hanks

Q2. (Galatians 2:11-16) Why does Paul call out Peter publicly in Antioch? What is the reason for Peter's hypocrisy? What is the central issue on which Paul feels they must not compromise? Why is it so important? Jewish and Gentile Christians would be eating together without consideration of the Jewish dietary laws. However, a group of Jewish Christians came down from Jerusalem to visit, and when they arrived Peter stopped eating with the Gentiles. This group were still clinging to certain Jewish legal customs and Peter wanted to avoid the hostility and ridicule of these men. Besides pleasing this group, he also, most probably, did not want the news of his behaviour getting back to the legalist faction in Jerusalem. Not only did he stop having meals with the Gentiles, but he also managed to influence Barnabas to do the same. Peter should have known better, for he had had a vision in which God had revealed to him that he should no longer think of the Gentiles as impure or unclean (Acts 10:28). Recognizing the seriousness of this action, Paul boldly accused Peter of hypocrisy. This could not have been easy for Paul to do, but he was a courageous and direct man. Being a public matter, as it affected all, it was therefore dealt with openly. Here we have a face to face confrontation between two great disciples and servants of the Lord. The central issue here was that by refusing to eat with uncircumcised men, even though they were believers in Christ, they looked upon these Gentiles as common and unclean. As a Christian, Peter knew that God no longer recognized national differences; he had lived as a Gentile, eating their foods, etc. By his recent refusal to eat with Gentiles, Peter was implying that observances of Jewish laws and customs was necessary for holiness, and that the Gentile believers would have to live as Jews. Even implying that the Law was still an issue and that this was more important to them than the righteousness of faith. In doing this, Peter was denying one of the great truths of the gospel - that all believers are one in Christ Jesus, and that national differences do not affect fellowship. It was important that there was to be no compromise at all. Jews who had been saved knew that there was no salvation in the law. The law condemned to death those who failed to obey it perfectly. Paul reminds Peter that that salvation is by faith in Christ and not by law-keeping.

Q1. (Acts 9:30; Galatians 1:15-17) Why do ambitious Christians struggle so much when they don't seem to be doing anything important? Why is patience with God's plan so important to growth? Why is a period of spiritual formation so important to future leadership? To listening for God's voice? We seem to think in terms of rewards – anything worthwhile has to be earned, and it is not fair if a person receives something without having to work for it. It’s the same with the price of things – the more it costs the better it is. Therefore, the gift of Jesus and eternal life just seems too easy and free. It’s easy for us to associate work with salvation. We are told to put off the old man, put on the new man, and to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. No wonder we may think that progress in righteousness is only made if we work at it, and this is especially true if it is something important. We forget the gospel teaches us that we are saved by faith alone and we cannot add anything we do, to it. We are saved by grace, through faith alone, in Christ alone. I can remember when I had just become a Christian I was all on fire for the Lord but I had very little knowledge of Christian doctrines. I grew up in a home where we never went to church, and I had never been to Sunday School. I needed rather to grow in my knowledge of God, and to be patient while seeking God’s plan for me. We need to develop a dynamic and intimate relationship with Jesus, remembering that He desires this closer fellowship with Him. As we seek God's will, we need to know what God wants us to do and where He wants us to go, but we also need to know what God does not want us to do and where He does not want us to go. There is no difference whether the answer is Yes or No - both are just as important. Both can guide us into a new direction or confirm or negate the current direction. A Yes guides us to the right choices, and a No guides us away from the wrong choices. It is important to listen for God’s voice. It will often help us understand His Word better; He will never say something that contradicts the Bible, but rather help us in our daily lives and ministries. These promptings of the Holy Spirit may be clear enough, but are dependent on whether our spiritual ears are open or not. The Lord uses different ways to guide us - His Indwelling Spirit, Scripture, consecrated thinking, our emotions when they are put at His disposal, the insights of people, and signs in the world around us. However, we need to be often in prayer, and there has to be a willingness in allowing the Holy Spirit to use our thinking, our feelings, and certain circumstances to make His guidance clear.

