We are all sinners who merit judgement and condemnation but due to God’s unmerited favor for us, we are set free as his children through Jesus Christ the author of grace.
The Finished Work of the Cross is divine, perfect, holy and complete. It is the most perfect work ever accomplished by God for the redemption of sin and the achievement of everlasting life by men and women. Jesus’ last words on the cross of Calvary were “It is finished”. These words imply that Jesus Christ had completed the perfect work of redeeming mankind from sin through their faith in him. Before proceeding, we’ll like to ask you a question whose answer is full with wisdom. To whom was the middle cross at Calvary belonging to? A quick answer given without exercising a deep thought with the help of the Holy Spirit will be that it belonged to Jesus Christ.
It is a mistake to think that the cross in the middle was for Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ committed no sin to deserve the cross just as one of the thieves with whom he was crucified confirmed. That very cross was destined for Barabbas who was guilty of murder. But out of love for sinners and the desire to free them from sin, Jesus Christ took Barabbas’ place on the cross. The next question to ask is that to know whether we are different from Barabbas? Truth be told, sin has made us to be in the likeness of Barabbas. For the scriptures say that all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory or likeness as we can read from Romans 3:23. In other words, the middle cross of Calvary was not destined for Jesus Christ but for you and me.
The Finished Work of the Cross – Everything you need to know
It was out of God’s immeasurable love for the world that he sent his only begotten son, Jesus Christ to come and take our place on the cross (John 3:16). Sin had made us to wander far away from God’s presence. His son who is the author of the finished work of the cross came to renew and reestablish this lost relationship with God. Although he had no sin of his own, he was handed into the hands of the wicked who did not spare his life. They suffered and crucified him on the cross. On the cross, he took with him all the sins of the faithful. It is through him that we are made hires of God’s kingdom and are given the possibility to partake in the heavenly feast. He did not come to condemn but to bring everlasting life unto those that believe in him.
Apostle Paul’s greatest concern in ministry was to preach nothing but Christ and the finished work of the cross. 1 Corinthians 1:18 – “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” In the same light, we can say that the finished work of the cross is foolishness to those whose hearts have been kept in darkness by the evil ruler of this world but it is God’s power to bring everlasting life to those who believe in Christ. On the cross, Jesus Christ finished the long night of his suffering for our sins. By finishing the work of the cross, he validated a full course of obedience and won complete victory over the decisive battle with Satan.
Reasons why Christ completed his mission at Calvary and said “It is Finished”
To bring forgiveness
Jesus Christ completed the work of atonement on the cross of Calvary so that through him, we can be forgiven, loved, and accepted in God’s Kingdom. Once in Christ, your sins are forgotten, and you are given a new life. Everything that you need in order to benefit from the fruits of a righteousness that leads to everlasting life is in Christ. We obtain such not through our good works or personal efforts but through the unmerited grace of God. Christ came so that those who believe in him shall have everlasting life (John 3:16). Sincerely repent today of your sins and invite Christ in your life. You can be certain that he will hear and answer you.
To Bring Victory
The finished work of the cross is God’s power of victory over Satan and all his principalities in the heavenly places. Victory in Christ is victory indeed as we can read from 1 Corinthian 15:57. Through the dead and resurrection of Christ, we have been given complete victory over Satan and his agents. On the cross, Christ conquered death and brought life to those who will keep to his message.
Recommended related articles
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Learn everything on how to hear voice of God and step to the next spiritual level. Many people want to hear the voice of God consistently and clearly. However, very few people end up hearing God. Does this mean that there are only some special people who can hear God? No, everyone can hear the voice of God. The problem comes from us. It is either you are ignorant of the ways through which God speaks to us or you merely reject the fact that God is still saying something. For those who are ignorant of the ways through which God speaks today to his people, we’ll help them to learn. But for those who have simply rejected the fact that God is still saying something, we can’t help them in any way.
The belief that God is no longer speaking keeps me wondering if those who belief such are reading their Bibles. As Christians, our standard for life is the Holy Bible. It is where we ought to seek for all truth about the kingdom pf heaven. Let’s not just stay back and welcome all sorts of teachings from people who call themselves spiritual leaders. We should test all their teachings to see if they are in accordance to those left by Jesus Christ. In short, no one ought to bring in new teachings in Christianity because we have only one teacher, Jesus Christ. He had already revealed all the truth. Thus anyone who claims to be his servant must only guide his sheep in the light of his teachings. So let’s get what the Bible has to say about hearing from God.
All on how to hear voice of God
Biblical support
The scriptures say that God is the same yesterday, today, and for all times to come. We can read this from Hebrews 13:8. In other words, we’ll say that God can and is still doing the things he did in the past. And for sure he will do much more in times to come. If God has not changed, then the miracles of the past are still taking place. In addition, he is still saying something as it was the case in the past. The truth is that God wants you to hear his voice and get closer. Prayer is not one sided. In other words, prayer is a conversation between you and God. That is, you speak to God and He answers you. Let’s justify this point by turning our Bibles to Jeremiah 33:3. We hear God saying that we should call on him and he will answer us.
How do you think that God will answer you if he is not still saying something. Still in that verse, the lord God further says that he will tell us wonderful and marvelous things which we know nothing about. How do you think he will tell us these things? Or better still how do you think the lord will show us things that we know nothing about? God has reserved much for us but our faith is too small to believe and obtain what is rightfully ours. That’s why Apostle Paul prayed and wished that God gives every Christian the spirit of wisdom and revelation so that we can know him better. You can read this from Ephesians 1:17. Through this message, Apostle Paul teaches us that the main purpose for hearing God is to know him better.
What did Jesus say about hearing from God?
What comes to your mind when you hear Jesus pointing out the importance of eyes that see and ears that hear in Matthew 13:16? Do you really think that he was talking of our physical eyes and ears? I believe that if he was talking of our physical eyes and ears, he wouldn’t have treated the pharisees and Sadducee as blind teachers. He referred to them as blind although their physical eyes were seeing because their minds were dull and could not perceive the truth about the things of heaven. Before Jesus said this, Prophet Isiah had spoken it so many years ago that the people can’t see because their minds are dull. You can read this from Matthew 13:15. This clearly informs us that Jesus and Prophet Isaiah consider our minds as our spiritual eyes.
Still on how to hear voice of God by Jesus Christ, let’s open our Bibles to John 14:15-17. We clearly hear Jesus making a promise to all those who love him. He says that those who love him will certainly keep his commands. And as a result, he will ask the father to send on to them the Holy Spirit. He further explains that the Holy Spirit will come as a helper and companion to those who love him. In addition, he points out that the Holy Spirit will reveal all truth about God unto those who love and keep his teachings. Here are we talking about revelation again. Revelation comes from the Holy Spirit. And as Christians today, do we have the Holy spirit? Yes, this spirit is available for all those who love Jesus Christ.
Who can hear the voice of God?
Still on how to hear voice of God, we’ll say that you must not be a prophet to hear him speak. Many people today just believe that one must be a prophet before he/she can clearly hear God speak. The truth is that you don’t have to be a prophet before you can hear the voice of God. It is true that we are all created in the likeness and image of God. But this does not mean that we are the identical. Each person is God’s unique creature. And God can manifest in each person’s life differently. From 1 Corinthians 14:1, we clearly hear Apostle Paul’s wish for all the Christians. He calls on everyone to focus their hearts on the gift of prophecy or proclaiming God’s message.
How can you proclaim God’s message if you haven’t received it from Him? If we must proclaim, it means that God has given us the message. And from the words of Apostle Paul we can all proclaim God’s message. This is a way of saying that we can all hear from God. Perhaps, what will differ is the way we hear from him. He has blessed men and women with different gifts. You can be sure that God wants to speak to you in order to convey a message of guidance, love, comfort, and warning. He is doing this because of his great love for mankind. He doesn’t want us to perish. Rather, the lord wants to speak to us on daily basis to guide and maintain us on the right path that leads to eternal life.
