Studying God's Word

In his love, mercy and grace Almighty God has shared with man the revelation of himself. Without the further “inspiration” of God no Scriptures ever would have been written. The third step God used to create the Bible is “illumination” and without it no sinner ever would have been saved. Illumination, then, is that method used by the Holy Spirit to shed divine light upon all seeking men as they look into the Word of God. I remember reading the Bible when suddenly the realization hit me that God was real and I was holding the Word of God. It came as quite a shock. The truth of God was instantly settled in my soul without any doubt whatsoever. That was the Holy Spirit communing with my spirit to confirm that I was a child of God.

Nobody can fake God out. The Holy Spirit looks at the sincerity of a man’s heart to see if we have the necessary amount of faith to be saved. If we have enough faith the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins and shows us the truth of God and our need for his salvation. Illumination is from the written word to the human heart by way of the Holy Spirit. Nobody can be saved apart from the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is only present when the holy Scriptures are read from God’s Word, our Holy Bible. As I’ve said before, nobody can be saved apart from the Bible and the Holy Spirit of God working in unison. Some people think they can wait until the last minute, pick up the Bible, and read it to save themselves. It doesn’t work that way. We’re called by God; chosen to be a child of God and justified by God’s grace. It’s the Holy Spirit who actually saves us unto eternal life. It’s not possible for man to save himself for the following reasons:

1. Because of our natural blindness.

1 Corinthians 2:14 – But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Matthew 16:16-17 – Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”

2. Because of satanic blindness.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 – But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

3. Because of carnal blindness.

Hebrews 5:12-14 – For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracle of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

When the Bible is read sinners are saved and believers strengthened. It takes more than believing there’s a God to be saved. Illumination from God isn’t automatic. God saves those who repent and seek him; those who put forth a little effort to find the Lord our God. In addition, the Holy Spirit seeks those believers who can help him illuminate the hearts of unbelievers. All the more reason for us to be prepared to witness the gospel of Christ when called upon. We see several examples of this in the Bible. It was the Holy Spirit who spoke to Phillip and sent him to intercept the chariot of the Ethiopian eunuch on the road between Jerusalem and Gaza so he could share the gospel of Christ with him. We must be ready to do the same when called.

2 Corinthians 2:10 – But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

2 Corinthians 4:6 – For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Psalm 119:105 – Your word id a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

2 Timothy 2:15 – Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.

In the previous blog we discussed God’s revelation of himself to man which was the first step toward creating the Bible. Now let’s look at the second tool God used to create the Bible which is “inspiration”. This is where man takes the revelation of God and puts it down on paper in the manner God wants it written. How exactly does that happen? There are several theories how God accomplished this but the only scripturally correct theory is the plenary-verbal theory. That theory states God imparted his inspiration to the Bible writers so that every single word in the Bible is inspired by God and meant to be in the text as written.

Hebrews 1:1 – God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds.

Matthew 5:18 – (Jesus speaking) – For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.

1 Peter 1:25 – But the word of the Lord endures forever.

What we do know about the inspiration of God is the following:

1. All parts of the Bible are equally inspired but all parts of the Bible are not equally important. John 3:16 is more important than Judges 3:16.

2. Godly inspiration is only guaranteed in the original text and not later copies or translations. That’s why we need to make sure new Bible don’t change or leave out verses.

3. Inspiration does not allow for any false teaching but can record the lies of someone.

4. Inspiration does not permit any historical, scientific or prophetic errors. That’s why critics try so hard to disprove any single fact in the Bible. If they can prove one things is false in the Bible it gives credence to their claim that the Bible isn’t authored by God.

5. Inspiration doesn’t prohibit personal research. God welcomes anyone to examine the truth of his Word. In the Bible God say let us reason together. False religions don’t allow this because they know they’re fake and they don’t want their followers to find that out.

6. Inspiration does not deny the use of extra-biblical sources. God mentions several in the Bible.

7. Inspiration does not overwhelm the personality of the human writers of the Bible. God didn’t want robots writing his Word. The Holy Spirit guided the writers without being dictatorial.

8. Inspiration does not exclude the use of pictorial and symbolic language. I don’t know how any writer could produce the book of Revelation without the use of symbolic language. The trick is to know when it’s being used.

9. Inspiration does not mean uniformity in all details given in describing the same event. That’s why we have four gospels. Each writer gave his own impression of the life of Jesus which makes the story that much more compelling; that much more believable.

