Man’s Soul

Posted on July 21, 2022 by russellmckinney

“The Spirit, The Soul, & The Body” series: (post #2)

We’re in the middle of a series entitled “The Spirit, The Soul, & The Body.” In my last post, I talked about man’s spirit. With this post I want to say some things about his soul.

I probably should begin by pointing out that some people teach that the “spirit” and the “soul” are simply interchangeable terms. For you theological experts out there, this view of man is known as the dichotomist view. As I study the Bible, though, I find that scripture really does differentiate between the two. For example, 1 Thessalonians 5:23 and Hebrews 4:12 both make a point of listing each one separately. Therefore, I find myself in agreement with those who hold to the trichotomist view of man.

Actually, the fact of the matter is that each person doesn’t have a soul so much as each person is a soul. Consider the following passages (all references from the N.K.J.V.):

1. Genesis 2:7 says: And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living nephesh (the Hebrew word for “soul”).

2. Genesis 12:5 describes the servants that Abram had acquired in Haran as “the souls (nephesh) whom they had acquired.” This is just one of numerous places in the Old Testament where groups of people are referred to as groups of “souls.”

3. 1 Peter 3:20 says that eight “souls” were saved by way of Noah’s ark.

4. James 5:20 talks about saving a “soul” from death.

5. Romans 13:1 commands that every “soul” be subject to the governing authorities. Obviously, this means that every “person” should be subject to the governing authorities.

6. In Revelation 6:9, John sees heaven’s altar and under it the “souls” of many martyrs. Then, in 6:10, he hears those souls actually speak.

7. In Revelation 20:4, John sees the “souls” of those who had been martyred for Jesus during the Tribulation period.

When you understand that each person is a soul, you’ll understand how the Hebrew behind Amos 6:8 can rightly employ the word nephash. That verse says: “The Lord God has sworn by Himself (nephash)…” (N.K.J.V.). The point is that God Himself is a soul. Furthermore, you’ll also understand why the Bible talks about the need for the human soul to get saved. You see, the term “soul saving” is just another way of saying “person saving.” Passages that speak of “the saving of the soul” are Hebrews 10:39; James 1:21; and 1 Peter 1:9.

For the record, I should also mention that creatures and animals are also “souls” in the strictest technical sense. Verses such as Genesis 1:21,24; 2:19; and 9:10,12,15,16 all use the Hebrew word nephesh and translate it as “creatures.” Unlike man, however, this doesn’t mean that creatures go to any kind of afterlife. Believe me, I like to think of my favorite dog, Tramp, as being out there in eternity waiting for me, but the Bible really doesn’t teach that he is.

But where does the soul of the individual go in the afterlife? I mean, since the soul is eternal it must go somewhere, right? Well, first let me say that, like the spirit, the soul immediately departs from the body at death. Genesis 35:18 describes Rachel’s death in this way:

And so it was, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she called his name Ben-Oni; but his father called him Benjamin. (N.K.J.V.)

Likewise, 1 Kings 17:21-22 describes Elijah resurrecting the son of the widow of Zarephath as follows:

And he stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him.” Then the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived. (N.K.J.V.)

There is, however, a serious difference concerning the spirit’s departure and the soul’s departure. As I said in my previous post, each person’s spirit returns to God at death (Ecclesiastes 12:7). The soul, on the other hand, passes on to one of two locations. It either goes to a place of eternal salvation with God or a place of eternal damnation apart from him. The proof texts here are: Luke 16:19-31; Acts 2:27,31; 1 Corinthians 15:50; Matthew 5:11-12; Romans 8:16-18; 1 Peter 1:3-5; Matthew 7:21-23; Matthew 25:41; and Romans 2:5-9.

