outcome changed. 34 "And his master, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he would repay all that was owed him. 35 My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”
Matthew 18:34-35 We definitely don't want to be in the position of the unforgiving slave and need to forgive from the heart. This is the apparent main point of the parable, but it also gives us more information. The slave had been released and forgiven, but when he did wickedly, he lost both forgiveness and freedom from punishment. To see the full scope of the debt, take a look at this.
"One talent is equal to 6,000 denarii, which would take an ordinary laborer 6,000 days (16 years) to earn. Let’s convert that into US dollars; if an average day’s wages is assumed to be 100 dollars, it is around 600,000 dollars. Since one talent is such a large amount of money, how much is ten thousand talents, equivalent to about 60,000,000 denarii, worth?
It is a tremendous amount of money, which is worth about 160,000 years’ wages!"
(cited from https://watv.org/bible_word/monetary-standards/)
The point is clear that first of all, it's a debt he cannot pay. We all have a massive sin debt we cannot pay off. Having our own sin debt forgiven by God is of far greater value than holding the sins of others against them. He had been forgiven in abundance and was not willing to forgive a debt that was far less. Now he would spend his life with torturers. This thought alone helps grant forgiveness. It was wicked for the slave not to forgive when forgiveness was sought.
Just as we observed the king doing once the servant repented, if someone repents, we are also likewise required to forgive when someone has sinned against us. We have a third example from the scripture, that addresses the relationship between believers. Take a look at Matthew 18:15-17 “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector."
If unconditional reconciliation was required, then why would believers be told to go to a brother that sins against you rather than just silently forgive him? There's no reconciliation pictured there. That one is now an outsider. In fact, they were to be treated as corrupt. If unrepentance were not a factor, why would church discipline ever be required? 1 Corinthians 5:12-13 says "It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.””
We see no mention here of forgiveness but can observe that without repentance, there is no reconciliation and the one sinning is to be removed.
So we have the three examples you just read that put forth repentance as a condition. In addition, we have the fourth overarching example throughout scripture that God requires repentance for forgiveness and salvation. In the parable, we can know that the king represents our heavenly Father because of the last line, "My heavenly Father will also do the same to you,
if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.” Matthew 18:35. Our heavenly Father represented by the king offered forgiveness conditionally. Here's another reminder Luke 13:5 “…I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too.”
We also have two examples of forgiveness being offered even without repentance. When he was being crucified,
"Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34
In Acts 7:59-60 "As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died." Forgiveness was offered by requesting their forgiveness from God. Given that they were dying, reconciliation was not a factor. Even if their murderers never repented, it would reason that their punishment would be lessened if these sins were not held to their account.
Forgiveness
is not
tolerance
of sin
If someone doesn't seek repentance, these examples demonstrate that reconciliation can't happen. In fact, in two of the examples even among believers, the offender is treated as corrupt and the evil person was to be removed from among them. So we're not to combine the idea of forgiveness with tolerance of sin. In verse 34, the king was "moved with anger" and "handed him over to the torturers." Trying to reconcile or restore a relationship when someone hasn't repented puts us in a position of trying to be somehow less angry with someone who has proved untrustworthy. Using our civil law as an example, we don't just excuse murderers and allow them to continue murdering. Such a practice would condone evil.
So how do we respond when someone is unrepentant? We have another example in 2 Timothy 4:14-17a "Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him in keeping with his deeds. You be on guard against him too, because he vehemently opposed our words. At my first defense no one appeared in my support; instead they all deserted me—may they not be held accountable for it. But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed for all the Gentiles to hear."
First we can observe that the apostle Paul issues warning to others to be on guard against the offender, yet he leaves it in the Lord's hands to "repay him in keeping with his deeds." He releases payback to God himself. Secondly, he speaks of those who deserted him with forgiveness when he says, "may they not be held accountable for it." Neither account spoke of reconciliation, though forgiveness was expressed in the latter account. In both accounts, he is not taking his own vengeance. So by the examples given in scripture, we observe that relationships are only restored where there is repentance. Without repentance, we can still let it alone (not take revenge) and leave it in God's hands.
Love your enemies
“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." Matthew 5:43-48
See 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 above for understanding about what love does and what it doesn't do.
All of scripture must fit together
because all of it is true.
We are told our own forgiveness from the Father is conditioned upon extending forgiveness,
and we are told if someone repents that we must forgive them. If they do not repent, we still bear responsibility to release them into God's hands instead of taking revenge. Jesus' example was to pray for the forgiveness of his own murderers as he was dying. Scripture instructs us to love and pray for our enemies.
We know that the Father
tells us we must repent for him to forgive us. These scriptures come together to show us a picture that is similar to what we saw earlier about faith; that belief includes obedience.