Q4. (Philippians 3:9; Genesis 15:6; Habakkuk 2:4) Abraham had been a moon-worshipper. According to Genesis 15:6, how does he come into right relationship with the God who created all? How can a person today become righteous by faith? What is involved in really "trusting" Christ? Abraham believed in the Lord and was justified – it is as simple as that. He believed God – that’s it. Later we see that this is a genuine faith, shown by his trust in God in the offering of Isaac. His faith brought him into a right relationship with God, and we notice works is not even mentioned, this is because works has nothing to do with it. Justification is an act of God by which He declares righteous all who believe on Him. Meaning we become righteous by faith, and this righteousness is based solely on the work of our Saviour Jesus Christ on the Cross. He died as a substitute for sinners, paying the debt of all our sins - present past and future sins. The important thing to note here is that justification has nothing to do with keeping the law. It is entirely on the principle of faith. Since no good works are involved there is no reason for us to boast. It is all by the grace of God and to His glory. Left to ourselves we are spiritually dead. Jesus Christ changes us from a dead sinner to being spiritually alive. He breathes new life into us, giving us a new heart and He gives us a love for God which we never had before.

Q3. (Philippians 3:7-8) How do legalism and the resulting spiritual pride prevent us from trusting in Christ by faith, and knowing Him? How has your pride in yourself kept you from drawing closer to Jesus? Once we start boasting about our own personal achievements, pride takes over. When we look upon ourselves as good Christians who always obey, who never break the law, who never do anyone any harm, who always come to church, and so on. We are clinging to a righteousness of our own; but remember that such righteousness is viewed by God as no righteousness at all but rather as “filthy rags” (Isa 64:6). The only righteousness which saves is through faith in Christ. Faith here means utter reliance on the living Lord Jesus Christ as one's only Saviour from sin and one's only hope for heaven. It is based on the revelation of the Person and work of Christ as found in the Bible. It is, therefore, faith in our own righteousness, and resulting pride that prevents us from surrendering all to Jesus. And at the same time acts as a barrier to having a personal relationship with our Redeemer. It is only when we fully put our trust in Jesus that we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ (Rom 3:24-26).

Q2. (Acts 9:10-18) Why do you think God sends Ananias to Paul rather than revealing directly? Why does Ananias argue with God? Why does it take courage to obey? What does Ananias do and say? Have you ever had God guide you to talk with someone and minister to him or her? Have you followed through? Paul had already seen a vision of Ananias coming to him and laying hands on him restoring his sight. Ananias was also to baptise Paul in the name of Jesus. Ananias mistakenly thinks that God is unaware of the kind of person Paul is, and therefore warns our Lord of the reputation Paul has in persecuting Christians. As if our Lord does not already know! He had every reason to fear going to visit Paul, however, the Lord assured him that it was safe to visit. Ananias is a faithful Christian and carries out the instructions Jesus has given him. Yes. The Jehovah Witnesses had befriended a dear friend of mine from church. He was now all confused about Jesus and the Trinity. Even denying its existence. I followed through several times, asking the Holy Spirit to help me in this task. Up to now, I’m sorry to say I have not been successful and this is of great concern to me. My friend listens and agrees with all I explain, but several months later he asks the same questions as before. My wife and I have made it a deed of prayer.

Q1. (Acts 9:4-5; 26:14) Why does persecuting Christ's people constitute persecuting Christ Himself? What kinds of goads or prods have you seen God use on you to move you along Christ's path? When you "kick against the goads" is it harder on you or on God? Jesus mentions twice that Saul has been persecuting Him - directly accusing him of what he has been doing to believers, he has committed against Jesus Himself. Jesus specifically mentions “Me” and not “My Church”, declaring that all true believers are united to Christ by faith. We are the body of Christ and there is perfect union of Christians in Christ. We note that Paul had learned this lesson, as he acknowledges this repeatedly in his letters (1 Cor 15:9; Gal 1:13; Gal 1:23; Phil 3:6). Any injustice done to Christian believers here on earth, is an injustice done to Jesus, and is felt by our Lord in heaven. God has many ways to goad or prod us, but in my experience, He would rather prefer to use gentler means that are available. I suppose that if we are very stubborn He might be forced to use more extreme measures to get our attention. God has been very gracious to me during my life. I can remember Him showing me His way by disrupting my normal routine, and thereby getting my attention. Also, He has humbled me when I become prideful - reminding me that it is not all about me - and that apart from Him, I’m nothing. Any success I may have achieved is due to His grace and mercy and nothing else. Often the trouble is of our own making, being the result of our own foolish choices. If we don’t listen, or don’t submit to His will the result will be harder on us than on God, but I do feel that our Heavenly Father like any good earthy Father feels our hurt as well.

