Peter De Bruys: The Forgotten Reformer

  Since it is the 500th year anniversary of the Reformation, I want to bring to your attention someone who lived far before the Reformation and yet was one who tried to bring reformation to the church. Even in the dark ages, there were men who preached the gospel. Real revivals happened. But often the church was an underground church; persecuted by the Roman Catholics. The story of Peter de Bruys is an example of this.

  The only way we know about Peter de Bruys is through his enemies. We have no books written by Peter. No admirers ever wrote his history. All we have are Catholic writers who wrote against him since he challenged the Roman Catholic church. One such source is Peter the Venerable--the abbot of Cluny.  The abbot of Cluny wrote a book that was directly against the teaching and followers of Peter de Bruys. This book is the main source of our information about this preacher.

 We know he was a priest for a time. He came on the scene in southern France around the year 1105. Although we are not certain even of the date. He  preached for some 20 years in the south of France, bringing about a revival and the emptying of Catholic churches of worshippers. Then around the year 1126, a mob laid hands on Peter and he was burned to death.

  Later on a man named Henry of Lausanne joined in the work that Peter had started. His preaching against sin lead many people to repentance and it also stirred up the clergy whose sins he denounced. Henry was arrested and then imprisoned. We don't know what happened to him there. Those who held to the teachings of Henry and Peter de Bruys were called Petrobrusians. At the synod of Toulouse in 1119, the Petrobrusians were formally condemned as heretics. This group eventually scattered and disappeared; perhaps due to persecution.

  We know more about what these men preached and taught because this is what their enemies wrote against. First, we know that they rejected infant baptism and practiced believers' baptism only. As you can see, believer's baptism only didn't start with the Anabaptist. Many others realized that infant baptism was unscriptural years before the reformation.  Second, they didn't believe that church buildings, altars or crosses were holy or sacred. God could be worshiped wherever a person was. These people understood that God is to be primarily worshiped by our hearts rather than by outward traditions and mere form. Third, they rejected the catholic mass as unbiblical. Fourth, they taught that we can't do anything on behalf of the dead.They rejected purgatory as false. Fifth, they believed that "piety is essential to a legitimate priesthood." Serious sin in a leader of the church disqualified them for that position, as is taught in 1 Timothy 3.Sixth, they taught that priests were allowed to marry.  Lastly, they believed that the church is made up of those who have been redeemed and born again by God. This was opposed to the Catholic church which taught the church was all those who are in a given locality, that is a parish system. This is what we know they taught from what their enemies wrote against them.

   When you examine the teachings of Peter de Bruys, you should see that there is not much difference between them and what you see in many solid biblical churches today. 400 years before the Reformation, we read of a man who stood for the truth of God's word. He was evidently a man who knew and studied his Bible well. He must have been a man of courage to preach against the mighty Roman Catholic church. In the end he gave his life for his Lord. Our record of this man is incomplete. I would love to know more. But much remains unknown to us. However, God knows all about Peter de Bruys. He remembers what he did even if many or all forget him. This is true for us. History will likely forget us. But the Lord Jesus never forgets His people or their service for Him. He will reward us in His good time. Knowing this let us press on to holiness and serve our King.

Sources

Phillip Schaff's History of the Christian Church Vol 5 pages 482-485

http://baptisthistoryhomepage.com/hisel.bapt.hst.ntbk.chp12.html 

Brad

The Greatest Weapon

The Sword of the Spirit

 When I was boy, I loved playing with swords. We often had sword fights, which at times ended with someone in tears. I can remember wanting a sword very badly. Once my parents saw a sword at a garage sale. They did not buy the sword to my great regret, although it is well they didn’t.  My uncle had an old sword in his house that I eyed with great fascination. Anyways, I grew up, and put my sword fighting days behind me, well, sort of, till I had kids. I have a new sword fascination these days.   

Ephesians 6:17, “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

In this great spiritual war, God has given us one weapon. In battle, it usually better to have a number of weapons. Maybe a rifle, grenades, knife, pistol. This is because no weapon is perfect for all situations. But in God’s wisdom He has given us a perfect weapon for every situation and foe. Having one weapon, allows us to focus all our efforts on becoming masters of this weapon, rather than dividing our energies among other weapons.