And so, when everything is said and done, the main thing that you need to pull from all this is that you are a soul and you are going to spend eternity either with God in perfect bliss or separated from Him in indescribable torment. And the deciding factor on where you end up is your belief in or lack of belief in Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. 1 Peter 2:24-25 says this to Christians:

who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness – by whose stripes you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. (N.K.J.V., emphasis mine)

I’m happy to report that Jesus really is the Shepherd and Overseer of my soul. But I wonder, can the same be said of your soul? That’s a question you need to make sure you can answer in the right way because there is no more important one in all eternity. You see, your soul is the real “you,” and the real “you” is going to spend eternity either in perfect bliss with Jesus or in perfect torment without Him. That’s serious business, and you are the only person (soul) who can get it settled correctly.

Posted in Belief, Death, Heaven, Hell, Human Life, Reward, Salvation, Series: "The Spirit, The Soul, and The Body" | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Man’s Spirit

Posted on July 19, 2022 by russellmckinney

“The Spirit, The Soul, & The Body” series: (post #1)

You’ve probably heard that God is a triune being. He is one God, but He is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But have you heard that man is also (at least in a sense) a triune being? He is body, soul, and spirit. In 2 Thessalonians 5:23, the apostle Paul says to the Christians of Thessalonica:

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (N.K.J.V.)

Of course, there is a major difference between God’s triunity and man’s. Whereas the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are each a distinct Person, the same cannot be said of the spirit, the soul, and the body. Nevertheless, each part of our makeup does make for an interesting subject. And with this post I’d like to say a few things about the spirit of man.

First, it is the spirit that gives life to the human body. James 2:26 says:

For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (N.K.J.V.)

I would also mention Luke 23:46 here, where Christ’s releasing of His bodily spirit leads to His immediate death:

And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, ‘Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ Having said this, He breathed his last. (N.K.J.V.)

Similarly, when Jesus resurrected the daughter of Jairus, Luke 8:55 says:

Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. And He commanded that she be given something to eat. (N.K.J.V.)

When you understand that it is the spirit that brings life to the body, you can understand why the Bible teaches that even animals have spirits. Ecclesiastes 3:21 describes the difference between a person’s spirit and an animal’s spirit as follows:

Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth? (N.K.J.V.)

Second, it is only through an individual’s spirit that he or she can worship God. When Jesus was witnessing to the Samaritan woman, He told her:

“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24, N.K.J.V.)

Whatever else might be involved with worshiping God “in spirit,” it certainly means much more than just going through the bodily motions of performing outward rites or rituals. True worship is inner worship that begins inside a person, within the person’s spirit. Even though this worship might result in the outward actions of praising, singing, praying, giving, serving, etc., these are the visible results rather than the invisible prompting.

Third, in regards to salvation, the New Testament’s use of the words “regeneration” and “renewing” in the phrase “the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 2:5) applies to the spirit part of a person’s makeup. Since our souls are eternal, they never need to be regenerated or renewed, and obviously our bodies don’t get regenerated or renewed at the moment of salvation, either. That only leaves the spirit as a candidate for receiving the Holy Spirit’s regenerating and renewing.

As for why we need the Holy Spirit to regenerate and renew our inner spirits, Ephesians 2:1 says that Christians have been have been “made alive” after having previously been “dead in trespasses and sins.” You see, the Holy Spirit regenerating our spirits and renewing our spirits equates to the same thing as making us “alive.” But wait a minute, haven’t we already noted that the spirit part of us is the part that gives life to our bodies? Yes, we have. Why, then, do we need the Holy Spirit to make us alive? Aren’t we already alive? The answer is: Even as we are alive physically, we are dead spiritually.

Each individual is born “dead in trespasses and sins because of what took place in the Garden of Eden. In warning Adam about eating the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God said to him, “In the day you eat of it you will surely die” (Genesis 3:16-17). Interestingly, even though the aging process was begun in Adam and Eve the moment they ate that fruit, their bodies didn’t immediately die. Therefore, the instant death God warned about must have been a spiritual death, the death of the spirit part of each of them. Adam then passed this state of being dead in spirit down to all of his descendants as from then on each human being would be born “dead (dead in spirit) in trespasses and sins.” This was a part of Adam causing not only sin to enter the world but also death (spiritual death as well as physical death) to be spread to his entire race (Romans 5:12).

