by David Chadwick If you’re going to the mountains this fall to enjoy its splendor, do some spiritual mountain-gazing as well. How can you do so? Go to Mount Moriah. It’s where God told Abraham to go and sacrifice his only beloved son, Isaac (Genesis 22). Why would God ask Abraham to do this heinous act? Abraham had waited 25 years for this promised son. He was now a teenager and the love of his life. The answer is given to us in Genesis 22:1. God was using this command to test Abraham’s faith. God wanted to know if he was still the primary passion of Abraham’s life. Or had Isaac replaced God’s place of primacy? When you visit Mount Moriah, God tests your faith as well. Tests determine whether we know the information. And here is the one question God wants to pose: Does he possess first position in your heart? How would you answer? Is Jesus first in your life? It’s a very important question we all must answer. It’s a test God wants you to pass with flying colors. Will you?
by David Chadwick The fall season always offers a chance to see God’s multi-colored glory like no other time during the year. How? By going to the mountains. If you do so this year, always remember that mountains in the Bible are called “the high places.” They are places where you can experience God like nowhere else. This autumn, make sure you visit the biblical mountains that will enhance your life in Jesus. For example, visit Mount Ararat. As the rain ceased and the flood waters abated, the ark that carried Noah, his family, and all the animals landed on Mount Ararat (Genesis 6-9). It was from there that they descended to dry land and the human race had a new beginning. Mount Ararat can mean the same for you in your spiritual journey. In Jesus, your sins are forever forgiven and you can begin anew. Start over. Have a new beginning. The old, your past, has passed away. The new, your present and future, begins today (2 Corinthians 5:17). No sin is beyond God’s grace. Nothing in your past is beyond God’s goodness. Make sure you visit Mount Ararat. It’s a place of new beginnings. And new hope.
by David Chadwick The final characteristic of false teachers is found in Jude 1:12,13, which says they are “hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear; shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.” These are serious warnings. False teachers don’t feed God’s sheep. They fleece God’s sheep for their own benefit. They are “waterless clouds.” Have you ever seen a cloud that looks like rain, but never rains? So is a false teacher. Promising rain that never comes. Promising things that never happen. It could look something like this, “If you give to me financially, you will get rich.” This is a false teaching! You lose your hard-earned money and they get rich! They are “wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame.” If you have ever been at the beach after a wild storm, you have most likely seen the debris, logs, seaweed, and yucky foam that gets left on the shore. So it is with false teachers. They leave a mess in the aftermath of their leadership and shepherding. Their falsehoods destroy people and divide churches. They are “wandering stars.” But you’re probably thinking, stars shouldn’t wander! You’re right! They are supposed to be fixed in orbit. Not false teachers! They make a huge splash like a meteor or comet, but then go dark. They don’t last over the long haul. Not to mention, they don’t point people to Jesus, the only North Star of objective truth! He is the only truth and the only way for people to follow. Jesus and his fixed truths will bring us home to the Father. A true shepherd will always point to Jesus and Jesus alone! I pray that the church at large will grow in our ability to rightly discern truth from error and that we will know how to correctly spot a false teacher in an upside down world where truth is harder and harder to find.
by David Chadwick Wheat and tares are growing up side by side and will continue to do so until Jesus’s return (see Matthew 13). It is not our job to determine who is wheat and who is a tare regarding the eternal destiny of people’s souls. However, we are called to examine fruit. We are to be shrewd as serpents, while remaining innocent as doves. The fourth characteristic of a false teacher is that they emulate characteristics of biblical figures who walked in extreme error. Jude 1:11 describes false teachers by saying they “walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error and perished in Korah’s rebellion.” What does this mean exactly? Let’s briefly take a look at each story. God made it very clear that forgiveness only came through the shedding of blood (Hebrews 9:22). Abel obeyed and came with a shed blood sacrifice from his herd, but Cain offered a sacrifice by his works from the ground and God did not accept it. False teachers preach a false gospel that we are saved by works. They deny the sufficiency of the cross and preach a message that should be accursed according to Galatians 1:8. Balaam, in Numbers 22-25 and Numbers 31, was encouraging the corruption of the Israelites into all sorts of evil practices for his own profit. The love of money and sin of covetousness overtook him and caused him to do wicked things. False teachers get wealthy by asking people to give them money and promising financial blessings in return. They are motivated by personal prestige, privilege, and personal gain. False teachers want to fleece God’s sheep, not feed them. Finally, in Numbers 16, Korah led a rebellion against Moses and Aaron because of personal selfish ambition (James 3:16). This is another characteristic of a false teacher. This is an individual who intentionally comes in to lure the people unto himself with evil, selfish ambition and vain conceit. He wants to build his own personal platform at the expense of the one leading, often creating factions and divisions. In conclusion, preaching salvation through works, preaching because of a love of money, and preaching with personal ambition intended to divide are earmarks of false teachers. Be alert and aware!
