How can I know the will of God?

There is a common saying among Christians, 'How can I know the will of God?' They say it as if it is impossible to know what is His will for their lives, and their whole lives is spent wondering if they are doing His will for their lives.

Here's the thing, we can know the will of God and it is clearly mentioned in the bible. Many of us are so caught up in the specifics that we forget the will of God mentioned in the bible. We much rather hear a word, 'become an engineer, doctor, lawyer etc' or 'do this, do that' rather than to be actually content with the words already mentioned in the bible for us to do. Many of us do not even follow the commandments mentioned in the bible regarding the will of God and expect to hear the specifics.

It is God's will that we should be sanctified, to live holy lives and to abstain from sexual immorality (1 Thess 4:3). We are also told to rejoice always, pray continually and give thanks in all things, for this is God's will for us in Christ Jesus (1 Thess 5:16-18). We are told to trust in the Lord and not lean on our own understanding and let Him guide our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6). We are also told to go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19-20). We are called to 'do justly, love mercy and walk humbly before God' (Micah 6:8) and to 'fear God and obey His commands, for this is the duty of men (Ecclesiastes 12:13). How many of us are actually fulfilling God's will written in His very word for our lives and yet still ask the question, 'How can I know the will of God'?

I suspect that even if even if one does not hear a specific word to enter a specific job, marry a specific person or pursue a specific study, if that person follows and abides by the written word of God that person will be alright. Obedience is more important than sacrifice and ultimately that is what we are after, to follow and obey His perfect leadership over our lives. Instead of mulling over what we want Him to say to us so that we can work ourselves up to doing something we think or feel is from Him, how about reading His word and following that first?

Japheth Chew

Can you love Jesus and hate the Church?

There seems to be a growing trend of “Jesus loving, Church haters”. Those who are more interested in their own ‘individual personal growth with the Lord’ and wanting nothing to do with the church, the corporate body of Christ. Looking at the scandals, sexual abuse, money and power-hungry ministers, political, judgmental and hypocritical behavior of some in the church today; it is no wonder that the ‘Church’ itself has become to some a stumbling block to Christianity. Some have become offended, frustrated, disgusted and therefore decide that they want out of it. It has become all about the particular individual and his/her own experiences, opinions and judgments about the church rather than what God thinks and feels about her (the church).

Here’s the thing. Jesus loves the church and it is through the church that God’s redemptive story would continue. Ephesians 5:25 shows us how Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her just as how husbands are to love their wives. Ephesians 3:8-11 tells us that ‘through the church the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places’ and that this was according to the eternal purpose of God realized in Christ Jesus. If you are a disciple of Jesus, you are automatically born and grafted into the church. There is no choice between Jesus and His Church. Christ is the one who has ‘built this church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it’ (Mat 16:18).

It is helpful to note that the church is not a building, not a weekly meeting and not the kingdom of God itself. The original Hebrew word ‘qahal or edhah’ meant a gathering, community or congregation of Israel. The Greek word ‘ekklesia’ means ‘called out ones’ while ‘kuriakon’ means ‘belonging to the Lord’. It is clear then that the church is a community of believers made up with people from every tribe and tongue. This means that there will be flesh and blood people in a physical location; and it’s this flesh and blood that most people have a problem with! Yet it is this local church that we get to practice being disciples, and what it really means for us to carry out Jesus’ new command: for us to love each other.

Japheth Chew

What is Justification, Sanctification and Glorification?

I once heard that those words were not meant to be understood and that all we need to know about our salvation is that Jesus loves us. True (in that Jesus does love us and that we may never fully understand the full extent of what each of those three words mean), but false, in a sense that in order to understand our 'salvation' it is crucial to know the elements of what salvation actually means. For the longest time ever I could not grasp the concept of how the three related to one another until I heard it mentioned this way. In a nutshell, we have been saved - Justification, we are being saved - Sanctification, and we will be saved - Glorification. 

Justification (We have been saved) - The finished work on the cross by Jesus (the shedding of His blood for the forgiveness of our sins) meant that the price for our sins and guilt has been paid for. We are now justified before God the Father by faith in the redemptive work of His Son. (Rom 3:24-25, 5:1,9). This means we are now declared right before God (not because of our own righteousness but because of the righteousness of Jesus) and can now approach God in confidence, not in condemnation (Rom 8).

