Believers can not avoid temptation in a fallen world, but we can learn about its nature and how to stand firm against Satan by examining how our Lord Jesus went through temptation.
Man in his sinful nature tries to justify his evil actions. Based on circumstances, we often struggle between following our own will versus submitting to God’s will. Jesus’ circumstances were extreme. He was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit, and having fasted for 40 days, He was extremely hungry. At this moment of physical weakness, Satan began to tempt Jesus by trying to make Him question what he was doing- “If you are the Son of God…” He was essentially suggesting, as the Son of God, Jesus should just enjoy His power and status and abandon the hard work of suffering and redeeming sinners.
What is the true nature of Jesus’ first temptation?
Your hunger must trump God’s will.In difficult circumstances, Satan tries to deceive us into thinking we are justified to disobey God’s Will. We must not discount God- God never changes in His holy and merciful attributes. No matter what we are going through- whether it be a pandemic, persecution, or suffering- we can not dismiss God’s will.
You are the Son of God yet God allows this?Satan always tries to cast doubt on God’s love and kindness. We read that it was the Spirit of God who led Jesus into the wilderness. This shows that God has a good purpose for every righteous suffering that a believer goes through. When we go through prolonged suffering, Satan will often try to confuse us to misunderstand God’s goodness, but we must always remember that God is good.
Be pragmatic. Jesus was not exempted from learning obedience through suffering. It is a process that takes time and pain, but Satan tried to get Jesus to take the easy way. Satan attacks the church with this temptation today- to take the wide and easy way that leads to destruction, rather than the narrow and hard way that leads to eternal life.
Ultimately, Satan will try to challenge you with the question of who you love most- God or yourself. How did Jesus respond?
It is written… God’s Word is the only weapon to deal with the devil. Jesus didn’t respond to Satan by His emotions or opinion. Without hesitation, Jesus spoke Scripture- “‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” He applied this verse to Himself because He was a man, just like us. God’s Word is our spiritual food, and we feed on it by faith.
Temptations are inevitable, but we have the means to overcome them by following Jesus’ example. Jesus prioritized God’s Word in His life because it was His essential spiritual food. Let us always remember that those who keep the Word of God are the truly blessed.
Jesus became fully man and is the perfect example to follow in all things. We learned he was baptized as an example for us. In this passage, His example continues as He is tempted in the wilderness. We must pay attention because everyone faces temptation. Temptation is unavoidable and if it cannot be avoided then we must defeat it. If you claim to not struggle with temptation, then you are most likely not a Christian. Sinners do not struggle against temptation but the Christian does (Ephesians 6:12; Acts 14:22). Satan and the world are enemies to the saints and the believer must always be fighting temptation (1 Peter 5:8; 2 Timothy 3:12; John 16:33)
What is temptation?
Jesus was filled the Holy Spirit and then was tempted in wilderness. Now Jesus was perfect, sinless man, so His temptation did not come from within. So what is temptation? Temptation has to do with the struggle between internal and external. The word is related to the word ‘enduring’. It can mean ‘trial’, ‘desire’, or ‘lust’. While most of the time temptation has a bad connotation, it can be a word that can be good or bad. God tests but Satan tempts (James 1:3). We must be careful here because Jesus does say that lust in your mind is already committing adultery. So that desire itself is sinful. In general, temptation or the desire is not necessarily sinful. This is clear because Jesus was tempted but without sin. There are many desires in God’s word that are not judged sinfully (Acts 16:6-7).
However, temptation can be dangerous because it leads to sin (James 1:14-16). Again, to look at a women with lust, Jesus calls adultery, but that same look at your own wife is not sinful (Matthew 5:27-28). Temptations can be strong and they happen to everyone, but it is how you deal with your temptation that matters (1 Peter 4:15-16).
The wilderness
Christians are like the Israelites traveling through the wilderness before reaching the Promised Land. The wilderness is a harsh and dangerous land full of temptations. Jesus was in the wilderness 40 days. This period signifies probation, a period of restricted freedom. Like Noah waited in the Ark 40 days, or the Israelites 40 years in the wilderness, or the 40 days of uncleanness after a women gives birth, our lives are a period of probation, of living in a wilderness.
People try to escape temptation by physically isolating themselves, like the monks in the monasteries. This doesn’t work, as Spurgeon points out, Jesus went out to be alone in the wilderness and then He was tempted aggressively.
The example of Jesus’ temptation
Jesus was tempted as the last Adam, not the first Adam. Adam was tempted in the Garden of Eden, where everything was provided and his circumstances were good. In contrast, Jesus was tempted in the wilderness. As the last Adam, as the Messiah, He conquered Satan mightily and repelled all of Satan’s attacks. To overcome temptation ourselves, we simply put ourselves under Jesus and His mighty power (2 Corinthians 10:5; Ephesians 6:10; Psalms 18:2). While the first Adam failed miserably, Jesus the Messiah never fails, and He is ours!
Jesus sympathizes with us because He fully experienced temptation as a man. We cannot dismiss the temptations Jesus went through just because He was God. This leads to blasphemy against Jesus and an excusing of our own sin. Instead Jesus sympathizes with us, even more so then fellow man, because He has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). Even though Peter had denied Jesus three times, yet Jesus looked at Peter with such concern and compassion. Instead of rebuking, Jesus sympathized with Peter (Luke 22:60-61). Jesus knows the struggle against sin as He was fully man and had to resist temptation with all His strength throughout His life and ministry (Luke 22:43:-44). Because Jesus suffered completely and overcame, there are believers who are able to go through unspeakable suffering as well, through the power of Jesus Christ.
Jesus’s example also reveals true sanctification. When Jesus was tempted, He was filled with the Holy Spirit. It is those who are faithful and strong spiritually who are tempted. Satan doesn’t desire to target those who are weak, they are not worth the effort, instead it is those like Job who are righteous and blameless (Job 1:1,8). To not be tempted is a sign you might not be Christian. Being tempted means you are on the right track of sanctification. There is no need to regret or feel guilty about temptation itself. We must realize it is inevitable and useful for our sanctification
Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit
The Bible emphasizes the importance of the Holy Spirit. We are born again in the Holy Spirit, the Spirit wrote God’s word, teaches God’s word and builds the Church (Ephesians 2:19-21). Yet, modern day Christians give little concern when they are not filled with the Holy Spirit. We may have the Bible, sound doctrine and the true gospel but we still lack the most essential, the filling of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:19, 5:18). This is very disturbing and we must repent.
Being filled with the Holy Spirit is a choice, a matter of obedience. The filling of the Holy Spirit is not a feeling or a moment of spirituality, it is a lifestyle (1 Corinthians 3:16; Psalms 42:1). Without the Holy Spirit, sanctification cannot happen. So we must constantly seek and desire for the Holy Spirit through God’s word (Colossians 3:16). Stop being fearful of the world and what’s going on. Remind yourself that the Holy Spirit is in you and be led by Him. As a Christian it is blasphemous to ignore the Holy Spirit.
Being filled with the Holy Spirit leads to the fruit of the Spirit and speaking and singing of Christ (Galatians 5:22-23;Ephesians 5:19). As Christians, we face temptations and our desire is to overcome them like Jesus, to be sanctified and filled with the Holy Spirit for the glory of God.
“Easy-believism” is rampant in American Christianity, and it falsely advertises a wide path to salvation as opposed to the biblical narrow gate of salvation. It imagines God as the Uber of life – only called upon when needed, but otherwise largely forgotten. It is a false belief that God serves the sinners. In truth, Jesus is the Lord, and all men are the sinners. Man should be more concerned about God accepting him. It is only by God’s condescending mercy that are saved by the gospel of Jesus. He is the One in power, not his creatures.
For our soul to be saved, God must be understood as our Lord (Rom 10:9). Confession of Jesus as Lord and belief in the resurrection are cornerstones of saving faith. However, in many churches today, only Jesus’ role as Savior is emphasized, while Jesus’ role as Lord is mentioned as a mere footnote. This is a sad truth because true salvation is only in lordship salvation. Jesus’ role as Lord must be at the forefront of the salvific process. The evidence of true salvation, therefore, is obedience and holiness. Although it is sometimes mislabeled as legalistic, lordship salvation is, in fact, true salvation.
Lordship in the lives of Christians is essential to their faith and lives because Jesus is the Lord of all as stated in the Scriptures. In Acts 2:32-39, we see Jesus as Lord, raised up, exalted, victorious, sitting forever on the throne, full of power and majesty. Therefore, if Jesus is not the Lord of our lives, we have usurped this role for ourselves and must examine our hearts to repent. We must remember that in true salvation, there is a death of self and a commitment to live in Christ.
In the passage in Mark, we see a rich young ruler who has security, money, strength, youth, time, success, and an elite status. He is perceived as being blessed by God due to the plethora of wealth that belonged to him. He runs up to Jesus, kneels before Him, and asks, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (v.17). This rich young ruler is erred in thinking that he can gain eternal life by his own power. But Jesus answers Him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone” (v.18). Herein lies the starting point of the gospel—only God is good. He is holy. We are sinners that are incapable of keeping the law. Righteousness is not graded on a curve but measured against a holy God.
Jesus felt love for this man, who could not see his own doom because he did not perceive his own sin and wickedness. The ruler, not unlike Adam, boldly lies about His sin to God’s face. He claims he is an upstanding citizen that has kept every letter of the Jewish law from youth.
Despite the rich young ruler’s lie, Jesus kindly answers, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me” (v.21). Jesus is commanding the rich young ruler to get rid of his idols – which is his wealth, youth, and status – and submit to His Lordship by first selling all his possessions then following Jesus wherever He goes. If the young man was to follow Jesus’ command, he would lose his money, tarnish his good standing with the community, and spend his youth traveling with a Lord who does not have a place to lay his head.
Lordship salvation comes at a cost. Salvation cannot be earned, because the cost of satisfying the wrath of God is too high for man. Our sin is our debt, and the price of sin is impossible for us to pay back. Only Jesus can pay the full price of our sin, and He paid it all. We contribute nothing. We are helpless. The divine exchange of our life for the life of Christ, therefore, demands that we give up everything and submit to the Lord Jesus Christ.
All men must count the cost of following Jesus first (Lk 14:25-33), so that they are not found disillusioned like the young rich ruler. Consider Jesus’ question, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the world and forfeits his soul?” (Mt 16:25-26) In light of this challenge, we must choose to forfeit the world and gain our souls.
Submission to the Lord is summed up by our obedience. We are called to love God with all our hearts. Man cannot serve two masters. The rich young ruler practiced unbelief and could not serve Jesus as Lord.
Jesus is the good Lord. He laid down His life for His sheep. He offers peace, joy, and keeps His promises. He leads and guides us. He causes all things to work for His glory and for our good. He is a sovereign and might God who loves His followers. Because of this, we can serve Him without reservation. We can trust Him because we know that He is good. We must obey and follow Him. Obedience is critical if God is to lead us to eternal life. Salvation without obedience won’t lead you to heaven’s gates. We must obey with love. We can do this because Jesus loved us first (Jn 15:13).
Today’s passage exhibits the genealogy of the Lord Jesus Christ. Genealogies are important because it preserves the record of historical figures that existed from generation to generation. They also show our roots, which in this case points back to Jesus’ roots as a man.
How does Luke’s genealogy record compare to Matthew’s account? At first glance, it appears as they are different with minimal similarities. Therefore, it begs the question which genealogy is accurate or if they’re both inaccurate. However, as both genealogies are recorded in the pages of Scripture, inspired by the Holy Spirit, we believe both records to be historically accurate. In Luke’s particular case, he reveals that he investigated everything carefully from the beginning… so that [we] may know the exact truth about the things [we] have been taught (Lk. 1:34). Archeology also evidences over time as historical artifacts become uncovered. Furthermore, if any part of Jesus’ genealogy contained false names, the first century unbelievers would have sought after the false information to discredit Jesus as the Messiah, but this was not the case.
Similarities between Matthew and Luke’s genealogy account
Matthew and Luke 3:31-34
Matthew 1:20 and Luke 3:27
Differences between Matthew and Luke’s genealogy account
Matthew’s account is Joseph’s genealogy (legal line) whereas Luke’s account is Mary’s (blood line)
Although Mary’s name is never mentioned people argue this point as Nathan is an ancestor of Mary, not Joseph
Matthew’s order is top-down whereas Luke’s order is bottom-up
Matthew mention five women, but Luke omits women
Matthew mentions Solomon whereas Luke mentions Nathan as the son of David
Jeremiah 22:28-30 – God cursed the line of Coniah; therefore, his descendants cannot be the King or Messiah
However, to better understand why Nathan is mentioned is due to several reasons, but most importantly because Jesus’ Messiahship does not depend on blood as He was born by the Spirit.
Although there are similarities and differences between the two abovementioned genealogies of Jesus Christ, we need to ask ourselves what Luke’s purpose is for including it in his gospel record in the third chapter. While chapters 1 thru the early part of chapter 3 shows the spiritual evidence of how Jesus became man, Luke also wanted to add additional evidence from man’s perspective to show Jesus as a true historical man. In other words, in chapter 3:22 heaven approved Jesus as the Son of Man and Luke adds an earthly approval of Jesus as a true historical man.
What Luke is trying to reveal about Jesus through the genealogy
Jesus was truly man yet without sin
As man, Jesus is our representative, substitute, exemplary,
Jesus as King
Jesus as the second Adam
Jesus as the Son of God
Luke’s ultimate purpose is to demonstrate that Jesus is truly God and His genealogy is one of many examples demonstrating the deity of Christ. Therefore, if Jesus is God, we must ask ourselves if Jesus is God in our own hearts. Jesus gave up Himself so that we might be saved. He came to save sinners but requires our repentance and to believe in Him as our personal Lord and Savior. And we must always examine our hearts to see which Jesus we believe in because we reflect that Jesus. Is the Jesus we hold on to the Jesus of the Bible who is God or a false Jesus that is an idol?
Being like Christ is the most important goal for a Christian to pursue. God saved us so that we could be like Christ. No matter what man accomplishes in his life, he will inevitably die and be forgotten. Jesus alone has an everlasting legacy because he died and rose again. Becoming like Christ is possible because Jesus was truly man. He was baptized, so we get baptized; He prayed, therefore, we pray. In this last sermon of the series, Like Jesus, we will focus on how we can be like Jesus as He was anointed by the Holy Spirit, loved dearly by the Father, and how He pleased God.
The Holy Spirit dwelled in Jesus. v.22 The descension of the Holy Spirit was not a mystical event; it was actual. God came to get directly involved in Jesus’ ministry. This is why Jesus constantly said the Father was with Him. Everything Jesus did was caused by the Holy Spirit and He was never without Him except on the cross, when the holy presence of God turned away from Jesus because of the sins He bore in our stead.
Jesus was truly a man. In His humanity, He needed the Holy Spirit to have communion with God. The church must understand its need of the Holy Spirit- without Him, the church will neither be biblical or powerful. Thankfully, we can be anointed like Jesus. The baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs in our souls when God saves us. Those who have the Holy Spirit are transformed because the Holy Spirit continually works for our souls. We must be led by Him and be filled with Him by keeping the word of God in our hearts. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we become obedient to the Word of God.
What are the marks of those who have the Holy Spirit?
They are internally transformed. The Holy Spirit actualizes Jesus to the believer, transforming him to follow Jesus daily.
They desire to live for God’s glory.
They have a desire for a greater knowledge of God. They are thirsty to continually know God.
They are concerned with their lack of love for God. The self-righteous person thinks they love Him enough. The Spirit-filled person knows they don’t, but they desire to.
They are increasingly aware of sin. When you are filled with the Spirit, you become humble because you don’t compare yourself with others, but with Christ alone. This is the Holy Spirit’s function- to convict us of sin.
They are honest and simple. When they sin, they repent. They are not bothered by others’ criticism because they are contrite people.
They bear fruit.
The Father loves the Son. v.22 We naturally tend to think God loves us when we receive material blessings. But is this a true measure of God’s love? Was Apostle Paul beloved by God though he went through unspeakable sufferings throughout his life for the sake of the gospel? He surely was. (1Cor 15:10) God’s love has nothing to do with success. God’s love brings total and radical transformation. If you are a born again and sanctified man, you are loved to the utmost by God. A man could have the world and yet be poor in his heart without the love of God. Those who are beloved by God love Jesus.
What kind of love do we receive from God?
An endless love- God’s love is eternal and everlasting. (Rom 5:8)
A proven love- God gave His beloved Son. There is nothing more that God can give. (Rom 8:32)
A protective love- Satan accuses us before God, but He can not bring a charge against us because we are justified. (Rom 8:33)
A promised love- God promises us through Jesus that we can not be separated from His love. (Rom 8:37-39)
God was pleased by Jesus. Absolute holiness and righteousness was fulfilled by Jesus. We can therefore please God in Christ by-
Fearing God- God favors those who fear Him because those who fear Him are living by faith.
Not loving the world. (1Jn 2:16)
Obeying God- God’s will for us is always good because He is our loving Father.
It is possible to be like Jesus. This is our sanctification. Let us work out our salvation joyfully, prayerfully, and patiently for the glory of Christ.
Faith and resurrection always go together. Wherever there is a strong Christian faith, the resurrection is behind it. On the other hand, whenever your faith is weak or lacking, it is the resurrection that is being forgotten or neglected. The truth of Jesus’ resurrection is absolutely central to true faith. God has a goal for salvation in each of us and to accomplish that goal He pursued us, even to death on a cross. He rose again from the dead on the third day and began a good work in the believer, which He will perfect on the day of His coming. If Christ is not raised, then our faith is in vain! (1 Corinthians 15:13-14) There is not greater reality then Jesus’ resurrection. All other realities are temporary and will eventually cease, but resurrection is the beginning of eternal life.
In Hebrews 11:35, the surrounding context leading up to this passage is those of strong faithful conquerors. Hebrews 11 is known as the Hall of Faith, recounting the heroes of the Old Testament. But when we come to verse 35, we find women who have lost and others who were tortured and died. Why the contrast? Though the stories might be different, they share the same faith in the resurrection. We admire the other in chapter 11 but we dislike verse 35 because they weren’t victorious but suffered. It’s true, Christians suffer and some suffer their whole lifetime. Jesus never promised a trouble free life. Instead, He says He also went through suffering and overcame it (John 16:33). The world has many troubles and it cannot solve them, not with all the money or technology. But Jesus has peace and so do you in Him through the resurrection. The resurrection is the display of God’s power over sin, death and this dying world. Behind your living faith is the power of the resurrection.
Faith’s ultimate goal is the resurrection. After Elijah raised her son from the dead, the women declares her faith in God’s word (1 Kings 17:24). The summit of our faith is the resurrection. There is greater power or truth. It is one of the qualities of faith, it brings people back. Ephesians 2:8 you were once dead, but now you are alive by faith. Faith gives live. This gift of life is initiated by the God. The dead cannot move or react. They have no desires or will. Through the declaring of the gospel, the dead are awakened.
Also in this verse, we see and example of Biblical feminism. True equality comes from the Bible because God is the Creator who has made them equal, but different by design. In this verse, the women had the same faith. In Exodus, in God’s law, there is the command to honor father and mother (Exodus 20:12), however in Leviticus the order is mother and father (Leviticus 19:3). God writes them as equal. Women have the same strong faith (Judges 4:4, Hebrews 11:9). All are same in Christ by our faith in the resurrection (Galatians 3:28)
How do you know your faith is from the resurrection of Jesus? Firstly, do you believe the resurrection? (1 Corinthians 13-14). Then your faith can withstand all trials. To do so, you must receive, recognize, risk and rest in the resurrection of Jesus. Trials are painful and difficult. Especially those who have lifelong illnesses, their life is full of hardships until the day they die, and some have even denounced the faith. But for the true believer, because of the resurrection, their hope is in heaven. By the resurrection, we know that in heaven, all sickness and pain will be gone and we will be made perfect. This present life is full of trouble and sorrow but death is not the end because Jesus is alive. There check your faith, your saving faith. Do you believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the true gospel?
In the previous sermons, we learned that just as Jesus was baptized, we should also be baptized. When we are baptized, we are identifying with Christ. And just as Jesus prayed, we should also pray. Prayer is a powerful gift from the Lord. Jesus prayed in all occasions, as should we. When Jesus prayed, heaven was opened, and God answered Jesus’ prayer. If we are like Jesus, we must also have answered prayers. God answers the prayers of those who have a relationship with Him (Mt 7:7-11). He gives to those who ask Him because He is our Father.
Answered prayer is evidence of our salvation. It is one way to know whether or not we are really saved. “We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him” (Jn 9:31). When we pray, the peace of God will guard our hearts (Phil 4:6-7). Answered prayer is also God’s glory (Jn 14:13, Lk 10:21).
Answered prayer strengthens the church. As we pray for the church, our relationship is strengthened, as is our faith. We should take after the example of Paul, who urged the church to pray on his behalf (Eph 6:18-20). Jesus prayed for the body, too (Lk 22:32).
Answered prayer does not always mean that God will answer “yes.” He may also say “no” or “wait.” We trust that God is sovereign and knows what is best for us. Sometimes, God may have us wait because quick answers can spoil us; there is purpose in our waiting. Or God might have something even greater in store for us. Perhaps we are not mature enough to handle the situation right now. Even though God does not answer our prayers immediately, He still hears our prayers.
When God tells us to wait, how can we make our prayer more effective? What can we do when our prayers are stuck?
Examine your relationship with God. Do you love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind (Lk 10:25, 27a)? Although we are being sanctified and not yet perfect, we still love God. Your love for God must be distinguished (Mt 10:37). Examine your relationship with others (Lk 10:27b). Is there someone you have yet to forgive (Mt 5:22-24)?
Examine your motives for praying (Jas 4:3). Are you serving God or yourself in your prayers? Are your motives selfish?
Examine your faith. Greater faith does not results in greater number of answered prayers. But if you have greater faith, the content of your prayers will be more in accord with God’s will. We are called to pray so that we will not fall into temptation (Lk 22:46). Faith gives us clarity. “Faith hangs onto Christ in the dark” (C.H. Spurgeon).
Examine your pattern of giving. Those who sow bountifully will also reap bountifully. God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor 9:6-7). Are you a cheerful giver? Have you given up all to follow Christ?
Examine your knowledge of Scripture. You must know the Bible in order to know the will of God (Ps 19:7-8). We can know the mind of Christ by knowing Scripture (1 Cor 2:16).
Examine yourself. Do you have unconfessed sins in your life? Our iniquities separate us from God (Is 59:1-2).
There is joy for Christians who know that God hears and answers all of our prayers. As we are sanctified day by day, our prayers will more closely resemble God’s will. Let us go to our Father in prayer, Who gives to those who ask.
To sum up last week’s message, in order to be like Christ, we must be baptized by the Holy Spirit, that is externally illustrated and declared in baptism by water. So, how do we continue to grow in the likeness of Christ? Christians become more like Jesus Christ as we have the mind of Christ by filling our hearts with His word and living in obedience to it. Therefore, as we become the righteousness of God in Him through His death and resurrection (2 Cor. 5:21), one of our primary goals is to grow in sanctification.
A key component of spiritual growth in sanctification towards righteousness is how strong our prayer life is. Thus, prayerlessness always leads to disobedience and unrighteousness. Jesus is always our example and He demonstrates even during His baptism that He was praying. Jesus demonstrated the importance of praying constantly as He was conscious of being face-to-face with the Father in prayer. So, as Jesus always prayer we, too, ought to pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17). Consequently, the church, in unity, also devotes itself to a life prayer (Acts 1:14).
Some might ask this question, “If Jesus is God, why did He pray?”
Jesus was truly man. We, also being man and incomplete, face all kinds of evil and are not immune to spiritual and physical problems. Our life is fragile; therefore, we must pray to God to put our lives in His hands.
Jesus was born to pray. Jesus was brought forth into this world by the Holy Spirit and led to pray as He trusted and leaned on the Father in his humanity. In the same manner, Christians are born again to pray as we are given a divine nature to be in communion with the divine God.
Jesus’ relation to the Father. Jesus was one with the Father. Thus, Jesus was the only One in history who was able to explain who the Father was to the world. But Jesus practiced this reality in how He trusted in the Father through prayer because the Father was able. Do we trust in the Father the way Christ did?
As the Father’s adopted children and fellow heirs of Christ, we too, are given a spirit of prayer. It is only by the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ are we given a new heart to call God our Abba, Father, and able to approach the throne of grace confidently as Christ is our Intercessor.
Jesus demonstrated a life that fully depended on the Father when He was on earth. Do we trust and know God in the same manner? As Christ exemplified his unchanging relationship with the Father from eternity in His time here, we need to understand the reality of our new relationship with the Father as a result of being born again. As the Holy Spirit dwells within us, we must continue to be filled with the Spirit (i.e. sanctification) in order to be in prayer unceasingly.
How can we grow in holiness that leads to a prayerful life? Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you (Col. 3:16). When we read and fill our hearts with the word of God are we able to grow in godliness through obedience, and pray according to the will of God.
God can transform and grow our church as we depend on God and pray Scripture as it will transform each member.
Luke’s gospel was written to particularly highlight Jesus’ humanity. In this sense, we can identify with Jesus and see how we can become like Him. Jesus is truly God, but He is also man. It is therefore not only possible to be like Him, but it is God’s Will that we become like Jesus. Based on this passage in Luke, we can draw two ways to be like Jesus.
Jesus was baptized. (Lk 3:21)Why did Jesus have to be baptized by John? John the Baptist even tried to prevent Jesus from being baptized, claiming that he needed to be baptized by Jesus instead. (Matt 3:15) Jesus gave the reason- to fulfill all righteousness. Here, “all righteousness” did not refer to the Mosaic Law. It had to do with the reason why God came to us as man. Jesus was made to be like us in every respect, so that He could make propitiation for our sins. Jesus identified with us in His baptism and death. John preached a baptism of repentance- something Jesus did not need since He was sinless- but Jesus nevertheless wanted to be baptized so He could identify with those He came to save.
Believers get baptized to be like Jesus. Baptism is our external confession of our faith in Christ- that we have been cleansed from sin and born again. It is a symbol of our total identification with Jesus in His death, burial, and resurrection. It is also a symbol of our identification with the church.
Baptism is a believer’s act of obedience. It confesses that he is ready to obey Jesus to the point of death. In the case of those who are saved at the point of death, although they are not able to undergo water baptism, they are baptized by the Holy Spirit. When Jesus was baptized by water, the Holy Spirit, who has always been with Jesus from the beginning, descended upon Him. It is the same Holy Spirit who comes upon us in our regeneration and conversion.
What happens when a believer gets baptized with the Holy Spirit?
He is placed in the church. The Holy Spirit places us to be a member of a church body. (1Cor 12:13)
He has fellowship with Jesus. The believer has inseparable fellowship with Jesus. Contrary to our old nature, we hate sin because it distances us from Christ.
He becomes the bride of Christ. By the Holy Spirit, he knows to whom he belongs, and he desires to be faithful to Him.
He is spiritually gifted. By his spiritual gifts, he is able to serve the Lord. The Holy Spirit apportions spiritual gifts to each believer individually as He wills, but He gives all believers the gift of spiritual growth. Are you conforming to the image of Jesus and being filled with all the fullness of God?
He considers Jesus as Lord. By the Holy Spirit, believers understand who is and who will be- Jesus is Yahweh; all things were created through Him, and He holds all things together. (1Cor 12:3) Jesus must be the center of everything. To love Him with all your heart is to place nothing above Jesus and His Word. It is to fear Him and serve Him alone in reverential worship.
Becoming like Jesus begins with baptism. We become immersed into Christ. We must appreciate and constantly remember our baptism. By water and Spirit, we are identified with Jesus. We are with Him; He is with us.
The Christian’s purpose is unavoidably centered around evangelism. We are saved by Jesus and sent by Jesus to proclaim repentance and salvation in Jesus. This is a sign of true conversion. Before we knew Christ, we spent our lives for ourselves in vain, but now, since being saved, we spend our lives for Christ, using all that we have to the lifting up of Jesus. This is our primary purpose, command, and calling. Even in a time like this pandemic with restrictions and social distancing, evangelism is not placed on pause. We must be faithful to evangelize because it is so important, especially today.
Jesus Himself exemplified evangelism. Is this not the reason He came to earth, to reveal and fulfill the gospel? During dangerous times Jesus spoke the message of God (Luke 4:43). Apostle Paul also was not deterred by the danger and threat of the world, even having to run away from the mobs at one point, but he kept working diligently (Acts 9:23-25;14:22). It is through ‘many tribulations’ a Christian enters the kingdom of God. If as a Christian, you want to live a easy life now, then keep silent. However, we seek the future reward and must be faithful in dangerous times as others have done also.
Why we must evangelize? John the Baptist preached repentance, even pointing out the sin of Herod, who had married his brother’s wife. It was adultery and incest. What’s behind John the Baptist’s passion and continual energy for preaching repentance? Those three things are the gospel, sin’s existence, and John’s calling.
The gospel The gospel John the Baptist was incomplete, yet it was still good news which told of two things, the baptism of repentance and the coming baptism of Jesus. Through John’s message the people would be ready for the true gospel in Jesus Christ by learning about their sin and need of the Messiah.
The gospel is the good news because it tells of eternal life. Even though the Christian may die, they do not face the judgement for their sin, but pass from death into life (John 5:24). A Christian doesn’t die but falls asleep. Even a vaccine, a healthy body, wealth or whatever measure on earth cannot prevent death. They might extend your life temporarily, but they cannot give eternal life as Jesus does (John 11:25-26). The gospel of Jesus Christ, that He died on the cross for the atonement of your sin, rose again on the third day, is the truth you must believe for eternal life. Only by believing in the gospel of Jesus Christ can you be saved! As a Christian where else can we go? We cannot leave the cross, otherwise we would perish. The gospel is the ground on which we remain.
Those without the gospel respond with fear. Look at how they are reacting to the COVID-19 virus. God responds to man’s problems with love (John 3:16). He has given His Son as the solution, so that we will not die, but have eternal life. Since God has shown His love, we must respond with repentance (Acts 17:30-31). The gospel is what this world needs so we must preach Jesus. It is true, they don’t want to hear the gospel because they are blinded by their sin. Their unwillingness should not deter us because we know only by the gospel they can be saved so have to tell them.
Sin’s existence John spoke against Herod and his sin. It didn’t matter that Herod was the ruler, sin is real and dangerous. Sin is not a mistake but a transgression of God’s holy law and nature. A. W. Pink illustrates how horrible sin is, saying Jesus came, “not as a judge, but as a benefactor, going about doing good, feeding the hungry, healing the sick, proclaiming the gospel. Did that melt their hearts and win them to God? No, they hated and crucified Him.” God’s goodness never stopped, He has always been faithful, yet they crucified Him. This is proof of sin’s existence and the dark reality of sin.
John preached repentance against Herod to stop Herod’s increasing sin. Without repenting, our sin will continue to grow. No one expected Adolf Hitler as a child would grow up to massacre over six million Jews. Hitler’s sins grew. And sin will not stop on its own. Herod also added to his sin by imprisoning John. Ultimately, he practiced unbelief by refusing to repent after John’s rebuking.
Christian’s cannot be quiet because of sin’s existence. They are the salt of earth whose purpose is to reveal sin’s presence in the world and tell them to repent and believe in Christ (Matthew 5:13). If we avoid evangelism and live silently, then we are not salty anymore and become useless. By our silence, we ignore sin’s existence.
John’s calling John preached to Herod multiple times and continually told Herod to repent of his sin (Matthew 14:5, Mark 6:20). John the Baptist preached because he knew his calling by God which was given to him at his birth (Luke 1:13-16). He preached and preached again and again simply because he was called to do so. Apostle Paul also knew his calling to testify about the Lord Jesus (Acts 20:24). Do you know your calling? Or do you believe you are here by your own decision? If you are here by yourself, then unfortunately you will leave the faith by yourself. But if you are here by God’s calling, then it compels and commands us to stay true (Romans 8:29-30). Every Christian is planned by God and we are sent (Ephesians 2:10, John 10:27). If you are called, then the circumstances don’t matter, we will follow the call. The future is unknown and sometimes risky, however we are not controlled by our fear, but we can go forward knowing our God has called us, is with us and is in control (Revelation 4:10-11). Therefore it is crucial for us to be faithful every day. We fail to bear fruit because we are not faithful daily.
Conclusion Remember the gospel, the good news, by only which we are saved, remember sin’s existence and the necessity for repentance, and our calling from God which God has sovereignly ordained. These three things should drive us to speak and evangelize to the world. The Lord warns us in Ezekiel 3:8 to those who remain silent, the blood of the sinner will be on our hands.
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