The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit

 

A. The Personality of the Holy Spirit.

 

1. He is always referred to through the use of personal pronouns, He, Him, and His.

(This fact is contrary to the rules of Greek grammar wherein the word spirit is always neuter in gender, not masculine) Examples – Jn.16:13-14; Ro.8:26.

 

2. He has a will – 1Cor. 12:11.

 

3. He has a mind and He Knows – Ro.8:27; 1 Cor.2:10-11.

 

4. He has feelings, He can be grieved – Eph.4:30.

 

B. The Deity of the Holy Spirit. (This subject is a study unto itself; much more could be said concerning the deity of the Holy Spirit; these few examples are but representative of some of what the Bible has to say concerning this topic)

 

1. He is called “The Spirit of God” – 1 Cor.6:11.

 

2. He is co-equal with the Father and the Son – Ro.8:9-11; Acts 16:7; Mt.28:19.

 

3. He shares the attributes of God – Acts 5:3-4.

 

    a. Omniscience – 1 Cor.2:11-12.

 

    b. Omnipresence – Ps.139:7.

 

    c. Omnipotence – Ps.104:24-30.

 

C. Pictures, Types and Representations of the Holy Spirit in Scripture.

 

1. Breath, Wind – Jn.3:8; Acts 2:2. Invisible yet evident; sovereign; heavenly; powerful.

 

2. Clothing – Lk.24:39. – Supernatural protection and power.

 

3. Dove – Mat.3:16. – Peace, holiness (innocence), purity (white) and heavenly origin.

 

4. Earnest, Down Payment, Pledge – II Cor.1:22; Eph.1:14. The promise of the coming harvest as in the feast of First fruits.

 

5. Fire – Acts 2:3. The presence (Ex.3:2) and purifying power (Lev.10:2; Is.6:1-8) of the Lord.

Fire speaks 1^st of the immediate fulfillment at Pentecost (the tongues of fire),

 2^nd of the ongoing sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer,

and 3^rd of the coming purifying work of God’s righteous judgment at the end of the age.

 

6. Oil – Lk.4:18; Acts 10:38; II Cor.1:21; 1 Jn.2:20. Anointing and the source of light.

 

7. Seal – II Cor.1:22; Eph.1:13; 4:30. Redemption, security and ownership by God.

 

8. Servant – Gen.24. His job is to present the Bridegroom to the bride. Jn.16:13.

 

9. Water – Jn.4:14; 7:38-39. Life, abundance, cleansing and purity.

 

D. The Activity of the Holy Spirit.

 

1. In Creation. (All three Persons of the Holy Trinity were active in creation)

 

    a. Gen.1:1-2 (hovered = participated in and protected the work of creation.

    Compare Deut.32:11 – same Hebrew word)

   

    b. Ps.104:24-30 – By Thy Spirit all things are created.

 

    c. Is.40:12-13 – The Spirit of the Lord created the heavens, the earth and the seas.

 

2. In Revelation, Inspiration and Illumination.

 

    a. II Tim.3:16 – God breathed – “Theopneustos” (Spiration).

 

    b. II Pet.1:21 – Men were “moved along” (impelled) by the Holy Spirit.

 

    c. Jn.14:26 – Illumination.

 

3. In the Old Testament.

 

     a. The Spirit indwelt certain people selectively, but not all believers universally.

 

         1) Joseph – Gen.41:38.

 

         2) Joshua – Num.27:18.

 

         3) Daniel – Dan.1:17; 2:19-23; 4:8.

 

     b. He came upon people for a time and a purpose.

 

         1) Judges 3; 9-10; 6:34; 11:29; 16:28-30.

 

     c. He filled some for His purpose, to accomplish a work.

 

         1) Ex.31:3; 35:31.

 

4. In relation to Jesus Christ.

 

    a. The Holy Spirit was the Agent of the virgin birth – Mat.1:20; Lk.1:35.