by David Chadwick Wisdom, knowledge, and discernment are widely underused and undertaught attributes of a Christian. In my humble opinion, these are pillars of maturity. Without them, you will remain tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine and deceitful scheme (Ephesians 4:14). The next sign of a false teacher is found in Jude verse 4. They “deny our only Master and Lord Jesus Christ.” They do not uphold the truth of the biblical doctrine of the Incarnation. False teachers openly deny the divinity of Jesus that Scripture clearly teachers. They also fudge on the importance of Jesus being conceived by the Holy Spirit and born to the virgin Mary. To even hint that Jesus is a created being rather than God goes against one of the key tenants of the faith: Jesus is God! John 1 says that Jesus, the Word, was in the beginning, with God, and was God. Philippians 2:5-11 says that while Jesus was in the form of God, he took on the form of a servant. He came to earth in human form, bearing the likeness of man, to stand in our place where we could not live perfectly. These truths are incredibly important to the Christian faith. False teachers also deny the Trinity. They fail to recognize the one true God in three Persons. Yes, this concept is certainly a mystery, but it is clearly seen throughout the Bible. One example you can go read is in Matthew 3:16-17 during the baptism of Jesus. The Father says Jesus is his only Son and then the Holy Spirit descends on him. Jesus is absolutely God! Only God can forgive our sins and Jesus offered forgiveness for sins on several occasions. Look at the story with the paralytic on the roof (Matthew 9:2). Read about his resurrection to his disciples (John 20:22-23). He received Thomas’s words when he called Jesus “my Lord and my God.” Throughout the centuries, there is no new heresy under the sun. So, learn to discern them correctly. And let me say it again in case you haven’t heard: Jesus is God. The Incarnation of Jesus is an absolute for Christian theology. The Trinity is essential to Christian doctrine. If you hear someone saying that either thing is not important, red flag! It is a false teacher!
by David Chadwick There has never been a more important time to discern correctly about false teaching. Our world is rampant with deception, often within the church. I have heard countless stories over the years of pastors, Bible study teachers, even small group leaders saying truly bizarre things to the people of God. It is no small thing to play a role in stewarding the heart of another person on their faith journey. Therefore, let’s look at the second sign of a false teacher according to the book of Jude: They have open boundaries on sensuality and human sexuality. Jude 1:4 says that they “pervert the grace of our God into sensuality…” One specific example of something like this would be a pastor who tells a young woman that he sees himself marrying her when he is already married. Or targets a woman for sexual infidelity. How horrific! God’s boundaries for sexual morality are explicitly clear in his Word. It is solely to be between a man and a woman within the boundaries of a committed, heterosexual, monogamous relationship (Genesis 2:24). It’s something Jesus affirmed (Matthew 19:4-6). Sexual purity is God’s will for your life (1 Thessalonians 4:3). False teachers intentionally push these boundaries. They will not speak to fornication before marriage or adultery outside of marriage from the pulpit. Or multiple partners in marriage. They avoid talking about the sinful reality of same-sex relationships. They dance around the tragedy and irreversible harm of gender transition and dysphoria. The Bible is clear on all of these subjects. God’s people and especially his teachers are called to be faithful to the text. If the person speaking into your spiritual life or shepherding your heart is not doing this, he or she could be a false teacher. Be alert! Woe to anyone who has sought to rewrite the Bible to accommodate his or her own personal desires. God cannot and will not bless a church that carries these wrong views. You must be vigilant to not dance in the deception. Guard your heart from perversion. For from your heart flows the wellspring of your life (Proverbs 4:23).