The plenary-verbal theory of inspiration assures us that God has included in the Bible all the necessary things he wanted us to know, and excluded everything else. Of all the tools God used in making our Bible, inspiration is the most important. You can have inspiration without revelation and illumination but not vice versa. God’s inspiration to man was completed with the writing of the book Revelation by the Apostle John around 95 AD. We know this by the statement made in Revelation 22:18-19. That means any cult that says Jesus showed up later somewhere else is telling a lie. That means Mormons, for one, have a fake religion and they’ll face the wrath of God on the last day.

Isaiah 1:18 – “Come now and let us reason together,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

Revelation 22:18-19 – For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things that are written in this book.

The greatest proof of God is the Holy Bible. We’re all creatures of the physical world and we believe best what our senses tell us. We can hold the Bible in our hands; we can read the Bible and hear the Bible read in our presence. The Bible is more real to us than spiritual things and that’s just human nature. If anyone asks us how we can be so sure there’s a God we simply hold our Bible up and tell them the proof is in this book. We need to ask them, “Shall we look at the Bible together to see if it’s the truth of God?” Someone will eventually ask us the reason for our faith so we must study God’s Word accordingly and prepare our witness beforehand in order to be ready. Turn an old Bible into a witness Bible, writing important Scripture inside the covers and tabbing the verses of Scripture that clearly show unbelievers the path to eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. I posted a sample witness outline in my previous blogs (December 2019).

We may only get one chance to change someone’s eternal destiny so let’s make sure we’re well prepared to share our witness with unbelievers. Think of it as preparing for the spiritual Olympics and when we win at least one soul for the kingdom of God we get to stand on the podium on the last day and receive the crown of rejoicing from Jesus. Witnessing for Christ is that important! We are commanded by God to know our Bible so that we can share God’s salvation plan for man and to be able to witness the truth of the gospel of Christ to anyone who asks. We can do this by using the Bible, the greatest proof of God. The Bible is a window into the spiritual world and the only thing you need to bring others to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. The primary reason God leaves us here on earth after our salvation is so we can share the the gospel of Christ with others. Someone helped save us so we owe it to the unsaved to try and save them with our witness for Christ. If we don’t do it who will?

Every soul is priceless. Could you live with yourself knowing you didn’t do everything possible to keep someone from the lake of fire for eternity? I know I couldn’t. That’s why I’m always studying God’s Word and trying to learn more. I’m doing my best to prepare so that I can witness for Christ when called upon by the Holy Spirit. Witnessing is an awesome responsibility all believers should embrace. My blog is passive witnessing for Christ by sharing knowledge about God’s Word and urging others to also witness for Christ. I can never stop blogging about the kingdom of God. I’m always going to be trying to help save one more for Jesus while there’s breath in me. When we witness for Christ we’re sowing the seeds of salvation and occasionally we’re also able to reap a soul for the kingdom of God. Either way, whether we’re sowing or reaping, we’re working in God’s harvest field and obeying the command of our God. We’re building up riches in heaven.

1 Peter 3:15 – But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you.

2 Peter 3:18 – But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

All three persons of the triune Godhead, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, were involved in creation. Likewise, all three persons of the Trinity are involved in salvation and nobody has ever been saved unto eternal life apart from the participation of all three persons of the Trinity. God sent his son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for the sins of all men, past, present and future. God sent Jesus so that man can have eternal life in heaven. God the Father designed the salvation plan for man. God the Father calls us to be saved. God the Father justifies us, he sanctifies us and he glorifies us. God the Holy Spirit regenerates the believer’s spirit and baptizes the believer into the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit seals the believer as God’s own possession and writes our name in the book of life.

All of God’s power from the spiritual world is focused on us in the physical world through the Word of God. The Bible is the nexus between God and man, between the spirit world and the physical world. In addition to the Trinity, nobody is saved apart from God’s Word because the Bible tells us the how and why of salvation and brings forth the Holy Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit will only convict us of our sins and save us unto eternal life in the presence of the Word of God. If you aren’t praying to God and quoting the holy Scriptures the Holy Spirit isn’t going to save you unto eternal life. You must enter the narrow gate to see heaven and that narrow gate goes through the Bible and your salvation requires the participation of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 53:11 – He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities.

Romans 8:30 – Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

Titus 3:5 – Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.