One truth nests inside the other; obedience inside belief and repentance inside forgiveness. This has been demonstrated through many scriptures on this site with some key verses highlighted in the graphic.
Romans 8:29
1 Peter 1:15-16
John 1:12-13
1 John 2:3-5
Acts 13:38-39
Acts 3:19
1 John 5:2-3
Scripture provides further instructions to govern our response and avoid bitterness which can corrupt us:
Don't be corrupted by bitterness
"Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many." Hebrews 12:15 If bitterness corrupts us, taking actions that move us in the opposite direction seems wise.
Bless and pray for them (the opposite of how we feel in our human nature, especially if what they've done is severe)
"Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them." Romans 12:14
Be assured God will handle it with his righteous anger
"Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone." Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the LORD." Romans 12:17-18
Glory to overlook an offense
"Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense." Proverbs 19:11
We must discern when this may be our more honorable choice versus enabling evil.
Trust the sovereignty of God with your life, he will use it for your good
Romans 8:28 says "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." Genesis 50:20 is an example of this, "As for you, you meant to harm me, but God intended it for a good purpose, so he could preserve the lives of many people, as you can see this day." God used the sin of Joseph's brothers for a good outcome.
You saw part of this first passage earlier. Now look at the surrounding verses
"Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Romans 12:17-21
"If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat.
If they are thirsty, give them water to drink.
You will heap burning coals of shame on their heads,
and the Lord will reward you." Proverbs 25:21-22
If someone is repentant and you've been struggling to forgive, hopefully you will receive the scriptures above and be enabled to forgive. Here is further encouragement. Consider that forgiving is essentially a willingness to lay aside the debt and suffer due to the wrongs committed against you so you can receive your own forgiveness. It's also the freedom to experience your suffering without bitterness, because for those who are in Christ, the end of it will be for your own glory (see Suffering and the Weight of Glory and the video If God is Good, How Do We Explain Evil). I know suffering can change your life, but your life isn't ruined if you suffer. Your life is ruined if your faith lacks endurance and by not doing the will of the Father. Your reward is with God and will come to you. "And God will exalt you in due time, if you humble yourselves under his mighty hand by casting all your cares on him because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:6-7 God's ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). We are extending the love that's been shown to us by the Father through Jesus Christ. We can also rest in the assurance that if they never repent, the Lord himself will take revenge and we can entrust it to his care. "For the Lord is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him." Isaiah 30:18
What if we sin and need forgiveness?
Confess in prayer
"But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness."
1 John 1:9
Jesus our advocate (implied he intercedes on our behalf)
"(My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.) But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous One..." 1 John 2:1
Pray for each other so you may be healed
"Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results." James 5:16
Confess and forsake to find mercy
"The one who covers his transgressions will not prosper,
but whoever confesses them and forsakes them will find mercy." Proverbs 28:13
"For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation.
There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow.
But worldly sorrow,
which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death."
2 Corinthians 7:10
Sin
and
Repentance
In the image above, look closely at what 2 Corinthians is saying.
We see this principle again; that what we do matters. Sorrow that leads us away from sin is needed for the result of salvation.
Humility is a safeguard
"As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor." James 4:6b-10
Notice that our battle with the devil is resistance. Keep resisting, he has to flee.
Don't become enslaved again. Sin is still your enemy.
"For you are a slave to whatever controls you. And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before. It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life." 2 Peter 2:19b-21
Put to death things lurking within you
"So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him." Colossians 3:5-10
No one born of God practices sin
"No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God."
1 John 3:9 (also see How to Know Who is of God)
If deliberately continue sinning
"Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us. For we know the one who said,
“I will take revenge. I will pay them back.”
He also said, “The Lord will judge his own people.”
It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:26 - 31
(See The Blood Doesn't Cleanse in the Dark)
If you are faithful
"Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. Remember what it says:
“Today when you hear his voice,
don’t harden your hearts
as Israel did when they rebelled.” Hebrews 3:12-15
Run that you may obtain it
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.
Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified." 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Notice we can be disqualified. Another point to remember:
"the one who endures to the end will be saved." Matthew 24:13
Stand firm again schemes of the devil
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be alert with all perseverance and every request for all the saints," Ephesians 6:10-18
He rewards those who seek him
"And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." Hebrews 11:6
Faithful ones whose souls will be saved
"But my righteous one will live by faith, and if he shrinks back, I take no pleasure in him.
But we are not among those who shrink back and thus perish,
but are among those who have faith and preserve their souls." Hebrews 10:38-39
At the top of the page, you read Acts 2:38-39 which listed baptism as one of the steps for forgiveness of your sins and for receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. What is baptism about?