Category: Sermons

Great Words of the Gospel – Redemption

March 15, 2026

In last weeks’ message in our Great Words of the Gospel series we looked at the topic of salvation. We looked briefly at Old Testament salvation and how God used the word Yeshua’ah to describe the salvation and deliverance He gave the Israelites. We also looked at the animal sacrifices that were required to temporary cover the peoples sin and guilt until Christ came.

We then looked at New Testament salvation and how that is wrapped up completely in the finished work of Christ. We saw the three aspects of salvation that there is a need, a provision in Christ and a response that we all need to make. We also looked at some verses of assurance and a simple salvation prayer.

In this week’s message I want to look at another of the great words of the gospel – redemption. This word hangs dependently on the finished work of Christ on the cross. It is a key word that is wrapped up in our faith and trust in Christ.

I want to start with a definition of redemption and then share four things that redemption offers us.

Let’s pray

Loving Heavenly Father,

Let Your people hear the good news of Your love, the good news of Your forgiveness and the good news of Your acceptance in my words today.  Let me show them afresh Jesus and all He has done for them.  Amen

What is Redemption?

Redemption is an important word in the Christian faith. Redemption is about the buying back or release of an object or person. In the Bible redemption refers to God’s ransoming of believers through the death of Jesus Christ upon the cross and to all the benefits that this brings. So Jesus paid the price on the cross to redeem us back to God.

1. We needed to be redeemed because we could save ourselves.

As we saw last week in my message about salvation we saw that in our natural state without Christ we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) and that this sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2).

Some people and some religions think they can redeem themselves by good works. They think if their good deeds out way their bad deeds, then God will accept them. The Bible tells us that salvation is not by good works, so no-one can boast. It is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-9).

This is where Christ comes in with His work on the cross. In Christ we have been freed. Through His death on the cross as a payment for our sin the price has been paid.

Colossians 1:13-14 “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Ephesians 1:7 tells us that, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace”.

Mark 10:45 says, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

1 Timothy 2:5-6 tells us that, “There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time”.

Jesus gave His life as a ransom for many. It is by Christ’s shed blood that our sins are forgiven. We celebrate this each week in communion. His death opened the way to God. He is the one mediator between God and mankind. Our redemption is 100% totally and completely paid for by the death of Christ. As Jesus said in John 19:30 before He died – it is finished. Three words that ring out for all eternity.

2. We are freed from being slaves to sin

The Bible tells us that without Christ we were slaves to sin. John 8:34 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.”  So in our natural state apart from Christ we are slaves to sin and we need redeeming.

In the New Testament there are three main Greek words used to describe redemption. In keeping with the thought of being a slave to sin these words give us a picture of being bought and sold in a slave market.

The first word is Agorazo – this means to “purchase in the market”. This is like a slave bought and sold in the slave market. They are always a slave and can be re-sold at any time. They are kept and made to work for the owner and once they are finished with them they can be re-sold to someone else.

The second word is Exagorazo – this means to “purchase out of the market”. This is like someone buying a slave and taking them as their own property and never being sold again. They keep the slave to serve them as their own property. It is a long term deal for the life of the slave.

The final word is Lutroo – this means “to loosen” or to “set free by paying a price”. The slave is permanently purchased out of the market and set free from the market forever. This is what we have in Christ as believers and disciples.

This last word Lutroo gives us a clear picture of what we have in Christ. True freedom. We are no longer a slave to sin. We are forever released from the market of sin. The power of sin and death has been broken in our lives. We are set free and as John 8:36 says, “If the son has set you free, you will be free indeed”.

3. We are redeemed to live a new free life.

As we have seen we are redeemed by the work of Christ. There are four main things we have in our redemption.

a. Justified before God

Romans 3:24 tells us that we “are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus”.

To justify or the term justification means “just as if I had never sinned”. We now have right standing with God. When God looks at you and I He looks at us through the lens of Christ – perfect, sinless and holy. He doesn’t see our sin, He sees Jesus. Isaiah 1:18 reminds us that, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” For those in Christ, it is a present reality.

b. Set free from the law

Galatians 4:4-5 – But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons”.

