Introduction
There is a kind of shame that does not lead us to God. It does not produce holiness, healing, repentance, or freedom. It does not help us become more like Jesus. It does not bring us into the light.

Instead, it accuses, condemns, isolates, and defines. It stands before the heart like a distorted mirror and says, “Look. This is who you are.” It shows us our worst moment, our deepest wound, our greatest failure, our old bondage, our regret, our humiliation, or the words someone once spoke over us. Then it tells us that this image is the truth.

But it is not the truth.

For the believer in Jesus Christ, shame is a false mirror. It presents an image that the blood of Jesus has already judged, cleansed, and removed. It tries to hold us in agreement with something God has not said about us.

The gospel does not merely forgive what we have done. It gives us a new identity in Christ.
Paul wrote, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NASB). That means the deepest truth about a believer is no longer found in Adam, in sin, in failure, in trauma, in rejection, or in the old life. The deepest truth is now found in Christ.

Shame says, “You are still that person.”
Jesus says, “You are Mine.”

Shame Tries to Replace the Voice of God
From the beginning, the enemy has attacked people by distorting what God has said.
In the garden, the serpent did not begin by openly denying God. He began by questioning God’s word: “Has God really said…?” (Genesis 3:1). After Adam and Eve sinned, shame entered the human story. They hid from God. They covered themselves. They became afraid of the One whose presence had once been their home.

That is what shame still does.

Shame makes people hide from God when they most need to run to Him. It makes people cover themselves with religious effort, emotional distance, defensiveness, perfectionism, or despair. It turns the Father’s house into a courtroom in the imagination of the wounded heart.

But Jesus came to reveal the Father as He truly is.

In the parable of the prodigal son, the younger son returns home expecting to be treated like a hired servant. He has rehearsed his unworthiness. But the father sees him from a distance, runs to him, embraces him, kisses him, clothes him, and restores him publicly as a son (Luke 15:11–24).

The son came home with a shame-based speech. The father answered with sonship.
That is the Father’s heart.

Conviction and Shame Are Not the Same Thing
It is important to distinguish between the conviction of the Holy Spirit and the condemnation of shame.

Conviction is specific. Shame is vague and totalizing.
Conviction says, “This action was wrong. Bring it into the light. Turn from it. Receive cleansing.” Shame says, “You are wrong. You are dirty. You will never change.”
Conviction leads us toward God. Shame drives us away from God.
Conviction produces repentance. Shame produces hiding.
Conviction agrees with the cross. Shame acts as though the cross was not enough.

The Holy Spirit never excuses sin, but He also never defines God’s children by their sin. When Peter denied Jesus three times, he wept bitterly. He had truly fallen. Yet after the resurrection, Jesus did not leave Peter under the weight of that failure. He restored him by love and recommissioned him: “Tend My sheep” (John 21:15–17).

Jesus did not pretend Peter had not fallen. But He also did not allow Peter’s fall to become Peter’s identity. That is how grace works. It tells the truth about sin while telling a greater truth about the power of redemption.

Jesus Bore Our Shame
The cross was not only about guilt. It was also about shame. Hebrews says that Jesus endured the cross, “despising the shame,” and sat down at the right hand of God (Hebrews 12:2). Crucifixion was designed to humiliate. It was public, brutal, degrading, and shameful. Jesus entered fully into that place.

He was mocked.
He was stripped.
He was rejected.
He was falsely accused.
He was numbered with transgressors.
He bore not only the penalty of sin, but also the shame attached to sin.

Why?

So that shame would no longer have the right to rule those who belong to Him. Isaiah 53 says that the Servant of the Lord carried our griefs and sorrows and was pierced for our transgressions. The healing work of Jesus reaches deeply into the whole person: spirit, soul, conscience, memory, identity, and relationship with God.

The cross declares that shame is not your master. The blood of Jesus speaks a better word.

The Father Is Pleased to Call You His Child
Many believers believe that God has forgiven them, but they still struggle to believe that He delights in them. They may accept the doctrine of justification, but still live emotionally like spiritual orphans. They approach God as though they are tolerated, not welcomed. They pray as though they must persuade Him to be kind. They serve as though they must earn a place in His heart.

But the New Testament reveals something far greater. Romans 8 tells us that we have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself bears witness that we are children of God (Romans 8:15–16).

That means the Holy Spirit does not merely tell us what is wrong. He also bears witness to what is true: we belong to the Father. In Christ, we are not spiritual beggars standing outside the house. We are sons and daughters seated at the table.

Ephesians 1 says that God chose us in Christ and predestined us to adoption according to the kind intention of His will. Our acceptance is not reluctant. It flows from His own heart and purpose.

The Father is not ashamed to have children who are being healed, restored, trained, corrected, and transformed. He is a good Father. He knows how to raise His children.

Surrendering to Acceptance
Many Christians understand the need to surrender sin. Fewer understand the need to surrender to love. But some of the deepest healing comes when we stop arguing with God about what He has already said.

If God says we are forgiven, we must not call ourselves condemned.
If God says we are cleansed, we must not call ourselves filthy.
If God says we are accepted in Christ, we must not insist on living as rejected servants.
If God says we are His children, we must not keep identifying as spiritual orphans.

This is not pride. It is obedience. Humility is not agreeing with shame. Humility is agreeing with God.

When Peter objected to Jesus washing his feet, Jesus told him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me” (John 13:8). Peter had to surrender to being served, cleansed, and loved by the Lord. Sometimes receiving grace is harder than we expect because grace removes our excuses for staying hidden.

To surrender to acceptance is to say, “Father, I will stop defending myself against Your love. I will stop treating my shame as though it has more authority than Your word. I receive what Jesus purchased for me.”

Learning to Turn Toward His Face
Freedom from shame is not usually experienced by trying harder to stop feeling ashamed. It comes as we learn to turn toward the face and voice of Jesus. Second Corinthians 3:18 says that as we behold the glory of the Lord, we are being transformed into the same image. Transformation comes through beholding. What we continually look at shapes us.
If we keep looking into the false mirror of shame, shame will continue to shape our expectations, emotions, relationships, and choices. But as we look to Jesus, we are changed.

We begin to hear His voice more clearly than the voice of accusation.
We begin to recognize conviction without collapsing into condemnation.
We begin to repent without hiding.
We begin to rise after we fall.
We begin to walk like sons and daughters.

The Christian life is not a life of staring at our old image and trying to improve it. It is a life of beholding Christ and being transformed by His Spirit.

When You Fall, Get Back Up
The promise of freedom from shame does not mean believers never stumble. Scripture is honest about human weakness. Proverbs says, “A righteous person falls seven times and rises again” (Proverbs 24:16, NASB). The righteous are not defined by never needing restoration. They are marked by returning to God.

First John 1:9 gives the believer a clear promise: when we confess our sins, God is faithful and righteous to forgive and cleanse. Confession is not crawling back to an angry Father who has changed His mind about us. It is coming into the light before the God who has already provided cleansing through Jesus Christ.

There is a holy grief that says, “Lord, I hate this. I do not want this in my life. Cleanse me. Change me. Teach me to walk in who I really am.” That kind of response is healthy. But carrying a stigma is not healthy. Wearing shame as an identity is not humility. Remaining under accusation is not repentance.

Jesus did not die so that His people would spend their lives staring at the very shame He bore away. He died so that we could live in fellowship with Him.

The Mirror Is Being Shattered
The enemy wants to keep placing a false image before God’s people. But Jesus has authority to shatter that mirror. He has authority to destroy the lie that says your failure is stronger than His blood. He has authority to destroy the image that says your past is more powerful than your new creation identity. He has authority to silence the accusation that says the Father is distant, disappointed, or reluctant to receive you.

Colossians 2 says that God canceled the certificate of debt against us and nailed it to the cross. It also says that Jesus disarmed the rulers and authorities and triumphed over them (Colossians 2:13–15).

That means accusation has been answered.
The debt has been canceled.
The enemy has been disarmed.
The cross has spoken.
Now the Spirit teaches us to live from the truth of what Jesus has done.

A Prayer for Freedom from Shame
Father, I come to You in the name of Jesus. I renounce the false mirror of shame. I reject every image of myself that does not agree with the blood of Jesus, the cross of Christ, and the truth of Your Word.
I confess that Jesus bore my sin, my guilt, and my shame. I receive His cleansing. I receive His forgiveness. I receive His righteousness.
Teach me to recognize the difference between the conviction of the Holy Spirit and the condemnation of the enemy. When I sin, lead me quickly into repentance, cleansing, and restoration. But do not let me wear shame as my identity.
Father, I surrender to Your acceptance. I surrender to the truth that I am Your child. I surrender to Your love, Your pleasure, Your correction, Your nearness, and Your delight.
Jesus, teach me to hear Your voice more clearly than the voice of accusation. Teach me to turn toward Your face when shame tries to speak.
Holy Spirit, bear witness in my heart that I am a child of God. Transform me as I behold Jesus.
In Jesus’ name, amen.

Final Encouragement
Shame says, “Look at who you were.”
Jesus says, “Look at Me.”
Shame says, “Hide.”
Jesus says, “Come.”
Shame says, “You are disqualified.”
Jesus says, “You are Mine.”

The false mirror does not get the final word. The cross does. And through Jesus Christ, the Father is teaching His sons and daughters to lift their heads, receive His love, and walk in freedom.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ARE BORN AGAIN?

Introduction

The new birth is one of the most important truths in the New Testament. Jesus did not present it as an optional spiritual improvement, a religious preference, or a higher level of commitment for especially devoted people. He said plainly, “You must be born again.”

The new birth is God’s inward miracle by which a person receives new life from above. It is not merely a change of opinion, a moral resolution, or a religious rededication. It is the work of God by the Holy Spirit, made possible through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Through the new birth, a person is forgiven, made alive to God, joined to Christ, made a child of God, and becomes a new creation.

This teaching begins with Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus in John 3 and then follows the biblical flow of thought: repentance, water baptism, the promise and coming of the Spirit, the resurrection life of Christ, the recreated human spirit, and the believer’s new identity in Christ.


1. Jesus Declared the Necessity of the New Birth

John 3:1–8 - Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews. He came to Jesus recognizing that Jesus had come from God, because no one could do the signs Jesus was doing unless God was with Him. But Jesus immediately moved the conversation beyond signs, miracles, religious knowledge, and outward association with God. He went directly to the deeper issue: a person must be born again in order to see and enter the kingdom of God.

Jesus said that unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. When Nicodemus misunderstood this as a second physical birth, Jesus clarified that He was speaking of being “born of water and the Spirit.” He then made the distinction: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

Commentary
This is the foundation of the entire teaching. Jesus is saying that natural birth brings a person into natural life, but only spiritual birth brings a person into the life of God’s kingdom. Religious background, Jewish covenant identity, moral effort, biblical knowledge, and even admiration for Jesus are not enough. Something must happen inside the person by the Spirit of God.

The phrase “born again” can also carry the sense of being “born from above.” Both ideas fit the passage. A person must receive a new birth, and that birth comes from God, not from human effort.

The flow of thought is this:
A person is first born naturally, “of the flesh.” But to see and enter the kingdom of God, that person must also be born spiritually, “of the Spirit.” The new birth is not self-produced. It is mysterious in its operation, like the wind, but real and recognizable in its effects.


2. Being “Born of Water” Points to a Repentant Response to God’s Kingdom Call

Main Idea
In the immediate ministry context of John the Baptist and Jesus, being “born of water” can be understood as a repentant response to the message of God’s kingdom, expressed through confession of sin and baptism in water.

Mark 1:4–5 - John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. People from Judea and Jerusalem came to him, confessed their sins, and were baptized in the Jordan River.

Mark 1:14–15 - Jesus came into Galilee preaching the gospel of God, declaring that the time was fulfilled and the kingdom of God was at hand. His call was clear: repent and believe in the gospel.
John 3:22,23 - After Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus, John’s Gospel shows both Jesus’ disciples and John continuing in a ministry context where baptism was being practiced.

Commentary
This section fits naturally after John 3 because Jesus spoke to Nicodemus in a setting where John’s baptism was already known. John had been calling Israel to repent, confess sin, and prepare for the coming kingdom. Jesus also preached the nearness of the kingdom and called people to repent and believe.

In that setting, water was not an abstract symbol. It was connected to a visible response to God. A person who believed the message went into the water, confessed sin, repented, and was baptized. Water baptism marked a decisive break with the old life and an open response to God’s kingdom invitation.