Here in our text God’s word is compared is a sword. This is not the only time that God’s word is compared to a sword.

Hosea 6:5 “Therefore I have hewn them to pieces by the prophets, I have slain them by the words of my mouth;”

Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart,”

Revelation 1:16, “In His right hand He(Jesus) held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp two edged sword;” Same imagery in Rev 2:12 and 19:15 all in reference to the words of Christ.

This sword is called the sword of the Spirit. It could be understood in two ways.

1    1 ) A sword that is spiritual as opposed to physical. This sword is not for the warfare of steel and iron. This sword is for spiritual battles, in the spiritual realm. “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

      2) Spirit could refer to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Author of Scripture. He is the interpreter and teacher of God’s Word. And He is the One who gives it power.    

In this war we are confronted by many powerful foes, that is Satan and his demons. In fact we have no ability to withstand them on our own. But with this sword, we have a weapon that can withstand and defeat every spiritual enemy we have. God’s word is more powerful than all the atomic bombs in this world. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16 ‘Power’ here is from the word we get dynamite. The infinite power of the Lord God Almighty is in His word. When the word of God is used well, not even the devil can overcome and defeat us. It can break down and transformed the hard hearts of sinners. It can demolish long held erroneous beliefs. The word of God can turn the world upside down.

A sword is used for defense and offence. You can parry or block your opponent’s blows with the sword or you can slash and cut at your foe. The same is true for the sword of the Spirit.

The word of God can defend you from temptation. When Satan tempts you to sin, then you must use God’s word to block his blows. For example, suppose you are tempted to get even with someone who hurt you. Your mind should then go to Romans 12:19-21.

“Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay says the Lord. But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.” 

Another example, devil tempts you to think that not even God could love such a sinner as you. You could counter this evil broad sword by using God’s word such as Rom 8:31 -32

“If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?”

“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Rom 8:1

What are anxiety? “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God.” Phil 4:6

Patience a problem with others? “The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth.” 2 Tim 2:24-25

See how the Great Master Swordsman, the Lord Jesus, handled the word of God in His great contest with the devil. Matt 4. For every sword thrust of Satan, He answered “It is written” and then used the right text for the right error. 

The word of God of truth is also for defending against false doctrine and error.  No error can stand against God’s word. This sword can defeat every error, big or small.

But we shouldn’t always be on the defensive. No, we are called to take the battle to the enemy and conquer territory for the King of Kings. We are to use God’s word in evangelism. It is the scriptures that the Spirit uses to give new life to sinners. “For you have been born again, not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is through the living and enduring word of God.” 1 Peter 1:23 When we evangelize, it is important to use the word of God in our gospel conversation. It has power to save like nothing else. By the sword of the Spirit we rescue souls from the kingdom of darkness. 

    

  Also when we teach or preach the word of God we are using this sword to attack. God’s word is what sanctifies us. Jesus prayed “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” John 17:17 God’s word can kill sin in our lives. Through regular reading and study of God’s word, we are killing our sin and causing godliness to form in our hearts. "We must be killing sin or it will be killing us." A quote that I remember, but I can't remember the name of the author of this quote.   

A skilled swordsman is not born overnight. It takes time, effort and practice for them to become skilled in the art of sword fighting. The same is for those who are soldier of Christ and wield the Sword of the Spirit. Here are ways we can became skilled in the art of using this sword.

1     1    We must acquire a knowledge of the whole word of God. It is important we know the whole Bible; what the themes and contents are of each book. It would be good to read through the Bible a couple of times because serious study.

       2   We should learn the art and skill of interpretation and application of the word of God. Good sword fighters are good at hermeneutics.                                                                                                3  It is important to memorize verses of the Bible. Memorize passages that deal with sins and temptations you struggle with.

       4  Put it into practice. Don’t keep the info in your head use the Sword in your daily battles.                 5   Learn from a Master swordsman. Read books and commentaries of those who are skilled in the use of God’s word. A good teacher will be of great help. E.G. JC Ryle  

        May God bless this to His Church for the training of good Christian swordsmen.  

Brad

Ruminations On Wealth And Poverty

Every so often I come across this idea that people are wealthy because of some privileged background or by taking advantage of the poor. Those in poverty are said to be there because they are taken advantage of or because they belong to some minority group. In our culture, many look down on the wealthy and want to punish them for their 'crime' of acquiring wealth. The sad thing is that these ideas are often held by Christians. But this simplistic view of wealth and poverty doesn't stand up to the Bible. I would especially turn your attention to the Proverbs, which have much to say on this subject. I don't want to write a long piece on this subject, just a few thoughts.

  People become wealthy through various means. Some are born rich and maintain their wealth through good business skills. Others are born poor, but rise up to wealth through hard work, skill and prudence. There are those who gain their wealth by scams, dishonesty, bribes and other sinful ways. These people often will live off the labor and pain of others. A few people can became rich through lotteries, inheritances, and successful treasure hunts. There is a great variety in how someone becomes wealthy.

   The Bible does not condemn people for being wealthy. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Job, and Joseph of Arimathea were all rich people. In fact riches are a blessing from God. But the Bible condemns the love of money and its waste. Wealth is to be used for the glory of God. David used his wealth to finance the building of the temple and so we should use ours for Christ's kingdom. Paul tells Timothy to "Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed." 1 Timothy 6:17-19.  Well would it be for the church if it had more godly rich people to fund the work of gospel ministry.

  All material poverty eventually traces its roots to sin. That is why Jesus could say that you will always have the poor with you. Mark 14:7. Old Mother Sin will always be here in this present age and so her children, like Mr. Poverty, will be with her til then as well. Poverty may be the sin of the one who is poor or the sin of others who caused one to be poor or it may be the result of the curse that came with sin. Either way sin is the cause of poverty. Some are poor because of addictions, foolish management of wealth, and greed. Some people come to poverty because of their crimes. Harming or abusing someone may cause someone's poverty as they are sued and now have to pay out a large sum of money. Laziness causes others to become or stay poor. In countries like North Korea or Venezuela, people are poor because of the corrupt and foolish governments that run the country. Theft or fraud can cause others to become poor. There are many ways one stays or becomes poor, but it all goes back to sin.

 Sin brought a curse on this world. Part of that curse is trouble like disease, floods, droughts, earthquakes and so on. These natural disasters can also cause poverty. A plague of locusts can turn a prosperous farm or area into a desolate wasteland. If someone gets really sick, they can't work and have extra bills to pay because of their illness. This can also lead to people becoming poor. In these cases there isn't a way for a person to prevent the onslaught of poverty. We must trust that God has a good purpose in all this, even if it seems all dark to us.

  It certainly isn't wrong to be in poverty so long as it is not because of your sins. Poverty is not a curse, even if it is because of the curse. The poor may have some advantage to the rich in this life as they may see the hopelessness of the things of the world better. James 1:9-10. It can be better spiritually to be poor, but not always.  Both rich and poor must learn to be content in whatever situation God has placed them in. Like Paul we should be able to say, " I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am." See Phil 4:11-13.

  Since there are so many reasons someone becomes poor, there are also many ways needed to get someone out of poverty. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. Governments like to think that giving money will solve all our poverty problems. But this is a naive solution. If the problem is addiction or out of control spending, more money will only make things worse.  Each individual case must be examined to see where exactly the cause of the poverty comes from. When the problem is identified, then the cure can be administered. There may be times when the correct solution to a person's poverty is to do nothing but leave them in it. "If anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either." 2 Thess 3:10.  As you can imagine this approach is time consuming and challenging. It requires a lot of wisdom and discernment. But trying to relieve those in poverty this way, will help achieve our goal of helping the poor more often than not.

Brad

Horatio Spafford And The Hammer Of Hell

Horatio Spafford is best remembered for his hymn 'When Peace Like a River' or "It is Well With My Soul.' I have often heard the story behind this hymn. Spafford's wife and four daughter were traveling to Europe on a ship when they collided with another ship. Spafford's wife lived but all four daughters died. Later as Spafford sailed past the spot where his daughters had drowned, he wrote this famous hymn, which is often sung in churches. This is the first verse of that hymn.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

• Refrain:
  It is well with my soul,
  It is well, it is well with my soul. 

       But the story of Spafford's life after this hymn was written is often forgotten or ignored. Later on Spafford returned to America with his wife. They left their church after some doctrinal disputes and set up their own church. They believed that they were the only true church. The church was very much like many of the charismatic churches of today. The meetings were chaotic, filled with strange practices. Fake healings and resurrections were attempted. All manner of 'new' revelations were received. They looked for guidance from God through one women's sniffles, for example. And then there were the sanctified oranges, which I don't know exactly what purpose they served. All in all there was a lot of strange happenings at this church. 

 Bad practice comes from bad theology and Spafford and his group had plenty of it. Spafford denied the doctrine of hell. He believed that all people would go to heaven, even the devil would make it there. He held to some form of purgatory. Spafford was really interested in eschatology. He believed he knew when Christ was coming back and went out to Jerusalem to meet Him there. Or he may have been running away from all his debts and debtors. 

 Spafford and some of his followers went to Jerusalem to meet Christ, which never happened. But they did set up a cult-like organization. They shared everything in common there. All the strange behavior continued there. This group abolished marriage and family for a time. They were known for gross sexual immorality. Spafford died in 1888 and then his wife took over leadership. She considered herself a prophetess and continued the wild immoralities. 

When I read all this, it was hard to believe that this was the man who wrote that well known hymn. How could he go from that height to this low? The pathetic ending of this man's life makes you seriously question his salvation. A true Christian perseveres. Ironically Spafford called his group 'The Overcomers.' Yet when you look at his life and the lives of his followers, they were not at all overcomers. "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world- our faith." 1 John 4:4   

 A true Christian continues on in the faith to the end. The reason no Christian will lose their salvation is that God will enable them to persevere. Jesus said, "I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no on will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one." John 10:28-30. Charles Spurgeon expressed this truth like this, "If He hath called thee, nothing can divide thee from His love. Distress cannot sever the bond; the fires of persecution cannot burn the link; the hammer of hell cannot break the chain." God Almighty will not let go of us, even if all the powers of the devil and his host should try to pull us from His hands. 

 It is also true that we are commanded to persevere. Here are some examples: 

"But Christ was faithful as a Son over His house- whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end." Heb 3:6. 

"For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end." Heb 3:14.   

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering,..." Heb 10:23. 

"Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what has been promised." Heb 10:35-36.   

 God causes the Christian to persevere by working in His people so that they endure and hold fast. We strive to endure because God is at work in us.  

It is easy to start well in the Christian faith. It is hard to finish well. Every Christian will get over the finish line, even if God has to drag us over it. But let us make every effort to run well even to the end. A story like the one about Horatio Spafford should give us cause to pause and tremble. We ought to watch and pray more diligently that we will not fall into temptation and disgrace our Lord and Savior. 

"Now to Him, who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen." 

Jude 24-25.

Brad

Sources: 

http://www.cprf.co.uk/articles/spafford.html#.WYce3IjyuUk 

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/chorusinthechaos/the-disturbing-past-behind-the-author-of-it-is-well-with-my-soul/

How To Be A Christian Sports Fan

Christianity is not a one day a week religion. It isn't confined to a few areas of life. Christianity affects everything. Jesus Christ is Lord of every single part of our lives. Eating, drinking, exercising, driving, singing are all to be conformed to God's word. We are like a dilapidated house. Every room and space is in need of a renovation. So every area of our lives needs to be scrutinized to see if it is being done in a God-glorifying way. One area that needs to be examined is how we watch sports. How are Christian sports fans to be different than the sports fans of this world?

 What I find in the sports world is that people are dehumanized. Instead of seeing them as real people who have struggles and troubles like the rest of us, they seem to become mere objects on the screen. This can be seen in how people talk about players on their team, on the other teams or even the referees. People boo those players they don't like. Players are sharply criticized when they don't meet our approval or standard. The referees are cussed in anger when a call doesn't go our teams way. The opposing team is often looked at as an enemy to be destroyed. These are just some examples of a lack of love for those playing the game.

  God's word calls us to show love, respect, kindness and understanding to others. All people are made in the image of God and, therefore, deserve to be treated with dignity. If we do believe this, we will watch sports in a different way. Booing, catcalls, and unfair criticism have no place for the Christian while he watches sports.We should be patient with the officials even when they make a mistake. We should be able to appreciate the talents of all the players on each team, even when our team is losing. We ought not to rejoice, even if it is only inwardly, if the other team's star player is hurt. Maybe next time you watch your favorite team play ask yourselves 'How can I show love to those playing this game? How can I honour God in how I watch this game?'

  In Canada one of our religions is hockey. Maybe in the American South, it is football. Too often people idolize sports.  Some people get depressed after their team loses. Some will get angry. Either way these responses show that they worship their team or sport too much. Even Christians can have a sinful preoccupation with sports. We fail to consider how sports fits into the eternal plan of God. How important do you think it is to God's kingdom for your team to win the championship? This world and your team will all pass away, but God's kingdom will never pass away. We are to seek His kingdom and His righteousness first of all. Watching sports can be a nice way to relax. It is a blessing to enjoy. But in the end it is only a game and doesn't matter that much compared to the eternity ahead of us. Millions of souls are perishing and entering into a horrifying eternity in hell. The gospel needs to be preached to them. What is a sport game to this reality?!! A Christian should have a Biblical perspective when watching sports. Sure, we can cheer for our team to win, but if they don't, it shouldn't upset us. Being a sports fan is a good hobby, but don't make it your idol.

  Lastly, we should be careful to limit our time watching sports. "Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil." Ephesians 5:15. A hockey game lasts for a couple hours. Now if you watch sports every night or every other night, that can be a lot of time spent in sports. Is that a wise use of time when you consider what I said in the last paragraph? Is there not more important things that could be done? Could that time be better used to serve Christ's church? Or that time could be used to read your Bible and pray or care for your wife and family? A real danger with being a sports fan is that it can eat up much of your time. As such, we need to be disciplined in how much time we give to the hobby of watching sports. Make it your slave, and don't let it master you.

Brad

The Christian Test: Part 3

This will be the last post about assurance of salvation. I have been trying to show from the Bible that there are certain questions we can ask ourselves to determine if we are indeed saved and so gain an assurance of our salvation. In the last post we saw there must be repentance, faith, obedience, the work of the Spirit and answered prayer in the life of a Christian. Now without further delay, here are the next traits of a Christian.

1) Do you love other Christians?

 A true Christian loves Jesus Christ. The one born of God will love God and will love those who are His children. 1 John 5:1-2. Jesus Christ loves His church. He suffered and died for her. And so a Christian will love the church as well. "The one who says he is in the light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But the one who hates his brothers is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes." 1 John 2:9-11.  Consider also this verse, "If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen." 1 John 4:20.  It is not enough to say that you love your friends at church. But do you love all of those born again because God loves them and saved them and adopted them into His family; the same family that you are now part of? Do you love Christians who disagree with you on points of doctrine and practice or are not very lovable at times? Do you love the church where ever she may be found and seek to do her good? If you truly love God and have been born of God, you will seek the good of His church.

2) Are you disgusted with worldliness?

"Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves, the world, the love of the Father is not in him." 1 John 2:15. The world is the collective mass of sin and error of the people in this world. It is the kingdom of darkness over which Satan rules. The world's values, habits, beliefs and pleasures are seen on the movie screen, on TV, on the magazine rack, in liberal churches, in Buddhists temples and so on. Can you love sin? Can you love worldly wisdom? Can you be at home among ungodly friends?  If so, then there are some serious problems in your life and you may not be a Christian. Christians reject the world. The philosophies of this world are repulsive to the believer. The humor and entertainment of the world is nauseating. The Christian will walk against the grain of society, because he loves God, and truth, and holiness, and seek after His kingdom and righteousness first of all. "You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God ? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." James 4:4.

3) Are you persecuted for the sake of Christ?

   A Christian will hate the world, but the world also hates the Christian. The world loves darkness and hates the light. Since Christians are of the light, the world will hate them and persecute them. "Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." 2 Timothy 3:12. Cain killed Abel. Why? "Because his deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous. Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you." 1 John 3:13. And so this has been the case from then until now. The children of Cain hate the righteousness of the children of Abel because it bothers their consciences and condemns them. "This is the judgement, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed." John 3:19-20  Have you suffered for Christ? Maybe you have not been tortured or put in prison. But have you been excluded from others because you are a Christian? Have you been mocked or insulted because you bear the name of Christ?  Have you been slandered against because you are of the Light? Have you shared in the sufferings of Christ? If you have, you can be sure that you are part of the Kingdom of Light. The more godly you will live, the more people will hate you and the more joy and assurance you will enjoy.

 This is the end of the Christian test. I know it wasn't exhaustive, but I think I covered most of the questions. If there was something I missed, let me know. A good resource is  the book 'Biblical Doctrines' edited by John Macarthur and Richard Mayhue. See pages 649-653.

  Hopefully, after looking over these questions, you will gain greater assurance. If you did, then praise God and continue to make your calling and election sure. But if you don't see these qualities in your life, then maybe you aren't a Christian. Or you could be an immature Christian who needs growth. I would advise you to talk to a mature Christian for further counsel.

Brad

The Christian Test: Part 2

 In the last post I looked at 3 evidences of a Christian. Repentance, faith and obedience will be seen in every true Christian. In this post I will look at a number of other evidences of a Christian so that we may obtain assurance of faith or be shown to not be Christians and so turn from our sin to Christ.

  1) Do you see the work of the Spirit in your life?

 When a person is saved the Holy Spirit indwells them. "Having believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance," Eph 1:13-14.  The Holy Spirit's primary task is to sanctify us. Thus if we are Christians we will see the results of the ministry of the Spirit in holy lives. "By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit." 1 John 4:13.

 The Holy Spirit will produce holiness in the life of the believer. This is not just outward action, but an inward transformation. The famous passage is Galatians 5: 22-23. There it lists the fruit of the Spirit. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control; against such things there is no law." An apple tree will produce apples. An orange tree will produce oranges and a person that has the Spirit living inside them will produce the fruit of the Spirit. Are these seen in your life?

  The Holy Spirit is the teacher of truth. He reveals the glorious truths of God's word. "As for you, the anointing which you have received  from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, abide in Him." 1 John 2:27. "But when He , the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth;" John 16:13. We need the Holy Spirit to teach us the truth of God's word. For when we are dead in our sins we can't understand or appreciate the glory of the truth. "But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them , because they are spiritually appraised." 1 Cor 2:14.  An evidence the Spirit is working in our lives is when we begin to see the truth, wisdom and greatness of the gospel and the glory of Christ. We love God's word. Our eyes are opened and it becomes clear to us. We have a hunger for the Bible which results in the daily reading and study of God's word. All this is evidence that the Spirit is at work within us.

 The Spirit also gives true believers spiritual discernment so that they hold fast to essential doctrine. Consider 2 John 9, "Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son." Or 1 John 4:6, "We are from God; he who know God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error." Or "Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him." 1 John 4:15. Consider also 1 John 2:20-24 and 1 John 5:1.  This doesn't mean Christians are never in doctrinal error. But the Spirit works in us so that we hold fast to those essential and major doctrines, like the divinity and humanity of Christ, the Trinity, the substitutionary atonement. Cults like the Mormons, JW's and others deny these and other essential doctrines. Thus they show by what they believe that they are not Christians. Christians will be able to discern false teachers and teaching.

  The Holy Spirit will also testify to our adoption as God's children. "The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God," Rom 8:16.  In salvation we are adopted as God's children. He is now our Father. The Holman study note on this verse says this "By the Spirit we have a consciousnesses that God is our Father. It is the mark of a Christian to cry out to his Father in prayer." John Macarthur in his study Bible says this, ""God's Holy Spirit confirms the validity of our adoption, not by some inner, mystical voice, but by the fruit He produces in us and the power He provides for spiritual service."  Thus we come to God as children come to their father knowing that He will hear us through Christ.

2) Does God answer your prayers?

  "This is the confidence which we have before Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us." 1 John 5:14 and 1 John 3:22, "And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight." This doesn't mean God will answer our prayers in the exact manner that we think He should. But when we pray according to His will, laid out for us in scripture, then we can be sure that God will answer those prayers. If we are Christians, we should see some of God's answers to our prayers and that will give us greater assurance of faith.

 For the last blog post in this series I will look at a few more signs to see if  we are indeed Christians.

Brad