The secret on how to hear voice of God
Have you ever wondered about what it takes to hear the voice of God? Many people regularly ask if taking prolonged fasting together with other spiritual duties is what makes a person to hear from God? We can not answer this question with a big yes or no. This is because hearing the voice of God is not as complex as you might think. It is neither the easiest thing to do. Fasting and other Christian duties make the environment spiritually conductive enough for you to hear God’s voice. Whatever the case, you can be sure that God is saying something and that you are the one who is not hearing him.
So what is the secret on how to hear voice of God? Just as we previously said, there is nothing magical about how to hear the voice of God. In addition, there is no hidden or deep secret about how to hear the voice of God. All that we’ll advice you to do is to remain in the light of obedience to the lord. Obedience displays your love for God. And your love for God will open heavenly gates so that the Holy Spirit can come and reside within you. This is in accordance to Jesus’s promise in Jon 14:15-17. And once the Holy Spirit lives in you, you can expect regular revelations about God’s Holy truth. Another fact worth pointing out here is your ability to believe that God speaks. If you lack this believe, you’ll hardly hear his voice.
Ways on how to hear voice of God
There are several ways to hear the voice of God. In short, we cannot list them all. This is probably because God’s ways are not those of men. God can use anything to speak to you and at any moment. His power is not limited by time and space. God does as he likes. That’s why Apostle Peter wrote under the influence of the Holy Spirit that God is not a respecter of men. With this in mind, we can only exploit most of the main ways through which God has been using to speak to his children. This is not to limit God’s ability. That’s why we’ll call on you to have an opened mind so as not to miss the voice of God.
The Bible
The Bible is the Christians standard of life. It holds and preserves the foundation of Christianity. The Bible is the Holy Truth about God which was revealed by the Prophets and later accomplished by Jesus Christ. In addition, is the main Christian tool used in knowing the will of God. The Bible represents the most common way on how to hear voice of God. Through the Bible, you can hear the voice of God on daily basis. Hearing the voice of God through the Bible is regularly manifested the perception of a particular verse or chapter that addresses your situation. God’s voice goes in accordance with the principles which were written down in The Bible. God’s voice can not push you into breaking Biblical principles or doing anything illegal.
Impressions and pictures
This is another way on how to hear voice of God. It is greatly exploited by those who are matured in the faith. It has to do with receiving spiritual projections on the mirror of your mind. God regularly speaks to his children through impressions and pictures. You can receive this internally i your mind our actually see a picture with your eyes. For internal cases, you can have an impression or a picture which flashes in your mind. At times this picture quickly pops and before you realize, it is gone. In most cases, it is not necessarily a complete taught. However, you just get that feeling to have received it from God. Whatever the case, you need to be discerning because not all thoughts come from God. That’s why you must always pray and ask God to guide you into the truth through the Holy Spirit.
Dreams and Visions
When discussing ways on how to hear voice of God, we cannot omit dreams and visions. They’ve always been a major way through which we observe biblical characters hearing from God. Dreams at night regularly convey a message from God to us. However, we must also note that not all dreams are from God. But you must not worry about this issue. Once you are able to understand the symbolic language regularly used by God to convey messages to his servants, you’ll stand a greater chance of hearing him clearly. That’s why you should pray for the special grace to understand God’s symbolic language. We must also drag your attention to the fact that almost one third of the Bible is made up of dreams and visions from God. We also find Jesus using parables in his teachings which are not very different dreams. Learn more by reading Job 33:14-17.
His servants
At times we turn to neglect God’s messengers but that’s a big mistake of ours. Jesus Christ said whoever welcomes a man in his name welcomes him. It is in this same light that he said whoever rejects a man who comes in his name also rejects him. Thus, we should not be quick in judging, condemning, and classing any preacher of the gospel as false. The scriptures say that we must first test their teachings to see if they go in line with those of Jesus. If they teach sound doctrines, we must welcome and listen to them. But if they teach unsound doctrine, we ought to flee from them. We must also note that one of the ways on how to hear voice of God is through his servants and messengers. Also read our article on the Key teachings of Jesus Christ.
The spiritual gifts test is very important. It equips a believer for the Christian service as we can read from Ephesians 4:12 “He gave gifts to prepare all God’s people for the work of Christian service, in order to buildup the body of Christ“. Accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and savior brings salvation and a spiritual gift from God. Each believer’s gift equips them to better please God. It permeates them to serve God in a unique manner. God’s desire is that the world gets save through His Son Jesus Christ. We can read this from John 3:16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have everlasting life“. That’s why God is still giving the world time to repent before the second coming of Jesus who will judge with fire.
God in his mercy has equipped every believer with the necessary skills to meet up with a demand in the Body of Christ. You are not excluded from the list of believers with gifts. If you have repented and received the Holy Spirit, you are in possession of a spiritual gift. You must not keep this spiritual git dormant as we can read from Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 1:6 “For this reason, I remind you to keep alive the gift that God gave you when I laid my hands on you“. This is a call for all Christians to identify and keep their gifts alive. How do we keep the gift alive? let’s read from 1 Peter 4:10 “Each one, as a good manager of God’s different gifts, must use for the good of others the special gift he has received from God.
Everything on the spiritual gifts test
Before practicing this spiritual test, there are certain things that you must know. You have to start by first learning and mastering the different spiritual gifts. In this way, you’ll better figure out that which you’ve been blessed with. There are many spiritual gifts and God’s spirit shares them as He likes. Let’s read from 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same spirit gives them. There are different ways of serving, but the same Lord is served. There are different abilities to perform service, but the same God gives ability to all for their particular service. The spirit’s presence is shown in someway in each person for the good of all“
Let’s read more from 1 Corinthians 12:8-11 ” The spirit gives one person a message full of wisdom. While to another person, the same spirit gives a message full of knowledge. One and the same spirit gives faith to one person, while to another person, he gives the power to heal. The spirit gives one person the power to work miracles; to another, the gift of speaking God’s message. To another, the ability to tell the difference between gifts that come from the spirit and those that do not. It gives one person the ability to speak in strange tongues and to another the ability to explain these tongues. But is is one and the same spirit who does all these. The spirit does this as he wishes. He gives a different gift to each person“.
The different spiritual gits explained
Prophet
The Gift of Prophecy is a special ability which is given by God to a person. It is one which permeates him/her to speak forth already revealed truth from God. Worth noting is that the prophetic message must not necessarily be a prediction of things to happen. This gift consist more of using encouraging, comforting and exhorting words to keep the body of Christ going. We can read this from 1 Corinthians 14:3 “But those who proclaim God’s message speak to people and give them help, encouragement, and comfort“.
Those with this gift have the ability to perceive the spiritual needs of others. Upon perceiving these needs, they are directed by the Holy spirit to meet them through the scriptures. Worth noting here is that some are blessed with the spirit of prophecy while others are called to be prophets. Let’s read more from Ephesians 4:11 “It was he who gave gifts; he appointed some to be Apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists, others to be pastors and teachers“. You can as well read our article on the Gift of Prophecy.
Characteristics of a Prophet
A prophet has the ability to detect what is right and what is wrong in running the Christian race. He/she hates what is bad and promotes what is good. Prophets have the ability to clearly see and understand what is happening. They easily perceive both good and bad characters within people. It is not for judgmental purposes that they detect these characters. God allows them to perceive these characters so as to encourage and rightly instruct the people on what He wants. Prophets perceive the Bible as the main standard for a Christian’s life. They hold to the Bible as the truth which was revealed by Jesus Christ. The prophets are courageous enough to stand for the truth even when their lives are threatened. Prophets have a desperate desire to serve God and bring others to serve Him too.