This does not mean that the water itself mechanically produced the new birth. Rather, water baptism was the outward, covenantal response of repentance and faith. It visibly expressed the person’s surrender to God’s message.

A helpful clarification may be added here: Christians have interpreted “born of water” in more than one way. Some connect it to natural birth, some to cleansing promised in the prophets, and some to water baptism. In this outline, the emphasis is on the historical setting of John and Jesus, where water baptism was the normal visible response to the call to repent, believe, and prepare for the kingdom.

The flow of thought is this:
Jesus said a person must be born of water and the Spirit. In the Gospel setting, water points to the repentant human response to God’s call, while the Spirit points to God’s inward miracle.


3. Being “Born of the Spirit” Means Receiving New Life from God

Main Idea
To be born of the Spirit means that the Holy Spirit gives new life to the human spirit. This new birth became available through the finished work, resurrection, and glorification of Jesus Christ.

John 14:16–17 - Jesus told His disciples that the Father would give them another Helper, the Spirit of truth. He said the Spirit was with them and would be in them.

Proverbs 1:23 - Wisdom calls people to turn at reproof, promising that God would pour out His Spirit and make His words known.

Matthew 11:11 - Jesus said that among those born of women no one had arisen greater than John the Baptist, yet the least in the kingdom of heaven was greater than he.

Commentary
This section is important because it distinguishes between the Spirit’s work before the resurrection of Jesus and the new covenant fullness that came through Christ.

Before the cross and resurrection, the Holy Spirit was truly active. He came upon people, spoke through prophets, strengthened leaders, convicted hearts, revealed truth, and helped those who turned toward God. The Spirit was “with” the disciples during Jesus’ earthly ministry.

But Jesus promised something more: the Spirit would be “in” them. This points to the new covenant reality of inward life, union with Christ, and the indwelling Spirit.

Matthew 11:11 helps explain the transition. John the Baptist was the greatest of the old covenant prophetic order. Yet the least in the kingdom is greater, not because he is morally superior to John, but because he participates in a greater covenant reality. Through Christ, believers receive the kingdom from the inside. They are born of God, indwelt by the Spirit, joined to Christ, and made new creations.

The flow of thought is this:
The Spirit worked with and upon God’s people before Christ’s resurrection, but Jesus promised the Spirit would come to dwell within His people. The new birth belongs to this new covenant reality.


4. The Disciples Entered Resurrection Life When the Risen Christ Breathed the Spirit into Them

Main Idea
After Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to His disciples, breathed on them, and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” This moment shows the risen Christ imparting resurrection life to His followers.

John 20:19–22 - On the evening of the resurrection, Jesus came and stood among the disciples. He showed them His hands and His side, spoke peace to them, commissioned them, breathed on them, and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

Luke 24:36, 44–45 - The risen Jesus appeared among His disciples, explained that everything written about Him in the Law, Prophets, and Psalms had to be fulfilled, and opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.

Romans 6:4 and Romans 8:11 - Paul teaches that Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, and that the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in believers.

1 Peter 1:3 - Peter says that God has caused believers to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Commentary
This section strengthens this article greatly because it ties the new birth directly to the resurrection of Jesus. The believer is not merely forgiven and left unchanged. The believer receives life from the risen Christ.

In John 20, Jesus breathes on the disciples. This action recalls the creation of Adam, when God breathed into man the breath of life. Now the risen Christ breathes new life into His disciples. This is resurrection life. The old creation began with God breathing natural life into man. The new creation begins with the risen Christ imparting spiritual life.

Luke 24 adds another important result: their minds were opened to understand the Scriptures. New birth does not merely give religious emotion; it opens a person to divine understanding. The Scriptures begin to be seen in the light of Christ.

Romans 6 and 8 show that the same divine power involved in raising Jesus is now at work in believers. The Spirit who raised Christ dwells in them. First Peter 1:3 states the truth directly: believers are born again through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

The flow of thought is this:
The new birth is resurrection life imparted by the risen Christ. Because Jesus died for sin and rose from the dead, those who receive Him are made alive by the same Spirit who raised Him.


5. The New Birth Takes Place in the Human Spirit

Main Idea
Man is spirit, soul, and body. The new birth takes place in the human spirit when the Spirit of Christ comes to dwell within. The believer becomes one spirit with the Lord.

Revelation 3:20 - Jesus pictures Himself as standing at the door and knocking. If anyone hears His voice and opens the door, He promises to come in and share fellowship.

John 1:12–13 - Those who receive Christ and believe in His name are given the right to become children of God. They are born not by natural descent, human will, or fleshly effort, but of God.

1 Corinthians 6:17 - The one who joins himself to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him.

1 John 5:1, 4 - Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whatever is born of God overcomes the world.

Commentary
This section moves from the historical and redemptive basis of the new birth into its personal, inward reality.

When a person receives Christ, Christ comes to dwell within by the Holy Spirit. The new birth is not merely Jesus helping the person from the outside. It is Christ coming into the person and bringing the life of God into the human spirit.

John 1 makes clear that this birth is not the product of bloodline, ancestry, fleshly desire, or human decision alone. It is “of God.” Faith receives; God begets. The person believes and receives Christ, but God performs the miracle of new birth.

First Corinthians 6:17 is especially powerful. The believer is joined to the Lord and becomes “one spirit” with Him. This does not mean the believer becomes God, but it does mean there is a real spiritual union with Christ. His life enters the believer. His Spirit joins Himself to the believer’s spirit.

First John 5 adds that the one born of God has an overcoming life within. This overcoming is rooted in faith because faith connects the believer to Christ and His victory.

The flow of thought is this:
The new birth is not only something God declares about the believer; it is something God does within the believer. The human spirit is made alive, joined to Christ, and born of God.


6. The New Birth Makes the Believer a New Creation in Christ

Main Idea
When a person is born again, he becomes a new creation. God does not merely improve the old life; He creates something new in Christ.

Ephesians 2:8–10 - Salvation is by grace through faith. It is the gift of God, not the result of works. Believers are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works.

2 Corinthians 5:17- If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature. The old things have passed away; new things have come.

Galatians 6:15 - Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is the central issue; what matters is a new creation.

Commentary
This section is one of the clearest ways to explain the practical meaning of the new birth. The born-again person is not simply a forgiven sinner trying harder. He is God’s workmanship. He has been created in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2 shows the order clearly. Salvation is not earned by works. It is received by grace through faith. But after saving us, God makes us His workmanship and creates us for good works. Good works are not the root of salvation; they are the fruit of salvation.

Second Corinthians 5:17 gives the identity statement: “new creature” or “new creation.” The old identity no longer defines the believer. Something genuinely new has come into being.

Galatians 6:15 places the new creation above external religious markers. Circumcision was once the sign of covenant identity in Israel, but in Christ the decisive reality is not outward religious distinction. It is inward new creation.

The flow of thought is this:
Because the believer has been born of God and joined to Christ, he is now a new creation. His deepest identity is no longer defined by sin, failure, flesh, or mere human ancestry, but by Christ’s life within.


7. Colossians 2 Shows the Inner Work of Christ in Salvation and Baptism

Main Idea
Colossians 2:9–14 gives a rich description of what happened when we received Christ and were united with Him. In Christ, we were made complete, spiritually circumcised, buried and raised with Him, made alive, forgiven, and freed from the debt of sin.

Colossians 2:9–14 - Paul teaches that the fullness of deity dwells bodily in Christ, and believers have been made complete in Him. He then speaks of a circumcision made without hands, the removal of the body of flesh, burial with Christ in baptism, resurrection through faith in God’s working, being made alive with Christ, forgiveness of all transgressions, and the canceling of the hostile certificate of debt through the cross.

Commentary
This is a very strong concluding doctrinal passage because it gathers together many of the themes already developed.

First, the believer is made complete in Christ. This means the believer does not need another source of spiritual fullness outside of Him. Christ is sufficient.

Second, Paul speaks of a “circumcision made without hands.” In the Old Testament, circumcision was an outward covenant sign. In Christ, there is an inward spiritual cutting away. Your outline explains this as the “body of the flesh” being cut away from the spirit by Christ Himself. This is a helpful way to describe inner separation from the old domination of sin and flesh.

Third, Paul connects this inward work with baptism. Baptism portrays burial and resurrection with Christ. The person goes down into the water as a picture of death and burial with Christ and comes up as a picture of resurrection life.

Fourth, Paul says this happens “through faith in the working of God.” That phrase is crucial. The power is not in human effort or in the water by itself. The power is in God’s working, received through faith.

Fifth, the passage connects new life with forgiveness. We were dead in transgressions, but God made us alive together with Christ, having forgiven us all our transgressions. The debt against us was canceled and nailed to the cross.

The flow of thought is this:
In the new birth, Christ deals both with guilt and with inner bondage. He forgives sins, cancels the debt, cuts away the old domination of flesh, raises the believer into new life, and makes the believer complete in Him.


8. The New Birth Changes How We See Ourselves

Main Idea
If we are born again, we must learn to see ourselves according to what God has done in Christ. The born-again believer is a child of God, a new creation, joined to Christ, alive in the Spirit, and called to grow into the reality of that new life.

Commentary
This section makes the teaching personal and pastoral. Many believers believe in the doctrine of the new birth but still see themselves mainly according to the old life. They may think of themselves primarily as sinners, failures, wounded people, rejected people, or people trying to become acceptable to God.

But the New Testament calls the believer to see himself in Christ. The born-again believer has a new spiritual identity. His spirit has been made alive to God. He is no longer merely “in Adam”; he is now “in Christ.” He is no longer spiritually dead; he is alive with Christ. He is not trying to become a child of God by performance; he has been born of God.

This does not mean the soul and body are instantly perfected. The believer must still renew the mind, put off old patterns, resist the flesh, heal from wounds, and grow in obedience. But growth now proceeds from a new identity, not toward one. The believer grows because he is alive, not in order to become alive.

The flow of thought is this:
The new birth gives the believer a new spiritual reality. The Christian life is learning to think, live, speak, obey, worship, and minister from that new reality.


Application: Questions for Personal Reflection

1. Do I believe what Jesus said about the new birth? Do I believe that I must be born again?

2. Do I understand that the new birth is not merely religious belief, moral effort, or willpower, but a miracle of God’s Spirit?

3. Have I personally been born again? Have I responded to Christ with repentance, faith, and surrender?

4. If I am born again, do I clearly see the new me? Do I see myself as a child of God, made alive in Christ, joined to the Lord, and recreated by His Spirit?

5. Do I understand that God sees me in Christ? Am I learning to agree with what He has done in me?

6. Do I feed my spirit with the Word of God?

7. Do I exercise my spirit by stepping out in faith, obedience, worship, prayer, and love?

8. Do I help others experience new life in Christ and then grow spiritually?


Final Summary

The new birth is the inward miracle of God by which a person receives the life of Christ through the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that unless a person is born again, he cannot see or enter the kingdom of God. Natural birth produces natural life, but only the Spirit of God can produce spiritual life.

In the Gospel setting, being born of water points to a repentant response to God’s kingdom message, visibly expressed in confession, repentance, and baptism. Being born of the Spirit points to the inward work of God, by which the human spirit is made alive.

This new birth became possible through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. After Jesus bore sin and rose from the dead, He imparted resurrection life to His disciples. The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead now dwells in believers.

When a person receives Christ, he is born of God. His spirit is made alive. He is joined to the Lord and becomes one spirit with Him. He becomes God’s child, God’s workmanship, and a new creation in Christ. The old life no longer defines his deepest identity.

Colossians 2 shows the richness of this salvation: the believer is made complete in Christ, spiritually circumcised, buried and raised with Christ, made alive, forgiven, and freed from the debt of sin.

Therefore, the new birth is not a small doctrine. It is the beginning of the Christian life. It is the miracle by which God brings a person out of spiritual death and into the life of His Son. The great pastoral question is not only, “Have I been born again?” but also, “Am I learning to live from the new life God has already placed within me?”

INTRODUCTION

When John the Baptist, Jesus, and the disciples announced that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” or “the kingdom of God has come near,” they were not introducing a minor religious theme. They were declaring that God’s promised reign was breaking into history through the coming of the Messiah.