Q4. (Ephesians 6:18a; Jude 20; Romans 8:26-27) In the list of elements of the Full Armour of God, where does the Spirit show Himself? Why is Spirit-directed prayer so important for the believer? How have you experienced this is your life? As believers we have the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, to counter Satan’s attacks. We see Jesus using this sword in His encounter with Satan - three times He quoted the word of God which the Holy Spirit gave Him for that occasion (Luke 4:1-13). It’s not about simply having a verse to quote, but rather about studying the Word and then obeying and applying it to our life. Then only will our “sword” always be sharp. We read in Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart”. The Word of God is living, life-changing, and dynamic - revealing who we are, and penetrating the core of our moral and spiritual life. We are involved in a battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. We see this today not only in the wars, revolutions, and crime waves, but in the inner tensions and fears of individual lives, in the neurotic problems and mental illnesses which afflict us today, in family fights and church struggles. Prayer is not mentioned as a part of the armour, but we are to Pray in the Spirit if we are to counter and face the enemy. Prayer should be in the Spirit, that is, inspired and led by Him. This requires spiritual alertness and perseverance – we must keep on asking, seeking, and knocking (Luke 11:9). The Spirit reveals our inherent human weakness and our limited perspective on life. We see the part, the Holy Spirit sees the whole and prays according to His perfect knowledge; making sure that God’s will be always done. Not our self-centred motives. We will win in the end - “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8:31).

Q3. (Ephesians 5:18-20) How is singing worship linked to being filled with the Spirit? How is singing worship linked to joy? Spirit-filled believers have a song of joy in their hearts and are full of thanksgiving. As we focus on the goodness of God and His mercies toward us, we are filled with an attitude of joy and thankfulness to God, which we want to share with others. One way of doing this is to sing to His glory. Music has always been an important part of our worship in praise of the Lord, and since we can regard it as speaking directly to God, the words should be spoken with solemnity and awe. The spirit-filled worship is a joyful celebration of God’s mighty deeds. It is through worship that we are transformed, and it’s the influence of Holy Spirit that causes us to sing praises, make music, and give thanks to the Lord. The unbeliever fills their lives with wine and pleasures of the world, but the believer is happy when they allow God to fill them with His Spirit – this produces lasting joy. When filled with the Holy Spirit we give thanks to God our Father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Q2. (2 Corinthians 3:18) Why is character change directly related to time deliberately spent in God's presence? Have you noticed a change in the "degree of glory" you're experiencing now compared to a few years ago? Why or why not? God intends that through the ministry of the Holy Spirit we might be made into the image of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Spirit works at transforming us daily into “His likeness” with ever increasing glory. This can be described as an internal transformation of the heart that changes our situation from death to life. As believers we see Jesus with unveiled faces – that is nothing stands between us and the Lord, so this process of sanctification goes on every single day and is directly proportional to the time spent in His presence. This process is never finished in this life: no one can ever say “I’m just like Jesus”. However, the Holy Spirit never ceases in leading us slowly toward the goal of making us more like Christ. Yes! Praise the Lord! A lot of the rough edges have been smoothed out, but there is still a lot of work that the Spirit has to do. I’m ashamed of what I was. I give Him all the glory for changing me and for all His patience, grace, and mercy shown towards me. It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that this change is taking place in my life. It is when we start handing over our life and start yielding to the Holy Spirit’s rightful authority, that we submit to Him, and He begins to express the life of Christ through us. This miracle of increasing conformity to Christ works because of my time spent in the presence of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Q1. (John 15:1-8) Why do we need to abide in Jesus? The fruit from branches connected to a vine is the grape. What is the nature of the fruit that comes from being connected to Jesus? Is it accurate to define fruit as "souls saved"? What is the danger in this definition? In our daily walk we need to stay in intimate fellowship with the Lord – through the Spirit. Jesus is telling us to “Stay with Me”; “Keep close to Me”; “Follow Me”; “Do what I say”; “Allow the Spirit to transform you by the renewing of your mind”. Just as a branch abides in a vine by drawing its life and nourishment from the vine, so we abide in Jesus by spending time in prayer, in reading and obeying the Word, in having fellowship with His people, and in being continually aware of our union with Him. The only way this union can be maintained and strengthened is through us abiding in Christ, and becoming stronger and more assured in our faith. In the same way as we continually acknowledge Him in everything we do, we are aware of His abiding in us and supplying us with spiritual strength and resources. Jesus said “apart from Me you can do nothing” (v5), not meaning we are unable to function - we can still be very active, even as a Christian, but without dependence on Him we will not become like Him – achieving nothing in God’s sight. The more we get to know Him through His Word the more we will understand Him and begin to think His thoughts. A vine branch has one great purpose, and that is to bear fruit. For this to happen we have to live our life in touch with Jesus moment by moment. The fruit spoken about here is the fruit of faithfulness in all we do – in our daily walk, our denial of self to all ungodliness, and the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22). The ultimate purpose is to glorify the Father through the Son. To define fruit as “souls saved” there has to be true repentance. There must be proof of this, of bearing fruit worthy of repentance - this can only be done by leaving our sins and walking in a new and clean life of holiness. A writer once said that true repentance is more than only a few tears, a spasm of regret, a little fright, and a mere sorrow for sins – this does not constitute repentance in the sight of the Lord. The guilty one is expected to reform their life by ceasing to do things that were wrong – there must first be visible signs of fruit.