The apostle Paul often used the idea of being slaves to the law because the people of the Old Testament lived under it and tried, and failed, to live up to it. Now as Christ followers we are free from the law and are adopted as God’s children. This verse says we have full right as God’s children. The same rights as Jesus as we are co-heirs.

c. Free from a pointless existence

1 Peter 1:18-19 says, “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect”.

Before I came to Christ I thought my life was full and exciting. After coming to Christ, and the blinkers were taken off, I realised that I was deceived and my life was way more empty than I could have imagined. I filled it with pointless things like jobs, cars, sport, fitness. Not that they are bad, but I filled my life with them and gave them more weight or focus that they needed. Now my life is filled with Christ. Filled to the point of overflowing and streams of living water flow out that contain the love of Christ. It is a much better life than I could ever imagined.

d. We have a great future hope

Revelation 21:3-4 says, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

As I touched on in Communion recently. The hope we have in Christ is not just contained to the here and now. We also have a future hope. We have a hope of spending eternity with the Lord. It will be a place where there is no sickness or disease, a place where there will no wars or fighting only perfect unity, it will be a place where everyone feels good about themselves, it will be a place where we will not struggle with sin; and best of all, it will be a place where we will see our Lord face to face.

4. God redeemed us because of His love and mercy

What motivated the Creator of all things to redeem and save us? Here is an excerpt from a recent KYB study we did…

“God’s motivation comes from the nature of God Himself. It is expressed in four words – love, mercy, grace and kindness.

Can we imagine a love so great that it could give new life to those who deserved God’s wrath? Or mercy so tender that it would reach down to help the helpless? Or grace so full and free that it would pay the price that sinners could not pay? Where else could we find kindness so rich and full that it would embrace those who were, by nature, ‘the enemy’?” (from KYB Ephesians study page 21).

God redeemed us because He loved us. He redeemed us because of His mercy. He redeemed us because of His grace. He redeemed us because of His kindness. It also gave Him good please to do it.

A story

Before I close I want to share a story I read a little while ago that helped me to understand redemption. It goes like this…

There was a story of the little boy who built a small sailboat. He built the boat from a kit and had it all fixed up, he tarred and painted it. Once it was ready he took it to the lake and pushed it in hoping it would sail. Sure enough a wisp of breeze filled the little sail and it billowed and went rippling along the waves.

Suddenly before the little boy knew it, the boat was out of his reach, even though he waded in fast and tried to grab it. As he watched it float away, he hoped maybe the breeze would shift and it would come sailing back to him. Instead he watched it go farther and farther until it was gone. He searched up and down the banks for hours, but he could not find it.

Eventually when he lost all hope, he went home crying, his mother asked, “What’s wrong, didn’t it work?” And he said, “It worked too well.”

Sometime later, the little boy was downtown and walked past a second hand store. There in the window he saw the boat. It was unmistakably his, so he went in and said to the proprietor, “That’s my boat.” He walked to the window, picked it up and started to leave with it. The owner of the shop said, “Wait a minute, Sonny. That’s my boat. I bought it from someone.” The boy said, “No, it’s my boat. I made it. See.” And he showed him the little scratches and the marks where he hammered and filed. The man said, “I’m sorry, Sonny. If you want it, you have to buy it.”

The poor little guy didn’t have any money, but he worked hard and saved his pennies. Finally, one day he had enough money. He went in and bought the little boat. As he left the store holding the boat close to him, he was heard saying, “You’re my boat. You’re twice my boat. First you’re my boat ’cause I made you, and second you’re my boat ’cause I bought you!”

If you ever think that you aren’t worth much, just remember what God thinks of you. He thinks you’re His. Twice His. First you’re His because He made you. And second you’re His because He bought you on the cross. He paid a price to redeem you.

Closing summary

In today’s message we looked at the topic of Redemption. We saw that…

  • We are redeemed by Jesus death on the cross for us.
  • We are redeemed because we could save ourselves.
  • We are redeemed and freed from being slaves to sin.
  • We are redeemed to live a new free life.
  • We are redeemed because of God’s great love and mercy.

Amen.

Let us pray.

Loving Heavenly Father, I thank You that You loved us so much that Jesus came on died on the cross for our sin. I thank You that He paid the price to redeem us and bring us back to You. I pray today that You will sink this truth deep into our hearts and minds. That You love, that You redeemed us and that You have brought us back into right relationship with You – both now and for all eternity. I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen

Great Words of the Gospel – Salvation

March 8, 2026

Today I am starting a new series on the “Great Words of the Gospel”. Over the coming weeks I will be looking at some of the great words of our faith. Words like salvation, repentance, redemption, reconciliation, grace, justification, imputation, glorification, vicarious and propitiation.