The kingdom of God is one of the central themes of the ministry of Jesus. It is rooted in Old Testament promises, proclaimed in the Gospels, demonstrated through the works of Jesus, extended through the church by the Holy Spirit, and finally consummated when Jesus returns as King of kings and Lord of lords.

This study traces that movement in six major stages: the announcement of the kingdom, the Jewish expectation of a Messianic kingdom, the misunderstanding of the kingdom in Jesus’ day, the hidden mystery of the cross and the church, the present nature of the kingdom, and the future return of Christ when the kingdom will be openly established over all the earth.


1. The Kingdom Was Announced as Near Because the King Himself Had Come

In the Gospels, John the Baptist, Jesus, and the disciples all proclaimed the same basic message: the kingdom of heaven was “at hand.” This means that God’s promised reign was drawing near in a new and decisive way. The nearness of the kingdom was not merely a date on a prophetic calendar. The kingdom was near because Jesus, the promised King, had come.

John the Baptist prepared the way by calling Israel to repentance. His message was, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:1–3). John’s ministry fulfilled Isaiah’s picture of a voice crying in the wilderness, preparing the way of the Lord. This shows that the coming kingdom required a prepared people. Repentance was not a side issue. It was the proper response to the arrival of God’s reign.

Jesus then took up the same announcement. Matthew 4:17 says that Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” In Jesus’ mouth, this announcement carried even greater weight. John announced the coming King; Jesus was the King. The kingdom was present in Him, in His words, in His authority, in His compassion, and in His power over sin, sickness, demons, and death.

Jesus also sent His disciples out with the same message. In Matthew 10:1, 6–7, He gave them authority over unclean spirits and power to heal every kind of disease and sickness. Then He commanded them to preach, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The proclamation of the kingdom was joined to visible demonstrations of kingdom authority. The disciples were not merely announcing an idea. They were ministering under the authority of the King.

The same pattern appears in Luke 10:1–9, where Jesus sent out the seventy. They were to heal the sick and say, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.” The healing of the sick was a sign that God’s reign was confronting the brokenness of the present age. The message and the works belonged together. The kingdom was being preached, and the works of the kingdom were being demonstrated.

These passages form a clear flow of thought. John prepared the people. Jesus embodied and proclaimed the kingdom. The disciples were sent to announce and demonstrate it. The kingdom was “near” because the King had arrived and His authority was already being displayed.


2. Israel Expected the Messiah to Establish God’s Glorious and Everlasting Kingdom on Earth

The announcement that the kingdom was near would have stirred deep expectation among the Jewish people because the Old Testament contained powerful promises about a coming kingdom. Many Jews rightly believed that God would establish a kingdom that would overcome all human kingdoms, restore righteousness, bring peace, and gather the nations under the rule of the Lord. Their expectation was rooted in Scripture, though their understanding of timing and method was incomplete.

Daniel 2:44 declares that “the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed.” This kingdom would not be handed over to another people. It would crush and put an end to all rival kingdoms, but it would itself endure forever. This passage gives the kingdom an unmistakably victorious and everlasting character. God’s kingdom would not be one more temporary empire. It would be the final and indestructible reign of God.

Isaiah 2:2–4 adds another dimension. In the last days, the mountain of the house of the Lord would be established as chief among the mountains, and all nations would stream to it. Many peoples would say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord.” The nations would desire to be taught His ways and walk in His paths. This shows that the kingdom was not only about Israel’s restoration; it would also draw the nations into the knowledge and ways of the Lord.

The prophets also revealed that the Messiah Himself would rule this kingdom:

Isaiah 9:6–7 speaks of a child born and a son given, upon whose shoulders the government would rest. He would be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace. There would be no end to the increase of His government or of peace. He would reign on the throne of David and uphold His kingdom with justice and righteousness forever. This passage joins the Messiah’s identity, Davidic kingship, righteous government, and endless peace.

Micah 5:2 identifies Bethlehem Ephrathah as the place from which the ruler in Israel would come forth. Though Bethlehem was small, the One coming from there would have “goings forth” from long ago, from the days of eternity. This points to the mysterious greatness of the Messiah. He would arise from a humble place, yet His origin and identity would be far greater than ordinary human kingship.

Isaiah 11:1–10 describes the Messiah as the shoot from the stem of Jesse, upon whom the Spirit of the Lord would rest. He would judge with righteousness, defend the poor, strike the wicked with the rod of His mouth, and fill the earth with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. The imagery of the wolf dwelling with the lamb and the lion eating straw like the ox portrays the peace, harmony, and restoration that will mark His reign. The nations will resort to the root of Jesse, and His resting place will be glorious.

Together, these passages explain why the Jewish people were expecting a visible Messianic kingdom. The Old Testament promised a kingdom that was everlasting, righteous, peaceful, victorious, centered in the Messiah, connected to David’s throne, and ultimately significant for all nations.

The issue was not that Israel expected a kingdom. The issue was that many did not yet understand that the Messiah would first suffer, die, rise again, ascend to the Father, pour out the Holy Spirit, and form a people from every nation before the kingdom would be openly consummated on the earth.


3. Many in Jesus’ Day Expected the Kingdom to Appear Immediately in Political and National Form

At the time of Jesus, many Jews expected the Messiah to overthrow Rome and restore Israel’s national glory. Because the Old Testament promises were real, the expectation was understandable. But many assumed that the kingdom would come immediately in a visible political form. They did not yet see the full plan of God: first the suffering and exaltation of the Messiah, then the Spirit-empowered witness of the church, and finally the visible consummation of the kingdom at Christ’s return.

John 6:15 shows this misunderstanding clearly. After Jesus fed the multitude, the people intended to come and take Him by force to make Him king. Jesus withdrew from them. They recognized something royal and Messianic in Him, but they tried to force His kingship into their own timetable and expectation. Jesus refused a kingdom defined by human pressure, national excitement, or political ambition.

Luke 19:11 says that Jesus told a parable because He was near Jerusalem and the people supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. This verse shows that expectation for an immediate kingdom was widespread. Jesus’ nearness to Jerusalem intensified the hope that He would now reveal Himself as the conquering King. But Jesus used a parable to correct their timing and understanding.

Acts 1:1–8 shows that even after the resurrection, the apostles still asked, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” Jesus did not deny that there would be a restoration. Instead, He redirected them from speculation about times and epochs to their immediate assignment: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses.”

This is a crucial transition. The disciples were still thinking in terms of the visible restoration of Israel. Jesus turned their attention to the worldwide witness of the church. The Holy Spirit would empower them to carry the testimony of Jesus from Jerusalem to Judea, Samaria, and the remotest part of the earth.

These passages show that the kingdom had come near in Jesus, but it would not be established immediately in the way many expected. The King had come, but He would first accomplish redemption through His death and resurrection. Then He would ascend to heaven and pour out the Spirit. The kingdom would advance through Spirit-empowered witness before it would be visibly manifested over the whole earth.


4. The Cross, Resurrection, Ascension, and Spirit-Filled Church Reveal a Mystery Hidden in the Old Testament

The Old Testament contained prophetic glimpses of the Messiah’s suffering, death, resurrection, worldwide praise, and universal rule. Yet the full meaning of these things was hidden until Christ came, died, rose again, ascended, and poured out the Holy Spirit. The mystery now revealed is not merely that Christ would reign, but that He would dwell in His people, conform them to His image, and bring many sons and daughters to the Father.

Psalm 22 is one of the most striking passages pointing toward the suffering Messiah. It begins with the cry, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” It speaks of enemies surrounding the sufferer, bones being out of joint, hands and feet being pierced, garments being divided, and lots being cast for clothing. These details find powerful fulfillment in the crucifixion of Jesus.

Yet Psalm 22 does not end in defeat. The suffering one is delivered, praises God in the assembly, and declares the Lord’s name to the brethren. The psalm then widens to the nations: “All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord,” and “the kingdom is the Lord’s, and He rules over the nations.” This passage beautifully connects suffering, deliverance, worship, worldwide turning to the Lord, and the reign of God over the nations.

Colossians 1:25–28 explains that Paul was made a minister to proclaim “the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations,” but has now been manifested to the saints. That mystery is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” This is a breathtaking development in the kingdom message. The King does not merely rule over His people from a distance. By the Holy Spirit, Christ lives in them.

Romans 8:29 says that those whom the Father foreknew He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that Jesus would be the firstborn among many brethren. The kingdom is not only about subjects obeying a King; it is also about sons and daughters being conformed to the Son. The Father is forming a family in the likeness of Christ.

Ephesians 1:4–5 adds that the Father chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself. This reveals that the Father’s purpose was not an emergency plan after Israel’s rejection. Before the foundation of the world, God purposed to gain sons and daughters through Jesus Christ.

This section is especially important because it explains why the kingdom did not appear in its final earthly form at Jesus’ first coming. The Messiah had first to suffer and be raised. He had to ascend and send the Spirit. The mystery of Christ in His people had to be revealed. The Father’s plan was to form a redeemed, Spirit-filled people from Israel and the nations, conformed to the image of His Son.

Thus, the kingdom is already present in those who belong to Christ, while its final public manifestation is still to come.


5. The Kingdom of God Is the Presence, Rule, and Power of God Manifested Through Jesus and His Spirit-Filled People

The kingdom of God is not a human nation, political party, religious organization, denomination, or earthly institution. It is the reign of God. Wherever God’s presence, authority, righteousness, peace, joy, and power are manifest, the kingdom is being expressed.

Isaiah 9:6–7 shows the character of the King’s rule. The government rests upon the shoulders of the Messiah, and His reign produces peace, justice, and righteousness. Therefore, the kingdom is not merely power; it is righteous power. It is not merely authority; it is authority filled with peace, justice, and covenant faithfulness.

The kingdom is called both “the kingdom of heaven” and “the kingdom of God.” “The kingdom of heaven” reminds us that the kingdom originates from heaven and belongs to God. It is not produced by human strength or earthly systems. “The kingdom of God” emphasizes that it is God’s own reign, presence, and authority.

Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:5 that unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. This means entrance into the kingdom is not merely by natural birth, ethnic identity, religious heritage, or external affiliation. One must be born of the Spirit. The kingdom is entered through new birth.

Colossians 1:13 says that the Father delivered us from the authority of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son. This passage shows that salvation is a transfer of realms. The believer has been rescued from the authority of darkness and brought under the loving lordship of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 12:28 shows the kingdom in conflict with the kingdom of darkness. Jesus said, “If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” The deliverance ministry of Jesus was not an isolated miracle ministry. It was evidence that God’s reign had arrived and was overthrowing Satan’s oppression.

Matthew 10:7–8 shows that the disciples were to preach the nearness of the kingdom and demonstrate it by healing the sick, raising the dead, cleansing lepers, and casting out demons. The works of Jesus were extended through His followers. The kingdom was to be proclaimed in word and demonstrated in power.

Romans 14:17 gives another essential definition: “The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” In context, Paul is addressing disputes over food and conscience. He reminds believers that the kingdom is not centered in external religious arguments, but in the life of the Holy Spirit. Righteousness, peace, and joy are not merely private feelings; they are marks of the Spirit’s reign within the people of God.

1 Corinthians 4:20 says, “The kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power.” Paul is not dismissing teaching or doctrine. He is confronting empty talk that lacks the reality of God. The kingdom is not merely religious theory, ceremonial form, or human tradition. It is the living presence and authority of God.

This section gathers the present meaning of the kingdom. The kingdom is already here in Jesus and in those who are born of the Spirit. It is expressed through righteousness, peace, joy, healing, deliverance, spiritual authority, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Yet it remains the kingdom of the beloved Son, not a humanly controlled religious system.


6. Jesus Will Return, and the Kingdom Will Be Openly Established Over All the Earth

The kingdom is already present in Christ and His Spirit-filled people, but it has not yet been fully manifested over the whole earth. The New Testament looks forward to the visible return of Jesus, the resurrection of the dead in Christ, the gathering of His people, the defeat of evil, and the open declaration that the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.

Acts 1:9–11 records Jesus’ ascension. After He spoke to the disciples, He was lifted up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. Two men in white clothing declared that this same Jesus, who had been taken up into heaven, would come in the same way as they had watched Him go. The ascension therefore points forward to the return. Jesus is now exalted, but He will come again visibly and personally.