Q4. (1 Samuel 3:1-10) Why is Samuel's servant attitude such an important preparation for hearing God's voice? Why is surrender to Jesus such an important element of discipleship? It is only when we chose to be completely dependent on and obedient to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ that we can have a relationship with Him, and then have any chance of hearing His voice. Our willingness to serve and obey Jesus Christ enables us to be useful and usable servants to do work for Him. We need to identify ourselves with Jesus, discover His will and live according to it, and consciously turn away from conflicting interests. Rather than letting God guide us step by step we stubbornly leave God only one option and that is to discipline us. God would rather guide us in love and wisdom, offering to teach us the best way to go. We only have to accept His advice written in His Word. Obedience begins as we renounce other things that have a hold on us – like our money, or our pride, or even many other things – thereby surrendering ourselves completely to His will.

Q3. How would you differentiate between (1) the Spirit's voice and (2) the Spirit nudge or prompting? What can you do to sensitize yourself to His voice and promptings? The primary way God speaks to us is through His Word. Being led by the Holy Spirit involves the desire to hear, the readiness to obey God's Word, and the sensitivity to discern between our feelings and His promptings – are our spiritual ears open or not? This allows us to discern between God’s true voice, and the promptings we will receive, from all the other voices we are exposed to – our own conscience, the flesh, the world, and the devil. However, we need to be often in prayer, and there has to be a willingness in allowing the Holy Spirit to use our thinking, our feelings, and certain circumstances to make His guidance clear. Any of our thoughts, or voices, or promptings we may have must be compared to His Word for approval, for it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart: “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). If it goes against what Scripture says, then we know it cannot be from God and it must be rejected at once. We can sensitise ourselves to His voice and His promptings by living each day controlled and guided by the Holy Spirit. We will then find that the words of Christ will be in our mind, the love of Christ will be behind our actions, and the power of Christ will help us control our selfish desires. God does speak to us, but the problem is that we do not always listen or heed His advice – there must be the willingness to obey. We need to be especially attentive to His Word, church sermons, our conscience, certain events, and fellow believers. It is the Holy Spirit that helps us in hearing and understanding our Heavenly Father. Every day He speaks to us, it might be a caution or encouragement, some precept or promise, some invitation or warning, some understanding or even a forbidding.

Q2. (1 Corinthians 2:9-11, 16) What connects us to the mind of Christ? Do you have a regular Quiet Time? What could you do to make it more meaningful? It is only by spending enough time with Christ, consistently reading and meditating on the Word, that we as believers, can start building up an intimate relationship with our Lord. It is then that the Holy Spirit might make “the Mind of Christ” available to us. This can give us insight in knowing His thoughts, as well as insights into some of God’s plans. We are able to talk with Him and hear His answers to our prayers. This will also change our mind-set making us more and more like Jesus Himself. We will be humbler, willing to obey God and serve people, so that like Christ we should have a servant’s attitude, serving out of love for God and for others. We will become more and more dependent upon the Holy Spirit as Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit, makes available to the believer great wisdom, discrimination, knowledge, and understanding. We can never hear God’s voice without the help of the Holy Spirit. It is only through the Holy Spirit that we have access to the mind of Christ. Unaided, the unbeliever does not receive the things of the Spirit of God. They are foolishness to them, so they cannot possibly understand since this is only spiritually discerned. Yes. I have a Quiet Time three times a week. My wife and I, spend about an hour in prayer and studying and meditating on the Word. Jesus was the perfect example of a Spirit-led life, and prayer played a vital role in His life on earth. We are to follow in His footsteps, and our Quiet Times gives us the opportunity to seek His guidance for the day ahead, to put our trust in Him for providing for our needs and for protection, as well as interceding for others. Starting the day with prayer as a priority lays a firm foundation for the day ahead. Then I spend time with the Lord in a yearly Bible Reading Plan. This requires the reading of about 3 to 4 chapters a day. I first read a commentary about the required chapters before reading the Word. I find this an exciting way to get to know the Bible, it also helps to discipline me, and at the same time gives me a sense of achievement.

