1 John 3:21-24 (NLT): “Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him.
And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us.”
I heard someone say last Sunday, that ‘all we needed to do – was to believe in Jesus’; what was not made clear when this statement was made – is that our belief in Jesus INCLUDES obeying His commandments. To obey God’s commandments is not an optional extra – however, many people act as if it was a nice. but not essential, thing to do.
Selwyn, in today’s study, makes a good point. In his introduction, he says: “One of the most exciting truths of the New Testament is that the Holy Spirit comes to Christians not simply to inspire us and enthuse us, but to indwell us.”
In the days before Christ – ‘the Holy Spirit came upon men and women to endue them with special power for special purposes’. So, why do we now, have God in us – all the time? In John 16:13-14, we read: “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me.”
All of us, have been given a new purpose in life – to tell the world about Jesus and to obey God’s commandments; and, we have been given His Spirit to enable us to carry out this purpose. Consequently, none of us are exempt from responding to His call, to work in the harvest field; we all have His power and energy – to work, all day long.
I also thought that the prayer for today was good; as it also helps to bring home the point that we already have access to God’s power: “Thank You, loving heavenly Father, for giving me this word today. In my desire for more of You, I sometimes forget how much I already possess. Help me to live in the full realisation of all that I now have in You. Amen.”
God ‘on the inside’
1 John 3:21-24 (NLT): “Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him.
And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us.”
I heard someone say last Sunday, that ‘all we needed to do – was to believe in Jesus’; what was not made clear when this statement was made – is that our belief in Jesus INCLUDES obeying His commandments. To obey God’s commandments is not an optional extra – however, many people act as if it was a nice. but not essential, thing to do.
Selwyn, in today’s study, makes a good point. In his introduction, he says: “One of the most exciting truths of the New Testament is that the Holy Spirit comes to Christians not simply to inspire us and enthuse us, but to indwell us.”
In the days before Christ – ‘the Holy Spirit came upon men and women to endue them with special power for special purposes’. So, why do we now, have God in us – all the time? In John 16:13-14, we read: “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me.”
All of us, have been given a new purpose in life – to tell the world about Jesus and to obey God’s commandments; and, we have been given His Spirit to enable us to carry out this purpose. Consequently, none of us are exempt from responding to His call, to work in the harvest field; we all have His power and energy – to work, all day long.
I also thought that the prayer for today was good; as it also helps to bring home the point that we already have access to God’s power: “Thank You, loving heavenly Father, for giving me this word today. In my desire for more of You, I sometimes forget how much I already possess. Help me to live in the full realisation of all that I now have in You. Amen.”