 

    b. Jesus Christ was Anointed by the Holy Spirit – Lk.4:18; Acts 10:38; Heb.1:9.

 

    c. Jesus was Filled with the Spirit – Lk.4:1; Jn.3:34.

 

    d. Jesus was Sealed with the Spirit – Jn.6:27.

 

    e. Jesus was Led by the Spirit – Lk.4:1; Jn.8:29.

 

    f. Jesus Rejoiced in the Spirit – Lk.10:21.

 

    g. Jesus was Empowered by the Spirit – Mt.12:28; Lk.4:14-15.

 

      h. The Holy Spirit was active in the resurrection of Christ – Ro.8:11.

 

 

E. The Work of the Holy Spirit in the Church.

 

1.  The Baptism: Notice the prepositions; of, by, into and with, they are simultaneous.

   a. The Baptism of  the Holy Spirit: The baptism of  the Holy Spirit is the beginning of the Christian life. This takes place at the moment one is born again. It is what defines a Christian.

   

John 3:5-7- Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee,

“Ye must be born again.”

The second birth, the birth from above (anothen in the Greek), is a spiritual birth.

It takes place immediately at conversion.

There are no visible physical outward signs, the birth is internal.

The new birth may or may not be accompanied by outward manifestations of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

 

Lk.3:16 – John answered and said to them all, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (The “fire” was a prophecy concerning what happened at Pentecost; in a broader general sense it speaks of sanctification and cleansing).

 

Once one receives the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit now lives within the Christian.

The Christian’s natural human spirit is now in a new and living, dynamic relationship with God through union with the Spirit of God. The Christian is now alive to God and to the things of God (in communion with God and in communication with God).

Along with the indwelling Holy Spirit comes the power of life that can never die; He imparts the gift of eternal life.

It is the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead, because it is the same Spirit.

 

Ro.8:11 – But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

 

The believer even after conversion is said to be “living in a dead body”; not a zombie, but in plain language, positionaly dead, i.e. still subject to and destined to the physical death of the mortal body;

But alive in the spirit (currently living in eternal life) dead and alive at the same time.

Ro.8:10 – If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.

Both of these are current truths positionaly and will become actual physical truths in the future. The old mortal body will be done away with and a new immortal body will be given.

1 Cor.15:53-54 – For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

 

 

The Spiritual birth, the new birth, is the occasion of the Baptism of  the Holy Spirit whereby the repentant believer is born into the family of God, an act performed by God alone.

 

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

The washing of regeneration is the new birth. It is symbolized by the ritualistic bath of water baptism. The renewing of the Holy Ghost is the newness of life that accompanies

The baptism of the Holy Spirit. It is the new birth into the family of God unto eternal life.

 

Rom. 6:3-4 – “Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?  We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death (portrayed by going under the water) in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too (as portrayed by the coming up out of the water) may live a new life.”

 

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is not a second experiential blessing. It is in fact technically non-experiential (not experienced by the senses).

As we said, it need not be accompanied by any supernatural outward experience. It is an inward work of God on the heart, mind, soul and spirit of the believer. It is the exclusive work of God. We know that it has taken place by many experiences that follow, but the baptism itself is not based upon of derived from any experience. It is based upon what the word of God says and on that alone.

There should be no confusion between the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, which is an act of God and is internal, and believer’s water baptism, which is an act of the individual and is external. The later is to demonstrate the fact that an inward transformation, regeneration and new birth have taken place in the spiritual.

Water baptism is initiated by and performed by the believer and the church, in obedience to the command of the Lord (Mt.28: 19).

It is done in the flesh, in the natural world. It does not regenerate or give new life.

Holy Spirit Baptism is initiated and performed by God alone. It is supernatural and takes place in the spiritual realm. It brings new life and regeneration with it.

Both the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and water baptism are the biblical norm for the Christian. See Acts 8: 34-38 and 10: 44-48.