Q1. (Mark 1:33-39) What pattern do you see emerging in Jesus' prayer life? Why do you think He spends Quiet Time with the Father before the day begins? How does this prepare Him for His ministry? Why does Jesus minster through the power of the Spirit instead of in His own power? The pattern we see is one of seeking a quiet place free from distraction. In this passage of Scripture, Jesus even makes an extra effort by getting up early to be alone with the Father. Even though Jesus was the Son of God, He knew the importance of solitary prayer time. He didn’t do anything on His own initiative but instead lived in total dependence upon the Father, acting only on the instructions God communicated to Him. He spends this Quiet Time to obtain the strength and guidance needed for the task ahead. Jesus had a mission to fulfil and only His death on the Cross would accomplish Salvation. To achieve this, He needed to remain focused on the task ahead, and He did this by being in constant touch with the Father. The disciples felt Jesus was making a mistake by slipping away quietly to a lonely place to pray. They wanted Him to make full use of the great opportunity the recent publicity had brought them. Of course, at this time, they did not know Jesus’ ultimate purpose was to be a Saviour and not a miracle-worker. Jesus had the power to do anything by Himself, but although He is fully equal to God He, as man here on earth, is not independent from God. He was so vitally linked to God the Father and therefore could not act independently. Jesus is fully God, however, when He came down to dwell among us, He voluntarily laid aside certain divine powers. That is why He could say that He can do nothing by Himself. This was for Him to be totally dependent on the Father while here on earth. This He did, for we always notice that Jesus acted in harmony and subordination to the Father’s will. Jesus said, “Whatever the Father does the Son also does” (5:19) confirming His divinity. Only someone who is equal to the Father could do everything He does. Also in John 10:30 Jesus also said “I and the Father Are One”. Since they are one in being, that is, one eternal God, to see Christ act is to see God act. Jesus is not only equal to God (Philippians 2:6), He is God (John 10:38; 12:45), as the visible image of the invisible God He is the exact representation of God.

Q4. (1 Peter 4:10-11) If people are always promoting themselves and pointing to how God is using them, what does that say about them? About their sense of self-worth? About their maturity? Their realism? Their humility? What spiritual gifts has God given you, and how are you using them to His glory? These gifts are meant to serve the Lord and others, but definitely not to focus on ourselves. Unfortunately, there are some of us using these gifts for self-fulfilment. If we are always promoting ourselves, we are looking for places of honour in Christ’s kingdom, very much like the sons of Zebedee (Matthew 20:20-28), putting the focus on ourselves instead of on our Lord Jesus. Jesus came to serve and calls us to serve in His name – not ours. It’s all about glorifying God and Jesus Christ. It is in humble service that we discover the gifts we have and the great gifts that we might be given. They are used not by human power but by the strength God supplies (Philippians 4:13) - they are totally dependent on the Holy Spirit. When people promote themselves they over emphasise their importance and self-worth, and do not come across as humble servants or even mature Christians. They our out of touch with reality and should be facing reality in focusing on things above and storing things up in heaven. God has given me the spiritual gift of service and a little administration. Church treasurer for many years, elder, serving communion, greeting guests, counting offerings, serving tea, cleaning up, Bible study, and car guard. Being over 80 years old I have served many ways in the church, but recently I have really scaled down, and currently only act as a car guard once a month.

Q3. (1 Corinthians 12:11) What are lessons do you learn from verse 11? What is the role of the Holy Spirit in spiritual gifts? This verse teaches us that there is a rich variety of spiritual gifts of a particular kind which the Spirit of God makes freely available to every local church. All these are the work of one and the same Holy Spirit who distributes them to each one just as He determines. Each and every believer receives a spiritual gift, no one is excluded, at the same time He decides which is best suited to each believer. The gifts we receive are the ones God has seen fit to give us, and we should seek to discover and use them to His glory, and the building up of His church. Even though there is great diversity in the gifts it still is the work of the Holy Spirit, and it is only He who can sustain such variety in unity – only He knows the best way for the body of Christ to be built up and grow into maturity.