Teacher
This is one of the greatest gifts that a person can receive from the Holy Spirit. You should be filled with joy if you realize upon carryout the spiritual gifts test that you have this gift. It is one which has to do with proclaiming God’s Holy message. What else would you love to do than to proclaim the message of your heavenly father? Indeed, this is a noble task in the house of God. It is God’s given ability to carefully study and nicely explain the truth which was revealed by Jesus Christ. Let’s hear what Apostle Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:2 “Take the teachings that you heard me proclaim in the presence of many witnesses, and entrust them to reliable people, who will be able to teach others also“.
Characteristics of a teacher
A teacher is one who uses all the good means necessary to logically present the good news about the kingdom of God. Teachers use facts to stand firm for the truth in which they believe. They enjoy investigating and studying more about the things of God. A teacher knows what it takes to do word studies. Teachers use the Bible in establishing truths which they call on others to welcome. They hate scriptures which are used out of context. Teachers strive to accurately present truth. Gospel teachers prefer the act of teaching over that of evangelizing. Teachers usually start question answering by quoting scriptures from the Bible. In addition, they are highly disciplined, intellectually, and emotionally stable. Teachers believe the truth in the word of God can change people and make the world a better place.
Server
Jesus Christ is the master server. The scripture says that He did not come to be served but to serve. That’s why He joyfully washed the feet of His Apostles. The Bible says that there are many more things which He did in this light of serving others. And the scriptures also say that no servant is greater than his master. We being servants of Jesus must follow His foot steps of serving. That’s why you should be very happy upon realizing the gift of serving after the spiritual gifts test. A server is one whom God has given the ability to easily identify where others need assistance. He does not only identify but also steps out to assist them. Let’s read what Apostle Paul says about this gift in Romans 12:7 “If it is to serve, we should serve, if it is to teach, we should teach“.
Characteristics of a server
A server is one who willingly steps out to meet the needs of others even when he has not be asked to. They are highly disciplines, respectful, and humble in their approach. A server is friendly and welcoming to all. Servers are people who turn to be more interested in the well being of others than themselves. They are easily detected by their actions than their words. Servers are people who turn to go an extra mile than recommended. They experience joy and happiness to see others succeed. And for this, they’ll do all they can to help them reach success. Servers reflect the loving heart of God. They love everyone just as they love themselves. Servers are more into doing than delegating others to do. They are highly reputed for their support to every leadership.
Exhorter
Exhortation is the process of getting closer to others with encouraging and comforting words from the scriptures. Those with this gift are people who help to remind others of God’s everlasting love and willingness to assist them. This is a vital gift in God’s house which you should be happy to find out that you possess it after the spiritual gifts test. Through out the New Testament we perceive Jesus and His immediate Apostles exhibiting this gift in many ways. It is a gift that equips you with the necessary words to bring hope where there is none. Those with this gift are well known or their encouraging and comforting words. They assist people to face the different challenges of life through their words and actions.
Characteristics of an exhorter
Exhorters are masters of verbal encouragement. God has blessed them with what it takes to comfort people in distress. They are more into putting the scriptures into action than researching or going deep. Exhorters are very good in counselling others and helping them to reach their maximum potential in success. They are highly positive even when they are faced with situations of little to no hope. In addition, they are also fast in making decisions and resolving problems.
Compassion/mercy
This spiritual gift reflects the story of the good Samaritan which we can read from Luke 10:30-37. It is one of the spiritual gifts that reflects God’s mind towards His people. We all know that our God is one who demonstrates the highest level of compassion and mercy towards us. That’s why you should be happy to be given this gift which reflects God’s nature. In short, you should give thanks to God if you realize that you have this gift after carrying out the Spiritual gifts test. It has to do with God’s given ability to a person to perceive and feel what others are feeling in distress or pains. Such people upon perceiving, do strive out to assist in one way or the other.
Characteristics of compassion/mercy
Love is what governs those with this spiritual gift. Those with this gift search and bring out the good in people. They turn to be more interested in others than themselves. This leads them to act in complete love. They are very cheerful people who celebrate as well as weep together with others. In addition to this, they want the best from others. That is, they want others to perform at their highest potential.
Administration/Leadership
In our society today, many people are running away from leadership. If you’ve ever been a leader, then you best know why. This position requires lots of efforts. And it is without doubt that it is full of many challenges. Not everyone can accept to bear such. But once God has chosen and blessed you with this wonderful gift, you can be sure that you’ll make it. Worth noting here is that God does not give you what He knows you can not handle. Jesus Christ is our great leader. While on Earth he demonstrated lots of leadership skills which we ought to learn. Today, He is guiding many into leadership through these great skills. Throughout the Biblical history of the children of God, we’ve always seen the importance of a leader. That’s why you should welcome this gift if you notice it after carrying out the spiritual gifts test.
Characteristics of a leader
A leader is one who is able to come up with a focus or vision and work towards it. Leaders have the ability to get others to willingly join them in their vision. They welcome criticism in order to ameliorate their ways of doing things. Leaders master what it means to work in a team spirit. They enjoy being with others and working towards one goal. Leaders have the ability to clearly communicate to others. They are always searching for what worked while abandoning that which did not. Leaders are highly convinced and passionate about what they are doing. They find their joy in accomplishing or meetings their goals. Leaders are also good listeners who are skillful in the resolution of problems.
Giver
The ability to freely give to others is indeed one of the best spiritual gifts that a person can have. God is always giving us something. We as His children ought to learn from him as well. All what we have has been entrusted into our hands by God. We are not the true owners but keepers. That’s why we should be able to freely give to others. This great gift of freely giving to others is one that comes from God. It has to do with giving your time, financial resources, and materials to the needy. Always remember that giving without love is worth noting before God. What makes our gifts to others worth God’s attention is the love in our hearts.
Characteristics of a giver
They freely give as they are led by the Holy Ghost. Givers do so out of love for men and God. They take pleasure in meeting the needs that others have. Givers firmly believer in free will giving and offering. Most of their givings are anonymous.
The Spiritual gifts test
Below is a test to carry in order to know your spiritual gift. Read every question in detail and carefully. Out of the 6 possible answers which are denoted by numbers from 0 to 6, choose just one answer for each question. You could just write the number representing each answer on a separate piece of paper. Remember to properly annotated the question answers. This will help you at the end of the test in coming up with your spiritual gift.