When you understand this, you can understand why Jesus described the salvation experience as being “born again” (John 3:3,7) and “born of the Spirit” (John 3:5,8). He then went on to say, “…that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:8). So, according to Jesus the part of a person that gets reborn is the spirit. And why does the spirit need to be reborn? It’s because each baby’s spirit is dead in trespasses and sins as the child enters into this world.

You see, on the one side of the coin the Bible teaches that it is each individual’s spirit that gives life to that individual (James 2:26; Luke 23:46; Luke 8:55), but on the other side of the coin the same Bible teaches that the spirit itself inside each individual needs to be regenerated (renewed, born again) in order to allow the individual to truly worship God. Furthermore, the only way this regeneration can take place is by way of the Holy Spirit as He comes to indwell the person the moment the person places saving belief in Jesus (Romans 8:8-11; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Ephesians 4:30).

By putting all these teachings together, we are left with the conclusion that even though the spirit inside each individual works well enough to keep the person bodily alive, it is “damaged goods” because of Adam’s sin and, consequently, it is “dead” in regards to the power required for the person to properly worship God. Only when the person places saving belief in Jesus does God the Holy Spirit enter into the person’s body, thus regenerating (renewing) the person’s spirit and restoring its ability to enable genuine worship of God.

Fourth, a person’s spirit goes back to God the Father as soon as it leaves the body. Look again at Ecclesiastes 3:21. It says the spirit of man goes upward (to God) at death, while the spirit of an animal simply goes down to the earth, nothing more. Another relevant passage here is Ecclesiastes 12:1-8, which is the Bible’s best passage on the subject of growing old and dying. Verse 7 of the passage says:

Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. (N.K.J.V.)

Along these same lines, in Numbers 16:22 God is called “the God of the spirits of all flesh.” Likewise, in Hebrews 12:9 He is called “the Father of spirits.” These verses simply mean that God is the one who gives life to each person and each creature, and He gives this life by way of giving each individual and each creature a spirit.

Fifth, man’s spirit is also a center of various traits, emotions, and activities. Isaiah 29:24 speaks of those who have “erred in the spirit.” Psalm 77:6 associates the spirit with both remembering and making diligent search. In Matthew 5:3, Jesus speaks of being “poor in spirit.” John 13:21 says that Jesus was “troubled in spirit.” Numbers 5:14 links the emotion of jealousy with the spirit. Proverbs 16:18 warns that a “haughty spirit” goes before a fall. In Psalm 34:18, David sings the praises of having a “contrite spirit.” In Psalm 51:10, he asks God to renew a “steadfast spirit” within him. Finally, in 2 Corinthians 7:1, Paul encourages us to cleanse ourselves from all “filthiness of the flesh and spirit.”

In the end, perhaps the best way to think of an individual’s spirit is to think of it as that person’s “life force.” I know, I know, that’s a little too new-agey, but it’s about the best I can do. The spirit is that part of you that separates you from the deceased. If you are alive, you can thank your spirit. Also, how you feel, how you worship, and how you carry yourself relates back to your spirit. Summing things up, when you hear someone say, “I feel more alive than I ever have,” you know that person’s spirit is functioning in high order.

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What to Do About Clouds

Posted on July 15, 2022 by russellmckinney

I miss Patrick Swayze. He was one of my favorite movie stars. I always liked watching him, no matter what part he was playing.

Swayze and his wife Niemi were both pilots, and they enjoyed flying airplanes together. On one flight, however, they got into a big argument over how to handle a cloud bank in front of them. The husband wanted to climb above it, but the wife wanted to dive below it. I don’t know which option they chose, but later on they took the debate to a flight instructor and asked him who was right. He said, “You’re both wrong. You should have flown right through it. You should trust your instruments and stick to your flight plan.”

Christian, I think we can apply that flight instructor’s words to your life. When you know that you are in God’s will, and yet clouds blur your horizon, you should trust your instruments and stick to your flight plan. What are your instruments? They are the words of the Bible as well as the counsel and guidance of the indwelling Holy Spirit. What is your flight plan? It is truth concerning God’s will that He has previously revealed to you.