Q2. (1 Corinthians 12:9) In the twentieth century we saw the evangelistic power of preaching combined with healing the sick. Where in Jesus' ministry do you see this combination? Where in Paul's ministry? In Peter's ministry? In Philip's ministry? Matthew 4:23 is a good example of Jesus preaching the good news about God’s kingdom and Him healing every kind of disease and sickness. Here He travelled all over Galilee preaching, teaching, and healing - restoring their spiritual well-being as He preached and their physical well-being as He carried out healing. During Paul’s voyage to Rome his ship was shipwrecked and he landed on the island of Malta. Here Paul was bitten by a poisonous viper, but when he showed no ill effects, they thought he was a god. News of this spread rapidly throughout the island so that for the next 3 months the people brought all their sick to Paul, and they were all healed (Acts 28:8-9). This was a great opportunity for Paul to preach the message – at the same this was proof of his apostleship as well as proving the genuineness of his message. Peter visited many parts of Judea and visited some of the Christian groups that had sprung up. At Lydda he healed a paralysed man who had been bedridden eight years (Acts 9:32-35) and at nearby Joppa he raised a woman to life. In both places news of the miracles spread and many people believed (Acts 9:36-42). With the dispersal of the Christians we see the apostles spreading the good news of salvation. Peter not only proclaimed Christ but performed many healing miracles, resulting in great joy and them listening to the gospel. I could not find anything about Philip the Apostle’s healing. However, Philip the Evangelist is mentioned in Acts 8:4-8. Wherever he went he also spread the good news of salvation. He travelled mostly around Samaria were he not only proclaimed Christ but performed many miracles resulting in unclean spirits being driven out and the paralysed and lame being healed. These gifts of healing give a foretaste of the perfect health that will be ours when Christ grants to us resurrection bodies.

Q1. Is it legitimate to use Jesus as our example in the use of spiritual gifts? Or was He so different than we are, that we can't pattern our ministry after His example? Where do you see the gift of knowledge in the Old Testament? In the New Testament? Yes, I would think we can use Jesus as our example in the use of spiritual gifts. It is the same Holy Spirit that gave Jesus His spiritual gifts that also gives us these gifts. However, we must remember Jesus is perfect in all ways and while here on earth we struggle for perfection, and it will only be achieved in heaven. Gal 5:17 reads: “For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.” The flesh wants one thing and the Spirit wants another. The Holy Spirit controls and distributes all the gifts. Some are common to most of us, but some such as healing are only given to a select few. Unlike Jesus, some of our gifts are developed over a period of time, as we walk and work in faith and obedience. For example, preaching and teaching develop with maturity. All our spiritual gifts are to be used to glorify Christ – most definitely not to glorify ourselves. The spiritual gift of knowledge gives the believer a supernatural ability to discover, accumulate, and analyse information regarding the growth and well-being of the body of Christ. In the OT, Moses warned the people of Israel about obeying the Lord their God, and passed on the knowledge he received during the struggle in the wilderness. Scripture tells us that knowledge is a gift from God (Prov 2:6), and that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge (Ps 1:7). In the NT, Rom 11:33 tells us about the knowledge of God: “He knows everything: everything possible, everything actual; all events, all creatures, of the past, the present, and the future” (AW Pink). In 2 Pet 3:18 we are told to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This means we are to increase our study and obedience to His Word, His Works, and His Ways. “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” Holy Spirit, I praise You as God who lives in me - the Spirit of truth who comes to make the truth known to me. Thank You that You are not only present in my life every day, but that You are at work renewing me so that I become more and more like Jesus - and that, one day, all the fruit of Your Spirit will be clearly visible in my life.

Q4. (Ephesians 4:11) How could a person have the spiritual gift of pastor or teacher without having an official position in a church? What must a church do if its "senior pastor" doesn't have the spiritual gift of pastor? Who gives these gifts? This person could be gifted with, for example, with the spiritual gifts of administration (1 Cor 12:28), and/or leading (Rom 12:8) as well, making them of great benefit to the church. Here again, as senior pastor he could have the gifts of administration and leading, even be multi-gifted, all of which would help the church. The Holy Spirit gives us gifts to build up the body of Christ, and to equip us for ministry – training us to be His servants doing our part for the Lord. He also holds us responsible for the way we use our gifts. I pray that I might serve You with the gifts that I have received from You. I pray for Your wisdom in my life and a thirst for knowledge of You.