God created the Bible using three, ‘tools of the Trinity, ” referred to as revelation, inspiration and illumination. The Bible is God’s primary method of revelation about himself to his creatures. The Holy Bible contains 66 books by 40 writers who wrote their books over a period of 1500 years (1400 BC to 100 AD). God revealed himself to these chosen writers of his Word and they wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit so that every word of the Bible is inspired by God. “Inspiration” means God-breathed. Bible writers included kings, priests, prophets, scholars, soldiers, farmers and illiterate fishermen.

All the books of the Bible fit together like a glove and its unity is unquestioned. The Bible contains no errors or inconsistencies. None of the Scriptures contradict or walk over each other and we’re talking about writers from different times with various backgrounds, education levels, and life experiences. This in itself is a powerful proof of God. Then we have the obvious wisdom of the Bible and the fact it has changed the lives of millions of people. That can’t be chance or luck; that can only be God. The clear consistent message of the Bible is God’s love for man and his salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. For 2000 years critics have been trying to disprove the Bible and all attempts have failed. The Word of God is magical. The Bible is a living thing that cannot be broken. God’s Word will stand forever.

2 Timothy 3:16 – All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

2 Peter 1:21 – For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 4:4 – (Jesus speaking) – It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

John 17:17 – (Jesus speaking) – Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

My goal every year is to read the entire Bible. Every January I revisit my goals to see if they need to be renewed or updated. I’ve read the Bible multiple times and what I’ve realized is some Old Testament books I dread reading and some books are always on my mind and I long to return to them more often, like the gospels. It’s up to each of us to keep up our end of the conversation with God by daily prayer and daily Bible reading. How we do that depends on our personal preferences. We’re responsible for keeping our faith alive and the Bible tells us faith comes from reading, hearing and speaking God’s Word and this is especially true where the gospels are concerned. Think of the Bible as a spiritual battery charger to keep our faith fully charged. God’s eternal power is focused on us through his Word and distributed to us through the Holy Spirit as we read, hear and speak Scripture. When our faith remains strong our relationship with God deepens, our sanctification by God proceeds quicker because we’re more spiritually receptive and we’re less susceptible to the lies and temptations of Satan. When we’re walking humbly with God we have his protection.

Mark 1:15 – (Jesus speaking) – The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand, repent, and believe in the gospel.

Romans 10:17 – So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Romans 15:4 – For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

I’ve looked at numerous, “read the Bible in one year,” formats but none of them work for me. I can’t read a few chapters and stop if I’m really into the story. I’m task oriented and I must complete what I start before I can rest easy. If you’ll notice in my blogs, once I start on a topic I can’t stop until I’ve exhausted all I have to say. Then I can stop and catch my breath. Getting back to my Bible reading plan, I’ve decided to make my own schedule which I think is much better because it puts more emphasis on the books in the Bible I consider more important. The focal point of the Bible is the four gospels of Christ. It’s the most important story in human history.

1 Thessalonians 1:5 – For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance.

2 Thessalonians 2:14 – To which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 4:15 – For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

I’m not content with reading Mark, Matthew, Luke and John once a year. Why should I be? One of the spiritual laws of God is that whenever someone receives God’s Word the Holy Spirit will always be present. When someone receives the gospel of Christ the Holy Spirit is present abundantly! I don’t think any believer should be more than a month away from the gospel message of Christ and being refreshed by the Holy Spirit of God. The rest of the New Testament is epistles (letters) providing further explanations and interpretations about the Christian faith in general and the gospels in particular. The Old Testament is the necessary historical backdrop that provides us with the background for the coming of Jesus. If it got right down to it, we could depend on the gospels alone for salvation and be just fine. Spend more time in the gospels and less time with the supporting information.

Romans 1:16 – For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes; for the Jew first, and also for the Greek (Gentile).

Ephesians 1:13 – In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

Ephesians 6:19 – And for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel.

What I’ve done is break the Bible into monthly segments. Every month I read a new gospel and I then repeat so that I read each gospel three times a year. Now I have the right amount of focus on what’s important. Repetition is good for the soul. It keeps our faith alive and our salvation before our eyes. I allow the first week of each month for gospel reading. The second week of each month I read the New Testament epistles and I try to space it out evenly over twelve months. The third week of each month I allot to Old Testament reading using the same parameters. Week four is for tying up loose ends and researching additional information on the books being read that month.