So, has God told you to do something? Does He have you on a certain path in life? But is that path right now being obscured by some clouds of problem or difficulty? What should you do? Trust your instruments and fly straight through the clouds. If God wants you to do any climbing or diving, He will tell you. If He wants to change your flight plan, He’ll let you know. But until you receive some new directions from Him, the last ones He gave you still stand.

Posted in Adversity, Bible Study, Choices, Decisions, Discernment, Faith, God's Will, Perseverance, Problems, Scripture, The Bible, The Holy Spirit, Trials, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Words

Posted on July 13, 2022 by russellmckinney

Kent Crockett is a Bible teacher who is the President of Making Life Count Ministries. Like many of us, he is old enough to understand what the terms “8mm home movie camera,” “VHS,” and “VCR” mean. In reference to these items, he tells the following story from his past:

Years ago my wife and I recorded many of our family highlights using an 8mm home movie camera. We collected years of precious memories in numerous spools of film, which became antiquated after the invention of video cameras. Some friends living in another state offered to combine all our films into one videotape. We gladly accepted their generous offer and sent them our films.

Our friends placed an 8mm home movie camera in their living room to project our movies. They also set up a VHS video camera pointed at the screen and recorded the films while the other camera’s reels turned. They sent the completed videotape to us.

Cindy and I were anxious to watch the tape of our old movies. We brought out the popcorn and inserted the video into our VCR. But that’s where the fun stopped. As we beheld our old home movie films on videotape, we also listened to our friends’ remarks. They had not realized that when they recorded our films, the video camera also taped their critical comments about us!

When the videotape began, they started making fun of us. As the film continued to roll, their comments turned vicious. With every new scene came a cutting remark or hurtful joke. Daggers entered my heart as I listened to what our friends honestly thought about us. My wife was devastated.

Our friends looked at us through judgmental glasses. Although they were cordial to our faces, the video recorded the true thoughts of their hearts.

The Bible features numerous passages that are downright terrifying, and one of them is Matthew 12:36-37. In those verses, Jesus gives us an ominous warning:

But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. (N.K.J.V.)

When we consider this awesome weight our words carry, not just in this life but in the “day of judgment,” I think you’ll agree with me that our frequent prayer should be David’s from Psalm 141:3:

Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.(N.K.J.V.)

Posted in Character, Communication, Discipleship, Doing Good, Friendship, God's Judgment, Lying, Personal Holiness, Reward, Sanctification, Sin, The Tongue | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Beauty Untapped

Posted on July 11, 2022 by russellmckinney

Two men were driving down the road in a truck. Suddenly, the driver slowed down and said, “Look at that beautiful angel.” The passenger excitedly asked, “Where? Where?” The driver said, “Right there.”

The passenger said, “I don’t see any angel. All I see is that big rock.” The driver said, “I’m going to prove to you that there is an angel there.” He then took the passenger home, let him out, and drove back to his own house. There, he went into his garage, got out his hoist, and loaded the hoist into his truck bed. Then he drove back to the rock, used the hoist to load the rock into the truck bed, took the rock back to his house, and unloaded it with the hoist.

At that point, he went to work on the rock, systematically chipping away at it with hammers and chisels. He worked for weeks and weeks until finally he was finished. Then he called up the passenger and said, “Come over to my house. I want to show you something.” The passenger came over and saw a beautiful, sculptured angel. He said, “My, what a beautiful angel.” The driver said, “That’s the angel I saw on the road that day. It was in that rock all along. All I did was release it.” This story makes me think about how God can see the untapped beauty that lies within people.

God looked down at a timid sort of man whose family was entrenched in idolatry and saw the founding father of the race of people by whom Jesus would enter the world. Abraham was in that “rock” all along.

God looked down at a former member of Egyptian nobility, now living as a humble exile on the backside of the desert, and saw the man who would lead Israel out of Egyptian bondage. Moses was in that “rock” all along.