1 Thessalonians 4:14–17 describes the hope of believers who have died in Christ and those who are alive at His coming. The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God. The dead in Christ will rise first, and those who remain will be caught up together with them to meet the Lord. This passage emphasizes comfort, resurrection, reunion, and the certainty that believers will always be with the Lord.

2 Thessalonians 2:1–4 warns believers not to be deceived about the coming of the Lord and our gathering together to Him. Paul says that certain events, including the apostasy and the revealing of the man of lawlessness, must occur. This passage shows that the church must avoid speculation and deception. The coming of Christ is certain, but believers are to be sober, discerning, and faithful.

Revelation 11:15 gives the great announcement of consummation: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” This is the public, universal triumph of God’s kingdom. What was announced as near in the Gospels and present in the church by the Spirit will be openly declared over the whole world.

Revelation 19:11–16 presents Jesus as the conquering King. Heaven opens, and He appears on a white horse. He is called Faithful and True. He judges and wages war in righteousness. His eyes are a flame of fire, He wears many diadems, His robe is dipped in blood, and His name is called the Word of God. From His mouth comes a sharp sword with which He strikes the nations, and on His robe and thigh is written, “King of kings, and Lord of lords.”

This final section brings the whole outline to its proper conclusion. The kingdom that was promised in the prophets, announced by John, embodied by Jesus, misunderstood by many, hidden in mystery, revealed in the church, and demonstrated by the Spirit will one day be openly established over all the earth.

The kingdom is already here, but not yet fully here. It is present now wherever Jesus reigns by the Spirit. It will be fully manifested when Jesus returns in glory.


Summary: The Flow of the Kingdom Message

The kingdom of God is the reign of God through Jesus Christ. It was promised in the Old Testament as an everlasting kingdom of righteousness, peace, justice, and worldwide blessing. It was announced as near by John the Baptist, Jesus, and the disciples because the King had come.

Many in Israel expected the Messiah to immediately overthrow Rome and restore the national kingdom to Israel. But God’s plan included a hidden mystery: the Messiah would suffer, die, rise again, ascend to heaven, pour out the Holy Spirit, and dwell in His people. Through the new birth, believers are transferred from the authority of darkness into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son.

The kingdom is now expressed through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit: righteousness, peace, joy, healing, deliverance, and Spirit-empowered witness. Yet the kingdom still awaits its final public manifestation. Jesus will return, the dead in Christ will rise, evil will be judged, and the kingdom of the world will become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.

Therefore, the church lives between arrival and fulfillment. We proclaim the kingdom, demonstrate the kingdom, embody the kingdom, and wait for the King who will come again.

These are some of the common ways that the Lord communicates with us:

• A simple, quiet “knowing” that something is true or not true, right or wrong, of God or not of God. This inward “knowing” is what the Bible calls “the witness of the Holy Spirit”, and among many believers this is often called “the inner witness” or “being led by the peace of God”. It is not a voice or a vision – it is simply the Holy Spirit letting your own spirit know the truth of something. While this may not seem to be very spectacular, it is from the Holy Spirit himself and it is supernatural. This is the primary way that the Holy Spirit leads the believer. In fact, this inner witness to the truth will always be present whenever the Holy Spirit is leading, even if he is giving “spectacular” visions or a very clear voice in your spirit. The inner witness, the peace of Christ in you, is the foundation for all of the Holy Spirit’s guidance. It is through the inner witness that every believer knows experientially that he is a child of God – “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. The one who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself.” (Romans 8:16 & 1 John 5:10)

• A heightened understanding of what you are reading - verses of the Bible will seem to “stand out”, or they will seem to be speaking right to you or they will give you special insight – this is called illumination.

• A spontaneous flow of thoughts that is full of his wisdom, his mercy and his love for you. When you pray or ask the Lord something, his “voice” will often register in your thoughts in this way. Because it registers in your own mind, it will feel like your thoughts, but it will carry with it a quiet sense of peace, life and wisdom that originates with God and not you. This is your own spirit, picking up on what the Hoy Spirit is saying to you, and registering it in your mind. Believers often call this “the still, small voice” or “the voice of your spirit.”

• A picture or something like a mental image that you may “see” on the screen of your imagination. If the Holy Spirit “speaks” to you in this way, simply and quietly “look” at it to see all he wants to show you. It may be anything from a “flash image” to a “mini-movie” or sequence of pictures. These are sometimes referred to as impressions, pictures, or mini-visions.

• A dream – the Lord often counsels his people through dreams in the night. King David said, “I will bless the Lord, who has given me counsel; yes, my heart instructs me in the night seasons.” (Psalm 16:7 Amplified Bible)

• An emotion or feeling that the Holy Spirit brings up from deep within your heart.

• Very clear words on the inside of you, easily “heard” and understood. This is often called “the voice of the Holy Spirit.” Sometimes, when this form of guidance comes in a strong fashion, it is so clear that it seems as if someone standing with you had just spoken to you. This is not the normal way that God leads, and we are not to seek for “voices” as such. This direct “voice of the Holy Spirit” comes as God wills. In your daily walk with God you always have the witness of the Spirit in you and the illumination of scripture to depend upon. In addition, you can always commune with God through your spirit and thus pick up on his flow of thoughts, and you can often “see” what may be called “mini-visions” or Spirit-led mental impressions.

• A very clear vision seen inside your mind when your eyes are closed. As with the strong “voice of the Holy Spirit,” these forms of guidance sometimes come, but only as God wills.

• Higher levels of revelation – there are higher levels of revelation that include things such as: seeing a clear vision with your eyes open, hearing the audible voice of God, having a visitation from an angel or the Lord himself, and being taken up to heaven. These things are not the normal ways that God speaks to us, but are nevertheless things that from time to time he may choose to do.

What is God like?
When God begins to pursue you and draw you into a relationship with himself, at some point you will experience a lingering and deep desire to open yourself to him. This is because God has known and loved you from all eternity and you are beginning to feel him connect with you. But, sometimes when one becomes aware of that desire to open themselves to God, they feel somehow blocked or held back. That generally means that one has conscious or subconscious beliefs about God that do not come from who he really is. Those beliefs and perceptions generate emotions that put the brakes on trusting him the way an innocent child can run into the arms of his gentle, joyful and affectionate father.

One simple remedy for those misconceptions is to look at Jesus. Look at what he said, and what he did. As you do, he who is Truth will shine the light of his face into your heart, into you inner self, so that you can see how lavishly good God really is. Then you can fully open yourself to him. Then you can come to him with all your needs, all your regrets, all your flaws and misdeeds. You can run to him and tell him all, and he will forgive you and wash the very core of your being and make you clean.

Looking at Jesus, we see that he called God, “Father.” He also said that if you had seen him, you had seen the Father, and that he and the Father are one. So, the words and the works of Jesus in the Gospels show us the heart of the Father. These Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the New Testament) are the eyewitness accounts of the life, death and resurrection of Christ. If you want to read them, you might start with Mark and then read John. In these accounts, and from other places in God’s Word, we can see and summarize the following truths about God. After each statement we have included references from the Bible so that, if you want, you can look them up on your own:
 

Things True of God
God is the eternal Father, and he is not distant and uninterested in you. He is personally present with you and is seeking you. He wants your attention and a relationship with you. He has good plans to give you a future and a hope, and he has already prepared works in advance for you to do in partnership with him. (Psalm 139:1-18; Matthew 28:30; Jeremiah 29:11; Ephesians 2:10)

Father God is not insensitive, unknowing and uncaring towards you. He is kind and compassionate and knows every single thing about you. (Psalm 103:8014; 1 John 3:1-3; Hebews 4:12,13)

The Father is not stern, and he has not placed unrealistic expectations on you. When you sincerely turn to him, he freely accepts you and joyfully supports you. (Luke 15:11-32; Romans 5:8-11; Romans 15:17)

God is not passive and cold. He is warm and affectionate toward you. (Isaiah 40:11’ Hosea 11:3,4)

God is not absent or too busy for you. He is always present and eager to be with you and to enable you to be all that he created you to be. (Philippians 1:6; Hebrews 13:5)

He is not an impatient, angry man who is shouting and waving his arms. Even if you reject him, he desires to embrace you and works to win your love. He is patient and slow to anger. When he does discipline, it is not rejection. It is him faithfully freeing you from self-destruction, and it is motivated by his love for you. (Exodus 34:6; Romans 2:4; Hebrews 12:5-11)

God has not and never will be mean, cruel or abusive towards you. The truth is that Satan and his demons are mean, cruel and abusive, but God is loving, gentle and protective. (Psalm 18:2; Matthew 11:28-30; Ephesians 6:10-18)

God is not denying you the pleasures of life. The Father is the author of life and, if you open to him and follow, he will lead you into love, joy and peace. (Lamentations 3:22,23; Galatians 5:22-24)

God is not trying to control and manipulate you. He will set you free from negative and compulsive attitudes, habits, addictions and demonic control. He will give you the freedom to grow in his grace. (Galatians 5:1; Hebrews 4:15,16)

God loves mercy and not judgment. He loves to forgive and embrace. When you sincerely turn your self and your life back to God, he freely and completely forgives all your sins and will never use them against you in the future. (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Romans 8:1)

When you turn to God, he becomes your Father and you become his beloved child. He will not reject you when you fail to live a perfect or sinless life. He is patient, and is right there to immediately pick you up, cleanse you, encourage you and go forward with you. He is the perfect Father and he is committed to you.


Talk to God and he will draw near to you
Say the following prayer aloud to God. Repeat it a few times and say it for a few days. Allow your own heart to hear the words so that it opens to the presence of God and what he has for you.

Father, I believe You are the eternal God, and Jesus is Your Son. I believe that You love me and sent Your Son to show me what a good, loving, protective, and powerful Father You are. I believe that Your Son Jesus lived a perfect and pure life, and then died on a cross as the punishment and sacrifice for my sins. You planned that for me. On the cross, he was condemned that I might be forgiven. He was rejected and alienated, that I might be accepted and adopted by You. He was exposed and abandoned, that I might be protected. He was wounded and broken, that I might be healed. I believe that You did this for me through the death of Your Son. Thank You for giving up Your Son to make me Your child and to make me whole, and for raising him from the dead.

Lord Jesus, I believe that You are alive and that You are standing right before me. I open the door to my heart and life, and I ask You to come in and make me the kind of person You want me to be. I choose to follow You, and I confess that You, Jesus, are my Lord. I turn from my sins and trust You now to forgive and cleanse me. I especially turn from ___________ (name specific sins that dominate your thoughts and actions, and that you may even be ashamed of – speak right to Jesus and tell him). Free me from the weight of these things. I look to You to fill me and strengthen me with Your indwelling presence. I receive and accept the lavish and free gift of total forgiveness. I believe that Your sacrifice on the cross is more than enough to meet my need for forgiveness, wash my spirit clean from sin and darkness, and restore me to intimately knowing God as my Father. I open my heart to believe and receive the joy that comes from You forgiving me and removing my guilt and shame. Thank You. Thank You for making me clean and new in my spirit, and for joining me to Yourself and living in me by Your Spirit. I now belong to You, and You belong to me.

Assurance from God
God himself gives you an inner assurance when you believe that he is moved by and responds to your repentance and your faith in his Son Jesus Christ. Listen to what God has said in his word, the Bible:

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me. (Revelation 3:20)

As many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in his name. (John 1:12)

God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has the life. He who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:11-13)

The one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with him.
(1 Corinthians 6:17)

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. (Romans 8:16)

You can trust these words in the Bible. In summary, Jesus calls us. If you hear his voice, open the door to your life and heart, and invite him in, he comes and literally dwells within you. Because you now entrust yourself to the Lord Jesus and have received him, God adopts you as his very own child, and he has become your Father.

The pure and holy eternal life of God the Father is in his Son. Whoever receives and has the Son, has this eternal life of God himself. God wants you to know that you have eternal life with him now and forever because you have received his Son. Christ comes into you by his Spirit and becomes one with your own human spirit. The Holy Spirit bears witness to your own spirit that you are now a child of God. When you repent, believe, and receive Christ, the Holy Spirit lets you know that God is now your Father and Jesus is your Lord and Savior.

God is your Father, heaven is your home, and Jesus lives in you by the Holy Spirit. The Bible is food and power for your spirit, light for your mind, and the main thing that God uses to talk to you.

Why is there spiritual warfare? Why is it an issue?

