NewDayvotional

From the pastor for the people

Archives for September 2014

Do Everything in Love

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1 Corinthians 16:13-14 says, “Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Act like men. Be strong. And do everything with love.” In this post we’ll focus on the fifth command “.do everything in love.”

Here – Paul reminds the Corinthians once again what he wrote about in chapter 13 – the supremacy of love. 

  • When the Corinthians were fighting with each other (chapters 1-4) they weren’t acting in love.
  •  When they were ignoring sin in the church (chapters 5-6) they weren’t acting in love.
  •  When the married couples in the church were denying each other sexually (chapter 7) they weren’t acting in love.
  • When they exercised their Christian liberties in ways that caused other believers to stumble (chapters 8-10) they weren’t acting in love.
  •  When they celebrated communion and a few people ate all the food so that the poor among them didn’t get anything to eat (chapter 11), they weren’t acting in love.
  • When they exercised their spiritual gifts (chapters 12-14) they weren’t exercising them in love.

So Paul reminds them one last time before he ends his letter: Do everything in love!

  • What does love look like when you have conflict with another believer? Love will do everything it can to resolve that conflict so there is no division in the church.
  • What does love look like when a friend of yours here at New Day starts straying off in the wrong direction? Love gently confronts a friend and expresses concern.
  • What does love look like in a marriage? Love puts the other person’s needs and wants and desires before itself.
  • What does love look like in decision making? Love may be allowed to do something, but if doing that something would cause another Christian to stumble, then love does not do that thing.
  • What does love look like in the home? Love respects the chain of command that God has established in the home, so a family can abide in peace and harmony.
  • What does love look like when exercising spiritual gifts? Love always seeks to use the most appropriate gift – the one that is most helpful in any given situation.
  • What does look look like in giving? Love gives generously to help other Christians that are in need.

As Paul wrote in chapter 13 – who cares if you possess a variety of spiritual gifts – if you don’t have love you are nothing. In everything you do, be characterized by love for Jesus said “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35)

The Fruit of the Spirit

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Galatians 5:22-23 says “…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” These are the character qualities of Jesus. And we are never more like Jesus than when these qualities flow out of our lives.

At salvation the Holy Spirit sets up residence within us and begins to produce the above listed fruit in our lives. Apart from the Holy Spirit a whole difference set of character qualities will describe our lives. We read about these in Galatians 5:19-21, “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissension, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like…” 

  • Whereas we would naturally drift towards hatred, supernaturally (as a result of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives) we drift towards love.
  • Whereas naturally we would drift towards fits of rage or drunkenness, supernaturally (as a result of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives) we drift toward self-control.
  • Whereas naturally we drift towards discord, supernaturally (as a result of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives) we drift towards peace.

And when we live lives filled with the fruit of the Spirit people far from God can “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8). A godly life will always be more effective in pointing the lost to Jesus than persuasive arguments. If you’re a jerk, no one will stick around you long enough to hear any of your arguments. On the other hand, if the fruit of the Spirit dominate your life, you’ll have more than a few opportunities to share the love of Jesus, and more than a few people willing to listen to what you have to say.

 

 

The Baptism in the Holy Spirit

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There are two things repeated in all four gospels: 1) the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus and 2) the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11, Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16, John 1:33).

The Bible teaches there are three baptisms:

  1. Salvation baptism. This is where the Holy Spirit baptizes us into Jesus (Galatians 3:26-27, 1 Corinthians 12:13).
  2. Water baptism. This is where another disciple baptizes us in water (Matthew 28:19-20).
  3. Spirit baptism. This is where Jesus baptizes us into the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11).

These three baptisms were foreshadowed in the Old Testament and in the life of Jesus:

  1. First Corinthians 10:2 says of the Old Testament Israelites, “They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.” Here we have a picture of salvation baptism (as Moses delivered the Israelites from their slavery and bondage to Egypt, so Jesus delivers us from our slavery and bondage to sin). Here we have a picture of water baptism (The Israelites first step after being delivered from Egypt was to pass through the water of the Red Sea. Our first step after being delivered from sin is to pass through the waters of baptism). Here we have a picture of Spirit baptism (as the pillar of cloud led the Israelites through the wilderness, so the Holy Spirit leads us through life).
  2. As Jesus was born of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:20), so we are born of the Holy Spirit (John 3:3-6) – salvation baptism. As Jesus was baptized in water so we are to be baptized in water (Acts 2:38) – water baptism. As Jesus was empowered by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16) so we are empowered by the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8) – Spirit baptism.

These three baptisms were experienced by the early church. For example, the apostle Peter said in Acts 2:38, “Repent [SALVATION BAPTISM] and be baptized [WATER BAPTISM], every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit [SPIRIT BAPTISM].” This pattern is repeated over (Acts 8:12-17) and over (Acts 19:1-6).

If the baptism in the Holy Spirit is something Jesus needed and the early church needed, it’s something we need as well. I ask God everyday to fill me with the power of the Holy Spirit, so I can point others to God effectively, like Jesus did. I think this is something we all should pray everyday. Remember, the purpose of the baptism in the Holy Spirit is power (Luke 24:49). Power for what? Power to take the gospel around the world (Acts 1:8)!

 

By the Spirit of God

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Jesus raised the dead, gave sight to the blind, healed the sick, made the lame walk and turned water into wine. But how exactly did Jesus do all these things? The Bible gives us a clear answer.

  1. He did so “..in the power of the Spirit…” (Luke 4:14)
  2. In Jesus’ own words, he could do all these things because “The Spirit of the Lord is on me…” (Luke 4:18)
  3. Jesus claimed to do what he did “…by the Spirit of God…” (Matthew 12:28)

First Jesus was born of the Spirit (Matthew 1:18). Then he was water baptized (Matthew 3:13). After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him (Matthew 3:16). This is where Jesus was empowered by the Holy Spirit to live a supernatural life. Before this experience we have no record of Jesus doing any miracles. After this experience his life is marked by the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. As a result he very effectively pointed many people to God.

Just about every day of my life I ask God to fill me with the power of the Holy Spirit (the same power Jesus had) so that I too, can effectively point the lost towards God (like Jesus did). I would encourage you to do the same! We can’t accomplish the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) in our power and strength, but with the power of the Holy Spirit we have more than all we need. 

What was the Passover in the Old Testament?

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The celebration of Passover in the Old Testament is analogous to the celebration of Communion in the New Testament. When the Israelites ate the Passover meal they ate in remembrance of how God used Moses to deliver them from their slavery and bondage to the Egyptians. In the same way, when we celebrate Communion we eat in remembrance of how God used Jesus to deliver us from our slavery and bondage to sin.

Through Passover the Jews remembered how God brought about a great deliverance through Moses, and through Passover the Jews looked forward to the great deliverance God would one day bring through Messiah.

Though Leviticus 23:5 commands the annual celebration of Passover, it was actually instituted in Exodus 12. And in verses 1-14 we learn of the five main requirements of the Passover celebration.

  • Set aside a lamb on the 10th of Nisan- one without defect
  • Slaughter the lamb on the 14th – but don’t break any bones
  • Put some of the lamb’s blood on the sides and top of the doorframe
  • Finish the Passover on the 14th – don’t let it spill over into the next day
  • Celebrate the Passover perpetually

In following God’s commands for Passover, the Jews were acting out what Messiah would one day do. God’s hope was that by showing them a ‘picture’ of Messiah in advance, they would recognize him when he came.