by David Chadwick Our church has been doing a verse by verse study through the book of Jude. The book of Jude is all about contending for the “faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3). It also gives the church very serious warnings of the dangers of false teaching. Over the next week, I want to lay out five warning signs of false teachers. More specifically, I want to help you learn to rightly discern false teachers from pure ministers of the gospel. I hope these specific indicators will help you grow in wisdom and discernment. Every book in the New Testament, except Philemon, warns of false teachers. It must be very important to God or he would not have persistently warned us of their danger. The first warning sign of a false teacher is this: they creep into your church unnoticed (Jude 1:4). They are like hidden reefs that live underwater in the unseen ocean, but end up sinking countless ships (Jude 1:12). They come in with bells and whistles and are often very attractive to the body with their speech and demeanor, but they have an agenda. After drawing men and women unto themselves, they begin to teach wrong things. Every church, leadership and members alike, should be aware of the wicked agenda of false teachers. In order to do so, it is imperative to have a right understanding of the Bible and sound doctrine. With that said, don’t be quick to throw stones and deem other ministers of the gospel as false teachers unless it is overtly and inextricably understood to what has been clearly outlined through the Bible and throughout church history. We must be so careful that we do not hastily call all disagreements about the non-essential tensions of the Christian faith as being heretical. There are mysteries in the Christian faith that must be humbly wrestled out until Jesus’s return, believing that love and unity are God’s greatest desire for the children of God. However, in the essentials of the faith, there is no wiggle room for error. Whether it is with a congregant or a pastor in the pulpit, there are some things where right is right and wrong is wrong! Don’t let false teaching get a foothold in your church. It can be both divisive, dangerous, and destructive.
by David Chadwick This week, as we wrap up our mini English lesson of pondering prepositions, I hope that you will never look at these small words the same way. I pray that they have shaped your prayer life and will continue to shape your view of God as you abide in him. Let’s finish with this final preposition: AROUND. God’s presence is all around us. Psalm 139 says he is everywhere and we cannot hide or flee from his presence. Not only that, but Hebrews 12:1-2 says there is a cloud of witnesses around us. Who is in this “cloud of witnesses?” These are the faithful believers who have gone before us to eternity. For me, this would include my mom and dad, my big brother Howard and other loved ones. Who would this be from your life? According to the Bible, they are now cheering us on as we finish our race. They could also be the saints listed in Hebrews 11, those in the Old Testament who walked by faith and anticipated one day the coming of the Chosen One of God, Jesus. That would mean that such saints as Abraham, Enoch, Daniel, and other giants of the faith are in our cloud of witnesses cheering us on to life’s finish line. Additionally, Hebrews 1:14 says that angels are “ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation.” Their job is to worship and serve God and to care for his elect, his kids, while we are on earth. Are they also in our cloud of witnesses? I think so. So, biblically speaking, we are surrounded by God’s presence, by a cloud of witnesses which includes our loved ones, Old Testament saints, and ministering angels. Wow! There is a thin veil that separates this visible, physical, temporal world and the invisible, spiritual, eternal world. Sometimes I can almost feel my dad’s presence cheering me on to the finish line. Could it be that God graciously allows him to be one of the ones cheering me on in times of need? I sure like to think that could be the case! How would your day change if you pondered the AROUND preposition all day long? If you really knew there were angels, loved ones and biblical saints surrounding you? If you really knew there were people cheering you on to your life’s finish line? I think it would make this race called life both more joyful and peaceful. More relaxing and eventful. Take heart, dear friends. Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33).
by David Chadwick This week, we are looking at how something as simple as an English preposition is a powerful tool when it comes to explaining the nature and character of God. These tiny little worlds that we use so often can also give us strategies for how to pray. Here is the next preposition to ponder: over. The sovereign Almighty God of the universe is watching OVER us. In some translations of Psalm 121:5, God’s Word says that the Lord watches OVER us. Psalm 121:8 goes on to say, “The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.” God never slumbers and sleeps. Isn’t that great news? The eternal God of the universe never sleeps so that we can sleep in perfect peace! In fact, Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” Do any of you struggle with sleepless nights? Or maybe you or someone in your family has night terrors? Is your sleep restless? If so, I want to pray that you will be set free from this torment in Jesus’s name. If God truly is in control and has all authority and dominion OVER his creation, that means he can set you free. He is in heaven, watching OVER you and me, sitting on his throne, ruling the universe with his perfect grace and truth (John 1:14). He is the peace bringer and the peace giver! No matter what we may face in our day to day lives, the sovereign Lord who lives in us is in control. He knows what he is doing. We need to fear nothing and can fully trust him with everything. God is in control. His children will never be forsaken. We know that his kingdom is unshakeable. If this is true, why fear? Pray confidently knowing that he is IN you and WITH you. He goes BEFORE you and BEHIND you. He is ON your side and working FOR you. And he is OVER everything! No matter what we may face today or forever.
