“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own…” (1 Cor. 6:19 ESV)

The Holy Spirit gives birth to your spirit

“Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3:5-8) 

Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:15-17 ESV)

“You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.” (Romans 8:9 ESV)

The Holy Spirit helps you

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (John 14:26 ESV)

“And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.” (1 Cor. 2:13 ESV)

The Holy Spirit gives you power to witness

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 ESV)

 The Holy Spirit enables you to speak the Word of God with boldness

“And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” (Acts 4:31 ESV) 

The Holy Spirit helps you live righteously 

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” (Gal. 5:16-18 ESV)

The Holy Spirit intercedes for you

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (Rom. 8:26-27 ESV)

Ask God for the Holy Spirit

“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13 ESV)

Therefore…

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:12-15 ESV)

Quotes:

“O Holy Spirit, descend plentifully into my heart. Enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling and scatter there Thy cheerful beams.” - Saint Augustine

“The Gospel comes in power and the Holy Spirit, with much assurance. If you call upon the name of the Lord, God will transform you on the inside, give you the shock of your life, and give you everlasting life on top of that.” -Ray Comfort

His virgin birth

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” (Matt 1:23 NASB)

His sinless life

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” (Heb. 4:15 NIV)

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29 NIV)

His miracles

“Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.” (Acts 2:22 NIV)

His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood on the cross

This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. (Acts 2:23 NIV) 

“For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” (2 Cor. 5:21 NLT)

His bodily resurrection

“But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.” (Acts 2:24 NIV)

“I passed on to you as of first importance]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” (1 Cor. 15:3-4 NIV)

His ascension to the right hand of the Father

“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11 NIV)

“In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.” (Heb. 1:1-4 NIV)

His personal return in power and glory

“So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” (Heb. 9:28 ESV)

“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” (1 Thess 5:16 -17 ESV)

“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done.” (Rev. 22:12 ESV)

Therefore…

“Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Matt. 24:44 ESV)

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil. 2:5-11 NKJV)

Quote:

“O, Thou precious Lord Jesus Christ, we do adore Thee with all our hearts. Thou art Lord of all.  Charles Spurgeon

“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.” (Col. 2:9; NIV)

Warning about “Another Jesus” who is false 

The apostle Paul warned the church about false prophets who would teach another Jesus. “For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!” (2 Cor. 11:4). The notion that Jesus isn’t God is actually a belief in the wrong Jesus.

The Bible directly and indirectly states that Jesus is God

“In  the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” … “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us...” (John 1:1, John 1:14) - Other verses: John 20:28, Rom. 9:5; Phil. 2:6; Titus 2:13, Heb. 1:8, 1 John 5:20, John 13:3, 17:5, Col. 1:15–19, 1 Tim. 3:16, and Heb. 1:3

The names applied to Jesus

 He is called…

• God - “A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” (Isa. 40:3 NIV)

• Mighty God & Everlasting Father – “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isa. 9:6 NIV)

• Immanuel, “God with us” – “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel. (which means “God with us”). (Matt. 1:22–23 NIV).

• Son of God – “But about the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom(Heb. 1:8 NIV) – Other verses: 1 Tim. 3:16; John 10:36

• Lord – “Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’” (John 20:28)

 The Bible ascribes the characteristics of deity to Jesus

Jesus is described as…

• Eternal: “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isa. 9:6) - Other verses: Micah 5:2; John 1:1–2; 8:58; 17:5; 24; Col. 1:15, 17; 1 John 1:1; Rev. 1:8

• Omnipresent: “For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”  (Matt. 18:20) – Other verses:  Matt. 28:20; John 3:13

• Omniscient: “But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people.  He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.” - (John 2:24, 25) – Other verses: 16:30; 21:17; Revelation 2:23

• Omnipotent: “…who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. (Phil. 3:21) – Other verses:  Isaiah 9:6; Rev. 1:8; cf. John 5:17; Heb. 1:3; Matt. 28:18

• Immutable: “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” (Heb. 13:8 NIV) -and Heb. 1:10-12

Jesus performed works which only God as creator can do

 “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” (John 1:3, 10) – Other verses:  Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2,10

 Jesus is the upholder of all things

 “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Col. 1:17) – Other verses: Heb. 1:3; cf. Luke 10:22; John 3:35; 17:2; Eph. 1:22

Jesus forgives sin

“Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!” Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” Then the man got up and went home.” (Matt. 9:2–7) - Other verses: Mark 2:7; Luke 7:47, 48; Col. 3:13

Jesus will raise the dead and execute judgment

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.” (John 11:25) – Other verses: John 5:25, 28–29; 6:39, 40, 54; John 5:22

Jesus Himself claimed deity and He taught His disciples to pray in His name

“In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” (John 16:23, 24 NIV)

Jesus claimed that He and the Father were one and that He was the Son of God

“I and My Father are one.” (John 10:30) – Other verses: John 19:36; 14:9; 17:11

 Therefore…

 Jesus claimed that to know Him was to know God, to see Him was to see God, to receive Him was to receive God, to believe Him was to believe in God and to honor Him was to honor God, while to hate Him was to hate God.

