Explore the Bible with Dr. Jim McCullen

Introduction: Recently, I heard a lady being interviewed who had several years ago wrote an article for her newspaper, “Whatever Happened to Common Sense?” The person interviewing called attention to the fact of a lack of common sense being demonstrated in the world generally, and specifically in the political world. You know, good common sense may be nice, but the lesson points out there are times When Common Sense Isn’t Enough. We need the Bible.

1. Realize You Need God’s . . Maturity.   1:2-4  

If we want to check our Christian maturity; we must ask, “What have you learned from your trials?” Many times a Christian will face a situation where faith must act in spite of what good common sense seems to dictate. Moses and the children of Israel moved toward the Red Sea even though common sense would have said you can’t do that. The maturity God gave Moses came through the experiences he had as he walked with God. James tells us it is a joy to go through trials because the testing of our faith works toward completing our maturity as a Christian.

2. Realize You Need God’s . . Mercy.   1:5-8

God’s mercy and grace give us the possibility of salvation. The wisdom of God also comes to us through His grace and mercy. In response to James 1:5, I pray with some regularity for the wisdom of God. Guess what? He presented wisdom to me to on several occasions. Every Christian asking for wisdom needs to do so with a positive attitude. Believe God’s promise about wisdom. You cannot deserve it, but because of His mercy it can be given to you.

3. Realize You Need God’s . . Methods Of Evaluation.   1:9-12

People tend to elevate someone who has wealth and degrade someone in poverty. Christians must never feel inferior or humiliated by their lack of wealth. Rather they need to boast that the Lord allowed them to become part of His family and they have a home in heaven. “When the saved of earth are gathered over on the other shore,” earthly riches with fade away. But faithful Christians will receive the crown of life.

4. Realize You Need God’s . . Message About Temptation.   1:13-18

How do temptation and common sense relate to one another? They probably do not relate from a Biblical standpoint. The source of temptation and the struggle related to it will receive different advice from common sense than it will from the Bible. That is also true when we look at the strength to deal with temptation. Have you ever heard, “Well, I’m only human,” or “This is my weakness?” Those statements certainly do not originate in Scripture. The Bible tells us God does not tempt anyone but temptation comes from our own desires. The strength to overcome temptation comes from the new nature a born-again person receives from the Lord.

This becomes very clear When Common Sense Isn’t Enough. Amen? Amen! (For a more detailed outline, visit: http://www.preachhim.org/SundaySchoolIndex.html.)

Introduction: Can you distinguish genuine faith? Most of us think we can but every so often someone fools us with their secret life and non-Christian lifestyle. In our text, it describes a person with genuine faith as one who accepts, acts on, and applies God’s Word to his/her individual life and service. What causes a Christian to be genuine or useless? Their tongue! We are to be quick to hear and slow to speak; but if we do just the opposite, our tongue might ask us, “How Genuine Are You?”

1. How Genuine Are You In . . Accepting God’s Word?   1:19-21

How many church members really receive God’s Word in an eager manner? One should be eager to receive and eager to apply. It really is one thing to hear and another to put the Word into practice. When you receive the Word, where do you want it placed? The text urges one to, “Receive the implanted word, which is able to save you.” In the Old Testament, David made a similar statement as he said, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Ps. 119:11 KJV). Have you ever heard the phrase “the Bible will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from the Bible?”

2. How Genuine Are You In . . Acting On God’s Word?   1:22-25

Our actions related to the Word of God need to bring to us the benefits and blessings promised for one acting on it. Hearing the word alone will not cause the benefits to be applied to our lives as much as one who hears it and acts upon the teachings and principles commanded or suggested. The one who hears and acts will not only be benefitted in many ways, but will be a blessing to the entire Christian community. Who serves almost everywhere they can in your church? I will guess it is a person who soaks up the Word of God and puts it into practice.

3. How Genuine Are You In . . Applying God’s Word?   1:26-27

When Christians really work at applying the Word of God, they will not deceive themselves but demonstrate deeds accepted by God and His people. Do you find it interesting that the tongue receives such a prominent position in demonstrating a person’s religion? What does the text say causes people to deceive themselves and cause their religion to be useless? It is failure to control the tongue. How does one control the tongue? Certainly doing deeds accepted by the Lord will cause one to be used wisely and not leave time to be incorrectly using the tongue. Isn’t it interesting how pure religion is defined? Would you have thought caring for orphans and widows would receive such a lofty position? I think one who specializes in this kind of ministry demonstrates a genuineness and could ask all of us, “How Genuine Are You?” Amen? Amen! (For a more detailed outline, visit: http://www.preachhim.org/SundaySchoolIndex.html.)

What does the Bible teach us about the Holy Spirit?

