Erling Thu

Category: Biblical teaching

  • Resurrection to a Spiritual and Supernatural Life

    “Dead and buried with Christ,” said pastor Martin Gran as he dipped me under the water in the baptismal pool at Klippen Church. “Raised to a new life!” he proclaimed with great force as he lifted me up from the water. Baptism made visible that I had been crucified with Jesus Christ and had buried the old life, and that I had been given a share in a new life: the resurrection life. Jesus’ resurrection is both a historical fact and a present experience, pointing forward to the final fulfilment.

    The resurrection – more than a goal

    The resurrection is not only a hope far ahead – it is a power at work now. Jesus says: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live, even though they die” (John 11:25). When he draws near to us, everything that has withered begins to sprout.

    Living in a world marked by death

    All creation bears the mark of decay. We feel it in the weakness of the body, in the loss at the grave, in brokenness and pain. Scripture explains why:
    “Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin” (Rom 5:12).
    Creation was subjected to futility – but in hope (Rom 8:20).
    God promised a day when lament would fall silent and life would triumph.

    How death came in – and hope was lit

    Adam failed his calling, and death gained a foothold. But already in Eden a light was kindled (Gen 3:15). The prophets carried it on:

    • “You will not abandon your faithful one to the realm of the dead” (Ps 16:10–11).
    • “Your dead will live” (Isa 26:19).
    • “Multitudes … will awake: some to everlasting life” (Dan 12:2–3).

    God is not the God of the dead, but of the living (Luke 20:37–38).

    Jesus’ death and resurrection – the centre of faith

    Without the resurrection everything collapses (1 Cor 15:14–19).
    But the gospel says: Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day – according to the Scriptures (1 Cor 15:3–4; Acts 2:24–32).
    God destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light (2 Tim 1:10).

    Historical lines

    • Jesus truly died (Luke 23:46).
    • The disciples fled (Mark 14:50) and hid (John 20:19).
    • The tomb was empty (Luke 24:3; John 20:6–7).
    • Angels bore witness (Luke 24:5–7).
    • The risen One appeared to many: Mary, Peter, the eleven, five hundred at once, and James (1 Cor 15:5–7).
    • Fear turned into boldness; they gave their lives for the testimony.

    The most sober explanation is the biblical one: God raised him (Acts 2:24; Eph 1:19–20).

    What the resurrection says about Jesus

    He is the Son of God (Rom 1:4), Lord over all (Matt 28:18; Eph 1:22–23), our priest and advocate (Heb 7:25), and judge (Acts 17:31).
    He rose so that we might be justified (Rom 4:25).
    Death is defeated (Rom 6:9), and we have been given a living hope (1 Pet 1:3)

    The spiritual resurrection – the life that begins now

    We were dead in our sins (Eph 2:1–3), but God made us alive with Christ, raised us up, and seated us with him in the heavenly realms (Eph 2:4–7; Col 2:13).
    We were brought out of darkness into the kingdom of the Son (Col 1:13–14).
    This new life begins here and now.

    A new identity

    In Christ we are a new creation (2 Cor 5:17).
    The old garment of life is taken off; the new is put on (Eph 4:22–24; Col 3:9–10).

    This is noticed in everyday life:

    • Mind: The mind is renewed – we receive the mind of Christ (Rom 12:2; 1 Cor 2:16).
    • Character: The fruit of the Spirit ripens – love, joy, peace … (Gal 5:22–23).
    • Body: The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead gives life to our mortal bodies (Rom 8:11).

    Baptism – buried and raised again

    Baptism is the starting shot of the resurrection life.
    We are buried with Christ and raised to a new life (Rom 6:3–4).
    We die to sin and live for God (Rom 6:11–13).

    Between death and resurrection

    Whoever believes has crossed over from death to life (John 5:24).
    When we die, we are with the Lord – and that is “better by far” (Phil 1:23).
    We grieve, but not like those who have no hope (1 Thess 4:13).
    God sees the death of his holy ones as precious (Ps 116:15).

    The resurrection of the body – when the Lord comes

    Jesus will come again. Then the dead in Christ will rise first, and we will be caught up to meet him and be with him forever (1 Thess 4:16–17).

    What will the new body be like?

    Paul compares it to a seed (1 Cor 15:42–44):

    • Imperishable – no more sickness or aging.
    • In glory – shining like stars (Dan 12:3; Matt 13:43).
    • In power – without weakness.
    • Spiritual – fully marked by the Holy Spirit.

    We shall be like him (1 John 3:2): a real body that can be touched and recognized (Luke 24:39–43).
    He will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body (Phil 3:20–21).
    We will recognize one another again (Matt 8:11).

    Creation restored

    When God’s children are glorified, creation too will be set free from decay (Rom 8:21).
    God will create new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness dwells (2 Pet 3:13)

    The unjust will also rise

    All will hear Jesus’ voice. Those who believe, to life; those who turn away, to judgment (John 5:28–29; Acts 24:15).
    About this – eternal judgment – the next chapter speaks.

    TOOLS: LIVING AS RESURRECTION PEOPLE

    Personal

    1. Morning confession: “I am raised with Christ to a new life” (Col 3:1).
    2. Thought-swap: Replace “I must” with “I can – for Christ lives in me” (Gal 2:20).
    3. Fruit focus: Choose one fruit of the Spirit to pray for and practice today.

    Small group / family

    • Resurrection testimonies: Share one experience where God “raised you up” from something heavy.
    • Reading round: Rom 8:11–17. What does it mean that the Spirit gives life to the body?
    • Worship prayer: Sing/read Ps 16:8–11 together.

    Church / ministry

    • Easter Sunday every week: Make the resurrection clear in worship, preaching, and communion.
    • Healing prayer: Pray for the sick in the light of Rom 8:11.
    • Hope project: Visit the sick, elderly, or grieving – bring the words: “Life wins.”

    90-second hope plan

    1. Breathe and say: “Jesus lives – therefore there is hope.”
    2. Pray quietly: “Let your resurrection power raise me up now.”
    3. Act: Do one small life-giving thing – call, help, smile, forgive.

    WISE SAYING

    The resurrection is not only a promise of eternal life – it is the life that lifts us up every day.

    PRAYER

    Lord Jesus, you who broke the power of death,
    raise me when I am weighed down, kindle hope when darkness falls.
    Teach me to live as a child of the resurrection – with a renewed mind, warm hands, and bold faith.
    Thank you that you live in me, and that one day I shall see you as you are.
    Let your power work now and always, for your glory.
    Amen.

  • GET RID OF THE OLD LIFE

    Baptized in Water and Spirit

    Repentance and faith are the beginning of an entirely new life. Therefore, Jesus has given us baptism in water—where we lay aside “the old garment”—and baptism in the Holy Spirit—where we receive a living fountain within. Jesus connects these experiences: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me … therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them … and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matt 28:18–20). “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16). “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22). “You will … be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5).

    In the New Testament, faith, baptism in water, and fullness of the Spirit naturally belong together: “Those who accepted his message were baptized” (Acts 2:41). “Many … believed and were baptized” (Acts 18:8). “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” (Acts 19:2). When they were baptized, “the Holy Spirit came upon them” (Acts 19:5–6).

    What is baptism in water?

    The word baptize means to dip/submerge. The NT describes baptism as full immersion—therefore “much water” was needed, and both the baptizer and the baptized “went down into the water … and came up out of the water” (Acts 8:38–39; John 3:23). The picture is strong: just as cloth is dyed by being fully submerged in the dye, Christ marks us when we are baptized.

    Who can be baptized?

    Those who repent and believe in Jesus. Age and gender are irrelevant; the criterion is personal faith and confession: “If you believe with all your heart … ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God’”—then he was baptized (Acts 8:36–38). “Repent and be baptized … and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). “Be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name” (Acts 22:16). When entire “households” were baptized, they had first heard the gospel and received it in faith (Acts 16:30–34; 18:8).

    Baptized as an infant?
    The NT connects baptism with personal faith. Many who were sprinkled as infants therefore choose, with a good conscience, to be baptized on their own confession when they come to faith (cf. Acts 8:36–38; 22:16). At the same time, you may thank God for the heritage of faith you have received.

    What happens in baptism?

    1) Receiving salvation.

    Jesus connects salvation with faith and baptism (Mark 16:16). On the day of Pentecost the answer was: repent, be baptized, receive the gift of the Spirit (Acts 2:38). Peter uses Noah as an illustration: “Baptism … now saves you”—God lifts us up through the waters of judgment (1 Pet 3:20–21a). Paul points to the exodus from Egypt and the Red Sea: the blood frees from slavery; the water completes the deliverance (1 Cor 10:1–11).

    2) You are cleansed when you call on the Lord’s name.

    The blood cleanses through faith; baptism makes the inner cleansing visible and seals it: “Be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name” (Acts 22:16; cf. 1 Cor 6:11; Heb 10:22; Eph 5:25–26).

    3) You bury the old and rise to a new life.

    Baptism is burial and resurrection: we are baptized “into his death” and “raised … to live a new life” (Rom 6:3–4). Therefore, we can daily consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God (Rom 6:11).

    4) You receive a new identity in Christ.

    In baptism we clothe ourselves with Christ—the new self that is renewed in the image of the Creator (Gal 3:27; Col 3:10; cf. Eph 4:22–24). From now on we no longer live with “me at the centre,” but “Christ in me” (Gal 2:20).

    5) You are joined to the people of God.

    Faith and baptism make us part of the church—a spiritual home (Acts 2:41; 2:47). Baptism is public dedication to Jesus and his body.

    6) You dedicate yourself to discipleship.

    Baptism stands in the Great Commission: baptizing and teaching to obey everything Jesus commanded—together with the promise of his presence every day (Matt 28:18–20). The Christian life is lifelong learning.

    7) You confirm your obedience to your new Lord.

    Baptism is “the pledge of a good conscience toward God” (1 Pet 3:21). To receive the word and be baptized is to give God his rightful place (cf. Luke 7:29–30)

    Before–during–after baptism (practical)

    Before: Conversation, teaching, personal confession (Rom 10:9–10).
    During: Immersion “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt 28:19), preferably with a short testimony.
    After: Prayer for the fullness of the Spirit (Acts 8:15–17; 19:6), welcoming into the fellowship (Acts 2:41, 47), covenant meal, and new rhythms in word and prayer.

    Being a new creation

    “No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again … born of water and Spirit” (John 3:3,5). The new birth gives new nature and new beginning. “He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him” (2 Cor 5:15). “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation … all things have become new” (2 Cor 5:17). God “made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor 5:21).

    Therefore: “No condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”; the law of the Spirit has set us free (Rom 8:1–2). Who can accuse when God justifies? Christ died, rose, and intercedes (Rom 8:33–34). The result is boldness before God (Eph 3:12; Heb 10:19–22).

    Be filled with the new life-power

    To live the Christian life, we need the Holy Spirit. Spirit baptism belongs to the “salvation package” (Acts 2:38). John: “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matt 3:11). Jesus told the disciples to wait for the Spirit: “You will … be baptized with the Holy Spirit … receive power from on high” (Acts 1:5,8). Peter says this fulfils the promise: God pours out his Spirit on all (Acts 2:16–18), and the promise is for everyone the Lord calls (Acts 2:39).

    This is how the first believers experienced it:

    • Pentecost: “All were filled … and began to speak in other tongues” (Acts 2:4).
    • Cornelius’ house: “The Holy Spirit came on them … the same gift” (Acts 10:44–47; 11:15–17).
    • Corinth: “By one Spirit we were all baptized into one body … and we were all given one Spirit to drink” (1 Cor 12:13).
    • Samaria: The newly baptized received the Spirit through prayer and laying on of hands (Acts 8:15–17).
    • Ephesus: Laying on of hands, tongues, and prophecy (Acts 19:6).

    Spirit baptism is described as the Father’s promise, being filled, the Spirit being poured out/coming upon, receiving/drinking, gifts beginning to operate—often with tongues and prophecy.

    Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit

    Jesus makes it simple: “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink … rivers of living water will flow from within them”—this he said about the Spirit (John 7:37–39).

    How to receive:

    1. Thirst. Ask for more.
    2. Come and pray. “The Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him” (Luke 11:13).
    3. Drink—receive in faith. “Believe that you have received it” (Mark 11:24). “We were all given one Spirit to drink” (1 Cor 12:13).
    4. Let someone lay hands on you. Then “the Holy Spirit came on them” (Acts 19:6).

    When the Spirit fills you, you often notice worship flowing freely. He may give you a new prayer language—tongues—in which you speak “mysteries by the Spirit” (1 Cor 14:2). Let it flow, with thanks.

    Your personal helper in everyday life

    The Holy Spirit …

    • Guides into truth. Opens Scripture and glorifies Jesus (John 16:13–14).
    • Gives boldness to witness. “You will receive power … and be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8).
    • Helps in prayer. When we don’t know what to pray, the Spirit intercedes (Rom 8:26–27); the one who speaks in tongues builds himself up (1 Cor 14:4).
    • Distributes gifts. Wisdom, knowledge, faith, healings, miracles, prophecy, discernment, tongues, interpretation—for “the common good” (1 Cor 12:7–11).
    • Leads step by step. As when Philip was led to the Ethiopian and baptized him (Acts 8:26–39).
    • Ignites zeal. The fire of the Spirit purifies and makes us eager.

    Be continually filled

    Spirit baptism is the entrance to a life of fullness. “Be filled with the Spirit” (Eph 5:18). “Those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God” (Rom 8:14). Then the fruit of the Spirit grows in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5:22–23).

    A simple daily prayer:
    “Lord Jesus, I belong to you. Fill me anew with the Holy Spirit. Lead me today. Let your word dwell richly in me, and let your fruit grow in my life. Amen.”

    TOOLS: PUT OFF THE OLD – PUT ON THE NEW

    Personal

    1. Baptism check: Read Rom 6:3–11. Write down: What am I burying? What am I rising to?
    2. Identity exchange: “I am in Christ—no condemnation (Rom 8:1). I am clothed with Christ (Gal 3:27).”
    3. Fullness of the Spirit: Read Luke 11:13 + John 7:37–39. Pray specifically: “Fill me, Holy Spirit,” and give room for worship—even in tongues.

    Small group / family

    • Testimony chain: Everyone shares for 2 minutes: My before/after story (Acts 22:16 as turning point).
    • Laying on of hands for fullness: Pray Acts 1:8; 19:6 over one another.
    • Reading practice: Mark in Col 3:1–17 everything to put off and put on. Make two concrete “exchanges” for the week.

    Church / ministry

    • Baptism Sunday: Preach Rom 6:3–4. Invitation to baptism class; set dates.
    • Spirit night: Short teaching (15 min) + simple prayer line: thirst → ask → receive → laying on of hands.
    • Follow-up path (30 days):
      1. Daily reading plan (John 1–7).
      2. Service practice: one concrete act of love per week.
      3. Sunday commitment + small group.

    90-second plan for old temptations

    1. Stop: “I am dead to sin” (Rom 6:11).
    2. Shift your gaze: Pray Rom 8:1 aloud.
    3. Make a new choice: “The Spirit leads me” (Rom 8:14).
    4. Send a message: Share your choice with a companion (James 5:16).

    WISE SAYING

    Baptism buries what you no longer are; the Spirit ignites the life you were created to live.

    PRAYER

    Father, thank you for Jesus—my life, my righteousness, and my freedom.
    Thank you for baptism: that the old is buried and that I rise with Christ to a new life.
    Holy Spirit, fill me anew. Lead me, teach me, strengthen me.
    Let the fruit of the Spirit grow in me, and let your gifts serve others.
    Give me power to say no to the old and yes to your will—in Jesus’ name. Amen.

  • BELIEVE THE GOSPEL

    God’s good news

    The core word for disciples is faith. Christian faith is not self-suggestion or technique, but trust in a message: the gospel. “The time has come. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the gospel!” (Mark 1:15). We believe because the gospel reveals who God is. “No one has ever seen God. But the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in the Father’s embrace, has made him known” (John 1:18).

    Gospel means “good news.” Jesus’ preaching is called “the gospel of the kingdom of God”: good news that God reigns, acts, and saves. The prophets announced a time when righteousness, peace, and deliverance would come through the promised king, the Messiah. Therefore, the gospel is inseparably connected to what God has done for us in Jesus Christ.

    John the Baptist prepared the way. When he saw Jesus, he said: “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (Matt 11:7–14; John 1:29). These words point both back to the Passover lamb and forward to the one who “took up our infirmities … was pierced for our transgressions … by his wounds we are healed” (Isa 53:4–6)—the one who gave his life “as a guilt offering” and would “justify many” (Isa 53:10–11).

    The message of the cross

    Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. This happens at Calvary. Jesus’ cross was not an accident; it was God’s plan, proclaimed by the prophets (Acts 3:18). “The message of the cross” is foolishness to some, but for those who are being saved it is the power and wisdom of God (1 Cor 1:18, 23–24).

    Below are short, concise perspectives from Scripture: why Jesus died—and what the cross accomplished. Read slowly; let the words sink in.

    Why did Jesus die?

    a) Jesus died for us.

    “While we were still weak, Christ died … for the ungodly” (Rom 5:6).
    “God shows his love for us in that Christ died for us while we were still sinners” (Rom 5:8).

    b) Jesus died to bring us to God.

    “The righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (1 Pet 3:18).

    c) Jesus died for our sins.

    “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:3).
    He “cancelled the record of debt … and nailed it to the cross” (Col 2:14).
    He “put away sin by his sacrifice” (Hebrew 9:26)—“offered one sacrifice … for all time” (Heb 10:12).
    “It is finished” (John 19:30).

    d) Jesus died our death.

    He who knew no sin “was made to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor 5:21).
    The wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23); “the LORD laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isa 53:6).
    Jesus gave his life willingly: “I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again” (John 10:18).
    At the end: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46).

    What did the cross accomplish?

    a) Atonement – he bore wrath and gave us peace.

    God presented Jesus as “a sacrifice of atonement by his blood” (Rom 3:25).
    “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins … and for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:1–2; 4:10).

    b) Redemption – he bought us free.

    The Son of Man “came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
    “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Eph 1:7).
    He “redeemed us from the curse of the law” (Gal 3:13)—not with silver or gold, but “with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Pet 1:18–19)—to “redeem us … and purify for himself a people eager to do good works” (Titus 2:14).

    c) Justification – we are acquitted and stand righteous.

    “Justified freely by his grace” (Rom 3:24).
    Jesus “was delivered over to death for our sins and raised to life for our justification” (Rom 4:25).
    Therefore “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1).
    Righteousness is given by faith, not by works of the law (Gal 2:16).

    d) Reconciliation – hostility becomes peace.

    “While we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son” (Rom 5:10).
    “Justified by faith, we have peace with God” (Rom 5:1).
    By the cross he tore down “the dividing wall of hostility” and created one new humanity (Eph 2:13–16); God “reconciled all things to himself … through the blood of his cross” (Col 1:19–20).
    Now we have received “the ministry of reconciliation … Be reconciled to God!” (2 Cor 5:18–20).

    Believing the gospel is receiving Jesus as Lord

    Repentance is turning from sin to God—and believing in Jesus (Acts 20:21). Faith is more than holding something to be true; it is seeking God and building one’s life on his word: “Without faith it is impossible to please God … he rewards those who seek him” (Heb 11:6). The gospel is for sinners—“of whom I am the foremost” (1 Tim 1:15). The way of salvation is clear: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom 10:9–10). Receiving Jesus gives the “right to become children of God” (John 1:12). “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom 10:12–13). And Jesus says: “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven” (Matt 10:32–33).

    This is how life with God begins—and continues: We believe God’s promises, cry out to him in prayer, and confess our faith with our lives. Scripture uses athletic imagery: we run to win, lay aside everything that hinders, and fix our eyes on Jesus (1 Cor 9:24–27; Heb 12:1–3).

    Everyday imagery: The coach, the team, and the rules

    A new coach.
    To repent is to give Jesus the coaching authority. He knows what must go and what must come. He shapes our rhythm, training, and position—and takes responsibility for our development.

    A new team.
    To become a Christian is to switch teams. We let ourselves be “saved from this crooked generation” (Acts 2:40) and are brought into the church—Jesus’ winning team—where we train together.

    New rules.
    On Jesus’ team love is the rule: “As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34); “Whatever you want others to do for you, do also for them” (Matt 7:12).

    New direction – new goals.
    With Jesus as coach, life receives a new aim. Perspective rises, strength is renewed, and the goal is heavenly.

    The lifestyle of faith – with Jesus as teacher

    To believe is to trust God and do what he says—knowing he does what he promises. Jesus knows our temptations; he won through obedience. When we follow him, we learn to entrust our case to the righteous God and meet adversity with heavenly peace.

    Faith brings victory.
    “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God … and the victory that has overcome the world is our faith” (1 John 5:1–5). On the cross “he disarmed the powers and authorities” and triumphed over them (Col 2:15). Therefore we can say with Paul: If God is for us, who can be against us? No accusation stands; nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:31–39).

    TOOLS: FAITH IN PRACTICE

    Personal

    1. Daily confession: “Jesus, you are Lord over …” (name specific areas). Read Rom 10:9–10 aloud.
    2. Cross-focus: Read slowly 1 Cor 1:18 and Rom 5:8. Respond with thanks: What did the cross do for me today?
    3. Memory verse: John 1:12 or Rom 8:1.

    Small group / family

    • Sharing round: How has the gospel been good news for me this week?
    • Scripture dive: Read Col 2:13–15. Highlight “canceled,” “nailed,” “disarmed.” Pray specifically for freedom where needed.
    • Grace + truth: Practice a 2-minute “my testimony before/after” (before – meeting Jesus – after).

    Church / ministry

    • Gospel rhythm in worship: a short “cross moment” each week with one verse + prayer.
    • Alpha / new believers’ course: Plan 6 evenings focused on Jesus, the cross, faith, prayer, Scripture, church.
    • Ministry of reconciliation: Create a prayer list “Who am I praying for?” – three names; pray daily (2 Cor 5:20).

    When guilt hits (90-second plan)

    1. Stop and say: “It is finished” (John 19:30).
    2. Read aloud Rom 8:1: There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
    3. Change track: Thank God for Jesus’ blood (Eph 1:7).
    4. Make things right if something is unresolved (1 John 1:9).

    WISE SAYING

    Faith is leaning your whole weight on Jesus—and letting the cross carry you.

    PRAYER

    Lord Jesus Christ, I believe the good news about you.
    Thank you for the cross—for atonement, redemption, justification, and reconciliation.
    I confess you as Lord. Write the gospel deeper into my heart.
    When accusation comes, let your word speak louder: “No condemnation in Christ.”
    Give me boldness to witness, love to serve, and endurance to run the race.
    Amen.

  • COMPLETE TURN TO A NEW LIFESTYLE

    Repentance – the starting line and the lifestyle

    Repentance is an old Christian word for the start of the Christian life. For some people repentance is very dramatic, with major upheavals, but for others it is a process that can go on for a long time. Repentance can look very different. Personally, I did not have a dramatic conversion when I said yes to the call to follow Jesus. I scarcely understood what it involved. But I had to make the choice!

    The dramatic consequences have come afterwards for me. For repentance is not a one–off experience. It is a lifestyle for the rest of your life. It is an exciting life of ongoing change.

    Repentance is the starting gun for the Christian life – and the key to understanding how a Christian goes on living. Without real repentance, there is no lasting transformation. The Bible calls repentance part of the very foundation of the Christian faith (Hebrew 6:1). As a house rests on a solid foundation, a Christian life rests on clear repentance. A weak foundation crumbles; a strong foundation carries.

    To turn around means to deal with sin and turn to God. It is a new way of thinking that produces new behaviour and a new lifestyle. The call sounds out: “Repent … get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit … Repent and live!” (Ezekiel 18:30–32). In Thessalonica “they turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (1 Thess 1:9). Paul preached that both Jews and Gentiles “must repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds” (Acts 26:20).

    Why repentance is necessary

    The whole human race needs it

    Since Adam, sin and death have marked humanity (Rom 5:12). “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). Jesus does not begin with a list of outward breaches; he goes to the source: the heart. Desires, thoughts and attitudes expose us (Matt 5:28; 15:18–20).

    The core of sin summed up:
    • My will over God’s will
    • Self–interest before love of neighbour

    Pride and selfishness make us believe that we know better than God and are more important than others. The result is guilt and distance from God – a gulf we cannot bridge ourselves.

    Common misunderstandings

    • Being born in a “Christian country” makes no one a Christian – just as being born in a garage does not make you a car (John 1:13).
    • Rituals cannot save (Gal 3:2–3).
    • Good works cannot buy us free; salvation is by grace (Eph 2:8–9).

    Who then can be saved? “What is impossible with man is possible with God” (Luke 18:26–27). “No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again … what is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:3, 6–7). How does that happen? “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son … that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). We enter God’s kingdom by believing in Jesus – and by repenting.

    An honest look back at the old life

    The Bible is realistic about what does not belong to God’s kingdom: “sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry … hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, envy, drunkenness and the like” (Gal 5:19–21). Before Christ we were “dead in transgressions and sins”, shaped by the spirit of the age and by “the ruler of the kingdom of the air”, and we followed our desires (Eph 2:1–3). The wage of sin is death (Rom 6:23) – but in the gospel God intervenes, raises us with Christ and gives us new life (Eph 2:4–6).

    Self–examination – let the Word shine: Read 2 Tim 3:2–5. Ask the Holy Spirit to point to what causes trouble in you: selfishness, love of money, boasting, arrogance, disobedience, ingratitude, lack of love, unwillingness to forgive, gossip, lack of self–control, brutality, indifference to what is good, treachery, hot–headedness, conceit, loving pleasure more than God, outward godliness without power. What do you need to deal with now?

    A simple prayer for freedom:
    Lord Jesus Christ, you know me. You know that I have struggled with … (name it specifically). I confess this as sin and turn to you. I believe that through your death and resurrection you have overcome sin, death and the devil. Forgive me. Be Lord in these areas. Fill me with your Spirit and give me strength to live a new life. Amen.

    Be honest with a mentor/friend about what God points out. Openness makes help possible.

    Leaving the old kingdom – and entering God’s

    The Lord is “God of all the kingdoms of the earth” (Isa 37:16). His kingdom stands above all cultures and systems; to place our culture above God’s kingdom is idolatry (cf. Isa 60:12). Scripture has shut everyone up under sin, so that the promise might be given through faith in Christ (Gal 3:22). In Christ we are God’s children; we have “clothed ourselves with Christ” – differences in status and background lose their power (Gal 3:26–28). Our citizenship is in heaven (Phil 3:20).

    As citizens of God’s kingdom, we respect the authorities (Rom 13:1–7; 1 Pet 2:13–17), but we break loyalty with every lifestyle that goes against God’s will. In God’s kingdom it is God who decides, and his will is clear in Scripture.

    Temptations – a test of loyalty

    Read: Luke 4:1–13.

    To be tempted is not sin. Jesus was tempted – therefore we will be too. After his baptism and the fullness of the Spirit he was led into the wilderness and met the devil’s offers of power and glory (Luke 4:6). The core of the temptation was: trade your loyalty for control and glitter. Jesus said no – and worshipped the Father alone.

    We are tempted in the same way: to seek control, recognition and comfort at the cost of obedience. Ask honestly: Which values govern me? Have I carried old priorities with me into the new life? Repentance means putting God’s kingdom first.

    Who is in control?

    Read: Eph 2:1–10; Matt 10:32–39.

    Without Christ no one is truly free; we think we are in charge ourselves, but are driven by forces we cannot see (Eph 2:2–3). Even Peter gave way to pressure and denied Jesus. In the same way we can be paralysed by our surroundings, by fear and by the need to fit in.

    Jesus says plainly: “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven” (Matt 10:32). The way of salvation is to believe in your heart and confess with your mouth: “Jesus is Lord” (Rom 10:9–10). Opposition will come, but you are not alone. Jesus is with you – and his people stand around you. Make the decision: I will follow Jesus, openly and clearly. Bear fruit in keeping with repentance (Acts 26:20).

    TOOLS: LIVING REPENTANCE IN EVERYDAY LIFE

    Personally (this week):

    1. Pray Ps 139:23–24 every evening: “Search me, God …” Note one concrete adjustment for the next day.
    2. Write your confession: “Jesus is Lord over …” (name a specific area). Read it aloud to God each morning.
    3. Memorise Rom 12:2: “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind …”

    Small group / family:
    • Share briefly: Where did you experience a “no” to the old lifestyle / a “yes” to Jesus this week?
    • Read Luke 4:1–13. Identify temptation strategies (bread/power/glory). Pray for one another with the laying on of hands for strength to say no and yes.

    Church / ministry:
    • Make a “starting path” for newcomers: four evenings on repentance, faith, baptism, discipleship.
    • Offer prayer and counselling after the service: dealing with the past – forgiveness – a new start.

    When temptation knocks at the door (60-second plan):

    1. Stop (take three deep breaths).
    2. Say aloud: “It is written …” (Matt 4:4) – use a verse you know.
    3. Move physically away from the trigger.
    4. Call/text a travelling companion: “Pray for me now.”
    5. Thank Jesus for the way-out God always provides (1 Cor 10:13).

    SAYING

    Repentance is not just a bend in the road – it is a new direction with new speed.

    PRAYER

    Father, thank you that you call me home.
    Jesus, I confess you as Lord. Turn my heart fully towards you.
    Holy Spirit, show me what must change, and give me strength to walk in the light.
    Let my “no” to sin be clear, and my “yes” to Jesus be daily.
    Shape me into a person who bears fruit in keeping with repentance.
    Amen.

  • A life of discipleship is contagious.

    The most important choice in my life I made when I was fourteen: to become a disciple of Jesus Christ. Now I have passed 80 years and have regretted many things I have done, but that choice I have never regretted. Being a disciple has not always been easy. The life of discipleship can be warm and difficult, with successes and setbacks, highs and lows, both encouraging and challenging at the same time. I have experienced all this firsthand. At times I have been deeply distressed and frustrated, on the verge of giving up. But Jesus has never let go of me. He has never given up on me, not even when I truly made a mess of things.

    Even though I have grown old, I still spend much of my time with young people. They often ask about the secret behind still being enthusiastic about Jesus and living with an expectation of his intervention in my everyday life. “How can I live a sustainable life of discipleship?” they wonder, and, “How can I live a meaningful life?”

    In this book, I want to share with you some of what has been important to me and what has carried me through crises and challenges. The call I received as a fourteen-year-old was simple: “Follow me!” said Jesus. I began to follow him without fully knowing what it meant. In the Gospels we hear that Jesus called twelve disciples so that they could be with him, and so that he could send them out to preach and have authority to heal the sick and drive out evil spirits. The first call to follow Jesus and be with him became a call to be made into a fisher of people, empowered and equipped to do his works.

    My life as a disciple has lasted nearly seventy years. Now I want to pass on some of what I have learned to new young generations of Jesus’ disciples. This book is newly written but is based on teachings I wrote about twenty years ago. Those teachings have been translated into many languages and published widely and have proven to be sustainable. But I am still a disciple who continually learns more about what it means to follow Jesus. A life of discipleship has great horizons. It is not a quick fix, but lifelong learning. That is what makes it exciting.

    About twenty-five years ago I met Rahesh. When I saw him, I was filled with love for him. I looked into his eyes and said: “I love you! You are also loved by God!” He collapsed and broke into tears. He then told me it was the first time anyone had ever said they loved him. He embraced the love and became an eager disciple. Everywhere he went, he told people about God’s love expressed through Jesus Christ, who went around doing good and healing people of all kinds of diseases.

    One day he witnessed to Raj about Jesus, who could both forgive sin and heal the sick. But Anil was not interested, because he worshipped his Hindu idols. After some time, something dramatic happened in his family. His mother, who was diabetic, developed gangrene in both feet. She was admitted to the hospital. The doctors said both legs had to be amputated. Anil was devastated. The idols gave neither him nor his mother any help. Then he suddenly remembered what Rahesh had told him about Jesus.

    He contacted Rahesh and challenged him: “If your Jesus can heal my mother, then I will believe in him and become a disciple!” That same evening Rahesh took a friend and went to the hospital to see Raj’s mother. It was the last moment, because the next morning the doctors had scheduled the amputation of both legs. Rahesh and his friend laid hands on her and prayed a simple prayer in Jesus’ name that the gangrene would disappear and that she would be completely healed. Then they left, without being able to see any change in the gangrenous feet.

    Early the next morning, before the amputation was to take place, Raj visited his mother at the hospital. To his great surprise, the gangrene had disappeared, and she was completely healthy. She needed no amputation and was discharged and went home healthy later that day. I have met them and had this story confirmed by both. Raj gave his life to Jesus and became an eager disciple. More than anyone, he has put the teaching of discipleship into practice. His motto is: “When I have learned something new, I must do two things: practice it and share it with others. That is obedience-based discipleship.”

    When I visited Jaipur in 2023, Raj came with seven people whom he lined up before me and said: “Here are seven generations of disciples who win and train new disciples.” He told me they were all active in preaching the gospel, praying for the sick, making disciples, and training them to do the same. There they stood before me—seven generations of disciples where the gospel had passed from one to the next.

    I do not remember all their stories, but all of them had encountered the living Jesus Christ who had saved and transformed them. The newest Mohan had been a witch doctor practicing magic. Many came to him for help with their problems. But there was no peace in the home. He and his wife argued loudly and fought fiercely. Ankita lived in the neighbourhood and reached out to them, telling them about Jesus who could save and give peace in the home. They longed for peace and accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord. Ankita prayed for them and set them free from the demons that tormented them. This happened during the COVID pandemic, so Mohan began calling his relatives who lived 3000 km away. Many were touched by his testimony and came to faith. Mohan now disciples many house churches of new believers, whom he trains to preach the gospel and train new disciples—through his mobile phone. He is no longer a witch doctor practicing occult magic, but part of the growing discipleship movement Jesus started.

    This text is from a book I am writing now to inspire and equip individuals, house churches, and congregations to be part of this worldwide grassroots movement. God is pouring out his Spirit on all people in our time. Young and old, boys and girls, men and women are today being used by God to fulfil the mission: to live a contagious life of discipleship!

    Discipleship is a life of lifelong learning. Some disciples have only just taken their first steps. Others have walked long on the disciple road. All disciples are unique and different. We are at different stages in discipleship. Therefore, this book can be used in many ways. You can read the chapter’s most relevant to you. Or you can use this book as a tool, a guide to help new disciples. The possibilities are many, and the ways of using it vary greatly.

    But the teaching is dynamite. It has the power to transform people. In the book there are sprouting seeds for good change in both individuals and communities. A life of discipleship is contagious.

    (To protect my friends in India against persecution I have changed their names.)

  • When discouraged and heavy thoughts creep into our soul.

    Psalm 119,50 It is my comfort in my sufferings that your word gives me life.

    Once again, we see how truthful David is when he talks about life. It's one of the things I like most when I read the Psalms. David and the other psalmists are so brutally real and honest in what they say. They do not hide their disappointments and difficulties. They depict bitter and bad feelings. They put words to dark and heavy thoughts. But they take us along to the jubilant high points in life when they celebrate God's salvation.

    In this verse, David is in trouble and is having a hard time. From the context we understand that this misfortune is something his enemies have inflicted on him. His opponents have made life miserable for him. Problems pile up and he sees no visible solution. Everything is dark around him and he feels alone. He is in great distress. It is in such moments that discouragement and heavy thoughts creep into our souls. Then we need God's comfort, as David did.

    David found comfort in God's word. The Word created faith and life. The Word gave him hope and refreshed him. I have experienced the same many times. When the pain has been great and the heavy thoughts have been painful to fight with, I have time and again found comfort and new courage in the Word. I do not live by bread alone, but every word from the mouth of God gives me life. God's Word is a source of life. In the middle of the darkness and the bad news, I find comfort in the fact that what he has promised has enabled me to live through the bad and come out on the other side, – alive in God's power and grace.

    Prayer:

    Lord, in all my trials and difficulties I find great comfort in your promises, because they keep me alive!

  • We build our hope on what God has promised.

    The main theme of that section (Ps 119:49-56), which now takes up the Hebrew letter ZAYIN, is the comfort the psalmist finds in God's word when the culture he lives in mocks and persecutes those who believe in God's truths. He has full confidence that God will save him, because he rests in the Lord's law.

    Psalm 119.49 Remember your word to your servant. Through it you have given me hope.

    This section does not start unexpectedly with a prayer to the Lord. David has learned to pray. He knows that the Lord hears when he prays. In this stanza he reminds God of the promises he has received from the Lord: Remember the Word you have given your servant! Don't forget to do what you said! This is a very important lesson to learn.
    Firstly, we must learn to absorb the Word so that it becomes personal to us. Or put another way, we must learn to hear God's voice when we read and base our thoughts on the words of the Bible. It is possible to read the Bible without hearing God's voice, without the Word speaking to us. We must avoid that at all costs.
    I am completely convinced that the Bible is the word of God. Nevertheless, it can happen that I read my daily chapters without something coming alive for me, without something speaking to me. Then I have to stop. Then I must humbly ask the Lord for help to get hold of what he wants to tell me in what I have read. Then I read once more while praying that I notice something I can learn from what I read. As a rule, God hears that prayer and I see things I didn't notice the first time I read.
    Many good promises in God's word have become my personal words from God. But of course I get words from the Lord in other ways also. It is the same how God's word comes to us, when we have received a promise from God, we must constantly remind God of what he has promised.
    Note the next stanza: Through it you have given me hope! When God speaks to us, we gain hope. Through the Word we get something to hope for, something to look forward to. The promises of God create light in the dark. Words from God drive the dark and heavy thoughts away, because they create hope.
    The good thing is that God is a faithful God. He keeps what he promises and does what he says he will do. It doesn't matter how difficult life can be, God will never leave us or let us go. When we remind God of what he has said, it also helps us. It helps us hold fast to the promises and to the hope. It helps us to fix our eyes on the faithful God who keeps what he promises. We build our hope on what God has promised.
    Prayer:
    Lord, don't forget the promises you have given me, because they are my hope and courage!

  • On Death and Resurrection in Christ

     

    Yesterday I was crucified with Him; today I am glorified with Him.

    Yesterday I died with Him; today I am made alive with Him.

    Yesterday I was crucified with Him; today I am glorified with Him.

    Yesterday I died with Him; today I am made alive with Him.

    Yesterday I was buried with Him; today I am raised up with Him.

    Let us offer to Him Who suffered and rose again for us . . . ourselves, the possession most precious to God and most proper.

    Let us become like Christ, since Christ became like us.

    Let us become Divine for His sake, since for us He became Man.

    He assumed the worse that He might give us the better.

    He became poor that by His poverty we might become rich.

    He accepted the form of a servant that we might win back our freedom.

    He came down that we might be lifted up.

    He was tempted that through Him we might conquer.

    He was dishonored that He might glorify us.

    He died that He might save us.

    He ascended that He might draw to Himself us, who were thrown down through the fall of sin.

    Let us give all, offer all, to Him who gave Himself a Ransom and Reconciliation for us.

    We needed an incarnate God, a God put to death, that we might live.

    We were put to death together with Him that we might be cleansed.

    We rose again with Him because we were put to death with Him.

    We were glorified with Him because we rose again with Him.

    A few drops of Blood recreate the whole of creation!

    —St Gregory the Theologian, Easter Orations

  • I want to lay hold on the word!

    Psalm 119.48 I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes.

    It may be a little unclear as to David's intention to raise his hands towards God's commandments, but I think it's about raising his hands to grasp the word of God. He says he loves God and wants to reflect on God's precepts. That is why he wants to raise his hands to lay hold on the word of God and not let it go. He loves God and will meditate on the word to understand God's plan and will.

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  • Passion and delight in the Word of God

    Psalm 119.47 for I find my delight in your commandments, which I love. 

    I am so excited by the joy David finds in God's commandments. "I delight in your commandments." He finds joy and delight in God's law. In fact, it can be translated with: "I am entertaining me in your commands!" When many hear words like commandments, laws, rules, they respond negatively. Very many want to cast it in the sea and get rid of them, because they want to be free to follow their own sinful heart.

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