NEVER
RARELY
OCCASSIONALLY
TRUE SOMETIMES
TRUE MOST OF THE TIME
ALWAYS TRUE
1
I always seek spiritual insight from
God’s word on everything that I experience
0
1
2
3
4
5
2
Many people come to me for help and
advice
0
1
2
3
4
5
3
I easily get disturbed by the lack of
compassion in others
0
1
2
3
4
5
4
I research everything before believing
it
0
1
2
3
4
5
5
I can easily visualize the big picture
of a realistic major project
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
I always wait on others when we are at
my home
0
1
2
3
4
5
7
I feel that it is my duty to
financially help others
0
1
2
3
4
5
8
I always stand for the truth even if
it hurts the feelings of others
0
1
2
3
4
5
9
I am highly organized and can easily
delegate people
0
1
2
3
4
5
10
I have a feeling that it is my duty to
share knowledge with others
0
1
2
3
4
5
11
My words bring encouragement to
discouraged people
0
1
2
3
4
5
12
I usually neglect my personal work in
order to help others and see them through
0
1
2
3
4
5
13
I’m good at identifying and doing task
than needs to be done without being told to do so
0
1
2
3
4
5
14
I find enjoy in doing small things
that will make others very happy
0
1
2
3
4
5
15
I always want to step up and take
control of things
0
1
2
3
4
5
16
I freely give time, money, and other resources
to others regardless of how much I have
0
1
2
3
4
5
17
I have a deep compassion and mercy for
all living creatures
0
1
2
3
4
5
18
I’m good at giving constructive criticism
without any hesitation
0
1
2
3
4
5
19
Others perceive me as an outspoken and
frank person
0
1
2
3
4
5
20
People seem to enjoy while easily
learning from me
0
1
2
3
4
5
21
I can be perceived as one who is
disciplined, responsible and charitable
0
1
2
3
4
5
22
I do not wait to be compensated or
paid for the services that I render to others
0
1
2
3
4
5
23
People usually tell me that I’m a good
listener
0
1
2
3
4
5
24
I can easily communicate the facts in
any situation at hand
0
1
2
3
4
5
25
I am more of a task-focused oriented
person in life
0
1
2
3
4
5
26
It is easy for me to maintain an
optimistic outlook
0
1
2
3
4
5
27
I don’t have any problem to stand all
alone for something which I deeply believe in
0
1
2
3
4
5
28
I don’t always confront others when I feel
that it will hurt their feelings
0
1
2
3
4
5
29
I freely and regularly give to assure
the wellbeing of the body of Christ
0
1
2
3
4
5
30
Although I’m pennywise in my personal
spending, I’m good at freely giving o others
0
1
2
3
4
5
31
I enjoy researching and sharing my new
ideas with others
0
1
2
3
4
5
32
I feel that it is my duty to comfort
those who are in pains and distress
0
1
2
3
4
5
33
Although datelines usually challenge
me, I end up in time
0
1
2
3
4
5
34
It is easy for me to discern the
motives of others
0
1
2
3
4
5
35
I find joy in bearing the burdens of
others
0
1
2
3
4
5
36
At times, the way I use knowledge
appears prideful
0
1
2
3
4
5
37
I have the ability to create order in the
execution of organization chaos
0
1
2
3
4
5
38
I usually volunteer my time to causes
that are worth it
0
1
2
3
4
5
39
I’m easily moved to cry with others in
their pains
0
1
2
3
4
5
40
I have to ability to select the right
people for particular tasks
0
1
2
3
4
5
41
My focus on the application of right
and wrong is often perceived by others as judgmental
0
1
2
3
4
5
42
I find pleasure in helping others to
come up with their personal plans of actions for success
0
1
2
3
4
5
Spiritual gifts test result interpretation
If you have successfully answer all the above questions, step down to the next form that’s below. To each question number, put the number representing the answer which you previously chose. Sum up every column and write the total down. The highest possible score that you can get for each column is 30. Where you score the highest should be reflecting the spiritual gift that you have. You could as well check the other gifts which you’ve scored high too.
Knowing and obeying the key teachings of Jesus Christ will lead us to eternal life. Obedience to His teachings will save our souls from the fire of hell. In addition, they’ll lead us to the presence of God where we shall dwell forever. These points can be supported by John 14:6 where Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me”. Mankind was given only one savior, Jesus Christ. Thus, let no one deceive you that you can receive enteral life elsewhere apart from Jesus. Anyone apart from Jesus who claims to lead you to eternal life is simply facilitating your journey to everlasting punishment in Hell. Jesus Christ is the one and only way to God. This is why every Christian must learn and master his teaching as well as obey them.
Coming up with the key teachings of Jesus Christ is definitely not the easiest thing to do. Although the process is challenging, it is not impossible. Let’s just remain in an attitude of prayers in order to overcome the devil who wants to keep us away from the Holy Truth. We can not understand either obey the chief teachings of our savior without the help of the Holy Spirit. It is for this reason that He pointed out in John 14:26 that “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom my Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and make you remember all that I have told you“. And as a result, we’ll advise you to pray and ask God the Father for the Holy Spirit. Also, read our article on How to receive the Holy Spirit.
The Key teachings of Jesus Christ
You might be wondering where we will take the chief teachings of Jesus Christ. Do not panic because there are no two places to get the Holy Teachings of the master apart from the Bible. As Christians, the Bible is our standard for life. Only false teachers will invent new, strange, and contradictory doctrines to mislead the people of God. The Four Holy Gospels in the New Testament of the Bible greatly emphasize on the wordings of Jesus Christ. The other New Testament Books also contain His teachings which were received by His immediate Apostles. All these teachings are sufficient to inform us of what Jesus Christ truly wants. Below are the teachings which He emphasized while on Earth. And for sure everyone who welcomes them can expect eternal life in return.
Believing in the existence of God
It will be a mistake for us to start listing the key teachings of Jesus Christ without pointing on the existence of God. Jesus did not come on Earth by His own authority. He took the human form under the command and authority of His Father. Thus, He came on Earth as a messenger to announce the Good News about the Kingdom of God. He came to do what He saw His Father doing and to say just that which He heard His Father say. These points are supported by John 5:30-32. That’s why believing and following Jesus Christ starts with an absolute belief in the existence of one God. This one God we are talking about can’t be described by human words. We can only try to portray Him with the best words even though this won’t still be enough. This eliminates the question “Does God exist?“
Acknowledging your sins and repenting
Apostle Paul under the powerful influence of the Holy Spirit tells us in Romans 3:23 that “everyone has sinned and is far away from God’s saving presence“. With this in mind, we are all guilty and deserve death as our punishment. But out of God’s unmeasured love for mankind, He sacrificed His one and only son to die and take our place in the grave. We can read this from Romans 5:8 “But God has shown us how much He loves us; it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us“. In addition, let’s read from John 3:16 “For God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not die but have everlasting life“. We simply need to acknowledge our sins, repent, and start obeying God as taught by Jesus (Matthew 4:17)
Baptism
We cannot omit baptism from the key teachings of Jesus Christ as we can read from Matthew 3:11-15. At the command of God, John the Baptist started the baptism of men and women with water. This was an outward sign of an inward grace coming from God for the forgiveness of sins. In other words, we’ll say that John’s baptism of water was to show that the people were sorry for their sins. It was also aimed at showing the people’s desire to turn away from their wrongdoings in order to please God. When Jesus Christ came to John for Baptism, John tried to convince Him that he ought to be baptized by Him and not the contrary. But Jesus Christ insisted to be baptized saying that He wants to show everyone what God wants by action. Thus, we can say that Christian life is marked by Baptism.
Take up your cross and follow me
We are not Christians by words alone but by words and actions. If we say with our mouths that we are Christians, our actions must coincide with these words. Anything apart from this is not Christianity. It is in this same light that Jesus said to them “Anyone who wants to come with me must forget self, take up their cross every day, and follow me” – Luke 9:23. The question you’ll probably be asking yourself is that of “what does Jesus mean by refusing self and caring your cross to follow Him on a daily basis?”. This has to do with forgoing the evil desires of your body and obeying His teachings on a daily basis. Challenges are bound to come because a servant is not greater than His master. If Jesus was challenged on Earth, what more of us? We simply need to maintain our focus in following His footsteps.
Love
Love is the one word that summarizes the whole teachings of Jesus Christ. Yes it is! It best reflects the fullness of the Good News taught by Jesus. That’s why we’ll say that if you are not practicing love, you are not a Christian. Love is Jesus’s signature or mark of ownership in a Christian. Love reflects the full nature of God in men. That’s why Jesus’s teachings on Earth were all centered on the Love of God and the Love of Men. That’s why we cannot omit love from the key teachings of Jesus Christ. Let’s read His words from Matthew 22:36-39 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like it: Love your neighbor as you love yourself“.
Faith
The word “faith” was regularly mentioned by Jesus Christ on several occasions in the Bible. He taught much about Faith. In addition, He regularly pointed out the importance of faith in pleasing God. In other words, we’ll say that you cannot please God without Faith. Faith is the full confidence or certainty that God will keep to His promises. Do not allow your surrounding or sight to lower your faith. It doesn’t matter the condition that you are living, if God says He will do, He will certainly do. We can also observe the importance of faith in the healing ministry of Jesus (Matthew 9:22). Faith is the link between you and your cure. Faith is what brings God to the scene to accomplish the impossible. That’s why Jesus says in Luke 17:6 that if you have faith, you can accomplish the impossible.