Man and Early Creation (Genesis 1:1,26-28,31 & Psalm 8:5)
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, and over six days he rendered the earth habitable and perfect for plants, animals and man. He created man in his own image and likeness and crowned him with his own visible glory and majesty. God gave man (Adam and Eve) authority to rule over everything on the earth and in the heavens above it. Man looked and shone like God and was fashioned to experience deep intimacy and fellowship with him. He was to fellowship with God, know him, represent him, and bring his will to pass on the earth. The kingdom of God was to reign on earth through the relationship and oneness of Adam and God.

Lucifer and the Angels (Isaiah 14:12-14; Ezekiel 28:12-18)
In the third heaven, in the realm of God’s throne, and of angels and spiritual beings, Lucifer was the anointed cherub who spread his wings out over the throne of God and worshiped closer to God than any other being. He was anointed by God the Holy Spirit to worship, lead and administrate. He was a musician and led heaven in worship. He was over multiple sanctuaries where he led heavenly beings in worship. He was, on the day of his creation, the highest creation of God, the most beautiful, intelligent and wise. He walked in the presence of God, before his face, and was blameless. At some point, before he fell, he was even in Eden, the garden that God himself had created for man.

The Fallen Nature of Lucifer and his Angels (Isaiah 14:12-14; Ezekiel 28:12-18; Revelation 12:4, 9; John 10:10; 1 Peter 5:8)
But Lucifer became proud because of his beauty and splendor, and he was corrupted. He bartered with the angels, telling them that if they worshipped him, completely switching allegiance from God to him, he would give them a place of honor better than what God had given them. They would become gods under him and receive worship from those under them. One third of the angels were seduced and persuaded and defected from God and his kingdom to give worship and complete obedience to Lucifer.

In doing this the Bible says that Lucifer became corrupted and was “internally filled with violence.” He and his angels, having known and turned from the purity and absolute holiness of God, became completely and irrevocably evil. Lucifer became known as the Dragon (a massive evil being who quickly and easily overwhelms his prey), the Devil (which means “accuser”), and Satan (which means “adversary”). He is called the thief who comes only to steal, kill and destroy, and that he prowls about like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.

The Fall of Man (Genesis 3:1-13; 2 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Timothy 2:14)
Lucifer, in his lust for worship and control, turned to man, who was beloved of God, and in the image of the God he now hated. He used his persuasion to deceive Eve into believing that God was holding out on them, and that they could become like gods themselves if they followed Satan’s influence. Eve was deceived and first transgressed God’s clear command. Adam was not deceived, but with eyes wide open he followed suit to be with Eve. Immediately they died to the glory of their inner union and oneness with God; in addition, they lost their glory-covering and were now naked, afraid, and guilty. God was with them but no longer dwelling in them. They lost the protection of the indwelling glory, and the out-shinning glory that covered them. They became vulnerable, and the strategies, impact, lies and mental and emotional control from the demonic began to infiltrate them.

The Transfer of Dominion on the Earth (Psalm 24:1 & 115:16; Amos 3:7; Luke 4:5-7; 2 Corinthians 4:3,4; 1 John 5:19; Ephesians 2:1,2)
The earth belongs to God by right of creation, but God delegated authority on the earth to man. God set it up so that he works through man. He does nothing on the earth except he first reveals it to his prophetic people who listen, believe it, pray it, declare it, and act on it. God gave man that place. But when Adam and Eve came under the influence of Satan and obeyed him, they came out from under the authority and covering of God; they dropped their own rulership under God to come under Satan. Instead of ruling and enforcing God’s will against Satan, they abdicated their authority and submitted to him. The dominion was transferred and its horrific outworking began. Satan began to take authority over them and the earth. Successive individuals and generations yielded more to Satan so that Satan, when he tempted and showed Christ all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, was able to say to him, “I will give You all this domain and its glory, for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. If You worship before me, it shall be yours.”

Scripture calls Satan the god of this world and says that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. His agents, the fallen angels, rule over humanity in regions, people groups, etc., and fulfill their strategies through demonic working. The kingdom of darkness works toward the goal of turning worship away from the true and living God, and of securing the hearts and minds of men for the control and worship of Satan. This is the spirit of the world. It is the outworking of Satan’s authority which he usurped from Adam.

Jesus Christ the Overcomer (John1:1,14; Hebrews 10:5-7; 1 John 3:8; John 14:30; Philippians 2:8; 1 Peter 1:19; Revelation 4:5,6)
In the midst of this Satan-dominated world, Jesus, the eternal Word and Son of God, became flesh and was born of a virgin. He came and lived to please the Father and do his will. He delighted to love the Father with his whole being and never, even for a millisecond, deviated from full hearted and sincere obedience to his Father. He never yielded to temptation, which would have given Satan authority over him. He stepped into, in his ministry, the authority that God had mandated for man to walk in. Wherever Jesus was to go and minister in the will of God, he destroyed Satan’s works and accomplished what the Father wanted. He was not yet, as a man, given all authority in heaven and on earth. But in the sphere of his calling and ministry he exercised complete, uncontested dominion over demons, disease and even the weather.

So Jesus overcame Satan, not by overwhelming force or hand-to-hand combat, but by never yielding to temptation. Shortly before his death, Jesus said, “The ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.” He humbled himself and obeyed to the point of death on the cross. He is the spotless Lamb of God, having no spots and blemishes of disobedience and rebellion.

Satan couldn’t touch Jesus until he drank the cup of our iniquity in the garden of Gethsemane. Once he was identified with our sin, the covering of God was removed and Satan attacked him and began the process to put him to death.

The Man Christ Jesus – Obedient Suffering, then Glory, Honor and Complete Authority (Hebrews 2:9; 5:7-9; 9:14)  
During his suffering Jesus completed his overcoming as he continued to love the Father and obey him. This obedience of Jesus was rooted in his love as the Son for his Father. Hebrews 2:9 tells us that because of his (love-based) obedience to the suffering of death, God responded and crowned him with glory and honor. Even though he was the eternal Son become man, in order to qualify and be our substitute on the cross, he had to complete and experience loving obedience in the full range of human experience, especially under intense suffering:

“In the days of his flesh, he offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One who was able to save him (that is, be enabled to go through the intense mental, physical and spiritual suffering and then be raised up) from death, and he was heard because of his piety. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience from the things which he suffered. And having been made perfect (he loved and obeyed under the full range human conditions, especially extreme suffering), he became to all who obey him the source of eternal salvation.” (Hebrews 5:7-9)

The Father answered the cries of his Son, and enabled Jesus through the Holy Spirit to offer himself on the cross without the slightest blemish of disobedience: “Christ, through the eternal Spirit, offered himself without blemish to God.” (Hebrews 9:14)

Other Key Scriptures Describing the Obedience and Exaltation of Jesus Christ (Philippians 2:8-11; Ephesians 1:20-22; Matthew 28:18)
 In Philippians 2:8-11 the Holy Spirit tells us, “He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore also God highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

And then in Ephesians 1:20-22 we read, “He (the Father) raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenlies, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. And he (the Father) put all things in subjection under his feet.”

Jesus himself said, after his resurrection and right before he went back to heaven, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”

The Position and Authority of the Believer (Ephesians 2:4-6)
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in out transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”

The Scope of Spiritual Warfare & the Name of Jesus (Matthew 16:18,19; 18:18-20; Psalm 149:6-9)
There is intense work by evil spirits to keep unbelievers locked in ignorance, deception, blindness, false philosophies and false religions. Demons work to blind unbelievers to the reality of the Living God and Jesus Christ, and then upon death to take them into Hades where they will torture them.

An unbeliever cannot be saved unless he is awakened and enlighten by:
It takes the name of Jesus, the word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit to break through the demonic blindness and awaken a person to the reality of Jesus. Evil spirits control and watch over their hosts and will do everything they can to fight and hold on to their position in that person. Therefore, believers must sacrificially love the lost with the love of Christ, intercede and use the authority of the name of Jesus to bind the demonic, and free the person to hear the voice of the Son of God.

Believers must be gathered and come together under the direct Lordship of Christ and God-given Spirit-anointed leadership. They must be taught the word on how to love one another and grow in faith as individuals, families and as a church. They must learn how to:
This is the normal operating mode for the church. This is what Jesus uses to reach the harvest and to build his church in the midst of this sin and demon dominated world. He said, “You are Peter (petros – stone), and upon this rock (petra – bedrock of revelation of the Person of Jesus) I will build My church and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

As we obey the Lord Jesus, he builds. And Satan can’t stop it. We plunder hell.

What is inner healing? Is it in the Bible?

Consider this… “Physical healing” is not a Bible phrase, but it describes the love and power of God healing our bodies, the outward part of us, and as such it is found all throughout the Bible. It is very important to the Father, for the Bible teaches that it is he who provides healing and invites us to be healed. The Bible teaches that the Father freely and lavishly expressed his nature as Healer through the ministry of his Son:


Just as the phrase “physical healing” is not found in the Bible, neither are the words “inner healing” found there. Inner healing is a term we use to describe the healing work and love of the Father that is inward, or inner; that is, he opens our hearts to heal and deliver us from being stuck in negative beliefs and emotions. And this also is a very important aspect of Christ’s ministry. The following is a prophecy of Christ from Isaiah 61:1 that was quoted by Jesus of himself in Luke 4:18:


Any believer can receive healing for his body and heart through the promises of the word and his own Spirit-led relationship with the Lord. But it is very wise to fellowship with other believers where the scriptures on healing are taught and practiced, and where God is moving and healing hearts and bodies. We are to walk together in the light of God’s word concerning healing, both physical and inner, and pray for each other:


Using Biblical language, inner healing would probably best be described as an aspect of sanctification. Sanctification has two aspects to it. It means:

1.) To set apart from something common or even unclean, and
2.) To cleanse and set apart to God as his own and for his delight and purposes.

Other words and phrases from the Bible that involve what we call inner healing would include:


Through Christ, the Father has made provision for us to be healed, whole, and holy. You don’t have to be broken! You, child of God, don’t have to be broken! This is the Father’s will:


To many people, and even to many Christians, the term inner healing, and the deliverance from demons that often accompanies it, can sound and feel foreign. This booklet will give the Biblical basis and teaching for inner healing, and also of deliverance from demons in the context of inner healing. The focus of this booklet will be on your heart connecting by faith with the heart of Jesus and receiving the freedom that he has for you.

Our hearts can have broken, painful areas that contain lies planted there by the enemy about our worth, our identity, about who God is, about relationships, and life. If we truly believe the lies it will determine, at a deep heart level, what we feel and do. All of this can create an inner prison, small or large, that Jesus wants to bring us out of. It’s common for evil spirits to work with these prisons to amplify the fear, pain, anxiety, guilt, shame, etc. Jesus does heart-focused healing and freedom!

It’s about him answering the prayer of Psalm 139:23,24:

INTRODUCTION

Many persons do not realize that they break the first of God’s Ten Commandments when they do such things as:
These activities, and many others, break the first and second commandments.

If you seek to be led by, contact or worship any spirit being other than the living God, you open yourself to demonic power and bondage.  This brief booklet will help you to identify occult and false spiritual activity, and it will lead you through a prayer of repentance and renunciation, so that you may find forgiveness from God and freedom from demonic power.  Do not play games with God or the devil.  The prayers in this booklet will only work for the person who believes in Jesus Christ and has accepted him as the Lord of his or her life.  If you are serious, turn to him now and say,

“Lord Jesus, forgive me, come into me, and bring Your leadership into my life.  I will follow You.  Make Yourself real to me.”


OCCULT CHECKLIST

The following is a partial list of the type of things that involve being led by, contacting or openly worshipping a spirit being other than God himself.  As you read, ask God to show you any ways that you or your family line have done these things.  Get pen and paper ready, and as you go through the list write down all that you remember or that comes to your mind.  The Holy Spirit will help you with this.  So, quiet yourself before the Lord Jesus, ask him to show you what you need to see, and then record whatever he gives you.  If possible, do this with a mature Christian or Christian leader who hears form God, and who understands how to break curses arising from false worship and occult practices.  
All forms of fortune telling and divination – Astrology, the signs of the Zodiac and birth dates; palm reading; Tarot or fortune telling cards; reading tea leafs; using a spirit-board (such as a Ouija Board), a crystal ball, or a pendulum; using a divining-rod (also called water-witching) to find the location to drill for water; spiritual or psychic readings or consultations; etc.

