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Often when we think about God, we commonly associate him with paternal or comrade attributes, i.e. a Father or friend, but rarely do we view him as a judge. Packer rightly puts it, saying; 

Speak to [people] of God as a Father, a friend, a helper , one who loves us despite all our weakness and sin and their faces light up. But speak to them of God as Judge and they frown and shake their heads. They find it repellent and unworthy. 

J.I Packer

In a cultural climate that is becoming more acquainted with self-love and extending grace to ourselves, why doesn’t God let bygones be bygones? Why can’t he just overlook our wrongdoings and just forgive us with no strings attached?

Holy by nature

To understand why God does what he does, we must first reckon with who he is. Knowing God’s character provides us with the roadmap in discovering the answers as to his will and thus his actions. One thing is clear about God. He is holy. Holiness speaks to the deepest and innermost nature of God, as it points not only to his transcendence (the fact that he unique, other and separate from the creation he has made) i.e. omniscient, omnipotent etc, but to the fact that his moral purity is consummate. That means that the nature of God’s righteousness is so utterly perfect that he is the standard of moral perfection and goodness against which all actions are measured by.

This holy character is so exclusive to God himself that it must separate from all things that are unholy. In Leviticus we see this separation physically; the Most Holy Place where God resides being off-limits to all people except the Hight Priest, who had to be consecrated (made holy for God’s purposes) and anointed before being able to work in such close proximity to God. Moses is warned by God to not come near the burning bush which was engulfed by God’s holy presence. The running theme is that God being perfectly holy, is dangerous to anyone that is morally imperfect. 

Among those who approach me I will show myself holy; in the sight of all people I will be honoured

Leviticus 10:3

His holiness must never be breached, compromised or trivialised, this being a matter or life or death. Anything unclean, impure that would trespass God’s holy nature may be consumed in judgement. Judgement maintains the equilibrium so that what is holy is separate from unholy, and clean and pure separate from what is unclean and impure.

God rules with authority 

God’s holiness, as previously mentioned, speaks of his all-powerful and majestic nature. This means that God, who is morally perfect, also rules sovereignly, meaning all and authority belongs to him. Ultimately it means he decides what laws we should live by. He also decides how we should be judged if we do not live by them. Rightfully so, being the standard of moral perfection, God’s wisdom of right and wrong, qualifies him to know what is just and fair play, because to know justice is to know himself. Justice flows from the righteous nature of God. We know what is wrong because we compare it with what is right and what is right is perfectly fulfilled in him.

What is fair?

Being made in God’s image – God’s inclination to long for just treatment and fair play resides in us. We rejoice when we see a killer is found guilty in court and we mourn when fellow humans face injustice. The truth is sin (to fall short of what is right), has entered us all. We are all prone to do what is wrong, to committing an error and thus to be culpable. It is God’s task to maintain equilibrium and be consistent with his moral perfection by doing what is just. At the heart of justice which expresses God’s nature is retribution, rendering to people what they deserved. If we do something wrong, we deserved to be punished for it, so that the standard of doing right is maintained. This is the reason why God cannot just forgive us. If we saw a judge let a guilty offender just go free with no punishment, it would anger us. So why should we get away with our wrongdoing?

God must punish our sin, he simply cannot thwart justice by overlooking our deeds. So how can we be forgiven while ensuring that God carries out justice by charging a guilty offence with punishment? Christ is the answer. He substitutes himself in our position. Despite being innocent and sinless he takes on our offences as though they were his and becomes the guilty defendant in our place. God’s wrath and will to carry out justice is satisfied as Jesus bears the full consequences by dying as the bloody sacrificial lamb on the cross. This is called atonement. Now because of Christ, those who believe in Christ and his work on the cross can be forgiven by God because the debt has been paid and judgement for the offence fulfilled. It is only through Christ’s sacrifice of appeasing God’s judgement of sin through the shedding of his blood that forgiveness can truly take place.

Hi reader, thank you for clicking on this article. As a charity, it is due to the donation from individuals that allow us to share this article with you for free! However the truth is, less than 1% of our readers donate and in order for us to keep on going, we need your help. If you donate just £2 a month, you can help Our God Given mission keep thriving. To donate, click here.

Scripture clearly teaches that God is sovereign. He works all things in accordance to His will (Ephesians 1:11). He knows the end from the beginning and His purposes are always accomplished (Isaiah 46:9-10). So in light of God’s sovereignty, why should we pray?

God commands us to pray

Firstly, we’re commanded to pray. This may seem tedious as we know it very well; but we must never overlook this simple fact. We’re not to pray only when we feel like it, or wait until we “sort our life out” before we approach God in prayer. We must pray continually and habitually, making a discipline of prayer which then becomes a delight (Philippians 4:6; Colossians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Furthermore, if our Lord and supreme example made a practice of prayer, it is then inconceivable that we would not follow suit (Mark 1:35; Mark 6:46; Luke 6:12; Matthew 14:23).