I intentionally left out the Old Testament books of Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy because they’re boring and deal primarily with God’s relationship with the Israelites during their forty years of wandering in the wilderness. When your focus is brought back to the gospel of Christ on a monthly basis you’re in God’s wheelhouse. You’ll be in your “sweet spot” with God the Father and you’ll be blessed by the Lord. You can always use a Bible commentary to brush up later on those three Old Testament books I removed from my annual Bible study. There you have it; 27 New Testament books and 36 Old Testament books being read in one year if we have the discipline. The outline below will keep you on track and keep you interested in reading your Bible:

TWELVE MONTH BIBLE READING OUTLINE BY WEEKS (1 TO 4):

January: `1. Mark 2. Acts 1-13 3. Genesis and Exodus 4. Research books; who wrote it, where did he write it, when did he write it and why did he write it, etc.

February: 1. Matthew 2. Acts 14-28 3. Joshua and Judges 4. Research

March: 1. Luke 2. Romans 3. Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel 4. Research

April: 1. John 2. 1 & 2 Corinthians 3. 1 & 2 Kings 4. Research

May: 1. Mark 2. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians 3. 1 & 2 Chronicles 4. Research

June: 1. Matthew 2. 1 & 2 Thessalonians and 1 & 2 Timothy 3. Ezra, Nehemiah, Ester, Job 4. Research

July: 1. Luke 2. Titus and Philemon 3. Psalms 4. Research

August: 1. John 2. Hebrews 3. Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon 4. Research

September: 1. Mark 2. James 3. Isaiah 4. Research

October: 1. Matthew 2. 1 & 2 Peter 3. Jeremiah 4. Research

November: 1. Luke 2. 1 & 2 & 3 John and Jude 3. Lamentations, Ezekiel and Daniel 4. Research

December: 1. John 2. Revelation 3. Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Zechariah and Malachi 4. Research

The most important event in human history occurred at Calvary when Jesus died on the cross for our sins and with his blood purchased our salvation. Jesus is Christianity. Christianity is Jesus. Belief in Jesus is our only hope salvation. God is the author of history and he knows beforehand what will happen. God has chosen those to be saved unto eternal life. God didn’t make anyone with the express intent of sending them to hell. That’s not God’s nature. However, God knew those who would reject him so, in a sense, the unbeliever has chosen to go to hell themselves. God is also not the author of sin, but he permits it as an expression of free will. Keep in mind God cannot do anything which is unreasonable or unfair so we must interpret anything God does by who he is. Never lose sight of the fact that God is good and God is great.

Satan tries to convince us salvation isn’t permanent and that we can lose eternal life at any time. Satan tells us we’re not worthy of heaven and he’s right about that one point. One of Satan’s favorite tactics is to speak to us in half-truths that on their face appear reasonable but will be then twisted around and cause us to doubt the truth of God and his Word. Don’t listen to Satan! Salvation isn’t about what we deserve, it’s about what Jesus has done on the cross because of his love for us. Satan tells us because we sin God couldn’t love us. The fact that God sent his only Son to die for us while we were yet sinners is proof Satan is a liar. Satan wants us to be insecure in our salvation and fearful. If you believe in God, Jesus Christ and the infallibility of the Bible then rest assured that once saved you’re always saved. God cannot lie and God is always faithful. If you’re a believer and you’ve accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior let the certain knowledge of your salvation give you the peace of God. The Bible contains numerous proofs of our salvation and eternal security. All three persons of the triune Godhead repeatedly confirm in Scripture that all believers belong to God forever.

God has a salvation plan to gift eternal life to those he calls to be conformed into the image of Christ. Is God going to go to all the trouble of making us like Jesus just so he can turn around and kick all believers out of heaven? God will glorify all believers who go to heaven. Will God then change his mind and undo our glorification? Will God take back the resurrection body he has given us? What will replace it? Will God change his mind about us being in heaven at all? God is love and he loves us. Will God then change his mind and renounce his love for us and bar us from heaven? God has adopted us as sons and will our father now rejects his children? The answer to all the above questions is emphatically, “no”. Remember who God is and base any possible actions by God by who he is. God can never be unfair or unreasonable.

Romans 8:29 – For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Ephesians 1:6 – To the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

Colossians 3:3 – For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Jesus came to earth to die so we could go to heaven. Will Jesus now forsake that sacrifice and return us to earth? Will God make the the death of Jesus in vain? Will Jesus renege on his promise to prepare a place for us in heaven so we can be with him? The Bible says Jesus is in heaven interceding with God on our behalf. Will Jesus stop praying for us? Will Jesus stop being our advocate before God? The answer to all the questions above is a resounding, “no”. Jesus is God and God does not change his mind. Once our name goes into the book of life it is never removed.

