Continue In God's Word
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Disciples Continue In the Word of God.
Disciples Continue In the Word of God.
Disciples want to be like the one they follow.
Disciples want to be like the one they follow.
We tend to follow people we want to be like. I remember as a kid I wanted to be like Ozzie Smith. He was a shortstop with the San Diego Padres and St. Lois Cardinals. He was short like me, but he was quick with the ball and could fly. I would watch him play and study how he played his position. I would then begin practicing what I observed him doing. I never got as good as Ozzie, but I did improve my game by observing him.
Believers in Jesus Christ desire to become more like him. He is not here to observe but He does reveal Himself to us. He inspired those that did spend time with Him to write about what they witnessed and learned from their time with Jesus. This is found in the gospels. Jesus has revealed His personhood, his teachings, his power, and his purpose.
Jesus said if we continued in His word we are disciples of his. Everything we need to know about Jesus is written in His word. The more we read His Word the better we get to know Him. He reveals himself through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;
that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.
But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one.
1 corinthians 2
Ephesians
When we read the Word of God, the Holy Spirit uses speaks to our hearts by the illumination of the Word of God. This simply means the Holy Spirit allows to understand the Word of God to the point that it communicates to our soul. The communication to our soul changes our personhood to become what the Spirit has illumined in our life.
When we read the Word of God,
Example: I remember reading and the gospel became more clear to me than it had ever been. I realized that I am one who has gone his own way and did what i wanted to do. I lived a lifestyle of sin. I had gone my own way. This passage showed me that the Lord has taken my sin and put it on his own Son. There is a price that has to be paid for going your own way. That price is wrath of God. God took the price and paid it through His only son. The love God must have for me to put my Sin on the One He loves eternally is overwhelming to me. It drives me to my knees and draws out of me the worship that God deserves.
All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him.
Isaiah 53:
This is one of those passages that I had read before without having any impact in my life. But that particular morning as I read it again the Holy Spirit illumined it in a way that it pierced my soul.
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
The only way to know Jesus is to read and meditate on His revelation of himself to us. It is through this revelation that we come to know Jesus personally. When we know Jesus personally we will follow him.
The disciples did not leave everything and follow Jesus until they knew who He was. Explain. We will not be willing to follow Jesus until we know who He is. We will not know who He is unless you read His word.
You Will Know the Truth
You Will Know the Truth
Truth - aletheia message ⇔ truth n. — a message that conforms to reality or actuality; whether historical (in space and time) or supernatural.
Truth is not relative, but is concrete. The Word of God is truth. Contrary to popular belief we do not determine our own truth. Give example of the destruction of relative truth (murder) God determines truth. He has spelled it out in His word.
The specific truth Jesus is referring to is that we are slaves to sin. This means that we need to be set free.
Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.
John 8:
Reading the Word of God presents us with truth. When our lives do not line up with the truth we are convicted by the Holy Spirit and it causes us to repent or change.
What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.”
But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead.
Paul demonstrates that he struggled with coveting and was made aware of it by reading God’s law (Word). We too can identify area’s of sin in our life by reading God’s Word.
Identifying truth to reveal our sin is not for the sake of making us feel bad, but for the sake of getting rid of sin in our life.
For Example:
When I am angry with someone Jesus says:
“You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’
“But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.
“Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,
leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.
Matthew 5:21-
He teaches the importance of quickly reconciling
When I become greedy and materialistic Jesus says
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;
for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:
Jesus tells the importance on focusing on eternal things rather than temporary.
When I am tempted to get even with someone Jesus says:
Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’
“But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
“If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also.
“Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two.
Jesus explains that we are not to seek revenge but leave that up to God.
Matthew 5
Jesus explains that we are not to seek revenge
When I am tempted to do something to boost my pride or make myself look good Jesus says:
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.
As you can see their are many truths in the Word of God. We must be diligent readers of the Word in order to know truth.
Truth Will Set You Free
Truth Will Set You Free
Reading God’s Word will help you discover truth. The truth is that we are all slaves to sin
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
This means that we will all face the punishment for our sins apart from Jesus
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Jesus is God’s Son and has paid the penalty for our sin
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
We can repent of our sins and be set free from the bondage of sin
We can repent of our sins and be set free from the bondage of sin
We can repent of our sins and be set free from the bondage of sin
“Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;
Jesus will set us free from the bondage of sin and give us eternal life.
that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
Romans
for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Conclusion
Conclusion
Have you discovered the truth in Jesus and been set free?
Are you actively pursuing the acquisition of truth in your own life?
Are you following Jesus?