Prayer is effective

At the Passover meal, Jesus warned Peter about the impending attack from Satan purposed to draw him away from Christ (Luke 22:31). Peter was outraged. He vehemently denied such a claim, declaring that he’d follow Jesus to the point of imprisonment and death (Luke 21:33). Jesus responded to these sincere protest by foretelling how Peter would eventually betray Him (Luke 22:24). Peter did exactly that, and the death of Jesus left him and the band of disciples dejected.

Fast forward over a month or so, and Peter is passionately preaching before thousands at Pentecost. How was this so? What was it that brought Peter from despair to boldness and a strengthened group of disciples? Jesus’ prayer. Because Jesus prayed for Peter, He turned back to Jesus and strengthened the brethren. Christ’s prayer is effective.

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

(Luke 22:31-32)

Peter was eventually imprisoned, numerous times in fact. So the church prayed (Acts 12:5). They cried out to God asking that He may intervene and have Peter freed. Yet somehow, the night before his trial, Peter was knocking on Mary’s door (Acts 12:13-14). Through the prayer of the saints, God had sent an angel to release Peter (Acts 12:6-7; 11). Here we see God’s sovereignty as Luke writes of how Peter “described how the Lord had brought him out of prison” (Acts 12:17), and the effectiveness of the prayer of the saints in bringing this about. The prayer of the saints is effective.

Like you and I, the prophet Elijah was human. Nonetheless, his prayers were immensely effective because of the God to whom he prayed. This is the basis upon which James calls his readers to pray for the sick among them (James 5:13-18). The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. ¹⁸ Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

(James 5:16b-18)

Prayer is a means to God’s ends

God is not a spectator of human affairs and happenings of this world. Nor are we mere puppets acting under his control. His sovereign ends come to pass by way of earthly and human means. Therefore, we are to be labourers, availing ourselves for God’s use to fulfil His plans through our efforts and prayers.

I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.

(1 Corinthians 3:6)

You do not have because you do not ask God.

(James 4:2)

We’re commanded to pray, it is effective and is a means by which God accomplishes His purposes. In His sovereignty, God responds to our prayers. Therefore, God’s sovereignty does not render prayer futile, but incentives it and makes it worthwhile.

For more on the topic of prayer, listen to this episode of the On The Table Podcast!

The Trinity is the doctrine that God is one in His being (nature/essence) but three in person (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). Although the word “Trinity” is never mentioned in the Bible, its constituent parts are found throughout Scripture. Hence, it is a biblical teaching which can be broken down in the following way:

• There is one God
• He exists as three distinct persons
• Each person is equally, eternally and truly God
• The Father is God
• The Son is God
• The Holy Spirit is God

Wayne Grudem defines it as such:

 “God eternally exists as three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and each person is fully God, and there is one God.”[1]

(Wayne Grudem)

There is one God

The Trinity does not teach that there are three gods (polytheism). The Bible consistently maintains that there is one God and He is one in His essence (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 44:6; 1 Timothy 1:17; 1 Timothy 2:5).

He exists as three distinct persons

God always has and always will exist as three distinct persons who are co-equal, co-eternal and all truly divine. The Father is God (John 6:27; Titus 1:4). The Son is God (John 1:1-4,  14, 18; 20:28; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:3; Titus 2:13). The Holy Spirit is also God (Acts 5:4; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 1 Corinthians 6:19).

Equality with different roles

The three persons of the Trinity have distinct roles but remain equal. Their “three-in-oneness” can be seen through their respective roles in the singular events of creation and salvation.

In creation, the Father spoke the world into existence (Genesis 1:3-26). The Son was the means by which He created (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16) and by whose power the universe is sustained (Colossians 1:17). The Spirit was the breath (wind) of God who hovered over the waters, bringing order and life to His creation (Genesis 1:2).

In salvation, the Father initiated the plan and sent His Son into the world (John 3:16; Galatians 4:4; Ephesians 1:9-10). The Son obeyed and accomplished salvation for us (John 6:38; Philippians 2:5-8; Hebrews 10:5-7). The Spirit gave us new spiritual life (John 3:5-8). He sanctifies us (1 Peter 1:2) and applied this redemption to our lives, being the down payment of our salvation (2 Corinthians 1:22, 5:5, Ephesians 1:13-14).

What the Trinity is not

The Trinity is not modalism – the idea that “Father”, “Son” and “Holy Spirit” are three different names or manifestations of God. The Trinity is not three separate gods (polytheism), nor is it the denial of the full deity of Christ (Arianism). Instead, they are three persons who dwell in communion with one another, sharing the same nature, yet remaining distinct. This is not a contradiction either; “being” refers to what you are whereas “person” refers to who you are. This is a mystery, a paradox, but not a contradiction. We know God is triune because He has revealed Himself as such in Scripture. However, the exact intricacies of the three persons and how they subsist without being compounded is beyond our comprehension.

“We cannot conceive how a single, perfectly united being can also be three distinct persons, but that does not mean it is incoherent or impossible”[2]

(Roger E. Olson)

[1] Wayne Grudem Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (1^st edn Inter-Varsity Press, 1994) 226

[2] Roger E. Olson The Mosaic of Christian Belief : Twenty Centuries of Unity and Diversity (Inter-Varsity Press, 2002) 151

Many questions surround the Christian faith. One of the main questions that are asked by non-Christians and Christians alike is – how can Jesus be God? The answer to this question is of utmost importance since the nature of Jesus authenticates the claims and works of Jesus. What this means is if Jesus is God then all humans must respond to what culminates his earthly ministry – the cross and subsequent resurrection. Some claim that Jesus never explicitly states that He is God, but is this true?

Jesus from the beginning

The bible begins with the following statement “In the beginning God…” (Genesis 1:1). What this statement illustrates is that before the world was created there was God, this implies that God is the Creator and has not been created. Verse 3 then states “Then God said “Let there be light”, and there was light” (Genesis 1:3). So what we see is that God used words to bring forth creation. The gospel of John will later explain that the Word used to bring forth creation is Jesus Himself. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”. (John 1:1). In this book, the writer lets his audience know that the Word was with God in the beginning. Who is this Word? Well, this Word put on flesh and dwelt among the people in the world (John 1:14). Who is this Word that put on flesh? Jesus. Philippians 2:7 states “Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity…,”. The Word of God is the Son of God who became a human so that through His life and death He might reconcile the world to Himself (John 1:1-3; 2 Corinthians 5:17-19). Jesus is God.

The Bible is axiomatic

The bible being axiomatic simply means that the Bible is self-authenticating. This means that the evidence for the truthfulness of the claims the bible makes can be found within the scriptures itself. The mistake we can make when trying to decipher the truthfulness of a claim is isolating one piece of information from a wider body of information. The issue faced regarding biblical literacy is that the bible is seen as several mini-stories rather than one cohesive story. Scripture progressively reveals not only who God is but that God will, through His Son, intervene in human history to be the long-awaited sacrifice mankind need to be redeemed from their sin and into fellowship with their maker. From the Seed being promised in the garden (Genesis 3:15) to King David prophesying that the Holy One will never see Decay (Psalm 16:8-11), to Daniel’s vision of the Son of Man (Daniel 7:9-14); there are over 500 prophecies that reference Jesus as the coming Messiah. Why is this important? Because the Bible calls this Messiah coming into the world God (Philippians 2:6-8).

Do you believe it?

If Jesus is God, will you believe? If you do believe, what have you done with this information? You see what the bible claims about Jesus are a big deal and this declaration cannot be met with indifference. Jesus was hated because He made Himself to be equal with God (John 5:18). Does this make you angry along with the Pharisees? Or does it fill you with awe? Jesus being God changes everything. Jesus being God means that we don’t have a God that is distant but One that is near. We serve a God who came into human history to not only defeat sin but to suffer alongside sinners. Jesus is God and the empty grave proves it.

Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters

Genesis 1:2

Who is the Holy Spirit?

The Hebrew word for the Holy Spirit is Ruakh, which means ‘wind or breath’, and He is the third member of the Trinity (Triune God), first mentioned in Genesis 1:2. The Word of God is often described as “God-breathed”, inspired and lead by the Holy Spirit 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and so knowing the Hebrew meaning gives context to that scripture.

The same Holy Spirit descended onto Jesus like a dove when He was baptised by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:16-17, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-22 and John 1:29-34) and it was from this point that Jesus’ full ministry started. What is interesting is that baptism of the Spirit translates the wind of the Spirit to water, outwardly there is a physical purification by water but at the same time there is a purification of the human spirit through the power of the Holy Spirit, and we are made new. Hence why people may outwardly ‘look the same’ but often say they ‘feel differently inside’.

Before Jesus ascended to heaven to join the Father, He said “but the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you,” John 14:26. Now in Acts 2 we read about the Day of Pentecost when the disciples along with other followers of Christ were filled with the Holy Spirit for the first time “suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting,” Acts 2:2. The Holy Spirit was present at the beginning of creation, was prophesied about by prophets and then was made available to us to live with.  

What is the role of the Holy Spirit today?