Sincerity
One of the main key teachings of Jesus Christ is sincerity before God and man. He condemns hypocrisy as we can read from the Holy Gospel of Matthew 6:1-8. If we say with our mouths that we are Christians, we must make sure that our daily wordings match with our intents. God is not happy with people who say things that are different from what is in their hearts. That’s why Christians must learn to speak what they have in mind. It is in this same light that Jesus condemns speaking and not doing. In other words, it’s not pleasing to God for us to speak things and then do the contrary. As Christians, our actions ought to testify our wordings just as it was the case with our master, Jesus Christ.
Forgiveness
Jesus Christ did not only teach forgiveness but He demonstrated forgiveness in His daily life routine. That’s why we must add forgiveness to the key teachings of Jesus Christ. There is no one who has ever demonstrated the degree of forgiveness that we observe in the life of Jesus Christ. Even after being false-fully accused, tortured, disgraced, and hanged on a tree like a thief, he demonstrates forgiveness. I don’t see anyone who would have done such. But this was not the case with Jesus Christ who is calling us to follow His footsteps in forgiving all those who wrong us. That’s why he included this in our daily prayer as we can read from Matthew 6:12 “Forgive us the wrongs we have done, as we forgive the wrongs that others have done to us”.
Jesus is one with God
Do not be misled by false religious and unsound doctrines. Jesus Christ is one with God. He is God. He is in God and God is in Him. As Christians, we cannot separate these two personalities which are one. However, such heavenly wisdom cannot be understood by men except the Holy Spirit opens their minds. These sayings are justified by John 14:8-11. For more information on the divine unity that exists between Jesus and God the Father, you can read John 1. All that God has belongs to Jesus who turns to be His one and only beloved Son. Jesus has been given the power to overcome the world and judge it by fire. Those who welcome Him are set free from punishment and given the right to be called Children of God.
Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament Scriptures
Jesus Christ is the Messiah whose coming was foretold by the Prophets. He is the promised Child whom God was to send in order to free mankind from sin. He is the second Adam through whom we are made clean from the sins of the first Adam. The Old Testament Scriptures are all focused on the coming of a savior. Unfortunately for many, this savior came but they were too blind to welcome Him. Up to date, many have rejected Him and are on their way to eternal punishment. However, those who have accepted Him are free and can now be called Children of the Most High God. You can get the writings of prophet Isaiah about the coming of Jesus Christ by reading Matthew 1:23.
I am alive
Get the words of Jesus today and be saved “I am alive”. These were His words to Thomas who did not believe enough. These words are also addressed to you and me. He came, taught us the truth about the kingdom of God, suffered for our sins, and was crucified to death. But even death could not hold our master in the grave. He conquered death and came back to life with many who were dead. Today, He is calling on everyone to reach out to Him and benefit from the free gift of eternal life. That’s why we cannot exclude these wordings from the Key teachings of Jesus Christ.
I will be with you forever
Jesus tells us in Matthew 28 that He will always be with us. In this same light, Apostle Paul speaks under the powerful influence of the Holy Spirit in Hebrews 13:8. He says that Jesus is the same today, yesterday, and for all times. Thus, you just need to ask Jesus to have mercy on you and come to live in your heart. If you ask, you can be certain that He resides in your heart with the heavenly Father. Given that Jesus does not change, He is still doing the things He used to do in the past like:
Healing the sick;
Raising the dead;
Giving life water to those who are thirsty;
Forgiving the sinners;
Showing the right path to God;
Comforting us; and
Assisting us in our Christian race.
This brings us to the end of our article on the Key teachings of Jesus Christ. Learning and putting these teachings into practice will contribute to reinforcing your spiritual growth. Whatever the case, always refer to your Bible in order to get the fullness of the truth taught by Jesus. This will keep you safe from unsound doctrines which are rapidly spreading like wildfire. Do all these in prayer as you request God’s assistance.
What did Jesus teach about hell? The chances that you’ve ever asked yourself this question are very high. Relax and feel comfortable. It’s normal for every Christian to seek to know what Jesus Christ said about hell. Thus, you are not making a mistake to step out with an intention of learning what our savior taught about hell. Luckily enough, you are at the right place. We hereby write to reveal and pour more light on what Jesus Christ said concerning hell. Just as every spiritual leader ought to do, we will support all our points with Biblical passages and verses. As Christians, the Bible is our chief guide in the Christian race. Whatever question or worry that we might have, the answer is found in the Bible. We simply need to ask God to guide us to finding these answers.
The question of hell is more of a contradictory one in the modern Church today. Many false teachers have formulated new teachings on hell in order to deceive and mislead the children of God. Although sad, we must say that they deceive only those who do not know the voice of their master. If you know the voice of your master, Jesus Christ, you’ll be able to detect and stay away from all strange voices. Today, we have spiritual leaders who reject the existence of hell. The Holy Bible says that we shall know these false teachers from their words and actions. And you can figure them only by mastering the voice of Jesus Christ as well as his actions. You do this by getting familiar with your Bible as you regularly study the Holy Gospels. In this way, you’ll know words and actions that reflect Jesus Christ.
What did Jesus teach about hell?
There are so many things that Jesus taught about hell which we shall unravel today. Before Jesus’s ascension to heaven, He had taught everything that His follows need to know about hell. Hence, we are not in accordance with those who claim that the Bible or Jesus’s teachings on hell are incomplete. The Bible fully and clearly answers the question of what did Jesus teach about hell. If you doubt, simply hold your Bible and go along with us to the end of this writing.
Did Jesus say there is hell?
We’ll start by answering the question regularly asked by newbies in Christianity which is “did Jesus say there is hell?”. Today, many people who do not clearly understand the Bible as well as false teachers of the gospel believe that the concept of hell is an outdated one. They believe that it is more of an ancient relic which has already served it purpose and can be forgotten. But before you get carried away by such evil doctrines, start by learning what Jesus Christ said about hell. And for sure if you are really interested in learning what Jesus Christ said about hell, you’ll realize that the concept of hell can’t be dismissed so easily.
The whole truth is that Jesus Christ spoke about hell in the Bible more than any other spiritual teacher. The two most common Greek words which are used to describe hell in the Bible are “gehenna” and “Hades”. Hades refers to the real of the death but Jesus Christ regularly used it to describe a horrible place of torment after death as we can read from Luke 16:23. Jesus Christ in Matthew 11:23 refers to Hades as a place of torment which is situated opposite the heavenly kingdom. On other other hand, gehenna refers to the hinnom valley which is situated south of Jerusalem. This place as described in Jeremiah 7:32 and 2 Kings 23:10 use to be a terrify and horrible place which was initially used for child sacrifices. This place was later used as a picture of hell during the time of Jesus Christ (Matthew 10:28).
The way Jesus Christ presented hell
Still on bringing elements of answers to what did Jesus teach about hell, let’s find out how He presented hell. When we read Matthew 10:28, He acknowledges the existence of hell and presents it as a place of destruction for both soul and body. He makes us to understand here that disobedience to God will lead to the destruction of our bodies in hell as punishment. Upon reading Jesus’s teachings on hell, we realize that he regularly combines the word gehenna (place of terrible suffering) with fire. This point is backed up by Matthew 5:22.
A place full of darkness, suffering, and all sorts of terrible pains was also used by Jesus to describe hell. We can read this from Matthew 8:12. Here, He says that those who refuse to access eternal life through repentance and faith will be thrown into darkness. in addition to being thrown in hell, they’ll have to weep all through as they grind their teeth in deep pains.
