JESUS THE CHRIST IS THE SON OF GOD

PROCLAMATION

“As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water.  At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw The Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Him.  And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.”  Matthew 42:16-17 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These words are from the gospel, the good news regarding Jesus, The Christ, as recorded by the Apostle Matthew.  In the days after King Herod died, there came a man, John the baptizer, preaching in the wilderness preparing the way for Jesus, The Christ. (Matthew 3:1-3)  People from all of Judea came to him, confessing their sins, and he baptized them in the Jordan River. (Matthew 3:4-6)  He made it clear to them that he was only baptizing them with water for their repentance, but there would come another who was mightier than he, who would baptize them with The Holy Spirit and with fire. (Matthew 3:11)  Jesus, The Christ, came from Galilee to be baptized by John.  After He was baptized, as He was coming up out of the water, John saw The Holy Spirit of God descending from heaven like a dove and lighting on Him.  Then a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:13-17)  

APPLICATION

Jesus, The Christ, was sinless.  He was not baptized for repentance, but He was baptized because it was appropriate to do it to fulfill all righteousness. (Matthew 3:15)  God, The Father, spoke and identified God, The Son, by sending God, The Holy Spirit, to Him as a visible sign.  Today we use the ordinance of baptism as an outwardly visible sign of an inner transformation.  We die to the control of sin and rise up as a new creature. (2 Corinthians 5:17)  When we accept Christ as our personal savior The Holy Spirit of God indwells us. (Ezekiel 36:26-27)  This gives us the capacity to keep His commandments.  All we have to do is believe, confess, and invite Him into our heart, and He will come into us. (Revelation 3:20)

A NATION DIVIDED

PROCLAMATION

“Then the men of Judah came to Hebron, and there they anointed David king over the tribe of Judah.”  2 Samuel 2:4 (NIV)

“Meanwhile, Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, had taken Ish-Bosheth son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.  He made him king over Gilead, Ashuri and Jezreel, and also over Ephraim, Benjamin and all Israel.”  2 Samuel 2:8-9 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

After the death of King Saul and his sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua in the battle against the Philistines, (1 Samuel 31:1-6) David was anointed king over Judah, the southern part of the kingdom.  Saul’s remaining son, Ish-Bosheth, who was not involved in the battle with the Philistines, was anointed king over the northern part of the kingdom.  Then began the nation’s civil war between the northern kingdom and southern kingdom.  David was eventually anointed king over all of Israel (2 Samuel 5:3-5) but there was a cost to pay for this and lives would be lost.

APPLICATION

Jesus, The Christ, said that a kingdom or a house divided against itself cannot stand. (Matthew 12:35, Mark 3:24-25, and Luke 11:17)  If the citizens of kingdoms, governments, or families fall out with one another and disenfranchise one another, then a dissolution of the whole must ensue.  Minor disagreements can be tolerated but major falling outs and in-fighting will lead to a division which causes the unit to fracture and fail.  After a civil war breaks out, one side wins and unity is restored, or a permanent divorce occurs resulting in two independent units, or the two sides destroy each other and they both lose.  This happens with government, families, and individuals when internal conflict cannot be resolved.  There is an internal struggle within all believers between the forces of good and the forces of evil, between The Holy Spirit within us and our sinful human nature. (Romans 7:5-25 and 8:18-27)   We struggle daily involved in this internal civil war of sorts and only with the help of The Lord God will we emerge victorious.

WITHOUT THE LORD GOD THERE IS NO HELP

PROCLAMATION

“Samuel said, ‘Why do you consult me, now that The Lord has departed from you and become your enemy?’”  1 Samuel 28:16 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

Samuel was dead. (1 Samuel 28:3)  The Philistines were again preparing to attack Israel (1 Samuel 28:1 and 28:4) and King Saul was afraid. (1 Samuel 28:5)  The Lord God did not answer Saul when he called on Him because The Holy Spirit had left Saul (1 Samuel 16:14) due to his willful disobedience and his rejection of The Word of God. (1 Samuel 15:19 and 15:24)  So, Saul consulted a witch to find out what he should do.  He asked her to contact the spirit of the dead prophet Samuel. (1 Samuel 28:11)  Most Bible scholars suggest that it was Satan that she contacted and that they both assumed that it was Samuel by her description of the image which she saw. (1 Samuel 28:13-14)  Satan repeated the words which Samuel had spoken to Saul telling him that his kingdom would be taken away from him and given to David (1 Samuel 15:28 and 28:17) but he did not give Saul any help or advice.

