DIVINE INSPIRATIONS

Simply put, to justify is to declare righteous. Justification is an act of God whereby He pronounces a sinner to be righteous because of that sinner’s faith in Christ. According to one theologian, “the root idea in justification is the declaration of God, the righteous judge, that the man who believes in Christ, sinful though he may be, is righteous—is viewed as being righteous, because in Christ he has come into a righteous relationship with God” (Ladd, G. E., A Theology of the New Testament, Eerdmans, 1974, p. 437). Properly understood, justification has to do with God’s declaration about the sinner, not any change within the sinner. That is, justification, per se, does not make anyone holy; it simply declares him to be not guilty before God and therefore treated as holy. The actual change toward holiness in the sinner occurs with sanctification, which is related to justification but, for definition’s sake, distinct from it. A key passage describing justification in relation to belie...

  Sanctification is God’s will for us (1 Thessalonians 4:3). The word sanctification is related to the word saint; both words have to do with holiness. To “sanctify” something is to set it apart for special use; to “sanctify” a person is to make him holy. Jesus had a lot to say about sanctification in John 17. In verse 16 the Lord says, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of it,” and this is before His request: “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (verse 17). In Christian theology, sanctification is a state of separation unto God; all believers enter into this state when they are born of God: “You are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30, ESV). The sanctification mentioned in this verse is a once-for-ever separation of believers unto God. It is a work God performs, an integral part of our salvation and our connection with Christ (Hebrews 10:10). Theologians sometimes refer to thi...

  Are you a Gomer? The story of Hosea and Gomer has to be one of the greatest pictures of God’s love and faithfulness found throughout the Bible. Hosea was an Old Testament prophet that God used in a very unique way. Not only did Hosea speak the words of God, but God turned his very life and marriage into a living parable for the people of God to see and witness. The Lord had Hosea marry a prostitute named Gomer. He took her as his wife, but Gomer kept wandering into the arms of other lovers. She was unfaithful. And yet the Lord told Hosea to keep going after her again and again, and bring her back home. Hosea was a picture of God, and Gomer represented God’s people. God’s people were called to live in a covenant relationship with the Lord. He was their God and they were to have no other gods in their life. They consistently rebelled against God though and chased after other idols. Their history was full of unfaithfulness. Instead of just telling Israel how sinful they were and how...

The phrase principalities and powers occurs six times in the Bible, always in the King James Version and its derivatives (NKJV, MKJV). Other versions translate it variously as “rulers and authorities,” “forces and authorities,” and “rulers and powers.” In most places where the phrase appears, the contexts make it clear that it refers to the vast array of evil and malicious spirits who make war against the people of God. The principalities and powers of Satan are usually in view here, beings that wield power in the unseen realms to oppose everything and everyone that is of God. The first mention of principalities and powers is in Romans 8:37–39: “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lor...

 The book of Proverbs says that “wine is a mocker” and that “beer is a brawler” and that “whoever is led astray by them is not wise” (Proverbs 20:1). The Bible frequently refers to wine, sometimes in positive ways when describing something satisfying (Song of Songs 7:9) or celebratory (Ecclesiastes 9:7), and sometimes metaphorically in negative ways when describing God’s judgment (Psalm 75:8) and wrath (Revelation 14:10). A mocker is somebody who is hostile to a life of righteousness and ridicules all who would oppose him. Saying that “wine is a mocker” is a way of describing someone who succumbs to its influence: a drunk person tends to mock virtue and scoff at the things of God. As a whole, the book of Proverbs provides instructions for living a wise and virtuous life—by avoiding actions that end up harming oneself and others. In Proverbs 20:1 specifically, wine and beer are personified in their victims—they are enemies of wisdom who lead others astray. It can be said, then, that...

  4 Ways the Holy Spirit Guides Us By  Andrea Rogers Before he ascended to heaven, Jesus promised to send us an Advocate, a Helper who would always be with us. “But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” John 16:7 Gods Spirit is with you each and every second of every day. He is only a prayer away. 1.  He guides us to the truth : The bible teaches that Jesus is Truth, and the Truth can set us free; free from sin, death, loneliness. Free from anything that is contrary to His word. We find the truth by allowing the Holy Sprit to guide us to the truth about Jesus; that is, He came to be our Saviour. The Spirit will also guide us in our lives as we seek Him through prayer. Read – John 16:13   “However, when He, the Spirit of truth has come, He will guide you into all truth…” 2.  He guides us away from sin : Through prayer, our powerful commu...

  By Kara Sensenig on August 11, 2020 A Most Essential Gift: Discerning of Spirits The Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.  (1 Timothy 4:1, NASB) Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.  (1 John 4:1, NASB) The gift of discerning of spirits is one of the most needed gifts in the Body of Christ today. Jesus's mandate that we become "wise as serpents and harmless as doves" ( Matthew 10:16 ) implies that we must develop supernatural discernment, the ability to detect motivation and the spirits that motivate. The gift of discerning of spirits will become increasingly important as we approach the end of this age because deception will be the hallmark of these perilous times.   How It Operates   The Apostle Paul wrote,  “the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to ...