I'd like to discuss something that is of the utmost importance to everyone who knows God through Christ. The Word of God tells us that we are saved through this by grace. We also learn that without this it is impossible to please God. Our prayers are answered when we pray them according to God's word and will with this attached. The thing I'm referring to of course is FAITH.
A couple days ago I had a dream. A very short dream in which I was asked, "What is more important; faith or the Word of God?" As soon as I was asked the question I woke up and answered, "Without faith it is impossible to please God, but faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." The Word of God is what is more important because without it we can not cultivate faith. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. (Luke 4:4) So a person who possesses faith does so by reading, studying, absorbing, pondering, delighting in, acting upon, practicing, etc. the Word of God. The only part of the Christian walk that can come without knowing the Word of God is salvation. You see a person who knows very little about Christ can come to Him if they believe in Him. Of course to believe they have to have heard something about Him, as we all did. But its not a necessity that they understand. Its after salvation, when the Holy Spirit connects with our spirit, that we are required to live by faith. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. (Romans 1:17)
The beginning of unity in the Body of Christ is established when a person accepts Christ as their Lord and Savior. When this happens there is a rebirth by the Spirit of God. Our spirit is reborn and made new. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17) Its only after this that we can agree. As we know, two can't walk together unless they agree. Although we may be different ages, from varied ethnic backgrounds and have lived completely different lives up until the point of salvation; when we become saved we are united by faith.
I believe that a lot of confusion and dissension could be done away with if Christians would realize and or remember that this unification by faith through the Spirit of God is by the same Spirit at work in their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Yet often what happens is that after salvation we don't allow ourselves to be fully guided by the Spirit. We continue to allow our flesh and our mind to guide us. Think about what would happen if after we are made new in the spirit we did what the Word of God tells us is our reasonable service. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1) What if we all did as was discussed in a prior post and allowed our minds to be renewed and therefore became transformed and not conformed to this world.
Perhaps this seems a difficult task. However, I'm of the mind set that it is not. What is difficult is if we think we can do this ourselves. We absolutely cannot! Romans 12:1 says, "by the mercies of God". Everything we do, every step we take is by the grace and mercies of God. Lamentations 3:23 tells us, His mercies are new every morning. God's word does not lie! This process may not always feel easy. In fact, sometimes it might feel impossible but often God moves in the mightiest ways when we face "impossibilities". Its when there is no other way but God that we must absolutely step out on faith and trust. Not seeing but yet believing that He who promised is faithful.
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. (Hebrews 10:23-25)
What are the above scriptures telling the Body of Christ? We must hold onto the faith with which we accepted Christ and do so without wavering. We must not allow ourselves to be tossed and driven. The good news is that we can do this through Christ who strengthens us! While we hold to the faith we should consider each other in love (the Thayer Greek dictionary defines consider as; to fix one's eyes or mind upon). We are to gather together and exhort each other (the Thayer Greek dictionary defined exhort as; to console, to encourage and strengthen by consolation, to comfort and to receive consolation, be comforted). This should be done more and more in ever increasing fashion as the day approaches for the return of our Lord and Savior.
This sounds just like unity to me! And it all begins by faith in God through Christ Jesus!
Until next we meet, may God's grace and mercy keep, sustain and nourish you both spiritually and naturally! In Jesus' name! God Bless!
This was a great post and interestingly enough in tune with a question I've been pondering putting up for discussion amongst my saved friends & family online. I participate in a prayer group every Sunday morning with friends both from high school. We are about 4 months in and I have yet to hear either of them pray in tongues. Now it initially occurred to me about 2 wks into the group but I found myself struggling to ask. Later I just rationalized it with the fact that some people take the bible so literally they may reserve those types of prayer for their "closets". Finally getting an opportunity I inquired with 1 of my prayer partners if she remembers hearing me speak in tongues during prayer, if she does, or even if they do in her church. When her answer to the last question was no I was not only taken aback but immediately confused about what my next words, actions etc should be. I know to pray before discussing things of God and the spirit especially if I wasn't lead to however with this being one of my best friends I felt that pause slowly slipping out of the window. With that said (sorry lol) my question is "Is speaking in tongues a requirement of salvation or a gift like a spiritual upgrade if you will?" I know the word says "evidence of the holy spirit is tongues", as well that there are biblical examples of tongues in the bible and various encounters with the Holy Spirit but...
ReplyDeleteYou know I've always been surprised that the baptism of the Holy Ghost is a "controversial" issue within some Christian denominations. It would seem to me that anything God offers as a gift would be readily and easily accepted by all Christians. Before Jesus left he said that after he was gone that he would send a Comforter and the Spirit of Truth that would teach us all truth and we would receive power when we received this Spirit. This is actually a topic that I plan to blog in the future.
ReplyDeleteBut to answer the question, speaking in tongues is not a requirement of salvation. The bible tells us to be saved we must confess our sins, ask forgiveness and accept Christ as our Lord and Savior. I've heard it said this way, "When you become saved the Holy Ghost abides with you, when you receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost the Spirit dwells within you." The baptism of the Holy Ghost is indeed a gift but we must willingly receive. So if a person doesn't want it God or His Spirit will not force it upon that person. The evidence initially will be speaking with other tongues. But some people might not speak frequently or may pray or speak in tongues only in their personal time of prayer. The Word of God tells us in Jude 1:20 "building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost". This shows us that it is something God wants us to do and in order to do it we have to have the Holy Spirit indwelling us.
I think the other thing is that some people haven't grown up in or experienced a church where the gifts of the God and the anointing are in operation; where the Spirit is free to move unencumbered. More sad is that some preachers teach that its wrong. Well how can part of the bible be correct and the other part be incorrect? Not possible, its all God's word.