These words are words that are central to our faith in Christ. These are the words that in wrapped up completely in the finished work of Christ. Some of the topics will be given their own message, while others that are smaller will be grouped together. At this stage I think it will be 5-6 messages. It is my hope and prayer that by the end of the series you will be a full bottle on these topics and you will be wanting to be a living sacrifice that is relying fully on the finished work of Christ.

So in saying this the title of my message today is “Great words of the Gospel part 1 – Salvation.

Introduction to Salvation

When considering the issue of salvation, we see that most religions have some type of salvation process. They have things they need to do to get “right” with their god/gods. These might include rituals, purification or service based tasks. It is all about earning favour with their god/gods and hoping they have done enough to be right with them and find salvation. Not so with the Christian faith.

In the Christian belief we put all our faith and trust in what Jesus has done in saving us. We put our life in His hands and trust Him for our eternal salvation. Our source and our guide book for the issue of salvation is the Bible. As Christians we must look to the Bible, because in a constantly changing world, the Bible remains the same and is an anchor for our souls.

1. What does the Bible say about Salvation?

In the Bible we see there are two covenants or ways of approaching God. The Old Testament with its Old Covenant, and the New Testament with the New Covenant.

The Old Testament Hebrew word for salvation is yeshuʿah. It is a powerful word with connotations of deliverance. It is usually translated as “salvation or deliverance” depending upon its context. It can be translated also as help, victory, or provision, but its main meaning is to rescue from danger or distress.

God provided salvation for Israel from punishment because of their sins. Throughout the Old Testament, we see that the people of God used animal sacrifices to offer temporary covering for their sin and guilt.  These animal sacrifices began shortly after the “Fall” in Genesis 3 and in time it took place annually to cleanse the people from their sin. This practice was needed until Jesus came and instituted the New Covenant.

In the New Testament and in the age we live, we see the new covenant comes into being. In New Testament the Greek the verb sōzō means “to save,” and the noun sōteria, “salvation,” are used for the concept of “rescue,” “deliverance” or “salvation”. In the Gospels, “salvation” is clearly connected with the Old Testament concept of “bringing deliverance.”

Rather than the sacrifice of animals, Jesus speaks of His body being given and His blood being shed for us. Luke 22:19-20 which we often read at communion talks about Jesus giving His body and blood for us and to remember Him. We see that Christ died for sinners, Himself taking on the responsibility for the penalty of sin. Christ as the Son of God and the perfect man, is the ideal, adequate, and only Substitute. The sacrifice of Jesus was a once and for all sacrifice for sin. 1 Peter 3:18 says, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.

The Bible also teaches that Jesus’ death on the cross brings us peace with God. Romans 5:1 tells us that, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”. And in Romans 5:11 it says, “We also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation [with God]”.

As a result of Jesus death on the cross we see that the blood of Jesus Christ made it possible for us to be cleansed of our sin and enjoy intimate fellowship with God. We see that the Fall of Man from the Garden of Eden is reversed in our hearts and the power of sin and death are broken. We see that all along it was God’s idea for Jesus to be our substitute, that He approved of this taking place, as it was His desire to reconcile the world to Himself (Colossians 1:18-20).

So to summarise this section. In the Bible we see that when Jesus came and died on the cross, He came to pay the price or our sin. He took the punishment that was rightfully ours. His death opened the way for us to be forgiven of our sin and to be brought back into a right relationship with God – both now and for all eternity.

2. Three key aspects for salvation to take place

When we talk about salvation we need to realise that there are three aspects of the salvation process. A need, a provision and a response.

The Need – the Bible tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God in Romans 3:23. It also tells us in Romans 6:23 that the wages of sin is death. 1 John 1:8 says that, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” Isaiah 59:2 reminds us that our sin separates us from God.

We all know that we have sinned. We know that if we honestly look at the 10 Commandments we have not lived up to them perfectly. James 2:10 says if we have broken one of the commandments we have broken them all. So there is a definite need.