APPLICATION

When non-believers seek help from the spiritual world, who are they contacting?  If The Lord God is not with you, then whose voice are you hearing?  If your advice, guidance, or direction is not coming from The Lord God, then who is it coming from?  Believers know better than trust in man for help. (Psalm 118:8)  Without The Lord God there is no help for us because we know that our help comes from Him. (Psalm 121:1-2)  The devil will deceive many people (Revelation 12:9) but believers know the sound of the voice of The Lord God and that is who we follow. (John 10:27)

THE HOLY SPIRIT OF THE LORD GOD

Proclamation:

“Now The Lord is The Spirit, and where The Spirit of The Lord is, there is freedom.”  2 Corinthians 3:17 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers in the church at Corinth.  Here Paul makes a bold statement and implies that The Holy Spirit is The Spirit of The Lord Jesus, The Christ.  This should not be so hard to accept since we are taught that God, The Father, and God, The Son, and God, The Holy Spirit are one. (1 John 5:7)  Jesus, The Christ, said, “I and My Father are one.” (John 10:30)  Therefore, The Holy Spirit of God is The Spirit of Christ.  Where The Spirit is, there is freedom.

Application:

“God is a Spirit; and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24)  Where ever The Holy Spirit of The Lord God is, there is freedom.  This is not freedom in the physical sense, even though that can also happen.  This is freedom in the spiritual sense.  Since The Holy Spirit dwells within all believers, we all get to enjoy freedom; the freedom from spiritual blindness and darkness, the freedom from the bondage of sin and the captivity of Satan, and the freedom from the fear of hell, God’s wrath, and eternal damnation.  The more time we spend in His Holy Word, and the more we exhibit the fruit of The Spirit, the more like Him we become.  As we do His will and are ruled by our spiritual nature, we are slowly being transformed into His image. (2 Corinthians 3:18)  However, the transformation will not be complete until He returns and we are changed from mortal to immortal. (1 Corinthians 15:50-53)

OUR HEART IS IMPORTANT NOT OUR RACE ETHNICITY OR NATIONALITY

Proclamation:

“He said to them: ‘You are aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile.  But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean.’”  Acts 10:28 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by Luke, the physician, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Luke records that a devout and God-fearing man named Cornelius, who was a centurion in the Roman army, had a vision in which he was told to send for Simon Peter. (Acts 10:1-6)  About the same time Peter had a vision in which The Lord God told him not to call anything impure that He had made clean. (Acts 10:9-16)  While Peter was still trying to figure out his first vision, The Holy Spirit came to him and told him to go with the three men who were looking for him because He had sent them. (Acts 10:17-19)  Peter went with them and when he arrived at the home of Cornelius he told them that their law did not allow a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile, but God had shown him that it was okay. (Acts 10:23-29)  Cornelius had invited his relatives and close friends to his home to hear the message that God had for them. (Acts 10:24)  Peter found a large gathering in the house (Acts 10:27) and preached to them until The Holy Spirit came upon all of those who heard him. (Acts 10:44-46)

Application:

With The Lord God there is no respect of persons, (Acts 10:34 and Romans 2:11) there are believers of all nationalities.  We are to accept all believers as brothers in Christ, regardless of our ethnic differences.  All believers possess The Holy Spirit of God within them.  It should not matter to us what race, creed, ethnicity, or nationality someone is, all that is important is if they believe or not.  If they believe, then they are to be accepted.  If they do not believe, then we are to share the gospel with them and let The Holy Spirit work on them and add to the church as He sees fit. (Acts 2:47)