by David Chadwick This week, for some of you, probably feels like a flashback to elementary English lessons. My hope is to use practical teachings to motivate you in the spiritual practices. Some of the prepositions in the English language are both powerful descriptors of God’s presence and great prompts for how to pray. Today’s prepositions to ponder: “on” and “for.” What comes to your mind when you hear these two words? For me, I immediately think about the glorious truth from Psalm 118:6 that God is ON our side. And then in Romans 8:31 which says, “If God is FOR us, who can be against us?” Think about that for a moment. If you have placed your trust in Jesus, you are on team Jesus and a part of the kingdom of light. This team that you are now on is fighting against team Satan and the kingdom of darkness. If you were to really pause and consider this call to a spiritual battle, how would your days look differently? Would you be more alert? Would you forgive quicker? Would you repent more often? Trust with greater depth? The Holy God of the universe is actually on your side! He is FOR you in every situation you face. Your closest friend is also a warrior King named Jesus who will fight for you at every turn. These truths should bring radical transformation and endless hope to our lives. Like many truths in Scripture, this is another mind-boggling truth to grasp and comprehend. Let me say it again. Jesus is on your side. He is for you. He is giving you the strength for whatever you may face. As these truths permeate our hearts, our prayer lives should increase. Our prayers should be victorious. We should expect to win the battles we face. We should pray for anything and everything knowing that God is ON our side and FOR us.
by David Chadwick Jesus Christ, the hope of glory, is IN you. He is also WITH you. While God is a very present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1), he is also omnipresent, meaning his very nature and character is everywhere. He is eternal and exists outside of time. Because of this, he goes before us and behind us. Our next prepositions to ponder are “before” and “behind.” Jesus Christ goes before you every single day. Deuteronomy 31:8 says, “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” He fights our battles for us (Exodus 14:14). This means that before we ever arrive on the scene of a battle, God has already confronted our enemies and has defeated them. The God of all creation knows our tomorrows, the weeks ahead, the years to come, and the time he will call us home. This is the blessed assurance about which the old hymn speaks and it should prompt us to praise our Savior forevermore! God is also behind us. He knows the enemy, the devil, loves to catch us off guard. To attack when we aren’t looking. To blindside us when we aren’t expecting it. But God is behind us. God is our blindside! He protects us from the things we can’t see. Lions always attack the stragglers in the herd of the wildebeests. The assurance of our salvation and of God’s omnipresence should prompt us to fully yield and fully surrender to his plan! When you pray, pray with confidence. Pray with assurance. Pray with conviction. You are partnering with heaven to see God’s kingdom come to earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). God has already gone before you. He has cleared the path and made a way where there was no way. He is always working even when we cannot see it. He is behind you, overseeing you against all the enemy’s wiles to attack when you least expect it. The God of the universe is also a deeply personal God. He is both all powerful and all personal!
by David Chadwick Every good English teacher knows and teaches the importance of prepositions. Do you remember learning them as a child? They are the connecting words that describe the relationship between a noun or pronoun and the other words in a sentence. Over the next week, I want us to ponder five-plus prepositions that will strengthen how we pray and also ponder Jesus’s love for us. Today’s prepositions are the words “in” and “with.” John 15:7 says, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” Friends, as we abide in Jesus and his Word abides in us, we can ask him anything. Peace in the midst of a storm. Hope in the midst of despair. Courage in the midst of fire. If you are a Christian, Jesus Christ is in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). Not only is he in you, he is also with you. In Matthew 28:20, Jesus says that he will be with us always, to the end of the age. As you face today, remember that the Lord of the universe is in you and with you. His power is your power. His strength is your strength. His presence is your protection. He stands in you and with you no matter what you face. Whether there is a Goliath you are facing, a mountain (Mark 11:22-25), or a mulberry bush that needs to be uprooted and thrown into the heart of the sea (Luke 17:5-6), all you need is a mustard seed of faith. Plant that seed of faith in your heart and watch it grow. Jesus lives IN you and is WITH you. This truth should strengthen your prayer life and prompt you to pray with confidence and assurance. Because of Jesus, and the truth of these simple words of “in” and “with” you, you have all the power and authority you will ever need to face anything and everything!