God looked down at a young shepherd boy whose own family didn’t even rate him all that high and saw Israel’s greatest king. David was in that “rock” all along.

God looked down at an uneducated fisherman, a man who was very prone to extremes, and saw the apostle who would preach the famous Pentecost sermon after which 3,000 people would get saved. Peter was in that “rock” all along.

God looked down at a brilliant, highly educated Pharisee, a man whose zeal for Judaism knew no bounds, and saw the apostle who would start churches all over the Roman empire, win hordes of people to Christ, and write half the New Testament. Paul was in that “rock” all along.

So, before you give up on yourself and decide that you’ll never amount to much in life, you’d better consider all these examples. You may be just a “rock” now, but God knows the untapped beauty that lies within you. But first you must believe in Jesus as your personal Savior and then unreservedly cast yourself at His feet, to do with as He will. That’s your part. His part is then to faithfully mold you and shape you, a little hammering here, a little chiseling there, until that beauty that was always within you is on display for the world to see.

Posted in Discipleship, Faith, God's Love, God's Omnipotence, God's Omniscience, God's Work, Individuality, Salvation, Service, Spiritual Gifts, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

How to Be a Herod

Posted on July 6, 2022 by russellmckinney

Israel’s first temple, known as Solomon’s temple, stood for 400 years before it was destroyed by the Babylonians. Israel’s second temple, known as Zerubbabel’s temple, stood for 500 years and served as the centerpiece of Jewish worship all during the 400-year gap that lies between the last page of the Old Testament and the first page of the New Testament. It was toward the end of that time period that an Idumean named Herod the Great became a major player in the history of Israel. By being a consummate politician, Herod convinced the Romans to place him in charge over Judea, which was the southern region of Israel. He then ruled over Judea for more than thirty years before dying not long after his infamous role in the story of the birth of Jesus.

Herod the Great was a very wicked man, but he was a tremendous builder, and perhaps his greatest building project was the redoing of Jerusalem’s temple. He understood that Zerubbabel’s temple was nowhere near as spectacular as Solomon’s had been, and so he made up his mind to correct that problem by not only reconstructing the temple but also expanding it greatly. Workers completed the bulk of the project in ten years, but the “detail work” continued on for many years afterwards. In John 2:20, the Jews even say, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple…” By the way, this was the temple that Jesus knew during His earthly life.

But, in the end, what happened to the temple that is now commonly referred to as “Herod’s temple” or “the third temple”? Would you believe that in 70 A.D., some 70 years or so after Herod’s death, the Romans completely destroyed it as a part of their efforts to reestablish their dominion over the Jews? Actually, the destruction of that temple was the fulfillment of a prophecy that Jesus had given. We read that prophecy in Matthew 24:1-2:

Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” (N.K.J.V.)

You say, “Okay, Russell, what’s your point?” My point is that Herod the Great poured untold time, wealth, energy, and manpower into a project that was destined to come to nothing, and if you and I aren’t careful we will make the same mistake. No, I don’t suppose that you will be building or renovating any temples anytime soon, but you can certainly pour your time, wealth, energy, and manpower into something that will not last. You can chase dreams that are unworthy dreams. You can spend your life in pursuit of futile accomplishments. You can lose years aiming at and firing at wrong targets.

Therefore, I guess right now would be a good time to look in the proverbial mirror and ask yourself, “Am I using my life to accomplish goals that are truly worthwhile or am I making the mistake that Herod made?” If you don’t know how to answer, ask God to show you what He thinks. And if He shows you that you need to change what you’re after, then do so immediately. After all, why kill yourself trying to build something that somebody else will just come along and knock down in the future?

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The Golden Rule

Posted on July 4, 2022 by russellmckinney

When you talk about the Old Testament law that God gave to the people of Israel, you’re on a BIG subject. Likewise, when you talk about the many prophecies that were given by God’s prophets from the Old Testament era, you’re on another BIG subject. Isn’t it interesting, then, how Jesus summed up the law and the prophets? He said:

“Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 7:12, N.K.J.V.)