What did Jesus actually teach about hell?
If we decide to put down everything that Jesus actually taught about hell, you’ll soon get tired reading. But don’t worry, we have a better approach. It is that of summarily presenting everything he said about hell. In this light, we hope to clearly answer the question of what did Jesus teach about hell. Jesus Christ said hell is a place of eternal torment which is prepared for the devil and his fallen angels. In addition, human beings who join these spiritual beings in rebelling against God will also have a place prepared in hell. To get the veracity of what we are saying, you can read Matthew 25:41 and Matthew 11:20-24.
The punishment of hell is so intense that Jesus Christ advises that if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. He adds that it is better to enter life crippled than to enter hell with both hands. We can read this from Mark 9:43 were he further presents hell as a place of unquenchable fire awaiting all sinners who refuse to repent and do what’s right. Jesus Christ pours more light on the aspect of hell as we can read from Matthew 25:46. In this Bible verse, Jesus Christ says that on the last day, He will judge mankind to separate the sheep from the goat. The sheep are those who have accepted Jesus Christ and repented while the goat are those who have rejected Him. The sheep will be given eternal life while the goat will be thrown in the everlasting lake of fire.
Biblical evidence for hell
Have you ever asked yourself whether a loving Jesus will teach about hell or a place of suffering? If you’ve wondered about this question, then the answer is yes. It is true that He is loving and His love knows no limit. That’s why he welcomes even the most terrible sinners and forgives them whenever the repent ad believe His message. In the same line of thinking, we’ll recommend that you read our article on How to repent. Worth your attention here is that Jesus can’t save those who refuse salvation. That’s why hell exist.
Hell as presented by the gospel of Matthew
When Jesus was giving the sermon on the mount in Matthew 5, He did not only emphasize on love, charity, and the kingdom of God. He also talked about hell. When we read Matthew 5:20-30, we hear Jesus presenting hell as the opposite of hell. He warns that hell is real and completely made up of all kinds of sufferings which are aimed at tormenting sinners. Much emphasis is laid on the fire and justice of hell as punishment for those who reject his forgiveness and teachings. In addition, we hear Him warning us to do all that we can in order to avoid being cast in to hell by God.
In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus explains that hell is for anyone who does not enter the Kingdom of God. Those who know the truth but prefer to dwell in sin are not free from the fire of hell. This gospel writer also describes hell as a place of eternal suffering for those who rebel against the laws of God. In Matthew 18:8, Jesus describes hell as a place of eternal fire. Reading from Matthew 23:33, we hear Jesus warning the Scribes and Pharisees about hell which is a place for those who have rejected the revealed truth of God through Jesus.
Hell as presented by the Gospel of Mark
Even in the gospel of mark, we clearly get a presentation of hell as taught by Jesus Christ. When we read Mark 9:42-48 we hear Jesus presenting hell as a place of punishment for sin. He further presents it as a place that is worst that death and the Earthly suffering that we know. In addition, Mark’s Gospel presents hell as a result of God’s active judgement on sin.
Hell as presented by the Gospel of Luke
Reading from Luke 13:1-5, we hear Jesus referring to hell as the punishment that awaits those who refuse to repent. Further Biblical readings from Luke 16:19-31 reveals Jesus’s words on the justice that shall be brought by hell onto those who dwell in evil.
Hell as presented by Apostle Paul
Paul has written so much that it will be difficult for us to write down everything. However, we will briefly present his major teachings on hell through the letters he wrote to the christian churches. Apostle Paul refers to the horrific future punishment of the wicked in Hebrews 6:1-3 as the eternal judgement. He further adds in Hebrews 10:27-30 that this judgement will call down eternal fire that will continuously burn all God’s enemies for all times.
Hell as presented in John’s revelation
Apostle John teaches under the directives of Jesus that hell is a horrible place where God’s wrath and fury are deeply felt. We can read this from Revelation 14:10. He further explains that hell is the worst place where fire and sulfur rains on God’s enemies. In Revelations 20:15, we are told by John that everyone whose name is not in the book of life will be cast into the fire of hell. The Apostle also points out in Revelation 14:11 that hell which is the punishment reserved for the wicked will torment all sinners without ceasing. He further explain that this punishment will go on day and night alike without any stop.
Truths about hell
Let’s bring out more points on what did Jesus teach about hell. There are some truths which he revealed in the Bible which cannot be changed about the subject matter of hell. We’ll explore some of these truths for advanced spiritual growth and understanding of the gospel. Being equipped with these truths will make you less vulnerable to the many false doctrines which are circulating around about hell.
Hell is real
We can affirm without doubt that Jesus taught of the reality and existence of hell. It is indeed real and awaits all those who have refused to repent and welcome the teachings of Jesus Christ. It is the place of eternal punishment for those who join Satan and his angels to rebel against the authority of God. If you die without repenting and welcoming Jesus in faith, you’ll end up in hell.
Hell is a choice
The decision of going or not going to hell eventually depends on you. God offers eternal life in heaven and eternal punishment in hell. It’s left for you to choose where you which to pass your eternity or life after death. The decision of hell or heaven is made while you are still alive on Earth. Choosing heaven is accepting that you are sinner whose sins need to be washed by the blood of Jesus Christ. Making the decision of going to heaven has to do with learning and executing the teachings of Jesus Christ or putting them into practice. On the other hand, choosing hell has to do with rejecting Jesus, His teachings, and pardon.
This brings us to the end of our article on what did Jesus teach about hell. We are certain now that you know the voice of Jesus about the subject of hell. Hence, you won’t be misled or confused with false teachings. We encourage you to keep up with your Christian race and with the grace of God, we shall make it to His Kingdom.
The causes of divisions in Church are more than ever alarming. Division in the Church did not start today. It dates back to the times of the early Christians. But what makes the difference between division in the modern Church and that of the early Christians or immediate followers of Jesus Christ lays at the level of management. It is without doubt that the immediate followers of Jesus Christ were able to properly manage their disagreements and find points of agreements without necessary splitting the body of Christ as it is the case today.
The modern Church is full of contradictory doctrines that have led to lots of divisions, confusions, and errors in serving God. This is expressed in the number of denominations that we have around the world. Each of these Christian body turns to fight the other as they claim to be the true Church of Jesus Christ that teaches what God recommends. This has brought lots of confusions in the minds of the non Christians as they wonder who is truly teaching what God wants. And from the look of things, this division in the Church does not seem to be moving towards its end. Rather, we can forecast with the present evidence that this division in the Church will rapidly double in times to come if nothing is done.
Are causes of divisions coming from God?
It won’t sound serious if we continuously write without speaking forth God’s mind concerning the division in today’s church. The next question which you might be asking is that of how to know God’s mind about the division that is reigning in the body of Christ today. There are no two ways to do this apart from opening our Bibles. The Holy Bible is our complete guide in wining the Christian race. It contains the whole truth about the kingdom of God. And if anything should worry us about the nature or will of God, we should always turn tot our Bibles. Unlike spiritual leaders, the Bible cannot make a mistake as we can read from James 3:1-3. That’s why Apostle Paul calls on us to test every spirit and teaching with the foundation of the Gospel which was brought by Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:21). He said this because the Holy Spirit showed him in advanced that many false teachers will bring contradictory doctrines to boost division in the Holy Body of Christ.
Before we present the different causes of divisions in God’s house, let’s open our Bibles to John 17:20-21. This Bible verse clearly reveals that mind of God on the subject of division in the Church. It proves wrong those people who believe that God is OK with division and that everyone can just wake up and move to a denomination of their choice. In that Bible verse, we hear Jesus Christ giving one of His last prayers for all His followers on Earth before His crucifixion. He prays that may all His followers remain one in love and unity just as He is one with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. On no occasion has Jesus Christ ever separated himself from God the Father and the Holy Spirit. So where is our division nature coming from if not from Satan? No man or woman filled with the Holy Spirit can stand to promote division in God’s house. So let’s ask God to forgive us and guide us back to the unity of Christ.
Insight on the causes of divisions in the body of Christ
Just as there is one God, Jesus Christ made His teachings one and led to the creation of one Church through the sacrifice of His body on the cross. It is man through his evil nature of pride, jealousy, hatred, and unforgiving mind that brought division in the house of God through the supervision of Satan. Not very long from when Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, men started bringing contradictory doctrines that led to lots of divisions in the Holy Body of Christ. This division has not ceased since then. Rather, it is increasing as days go by.
This has made people to be interested in knowing the causes of divisions. It is only when we learn and master these causes that we can bring amelioration on the subject matter of division. Divisions in Church are real but do not represent God’s Holy will for us. By dwelling in division, error, and confusion, we are not reflecting God’s nature. Rather, we are displaying the characters of the devil whom we ought to be fighting according to Ephesians 6. When we read from 1 Corinthians 14:33, we are told that God himself is not the author of our confusion. We rather get confused due to our evil desires, ungodly nature, pride, and hatred for the truth.
Main causes of divisions in Christianity
In as much as smoke cannot appear without fire, church division cannot also arise without causes. And knowing these causes will help us in better taking precautions against further division since it is not God’s Will that we remain divided. We hereby write to present the major causes of division which have been affecting the Church of Christ since the beginning of Christianity. They are as follows:
Spiritual revelation
Spiritual revelation is eventually one of the chief causes of division in the Church. It has contributed in a great way to division than you can imagine. We must be very careful about the aspect of spiritual revelation. The Holy Bible containing the teachings of Jesus Christ is the main key to gaining knowledge about spiritual truth. All that we need to know about the kingdom of God in order to obtain everlasting life is written in the Bible. We are highly advised to access spiritual truth through the Bible rather than our personal opinions, revelations, and thoughts. By saying this, are we trying to suppress spiritual revelations from the Holy Spirit as condemned in 1 Thessalonians 5:19? I guess no, we are simply calling on everyone to test all revelations to make sure that they are in accordance with the word of God before accepting and implementing them as recommended in 1 John 4:1.
If you believe to have received a revelation from God through the Holy Spirit, make sure that it is in line with the Holy Teachings of Jesus Christ and His followers in the Bible. Many people have brought contradictory doctrines and teachings in the name of spiritual revelations which have boosted division in the Church. You must strive hard not to be used by the devil and his agents through spiritual revelations by remaining under the light of Christ as you regularly study His teachings, pray without ceasing, and put these teachings into action. Worth noting here is that Satan does not present himself as the horrible monster whom you’ve always taught to believe. He comes in white garments dressed like the master but ready to put an end to your Christian race if you give him a chance. That’s why you must learn the voice of the true shepherd, Jesus Christ by regularly studying the Bible.
Lack of Knowledge
Hosea 4:6 tells us that God’s children perish because they lack the necessary knowledge about spiritual truth. That’s why we cannot omit this point from the causes of divisions in the Church. People might be asking themselves what is spiritual truth? This question was best answered by Jesus Christ when He said that He is the Spiritual Truth that leads to everlasting life (John 14:6). Hence, the division which we have in Christianity today can only be attributed to our lack of understanding when it comes to the true teachings of Jesus Christ.
Reading the Bible several times and mastering verses within it does not mean that you’ve understood it the way Jesus Christ wants you to. That’s why we should always humbly call on Him to help us get the daily message that he is passing to us through the Bible as He resides and reigns from within our hearts. Many have read the Bible, misunderstood it, and misinterpreted it thereby leading their followers astray. That’s why you as a follower should not blindly follow everyone who claims to be a teacher of the gospel. Remember that salvation is personal and that you’ll have to answer before God all alone. Your pastor won’t come and pay for your sins, so its for your good that you research the scriptures on daily basis for insight on the things of God as recommended in Acts 17:11.
Quarreling
Quarreling is one of the childish causes of divisions in Christianity as pointed out by Apostle Paul in Romans 14:1. He advises the strong in faith not to quarrel with the weak in faith. In short, we can likely say that quarreling is a sign of immaturity in one’s Christian life. Those who are strong in faith will point out the truth but won’t stand to argue it out with those whose faiths are still weak and unable to perceive greater spiritual truths. Arguing or quarreling with them is not different from trying to feed a new born bay with solid food. It will only do them more harm than good.
As mature Christians, we ought to support and encourage those who are weak in the Christian faith rather than argueing over their personal opinions. In short, we ought to avoid arguements and quarrels in the house of God as they’ve done more harm than good. If there is a light misunderstanding, let everyone kep their calm and together find a meeting point or an agreement point in the love and unity of Jesus Christ. Quarrels and arguments have made some people to feel that their opinions and convictions are beeing suppressed or marginalized and as a result, they stepped out thereby creating divisions in the body of Christ.
Boasting or pride
No mature Christian will argue the fact that boasting or pride has done more harm in the body of Christ than we can imagine. It is definitely one of the causes of divisions that has led to the many religious denominations which we have today. Pride comes in when a person no longer sees himself/herself as a mere servant who was bought from the slavery of sin by Jesus Christ. It has to do with thinking high of yourself than others. Pride makes you see yourself more important and superior to others. God hates such a character. Whatever you become in life, remain humble and submissive if you desire to live under the light of God and make it to eternal life.
It was in this same sinful line of thiinking that some religious leaders looked at themsaleves more important than others thereby boosting division in the house of God. We are still experiencing this phenomenom up till date. As spiritual leaders, we should not envy each other because among us are people who sow while others are in charge of watering. We are not very much different talkless of one being more important than the other. He who is superior here is the one who makes the plant to grow as Apostle Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 3:1-23.
Difference in spiritual gifts
Spiritual gifts are sent by God to assist Christians in their spiritual duties in building and maintaining the Body of Christ. It is observed that these gifts in the hands of many are rather causing division. In other words, they are not using these gifts as planned by God. Apostle Peter once said that the spirit of a prophet is subjeted to the prophet. This is a way of telling us that God blessess us with gifts and it’s left for us to rightly use them. And we can be sure that we’ll all give an account of how we used these gifts in carring out our Christian duties on the day of Judgement.
If God has blessed you with the Apostolic gift, it is not for you to underlook on he who has been blesses with the Prophetic gift. For those who have been blessed with the prophetic gift, it is not for them to feel more important than those who are called to evangilize the gospel of Jesus Christ. If you’ve been called as an Evangelist, it is not for you to underlook at the Pastor who is in charge of Jesus’s flock. Those who have been called as Pastors should not underlook at teachers of the gospel of Jesus Christ. All these callings in God’s service as we can read from Ephesians 4:11 are meant to move together for the wellbeing of the Church. In thesame light we’ll recoomend that you read our article on How to know God’s call in your life.
Biblical support
It is in this same line of Holy thinking that Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 12:28-30 that “In the church, God has put all in place: in the firt place Apostles, in the second place Prophets, and in the third place teachers; then those who perform miracles, then followed by those who are given the power to heal or to help others or to direct them or to speak in strange tongues. They are not all Apostles, or Prophets, or Teachers. Not everyone has the power to work miracles or to heal diseases or to speak in strange tongues or to explain what is said“. Unfortunately today, most of these spiritual authorities are rather fighting each other and creating division rather than working together as God had planned.
This brings us to the end of our article on the causes of divisions in the Church. For more information on this subject matter, we’ll advice you to read our article on the Reasons for division in Christianity.
There are many reasons for division in Christianity which we shall be unfolding in our writing. We must start by saying that the rate of division, confusion, disagreement, and misunderstanding in today’s Church is more than alarming. However, we are not saying here that the early Churches were free from these issues. When we read Apostle Paul’s 1st letter to the Corinthians, we hear him calling Christians to cease all forms of division in the holy body of Christ. He further explains that as Christians, we are all one in the body of Christ within which there is no division but unity.