“If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!” (John 14:7 NLT) - Other verses: John 8:18; John 12:45; 14:9; Mark 9:37; John 12:44; 14:1; John 5:23; John 15:23

 Quote:

“Now the Christian meaning of the term “deity of Christ” is fairly clear. The Christian believes that there is a personal God, Creator and Ruler of the universe, a God who is infinite, eternal and unchangeable. So when the Christian says that Jesus Christ is God, or when he says that he believes in the “deity of Christ,” he means that that same person who is known to history as Jesus of Nazareth existed, before He became man, from all eternity as infinite, eternal and unchangeable God, the second person of the holy Trinity.” -  J. Gresham Machen, What is the Deity of Christ?

There is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matt. 28:19 NIV)

“I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30 NIV)

“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (Ephe. 4:4-6 NIV)

God is the only Supreme Being with no gods created before or after Him in all of existence, in all places, in all time

 “You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.” (Isa. 43:10 NIV)

“Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me.” (Isa. 44:6 NASB)

 ‘Do not tremble and do not be afraid; Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And you are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me, Or is there any other Rock? I know of none.’ ” (Isa. 44:8 NASB)

“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Tim. 1:17 NASB)

God has always been God

“Before the mountains were born Or You gave birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” (Psalm 90:2 NASB)

God is Holy

“And the four living creatures

, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.” (Rev. 4:8 NASV)

God is Eternal

“For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit

In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite.” (Isa. 57:15 NASB)

God is Omnipotent

“Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.” (Jer. 32:17 NIV)

“I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” (Jer. 32:27 NIV)

God is Omnipresent

“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” (Psalm 138:7 NIV)

God is Omniscient 

“If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.” (1 John 3:20)

God is Love 

“The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:8 NASB)

“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” (1 John 4:16 NIV)

God is Light

“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5 NIV)

God is Spirit 

“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24 NIV)

God is Truth 

“For His lovingkindness is great toward us, And the truth of the LORD is everlasting. Praise the LORD!” (Psalm 117:2 NASB)

God is Creator

“Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, And marked off the heavens by the span, And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, And weighed the mountains in a balance And the hills in a pair of scales?” (Isa. 40:12 NASB)

“He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in.” (Isa. 40:22 NIV)

“Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.” (Isa. 40 26 NIV)

God is to be worshiped

“And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the LORD.” (Gen. 24:26 KJV)

“And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.” (Exo. 4:31 KJV)

“While the whole assembly worshiped, the singers also sang and the trumpets sounded; all this continued until the burnt offering was finished.” (2 Chron. 29:28 NASB)

“And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you.” (1 Cor. 14:25 NKJV)

“And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living beings. And they fell before the throne with their faces to the ground and worshiped God.” Rev. 7:11 NLT)

God is to be served

“Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’” (Matt. 4:10 NIV)

“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” (1 Cor. 6:19 NKJV)

“For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God.” (1 Thes. 1:9 NASB)

“how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Heb. 9:14 NASB)

God is to be proclaimed

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matt. 28:19-20 NIV)

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 ESV)

Therefore…

“The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” – (Zeph. 3:17)

Quotes:

“We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade, the presence of God." - C.S. Lewis

“Immanuel, God with us in our nature, in our sorrow, in our lifework, in our punishment, in our grave, and now with us, or rather we with Him, in resurrection, ascension, triumph, and Second Advent splendor." - Charles Spurgeon

The Bible is the authoritative Word of God 

“For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.” (1 Thess. 2:13 NASB)

“For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Pet. 1:24 NIV)

“Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.” (2 Pet. 3:15-16 ESV)

The Bible is God Breathed and useful for training in righteousness 

“…from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim. 3:15-17 ESV) 

Therefore…

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Heb. 4:12 NIV)

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22 NIV)

“Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching."  (1 Timothy 4:13)

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” (Isa. 40:8 NIV) 

Quotes:

“The Word of God I think of as a straight edge, which shows up our own crookedness. We can’t really tell how crooked our thinking is until we line it up with the straight edge of Scripture.” - Elisabeth Elliot

“Unless we form the habit of going to the Bible in bright moments as well as in trouble, we cannot fully respond to its consolations because we lack equilibrium between light and darkness.” - Helen Keller

“The Word of God well understood and religiously obeyed is the shortest route to spiritual perfection. And we must not select a few favorite passages to the exclusion of others. Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian.” - A.W. Tozer

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.” (1 Tim. 4:1 NKJV)

 Deceptive spirits & doctrines of demons

 A doctrine is a set of held beliefs that are taught to others. So, a doctrine of demons is a set of beliefs or a teaching which demons try to spread throughout the church for the purpose of deceiving believers. Since demons are not visible they must take a deceptive route to get their false message heard. They are just like their leader Satan, the “father of lies”.

 “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from  the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44 ESV)

 Beware of false prophets 

 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” (Matt. 7:15 ESV)

Beware of demonic doctrines 

There is an all out attack on the basic tenets of Christianity in the form of Progressive Christianity” which is creeping its way into churches across the world. It’s sometimes called “theological liberalism” and is dangerous because its tenets are in conflict with Scripture. It focuses strongly on social justice and environmentalism and includes a revisionist (or non-traditional) view of the Scriptures; the Bible is viewed as a record of what people believed about God in the times and places in which they lived, rather than as the inspired and authoritative Word of God. It's not uncommon for followers of this movement to express disagreement with a biblical writer, or to reject the passages they find unhelpful. Progressive Christianity can be persuasive and enticing, but it is an assault on the foundational framework of Christianity, leaving it disarmed of its saving power. Many are brought into progressive Christianity’s false doctrines because they are not grounded in the basic tenets of correct Biblical theology and don’t recognize the errors. 

Recognizing false doctrines 

How can you identify if a teaching is false? It will not line up with God's Word. Through His Word, God has given us everything we need to recognize the enemy and discern true doctrine from false doctrine (Ephesians 6:10–18). Pay attention to any red flags in teachings you listen to. Search the Word and ask God for wisdom and discernment (see James 1:5; 1 John 4:1–3). When you know what the Bible says, you will also be able to recognize the teachings that are contrary to it.

Therefore…

“So He said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32 NIV)

Quote:

“Oh, how we should guard against whatever is extreme and guard against misunderstanding in spiritual doctrine. We need not fear being radical in obeying the Lord, that is for sure; nor do we need to guard against being extreme in denying the works of the flesh. But most vigilant must we be that we do not be led to any extremes through misconception.” - Watchman Nee

“And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.” (Matt. 28:17 ESV)

Why do you doubt?

“Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matt. 14:31 ESV)

The one who doubts is driven and tossed

“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.” (James 1:6 ESV)

If you have faith and do not doubt

“And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.” (Matt. 21:21 ESV)

“Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.” (Mark. 11:23 ESV)

Ask in faith with no doubting 

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:5-8 ESV)

Help me with my unbelief!

“Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24 ESV)

Do not disbelieve

“Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” (John 20:27 ESV) 

Therefore…

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.” (Prov. 3:5-8 ESV)

Quote:

“Doubt discovers difficulties which it never solves; it creates hesitancy, despondency, despair. Its progress is the decay of comfort, the death of peace. "Believe!" is the word which speaks life into a man, but doubt nails down his coffin.” - Charles Spurgeon

“For it is you who light my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness.” (Psalm 18:28 ESV)

Light in the darkness

An old joke is, “I saw the light at the end of the tunnel, but it turned out to be a freight train!” To many, in view of the evil they see all around them, that’s not funny. Watching the scary events reported daily in the news does make things look dark and hopeless. But, Jesus offers great hope, especially for perilous times. It’s important to view the world through the light of Jesus. We can walk in His light and have His understanding on things no matter how dark things may appear. I love what someone once said, “I looked at the end of the book, and we won!”

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Jesus enlightens everyone

“The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.” (John 1:9 ESV)

“I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.” (John 12:46 ESV)

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” ((2 Cor. 4:6 ESV)

The wicked hates the light

“And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (John 3:19-21 ESV)

Therefore…

“This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:5-7 ESV)

“For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” (Eph. 5:8 ESV)

Quote:

“Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matt. 6:14-15 NIV)

Forgive every time 

“So watch yourselves. “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.” (Luke 17:3-4 NIV)

Forgive as the Lord forgave you

“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” (Col. 3:13 NIV)

“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” (Mark 11:25 NIV)

The Lord is merciful and forgiving 

“The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him.” (Dan. 9:9 NIV)

Therefore…

“Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.” (Micah 7:18-19 NIV)

“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” (Isa. 1:18 NIV)

Quotes: 

“The voice of sin is loud, but the voice of forgiveness is louder.” - Dwight L. Moody

“And you know, when you've experienced grace and you feel like you've been forgiven, you're a lot more forgiving of other people. You're a lot more gracious to others.” - Rick Warren