Lecture 4: Glorious spiritual step called ‘Believing’

(GB Message)

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek”, Rom 1: 16.

Let us go through this verse and consider carefully the meaning and implications of the step called “believing” in the life of a believer, and how the under-noted expressions in the same verse garnish it.

• the power of God
• not ashamed of
• the Gospel of Christ
• every one
• the Jew and the Greek.

The power of God
What does an average man understand by this expression “the power of God”? He does not even know what ‘God’ means and so there is no chance of his knowing anything about matters pertaining to God. Even to understand the meaning of the word “power” a man does not have sufficient knowledge.

There was a time when man worshipped the sun, moon, stars, lightning, rivers, mountain, mud, stone, animals, and birds. Things have not changed much since those days. Man is still ignorant, and his ignorance of the fact that he is ignorant leads to more transgression. This ignorance coupled with his sky-high pride are his greatest handicaps in understanding God.

Lecture 3: Faith

(GB Message)

The word faith is like an icon on a computer desktop. The icon by itself serves no purpose unless it directs the user to a document. Quite a number of believers stop with admiring the size and shape of the icon as it were, by being content with a superficial knowledge of ‘faith’. I urge every one of you to get better acquainted with the concept behind the icon rather than the glorious looking icon.

In order to have a sound knowledge of the concept of faith, let me divide it into two parts:-

1. Faith in the inerrancy of scripture (a belief in the truthfulness, inerrancy and the urgent message behind the word of God James 2: 17, 24)
2. Faith in the atoning work of Christ (the acceptance by the believer of God’s salvation offered by grace through the atoning sacrifice of Christ. It is to be availed with deep gratitude to Him, and also believing that other than Christ Jesus there is no salvation in any other Acts 4: 12)

We shall try to understand these two parts of faith in some depth. At this stage it will be useful to introduce the concept what I call the twin side principle, with respect to each of the two parts of faith viz.: (i) The theological aspect and (ii) the work aspect.

Righteousness only through faith in Christ

(GB Message)

and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith (Phil 3: 9)

Righteousness only through faith in Christ
Though an average believer is quite aware of this fact, very few have an emotional understanding of it and practise it. Many Christians do not understand what “the just shall live by faith means.” I have heard very powerful sermons on this scripture in my younger days. I suspect that neither the pastor nor his sheep had any inkling of what it really is. That is why I used the phrase “emotional understanding”.

In churches where God has provided micro ministries, anointed teachers can teach people in a way that everyone understands a subject. To be in a church like that is a privilege and in such an environment, it is possible for all members to learn many important truths. EBA is a church like this, and it is possible for everyone here to understand this teaching. When a person understands that the just shall live by faith, they will either leave the church or get wonderfully integrated into the church as true members.

Faith in Christ is not to become a mere slogan that comes easy to the lips.

Born of Water and Spirit Part 1

(GB Message)

A compendium for the guidance of those who have the anointing for the preaching of the Gospel of Lord Jesus

Who is a truth seeker?

The sole purpose for being in the church is to be trained by the guidance of the Bible to be in heaven. The Bible can be understood only with the help of the Holy Spirit or with the help of one who has the anointing of the Holy Spirit for preaching the gospel of Lord Jesus.