Q3. (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22; 1 Corinthians 14) How would you define the gift of prophecy? Why do churches sometimes despise or prohibit prophecy? What guidelines does Paul give here and in 1 Corinthians 14 to keep prophecy in a congregation healthy? The gift of prophecy is to communicate/explain God’s message to fellow believers, thereby strengthening their faith, encouraging them, and comforting them in their time of need. It is opening the mind of Christ as it is revealed in Scripture – this is done by expository preaching and teaching. FF Bruce puts it well “it is declaring the mind of God in the power of the Spirit.” Since the Bible is complete, we must reject any so-called prophets who claims to have any additional truth, so called “new truths” from God. I agree that we cannot add to or subtract from the Word, but I do feel some have been given a prophetic gift in the remarkable insight, understanding, and application of Scripture that they have. Prophecy can be controversial and may cause division in the church. Maybe churches have experienced that prophecy is open to abuse, and instead of strengthening and building up the church, it has resulted in threatening the unity of the church, and for this reason they discourage it, despise it, and even prohibit it. However, for us to discern between false and truth, the Spirit has given some in the church the gift of discernment. Paul advises us to test everything by checking this against the Word of God, and accepting what is true while rejecting what is false. We must be careful not to inhibit the work of the Holy Spirit in our churches. To do this we must treat with respect and not contempt any utterances which claim to come from God, and then test it. For example, does it acknowledge Jesus Christ for who He is, and that saving grace is only through Jesus. Do we know the character of the speaker – wolves disguised as sheep abound. We have so many traditions and man-made rules and regulations in our worship that sometimes hinders the Holy Spirit, who always glorifies Jesus Christ. Perhaps it would be better to be open to the Spirit by seeking His guidance, direction, presence, and power.

Q2. (Ephesians 4:11a) Do you think there are modern-day apostles? If so, who might they be? If you don't believe there are modern-day apostles, identify some people who are doing some of the same things that the early apostles did. To me, the apostles of Christ were personally chosen and authorised by Jesus, and were also eyewitnesses of the risen Lord. It is for this reason that I believe that the office of apostle is limited to the Twelve and Paul. They were the men, having been taught by Jesus, who laid the doctrinal foundation of the church. Christ is the foundation (1 Cor 3:11), but the apostles laid the foundation in what they taught about the Person and work of the Lord Jesus. Peter had confessed Him as the Christ, the Son of the living God, and Jesus announced that His church would be built on that rock (Mat 16:18). In Rev 21:14 the apostles are associated with the twelve foundations of the holy Jerusalem – this because they first taught the great truths concerning Jesus. They held a unique position, being the first messengers of the gospel after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and as such this specific type of apostle of Christ is not present in the church today. The gift of modern-day apostles as mentioned in 1 Cor 12:28 and in Eph 4:11, applies in a general and non-technical sense to one who is a “messenger” or a “sent one”. These are Christians who are sent out into the world as Christ’s servants, ambassadors, and witnesses to share in the mission of the whole church. However, all this work is done through the power of the Holy Spirit. We have to careful of those who seek the office of apostle – we are warned against false apostles (2 Cor 11:13).

Q1. (1 Corinthians 12:7; Ephesians 4:11) What is the purpose of spiritual gifts according to 1 Corinthians 12:7? According to Ephesians 4:11? What happens when people don't employ spiritual gifts for their intended purpose? Every believer has received one or more gifts, and they have a function/s to perform. In 1 Corinthians 12:7, Paul emphasises the unity of the church, and states that these gifts are for the benefit of the whole church. In Ephesians 4:11, besides having been assigned specific gift/s, the Holy Spirit also gives them the ability to exercise these gifts. All these are also given for the profit of the church, and this results in the Body of Christ growing spiritually as each member uses their given gift/s. Believer’s gifts are determined by God Himself and gifted according to His plan and purpose. No gift should be used for any other purpose than what God has planned. When believers fail to employ their spiritual gifts, besides being lazy, they show a complete lack of saving faith, and is an affront to our Heavenly Father.