 

    b. Baptism by the Holy Spirit: 1 Cor 12:12-14 – “For by one Spirit are we all baptized  

    into one body.” The “one body” is the Body of Christ. The Holy Spirit is the active agent of    

    the Baptism. He does the baptizing. It is universal among believers in this age. (Aorist tense)

    

    c. Baptism into the Holy Spirit: 1 Cor 12:13 – “and (we) have been all made to drink into

    one Spirit.” The Holy Spirit is the unifying agent of the Baptism. He is what makes the

    body one. It is the Spirit in each of us that connects us together. We are no longer in the

    flesh; we are now in the Spirit Ro.8:9-10. Just as we are in Christ Ro.8:1.

 

    d. Baptism with the Holy Spirit: Matt 3:11 – “I indeed baptize you with water unto

    repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy

    to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with fire.” The Holy Spirit is the

    substance, as it were, of the Baptism. The believer is immersed in His person and His

    presence. Acts 11:16 – “but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

 

2. The Anointing: The anointing of the Holy Spirit is God’s special work of confirmation,

Illumination and empowerment for service in the Church and in His kingdom.

 

    a. 1 John 2:20, 27 - “But you have an anointing from the Holy One,
     and you know all things.” 
     “His anointing teaches you.” This is for all Christians, all have been anointed.

    2 Cor. 1:21 – “Now He which stablisheth us with you in Christ,
    and hath anointed us, is God;”
    The word stablisheth in the Greek is a very powerful word, bebaioo,
    that is to say, confirmed or established.

 

Paul is speaking in terms of a present experience. The word stablisheth is in the present tense, see its use in Mark 16:20 and Col. 2:7. The concept is that the Anointing of the Holy Spirit will bring with it a confirmation of present assurance to the believer. An assurance that God’s hand is upon them and that they are firmly established and secure as a child of God Ro.8:16. And God will equip them for His work. The story of the anointing of David is a beautiful picture of this truth. David was anointed when he was still a youth. God then carried him along for many years through trials and tribulations, developing him and teaching him to depend completely upon God in all situations. The result was that David had complete confidence in God and he became Israel’s greatest king, not to mention that he became the author of so many of the beautiful Psalms.

 

    b. The verb, translated anointed, in the Greek is chrio. The name Christ, Christos, “The

    Anointed One” comes from the same root. In fact, most of the references to the anointing

    of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament refer to Jesus.  See Lk.4:18; Acts 4:27; 10:38; Heb.1:9.

 

    c. Acts 1:4-8 - Just before Jesus departed in the ascension He told His disciples to wait in

    Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit to come upon them. When He (the Spirit) did, He would   

    Baptize them and  “clothe them with power from on high” (Lk. 24:49). He told them that this  

    promise was from God the Father and that He, Jesus, would not leave them alone Jn.14:16-

    18.  He promised that when He (the Spirit) came that He would be with them and in them.

    When the day of Pentecost came and the promise was fulfilled the disciples were filled

    with confidence and confirmation. When the Spirit comes upon the believer at the moment

    of the new birth, both the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and the Anointing of the Holy Spirit

    take place simultaneously. Each action of God is distinct and provides its own unique

    blessings.

 

    d. The transforming power of the Holy Spirit is the story of the birth
    and growth of the Church. The Apostles and first disciples went from
    doubting, fearful and confused to bold and confident, filled with
    knowledge and power, and certain of their calling and mission.
   The Holy Spirit is “poured out upon the believer”  
   like the holy anointing oil in the Old Testament was poured out on
   individuals designated for service as prophets, priests and
   kings and such. All of the Old Testament anointing foreshadows
  the Holy Spirit anointing of the priesthood of believers in the Church.

  It is an act of confirmation and empowerment within the heart of a
  believer that God has appointed him into His service.  Every Christian
  receives an anointing at the moment he is born again.