• To Empower Us
  • It is the Holy Spirit who gives us the power to do the work of God, to live a blameless life, once we stop relying on the Holy Spirit we lose the battle. As humans we are weak, we are flawed and so we need the help of the Holy Spirit to empower us to live this life for the glory of God, Zechariah 4:6.
• To Reveals The Will Of God
  • It is the Holy Spirit who reveals the heart of God and brings into remembrance His Word to enable us to fulfil the purposes of God, Philippians 2:13.
• To Intercede On Our Behalf
  • When we don’t have the words to say, the Holy Spirit stands in the gap for us and intercedes before God, Romans 8: 26-27.
  • We are encouraged to frequently pray in the spirit to God, in our heavenly language which cannot be intercepted by the devil. In this way we come against any spiritual warfare trigger by the enemy, Ephesians 6:18, 1 Corinthians 14:2.

Resources

The Holy Spirit Archives – Bible Christian Resources – Audio, Video, Bible Studies, Christian Mobile Applications (bibleresources.info)

The Holy Spirit in the Hebrew Bible and Its Connections to the New Testament | Bible.org

Galatians 5:25 says

“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit”. But how do we know we live in the Spirt, what does it mean to walk by the Spirit and how can we be sure we are walking in the Holy Spirit?

The Spirit in us

We must first understand the significance of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The Holy Spirit is God, part of the Trinity. He is our guide, our helper and our counsellor (John 14:16). It is only once we receive Christ, as our Lord and Saviour, that we also receive the Spirit. In this new life in Christ, we do not know how to live the type of life that glorifies God. However, upon Christ’s departure, we were given the promise of the Spirit to help us live righteously (John 14:26). Every person who receives Christ, receives the Holy Spirit.

You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him

Romans 8:9

We belong to Christ; therefore, we have the Spirit of Christ. The Spirit of Christ is the Spirit of God which is the same Holy Spirit, as all three are one in the Trinity. The Holy Spirit dwells within us (1 Corinthians. 3:16) and can be envisioned as an inner compass that guides us towards a life pleasing to God.

Christ has already paid the price for our sins, we are forgiven and the Spirit is forever with us. We are not trying to work towards a standard in our salvation. No, once saved, this is the process in our sanctification, making us more like Christ each day. We are in Christ so we have the Spirit living within us. Now the call, in Galatians 5:25, is to outwardly display the inward working that has taken place, in the Spirit, through our characteristics and choices.

The Flesh vs The Spirit

Before Christ, we lived a life in the flesh, doing worldly things and thinking about the wants of our sinful selves. With Christ, we die to the flesh, we say no to the worldly and earthly desires we once enjoyed and entertained, choosing instead to walk in the Spirit.

For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live

Romans 8:13

The sinful wants of the flesh are described in Galatians 5:19 as sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality…”. Essentially, the flesh is anything that is against God and His holiness. Thus, we are tasked with “walking in the spirit as to not fulfil the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16) because the Spirit and the flesh are against each other, they cannot co-exist, grow and be sustained in the same space (v.17). We do not know entirely what is against God’s holiness as above is not an exhaustive list, however, with the Spirit of God, we receive guidance.

Now we have received, not from the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God

1 Corinthians 2:23

We are never alone on this journey, yet the choice is ours if we want to follow the Spirit or our flesh on the journey. If we envision the Spirit walking with us, side by side, step by step, we begin to see the image of the meaning of ‘walking by the Spirit”. We must continuously remain in step with the Spirit, following the same path and keeping pace.

The Fruit

To walk by the Spirit also means to focus our minds on the things of the Spirit. It is important to understand that this is a mind shift and life transformation. When we choose to walk by the Spirit, we are deciding to set aside our personal desires and sinful selves daily.

Those who live following their sinful selves think only about the things that their sinful selves want. But those who live following the Spirit are thinking about the things the Spirit wants them to do.

Romans 8:5

As with any organism, the more attention, time and care given to it, the more it will grow and produce (fruit). This is the same with the Spirit, the evidence is the fruit which are outlined in Galatians 5:22-23.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, against such things there is no law

Galatians 5:22-23

The fruit of the Spirit is a list of traits which are identifiable in a person’s behaviour and lifestyle. It is necessary to note that there are not multiple fruits of the Spirit rather one fruit with multiple parts. These distinct parts display themselves in different ways as outlined in vs. 22-23. One Spirit, one fruit. We all have the fruit of the Spirit within us as the Spirit dwells in us and we seek to display the Spirit, in our lives, through our fruit.

Walk in the Spirit

We cannot be nurturing or fulfilling the desires of our flesh, as described above, and providing the space for the fruit of the Spirit to grow. The fruit will be a result of a life surrendered to the Spirit, not our flesh. For this reason, we need to specifically walk – make an active choice to follow, be guided by and remain together – with the Spirit, to grow and live. We have to put away the former way of life for a new way of life, in the Spirit.

For more reading on walking in the Spirit

• Romans 8:1-30
• Galatians 5:16-26
• 1 Corinthians 2:6-16

For more on the topic of the Holy Spirit, listen to the latest episode of #ThePulsePodcast