Matthew 26:28 – (Jesus speaking) – For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Romans 8:34 – Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

John 6:37 – (Jesus speaking) – All that My Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me, I will by no means cast out.

At salvation the Holy Spirit gave us a new spirit. Shall we at any time be required to return it? The Holy Spirit baptizes the believer into the body of Christ and thus we become bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh. Shall we then one day be surgically remove from the body of Christ? At salvation the Holy Spirit seals the believer as God’s own possession. Shall God then cast off what he has promised to hold and be revealed as a liar? The answer to all the above questions is unequivocally, “no”. If we are not secure in heaven then God is not real, Jesus is not God, and the Bible is just a book, and our salvation is a lie. If Satan can make us doubt one truth then all truths become suspect which is one of Satan’s favorite tactics. If any truth of God falls then Christianity itself falls. That’s why we can’t let Satan get his foot in the door. Don’t let Satan drive a wedge between us and the truth of God. Trust in the Lord, for he is our strength. Learn the wiles of the devil so we can know his voice. Use God’s Word to defeat Satan in your life.

Ephesians 1:13 – In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

1 Corinthians 3:16 – Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

Galatians 3:27 – For as many of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Titus 3:5 – Nor by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.

God is the Creator and sustainer of the universe. As the King of the universe, any definitive statement made by God is law. When God issues a command it is the law. When God formalizes what he says into a decree it’s also the law. One of the reasons God has given us the Bible is so we can know his laws and obey them. In the Bible God say, “no one can oppose what I do,” and nobody can. The Holy Bible also says, “everything happens to the good pleasure of His will,” and it does. Since we can’t oppose or avoid God and his laws we have only two choices, obey and live or disobey and die. To obey Almighty God means an eternity in heaven being showered with untold riches by a loving father and to disobey God means spiritual death; separation from God in the lake of fire and brimstone suffering in constant pain and agony forever.

What a stark contrast! Who in their right mind wouldn’t choose what’s behind door number one? Let me give you an example of the vast gulf between heaven and hell. For believers, life in heaven is going to be so wonderful that’s we’ll one day look back on our lives here on earth as the only hell we will have ever known. The only rough patch of an otherwise wonderful existence. Unbelievers, on the other hand, will go to hell when they die and be in pain and torment forever. As they’re bobbing up and down in the lake of fire screaming in pain the memory of their life on earth will be the only heaven they’ll ever know. Do you remember the movie, “Terminator: Judgment Day”? At the end of the movie the liquid metal guy winds up in a steel mill vat of molten steel flailing around and bobbing up and down in 3,000 degree Fahrenheit molten metal. Whenever I see that movie scene I think to myself, ‘that’s what it must be like in hell.”

What is a decree of God? A decree of God is his eternal purpose, according to his will, and for his own glory so that he has foreordained whatever comes to pass. Let’s examine the qualities of a decree from Almighty God:

1. They are founded in divine wisdom. God has perfect knowledge of what will happen and perfect knowledge of what could happen. God is perfect in all he does. God doesn’t make mistakes.

Psalm 104:24 – O Lord, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions.

Proverb 3:19 – The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding He established the heavens.

2. They are eternal. While decrees relate to things outside God, the fact that they are an act within the Divine Being makes them eternal because God is eternal.

Acts 15:18 – Known to God from eternity are all His works.

1 Timothy 1:9 – (God) – Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.

3. They are effective. Whatever God decrees will come to pass. Failure to do so would make God a liar and the Bible untrue. Christianity would become null and void. God would not be God. We would all die in our sins and there would be no heaven.

Isaiah 46:10 – My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.

Psalm 33:11 – The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations.

4. They are immutable. The decrees of God don’t change. Since God has perfect knowledge there is nothing deficient and no information lacking that would make a change in a decree from God necessary. God doesn’t change his mind.

Malachi 3:6 – For I am the Lord, I do not change.

5. They are unconditional. A decree of God is not dependent on outside conditions There’s nothing in the world that’ll change a decree of Almighty God.

6. They are universal. The decrees of God cover all things in heaven and on earth. The entire universe obeys the decrees of God.

Ephesians 1:11 – In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to counsel of His will.

Proverbs 16:4 – The Lord has made all for Himself, yes, even the wicked for the day of doom.