by David Chadwick Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Pause for a moment and think about this. BEFORE the world was ever created, God had a design with you in mind. What an amazing thought! This truth comes after Ephesians 2:8-9, which says that it is by grace we have saved, not a result of works. Paul goes on to say that each of us who has received the gift of eternal life by grace through faith is seen as God’s trophy! You are his child. He looks at you as his pride and joy. He has placed on you his celestial mantle to be lovingly gazed upon by him at regular intervals. According to Paul, God has certain works that are uniquely assigned to us. Think about that throughout your day. That truth should really make you feel special. Now, think of how that can be lived out in your family, with your friends, in your neighborhood, in your city, and throughout the world. You live where you live by God’s sovereign design. There are certain tasks that God has designed for you to accomplish in your unique location for the glory of God. Here is one final thought: these works God has designed solely for you to do were chosen by God for you to do in eternity, not just before the world was ever created, but before you were even created. You are so special to the Lord. He loves you so much. Pray. Seek the Lord. Ask him for greater insight into who you are and how he has made you. As my father used to say, “Son, what do you love to do? And what does the world need most? At the intersection of those two things lies your calling.” I pray that each one of you will recognize what God has called you to and walk in it!
by David Chadwick There is a place for works in the life of a believer. We have been saved by grace through faith, but because of that salvation, we have now been called to good works. Even the smallest acts of kindness and the tiniest displays of obedience are noticed by Jesus and will be rewarded in heaven one day. Jesus clearly taught this in Matthew 10:42. He said, “And whoever gives one of these littles ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.” Take note of Jesus’s heart for “the little ones.” He certainly had such a heart for those young in their faith, but especially loved the young children! To put it even more bluntly, he was really ticked off at his disciples for trying to prevent kids from getting to him because the kingdom of heaven belonged to them (Matthew 19:14). In Jesus’s economy, the smallest act of kindness - something as simple as a cup of cold water - yields an eternal reward. Always remember that Jesus sees everything we do. Even small acts of kindness are seen, noted, and will eventually be rewarded in heaven. The rewards will come at the bema seat in heaven after we die. The bema seat is also referred to as the judgement seat. Knowing that we will give an account for our works should motivate all of us to do more good works. As you hear me say so often, “Be the church! Just go!” It doesn't have to be complicated. Just do something! The message of Jesus certainly is rooted in grace. But the Bible says that faith without works is dead (James 2:26). So as you lean on the grace and mercy of Jesus, cultivate the fear of the Lord as well. None of us should want to sit at the bema judgment seat one day without any rewards, even small ones. Today, look for ways throughout your day to give a moment of hope to someone. Maybe it’s with your words, or a kind gesture, or just a simple smile. Each time, remember that there is a place for works and that one day you will be rewarded.
by David Chadwick There is a place for good works in the life of a Christ follower. But only if it is laid on the foundation of grace. Grace is the bedrock of our salvation. However, works must follow in the life of a Christian. But what kind of works should we do? Take a moment and look at Matthew 25:31-45, the parable of the sheep and the goats. It is an end times parable that suggests some different acts of kindness that Jesus wants us to be about as we await his return. First, notice that these acts that are done to “the least of these my brethren” are also done to Jesus (Matthew 25:40). This seems to imply that Jesus desires for us to be especially kind to our fellow Christians who may be hurting. Galatians 6:10 appears to suggest the same principle. It says, “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Our good works aren’t just acts of kindness, they are opportunities to display the gospel. As you see, while doing good to everyone is important, Christians are adjured to prioritize and show particular care for fellow Christians within “the household of faith.” Perhaps this reflects Jesus’s words in John 13:34 that the world will know that Christians truly belong to him by the way we love one another. If we are not walking in unity, the lost world remains confused by what they see. More specifically, Matthew 25 lays out some more specific ways for Christians to show good works: feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, clothe the naked, and visit the prisoners in prison. If you are looking for simple ideas, here is a great place to start. Someone once said that the proof is in the pudding. That’s what Jesus is saying here. The proof that you really love him and really are one of his sheep comes by doing these good works. The proof that you are a goat comes by NOT doing these things. Your good works will follow your faith. They must if you truly love Jesus!
