Tag: repentance

A Word to Young Men

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life1 Comment

In 1865, a bishop named J. C. Ryle wrote a book called Thoughts for Young Men. Don’t let the humble title fool you. Despite being a very short book, it was packed with powerful exhortations for young men of his day. But because Ryle used timeless, Christ-centered principles, that little book is still very relevant today. I’ve taken several young men through it who found it both bracing and helpful. 

He started by saying, “Seek to become acquainted with our Lord Jesus Christ… Till you know this, my warnings and advice will be useless, and your endeavors, whatever that may be, will be in vain.”

In a similar tone, I want to offer five exhortations to young men today, as a brother in Christ. Today, the challenges many men face are very different in one sense. We live in a much more tech-saturated atmosphere, and the temptations and distractions often look very different. But our calling as men remains the same: we must turn from self to Jesus Christ so that we can serve, lead, and bless others by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Turn from Self to Jesus Christ

In 1 Corinthians 16, the Apostle Paul counsels: 

“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” (1 Corinthians 16:13-14, ESV)

For a young man to stand firm in the faith, he must first bow the knee to Jesus Christ. As Ryle pointed out, unless you are first born again and filled with the Holy Spirit, you cannot live out your God-given calling. So, break with sin, deny yourself, and surrender to the Lord who purchased your soul with His lifeblood on the Cross. “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

Some young men assume that being a Christian is following religious rules, respecting God and the Bible, or attending church services on Christmas and Easter. But the reality is that a profound change must take place in your soul. You must be made new.

You have to turn from the sins you’ve been indulging in and surrender your whole self to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. You must know that His death is enough and that you are accepted, justified, and cleansed in the sight of God through faith in Christ alone. Only then, will your conscience be cleansed and your heart made new.

Fear God, not man

In our social media age, many young men desire approval online. They crave attention and admiration, but they should be craving fellowship with the God who made them. The Bible insists that the years of your youth are precious and few, and you’ll never get them back.

“Remember your Creator in the days of your youth” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). Youth is fleeting, hell is real, and there is no refund for wasted years. Rather than following the cultural compromises of our age, make it your ambition to know Jesus Christ every day more than the day before. 

Put Christ at the center of everything you do in life. Seek His honor and glory, not your own. Live for an audience of One. Live on mission as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Have a vision for your life that is bigger than yourself.

This doesn’t mean you should be a lone ranger. Find other men for community and accountability. You need to be in a band of brothers who are pulling in the same direction and want to see you succeed in faithfulness to Christ. Iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17). A fire grows cold until you add more pieces of firewood. And those who isolate themselves are rarely on fire for Christ.

Receive your identity from Christ, not the world

Many reach for the phone in their pockets to answer their question: “Who am I really?” Reject the devil’s lie that you need to “find yourself” before you can really be the man God calls you to be. If you belong to Jesus, then you can already hear God’s blessing over your life: “You are my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.” 

You don’t need to create your own persona. Your identity is secure in Christ, and His image is being renewed in you (Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:10). If you base your identity on what the world says men should be, the goal posts will be constantly shifting. You’ll never know if you’ve done enough.

God doesn’t call you to merely be an alpha male who gets the girls and the applause. God calls you to embrace the humble mindset of a servant, like Jesus (Philippians 2:1-5). Instead of focusing on finding “the perfect girl” out there, aim to become the kind of sacrificial, servant-hearted man that a godly woman would want to marry. Worldly men think that by boasting and exaggerating their abilities they can impress others, but it actually reveals how fragile their sense of self really is. 

Your identity in Christ is not fragile. On your best days and your worst days, you can say the same thing: “I am loved, known, redeemed, and governed by a King who will not give up on me.” 

“He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion.” (Philippians 1:6)

Choose commitment over consumption

Young men, God has a purpose for your life, and it’s not ultimately about you; it’s about His glory and your dependence on Him for everything. If you don’t find satisfaction in making everything about His glory, your hungry soul will turn elsewhere for joy. 

“Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” (2 Timothy 2:22, NIV)

Too many young men spend countless hours playing video games, looking at porn, scrolling social media, and smoking weed. They live as a consumer rather than a contributor. Many young men are floundering, and this is because they avoid making and keeping commitments.

Think about what Jesus did for you on the cross. He finished the work He was given. He did not quit early. My friend Rob recently used the phrase, “It’s about the last five percent.” In other words, a job done well is a job done completely. If you will be a man who keeps his word, finishes the degree, shows up on time, completes the project, and is dependable both on the job and at home, you will be ahead of most men today.