7. They are permissive. God’s decrees allows his creatures the free will to obey or disobey, with the prescribed penalties for disobedience and rewards for obedience.

Psalm 106:15 – And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul.

Acts 14:16 – (God) – Who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways.

Acts 17:30 – Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent.

All believers go through a three step process known as justification, sanctification and glorification. These biblical terms are mentioned often in the Bible so it’s important we understand their meaning. “Justification” is the legal act of God where our status is changed from unsaved sinner to saved believer. God is the righteous judge of creation who gets to decide our fate and he does it based on our faith in, and acceptance of, Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. At the moment of our salvation we are also justified. The two terms are equivalent and I use them interchangeably in my blog. Justification (salvation) is a one time event where our eternal destiny is irrevocably changed from hell to heaven, forever.

When we’re justified before God our sins have been removed (forgiven), our fellowship with God has been restored and the righteousness of Christ has been imputed to us by his death on the cross. Abraham and David were two great Old Testament examples of justification by faith. Both men were aware of, and believed in, the coming Messiah and the righteousness of Christ was imputed to them. Men aren’t justified on the basis of what they’ve done but on what Jesus has done for them. Jesus died on the cross in our place so that our sins might be forgiven.

Romans 5:1 – Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 4:5 – But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.

Sanctification is the lifelong process of growing in grace and spiritual maturity. It starts the moment we’re saved. Sanctification is mentioned 1060 times in the Bible, 760 times in the Old Testament and 300 times in the New Testament. Sanctification means, “to set apart.” God sets us apart from the unbeliever and begins the process of making us more holy; more like Jesus over time. Sanctification is something God does in our lives but we can help speed up the process by daily prayer and the daily reading of God’s Word. God will do 80% of the work if we’ll give 20% of the effort.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 – Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It helps to understand the difference between justification and sanctification if we contrast them:

1. Justification deals with our standing before God (saved), while sanctification deals with our current state of spiritual growth.

2. Justification is that which God has done for us (salvation), while sanctification is that which God does in us.

3. Justification is a one time act (salvation). while sanctification is a continuing work by God.

4. Justification is the means (salvation), while sanctification is the desired end.

5. Justification makes us safe (saved), while sanctification makes us sound,

6. Justification declares us good (believers), while sanctification makes us good.

7. Justification removes the guilt and penalty of sin, while sanctification checks the growth and power of sin in the life of the believer.

8. Justification furnishes the track which leads to heaven, while sanctification furnishes the train to heaven.

Glorification is the final process for the believer and it occurs once we get to heaven. God also completes the justification and sanctification process in heaven. Glorification refers to the ultimate and absolute physical, mental, and spiritual perfection of all believers that we receive from God once we get to heaven. Our new resurrection body will be a part of this glorification. Scientists have determined that man only uses 10% of his brain. When Adam fell from grace in the Garden of Eden God reduced man’s mental capacity by 90%. When we’re glorified by God in heaven we’ll get all our brainpower back.

We’ll be without sin when we enter heaven and because of our glorification we’ll be unable to sin once we’re there. There’ll be nothing in heaven to tempt us to sin and we’ll be indwelt by the Holy Spirit for all eternity. God doesn’t make it clear in the Bible if glorification is a one time event like justification or whether it will be an ongoing process like sanctification. We don’t know all that we’ll become in heaven but what we do know is it’ll be wonderful beyond our wildest imagination.

God doesn’t require us to pray on our knees; any position will do and any time is the appropriate time for prayer. We could pray while sitting in the doctor’s office or in our car on the way to the grocery store. We can talk to God in plain language just as if he’s sitting in the seat next to us, because he is. There are a few things we need to be aware of that’ll block or at least hinder our prayers to God. Unforgiven sin could block our prayers. I sin every day, we all do. In the Bible God promises to forgive our sins if we ask him which is why every night I ask God to forgive any sins I’ve committed that day. When my eyes close at night I want to know my sins are forgiven and I have a clean slate for the next day.

Psalm 66:17-18 – I cried to Him with my mouth, and He was extolled with my tongue. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.

Coming before the throne of grace with pride and arrogance will stop our prayers cold. God loves a humble heart but despises the prideful. If we refuse to obey the teachings of God’s Word our prayers are unlikely to be heard. God is not inclined to hear the prayers of those who don’t read the Bible. If we don’t have compassion for the poor and think only of ourselves then God doesn’t want to hear from us. And finally, if we refuse to show mercy by forgiving others or even ourselves, God will have no dealings with us.