by David Chadwick If we are solely saved by grace through faith, where then do works fit into the life of a follower of Christ? The message of Jesus is different from every other world religion in that it is a message of undeserving, radical, powerful grace. James clearly states that faith without works is dead (James 2:17, 26). Is this a refutation of Paul’s teaching? Absolutely not! The Bible cannot contradict itself. Let’s take a moment to unpack this. We are not saved by our works, but according to Scripture, our salvation is proved through our works. Works are the evidence that salvation has really and readily taken place in our hearts. Or said another way, we are not saved by good works, but we are saved for good works. If someone truly has Jesus ruling and reigning over his or her life, Jesus will be conforming him or her more and more into the image and likeness of himself (Romans 8:29). As this happens, we become more and more like the man we follow. He changes us from the inside out. As we become more like him, we desire to live for him and yearn to see his life reflected in our life. In addition to looking, acting, and speaking like Jesus, we will go around sharing the gospel with others just like he did. We will both declare and demonstrate his message. We will speak the hope to the hopeless. We will share the way to be saved. We will care for the needy. Be generous to those who do not have as much as we do. We will pray for the sick. Like Jesus, we will work hard in all we do to bring people into heaven. Our aim will be to see his will be done. His kingdom come. We do all of this because we know the gracious gift of salvation that we have received and we want others to see that we belong to Jesus and live for his glory alone.
by David Chadwick Are we saved by grace through faith or by grace, faith, and works? One cannot be justified, made righteous, and forgiven before God by both. Being saved by grace and being saved by your works are two diametrically opposed concepts. In fact, if you really think about it, faith is only available to us because of grace. Grace is a free gift that can never be earned. Salvation by works, stating that we must earn our salvation by our good merit, is actually the opposite of salvation through faith. Abraham was clearly justified by faith in Genesis 15:6. Paul goes on to say in Romans 4:2 that “if Abraham had been justified by works he has something to boast about, but not before God.” Now look at Ephesians 2:8,9 which says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Dear friends, if we could work our way into heaven, God would never hear the end of it from us. We would boast about it forever. Why is it so important to wrestle out this tension when it comes to grace versus works? Well, it’s important because to those who believe it’s because of our works that we are saved, I always ask, “How good is good enough? How many good works are enough to get you into heaven? How will you ever really know?” The truth is, there is no eternal security in a belief that works will save us. This belief creates a constant, incessant worrying this side of eternity. You will live in the swirling tension of wondering if you have done enough. And ultimately that will leave you wondering if you would actually go to heaven if you died right now. It’s an endless trap. The best biblical example for the fact that it is grace, not works, that saves us is the thief on the cross. Jesus guaranteed him paradise in eternity immediately after he put his trust in Jesus. Jesus says in Luke 23:43, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” God’s rich grace and mercy is not dependent on our works. Salvation comes solely by grace through faith. This is the marvelous news of the gospel! I beg you, come and follow Jesus! Join me this week as we explore the place of works in a Christian’s life. But as we do, know that it can only have a place if laid on the foundation of Jesus’s grace.