Sanctification (We are being saved) - The word sanctified in the New Testament means to separate or make holy for God. In a sense, we were sanctified the moment we were justified before God (we were made holy and set apart for God). However, it is clear that neither the word or the concept of sanctification are limited to the past tense. We find examples of believers 'being sanctified' (Heb 2:11, 10:14). Paul prayed that believers might be sanctified completely (1 Thess 5:23, Eph 5:26) and that our sanctification is found in 'abstaining from sexual immorality' (1 Thess 4:3). The reality is that we are living in a fallen and sinful world and must continue in the sanctification process to gain the imparted righteousness of Christ. When we sin, we must repent and put to death those deeds; we know that God is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

Glorification (We will be saved) - On the day that Jesus comes back to the earth, we are resurrected to meet Him in the air with our resurrected / glorified bodies and salvation is complete. Glorification is the completion of the salvation process and marks the completion of our sanctification. This is the blessed hope that Paul talks about in Titus 2:13; when Jesus appears in the sky and we finally get to be with Him where He is. 1 Corinthians 15 and 1 Thessalonians 4 talk about the second coming of Christ and our consequent resurrection. This is our glorious hope and the reason we need to persevere until the end!! (Mat 24:13)

So Yes, all that does matter for starters is that Jesus loves you, but there's so much more to His love in His plan of salvation for us!

Japheth Chew

Has the Church replaced Israel?

Only until a little more than a year ago, I had never heard of the term, 'replacement theology' or bothered much about the topic of Israel. I had little to none understanding of the various Jewish feasts or anything Jewish for that matter. All I knew was that the topic of Israel was a sensitive one, and growing in an environment that was hostile (and still is) towards Israel, nobody talked much about it.

Don't get me wrong, I never considered myself anti-Semitic at all at any time in my life. I knew we were supposed to 'pray for the peace of Jerusalem' but that was as far as my theology towards Israel went. I enjoyed blowing the shofar, and the few video clips I had saw about Israel and Jewish feast did intrigue me, but it never had any impact in my life, or my faith, for that matter. In fact, something about 'Israel' and 'Jewish' sometimes seemed taboo or offensive somehow (I now realize that there is a spirit behind anti-semitism in just the way the world has hated the Jews and Israel from the very beginning). It was simply because I grew up in churches that never taught much about Israel, or how we should treat them. 

When I heard then about 'replacement theology', for the first time I realized how big this mess has become, that me, and many who I knew around me, succumbed to this theology; that the church has replaced Israel, that all the promises in the bible that were related to Israel is now for us (the gentile church), and no longer for Israel; that God was done with Israel. We believed that Israel was no different that the other nations and that He had now a new people, the gentile believers, the church, the New Man under the New Covenant. At the same time, ironically, whenever we read the curses and negative stuff regarding Israel, we put Israel back in the picture and believe that God is indeed punishing Israel. We take the good for ourselves and throw away the bad. Weird huh?

Here's the truth. God is not done with Israel and she plays an important role in the second coming of our Lord Jesus. Jesus Himself, (Yeshua) was Jewish and so were all the apostles including Paul.While certain practices (such as Mosaic legislation and temple worship) was replaced, the fact remains that the covenants with the nation of Israel and the plans for the land did not change. There are no 'two peoples' of God, but only one; as mentioned by Paul in Romans 11 who claimed, "Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew." Ephesians 2:15 (NLT) states that 'He made peace between the Jews and Gentiles by creating in Himself one new people from two groups." Gentile believers get to be grafted in into the Jewish tree, making that 'one new man'. God has a huge heart for His chosen people in these last days to come to Salvation and recognize that their savior has come. Would we partner with Him for the salvation of many Jewish souls in these last days to receive their King Jesus who will reign from Jerusalem in the Millennial?

Japheth Chew

The Holy Spirit is a Person!

I grew up subconsciously believing that the Holy Spirit was some kind of a force. At one point I believed that the Holy Spirit was the force of love that kept the trinity together; I can't remember how I got to that conclusion but I did. I believed that the Holy Spirit was some kind of force that was needed in order to speak in tongues and for miracles to take place. Songs about the Holy Spirit filling the room's atmosphere and filling the inside of me only enhanced my belief that the Holy Spirit was some kind of 'power' in order for me to be 'spirit-filled'.

The Holy Spirit is not a force, He is a person. There are many scriptures which point towards the personhood of the Holy Spirit. The apostle Paul refers to the Holy Spirit in Romans 8:27 as a 'He' and not an 'it'. In that same verse, we learn that the Holy Spirit has a mind and in the verse before, we learn the the Holy Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. Matthew 12:31-33 warns us that the Holy Spirit can be sinned and blasphemed against. It was the Holy Spirit who anointed Jesus and became His witness and it is the Holy Spirit who gives gifts, teaches, comforts, helps, leads and corrects us. In Ephesians 4:30 we learn that the Holy Spirit can be grieved. All these are characteristics of a person, not an inanimate force. 

The difference between treating the Holy Spirit as a person and not a force is that you can have a relationship with a person, and not a force. The Holy Spirit wants to lead us into truth and bring forth conviction. He is our comforter, helper and teacher. I love how the Holy Spirit wants to bring forth life (John 6:63) and does speak to us (Acts 13:2). John 14:15-31 beautifully narrates how He was sent to us by the Father to teach us all things and bring to remembrance all things that Jesus said. The mystery of the trinity is fascinating! How I love you, Holy Spirit!