Luke 18:14 – (Jesus speaking) – For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

Proverbs 28:9 – One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.

Proverbs 21:13 – Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be heard.

Matthew 16:14 – (Jesus speaking) – For if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

In the previous blog we discussed the need for prayers to be humble, sincere and said in faith before God. In addition, prayers should also be simple, in accordance with Scripture and prayed persistently to the Father. Another thing, vague and indefinite prayers are worthless to God because no actionable items are mentioned. If we ask God to save all sinners God can’t help us. If we ask God to save John Doe, God can work with that. The most important thing of all is that prayers take time to work because God’s timetable is different from ours. Keep praying persistently until God answers our prayers as he has promised to do.

Matthew 6:7-8 – (Jesus speaking) – And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.

Psalm 27:4 – One thing I have desired of the Lord, that I will seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

1 John 5:14 – Now this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

Colossians 4:2 – Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.

We’ve established in the previous blog that prayer is best defined as, “having fellowship with God.” We know God commands us to pray and that prayer is essential for our salvation. We also know we should be praying to God continuously about anything and everything. What isn’t clear and what we must know is how to pray. What are the elements of a successful prayer to God? Nine out of ten people wouldn’t know if we asked them. If we’re going to talk to God at least understand the general guidelines even if we don’t always follow them. We have the honor of unfettered access to the throne of Almighty God so at least do him the honor of praying the right way; the way God has prescribed.

If you remember your English composition class, every story has a beginning, a middle and an ending. Prayers to God are the same way. We usually come before the throne of grace to confess our sins or to ask for something from God. That’s the middle part of a good prayer. At the beginning and ending of a prayer are what I call the protocol items that are necessary for God to hear and act on our prayers. If we’re going to talk to God we need to know the general outline of a standard prayer and the rules to abide by. Let’s use the Lord’s Prayer as our model as we explain the key elements. Keep in mind Jesus threw everything into his model prayer and our prayers may not need every element listed.

THE LORD’S PRAYER:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

1. Establish a personal relationship with God – Using the word “Father” signifies a relationship between God and believer. The word “our” signifies the relationship between all believers. The Bible declares our sonship so claim it in prayer. The Bible declares all believers are brothers so claim that in prayer too.

2. Establish faith in God – Using the words “in heaven” establishes our faith in God. Prayers are worthless without faith. Prayers won’t work unless you believe God exists and that he hears our prayers and answers them.

3. Worship God – Before we ask anything of God we first have to acknowledge him and worship God him as the King of the universe. Using the phrase, “hallowed be thy name,” does that. Hallowed means “made holy” or “greatly honored and respected.” God may be our Father and friend but prayer time is serious business and formalities must be observed. Any show of disrespect will void our prayers.

4. Submission – In all prayers we must come before God with humility to show our submission to God’s authority. God hates pride and haughtiness and will turn those people aside. God loves humility and dispensing mercy. The phrase, “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” indicates the acceptance of God’s authority.

5. Petition – (optional) – This is the middle part of the prayer where we ask something from God if that’s what we came for. “Give us this day our daily bread,” asks God to supply all our needs daily. This is where you don’t have to be formal and you can pour your heart out to God in your own words, whatever your request is.

6. Confession – (optional) – This is also the middle part of the prayer where we come to God to confess our sins and ask for forgiveness. You can petition God and confess to God in the same prayer if you want to. Only confessed sins can be forgiven hence the phrase, “and forgive us our debts.”

7. Exaltation – (optional) – This is another middle part of the prayer where we come to God for no other reason than to give honor, praise and glory to the Lord. Prayers of exaltation to God were rare even in Old Testament times but today they’re pretty much nonexistent. In our fast-paced world Christians have less and less time for God and prayers are usually cursory at best and based only on our needs at the moment. We don’t take the time to luxuriate in God’s love and I’m as guilty as anyone. Everyone has their favorites. When I read the Bible I can tell King David was God’s favorite. God said David was, “a man after my own heart.”

What separated David from everyone else in God’s eyes? David cultivated an intense personal relationship with God all his life and the Holy Spirit never left him. David probably had a better prayer life than any believer who ever lived and many of his prayers were simply prayers of exaltation to God. Read David’s prayers to God in the Psalms and you’ll see what I mean. Who wouldn’t love someone like that, who shows so much emotion and devotion? King David has set a good example for us to follow in our prayer life if we want to be close to God. By exalting God our light will shine brighter before the Lord. We can please God. We can make God smile.

