Category Archives: Spirituality

Essays discussing spirituality in Christianity.

The Chosen Put On The Holy Spirit

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In Matthew 22:14, Jesus says, “Many are called, but few are chosen.” When reading the 13 verses before it, we can see the full context. Jesus describes the offer of salvation through the new covenant as a wedding invitation, which is first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles (Rom 1:16). The Israelites (Jews) are the first guests, but many of them rejected the offer. However, God extends the offer they declined to the Gentiles, but some people show up without the “proper attire” and are kicked out. Why does that happen? What is the “proper attire”?

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Dangers of Self-righteousness

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Some lessons on the dangers of self-righteousness from Jesus himself. In Matthew 21:28-32, Jesus tells a parable about two sons. In the parable, the father gives instructions to his two sons. One of them said no, but did follow instructions anyway, and the other said yes but disobeyed. Jesus asked the Pharisees which one obeyed their father, and they replied, ‘The first one.’ In verses 31-32, Jesus said that it is correct and explained the meaning: (NLT) “I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do. For John, the Baptist came and showed you the right way to live, but you didn’t believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to believe him and repent of your sins.”

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Fruits Of The Righteous

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In Gal 5:22-23, Paul tells believers to produce the fruits of the Spirit. These are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control. Paul states that the fruits of the Spirit are a result of walking in the Spirit, rather than the lust of the flesh, in Galatians 5:16-23. Something to ask: Where do fruits come from? Fruits come from trees, but where do trees come from? Trees come from sowing seeds, and seeds come from fruits.

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Healing in the Bible

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Does God promise his people healing? Does the Holy Spirit provide healing power? Promises to Abraham are extended to Gentiles in the New Covenant (Gal 3:14). So we get all the same promises and more as believers. This includes all the blessings of the Old Covenant, such as prosperity, good health, and victory over enemies (Ex 23:25-26, Deut 7:12-15, Deut 28:1-14).

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Language is Supernatural

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Is language natural or spiritual/supernatural? Humans, who are uniquely made in the image of God (Gen 1:26-27), have complex linguistics and writing systems. Ever notice how a 2-year-old child can learn to repeat and use human words passively simply by hearing them? Even children of deaf adults (CODAs) learn to sign by watching their parents and only learn speech from hearing other humans talk. Babies don’t have to be taught how to say the sounds; they just instinctively speak what they hear and get better with practice.

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Can Demons possess Christians?

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Can demons possess Christians? Believers have God’s Spirit within them because they were made pure through the sacrifice of Jesus. They don’t need to be in a ritually clean state to enter God’s presence in a building in Israel anymore, because we are the building (temple). Paul says our bodies are the new temple in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, and 2 Corinthians 6:15-18. And the Holy Spirit is only available to those who have received Jesus as Lord (John 14:15-17, Rom 8:5-11). So, how can an unclean spirit ever enter this “new temple,” which is the body of a believer?

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Manifesting Into Existence

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God didn’t tell Abraham that he would conquer Canaan, so Abraham couldn’t have gone to Canaan and tried to destroy the promised land, because that was not God’s plan. Abraham couldn’t have “spoken it into existence” or “manifested victory” for something that God did not give him. Abraham was promised an heir and would only sojourn in the land of Canaan. God said that Abraham’s “seed” (descendants) would inherit the land of Canaan. In Genesis 15:13-16, God said Abraham would die before that would happen and that the promised land would be inherited over 400 years later, after enduring persecution and enslavement. No amount of “manifesting” would have changed God’s word. We can repeat God’s word in faith because he initiated the idea and does the work, but we cannot tell God what to do. Faith begins where the will of God is known.

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Love vs Fear – Overcoming Sin

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Jesus said the greatest commandment was “to love God with all of your heart, soul, and strength” (Matt 22:34-40) In addition, Jesus said, “if you love me you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). It’s not possible to keep any of the commandments until you do the greatest one first.

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He First Loved Us

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When asked by the Pharisees which is the greatest commandment, in Matt 22:34-40, Jesus replied, “Loving God with all of your heart, soul, and strength”. This is the “Shema” from Deuteronomy 6:4-5, which states, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” Additionally, it is said, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18).

1 John 4:19  says we should love God because he first loved us. When did he first love us? John 3:16 says God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, the Messiah, and those who believe in him will inherit the blessing of eternal life. This eternal life is the fulfillment of the promise to restore humanity from our propensity to break God’s laws. This was made available because of God’s love for us.

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