Many young men have this contagious fear of commitment, especially fear of committed relationships. I say “contagious” because oftentimes they hang with other men who also fear commitment. They affirm each other by saying, “You’re just keeping your options open.” But that’s not how God’s men live. They stand firm. They make promises and resolve to keep them. They commit to others. They serve the needs of others before themselves. That’s how Jesus lived. 

He knew His mission in life: “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). He could say from the Cross: “It is finished” (John 19:30). He didn’t quit before that last five percent. Because He finished His job, He had the authority to command those who follow Him to do their job (Matthew 28:18-20).

Submit to Scripture, not your feelings, as your highest authority

Feelings are real. We don’t want to downplay suffering or trauma. But young men need to know that feelings were never meant to be your authority. They alone do not tell you the truth about who you are.

Because we live in such a therapeutic culture, many young men feel that if something is uncomfortable, painful, or requires a lot from them, then it must not be for them. But the Bible says that God uses suffering to mold us and grow us into the men He wants us to become. Sometimes, as a man, your calling is to step into the discomfort and accept the suffering of life, not because pain is good in itself, but because it is building you into a Christ-shaped servant of God.

Consider the Apostle Paul’s example. That man suffered at a level you and I probably never will. Just read his journal of pain in 2 Corinthians 11:23-29. After reading it, I guarantee your life will seem pretty cushy by comparison. Jesus Himself said, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33, NLT). He said, “I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:19, NIV).

Some young men have said things like, “I just don’t have peace about this decision yet.” Let me just give a friendly reminder that Jesus was sweating drops of blood the night before doing His work on the Cross. We shouldn’t assume our emotions can show us what we’re to be about. When Paul was heading to Jerusalem, he was warned by numerous people to turn back because suffering awaited him. Even the Holy Spirit told him suffering was coming! Here’s how he responded:

“I don’t know what awaits me, except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead. But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.” (Acts 20:22-24, NLT)

All Paul knew was that God had called him to preach the gospel of a crucified and risen Savior no matter what. So, he assumed he’d have a cross to carry, too.

Instead of searching your feelings for the right answers, submit your mind to Scripture.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, ESV)

Don’t neglect time with the Lord in His Word. You need it more than you need that protein drink or those supplements. You need it every day like a compass when you’re trekking through the woods. It’s that vital.

Take heart, man of God, He has not left you alone. Your Father is with you and for you in Christ. And He will be your Shepherd if you will stay among His faithful sheep.

If you have thoughts or questions, I’d love to hear from you!

A Prayer for the United States at 250 Years

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional1 Comment

Our Father in Heaven,

We, Your Church, come before You in humility, gratitude, and hope. Lord, without question You have blessed the United States in tremendous ways since its inception. Under Your providential hand, this nation was founded 250 years ago on unique principles which the founding fathers largely drew from the well of Scripture. These principles included human dignity, governmental accountability, the rule of law, and the truth that rights are endowed by You, our Creator.

The American experiment of self-government and elected officials has proven to be a tremendous blessing for many in our nation and around the world and led to great advances in technology, social welfare, and material prosperity. May we never grow numb to the blessings we have received or take for granted the sacrifices made by countless men and women to guard the freedoms we enjoy.

Father, we also humbly confess our nation’s failings. We humbly repent of the ways we have contributed to the sins of our nation. Forgive us for our apathy, our entitlement, our shedding of innocent blood, the breakdown of the family, the idol of comfort and self, and the neglect of Your revealed Truth. Thank You for Your grace available to us when we call upon You, and for Your Son, Jesus Christ, whose shed blood allows us to be reconciled to our Creator.

In times past, You called the nation of Israel to seek Your face for the welfare of the city of Babylon, even as they were exiles in the land. 

“Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” (Jeremiah 29:7)

While the United States is not Israel, the principle remains that “righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). Father, we ask that You would turn the hearts of our people back to You in humble repentance. Heal our divided land. Restore us to true peace and love for our neighbors. Revive us through the preaching of Your Word. Save us through the Cross and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ! Make Your Name known among the nations, including our own!

May we always plead for Your shalom in the land we indwell—even when we sometimes feel like exiles. So, Father, we pray not for material prosperity—but for true shalom rooted in righteousness and justice. Lord, bring true prosperity to our families, our churches, our cities, and our local and national leaders. Bless them with Your ruling and reigning presence, the only true hope of the world.