All forms of witchcraft, magic and sorcery – Through these things a person seeks to exercise a supernatural power (that is not God’s), or appeal to a spirit being, to produce an event or to influence a person. This may be done for “good” or evil causes.  Often, this is done through rituals or techniques (incantations, spells, drugs, potions, curses, amulets, talismans – which are magic pictures, charms, etc.).   Many games (such as Dungeons and Dragons or Pokemon) are based on the exercise of occult power.  Under this category would also fall all pacts with Satan, and participation in covens, Satanism, Wicca, Voodoo, and other such things.  

All idol worship – This would include worshipping, praying to, offering sacrifices to, venerating or honoring, or displaying as an object of honor, any statue or representation of a god, spirit being, person or ancestor.  God has commanded, “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on earth beneath or in the water under the earth.  You shall not worship them or serve them; for I am a jealous God.” (Exodus 20:4,5)  If you have any Buddha’s or objects that represent or are used to contact spirits, get rid of them, even if you only think of them as works of art.

All attempts to contact the spirits of the dead, or any other spirit – This would include such things as contacting the “dead” through a medium or channeler in a séance, channeling a spirit being, or using a spirit as a “friend” or teaching guide.  These spirits are all lying demons.

All secret societies and organizations that involve secret vows, oaths and curses, and honoring the name of false gods – The vast majority of persons who join these organizations do not realize what they are doing. They do not realize that they are bringing curses on themselves, their family and future generations.  The Masonic organization is an example of this.  Many, many persons have been healed of ailments such as headaches, respiratory and heart problems when they renounced they own involvement, or their ancestors’ involvement, in Freemasonry.  The oaths and pledges taken in college fraternities and sororities also fall under this category.  Examples of other organizations are the Odd Fellows, Elks, Moose and Eagles Lodges, the Grange, Eastern Star, Daughters of the Eastern Star, Rainbow, DeMolay and Mormonism.

All belief in and the practice of superstition and charms – Belief in superstition puts good or bad “luck”, and the power behind them, in the place of gods that must be obeyed.  This would include such things as obeying common superstitions, or using a horseshoe for good luck, or some other object to ward off evil spirits or bad luck.

All organizations that claim to have a spiritual emphasis, but deny salvation through Christ alone - Christ is the only, pre-existent and eternal Son of God who came from heaven, became a man, revealed the true God to us, lovingly bore our sins and paid the price for our forgiveness with his own blood, then rose from the dead and ascended to heaven as the true King of all kings and Lord of all lords.  No other person or spirit being can be who he is or do what he has done; no one else loves us like him.  Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.  No man comes to the Father but through Me.  Truly, truly I say to you. I am the door of the sheep.  All who came before Me are thieves and robbers.”  (John 14:6 & 10:7,8)

All worship in false cults and religions – Christian Science, Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, etc.; Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, etc.

“Listening to” (seeking out, reading or hearing) the “wisdom” that comes from occult, New Age, physic, cult and false religion material – In Deuteronomy 18:14 God tells us that we are not allowed to listen to those who practice witchcraft and divination.  You must renounce reading their books, seeking their advice, listening to their TV programs or instructional DVD’s or CD’s, going to their seminars, etc.  You must also throw away their material.
 
Prayer, petition or adulation to any being other than the living God – Pray only to the living God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  God in his word tells us that his Son gives understanding of who the true God really is.  We are to relate only to him, and to guard ourselves from praying to or worshipping all false gods and idols. (An idol is the image of a being who takes a place in our heart that rightfully belongs only to God himself).  

Some forms of entertainment, art, music and literature – It is the Creator himself who gifts people in these areas of expression and creativity.  Unfortunately, those God-given abilities may be employed in such a way that they carry evil or occult spirits.  

Some alternative medical practices – Any practice that is based in a false religious belief system will open one to the spirits behind that system.  Also, any health practice that seeks to impart healing or “energy” through the laying on of hands, and is not done by a believer in Christ in obedience to the Word of God, will not impart to you the Spirit of God or his power.  It will impart, or channel, another spirit to you.


PRAYER FOR DELIVERANCE

When you have finished writing your list, read over the following prayers and declarations.  Then, in the presence of another believer in Christ, pray and speak them aloud:

Father, I submit to You and agree that seeking, contacting, following or worshipping any spirit being other than You (Father, Son and the Holy Spirit) is sin.  I confess that using any supernatural power other than Your word and Your Spirit is sin.  I confess that all other spirit beings, religions, philosophies or explanations that claim to be legitimate gods or sources of spiritual energy are impostures – they are false, evil spirits that are in rebellion against You.

I confess that I was disobedient to Your commandment, which was meant to protect me from these impostors.  I agree with You that the following things, that I or my ancestors did, are sin.  In the name of Jesus Christ I renounce my involvement, and my ancestor’s involvement, in these things…

(Now read aloud everything you have written down.  After you have done that, continue to pray aloud the following…)

Father, if I did these things before I became Your child, then I thank You that You have already forgiven me.  If I did any of these things after I became Your child, then I ask You, in Jesus name, to forgive me now.  Thank You for hearing me and forgiving me.  I call on You to cleanse, heal and restore me from all the effects that have come into my life as a result of breaking Your commandments.   In Psalm 34:7 You promise that “the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and rescues them.”  I choose to love, honor and respect You with godly fear, and I thank You for sending Your angel of deliverance to minister on my behalf.

Lord Jesus, I thank You for dying for my sins and for becoming a curse for me.  Thank You for redeeming me from slavery to the curses that result from breaking Your commandments.  Let it be known that, in the authority of the name of Jesus Christ, I renounce Satan and all his works, and all inherited sins and curses.  

Explanations From the Bible for Worship Expressions and Terms
You May See or Hear During Our Meetings

Our meetings may be more informal, expressive, and non-traditional than what you are familiar with. Listed below are explanations from the Bible for a number of worship expressions and terms you may see or hear during our meetings. It may be helpful to you to look these verses up and read them in context in your own Bible.

Abba, or Abba Father– A word in the Bible, used by Jesus and the apostle Paul, that is very close in meaning to our English word Daddy. It is a name of God the Father that describes the love that exists between Him and His children. Mark 14:36; Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6

Anointing – In the Old Testament a prophet would fill a ram’s horn with olive oil and then pour it out on an individual who was being set apart for the Lord’s service. The oil was symbolic of the Holy Spirit, who would then come upon and empower those individuals to do God’s work. When we speak of the “anointing” we are referring to the real presence and power of the Holy Spirit that is manifest in the life of the believer and when we gather together. Luke 4:18,19; Acts 10:38; 2 Corinthians 1:21; 1 John 2:20 &27

Anointing with Oil – This is often done when an individual is receiving prayer for healing. The oil symbolizes that the power of the Holy Spirit is present to heal now. James 5:14,15 & Mark 6:13

Banners and Flags– “We will sing for joy over your victory, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners.” Psalms 20:5; Song of Songs 6:10

Baptism in the Holy Spirit – This is not water baptism. “Baptism in the Holy Spirit” refers to the initial time when the believer receives the infilling of the Holy Spirit. (Ask for a copy of our free booklet, Have You Received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit? (Acts 1:4-8; 2:1-4; 8:14-17; 9:17; 10:44-47; 11:15-17; 19:1-7

The Body, or the Body of Christ – Generally we are not referring to the physical, resurrected body of the Lord Jesus. Instead, we mean His living church, joined to Him and each other by the Holy Spirit.  Ephesians 1:22,23 & 4:12; Colossians 1:18

Born Again – The Lord Jesus said, “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3) This happens when a person by faith accepts God’s gift of forgiveness and yields his heart and life to the Leadership of Christ. When he does that, the Father in heaven forgives him of all his sins, and the Spirit of Christ comes inside that person’s spirit and causes him to be reborn spiritually as a child of God.  

Communion, or the Lord’s Supper – As a church we corporately celebrate the Lord’s supper the first Sunday of every month. But we also have what we call “open communion.” The communion elements are usually available at every Sunday morning service. Any believer may go forward to take communion between himself and the Lord at any time during the worship, or when he comes forward to bring his tithes and offering. Matthew 26:26-29; 1 Corinthians 11:23-34

Clapping – “O clap your hands, all peoples.” - Psalm 47:1  

Dancing – “Let them praise His name with dancing.” – Psalm 149:3; Also see 2 Samuel 6:14-16; Psalm 150:4

Deliverance – This describes being set free from negative pressures which are a result of demonic influence. Mark 1:34,39; Hebrews 2:14,15

Falling - Sometimes, when God manifests His power, people literally fall down. At that time His Spirit may be revealing a truth, directly to a person’s heart, that he has not understood; or He may be bringing healing or freedom; or one’s body simply may not be able to stand upright in the presence of His power.  The following are six examples from the Bible of people who either fell or who were not able to stand in His presence: “The cloud filled the house of the Lord so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house… When therefore He (Jesus) said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground… And when I saw Him (Jesus), I fell at His feet as a dead man… So, he (the angel Gabriel) came near to where I (Daniel) was standing, and when he came I was frightened and fell on my face… while he (the angel) was talking with me I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground, but he touched me and made me stand upright… He (Paul) was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him, and he fell to the ground… When I (John) saw it (the glory of the Lord), I fell on my face.” 1 Kings 8:11; John 18:6; Revelation 1:17; Daniel 8:16-18; Acts 9:3,4; Ezekiel 1:28
 
Gifts of the Spirit – Listed in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, these are nine distinct ways that the Holy Spirit will supernaturally manifest His presence and power through a believer in Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:4-9

Inner Healing – This term describes God’s love healing the heart and emotions from the effects of trauma and negative conditions and beliefs. Psalm 147:3 & Isaiah 61:1

Kneeling – “Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.” – Psalm 95:6

Laughter and Joy – Reverence, awe and silence are right responses to God’s presence, but the Bible also teaches that the Father fills the mouths of His children with laughter and gives them great joy. “Then our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with joyful shouting. In Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.” – Psalm 126:2 & 16:11 Also see Nehemiah 8:10; Job 8:21; Luke 10:21; Acts 13:52; Galatians 5:22  

Laying On of Hands – A means whereby spiritual power, the anointing, is transferred from a believer to another person. Mark 16:17,18; Acts 6:6; 8:17; 9:17; 13:3; 19:6; 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:6; Hebrews 6:1,2.

Lifting Up Hands – This is a biblical way to acknowledge God’s presence and express the worship that is in your heart. “May my prayer be counted as incense before You, the lifting up of my hands as the evening offering” – Psalm 141:2. See also Psalm 28:2 & 134:2; 1 Timothy 2:8

Loud United Praise to God – “The whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice” – Luke 19:37

Prophecy – This is one of the gifts, or manifestations, of the Spirit. It simply means that God impresses on a believer’s heart a “word” or direct message from Him for another person or group of persons. It does not have to relate to future events to be a “prophetic word”. 1 Corinthians 14:1 & 3

Silence – There are times when the Holy Spirit just wants us to be still in His presence. Psalm 62:1,5; 65:1; Revelation 8:1

Shouting – “Let them shout for joy and be glad” – Psalm 35:27; Psalm 47:1

Tongues and Interpretation – These are two of the gifts of the Spirit of God. Speaking in tongues is the God-given ability of a believer to
speak and pray in a language that he has not learned by natural means. Unless its companion gift of interpretation is also in operation, the “translation” is not understood, but the individual is speaking words supplied by the Holy Spirit to:

At times a believer will receive the interpretation of what he is speaking. Also, at times, the Holy Spirit will prompt a believer to speak in tongues out loud in a service so that it may be followed by a public interpretation – it is then equivalent to prophecy and is a means that God may use to speak to His people. (Our booklet Have You Received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit? will give you more instruction on this topic.) Mark 16:17; Acts 2:1-4, 10:44-46, 19:1-6; 1 Corinthians 14.

Visions and Dreams – “And it shall be in the last days,” God says, “that I will pour forth of My Spirit upon all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.” Acts 2:1 Also see Acts 9:10-12; 10:9-20; 16:9,10

We’ve tried, in this information sheet, to offer explanations from the Bible for some of the things you may see during the worship here.  Please feel free to talk to the pastor or one of the members about any questions you may have.