First, the Holy Spirit is God (Gen. 1:2; Acts 5:3-4). The Bible teaches us that all three persons in the Godhead were present at creation. The Father spoke and decreed the existence of the heavens and the earth, and the Son carried out His Father’s decrees (see Gen. 1:3-31; 1 Cor. 8:6; John 1:3; Col. 1:16). Genesis 1:2 tells us that the Spirit of God was present too, hovering over the water. The word hover implies close supervision and care. The Holy Spirit worked as a partner with the Father and Son in creation. Also, the apostle Peter called lying to the Holy Spirit the same thing as lying to God, equating the Spirit with God (Acts 5:3-4). Add to these Scriptures Jesus’ instructions to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19) and numerous New Testament verses that show all three person of the Godhead working together (e.g. Matt. 3:16-17; 1 Pet. 1:2; 2 Cor. 13:14…etc.), and it is clear why the church through the ages has confessed the Spirit as God along with the Son and the Father. God is far more mysterious and glorious than we could ever imagine or fully understand!

Second, the Holy Spirit indwells believers (John 7:37-39). John records much of Jesus’ teaching on the Holy Spirit. A helpful exercise would be to study John to see what he wrote about the Holy Spirit (see John 3:5-8; 4:24; 7:37-39; 14:15-17, 25-26; 15:26; 16:7-15). In John 7 Jesus invited anyone who would come to Him to drink (v37). His promise was that streams of living water would flow up from within him (v38). John added his own commentary on Jesus’ words, saying that Jesus referred to the coming of the Holy Spirit (v39), who would fill believers on Pentecost (Acts 2:4). 

That the eternal God, who made the heavens and the earth, would indwell individuals by His Spirit is amazing to me. God is not out there somewhere beyond our cry or reach. Instead, His Spirit graciously comes to dwell in us, and we experience God’s nearness and fullness through Him.

Third, the Holy Spirit gives boldness (Acts 4:29-31). When the infant church was persecuted, they cried out to God for boldness and for miracles (vv29-30). God answered their prayer by shaking the place where they met and by filling them with His Spirit. The result was that they began to speak the word of God boldly (v31).

Courage to speak almost never precedes the obedience of opening our mouths. God fills us as we take steps of obedience to His commands. When you cry out to God for boldness and obey Him, you will find Him faithful to fill you with courage to speak boldly.

Fourth, the Holy Spirit equips for service (1 Cor. 12:4-7). The Spirit gives different gifts for different ministries to every believer (vv4-6; cf. Rom. 12:3-8). Each believer is given their gift(s) to be used for the benefit of all (v7). The Spirit manifests God’s presence, power and grace through these gifts as they are used by believers in the service to the people of God. Have you found your gift and place of service?

First, how do we know that God is three in One (Matt. 3:16-17)? We know and accept this truth by faith in God’s own revelation of His nature. The Trinitarian nature of God cannot simply be intuited. On a more general level, knowledge of God’s existence and power can be grasped from what He has made (see Rom. 1:20; Ps. 19:1-3). We call this knowledge general revelation. However, that God is also three persons cannot be reasoned from observing creation. This truth is revealed by God directly. We call this special revelation.

For example, when Jesus came out of the water after being baptized, the Spirit of God descended like a dove on Him (v16). Then the voice of the Father was heard from heaven commending Jesus as His Son (v17). All three persons in the Godhead were present, and eyewitnesses saw and heard it all (2 Pet. 1:16). Before Jesus left the earth, He made clear that He wanted us to keep thinking and knowing God as three persons (Matt. 28:19). God revealed His Trinitarian nature directly to people and calls us to accept who He is by faith. 

Second, how can we better understand God’s mysterious nature (1 Cor. 2:12-13)? We understand God’s nature better by discerning between the spirit of the world and the Spirit of God in order to know the things of God that He freely gives us (v12). We must reject worldly thinking about God. We must also discern between human wisdom and wisdom that comes from the Spirit of God (v13a). We know the difference by testing everything we hear against inspired Scripture which comes from Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:21). Finally, we must be spiritual people (v13b). By this Paul meant people who are humble before God, immersed in Scripture and following Jesus so that they have the mind of God, and they are sensitive to God’s voice in His Word.

God is mysterious, and we should not try to put Him in a box by reducing Him to our level. We cannot, in our finite state, fully grasp an infinite God. However, what has been revealed is for our benefit so we can know and relate to Him as God.

Third, why does the concept of God as Trinity matter (Eph. 1:3-14)? We need to understand the Trinity so we will understand at a deeper level what role the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit played in our salvation. The Father chose us in Him and predestined us in love for adoption (vv3-6). The Son redeemed us through His blood and through the forgiveness that comes from His by grace (vv7-12). The Spirit applies the work of Jesus to individuals. He gives the new birth (John 3:6-8). He convicts people of their need for Jesus (John 16:8-11), and here in Ephesians 1 He seals us and is the down payment of our inheritance (vv12-14). In other words, He comes to live in us as a foretaste of the glorious salvation we will fully realize on the day we see the Lord.

A person does not need to know all that Scripture says about Trinity in order to be saved. However, in order to know God well and enjoy the fullest possible fellowship with Him, we should do all we can to know who He is, and what He has done, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, to save us.

Getting to Know the Father • Ex. 33:18-23; 34:5-8; Micah 6:6-8; John 4:21-24 • July 5

Exalting the Son • Col. 1:15-23 • July 12