Today, we call this “the golden rule.” However, what most people don’t know is that assorted versions of the rule actually existed before the time of Christ. Those versions could be found in Hinduism, Buddhism, and even in the teachings of the Jewish rabbis. But the difference was that all of those previous versions stated the rule as a negative command. For example, the rabbi Hillel’s version was, “What is hateful to yourself do not to someone else.” You see, what Jesus did was put a positive spin on things. His teaching was, “It’s not enough just to keep yourself from doing bad to others; you also need to make a point of doing good to them.”

One Christian realized to his dismay that he had become not only selfish but also very cynical in his attitude toward others. So, he determined that each day he would do at least one thing that would brighten the life of someone else. What he found was that with each day and each deed, his own happiness grew more and more.

But one night, as this Christian was going to bed, he realized that he hadn’t made good on his commitment for that day. Since it was late, he decided that the best thing he could do was give someone a phone call. The recipient he chose was a man who had been confined to his home for a long time by illness.

As it turned out, the sick man was absolutely dumbfounded by the call. Every so often during the conversation he would ask the Christian, “Why are you calling me?” Each time the answer was something along the lines of, “Oh, I was just thinking about you. I haven’t been to see you lately, but I intend to come soon. In the meantime, I thought I’d call and talk a little.” A few days later the sick man’s wife happened to bump into the Christian. She told him, “My husband is still not over your call. It was a miracle. He had just said the day before, ‘Nobody ever calls me.’”

Christian, we would all do well to commit ourselves to doing at least one good deed per day that brightens someone else’s life. It can be a phone call, an email, a text, a visit, a card, an act of kindness, or an encouraging word. The options are virtually limitless. The one thing they all have in common is that each one falls under the heading of the golden rule: Whatever you want others to do to you, do also to them.

And so, I’ll ask you to give this a try. Make a point of doing something to brighten another person’s day. There’s just no telling how much good you will do for that person. For that matter, there’s just no telling how much good you will do for yourself as well.

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A “Bring Your Own Board” Kind of Church

Posted on July 1, 2022 by russellmckinney

A man named Squire Hughes was one of the first settlers west of the Miami River in Ohio. Being a religious man, he would ride twenty miles on horseback just to worship at the Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati. There was a problem, however, the first time he attended worship at that church. The church’s pews were the style that had a door on the outside of each one, and all those doors remained closed to Hughes when he initially walked down the church aisle. That meant that not one person from one pew was hospitable enough to open their door and invite him into their pew to sit with them.

After Hughes had walked all the way down to the front of the church, he started making his way back up the aisle. By this time, a few of the “good Christians” were feeling ashamed enough of themselves to open their doors for him, but Hughes had a temper and the damage had already been done. So, he angrily stormed back up the aisle, past all the pews, and walked out the back door.

A short time later he came back into the church, this time carrying a board he had found. He walked all the way back down to the front of the church, sat down on the board, and remained there until the end of the service. Then he picked up the board, put it on his shoulder, walked out the back door, and rode away. And what do you think happened the next time he attended that church? Every pew door was opened to him!

Have you had any visitors to your church lately? If so, how did you treat them? Did you greet them with a smiling face, a warm welcome, and a hearty, “Here, sit by me”? Or did you look at them with an upturned nose and think, “Now what are they doing here?”

Ah, the church of the “frozen chosen.” Most towns have at least one. It might be a rich church or it might be a poor church, but it’s the one where the folks have the mentality, “We’ve got our select group and we don’t need anyone else.” I’m telling you, Christian, beware of that mentality. Why? Well, first and foremost, it is highly displeasing to God because it is lethal to outreach. But second, you just never know when some Squire Hughes type might put you in your place one Sunday.

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One is Enough

Posted on June 29, 2022 by russellmckinney

A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. (1 Corinthians 12:7, N.L.T.)