The Provision – as we have seen already Jesus came and died for us on the cross. John 3:16-18 tells us, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

The provision for our salvation is Christ Himself. The Bible tells us that Jesus is the way and the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6) and there is no other name under heaven and earth by which man can be saved (Acts 4:12). In the provision for salvation we see that all members of the Trinity are involved – the Father sent the Son, the Son died for us and the Holy Spirit raised Him to life and now the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin righteousness and judgement (John 16:8-10).

The Response – All of us must believe and receive. All of us must make a personal decision to follow Christ. We must all commit our lives to Him and receive what He has done for us.

Romans 10:9-10 tells us that, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved”.

At some point in our lives we need to realise who Jesus is, what He has done for us and we must respond to Him. I responded to Christ on Saturday the 21st of July 1989 at 7.10pm. As I think I have shared before I was reading a tract called “A journey into life”. It explained to me the things I have been talking about today. In it I prayed a prayer that helped me to respond to Christ. In a little while I will put that up on the screen. But first I want to share some verses on assurance.

3. Assurance of salvation verses

The following verses assure us that we can be assured of our salvation. We don’t have to wonder or have some vain hope. We can know now.

1 John 5:13 – I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

What do we have according to 1 John 5:13? We have eternal life. We can know. Not hope – know, be certain, be confident.

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

What do we have if we believe in God’s Son Jesus? Eternal life.

John 1:12 – Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

What do we become if we receive Jesus and believe in His name? We become children of God. We are adopted into God’s eternal family. As I have said before, we here are brothers and sisters in Christ for all eternity.

1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

What happens if we confess our sins to God? He forgives us and purifies us from all of our unrighteousness.

Romans 10:9-10 – If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

What happens when we confess Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart God raised Him from the dead? We are saved.

Ephesians 2:8-9 – For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– not by works, so that no one can boast.

Can we earn our salvation by good work? No, it is a gift from God as a result of faith in Christ. Like any gift, it needs to be received.

4. The salvation prayer

There are various types of prayer people can pray when accepting Christ. There are a number of common elements in the most used ones that I have seen.

  • Confession of faith – declaring that Jesus is the Son of God
  • Belief – believing that Jesus died on the cross for our sin
  • Confession of sin – confessing the wrong things we have done
  • Repentance – promising to turn from sin
  • Acceptance – accepting Jesus as both Lord and Saviour
  • Commitment – a commitment to follow Jesus going forward

The prayer I prayed back in 1989 contained most of these things. Although I didn’t understand it all fully at that time, I knew I needed a Saviour and that I needed to turn my life over to Jesus. For me this is the greatest day of my life.

Here is my prayer I prayed… if you have never prayed this prayer or accepted Christ, I would encourage you to follow along and say a quiet Amen at the end.

Lord Jesus Christ,
I know I have sinned in my thoughts, words and actions.
There are so many good things I have not done.
There are so many sinful things I have done.
I am sorry for my sins and I turn from everything I know to be wrong.
You gave your life upon the cross for me.
Gratefully I give my life back to you.
Now I ask for you to come into my life.
Come in as my Saviour to cleanse me.
Come in as my Lord to control me.
And I will serve you all the remaining years of my life in complete obedience.
Amen.

If you prayed that prayer with me, you can be assured you are saved. Please come and talk to me if you want more information.

Closing

Today we talked about salvation from the Bible’s perspective. We saw four main things.

  1. Salvation is found through believing that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sins.
  2. Salvation has three aspects – a need, provision and a response. All three are met in Christ and responding to Him.
  3. That we can be assured of our salvation because of what Christ has done.
  4. Making our connect with God through prayer is how we come to Christ.

Amen.

Four lessons from Psalm 139

November 22, 2025

I was reading Psalm 139 this week. As I read four things really stood out to me. As I thought about them I realise they are four things that are important for us to know if we really want to be all we can be for the Lord. Hence, the title of my message is Four lessons from Psalm 139.

Before I read the chapter I want to have a quick overview of David’s life as he is the one who wrote many of the Psalms.

Overview of David’s life

God raised David from humble origins as a shepherd from Bethlehem to rule as Israel’s second king. According to Bible Scholars David was born 1040 BC and lived to 970 BC. He was 69 or 70 when he died. He was the youngest of Jesse’s eight sons. David led Israel to its pinnacle of power and glory and as history tells us David’s descendant was Jesus.

David showed success in various roles, including Shepherd, Military leader, King, Covenantal recipient, Poet, Musician and a Religious example to us.

David also had his failures too (you can read about a major one in 2 Samuel 11). David’s failures as a father and king show him as an imperfect man whom God both disciplined and blessed. After all his failings, to hear God describe as a man of His own heart is amazing. It says a lot about David and even more about God.

Bible Reading – Psalm 139:1-24

Message Points

As I read through this passage four main ideas spoke to me.

1. God really knows us

    “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.” (v1-2)

    Verses 1-6 tells us that God really knows us inside out. He knows our thoughts and our daily actions. He knows all about us like no one else. He knows us better than our parents or our spouses. And He loves deeply. He cares for us deeply”, even though He knows all!

    It is reassuring to remember that God knows us personally and intimately. If the very hairs of our heads are numbered as it tells us in Matthew 10:30, then God does not need a birth certificate or a social security number to prove who we are; to know who we are, and where we are, and what we are deep down inside!

    As humans, we naturally only show our good sides to people. We fall into the trap of wearing masks to conceal who we really are. We figure if people knew the real us, they would not like us or they would reject us. Not so with God. He knows us inside out. He knows us warts and all. Yet He still loves us and He chooses to be our friend.

    2. God is always with us

      “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” (v7)

      “You go before me and follow me. You place Your hand of blessing on my head.” (v5)

      Verses 7-11 tell us that God is always with us. There is nowhere in all creation that God is not present with us. There is no place we can flee to escape His presence. This gives me great comfort knowing God is always there.

      God always being with us is a recurrent theme of the Bible”:

      Deuteronomy 31:8 “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

      1 Kings 8:57 “May the LORD our God be with us as He was with our ancestors; may He never leave us or abandon us.”

      Matthew 28:20 “Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

      Hebrews 13:5 “Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”

      1 Corinthians 3:16 “Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?”

      God is always with us. He goes before us when we are on the move. He promises to be with us like He was with those before us who called on His name. When we are doing His work of making disciples, He is with us. We don’t have to fear for the future and His provision, He will never abandon us. Finally, His Spirit dwells within us. God is always with us”: in all situations of life. He is not going anywhere.

      3. God made us wonderful

        “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” (13-14)

        Verses 13-18 tells us that God made us. He knitted us together in our mother’s womb. He was right there at the beginning. He created exactly as He needs us to be”: and it is flawless. We are fearfully and wonderfully made.

        As I shared several months ago in my message “10 things God says about you“:

        • You are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27)
        • You were chosen before the world was made (Ephesians 1:4-5)
        • You were created and equipped for good works (Ephesians 2:10)
        • You are adopted into His family (John 1:12)
        • You have the Holy Spirit living inside you (Romans 8:11)
        • You are no longer condemned (Romans 8:1)
        • You are seated with Christ (Ephesians 2:4-7)
        • You were knit together in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13)
        • You are truly loved by God (1 John 4:9-10)
        • You are free in Christ (John 8:36)

        Today I just want to remind you that God made you wonderful. You are amazing. You are special. You are loved.

        4. We need God to search our hearts

          “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (v23-24)

          In the last section of verses 19-24 we see that David wanted God to search his heart. He didn’t want any wrong attitude or thought to be in his mind. He didn’t want his hatred for his enemies to blind him or be something between him and God. He wanted a clean and pure heart. We need to ask God to search our hearts too.

          Jeremiah 17:10 talks about God searching our hearts too. “But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.”

          If we want to walk closely with the Lord, we need to ask Him to search our hearts like David did. We want God to create a clean heart in us too. Asking Him to search our hearts is a key to learning if our attitudes and desires are wrong in His eyes.

          As I said a few weeks ago, that when we sin we can be like Adam and Eve and hide from God, but God went searching for them. He also sent His Son to die for our sin and Jesus now is our Advocate in heaven.

          It is better to be like David and ask God to search our hearts, then we can be right with God and walk with Him with a clean heart.

          Conclusion

          God knows us inside out and He still loves us. God is always with us wherever we go in this world. God the Master craftsman, created us wonderful. We need God to examine and pinpoint any offensive ways in us so we can confess and walk in purity and holiness.