Japheth Chew

What is “sound doctrine” and why is it important?

"But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine" (Titus 2:1 NKJV)

Doctrine. That very word used to scare the wits out of me. I had heard of various people who had gone to bible school and had lost their faith as a result of that so naturally I made the conclusion that 'doctrine', or whatever I thought that was, was something that I would stay far away from. I perceived doctrine to be not life giving; a practice that just uses the mind to try to understand God (who I had thought was completely not understandable) and was also dry and boring. I also saw how various people would use 'doctrine' to wrongfully 'bash' people and cause division and strife. I wanted nothing to do with that. I wanted the fun stuff; the miracles, signs and wonders and just be contented with that. Then I hit a brick wall. I could not stand for myself when my faith was tested or when I came across hard questions. I just ignored them; moved on, embraced ignorance and kept saying, 'I'll never understand', when the fact was I had never opened myself to going deep into the study of His word. So when I felt I was challenged by God to embrace 'doctrine', I knew that this from Him. He wanted me to be a student of His word and to grow in the knowledge of Him.

"Sound doctrine" really mean "healthy teaching". The sound doctrine that Paul was encouraging was simply teaching that would bring the fellowships in the places that he was writing to (Ephesus and Crete) to healthy maturity as disciples of Jesus. This is something that all of us should desire to; to become mature in our faith. There has to come a point in our lives where we desire the 'meat' of the word once we've grown past the 'milk' stage. Our lives were never meant to stagnate with knowledge of the past; but to mature with new revelation daily in order to keep the tree of our hearts growing by the streams of living waters. I'm not saying that we should chuck everything we know in the past away, but to not allow ourselves to stagnate, to be contented with just the little bit that we know and be ignorant about matters of our faith. Paul writes it well in the letter to the Hebrews, "So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding". (Heb. 6:1 NLT). Paul understood the maturing process; that as child thinks like a child and understands like a child, a man should think and understand as a man and put his childish ways behind him (1 Corinthians 13:11).

This, among other reasons, was why I chose to go to bible school. I was no longer satisfied with 'second hand' knowledge. I wanted to find God for myself in His word and let His word speak to me. I wanted to dive deep in His word and open up my heart to receive His love. I realized, the more you grow in the knowledge of God, the more you fall in love with Him. And that is the purpose of it all.

Japheth Chew

Why should Christians read the Old Testament?

Have you ever heard someone say, "I don't need to read the Old Testament because I am under the 'New Covenant'; the New Testament is all I need"?

Here are two simple reasons why I believe Christians should read the Old Testament:-

1. It was the Scriptures that Jesus, the apostles, and all the New Testament authors used

The authors of the New Testament never imagined that they were writing something 'new' that was disconnected from or 'replaced' the old. Nowhere in either the 'Old' or 'New' testament is there mention of one negating the other or of the other being irrelevant. In fact, Jesus' words in Matthew 5:17 clearly indicate that He had not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. The early believers viewed the Scriptures as the foundation of God's plan. They articulated the beauty, majesty, and person of Jesus through the verses and lens of the Old Testament. That was the entire 'Bible' they ever had until the 'New Testament' written in the 1st Century AD.  Even Jesus taught in a synagogue in Nazareth from the book of Isaiah (Luke 4:16-21). He even expounded on the 'Old Testament' regarding Himself to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus; "Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself." (Luke 24:27)

2. The Old and New Testament is one unified story; God's story. 

The Old Testament sets the stage or the backdrop to the New Testament, in God's grand story line. Numerous times in the New Testament are Old Testament Scripture used and referenced to. Crossway gives a figure of 263 times a New Testament book cites and Old Testament Scripture. If clear allusions are taken into consideration, the figure is much higher, up to more than 10% of the New Testament is made up of citations or direct allusions to the Old Testament. This fact alone should give us motivation to look back to what happened in the past before the New Testament was written. The Old Testament gives us context and background into correctly understanding and interpreting the New Testament. Just imagine reading the chronology in Matthew 1 and not having any understanding at all of anyone mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus! If we do not understand the Old Testament, we will have trouble understanding the New; especially in the area of messianic prophesies concerning Jesus who is essentially; the 'Gospel of the Kingdom' that He himself proclaimed (Matt 4:23).

In conclusion, it is clear that ALL Scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Paul wrote that verse referencing the Old Testament! Oh, that our heart would burn within us as we read the Old Testament Scriptures just like it did for the two disciples did when Jesus expounded it to them (Luke 24:25-32). 

References:

http://www.bible-researcher.com/nicole.html

http://www.theopedia.com/New_Testament_use_of_the_Old_Testament