When a person is born, he or she comes wired with certain talents, skills, and natural abilities. Obviously, these must be recognized and honed as the individual grows, but the point is that these things are inside the person even in infancy. They simply need to be put to use.

Along the same lines, the New Testament teaches that when a person believes in Christ as Savior, God the Holy Spirit comes to dwell inside that person’s body (Romans 8:9-11). Thus, the person is born again (John 3:1-21). And one of the things the Spirit does is impart to the person at least one “spiritual gift” (Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; Ephesians 4:7-11).

What is a spiritual gift? It is a talent, skill, or ability that the person did not have before becoming a Christian. As with natural talents, skills, and abilities, it might take the new Christian (who is called a babe in Christ: 1 Corinthians 3:1; 1 Peter 2:2) a while to identify the spiritual gift and hone it, but the gift is present from the moment of salvation. Some Christians are given more than one spiritual gift, but every Christian is given at least one (1 Corinthians 12:7). The good news is that one is plenty by which to serve Christ in great and mighty ways.     

A young man who lost his left arm in an automobile accident wanted to learn judo. His family, delighted that he wasn’t letting his disability keep him down, hired an old Japanese master to teach him judo’s throws. After three months had passed, the master had taught the young man only one throw, but that specific throw had been perfected. Surprisingly, the master felt that it was time for the young man to enter his first competition. Even more surprisingly, the young man actually won the event, defeating the defending champion in the finals.

After the finals, the young man asked the master the question that had been on his mind: “Why did you teach me only one throw?” The master replied, “There are two reasons. First, by mastering that one throw you have mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. Second, the only known defense for that throw is for your opponent to grab your left arm.”

You see, that young man knew only one throw, but one was enough. Likewise, Christian, God the Holy Spirit may have imparted to you only one spiritual gift, but that one is enough. So use it, use it, use it, over and over and over again in service to Christ. Why? Because Satan won’t have a defense for it and it will surely help others.

Posted in Adversity, Attitude, Doing Good, God's Provision, God's Work, Ministry, Salvation, Satan, Spiritual Gifts, Talents, The Devil, The Holy Spirit | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Arms of God

Posted on June 27, 2022 by russellmckinney

The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms… (Deuteronomy 33:27, N.K.J.V.)

A family was awakened one night by the blaring of their smoke detector. Sure enough, their house was on fire. The father immediately raced into the kids’ room and came out carrying his eighteen-month-old baby with one arm and holding his four-year-old son’s hand with the other. They were halfway down the stairs when the four-year-old realized that he’d left his teddy bear in his room. Impulsively, he broke away from his father’s grip and ran back to get the bear. With the house beginning to fill up with smoke, the father made the split-second decision to get the baby out and then go back and retrieve the four-year-old. He calculated that he’d have enough time.

Unfortunately, the fire accelerated faster than the father expected, and by the time he got the baby outside, the flames had trapped the four-year-old in the second-floor bedroom. Frantically, the father looked up to the window and through the thick smoke saw that the boy had raised the window and was trying to get out. The man yelled, “Jump, son, I’ll catch you!” The boy, who was now engulfed in smoke, said, “But I can’t see you, daddy.” To that, the father answered, “That’s okay, son. Jump. I can see you!”

Tell me, is God calling you to make some “jump” in your life right now? In other words, is He asking you to do something that you’re just not sure about? Maybe you are hesitating to obey Him. Maybe you are arguing with Him. Maybe you’ve passed through the stages of hesitation and argument and are now in full-blown disobedience.

If any of that describes you, I want you to remember that if you know for certain that it’s God who is doing the calling, you needn’t worry about not being able to see where you will land. Where you will land is in the strong arms of a God who loves you more than you can imagine and knows what’s best for your life. You see, if God is calling you to “jump,” He is already standing with His arms open wide to catch you, and the reality of life is that His arms are always the best place to end up in the aftermath of any decision you will ever make.

Posted in Belief, Choices, Faith, Fatherhood, Fear, God's Omnipotence, God's Omnipresence, God's Will, Obedience, Submission, Trusting In God | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment