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The Truth Seeker
Tony Stone Matthew 7:7-8 Ask,
and it shall be given you. Seek, and you. shall find. Knock, and it shall be
opened unto you. For every one that asks receives. And he that seeks, finds.
And to him who knocks, it shall be opened. John 8:32 Then
you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. _____________________________________ Ignorance and/or Arrogance Ignorance
is the lack of knowledge. Arrogance is the refusal to obtain it. Together,
these are a destructive combination. And
yet, as we see from history, all great men and women are humble. Knowledge is
the key! Liberate your mind! _____________________________________ If any man
be in Christ, he is a new creature: Old things are passed away; behold, all
things are become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Image Credit: https://www.canstockphoto.com/
Credit: https://pngtree.com/ |
Chapter Six The Way, the
Truth, and the Life There is
a time of trouble coming, both natural and man-made (discussed in Chapter 8),
that will be terrible from its onset until its end. It will be a time that
you will not wish to be alive and on this Earth. So, if you are alive when it
comes and you are a father or a mother, and have children, and/or elderly
parents, you would not wish for them, or yourself, to have to live through
the Tribulation Period – seven years in all. It will a truly horrible time.
Even the lead up to the Tribulation Period will be troublesome. But you can
avoid it. It’s a simple matter of making the right decision, a choice.
Question is, will you? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Having
read and seen the evidence proving the prophecies about and of Jesus Christ,
as predicted in the Bible 3 500 to 2 000 years ago. From that evidence it is
clear that God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost exist. That you need,
now, if you have not done so already, to accept Jesus Christ as your Messiah
and get to know what He stands for, what He teaches and why you need to
follow Him. But what is sin? And, what
does it mean to follow Him? In the Book
of Proverbs 6:16-19, it speaks of seven things that Gods hates, that are
an abomination to him, “haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed
innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to
run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord
among brothers.” Then,
during his Papacy 590 – 604 CE, Pope Gregory I enumerated the seven deadly sins,
namely pride, envy, gluttony, greed, lust, sloth, and wrath. Pride is
sometimes referred to as vanity or vainglory, greed as avarice or
covetousness, and wrath as anger. Gluttony covers self-indulgent excess more
generally, including drunkenness. 1.
Lust: This is a strong passion
or longing, especially for sexual desires. The Bible speaks about lust in the
Book of 2 Timothy 2:22, “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue
righteousness, faith, love [and] peace...” Chastity or self-control cures
lust by controlling passion and leveraging that energy for the good of
others. 2.
Gluttony: This is an excessive and
ongoing eating of food or drink. The Book of 1 Corinthians 10:31
says, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the
glory of God.” Temperance cures gluttony by implanting the desire to be
healthy, therefore making one fit to serve others. 3.
Greed: This is an excessive
pursuit of material goods. The Bible says the following in Hebrews 13:5, “Let
your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you
have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Charity cures greed by putting the desire to help others above storing up
treasure for one’s self. 4.
Sloth: This is an excessive
laziness or the failure to act and/or utilize one’s talents. Solomon spoke of
sloth in the Book of Proverbs 6:6 saying, “Go to the ant, you
sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise.” Diligence or zeal cures
slothfulness by placing the interest of others above a life of ease and
relaxation. 5.
Wrath:
This is
a strong anger and hate towards another person. The Bible speaks about wrath
in the Book of Romans 12:19, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but
leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will
repay, says the Lord.’” Patience cures wrath by one first understanding the
needs and desires of others before acting or speaking. 6.
Envy: This is the intense
desire to have an item that someone else possesses. The Bible says the
following in the Book of Proverbs 14:30, “A sound heart is life to the
body, But envy is rottenness to the bones.” Kindness
cures envy by placing the desire to help others above the need to supersede
them. 7.
Pride: This is an excessive view
of one's self without regard for others. The Bible says the following in the Book
of Jeremiah 9:23-24, “...Let not the mighty man boast of his might...but
let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me...” Humility
cures pride by removing one's ego and boastfulness, therefore allowing the
attitude of service.
Of course,
breaking any of the Ten Commandments, Book of Exodus 20:2-17 and Book
of Deuteronomy 5:6-21, is also sin. The Ten Commandments were written by
God upon two tablets of stone and then given to Moses on Mount Sinai. They
are: 1.
You
shall have no other gods before Me. 2.
You
shall make no idols. 3.
You
shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. 4.
Keep
the Sabbath day holy. 5.
Honor
your father and your mother. 6.
You
shall not murder. 7.
You
shall not commit adultery. 8.
You
shall not steal. 9.
You
shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 10.
You
shall not covet. A
beautiful story told in the Book of John 8:1-12, tells us of a sinner,
the hypocrisy of man, God’s judgement, the need to repent and the forgiveness
of our sins. 1.
Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. 2.
And early in the morning he came again into the
temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. 3.
And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a
woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 4.
They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in
adultery, in the very act. 5.
Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should
be stoned: but what sayest thou? 6.
This they said, tempting him, that they might have
to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the
ground, as though he heard them not. 7.
So, when they continued asking him, he lifted up
himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first
cast a stone at her. 8.
And again, he stooped down, and wrote on the
ground. 9.
And they which heard it, being convicted by their
own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the
last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10. When Jesus had lifted up
himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those
thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11. She said, No man, Lord. And
Jesus said unto her, neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. 12. Then spake
Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have
the light of life. Such is
the grace (79135>25>7) of God. But, will God forgive you if you sin
again? The answer to that question is “YES, BUT”. In the Book of Matthew 18:21–22, it
says, “Then came Peter to Him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother
sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times? Jesus said to him, I say
not to you, until seven times but until seventy times seven.” This
however must not be seen as an excuse to sin. Sinning is a serious matter. Once
you have given your life to the Lord, Satan is going to try every trick in
the book to get you to sin again. God
knows this and is why in the Book of Ephesians 6:10-18, it says, “Put
on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the
devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against
the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world
and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. “Therefore,
put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be
able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the
breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the
readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. “In
addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can
extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of
salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And 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 Lord’s people.” But why should we follow Jesus Christ? What does he
stand for, and represent? To understand this, we need to look at the Sermon
on the Mount. If any aspect of the sermon does not resonate with you, you
need to ask yourself why? Is it because you have a hard heart? A hardened
heart is basically a heart that is unmoved by things other Christians would
be compassionate about. It is a heart that is rebelling against God. But,
there’s more. Here is a list of seven signs that a heart has hardened and
needs repair: 1. Lack
of ability to perceive, remember, or grasp events or ideas coming from God. 2. Insensitivity
to sin, sinfulness. 3. Failure
to follow God’s commands, the way of Jesus, the voice of the Holy Spirit. 4. Arrogance
and pride. 5. One
is easily offended, resentful, lacks ability to forgive. 6. Indifference
to the Word of God. 7. Unbelief,
drawing away from God. Something you need to remember. You don’t have to be
macho to be a man, or overly feminist to be a woman. In history, all great
leaders e.g. Queen Elizabeth II, Nelson Mandela, Warren Buffett, Mahatma
Gandhi all possessed a degree of humility that made them great and revered
leaders. So, if needs be, soften and open your heart. Put
arrogance or hurt aside. Receive knowledge and understanding, and release
from anger and pain. The
Sermon on the Mount, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ Seeing the
crowds, Jesus went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his
disciples came to him. He began to speak. He said: The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) Blessed
are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be
comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall
inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger
and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they
shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be
called sons of God. Blessed are those who
are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter
all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be
glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the
prophets who were before you. Salt and light (Matthew 5:13) You are
the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its
saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown
out and trampled under people's feet. You are the light of the world. A city
set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it
under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the
house. In the same way, let your light shine before others,
so that they may see your good works and give glory to your
Father who is in heaven. Christ came to fulfil the
law (Matthew
5:17-20) Do not
think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not
come to abolish them but to fulfil them. For truly, I say to
you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass
from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever
relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do
the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does
them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of
heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of
the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Anger (Matthew 5:21-26) You
have heard that it was said to those of old, You
shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to
judgment. But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his
brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his
brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be
liable to the hell of fire. So, if you are offering your
gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against
you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled
to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms
quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your
accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be
put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until
you have paid the last penny. Lust (Matthew 5: 27-30) You
have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I
say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has
already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right
eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better
that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown
into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it
off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members
than that your whole body go into hell. Divorce (Matthew 5:31-32) It was
also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of
divorce.’ But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except
on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery,
and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. Oaths (Matthew 5:33-37) Again, you
have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear
falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I
say to you, do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is
the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by
Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an
oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what
you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from
evil. Retaliation (Matthew 5:38-42) You
have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a
tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist the one who is evil.
But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other
also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him
have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile,
go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do
not refuse the one who would borrow from you. Love your enemies (Matthew 5:43-48) You
have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbour and hate
your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for
those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is
in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good,
and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those
who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the
same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing
than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore
must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Giving to the needy (Matthew 6:1-4) Beware
of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be
seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in
heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the
hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be
praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their
reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know
what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in
secret. And your Father in Heaven, who sees in secret, will reward you. The Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:5-15) And
when you pray, you must not be like hypocrites. For they love to stand
and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen
by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their
reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and
pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father in Heaven, who
sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not heap up empty
phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be
heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your
Father in Heaven knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like
this: Our
Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be
done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily
bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we also have forgiven them
their trespasses against us. And lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the
Kingdom, the power and the glory. For ever and ever. Amen Fasting (Matthew 6:16-18) And when
you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their
faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you,
they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your
head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but
by your Father in Heaven, who sees in secret, will reward you. Layup treasures in Heaven (Matthew 6:19-24) Do not
lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust[n] destroy and where thieves break in
and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither
moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For
where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of
the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of
light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of
darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! No
one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the
other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot
serve God and money. Do not be anxious (Matthew
6:25-34) Therefore,
I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what
you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more
than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the
air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly
Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which
of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And,
why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how
they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon
in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so
clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown
into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little
faith? Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or
‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles
seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you
need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his
righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore, do
not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.
Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Judging others (Matthew
7:1-6) Judge
not, that you be not judged. For with the judgement you pronounce, you
will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to
you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do
not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your
brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in
your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and
then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. Do not
give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs,
lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. Ask, and it will be given (Matthew 7:7-11) Ask, and
it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it
will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who
seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one
of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a
stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you
then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how
much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those
who ask him! The
Golden Rule (Matthew
7:12-14) So whatever you wish
that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and
the Prophets. Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is
easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are
many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to
life, and those who find it are few. A tree and its fruit (Matthew 7:12-14) Beware
of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly
are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits.
Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from
thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased
tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a
diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit
is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, you will recognize them by
their fruits. I never knew you (Matthew 7:21-23) Not
everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of
heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father in Heaven. On
that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in
your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in
your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew
you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ Build your house on the
rock (Matthew
7:24-27) Everyone
then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man
who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came,
and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it
had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine
and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on
the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and
beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it. The authority of Jesus
(Matthew 7:28-29) And
when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his
teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as
their scribes. This
authority is confirmed by the findings in this book, with both historical and
modern history analysed using the Law of Probability and statistical
timeseries analysis. Ignoring the facts does not make them go away. Denying
the facts does not change the truth. And, no doubt, there are one or two
points in the sermon that you may not agree with, because these touch a nerve
within you, and because you are guilty of breaking them, but this does not
make it any less what it is, the truth. This
brings you to a point of choice. One that you will need to make using all the
wisdom at your disposal. Choose well. To be
born again or not to be born again, that is the question!? In the Book
of John 14:6, Jesus, in answering a question posed by the disciple
Thomas, answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one
comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus,
in conversation with Nicodemus, in the Book of John 3:3-8, a Pharisee
and a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin, said, ““Very truly I tell you, no one
can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” Nicodemus, puzzled,
asked, “How can someone be born [again] when they are old? Surely, they
cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus
answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless
they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the
Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, you must be born again. Being
born of the water is easy to understand. That is baptism, as a consenting
adult. Jesus himself was baptised by the prophet John as an adult, and not as
a child. But what and how can you be born again of the spirit? First off, we
need to understand why and believe that “why” Jesus came on this Earth to do.
We need to understand the reason and purpose of his crucifixion We need to
understand and believe what was accomplished through the crucifixion of Jesus
Christ and, what it means to be born again of the spirit. I
thought I had been born again when I was baptised as a 27-year-old. I was
wrong. Now that I am a spritely 69-years old and think back on my life, so
many times do I remember the really stupid and ill-chosen things I did. Then
again, I was a product of both my childhood and early adult life. By the time
I was nineteen my father had married three times, been physically abused by
my second “mother” and her mother, and I had been sent to fight in South
Africa’s bush war as a national serviceman. In 1976, as a continuation of my
national service, I fought in the Angolan war against the MPLA (Movimento Popular de Libertação
de Angola), Cubans and Russians, was injured, recovered and later sent to
fight in the Namibian bush war in 1980 against SWAPO (South West African
People’s Organisation). The psychological impacts of divorce and war vary
from person to person but, generally speaking, can summarised as: • Children of divorce are more likely to experience poverty,
educational failure, early and risky sexual activity, non-marital childbirth,
earlier marriage, cohabitation, marital discord and divorce. In fact,
emotional problems associated with divorce actually increase during young
adulthood. • Battlefield trauma can leave war veterans with deep emotional
scars that impact their ability to function in a normal, balanced way in
civilian life, to a greater or lesser degree. Those who have seen combat
suffer from varying levels of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),
depression and anxiety. Even a car backfiring can cause fright and a nervous
reaction years after the war. Fortunately,
my guardian angel protected me in many ways but I didn’t come out of it all
unscathed. A military chaplain, Dominee Ackerman, who befriended me just
before my demobilisation in 1980, assisted me in coming to terms with myself.
Given the intensity of conflict, I had transformed and become an active
element in a killing machine. Dominee Ackerman salvaged most of my civility.
As difficult as it must have been for her, my dear wife has remained at my
side, now for the 47 years that we have been married. Even so, the only
person(s) who can truly relate to a soldier is another soldier. The
Seven (7) Steps to receive the HOLY SPIRIT and be BORN AGAIN So,
what does it mean to be born again? In
short, reading or hearing and understanding the Gospel of Jesus Christ, His
Sermon on the Mount, and knowing that God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus
Christ, to die for you so that His blood can wash away your sins. If you
believe this, then pray, tell Him so, and turn to Him in obedience. Let go of
your pride and humble yourself before Almighty God, who is loving and
merciful with no sin too great for Him to not forgive. Give your life to Him
and turn to Him with faith and meekness of spirit, and He will lift you up.
Jesus loves you and just wants you to love Him back, living your life as He
would live your life if He were you. That is salvation. Jesus
Christ, in the process of being taken away from the Garden of Gethsemane to
the point where a Roman spear pierced His side as a test to see if He was
still alive, shed His blood seven times – for you. Each instance represents a
step in your salvation and the process of your being spiritually born again –
if this is what you sincerely desire. Do not regard this lightly otherwise it
will be tantamount to being disrespectful and mocking God. 1. Redemption:
If you honestly reflect on your life, you will find that you are not without
sin – lies, petty theft, or even worse. Redemption is the act of being saved
from sin, error, or evil. In the Bible, the references to redemption can be
found in: a. Ephesians 1:7 - In Him we have redemption through His blood, the
forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace. b. 1 Peter 1:18-19 - 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 ancestors, but with the precious blood of
Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. You need to sincerely state
and say out loud: Through the blood of Jesus Christ, I have been
redeemed out of the hand of the devil. 2. Cleansing: In the Biblical sense, cleansing means to wash
away sin. A repentant sinner, you, must accept that Jesus Christ shed His
blood to wash away your sin. Biblically, this is confirmed by: a) 1 John 1:7 - But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light,
we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son,
purifies us from all sin. It is critical to put away the old and put on the
new, or else you are just a hypocrite, a false person in the eyes of God. b) Psalm 51:1 - Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing
love; according to your great compassion, blot out my transgressions. Wash
away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin (King David praying to God
after he had committed adultery with Bathsheba). Caution: One of the most
common ways in which Satan attacks sinners is by making them re-live their
past mistakes. He does this by bringing up memories. You will need to be on
your guard against this and not allow Satan to mess with your mind. Here, you need to sincerely
state and say out loud: While I walk in the light, the blood of Jesus
cleanses me, now and continually from all sin (Please note the T&C). 3.
Justification: Through the blood of
Jesus Christ, having been redeemed and cleansed, you are now made righteous.
How? Because you have been acquitted of all your sins and are no longer
guilty of any sin. Confirmation of this is found in: a. Romans 5:9 - Since we have now been justified by his blood, how
much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! b. Isaiah 61:10 - I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices
in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in
a robe of his righteousness. I cannot stress enough the
need to continuously walk in the light. If you find that you have sinned,
repent and do not repeat that sin again. God will forgive you but not if you
keep on repeating the same sin over and over again. Now say out loud: I
have been justified by the blood of Jesus and made righteous, guiltless
before God. I will make a sincere and conscious effort never to sin again. 4.
Sanctification: Sanctification is the
Holy Spirit's work of making us holy. When the Holy Spirit creates faith in
us, he renews in us the image of God so that through his power we produce
good works. These good works are not meritorious but show the faith in our
hearts. a. Hebrews 13:12 - And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate
to make the people holy through his own blood. b. Hebrews 12:10 They disciplined us for a little while as they
thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share
in his holiness. This is taking on a
commitment that involves dedicating yourself to a Godly life. Before you make
this commitment, think carefully because it obligates you and you simply
cannot afford to backslide. Now say out loud: Through
the blood of Jesus, I am sanctified, made holy, set apart for God, separated
from sin, made holy with God’s holiness. 5.
Communion: This is a sacrament in
which consecrated bread and wine are consumed in remembrance of Christ's
death and celebration of His resurrection. It serves as a symbol of the
spiritual union between Christ and the communicant. a. Matthew 26: 26-28 - Jesus took bread, and when he had given
thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this
is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to
them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant,
which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. b. 1 Corinthians 10:16 - Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which
we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread
that we break a participation in the body of Christ? The practice of holy
communion is common in Christian churches. However, it is a very, very holy
practice that must never lose its special meaning and purpose. Now say this out loud: Lord
Jesus we receive your blood. In it, we receive your life, the life of God,
divine, endless and eternal life. 6.
Intercession: Intercession means
pleading on behalf of another person. Jesus pleads on behalf of all those who
have put their trust in him for their salvation. a. Hebrews 7:25 - Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost
those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make
intercession for them. b. Romans 8:34 - Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who
died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who
indeed is interceding for us. As Jesus said in John 14:6
- I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Accepting Jesus as your Saviour
and then being obedient to His commandments is critical, and lifesaving. Now say out loud: Thank
you Lord Jesus that even when I cannot pray, your blood is pleading for me in
Heaven. 7.
Access
to God: Through Jesus Christ, we have access to God
and all that He is and does for us as his children. God realizes that you are
human and live in the world and that Satan will endeavour to bring you down
but you must have a conscious, constant awareness of Satan’s whims and wiles
and not be caught unawares or be blindsided. If you are, confess to God. He
will forgive you. Endeavour not to repeat your mistake. a. Hebrews 10:19-25 - Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we
have the confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a
new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and
since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God
with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having
our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our
bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we
profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur
one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as
some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another. Now say this out loud: Thank
you Lord God that through the blood of Jesus, I have access to the, Holiest
place in the universe, Heaven, and into the presence of Almighty God our
Father. Before Jesus started out on
his calling, He went to John the Baptist to be baptised. In the Book of
Matthew 3:13-17, the story goes, “Then Jesus came from Galilee to the
Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need
to be baptized by you, and do you come to me? Jesus replied, “Let it be so
now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfil all righteousness.” Then John
consented. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At
that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a
dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son,
whom I love. In Him I am well pleased.” The first thing we learn from this story is that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, humbled himself to be baptised by an ordinary man. The second lesson we learn from this story is that Jesus, by being baptised, was setting an example for all of us to follow. The third lesson we learn from this story is that baptism occurs when the person being baptised is a cognitive adult capable of making the decision and choice for him or herself. It is a physical thing. The spiritual confirmation comes through the seven confessions following the acknowledgment of redemption, cleansing, justification, sanctification, communion, intercession and access to God through the blood of Christ, shed for you, and me. And, having been baptised, confessed, and born again, you too will follow Jesus Christ’s commandment. In the Book of Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus instructs his disciples, which you are now one, to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.” This is the Great Commission. Why is this necessary? I take you back to the words of the Book of Ezekiel 33: 1-4, written more than 2,500 years ago, which says, “Son of man, speak to the children of thy people. Say unto them, when I bring the sword upon a land and the people of that land have taken a man from among their people, and set him for their watchman, and when he sees the sword come upon the land, he blows the trumpet, and warns the people. Then whosoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, and the sword comes, and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.” Do not worry about how or what you will say. In the Book of Luke 12:12 it says, “For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.” Scary stuff? No. If you are born again nothing will scare you. You will know if the Holy Spirit is within you. It’s a transforming experience. In the Book of Galatians 5:22-23 it says, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. If you have these nine (9) things in your life then God’s presence, through the Holy Spirit, is in you. HOME | CONTENTS | NEXT CHAPTER |
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© 2025 Copyright Tony Stone, South Africa |