Lord, may Your Church shine brightly as salt and light. May we be known for humility, genuine love, constant prayer, and bold proclamation of the gospel. Help us to be a people who care for the hurting and the vulnerable, provide for the poor, and bring hope to the hopeless. Father, we ask that You would bless our families with strong marriages founded on Your Word and that our children would be discipled in the Way of Jesus.

Make us faithful in our generation, Lord, that we might bless our nation, and in turn, be a nation that blesses the world.

We ask this humbly in the Name of Jesus Christ, the risen and ruling Lord of Heaven and Earth. Amen.

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:1-4, ESV)

Are you interested in learning more about Jesus Christ and what He’s done for you? I’d love to hear from you!

The Danger of Delayed Discipleship

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life1 Comment

Throughout my life, I can think of several dates when the plans for my day were totally upended. The death of a relative. An unexpected phone call. 9/11. A co-worker tragedy. In most of these examples, when the plan for the day was totally canceled, someone died. Death has a way of intruding into our life, changing plans, and unexpectedly causing shock and grief.

In ancient Israel—as is true for many Jewish people today—the first thing the faithful do is recite the Shema, the confession found in the Torah: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart…” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5, ESV). The one exception that put all prayers on hold is when your parent died. In that case, burying your father or mother takes precedence over everything, out of reverence for the one who raised you.

This helps us understand a passage in the Gospel of Matthew when a man pledges to follow Jesus after he first buries his father. We expect Jesus to say, “Of course, you must first give your father a proper burial. But then come follow Me!” Instead, Jesus gives this jarring response: “Follow Me, and leave the dead to bury the dead.”[1]

For those who have derived their image of Jesus from the culture, this statement is always puzzling. They picture Jesus as a nice guy who walks around with a lamb on His shoulders and a nice smile, hugging everyone He meets simply because He is so full of niceness (trust me, that’s a word).

Now, don’t get me wrong. Jesus was and is the most loving person to ever grace the planet. But quite often Jesus showed tough love—which is the kind of love that says things we don’t think we need to hear, but desperately do. In the words of 1 Corinthians 13:6, it’s a love that “rejoices in the truth.”

Jesus didn’t always say what sounds “nice” and affirming, but He did always tell us what we need to hear. And in this instance, He was teaching about the danger of delayed discipleship. His point was that no matter what else we may think is urgent and essential, nothing can take priority over following Him. In light of the Bible’s strong emphasis on caring for one’s family, Jesus’ statement here is all the more surprising.

Jesus knows that sometimes people will look for excuses for why they can’t follow Him today. Sometimes, people will use family as an excuse.

To such people, Jesus says:

“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”[2]

Stop and consider for a moment how insanely self-centered this would sound on the lips of anyone else. Do you still think Jesus was merely a good teacher of moral ideals?

Offensive? Maybe. But necessary for each of us to hear.

At another time, Jesus gave a parable (which is a story meant to illustrate the kingdom of God) about a man who decided to host a great banquet at his house. He sent out invitations to all his close family and friends. “But they all alike began to make excuses.”[3]

Some claimed they were too busy. They had purchased fields or oxen that demanded their care and attention. Another said, “I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.”[4] Each person seemed to have a good and reasonable excuse. It’s not as though they were all at home playing video games or binge watching Netflix. But they were excuses nonetheless.

Jesus said the master of the house became angry when people rejected his generous offer. After all, he was providing a sumptuous feast, free of charge. Because those who were supposedly closest to him rejected his offer, the master sent his servant to go and “bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.”[5] After all, those who had less in life would recognize the generosity of this invitation.

After his dining hall is filled with everyone from “the highways and hedges” far and wide, the great banquet can finally begin. Then, somewhat disdainfully, the master of the house says of those who turned down his invitation, “I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.”[6]

The message is pretty clear. Those who put off Jesus and His invitation into life in the kingdom of God are missing out on the joy He is offering.

To say it again: Nothing is more urgent or important in your life right now than discipleship to Jesus.

We might imagine that while we can’t follow Jesus today, we will certainly square things up with Him later. We might even think it’s better to live for ourselves today so that we will better appreciate grace later. But here’s where people need to take care. Sin has a way of hardening the heart that puts Jesus off. How do you know you aren’t hardening your heart against Jesus today? If you don’t have time for Jesus today, what makes you think you will suddenly have time later in life?

