Erling Thu

Category: Biblical teaching

  • 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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  • I will not be ashamed of the word of God or His good arrangements!

    Psalm 119.46 I will also speak of your testimonies before kings and shall not be put to shame, 

    It is a bold David we meet in this words. But it is not wishful thinking he expresses. Before he was king, he was both bold and preached the word of God to King Ashish and Saul. After becoming king, he continued to speak to kings about God's testimony and law. He did not hide what he believed in and whom had his loyalty.

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  • I want to live in complete freedom!

    Psalm 119.45 and I shall walk in a wide place, for I have sought your precepts.

    When David has stated that he will always, at every moment, follow the law of God, he continues in this verse with a prayer to walk in an open landscape. I was born and raised in Jæren, at the south western coast of Norway, and I love open landscapes. At Jæren I can breathe freely. I am not created for trong fjords or valleys or deep forests. I have to have a view, preferably see water, to thrive. Tronge landscape depress me because I feel I'm trapped. For this reason, I have asked many times to get out into a wide and open place so that I can live and breathe freely.

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  • I will keep your law continually

    Psalm 119.44 I will keep your law continually, forever and ever, 

    In trusting that God answers and shows his faithful love, David comes with a bold promise. "I will always keep your law!" These are strong words, but it is a attitude that the Lord reewards. David will forever live in accordance with the law of the Lord.

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