 

It is when a Christian yields to the leading of the Holy Spirit and develops his Spirit given gifts that his anointing becomes evident. We are all anointed for some kind of service; it is when we let the Spirit direct our work that His anointing shines forth in our lives and in our ministries. We need not seek what we already have; a special or a new anointing; we simply need to allow the Spirit’s anointing to manifest through our submission to His will for us and by our cooperation with God’s calling on our life.

3. The Indwelling: The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the unique privilege of the Christian in this age.

If the Holy Spirit does not live with in you then you are not a Christian.

1 Cor.3:16; 6:19 – You are the temple of the Holy Spirit.  

 

    a. If the Spirit of Christ dwells in you – Ro.8:9-11

 

    b. He will be with you and in you. - Jn.14:16-18: “And I will pray the Father, and he shall 

    give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth;

    whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye

    know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”

    I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

 

    c. He even lives in carnal and sinning Christians – 1Cor.3:1-15; 5:1-13 -
    “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal,
    as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food;
    for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able;
    for you are still carnal.”
   “It is actually reported that there is  sexual immorality among you,
    and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the  

    Gentiles that a man has his father's wife!”

 

4. The Sealing: The Sealing of the Holy Spirit is God’s Stamp of ownership upon the believer. It is the guarantee of successful delivery to the prescribed destination

 

    a. 2 Cor 1:22 - “Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest
    of the Spirit in our hearts.”

 

    b. 2 Cor 5:1-5 – “Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed,
    we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human
    hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling,
   because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.  For while we are in
   this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed
   but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be
  swallowed up by life.  Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose
  and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”

 

    c. I know whom I have believed – 2 Tim.1:12 and He knows His own –
    2 Tim.2:19

 

    d. Kept by the power of God – 1 Pet.1:2-9 – He holds us, we do not hold Him.
   We are saved by grace through faith Eph.2:8-9. Our faith is not works;
   it is our initial acceptance of His gift of grace. He takes it from there.
   Indeed, He took it from before the foundation of the world in His foreknowledge
   1 Pet.1:2; Rev.13:8; 17:8.

 

    e. Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. – Ro.8:37-39.

 

5. The Filling: It is a fresh infilling that Christians are to seek, not a second baptism,
Christians are already baptized in the Holy Spirit, as we have seen.

 

    a. Eph. 5:18-21 – “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled
    with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
    singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all
    things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting
    yourselves one to another in the fear of God.”

 

    b. The filling of the Spirit is different from the indwelling of the Spirit in that once
    the Spirit indwells a believer, He never leaves. The filling comes and goes.
    “Be continually being filled”

 

6. The Fruit: All Christians should manifest the fruit of the Spirit, and it should be
     increasing.

 

    a. Gal.5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
    kindness, goodness, faithfulness,   gentleness, self-control. Against such there
    is no law.

 

7. The Gifting: It is the gifts of the Spirit, especially the higher gifts
(1 Cor.12:31; 14:1) that a Christian is to pray for, not the anointing of the Spirit,
all Christians are already anointed by the Spirit, as we have seen.

 

    a. Ro.12:6-8 – “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is
   given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to
   our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches,
   in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives,

   with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy,
   with cheerfulness.”

 

    b. 1 Cor.12:8-10, 28-30 – “There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
    There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are
    diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.
    But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit
    of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another

    the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the
    same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another
   the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits,
   to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
   But one and the same Spirit works all these things,

   distributing to each one individually as He wills.”

 

    c. Eph.4:11 - “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets,
    some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers.”   

 

8.  The Quenching: We are warned to not Grieve, Resist, Suppress or Quench the Spirit.

 

    a. 1 Thess. 5:16-22 – “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks;
    for     this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.
   Do not despise  prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good.
   Abstain from every form of evil.”

