Joh 4:24 "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
God is Spirit, as such, He cannot be confined and limited in one place for people to go to and worship. The Jews may think that it is only in the temple in Jerusalem that God must be worshiped. The Samaritans may think that God is to be worshiped only in Mt. Gerizim.
Joh 4:21 Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.
Joh 4:23 "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
The hour has indeed come, the new dispensation of worshiping God has been established. God will no longer be worshiped in Jerusalem's temple exclusively. Since God is Spirit, people can worship Him in every place, as long as it is in spirit and in truth.
"In spirit," that is, inwardly and not just outwardly. The Jews had ceremonies, rituals and external semblance of worship but their hearts were far from worshiping God. They went through the motions but the heart, the inward man, the spirit was not in it.
"In truth," that is, in sincerity and in accordance to God's revelation. The Samaritans established their own standard in worshiping God. They did not submit to the revelation of God in the Scripture as to how to worship Him. The result? It was false worship. It was unacceptable to God.
God is not only concerned about sincere worship (the problem of the Jews) He is also concerned about right worship (the problem of the Samaritans). It must be based on His Word, His truth.
Thursday, March 31, 2016
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
What Is It To Pray In Jesus' Name?
Joh 14:14 "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
Praying in the Lord's name is not a tag line that we conclude our prayers with. It's about an attitude of the heart.
Praying in His name is to pray in His authority. We pray because He commanded us to pray.
It also means to pray according to His merit. We approach God in prayer according to the worthiness and merit of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Furthermore, it also means to pray with His interest in mind. We pray only for things that are in accordance with His will.
Praying in the Lord's name is not a tag line that we conclude our prayers with. It's about an attitude of the heart.
Praying in His name is to pray in His authority. We pray because He commanded us to pray.
It also means to pray according to His merit. We approach God in prayer according to the worthiness and merit of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Furthermore, it also means to pray with His interest in mind. We pray only for things that are in accordance with His will.
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Are There Degrees Of Sin?
Yes, there are. For sure, the one who commits actual murder is worse than the one who only did it in his head. Here are Bible verses showing degrees of sin:
Joh 19:11 Jesus answered, "You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the GREATER SIN."
Mt 23:14 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive GREATER CONDEMNATION.
Greater condemnation implies greater guilt. Greater guilt implies a greater sin.
Mt 7:3 "And why do you look at the SPECK in your brother's eye, but do not consider the PLANK in your own eye?
Someone who has a plank or log of sin in his own life has no moral ascendancy to rebuke and correct the speck of sin in another's life. Notice how the Lord Jesus spoke of a speck of sin and a plank of sin in this verse. It only means that there are degrees of sin.
Joh 19:11 Jesus answered, "You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the GREATER SIN."
Mt 23:14 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive GREATER CONDEMNATION.
Greater condemnation implies greater guilt. Greater guilt implies a greater sin.
Mt 7:3 "And why do you look at the SPECK in your brother's eye, but do not consider the PLANK in your own eye?
Someone who has a plank or log of sin in his own life has no moral ascendancy to rebuke and correct the speck of sin in another's life. Notice how the Lord Jesus spoke of a speck of sin and a plank of sin in this verse. It only means that there are degrees of sin.
Saturday, March 26, 2016
Why Was The Lord Jesus Baptized?
Mt 3:13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.
Mt 3:15 But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him.
To be sure, He was not baptized as a repentant sinner. He had no need to repent. He was the perfectly sinless One. The purpose of baptism is identification.
The waters of the Jordan represented judgment. As repentant sinners came to John for baptism, they were saying in effect: "I am a sinner who deserves to be judged. My baptism is the symbolic act of identifying myself with the Jordan river which represents judgment."
The Lord Jesus' baptism, on the other hand, served as a pledge of what He will do for them at the cross. He identified Himself with them as the one who will bore the just judgment that they deserved.
God has a righteous and just claim against man's sin. He demands justice and punishment which we truly deserved. The Lord Jesus' baptism was Him saying in effect: "I am identifying myself as the Sin-bearer of all men. I am taking up their judgment on Myself. God's righteous and just demand must be met and satisfied. Sin must be paid. And so, symbolically, through baptism, I am pledging Myself as the payment."
Mt 3:15 But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him.
To be sure, He was not baptized as a repentant sinner. He had no need to repent. He was the perfectly sinless One. The purpose of baptism is identification.
The waters of the Jordan represented judgment. As repentant sinners came to John for baptism, they were saying in effect: "I am a sinner who deserves to be judged. My baptism is the symbolic act of identifying myself with the Jordan river which represents judgment."
The Lord Jesus' baptism, on the other hand, served as a pledge of what He will do for them at the cross. He identified Himself with them as the one who will bore the just judgment that they deserved.
God has a righteous and just claim against man's sin. He demands justice and punishment which we truly deserved. The Lord Jesus' baptism was Him saying in effect: "I am identifying myself as the Sin-bearer of all men. I am taking up their judgment on Myself. God's righteous and just demand must be met and satisfied. Sin must be paid. And so, symbolically, through baptism, I am pledging Myself as the payment."
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
What Exactly Was Pilate's Sin?