This blog was taken from Facebook posts written by Kevin Riodan

Opening Doors to Healing

Before you read this, I’m just letting you know - there may be some who will disagree with what you’re about to read on the relationship of demons and sickness. That is your prerogative. I’ve written this from what I have seen over ten plus years of praying for the sick. In those ten years of ministering healing and deliverance, I have come to realize that while there are no absolute approaches that will always work every time (this is especially true in deliverance), there are some medical conditions where the scriptural approach of casting out demons has consistently proven to result in the healing that God has promised.

I believe one of the biggest reasons why the church sees so few healings is because of it’s ignorance of the demonic role in sickness, or it’s unwillingness to deal with the demonic for fear of being controversial. Whether for ignorance or controversy, our unwillingness to consider the demonic role in sickness has been a detriment to the church. Deliverance is as much a part of the gospel as healing is. According to Mark 16:17, the driving out of demons should accompany the preaching of the gospel. If this vital ministry is being ignored in the church, then the full gospel is not being preached in your church.

In 1 Corinthians 12, where Paul writes about the gifts and manifestations of the Holy Spirit, he refers to healing as being in the plural. Here Paul teaches that the Holy Spirit manifests himself through “giftS of healing”. In other words, there is more than one gift of healing. We see in scripture, and it has been proven to me by my experience in functioning in healing and deliverance, that deliverance is an essential, God-given part of the healing gift.

For example, we read in Luke‬ ‭13:11-13: “And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your sickness.” And He laid His hands on her; and immediately she was made erect again and began glorifying God.”‬

Throughout the gospels we see Jesus healing the sick and driving out devils. In scripture we see Jesus dealing with a deaf-mute spirit, epileptic spirit, and he heals Peter’s mother-in-law by rebuking a fever.

My eyes really came open to this years ago when I was brand new in healing. I was praying for a woman with breast cancer. As I prayed, she began to feel something moving in the breast where she had cancer. It moved from her breast up her chest, to her throat and came out of her mouth. At that point, she was the second person I had ever seen healed.

Since that experience over a decade ago, I have seen literally thousands of people healed of various sickness, pain, and mental illness, both within the church walls and outside of them, through the driving out of demons.

There are some who have accused me of believing that there is a demon under every rock and behind every tree. While that is not entirely true, I do believe that there are more demons under more rocks and behind more trees than the western church wants to believe. Try as they might, you really can’t argue with people’s testimonies.

The reality is that many sicknesses are directly caused by a demon. Countless times, I’ve simply commanded a demon out and the pain and all other symptoms left with it.
For others, sickness is a physical problem where healing is prevented by an occupying demon. There have been times where I have laid hands on an individual and prayed for healing to no avail. I then asked questions, determined the root such as unforgiveness. I led them to forgive, drove out the demon, prayed for healing, and healing came immediately.

There are certain illnesses that I pray for, that I will automatically go after a demon. They are as follows: asthma, COPD, allergies, all cancer, lupus, migraines, severe reflux, fibromyalgia, chronic pain syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome (and most syndromes for that matter), epilepsy, rheumatoid arthritis, degenerative arthritis, scoliosis, diabetes, neuropathy, stomach/intestinal issues (many stomach issues are actually a spirit of fear), anything that cannot be diagnosed (you can’t diagnose a demon), schizophrenia, anxiety, and depression. I will deal with demons every time the sickness or pain is caused by trauma. When it comes to other sickness and pain, I will deal with demons depending on the circumstances surrounding the sickness.

I have been asked, “Do I need to address the demon by its exact name for it to come out?”  My answer is that when it comes to sickness, it is usually either a spirit of infirmity, affliction, pain, sickness, death, or trauma. Or the spirit is named after what it causes, for example: cancer, diabetes, migraines, allergies, sciatica, etc.

It is unfortunate how many times a person has gone forward for prayer, didn’t receive healing, and was told it was due to their lack of faith or that it wasn’t God’s timing. Sometimes all it takes is a two-minute prayer, a sharp command in the name of Jesus for deliverance, and years of pain goes away.



Kevin on Facebook - www.facebook.com/kevin.streetfisher
Kevin’s Website - www.setfreeweekends.com

How to Connect with Your Creator and Discover His Will for Your Life

God told the prophet Jeremiah:
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you. I have appointed you…

This applies to you. God planned you and knew you ages before he formed you in your mother’s womb. He made you unique from all others, and He longed to have you as his own intimate, obedient child. While you were yet in the womb he consecrated you and appointed you to a specific destiny.

The apostle Paul said this:
He who had set me apart, even from my mother’s womb, and called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me…

Then, at the end of his life, Paul wrote:
The time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course…

God broke into Paul’s life when he was a young man. Christ was intimately revealed to him, and by faith he began to radically follow him. At the end of his life he could say, I have finished the course!

Until Christ became real to him, Paul had no idea of the destiny he was called to while yet in his mother’s womb.

Up to that point, he was missing, really missing, the purpose for which he was born. But he encountered and followed Christ – he plugged in and walked into his destiny. It can happen to you.


Examine Yourself

If you are simply living a natural life and doing things that you are able to do through your own power without God, you are not plugged into Christ and his will for you. God longs for you to consistently experience and give away to others his supernatural love and power. Listen to what he says in his word:

Know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God…He is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or imagine, according to the power that works within us. (Ephesians 3:19,20)

If you are daily living a lifestyle that is according to your own plans, and you are not experiencing a life that is stretched out beyond your own ability and imagination, you are missing the purpose for which you were created.


How can you plug in and walk into your destiny?



Father, You knew me before You created me. You longed for me and called me from my mother’s womb to follow You. Divine destiny awaits me. I choose to find and do Your will for my life. Change me. You know my weaknesses and my sins – forgive me and fill me with Your Spirit. I do not want compromise; I do not want to be cold or lukewarm towards You. Put me on fire! Jesus, I will follow you.

Introduction and Key Verse
John 15:1 — “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.” (NASB)

John chapters thirteen through sixteen record the Lord’s final teaching to the twelve disciples. Alone with the twelve, he was celebrating the Passover meal in an upper room of a house. Immediately following this close and intimate time with his disciples he was taken into custody, falsely tried, scourged and crucified. In this middle of this time with them he gave them one of the most profound and tender metaphors in all of Scripture. With only hours remaining before his arrest, he did not give them a theological lecture or a complex doctrinal system. Instead, He gave them a picture—simple, familiar, earthy, and deeply rooted in the Old Testament story. He says:

“I am the true Vine.”
“My Father is the Vinedresser.”
“You are the branches.”

In a few words, Jesus summarizes the entire Christian life: union with Himself, dependence on His life, and the Father’s loving oversight of our growth. To fully appreciate the depth of this metaphor, we must understand its Old Testament background, its historical context, and its spiritual implications for every believer who abides in Christ.

Old Testament Foundations: God’s Vineyard and Israel’s Calling
Many times, Jesus referred to commonly known and understood Old Testament stories and pictures that taught spiritual truths. In his teaching he also used pictures from agriculture, nature, business or everyday life. When he called himself the vine and his Father the vinedresser, his disciples instantly recognized the imagery of the vine as used in the Old Testament. Throughout the Old Testament, Israel is described as God’s vine or vineyard, planted to bear fruit for His glory. The following are examples of this:



Jesus the True Vine: The Fulfillment of Israel’s Calling
Against this backdrop, Jesus’ words shine with extraordinary meaning:
“I am the true vine.”

The word true (Greek: alēthinos) means “genuine,” “ultimate,” “real,” or “that which fulfills the pattern.” Jesus is not merely another vine—He is the Vine to which all the Old Testament imagery pointed. He is declaring:
In calling Himself the true Vine, Jesus implies the existence of false vines:
Jesus replaces every false source of life. Only He supplies the life that produces spiritual fruit.

The Father the Vinedresser: God’s Loving, Skillful Care
Jesus immediately adds: “My Father is the vinedresser.”

The vinedresser (geōrgos) is the master gardener—the one who prepares, plants, tends, prunes, lifts, washes, and harvests the vineyard. His work is personal and constant. He knows each branch and what it needs.

A first-century vinedresser in Israel:
Every part of the vinedresser’s work expresses care, not harshness; purpose, not punishment.

This is the picture Jesus gives of the Father’s relationship to believers. God oversees your entire spiritual journey with perfect wisdom and loving attention. Nothing in your life is accidental. Nothing escapes His care.

True Vine and Branches: The Living Illustration
To the disciples—and to anyone familiar with vineyards—the metaphor of a vine and its branches was vivid, practical, and unmistakable.






New Testament Spiritual Truths Illustrated by the Vine and Branches
Jesus’ metaphor draws together some of the most profound doctrines in the New Testament.


The True Vine and Vinedresser in the Believer’s Life
This metaphor provides a framework for understanding every stage of spiritual growth.
Conclusion: A Life in the Hands of the True Vine and the Vinedresser
Jesus’ simple image brings together the entire story of Scripture. Israel was the vine that failed. Jesus is the Vine that cannot fail. The Father is the Vinedresser who lovingly shapes each believer into the likeness of His Son. And we, the branches, live by the life of Christ flowing through us.

Your spiritual life is not left to chance. You are rooted in the True Vine. You are tended by the Father. And the fruit that grows in your life is the very life of Christ being expressed through you.

To abide in Him is to live daily in this reality:
Because the Vine is true, the fruit will come.
Because the Vinedresser is faithful, the harvest is certain.
And because you are in Christ, your life is sustained by His unending, unstoppable, ever-fruitful life.

“Lord, open my eyes to see as You see, and soften my heart to love as You love.”

Key Verse - Matthew 9:36 (NIV)
“When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

To see and respond to the world through the eyes and heart of Jesus is one of the most radical transformations the Holy Spirit can work within us. It's not about physical sight, but spiritual perception—seeing beyond the surface into the soul, beyond offense into brokenness, and beyond behavior into God-given worth.

Jesus never just saw people—He perceived them deeply. He looked into the hearts of Pharisees and sinners, disciples and strangers, the faithful and the forgotten. Whether He was confronting, healing, weeping, or teaching, His actions always flowed from divine compassion and truth.

When we allow His Spirit to shape our vision, something beautiful happens:
Scripture Meditation
Seeing with Jesus’ Eyes Means:
Reflection Questions
Prayer

Application Challenge
This week, intentionally slow down and look at the people you normally pass by—at work, in traffic, at the store, at home. Ask Jesus silently, “How do You see them?” Then respond from that place. Keep a journal and record the moments where you felt His heart guiding your response.

Final Encouragement
The more we gaze at Jesus, the more we begin to see like Him. As our hearts are transformed, so are our eyes—and when our eyes change, so does the way we move through the world.

“And we all… beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory.”  2 Corinthians 3:18

Our Inheritance in Christ

The Christian life is not a random journey but an inheritance to be received and walked out. Paul writes in Colossians 1:12: “Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.” God Himself has qualified us—this inheritance is not earned by our performance but given through Christ.

Again in Ephesians 1:3 we are reminded: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” Everything we need to live the life God calls us to—victory, wisdom, strength, grace—is already given to us in Christ. We are not trying to earn our inheritance; we are learning to walk into it.

A Pattern in the Old Testament

The Old Testament gives us a vivid picture of this process. The land of Israel was the inheritance of the people of God. In the book of Joshua we see how they “took the land” step by step, city by city, victory by victory.

God said to Joshua in Joshua 1:2–5: “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore arise, cross this Jordan… Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you… No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you. I will not fail you or forsake you.”

The same principle applies to us: every promise of God in Christ becomes ours as we step into it by faith. We take ground spiritually the way Israel took ground physically.

What Happens When We Stumble?

Israel’s story also warns us. After the mighty victory at Jericho, Israel suffered a surprising defeat at the small town of Ai (Joshua 6–7). This teaches us two things:

1. Great victories do not make us immune to temptation or defeat.
2. We cannot coast on yesterday’s success; we need God’s presence and dependence every day.

When we lose a battle or give in to temptation, it does not mean our inheritance is gone. Instead, we humble ourselves before God, identify why we stumbled, repent, make changes, and then rise to go forward again. God’s grace is greater than our failure.

Jesus’ Radical Call to Deal with Temptation

Jesus spoke plainly about dealing with sin in Matthew 5:29–30: “If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out… If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off…” His words remind us that we must decisively cut off whatever causes us to sin—habits, environments, or influences that pull us away from Him.

The Reality of Stumbling

Who walks perfectly? James says plainly in **James 3:2**: “For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man.” We all need grace. This keeps us humble, dependent on God, and compassionate toward others.