          Living a S.P.I.R.I.T. F.I.L.L.E.D. life

          September 29, 2025

          Living a Spirit filled life is key if we are going to be all we can be for Christ. Before salvation the Holy Spirit draws us to Jesus and He convicts us of our sin. At the point of salvation, He washes us clean and regenerates us, He then comes to live inside us, seals us as God’s own, makes us more Christ-like, gives us gifts to serve, and brings fruit in our lives. So, living Spirit Filled is vital.

          In his book “Know what you believe” Paul Little put it this way…

          “The fullness of the Spirit is not a matter of our receiving more of Him. Rather, it is a matter of relationship. To be filled with the Spirit means we allow Him to occupy, guide, and control every area of our lives. His power can then work through us, making us effectively fruitful for God and flooding our hearts with His joy. This filling applies not only to our outward acts but to our inner thoughts and motives. When we are filled with the Spirit, all we are and have is subject to His control” (p77-78).

          Now I want to use the letters of Spirit filled to give us some pointers to putting it all into practice.

          S—Submit to the authority of Jesus Christ.

          Recognize God’s claim on your life. Realize that God’s plan is to conform you to the image of Christ. Relinquish your right to be in control of your life. These are keys to being Spirit Filled.

          “Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’” (Matthew 16:24)

          P—Pray for conviction of sin.

          Acknowledge your natural inclination to sin. Ask the Holy Spirit to make you aware of your specific sins. Agree with God about your need to change.

          “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me.” (Psalm 139:23–24)

          I—Identify with Christ’s death on the cross.

          See yourself as dead to the ruling power of sin. See yourself as alive to God because of the resurrection life of Christ within you. See the Holy Spirit as your power to overcome sin.

          “Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:11)

          R—Recognize the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit to teach you and to guide you.

          Listen with your heart to the One sent by the Father. Listen to the gentle promptings of the Holy Spirit. Listen to His reminders of the truth as spoken by Jesus.

          “The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26)

          I—Initiate immediate obedience to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

          Choose to acknowledge the presence of the Holy Spirit. Choose to submit your will to His will. (Don’t mentally argue.) Choose to act on His promptings.

          “Live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” (Galatians 5:16)

          T—Trust in the Holy Spirit to be your supernatural power for living a holy life.

          You have been called to be holy. You cannot be holy by your own efforts. You must rely on the Holy Spirit, who enables us to live a holy life.

          “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3)

          F—Fellowship on a regular basis with other believers.

          Belong to a Bible-based church. Become involved in your church. Be supportive of others.

          “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another.” (Hebrews 10:25)

          I—Implant God’s Word in your heart.

          Line up your thinking with God’s thinking. Read one chapter a day from the Book of Proverbs and allow it to transform your mind. Listen to teaching tapes on God’s Word.

          “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11)

          L—Learn to have a thankful heart.

          Thank God for His unconditional love. Thank God for His faithfulness to orchestrate events in your life. Thank God in all circumstances, both good and bad.

          “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

          L—Live with an attitude of prayer.

          Keep your mind focused on Christ. Keep your heart alert to the Holy Spirit. Keep praying through all circumstances.

          “Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:18)

          E—Expect victory!

          Know that your strength is in Christ. Know that your own efforts will fail. Know that victory is the Lord’s.

          “‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.” (Zechariah 4:6)

          D—Depend on the Holy Spirit to develop the character of Christ in your life.

          To reflect the character of Christ is the Christian’s highest purpose. To the extent that you submit to the Holy Spirit, you will grow in Christ. To reflect Christ accurately will draw others to Him.

          “We, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)

          Closing Summary

          Today we used the letters of Spirit Filled to give us some clues of what it is to live a life that is controlled by the Holy Spirit. Here they are again.

          S—Submit to the authority of Jesus Christ.
P—Pray for conviction of sin.
I—Identify with Christ’s death on the cross.
R—Recognize the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit to teach you and to guide you.
I—Initiate immediate obedience to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
T—Trust in the Holy Spirit to be your supernatural power for living a holy life.
F—Fellowship on a regular basis with other believers.
I—Implant God’s Word in your heart.
L—Learn to have a thankful heart.
L—Live with an attitude of prayer.
E—Expect victory!
D—Depend on the Holy Spirit to develop the character of Christ in your life.

          Amen