Q4. (Galatians 5:22-23) How does the Holy Spirit produce this fruit in our lives? What theological term would you use to identify this process? How can it be that a person who has been a "Christian" for years displays few or none of these fruits? Are they saved, but just immature? What does James 2:17-19 say about this? Is that too harsh? The Holy Spirit produces the fruit of the Spirit while we walk actively in His way. We must not think that we are to passively submit to His control – surrender to His leading. We are ourselves to walk in the right way, to occupy ourselves with spiritual things. This means to reject what is evil and to turn to what is good – disciplined in turning to the things of the Spirit. To set our minds on the things that are above – whatever is true, honourable, just, pure, lovely, and gracious (Philippians 4:8). The work we do together with the Holy Spirit, that makes us more and more free from sin and like our Lord Jesus in our lives, is called sanctification. This continues throughout our Christian life. There is another term used – the Perseverance of the Saints. This means that all who are truly born again will be kept by God’s power and will persevere as Christians until the end of their lives, and that only those who persevere until the end have been truly born again. If a person has been a “Christian” for years and does not display any of these fruit, we may start to question their salvation. The Holy Spirit that is genuinely at work in our lives, will be producing the fruit of the spirit, and over a period of time these attributes will become more and more visible. Young and immature believers should be given the benefit of the doubt, but eventually they will show evidence of obedience and love for Jesus if they are truly saved. As James mentions, their behaviour will attest to their true faith. We know that our good deeds can never earn our salvation, but also that true faith always results in a changed life and resulting good deeds – showing that our commitment to God is real. Our obedience and loving service are not a substitute for, but rather a verification of, our faith in Christ.

Q3. (Galatians 5:16-18) How does the Spirit enable us to resist the temptations of the flesh? How does He restrain us? How does He enable us to break the hold the flesh has had over us? To enable us to resist the temptations of the flesh, the Holy Spirit keeps us alert and makes us aware of the adverse consequences that will result if we happen to give in. Since temptations strikes when we are most vulnerable, and because we cannot resist it alone, the Spirit equips us to fight it. The power of the Holy Spirit combined with prayer will strengthen our defences and defeat Satan’s power. He restrains us by taking the initiative and asserting His desires against those of the flesh (v17) and replaces them with holy and heavenly desires. He puts this gentle pressure upon us, and it is up to us to yield to His discretion and control. If any temptations come into our mind we must be ruthless in kicking it out at once, we must never begin to examine it and consider whether we are going to give in to it or not. We must remember that we have declared war on the flesh. We can break the hold the flesh has over us only if we are being led by the Spirit, and we do not obey our selfish desires. As we live by the Holy Spirit's power, we need to submit every aspect of our life to God, to walk by the Spirit - acknowledging that the Holy Spirit is the source of our new life. As believers we belong to Christ; we nailed our old, evil, and corrupt nature to the Cross – the flesh has been crucified and is now dead. We now make a determined daily effort to live in union with Christ - the love of Jesus will be the motivating factor in our lives.

Q2. (Romans 8:1-9; Isaiah 26:3) What does it mean to "set the mind on the things of the flesh"? What is involved in "setting the mind on the things of the Spirit"? What does it mean to have your mind "stayed" on Jesus? How much of this requires will-power? How much does the Spirit assist us? Can this become a habit as we practice it? To set the mind on things of the flesh means to obey the impulses of the flesh. That is to live a life gratifying the evil desires of the sinful nature – all the things which satisfy our ungodly self-centredness. It is a mind-set that is hostile to God – hostile to His Name, to His Son, to His Spirit, to His Glory, to His Kingdom, and to His Word. It will not submit to God’s law, since it only wants its own will, own rule, and to be its own master. Its ultimate destiny is death. To set the mind on the things of the Spirit means living for things that are eternal, and being involved with God’s Word, prayer, worship, Christian service, and to glorify our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a life of obedience to His Word, of peace with God, of trying to please Him more and more. To have our mind stayed on Jesus means leaning on Jesus, to have a constant firm trust in Him all through our life. Keeping our thoughts focused on Him and His Word, and acknowledging Him in everything we do – being always aware of His unchanging love and power. To live a Spirit filled life will require will-power, since the Spirit and flesh are at war with each other, in constant conflict, and this will continue all through our life. But we have the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us, this will however involve our desire to listen to His prompting and to obey God’s Word. As we mature as Christians we rid ourselves of evil deeds and immorality – getting rid of the old life and putting on the new nature given by Jesus. When we stumble God is there to forgive us our sins, but we must confess them, dragging them out into the open before God, calling them by name and forsaking them. He promises to forgive and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. This can become a habit. We knowingly sin – God is there to forgive! But it does not work this way, if we a truly a Christian we will find that we start to sin less and less as we become more and more like our Lord Jesus.