The spiritual sage J. C. Ryle offered this warning:

“Habits of good or evil are daily strengthening in your heart. Every day you are either getting nearer to God, or further off. Every year that you continue unrepentant, the wall of division between you and heaven becomes higher and thicker, and the gulf to be crossed deeper and broader. Oh, dread the hardening effect of constant lingering sin! Now is the accepted time. See that your decision not be put off until the winter of your days.”[7]

In reality, no matter what excuse we might come up with for why we are delaying discipleship to Jesus, that very excuse might be the roadblock that keeps us from ever coming to the party. Beware of excuses in your own heart. Take warning from Jesus’ parable. What a tragedy it would be to miss out on the very thing that gives our lives meaning not only for this life, but for all eternity.

In the words of Jesus, “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”[8]

If you have any questions about any of this, I would love to hear from you!

[1] Matthew 8:22, ESV

[2] Matthew 10:37, ESV

[3] Luke 14:18, ESV

[4] V. 20

[5] V. 21

[6] V. 24

[7] J. C. Ryle, Thoughts for Young Men, 16.

[8] Matthew 16:26, ESV

Why Should I Be Baptized?

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life2 Comments
Jordan River Today

With the sun beating down on his head, a bronze-skinned man steps out onto the river bank. His lower half is still drenched and dripping with the Jordan River. He’s wrapped in a tunic made of camel’s hair. Hair and beard look unkempt. He seems to lack all sense of social convention. He is a portrait of a desert wanderer. The surrounding crowd on the shoreline cannot help but stare and listen to his brazen call to repent of wickedness. Having just emerged from the water, some are still soaked from head to toe.

He picks up his staff in one hand and raises the other toward the crowd. A knobby finger points like a dagger at a group of men in long clean robes: the Pharisees and Sadducees.

“Brood of vipers!” The desert man’s voice echoes off the stony river bank. All eyes are now staring at the religious leaders, who grimace with distaste.

“Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come!” the man bellows. While some are shocked, others recognize his boldness to confront sin is a clear sign of his prophetic calling of God. If John is a prophet, then he’s merely God’s mouthpiece. What he has to say truly comes from the Almighty. And yet, here he was confronting the religious aristocracy, the paragons of purity.

In one sense, these Pharisees and Sadducees carried an air of power and respectability wherever they went. The people noted their stringent piety and rigorous law-keeping. Nevertheless, the people so admired John the Baptist that these holy men looked like tongue-tied schoolchildren in his presence. They come only to observe, not to be baptized in the filthy river.

“Show fruit consistent with repentance!” John continued, eyes blazing like fire.

John’s Ministry of Baptism

Apparently, John didn’t have a public relations consultant. Why did he call these highly esteemed religious leaders a “brood of vipers”? Because they ignored the warnings of the wrath to come and led others to destruction. And, as John says, they didn’t bear fruit, showing they had not truly given their lives to the Lord.

This was John the Baptist’s entire ministry. He called people to repent of sin, return to faith in the one true God, and be baptized in the Jordan River.

John said, “I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry” (Matthew 3:11).

This One “coming” was the Lord of the cosmos Himself. John the Baptist was always pointing others to look to Christ, not himself, for hope. He humbly confesses he’s not worthy to even carry the sandals of Jesus. But it’s not just humility; it’s a right view of how supremely worthy Jesus is.

Then he says of Jesus: “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire…”

It’s important to realize that even though John says that he baptizes with water and Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire, this doesn’t mean that water baptism is no longer necessary today. At the end of Matthew, Jesus Himself gives the command: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” (Matthew 28:19).

Though Christians don’t always agree on the purpose of baptism, Jesus seemed to present baptism as the inaugural event marking a new disciple of Christ.

Why Be Baptized?

It is important to understand that baptism does not save you. We are saved by grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). Though Christians are called to good works, no good work—not even baptism—could save us from the tyranny of sin. Paul made the point that he was not sent with the primary objective of baptizing others, but of preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 1:17).

The thief on the cross had no opportunity to be baptized before he died, yet the Lord assured him of his place in Paradise with Him that very day (Luke 23:43). It is only repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ that reconciles us to God. Having said that, followers of Christ are commanded by God to be baptized. The Bible never treats it as an optional “extra.” Local churches are called to baptize new believers after the pattern of the New Testament (Acts 2:38-41; 10:47; 16:14-15).