Cowardice. He knew that the Lord Jesus was innocent, that He was not worthy of death, but, still, to please the crowd, he went on to wash his hands off the matter and handed the Lord over to the murderous decision of the people.
He was a true politician, a people pleaser.
He was a true politician, a people pleaser.
What's The Connection Of Bethlehem, Nazareth And Capernaum To The Lord Jesus?
He was born in Bethlehem, grew up in Nazareth and had His headquarters in Capernaum when He started His ministry.
Sunday, March 13, 2016
What Is A Prophet?
A prophet is God's spokesman. He is God's mouthpiece, so to speak. God has a message to convey, the prophet speaks for God to the people whom the message is intended to be given.
It must be made clear that a prophet is someone who receives a revelation from God firsthand. God directly reveals the message to him, and he, in turn, proclaims the message to the people.
It must be made clear that a prophet is someone who receives a revelation from God firsthand. God directly reveals the message to him, and he, in turn, proclaims the message to the people.
Saturday, March 12, 2016
Why Is It Important That The Lord Jesus Was Born Of A Virgin Mother?
It is important for at least three reasons:
First, it was prophesied in the Old Testament Scriptures.
Isa 7:14 "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
It would have broken the truthfulness of God's Word if He was not born of a virgin.
Second, it was to protect Him from inheriting fallen man's sinful nature.
The sinful nature is passed from parents to children. If His birth was the result of a union of a fallen man and a fallen woman, then He would have been contaminated by sin. His conception and birth was not the result of a union of a sperm cell and an egg cell. Mary's womb was simply the vessel or container of a baby who was miraculously conceived in the womb.
Thus, He could be humanity's Savior and new Representative Head.
Third, it was to preserve and protect His kingship.
The Messiah to be born was to be the King of Israel. Mary's genealogy can be traced to the line of kings that was qualified to inherit the throne. On the other hand, Joseph, His stepdad, in His humanity, belonged to a line that was disqualified to inherit it.
Joseph belonged to the line of Coniah. His line was disqualified from inheriting the throne. See Jer. 22:24-30 and Matthew 1:12.
Matthew is the genealogy of Joseph. Luke's is that of Mary. Both came from a royal line with Joseph's line disqualified. However, Mary's was not. Joseph was only His stepdad, while Mary was His biological mother.
If He was not virgin born, if He was the product of the union between Joseph and Mary, He would have been disqualified as king.
First, it was prophesied in the Old Testament Scriptures.
Isa 7:14 "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
It would have broken the truthfulness of God's Word if He was not born of a virgin.
Second, it was to protect Him from inheriting fallen man's sinful nature.
The sinful nature is passed from parents to children. If His birth was the result of a union of a fallen man and a fallen woman, then He would have been contaminated by sin. His conception and birth was not the result of a union of a sperm cell and an egg cell. Mary's womb was simply the vessel or container of a baby who was miraculously conceived in the womb.
Thus, He could be humanity's Savior and new Representative Head.
Third, it was to preserve and protect His kingship.
The Messiah to be born was to be the King of Israel. Mary's genealogy can be traced to the line of kings that was qualified to inherit the throne. On the other hand, Joseph, His stepdad, in His humanity, belonged to a line that was disqualified to inherit it.
Joseph belonged to the line of Coniah. His line was disqualified from inheriting the throne. See Jer. 22:24-30 and Matthew 1:12.
Matthew is the genealogy of Joseph. Luke's is that of Mary. Both came from a royal line with Joseph's line disqualified. However, Mary's was not. Joseph was only His stepdad, while Mary was His biological mother.
If He was not virgin born, if He was the product of the union between Joseph and Mary, He would have been disqualified as king.
Thursday, March 10, 2016
What Is Prayer?
Every Greek word behind the English word prayer in the New Testament always has the idea of asking. Basically, prayer means asking things from God.
The popular idea that prayer is talking to God, that it is adoring Him, confessing your sins to Him and giving Him thanks is not prayer at all.
Adoring God is adoring God. Confessing your sins to God is confessing your sins to God. Giving Him thanks is giving Him thanks. Prayer is prayer, asking things from God.
Now, one may adore God with prayer, one may confess his sins with prayer, one may give God thanks with prayer but prayer always means asking things from God.
If you only adored God, confessed your sins to Him and give Him thanks without requesting or asking things from Him, then you have not prayed to God.
Prayer means asking things from God. It could be a request for something spiritual or something physical. Prayer is acknowledging our needy condition and our dependence on God.
Knowing that prayer is asking things from God, this should encourage us all the more to pray to Him for everything.
The popular idea that prayer is talking to God, that it is adoring Him, confessing your sins to Him and giving Him thanks is not prayer at all.
Adoring God is adoring God. Confessing your sins to God is confessing your sins to God. Giving Him thanks is giving Him thanks. Prayer is prayer, asking things from God.
Now, one may adore God with prayer, one may confess his sins with prayer, one may give God thanks with prayer but prayer always means asking things from God.
If you only adored God, confessed your sins to Him and give Him thanks without requesting or asking things from Him, then you have not prayed to God.
Prayer means asking things from God. It could be a request for something spiritual or something physical. Prayer is acknowledging our needy condition and our dependence on God.
Knowing that prayer is asking things from God, this should encourage us all the more to pray to Him for everything.
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