 

9. The Leading:

    a. Gal. 5:18-21 – “But if you are led of the Spirit, you are not under the law.
    Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness,
    lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath,
    selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries,
    and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past,
    that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

    b. Gal 5:16, 25 – “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill
     the lust of the flesh.” – “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

 

 10. The Witnessing: The internal self authenticating witness of the Holy Spirit in the heart.

 

    a. Rom. 8:14-17 – “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of

    God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the

  Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit Himself beareth witness  

   with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and

   joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified

   together.”      

   

   b. Gal. 4:5-7 – “Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit

   who calls out, "Abba, Father." So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son,

   God has made you also an heir.”

 

   c. The Christian enjoys an intimate family relationship with the Father because he is a joint

   heir with Jesus.

   Mark 14:36 - "Abba, Father," he said, "Everything is possible for you. Take this cup from Me.

   Yet not what I will, but what you will."  

 

   d. Rom. 8:26-27 – “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know

   what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot

   express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit

   intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.”

 

The Church of Jesus Christ enjoys a very special, precious, and unique relationship with the Holy Spirit today and for ever.

No other group of people at any time in history has ever enjoyed this same intimate, internal and permanent relationship with the Third Person of the Holy Trinity that we as Christians now enjoy in this dispensation.

It is this special relationship with the living Spirit of God that defines the Church and sets it apart from all other people groups in redemptive history.

Along with this great privilege comes great responsibility. Let us never take for granted the awesome gift that God has granted to the Body of Christ here on earth, in the middle of a lost and dying world.

May we endeavor to be worthy of this great honor by yielding to the Spirit’s leading in our lives on a daily basis.

In summary:

We are born into the family of God by His doing. As a result of the new birth we have become joint heirs with Jesus Christ. We will inherit and share in the blessings that God has provided for His beloved Son. He is our “Abba Father!”

At the moment that we believed and we were born again; God poured out the Holy Spirit upon us, into us, and around us; imparting to each child of God; the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, the Anointing of the Holy Spirit, the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the Sealing of the Holy Spirit, and the Gifting of the Holy Spirit; all attested to by the internal Witness of the Holy Spirit to assure us in our hearts that we are a child of God!

In addition we now have access to the Infilling of the Holy Spirit, the manifestations and increase of the Fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and we may enjoy the limitless blessings of the Leading of the Holy Spirit in every area of our lives as we yield to him, as we seek Him, and as we obey and follow Him.

Deductive Syllogism: “The Millennial Kingdom”

We have been doing an Inductive study of the Millennial Kingdom for the past few weeks, looking at dozens of passages in the Old Testament that speak of the Kingdom of God.
We compared and contrasted the concepts of inductive, informal reasoning (investigating particular passages that refer to the Millennium and grouping them for general similarities and differences) and deductive formal reasoning... (starting with a general principle and examining the particulars in light of that principle).
Following is an example of our procedure and conclusions.
The premises are arrived at through inductive study, and the conclusion follows resistlessly through deduction.

Deductive Syllogism: “The Millennial Kingdom”

Premise one:
All unfulfilled Biblical Prophecy is to be taken just as literally as all fulfilled Biblical Prophecy, yet future.

Example of scriptural justification: 
Deut.18:20-22 – 20 ‘But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’ 21 “You may say in your heart, ‘How will we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?’ 22 “When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.

Premise two:
The Millennial Kingdom prophecies are yet unfulfilled literally.

Example:
Zech.14:1-21 – 1 Behold a Day is coming for the Lord...4 His feet shall stand upon the Mount of Olives...7 It will be a unique Day...9 the Lord will be King over all the earth; in that Day the Lord will be the only one and His name shall the only one...11 and the people will live in it and there will be no more curse, for Jerusalem will dwell in security...20 “HOLY TO THE LORD.”

Premise three:
Therefore, the Millennial Kingdom prophecies will be fulfilled literally in the future.

Examples:
Is.44:6-7 – 6 “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me.
7 ‘Who is like Me? Let him proclaim and declare it; Yes, let him recount it to Me in order, from the time that I established the ancient nation. And let them declare to them the things that are coming and the events that are going to take place.