Baptism pictures our need for cleansing and restoration. But it also pictures our identification with Christ. Going down into the waters, we are identifying ourselves publicly with Christ’s death and our own death to sin. Coming out of the waters portrays both Christ’s resurrection and our resurrection with Him to new life (Romans 6:3-4). As we are baptized individually and as we see others baptized, we are reminded that Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was for us personally.

And, as John says here, when we trust in Christ personally, we receive the Holy Spirit.[1]

The Winnowing Fork of Judgment

Why are repentance and baptism so important? John says of Jesus: “His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor and gather His wheat into the barn, but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:12).

In ancient Israel, there was a practice called winnowing which allowed the farmer to separate the grain (or seeds) from the chaff, which were the husks that cover the seeds. When the farmer tossed the grain and the chaff into the air with the winnowing fork, the Middle Eastern wind would carry the lighter chaff to the side and the heavier grain would fall to the ground. He would gather the grain together to keep, and the chaff he would sweep together and toss into a fire.[2]

John is giving us a vivid picture of judgment. On the coming day of judgment, Jesus will gather the grain—those who are His own—to Himself. And the rest, He will cast into what He calls “the unquenchable fire.” This is a sobering and serious reminder that a judgment is coming, and if we don’t belong to Jesus, we are destined for eternal damnation (Matthew 10:28; Mark 9:43). John is making it clear that it is eternal by saying it is a fire that never goes out.

I want you to understand that the idea of eternal judgment was no more popular in Jesus’s day, 2,000 years ago, than it is today. While some may say that it is unloving to tell people about hell, John recognized that what would be truly unloving is not to warn people that a judgment is coming.[3]

God Himself pled with unrepentant Israel to return to Him and avoid judgment: 

“As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?” (Ezekiel 33:11, ESV)

This life is infinitesimally short in light of eternity. God says in His Word that your life is nothing more than a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes (James 4:14). But eternity—that lasts forever! So where we spend eternity matters immensely.

This is why I, too, want to warn others. If Scripture is right that there is a coming judgment and that our own conscience testifies to this truth, then for me not to speak about hell would be unloving. I make a point to speak about it because I, too, am a sinner and have been rescued from judgment—Jesus has saved me. And so, I want to point to my Savior and say this offer of salvation is for all. No matter what you have done or where you have been in life, this free gift of salvation is offered to you!

Why Was Jesus Baptized?

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. (Matthew 3:13-15)

So, if water baptism represents cleansing from sin, why in the world is Jesus coming to the Jordan River be baptized here? After all, Jesus is the sinless Son of God in human flesh. Scripture always affirms that Jesus was and is “without sin” (Heb. 4:15). So why did He submit to baptism?

I think we see a clue as to why Jesus did this way back in the prophecy found in Isaiah 53:10. There we read that the sinless sufferer was “numbered with the transgressors.” Or, it could be translated as “[He] was counted among the rebels.”

Even though Jesus was perfect and sinless, He willingly chose, out of love, to identify with sinful mankind. Beginning with His coming at Christmas, to His baptism, and all the way to the cross, Jesus was humbly and lovingly saying, “I have come to identify with the very people who have rebelled against Me.” He came to die for the very rebels who were cursing Him, mocking Him, and crucifying Him. From the cross, He said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). In the context, He was speaking of the Jews and Romans that had Him killed. But in reality, He says that of all of us. We all have committed treason against the God who made us. We all deserve death. But Jesus was perfect. He willingly died in our place so that we could be forgiven and spared from all judgment.

In humbly consenting to water baptism, Jesus marked out a pattern for all His disciples to follow. In this way, He is not asking of us anything that He Himself did not willingly do.

And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:16-17, ESV)

Scripture teaches that the one true God is three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And here we see all Three in view. Jesus submitting to baptism, the Spirit descending upon Him to empower Him for ministry, and the Father’s voice from heaven saying: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

If Jesus had never been baptized, this moment would have been missed. Now all who have repented and trusted in the Lord Jesus are reconciled to God, made new by the Holy Spirit, and are loved in the Beloved—even as Christ is loved by the Father (John 17:26). And if that’s you, friend, you are called to be baptized.

Have thoughts on this post? Feel free to comment below!

[1] “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:13, ESV). Also see Romans 8:9-11.

[2] Thanks to David Platt for his explanation of this process in his commentary Exalting Jesus in Matthew.

[3] See Ezekiel 33, where the Lord says that the watchman who sees the sword of judgment coming but fails to warn others will have their blood on his hands.