The God “called alongside”

2nd February 2025
The Holy Spirit's relationship with Jesus Christ is foundational to understanding the outworking of Christian salvation. Rather than being a separate blessing or secondary experience, the Holy Spirit comes specifically in Jesus' Name as the promised Comforter (Paraclete). He does not bring a different salvation but rather makes real the presence of Christ in believers' lives. This understanding corrects common misconceptions about receiving the Holy Spirit as a separate experience from receiving Christ, while highlighting the Spirit's essential role in Christian life.
The fullness of God dwells bodily in Christ, and through Him, believers receive everything needed for salvation and spiritual life. When we come to Christ, we receive not just a portion of God's presence, but the complete indwelling of His Spirit. Just as Jesus experienced being born of the Spirit, anointed by the Spirit, filled with the Spirit, and raised by the Spirit, these same happenings are granted to all who trust in Him. Our journey is not about acquiring additional blessings beyond Christ, but rather discovering the depths of what we already possess in Him.
Your true purpose in life flows not from your abilities, achievements, or circumstances, but from what Jesus Christ does through you. Like John the Baptist, who was considered the greatest prophet not for his own works but because he pointed to Christ, every Christian's significance comes through letting the Lord minister through them. When we allow Jesus to work through us, He gives spiritual gifts and opportunities that reveal our genuine calling, whether in hospitality, giving, teaching, or helping others. The key outcome of a God given gift is not what we do, but what Christ does through us.

Beyond the Sinner’s Prayer

12th January 2025
Salvation extends far beyond the initial moment of conversion or the sinner's prayer. A good representation encompasses both Jesus' ministry to the lost, as seen in His encounter with Zacchaeus, with its challenge for a change of ways and example of change in behaviour. Jesus’ call is not just to conversion but also for the new believer to pursue godly perfection. The Lord's work of salvation includes not only forgiveness of sins but also the ongoing transformation of the believer's character through sanctification, ultimately looking forward to Christ's return. This broader understanding of salvation helps explain why many Christians struggle with living the Christian life after conversion, when their new salvation needs time to find help and hope through the Holy Spirit's sanctifying work.

Return to Your First Love

5th January 2025
The initial passion and devotion we experience when first meeting Christ can gradually dim as worldly pressures and responsibilities crowd our lives. Like the church at Ephesus, many believers maintain good works and sound doctrine while losing their burning love for the Lord. The solution lies not in mere activity but in genuine repentance and returning to those practices that marked our early walk with God - earnest prayer, hunger for His Word, and wholehearted worship. Our invitation into the King's garden demands nothing less than our first love restored.

Understanding the Trinity

15th December 2024
The doctrine of the Trinity - One God in three Persons - is not merely an abstract theological concept but also shapes how we experience the Christian life. While we often begin our faith journey speaking generally about "God," we come to know Him more fully through the distinct yet unified work of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Father receives our prayers, the Son makes these prayers possible through His sacrifice, and the Holy Spirit applies God's power and presence in our daily walk. Though challenging to fully grasp, this three-in-one nature of God is central to authentic Christian faith and practice.

Make Room for the King

8th December 2024
Christmas requires more than planning meals and wrapping gifts - it demands spiritual preparation to truly receive Christ. Just as John the Baptist called people to repentance before Jesus's ministry, we need to ready our hearts to meet the grown-up Jesus, not just celebrate the baby in the manger. This preparation involves reading Scripture, developing consistent prayer habits, and actively sharing the Gospel with others. The joy of Christmas becomes complete when we prepare room in our hearts for the King.

More of the Same, Please

1st December 2024
The strengthening of disciples does not come through new teachings or different teachings, but through a deeper understanding of the same Gospel that first brought them to faith. When Paul returned to strengthen the souls of new believers, he reinforced the original message of God's grace and loving-kindness. This pattern continues today - the way to help Christians grow stronger and more obedient is not by moving beyond the Gospel, but by helping them understand it more deeply. The book of Romans serves as a prime example of how teaching the Gospel at depth produces spiritual stability and growth in the lives of believers.

When God Chooses to Forget

24th November 2024
The perfect, all-knowing God makes an extraordinary choice - He chooses not to remember the forgiven sins of His people. This seeming paradox reveals the heart of the Gospel message. When we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us, treating us as though our transgressions never occurred. He removes them "as far as the east is from the west," establishing a new relationship with His people through Christ's sacrificial work on the cross. This divine forgetfulness applies not only to our past sins before conversion but also to our ongoing stumbles as Christians, allowing us to walk in true freedom and joy with our Heavenly Father. The key, nonetheless, is that His forgiveness first requires our repentance and confession. The opposite truth also applies: "He that covers his sins shall not prosper, but he that confesses and forsakes them shall find mercy." Proverbs 28:13.
Making disciples is not separate from preaching the Gospel - they are one and the same process. The evidence from Matthew and Mark's Great Commission accounts reveals that genuine discipleship occurs through deep, sustained exposure to Gospel truth rather than through a shallow initial conversion followed by different teaching. When churches focus on teaching the Gospel thoroughly and repeatedly, rather than seeing it merely as an entry point, their converts are far more likely to remain strong in their faith. This understanding shaped the early Church's approach and remains the Biblical pattern for creating lasting disciples.

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