by David Chadwick Live by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). Be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). Be led by the Spirit (Romans 8:14). Pray in the Spirit (Ephesians 6:18). Finally, grieve not the Spirit (Ephesians 4:30). Or as 1 Thessalonians 5:19 says, “Do not quench the Spirit.” I find today’s exhortation to be the pinnacle point of a life that is full of the Holy Spirit because it forces all of us to yield to a power bigger than ourselves. It demands that we take God out of the boxes in which we place him. In order to live a life that does not quench or grieve the Spirit, we must remain pliable, malleable, humble, open to change, willing to both repent and surrender. Without these characteristics, we risk putting ourselves in the all-knowing, all-powerful position that only God is intended to have. If the Spirit of God is living inside of our hearts and if we are one with Christ, then we must give ourselves fully to his ways. If we choose to live in a way that is contrary to his holiness and his will, he lives in us so we will automatically grieve him. The Holy Spirit is a person. He is our friend. And we can hurt his heart. Even make him cry. When you do this, if you truly follow Jesus, you will immediately sense it within. You will know his sadness, for it will become your sadness. You just know when you’ve disappointed him. Over time, if you continue to live in sin and quench the Spirit inside of you, his voice will become harder to hear. His power will no longer be available to you. Spend time each day seeking the Spirit’s will in all areas of your life. Make your relationship with him your life’s greatest desire, your most fervent want to. If there is anything in your life contrary to his will, confess it and repent of it. Breathe out all impurities every single day. Receive God’s grace anew by confession (1 John 1:9). Then, reconnect the relationship! Hear and obey the Spirit in a fresh way. Know the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). He wants to live in and through you! FOREVER!
by David Chadwick This week, we are examining what it looks like to live a life yielded to the Silent Sovereign, also known as the Holy Spirit. Jesus calls us to live by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16), be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18), be led by the Spirit (Romans 8:14), and to pray in the Spirit (Ephesians 6:18). What does it mean to pray in the Spirit? Well, it’s actually pretty simple. As you pray, listen to the Spirit’s promptings in your heart. Take note of what comes to your mind and pray in unison with these promptings. Pray God’s Word as you read it. You’re never safer than when you are praying something in unison with God’s Word. In order to do this, you must find times of silence during your day to hear God’s voice and to know how to pray. Then, as he highlights certain things on your heart, pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Throughout your day, remain in constant communion with the Father, sharing your heart with him and praying for the things that he puts on your heart. You may be in your car, on a football field, sitting with a child or grandchild, taking an elevator up to a meeting, or shopping in a grocery store. You can pray anywhere! Keep praying. Even when it is silent. Even when you don’t know how to pray. Don’t be concerned. The Bible even tells us that there will be times where we have groanings too deep for words. When that happens, the Spirit is interceding on your behalf before the Father in heaven and praying the exact words you need to pray (Romans 8:26). The bottom line is this: when the Spirit leads you to pray, pray! Continually. Repetitively. Quietly. Loudly. With words. With groanings too deep for words. But don’t stop praying and believing. Your faith will grow and grow. And your life in the Spirit will become stronger and stronger. I pray that the body of Christ will be ignited in these coming years to pray. And that as we do, we will experience a unity like never before. A unity that will see answers to prayers, miracles, healings, and a love for one another that will shock the unbelieving world! To God alone be the glory.
by David Chadwick Live by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). Be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). And today: be led by the Spirit (Romans 8:14). The Spirit will speak to you in a variety of ways. But as we learned earlier this week, if you are one of God’s sheep, you will hear the voice of Jesus through the Holy Spirit (John 10:27). But what does this look like? Well, you may “hear” the Holy Spirit in many different ways. First, it could be through other people’s voices who you love and trust. Parents, mentors, pastors, Bible study leaders may be used by the Lord to help communicate truth to you. Secondly, it could be through a gentle nudge in your heart. You may feel a quiet prompting to pick up the phone and call someone you haven’t talked to in a while. Or you may feel an unsettledness about saying “yes” to a certain job. God may highlight another country to you over and over again using repetition to cause you to take note of something you may not have otherwise noticed. Thirdly, it could be through a blatant closed door where it is obvious God is shouting “no” in your ear! You might get fired from a job or experience a terrible break up. Often extreme situations are God’s way of guiding you and leading you by his Spirit. Finally, recognize that sometimes the Spirit says, “No” to something. But other times, the enemy is against you and the Spirit will lead you through the opposition. If you are being led by the Spirit, you will know the difference, much like Paul did in the book of Acts. Sometimes the Spirit opened doors for Paul and other times Satan hindered him. But because he was led by the Spirit, he never delayed and walked faithfully in his calling. And he was always victorious. The bottom line is this - when you are being led by the Holy Spirit and you know God’s next step for you, OBEY! Do what he says to do. Go where he says to go. I pray that you will be led by the Spirit and stay in tune to his voice, obeying him at every turn. After all, delayed obedience is disobedience. So follow his lead!