Speaking Life When We Fall

What we say to ourselves matters. Proverbs 23:17–18 teaches us to speak what is right: “My son, if your heart is wise, My own heart will be glad… when your lips speak what is right.” When we fall, we must speak God’s truth—not despair or condemnation—over our lives.

God Holds Our Hand

Where is God when we stumble? He is not standing off in judgment; He is holding our hand. Psalm 37:23–24 declares: “The steps of a man are established by the Lord… When he falls, he shall not be hurled headlong, because the Lord is the one who holds his hand.” And Psalm 73:21–24 echoes: “Nevertheless, I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand. With Your counsel You will guide me, and afterward receive me to glory.”

God never abandons His children in their struggle. He walks us through correction, restoration, and growth.

Assuring Our Hearts Before God

When we stumble, our emotions often accuse us. But 1 John 3:18–20 reminds us: “We shall assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things.”

We must come to the light, be honest with God, repent, and cut off the source of temptation. We then believe that God is still with us, even when our feelings lag behind. Faith takes God at His word.

Restoring Others With Gentleness

Our attitude toward a struggling brother or sister matters. Galatians 6:1–3 instructs: “Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness…” We restore gently, bearing one another’s burdens, not looking down but looking inward.

Hebrews 3:13 also says, “Encourage one another day after day… lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” This is the atmosphere of the Christian community—encouragement, not condemnation.

Walking in the Light Together

The Christian life is not lived alone. 1 John 1:7 says, “If we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” Walking in the light means honesty with God and with each other, creating a community where cleansing flows freely.

Pressing On Toward the Goal

Paul sums up the Christian attitude in Philippians 3:12–14: “Not that I have already obtained it or have become perfect; but I press on… forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

We are called to keep moving forward—neither pridefully assuming we’ve “arrived” nor despairing when we fall short.


The Five “C’s” of Regaining Ground

1. Confess

To confess is to say the same thing God says. 1 John 1:5–9 promises that when we walk in the light and confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us. Confession brings our hidden struggles into God’s light, where His cleansing immediately flows.

2. Cancel

Sin gives the enemy a foothold. Ephesians 4:26–2 warns us not to “give the devil a place.” After confession, take back any ground given to the enemy: “I am forgiven and cleansed by the blood of Jesus. Devil, I cancel and take back the ground I gave you. This area of my life now comes under the authority of Jesus Christ.”

3. Command

Having canceled the enemy’s claim, you now resist him in Jesus’ name. James 4:7 says, “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Command the enemy to leave and cut off his influence in your life.

4. Commit

Entrust your life to God’s keeping. Feed your faith with God’s Word and fellowship. Decide to trust Him fully and to be strengthened in Him daily. As you do, victory becomes your lifestyle.

5. Continue

If you fall, get up immediately. Proverbs 24:16 says, “A righteous man falls seven times and rises again.” Refuse to wallow in self-pity or condemnation. Jesus is with you—walk on with Him.

Conclusion: Keep Moving Forward

Gaining ground in Christ is a lifelong journey. Losing a battle does not forfeit the war. When we stumble, God’s hand is still holding ours, ready to lift us up and set us on our feet again. We learn to confess, cancel, command, commit, and continue.

Like Israel, we will take our inheritance step by step, city by city, promise by promise. We keep our eyes on Jesus, press on toward the prize, and walk together with our brothers and sisters in the light. God’s grace is greater than our failure, and His purpose for our lives is steadfast.

Scripture Focus:
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” — *2 Corinthians 5:17 (NASB)*

One of the most powerful truths in the New Testament is the reality that a person who comes to Christ does not merely receive forgiveness. Something far deeper occurs. God performs a work of new creation within the believer. The Bible describes this transformation with the phrase “the new man” or “new self.”

Understanding this truth is essential for every believer. Many Christians struggle because they still think of themselves primarily in terms of the old life rather than the new life Christ has given them.

Scripture teaches something remarkable: in Christ, God has made us new.

The New Man Is a Work of God’s Creation

The apostle Paul explains that salvation involves more than moral improvement. It is an act of divine creation.

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” — *2 Corinthians 5:17*

God does not simply repair the old nature. He creates something new. The believer is spiritually united with Christ in His death and resurrection.

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” — *Galatians 2:20*

Because of this union, the believer now participates in the life of Christ. The old identity rooted in sin and separation from God has been replaced with a new identity rooted in Christ Himself.

Paul describes this new self as something believers must learn to live from.

“…put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” — *Ephesians 4:24*

The new man reflects the character of God. He is created in righteousness and holiness.

The New Man Has New Desires

When a person is born again, the Holy Spirit begins to reshape the desires of the heart.

“For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.” — *Romans 8:5*

Before Christ, our desires were centered on self. After Christ, something new begins to emerge within us. We begin to desire what God desires. The believer begins to hunger for righteousness.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” — *Matthew 5:6*

We also begin to desire a deeper knowledge of Christ.

“I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” — *Philippians 3:8*

And we begin to love others in a way that reflects the love of Christ.

“We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” — *1 John 3:16*

These desires are not self-generated. They are evidence of the life of the Spirit working within us.

The New Man Lives from a New Identity

One of the greatest struggles believers face is learning to live from the identity God has given them. The New Testament repeatedly tells us who we are in Christ. We are **children of God**.

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God.” — *John 1:12*

We are **God’s workmanship**.

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works.” — *Ephesians 2:10*

We are **temples of the Holy Spirit**.

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you?” — *1 Corinthians 6:19*

We are even described as being **seated with Christ in the heavenly places**.

“…and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” — *Ephesians 2:6*

This means our identity is no longer defined by our past sins, failures, or wounds. Our identity is now rooted in Christ and His finished work.

Learning to Walk as the New Man

While the new creation is a completed work of God, learning to live from it is a daily journey. Paul encourages believers to actively “put on” the new self.

“…since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him.” — *Colossians 3:9–10*

This renewal happens as we set our minds on the things of the Spirit, fill our hearts with the Word of God, and walk in daily fellowship with Christ. The Holy Spirit empowers believers to live out the life God has already placed within them.

“If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” — *Galatians 5:25*

A Final Encouragement

The message of the gospel is not simply that God forgives sinners. It is that God makes sinners new. If you are in Christ, the old life no longer defines you. God has given you a new heart, new desires, and a new identity. You are a new creation. And as we learn to live from that new life, the character of Christ becomes increasingly visible in us.

Reflection Questions

1. In what ways do I still see myself through the lens of my old life rather than my new life in Christ?
2. What new desires has God placed in my heart since I began following Christ?
3. How can I intentionally walk in the Spirit and live from my identity as a new creation this week?

Most of us admire faithfulness, but we also know how hard it can be. We start strong, then life happens. Stress rises, disappointment hits, people let us down, our own emotions swing, and suddenly “being consistent” feels out of reach.

That’s one reason Galatians 5 is so encouraging. When Paul lists the fruit of the Spirit, he isn’t handing us a spiritual self-improvement project. He’s describing what the Holy Spirit produces in a person who is learning to live by the Spirit. Among those fruits is what many English Bibles translate as “faithfulness” (Galatians 5:22).

Spirit-produced faithfulness is not simply trying harder to be dependable. It is a steady, trustworthy reliability formed in us by God—making us consistent in love, truth, and obedience over time.

Here’s what that kind of faithfulness looks like where we live it most: relationships, ministry, and suffering.

Faithfulness in relationships: becoming “safe to trust”

One of the greatest gifts you can give the people in your life is simple steadiness.

Spirit-produced faithfulness doesn’t mean you never fail. It means your life has a growing consistency—where your words carry weight, your love doesn’t vanish when you’re irritated, and your character doesn’t change depending on who’s in the room.

What it looks like:
You keep your word. Jesus taught that our “yes” should be yes and our “no” should be no (Matthew 5:37). Faithful people don’t make casual promises. They speak carefully, then follow through. And when plans must change, they don’t hide—they communicate promptly, humbly, and clearly.

You stay loyal in love. Faithfulness doesn’t mean pretending nothing is wrong. It means you don’t abandon people emotionally the moment conflict shows up. The Spirit helps us put away bitterness, harshness, and slander, and instead move toward forgiveness and repair (Ephesians 4:31–32).

You live with integrity when no one is watching. Faithfulness is private as well as public. Paul spoke about taking care to do what is right “not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of people” (2 Corinthians 8:21). The Spirit forms a life that doesn’t depend on appearances to do what’s right.

A simple heart-check:
If the people closest to me had to describe me in one word, would they say “steady” or “unpredictable”?

Faithfulness in ministry: being trustworthy with people and with the message

Scripture treats faithfulness as essential for anyone serving the Lord. Gifts matter, ability matters, opportunity matters—but faithfulness is what makes ministry safe.

Paul says it plainly: “It is required of stewards that one be found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2). In other words, if you’ve been entrusted with people, with influence, with resources, or with the message of Christ, God is looking for trustworthiness.

What it looks like:
You handle the message with integrity. Faithfulness means we don’t reshape the gospel to gain approval, avoid criticism, or chase trends. Paul refused to “tamper with the word” or present himself with hidden agendas (2 Corinthians 4:2). The Spirit produces courage and honesty—so we can speak the truth in love.

You handle people with steadiness. Faithful ministry shows up. It follows through. It doesn’t disappear when things get complicated. People learn that they can reach you, trust you, and count on you—because your love doesn’t run on convenience.

You handle responsibility cleanly. Whether it’s money, leadership, or visibility, faithfulness means transparency and integrity. Paul modeled careful accountability so that the ministry would be above reproach (2 Corinthians 8:20–21).

You invest in others who can be trusted. Paul told Timothy to entrust truth to “faithful men” who would be able to teach others also (2 Timothy 2:2). Spirit-produced faithfulness reproduces itself. It raises up others who will stand steady too.

A simple heart-check:
Do people experience me as consistent and safe over the long haul—or only inspiring in short bursts?

Faithfulness in suffering: staying anchored to God’s character

This is where faithfulness stops being a “nice trait” and becomes a lifeline.

When life hurts, the temptation is to become spiritually inconsistent. We stop praying. We withdraw. We interpret God’s love through our pain. We make quick decisions just to get relief.

Spirit-produced faithfulness is what steadies us in that storm. It is the Spirit enabling us to keep trusting and obeying even when we don’t understand.

What it looks like:
You continue to do good even when outcomes are slow. Paul says, “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary” (Galatians 6:9). Faithfulness keeps walking.

You refuse to judge God’s heart by your circumstances. One of the most comforting lines in the New Testament says, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:13). When our strength wavers, God’s character does not.

You keep praying and obeying without demanding immediate proof. Suffering can produce perseverance and tested character when we keep turning to the Lord (Romans 5:3–5; James 1:2–4). Faithfulness says, “I will keep seeking God, even here.”

You remain steadfast even under pressure. Revelation includes this call: “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10). Faithfulness is not the absence of fear—it is loyalty to Jesus in the face of fear.

A simple heart-check:
When life hurts, do I become more unstable—or more anchored?

Three simple summaries you can remember

If you want a simple way to carry this through your week, try these one-liners:

In relationships: “My yes stays yes over time.”
In ministry: “I can be trusted with people and with the message.”
In suffering: “I stay anchored to God’s character, not my circumstances.”

How do we grow in Spirit-produced faithfulness?

The fruit of the Spirit grows where the Spirit is welcomed. If you want to grow in faithfulness, start with a prayer like this:

“Holy Spirit, make me steady. Form faithfulness in me. Strengthen my character. Teach me to keep my word, love consistently, serve with integrity, and trust God when life is painful.”

Then practice faithfulness in small ways:
Keep one promise this week that you’ve been tempted to ignore.
Have one honest, peacemaking conversation you’ve been putting off.
Show up to one responsibility you’ve wanted to avoid.
Keep praying through one hardship instead of shutting down.

The Spirit loves to take small “yeses” and grow deep roots.

A closing encouragement

Faithfulness is one of the ways God makes our lives shine. It builds trust. It strengthens families. It protects churches. It steadies hearts in suffering. And it points people to the faithful God who never changes.

If you’re weary, start here: God is faithful. He is steady toward you. And as you walk with Him, His Spirit can form that same steadiness in you—one day, one decision, one “yes” at a time.

If you’d like prayer or encouragement, please reach out to us. You don’t have to walk alone.