8. Compassion – (optional) – “As we forgive our debtors,” is a show of compassion. It may not be applicable in all prayers but understand God loves dispensing mercy and he requires the same from us toward others or our sins won’t be forgiven.

9. Dependence – We must throw ourselves on God’s mercy for his protection. We must be totally dependent on God and the phrase, “and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,” shows we are dependent on God’s provision for us. God won’t keep us from temptation but he does promise to help us through it. When we throw ourselves on God’s mercy he’ll never fail us. God hasn’t failed anyone yet and he never will.

10. Acknowledgment – Always wrap up any prayer by acknowledging God’s sovereignty over his creation and acceptance of God’s will in your life, whatever that may be. Leave everything in God’s hands. “In Jesus’ name we pray,” is a customary prayer ending that does this for me.

Prayers don’t have to be cookie-cutter and formal and they can be long or short. In the Bible King Solomon had a prayer thirty verses long and the Apostle Peter had a prayer three words long (Lord save me!). Make your prayer format fit the occasion. Give your prayer life with God a little thought. During the day make a list of things you want to discuss with God in prayer. Don’t pray to God using only repetitious phrases and expect to impress God. In your prayers to God he’ll overlook the formalities if you’re sincere. God cares more about what’s in your heart than following a set of rules. As with anything, practice makes perfect. Receiving prayers is the highlight of God’s day.

God has given everyone the free will choice whether to serve God or Satan. God isn’t going to give anyone eternal life unless they talk to him. The only way to talk to God is through prayer. Even Mother Teresa with all her good works couldn’t set foot in heaven without having a talk with God first. God talks to us through the Bible and we talk to God through our prayers. Communication is a two-way conversation which, in this instance, is between us and God. It takes two to fellowship. When it comes to our salvation, the sinner’s prayer is how we reach out to God to admit we’re a sinner, ask his forgiveness and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. God talks to us through the Bible to assure us we are saved unto eternal life if we do what he asks of us.

Isaiah 1:18 – Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Philippians 4:6 – Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

Ephesians 6:18 – Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

1 Timothy 2:1 – Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men.

I know it sounds incredible but the Creator of the universe really does want to be our friend. God wants fellowship with his creatures and that involves a give and take conversation. God’s prescribed way of talking to him is by prayer. In fact, in the Bible God repeatedly commands us to pray to him so failure to do so is a sin against God. The Bible is God’s wisdom and in its pages we learn the right way to live, not only by what is said, but also by the examples set by Jesus and the giants of the Christian faith. All of us should study everything Jesus did during his ministry and model our behavior after Jesus as much as possible. If you’ll notice, Jesus constantly prayed to the Father. If even the Son of God prayed to God the Father how much more should we be praying also? The Apostle Paul was the greatest Christian who ever lived and he prayed constantly. I posit Paul’s success was due, in large part, because of his prayer life. We should all strive to be a prayer warrior like the Apostle Paul.

Romans 12:12 – Rejoicing in hope. patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.

Colossians 4:2 – Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Timothy 2:8 – I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

1 Samuel 12:23 – Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way.

I always cringe inside when I hear people pray to Jesus. I know Jesus is God but I also know the New Testament rule for prayer is that prayer should be made to the Father, through the Spirit, in the name of Jesus. The Lord’s prayer is a good model for us to follow but make it more personal to fit your situation. Never pray to Jesus, Mary, the saints or anyone else other than God the Father. I know Catholics direct their prayers to Mary but that’s a dry hole. Let me repeat myself. It’s not scriptural to pray to anyone other than God the Father so the prayers of all Catholics are falling on deaf ears. Have you ever heard a Catholic say their prayers were answered? I haven’t. God won’t hear prayers unless they’re directed to him. That’s the way the Bible says to pray and the Bible is never wrong. If God didn’t want it that way he wouldn’t have put it in the Bible. That’s just common sense. The Bible says God always hears the prayers of believers and so he does. God always answers the prayers of believers although maybe not as quickly as we’d like or with the answer we want.

Romans 8:26 – Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Luke 11:10 – (Jesus speaking) – For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

Psalm 102:17 – (the Lord) – He shall regard the prayer of the destitute, and shall not despise their prayer.

Matthew 7:11 – (Jesus speaking) – If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!