Is.44:21-26 – 21 “Remember these things, O Jacob, And Israel, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant, O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me. 22 “I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud And your sins like a heavy mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.” 23 Shout for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done it! Shout joyfully, you lower parts of the earth; Break forth into a shout of joy, you mountains, O forest, and every tree in it; For the LORD has redeemed Jacob And in Israel He shows forth His glory. 24 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb, “I, the LORD, am the maker of all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself and spreading out the earth all alone. 25 Causing the omens of boasters to fail, Making fools out of diviners, Causing wise men to draw back and turning their knowledge into foolishness, 26 Confirming the word of His servant and performing the purpose of His messengers. It is I who says of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be inhabited!’ And of the cities of Judah, ‘They shall be built.’ And I will raise up her ruins again.

Is.46:9-10 – 9 “Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure';

You can be sure that God means what He says. His promises are true and dependable.
The very existence of the Nation and people of Israel today is a miraculous testimony to His faithfulness. He is going to continue to bring to pass all that He has spoken concerning Israel, Jerusalem and Zion just as He has always done before.
Remember, His future promises are as good as His past promises.
This is the reason that we can believe His future promises concerning us.
Maranatha!

The Judgement Seat of Christ

As we continue in our overview of prophecy the next event following the rapture of the Church will be - 

The Judgement Seat of Christ

Ro. 14:10- “We shall all stand before the Judgement Seat of Christ” KJV

“We shall all stand before the Judgement Seat of God” NASB
Jn. 20:28- “My Lord and my God” ; 
Titus 2:13- “Our great God and Savior Jesus Christ”
Note: Jesus is God.
It is Jesus who will be sitting in judgement of all people,
the saved and the lost.
The “Judgement seat of Christ” is for the saved.
Jn. 5:22- “The Father judges no one, but has committed all judgement to the Son”
Ps. 50:5-6- “Gather My godly ones to Me,--- for God Himself is Judge.”

Definition:
The “judgement seat” in the Greek is the “Bema”.
The word means “a raised platform from which judgement is pronounced.”
It was used in law courts in Greece and was used by Roman magistrates and rulers.
A third use was that of a judging stand at sporting events, such as the famous Isthmus games and the ancient Olympics.
It is from this third use of the term that we gain some insight into how it is used in our text, Ro. 14:10.
The idea is that of a reviewing stand at the end of a race to distribute rewards to the appropriate participants.
There is no looming consequence of punishment for poor or inferior performance, only lack of reward.
There is however a definite sense of seriousness and need for ones best effort in anticipation of standing before the awesome and almighty Judge.
This will not be a time for lame and worthless excuses in an attempt to justify a halfhearted effort.
Especially when it was the Judge Himself that provided everything needed for each one to do well. (1Cor. 3:15)

2Cor. 5:10- “We must all appear before the Judgement Seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body” according to what he has done, whether good or bad (worthless, the opposite of good, i.e. not good).”

2Cor. 5:11- “Therefore knowing the fear of the Lord we persuade men”

1Cor. 3:8- “each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.”

1Cor. 3:10-15- Let each man be careful how he builds on the foundation.
Paul said he laid a foundation. What is the foundation of Paul’s teaching?
What is the foundation of all the Apostles and the Prophets (Eph. 2:20)?
Verse 11 says, “no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

Note: Jesus Christ is the final word from God to men (Heb. 1:2).
He is the only foundation upon which any man may build.

“On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand."

Lk. 6:46-48- Jesus said, “Everyone who hears My words and acts upon them, he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation upon a rock.”

1Cor. 3:14- “If any man’s work remains, he will receive a reward.”

Lk. 14:14- “you will be paid at the resurrection of the righteous.” (the Rapture)

Rev. 22:12- “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.”

Rewards:
Mt. 5:12- enduring persecution; 10:41-42- Prophets reward, righteous man’s reward, reward for kindness to children; Rev. 11:17-18- rewards for all His servants, small and great.

Crowns: Victors - 1 Cor.9:25-27; Life - Rev.2:10; Glory. 1 Pet.5:2-4;
Righteousness - 2 Tim.4:8; Rejoicing - 1 Thes.2:19-20

Authority: Mt. 19:28-30- Apostles to sit on thrones, follower’s to receive a hundredfold houses, land and family.

1Cor. 6:2-3- Saints to judge the world and angels.

2Tim. 2:12- We shall reign with Him.
Rev. 5:9-10- A kingdom of priests who will reign with him on earth. Rev.20:6-Reign for a thousand years.
Rev.22:5- We shall reign forever and ever.

Parables of reward:
Mt. 25:14-30- The parable of the talents. Verses 21 + 23 – “Well done, good and faithful servant, you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things, enter in to the joy of your Master.”
Lk. 19:11-27- The parable of the minas. Verse 17 - “Well done , good slave, because you have been faithful in a very little thing, Be in authority over ten cities.”
Verse 19 – “And He said to him also, And you are to be over Five cities.”

Commentary:
The Judgement seat of Christ is exclusively for Christians. It will be specifically to determine rewards for service and faithfulness. It should be a time of great rejoicing for all Christians, but it will also be a time of recognition of lost, wasted and missed opportunities, when much will be burned up as wood hay and stubble. Only the precious will remain, that which is pleasing to the Lord.
The knowledge that we will all give an account one day to the Lord of heaven and earth, should motivate us to do our very best while we still have a chance to do so here on earth.
When we leave this world our work to be judged will be done. This is what we will bring to the Judgement Seat of Christ for His review.
“We must all work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no man can work” Jesus Christ Jn.9:4

The Imminency of the Lord's return.

The doctrine of imminency is well established in Scripture. We get much of our information concerning this aspect of prophetic truth through the direct teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ.
For those who may not be familiar with the term; it refers to the fact that Christ's return in the clouds for His Church at the Rapture can happen at any moment, there are no prophecies that need to be fulfilled beforehand.
This is in contrast to His glorious appearing; which is when when He comes to the earth as the conquering King of Kings, which occurs at the end of the Tribulation period (as portrayed in Rev.19:11-16, and many other passages in both the Old and New Testaments). This 2nd aspect of His return will be preceded by many clear, and yet to be fulfilled prophecies, that have definite calculable time qualities connected to them (Mt.24:15 etc.).

Therefore;

WATCH !

Rev. 3:1-3 – He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this:
‘I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.
2. ‘Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God.
3. ‘So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.

Lk.12:35-40 – “Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit. 36. “Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks.
37. “Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them.
38. “Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.
29. “But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into.
40. “You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.”

Ro.13:11-14 – It is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.
12. The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
13. Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy.
14. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.

Eph.5:13-17 – But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.
14. For this reason it says, “Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.”
15. Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16. making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Lk.21:28 – And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

Mk.13:32-37 – “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
33. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.
34. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
35. “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.
37. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

The Lord is not slow.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
But desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
Prov.13:12

The human heart is a wonder of creation; it is capable of the highest aspirations of imagination, hope and love, and at the same time it is an endless source of anxiety, contradiction and confusion; it is at one and the same time the wellspring of inspiration to pursue great and productive achievements as well as a fount of tremendous restlessness, despair and destruction.
It is no wonder that our world is filled with the glories of human accomplishment on the one hand and the far reaching consequences of human folly and depravity on the other.
The old proverb gives us a very helpful insight as to how these things can be true.

Frustration is a universal human trait and it has been from the beginning. The hope of promise and the anticipation of resolution can only postpone the disquieted anxious heart for so long and then alternative solutions are sought.

I believe that this is the reason that men like Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, John Chrysostom and Augustine invented and embraced such an erroneous and harmful doctrines as Amillennialism and Supersessionism (better known as Replacement Theology).
They simply had no patience or inclination to wait for God to fulfill His prophetic promises, so they looked to their human imaginations to supply a ready substitute to satisfy their lack of faith and lack of patience.
In order to accomplish their objective, they had to devise a system to define away the clear teaching and literal intent of plain language; hence the “Allegorical School” of interpretation was born, nurtured and propagated.

The deepest roots of this erroneous and destructive doctrine reach to the pit of hell and originated in the demented mind of Satan, the enemy of God and the avowed enemy of God’s chosen people, Israel.
Anti-Semitism is the invention of the devil, and it is one of his most diabolical tools.
Shame on any so called Christian who embraces it!
What a contradiction! What confusion!

The de-emphasis on the study of Biblical prophecy in our day is a direct result of the long lasting influence of these aforementioned, misdirected and deceived so called “Church Fathers”.
How easily the human heart is manipulated by the father of lies!
How readily does the heart of man abandon hopeful waiting and seek to dig dry cisterns rather than to wait for the outpouring of God’s rain in its due season.

And so, it is required of God’s stewards that they be found faithful to His word and to His promises; to wait patiently yet expectantly for the fulfillment of every detail of every word of Holy Scripture, literally, to those to whom the promises were made.

This has been my approach to Bible teaching for over thirty years; this has been our approach to Bible interpretation here at Friends and Family Forum for the past decade; this has been the method of prophetic interpretation and teaching at Bible Baptist Church for over forty years here in the Plymouth area, and this will remain the focus of our eschatology as long as the Lord provides breath; or until the Lord returns literally to rule and reign in His glorious Millennial Kingdom on earth for a thousand years and then forever into eternity future in the new heavens and on the new earth! 
Maranatha!

Don't settle for second best.

Biblical prophecy is a lot like aging, the closer one gets to the end the more intense the signs get that a big change is coming; that things are not going to continue, indeed cannot continue as they have been forever indefinitely. 
There are all kinds of ways that people deal with the ageing process and it's interesting, even amusing to see how different folks handle it, or don't handle it well at all.
We all know about the midlife crisis syndrome and the attempts to regain ones lost youth through buying stuff, like a new car or new cloths; or by getting "work" done on the hair, or face or body; maybe changing partners or whatever.
It all boils down to an attempt to deny the inevitable.
It's really nothing more than whistling past the graveyard.
Funny and sad at the same time.

As I said, prophecy is a lot like aging; the human heart and mind tend to respond to the unfolding signs of end time events in the same way that they do to the signs of aging; mainly denial and incredulity.
But, just like mortality and death are facts of life; no amount of whistling, diversion or denial can change the inevitable future concerning the doom of the current world system.
It is coming to an end; and by the way, that's a good thing.
All the signs are in place; the convergence of events in our day is a one time, like never before perfect storm; foreordained and foretold by God as part of the process of bringing in a new and better world.

This is the topic of our current Bible study; it's a topic that I have been following for three and a half decades and I never cease to be amazed at the lack of interest in, or concern for, the signs of the times in our day that are unfolding before our very eyes.

II Pet.3:3-4 – Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts,
4. And saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.”

So many in the Church are concerned with prosperity, with health and wealth; with feel good worldly music and worldly messages about reaching their best potential for success in this world; promises of attaining ultimate happiness here and now.
These are all false promises and they are a distraction from reality.
This world is not the best that there is; it is only a step on the way.
The best is yet to come, for those who will seek it and who are willing to wait for it.

Yes this world can be beautiful and God has created it for our enjoyment and for our wellbeing and we should be thankful for that; but this is not all that He has promised; not by a long shot!
We look forward to a new heavens and a new earth in which there is no more sin, suffering and death; a world that is spoken of in
II Pet.3:13 - "wherein righteousness dwells."
Don't settle for second best.
Trust Christ for salvation and believe His word for the promised coming of a better world.
He has conquered sin and death and soon He will put away it's consequences forever.

Maranatha!