Hence, we can say without doubt that no man or woman in possession of the Holy Spirit can encourage division in the house of God. Division is not God’s Holy will for us. My spirit weeps upon seeing the division in Church today. And for sure God is not happy about this. Instead of us loving one another and encouraging each other in the Christian race, we are rather doing the contrary. Among Jesus’s last words, we can find that which He said “I leave you with my peace”. We are to remain in this peace and join hands to overcome the evil powers of this world. Our Christian fight is not against flesh and blood, rather it is against the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly world (Ephesians 6).
Unfortunately these days, we rather allow these wicked forces in a state of freedom while we focus on fighting internal fights with our Christian brothers. By creating room for division and hatred, we are opening doors for the devil to come in and defeat us. That’s why Jesus Christ said that a kingdom that divides itself into small groups that fight each other won’t last (Matthew 12:25).
Major reasons for division in Christianity
Jesus Christ took the human nature an lived among men on Earth. During this time, He regularly prayed that all His followers might cultivate a special unity which will act as a testimony of His Good News. Unfortunately, this is not what we are practicing today. Rather, the so called Christians are fighting each other. As if this was not enough we see spiritual leaders fighting each other as well. It’s not strange these days to find a pastor criticizing, judging, or condemning his fellow pastor. The world perceives Christians as people who are fun of exhibiting divisions and squabbles. Christians claim to have one master, savior, and teacher which is Jesus Christ yet they have thousands of different groups, denominations, and churches. Such behaviors get the non Christians highly confused about the subject of Jesus Christ. By so doing, we are rather repelling them from Jesus Christ rather than drawing them to Him.
Before we present the major reasons for division in Christianity, let’s first get a rundown of the main branches in Christianity. Modern Christianity is made up of three main branches which are Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, and Protestantism. The Eastern Orthodox denomination is popularly practiced in the Eastern European countries as well as Russia. On the other hand, the Protestant and Roman Catholic denominations are highly spread around the four corners of the world. The structure, belief, and teachings of the Roman Catholic Church are the same everywhere on Earth. However, this is not the case with the protestant denomination. By Protestant Churches here, we are referring to the Lutherans, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Methodists, Pentecostals, Baptists and several other groups. We must add here that there are some Churches that class themselves under the Protestant branch but do not actually fall under a specific denomination. Let’s now give the reasons for division in Christianity.
Pride
Being a Christian does not mean that you are free from pride. Rather we as Christians are called upon by Christ to overcome this Spiritual killer called pride. Most divisions in Church today did arise due to the pride within spiritual leaders who felt more important than others. Hence, we could not omit pride from the different reasons for division in Christianity .As a teacher of the gospel, if you are not careful, you’ll turn to develop a feeling of being more important than those who do not have a deep understanding of the teachings of Jesus Christ. If you do not address this issue at an early state, it will lead you to being proud there by offending God and grieving the Holy Spirit.
Such a character was not sensed in the lifetime of Jesus Christ and His early Apostles. Although, they had some little misunderstandings and arguments on certain Christian matters, non of them brought the need for division talk less of promoting division. Rather, they jointly lifted their hands in unity to God to assist them through the Holy Spirit to teach and do only what was right. And we can read from the Acts of the Apostles the great things that God was doing in their lives.
As Christians, we are not supposed to look high on ourselves while putting others t inferior positions. Rather, we should lower ourselves and execute the mission which was given to us by Jesus Christ to be our brother’s keeper. Jesus Christ our leader was on Earth as a servant and not a master. That’s why we perceive Him washing the feet of His Apostles. This is a great example of humility for us. Whatever the case, anyone who lowers himself before God and men will be lifted while those who lift themselves will be brought to ground level (Philippians 2:5-11).
Misunderstanding
One of the reasons for division in Christianity is misunderstanding. People are more likely to receive and interpret the same piece of message in different ways. While some people will be getting it rightly, others will be getting it the other way round. This is the case with the teachings of Jesus Christ. Many have misinterpreted the gospel and have created lots of misunderstandings in the Christian Church. When these issues are not properly addressed, they’ll end up creating division and new denominations.
In the same light, many people have been guided by the Holy Spirit to pick out certain truths in the Bible which are vital for the building of the Christian Church. Unfortunately, not all leaders accept these enlightenment. Many reject them without first testing as recommended in the Bible (1 Thessalonians 5:21). When rejected, it becomes a source of issue which can generate a possible division at any moment. The Holy Ghost is the Spirit that reveals the complete truth about God (John 14:17). That’s why we’ll recommend that you read our article on How to receive the Holy Spirit which will guide you to all truth about God through the Good news Bible.
Difference in personality, talents, and passions
The difference in personality, talents, and passions also fall among the reasons for division in Christianity. While some people are more inclined towards worshiping God through their minds, others prefer to do so artistically or creatively. Unfortunately, these little differences have also contributed to division in the Church. I guess this is because our faith is still too little else we won’t allow Christ to focus in little details like this.
Apostle Paul in one of his letters to the Christian Church said that there are so many ways of worshiping which all bring glory to the one and only God. If God has blessed a person with great singing skills, why do you want to stop him/her from exercising this talent for the glory of God. The weak in faith also exist in the house of God, but are we suppose to argue with them about their personal believes? Apostle Paul asked us not to do so because solid food is meant for the adults while milk is meant for Children. We should rather encourage our brothers and sisters in the faith and pray for them than argue with them.
Tradition
Tradition has greatly played a major role in Church division. That’s why we hereby include it among the reasons for division in Christianity. While some people do things in Church just because their ancestors did it that way, others prefer to step out and explore new methods of worshiping and praising God. Up till date, we still have Churches who follow the procedures or worship which were installed in the early Church. And it has been noticed that those who are not always OK with this way of doing things are more likely to move a way and start a new denomination.
Tradition is good because it helps us to remain on the tracks and foot steps of the early Christians which were close to Jesus Christ. It also saves us from adopting wrong or unpleasant methods of pleasing God. However, other people believe in innovation. They want to experiment and adopt new strategies of worship as the pray and call on the Holy Spirit to help them.
Division according to people
We’ve got a number of individuals who have led to division in the Christian body due to their person points of views. However, some claim to have been directed by the Holy Spirit. Whatever the case, it is not our duty to pass judgement on them. Let’s rather focus on praying that God’s will be done on Earth.
There are lots of examples that will clearly explain this point. Mr John Wesley started a Christian group and movement which is known today as the Methodist Church. This Church is spread across several countries in the world. We also know of the Lutheran denomination which was formed after the death of Martin Luther.
Lack of Knowledge
Upon reading Hosea 4:6, we hear God saying that his people perish because they lack knowledge about the things of His kingdom. In addition, Matthew 22:29 tells us that the Sadducees were in error because they did not know the scriptures. And it is without doubt that the lack of knowledge leads to misunderstandings and divisions among God’s people. Church division and other religious errors often result from the lack of diligently studying the Bible under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Acts 17:11 advises us to search the scriptures on daily basis in order to remain in the light of the truth that comes from Jesus Christ.
Studying and being able to quote hundreds of Bible verses does not mean that you have understood what it says and how to handle the Bible (Matthew 4:5-7). Not everyone understands or handles the Bible the way it should be handled. Many modern Christians justify their actions and deeds from the old testament without realizing that Jesus Christ has already accomplished the Old Testament as we can read from Galatians 3:24-25, Hebrews 10:9, and Romans 7:2-6. In addition, some people pick out special verses in the Bible and twist them to meet their evil intentions. They pick a verse concerning a subject matter and omit other verses that are on that same subject in the same chapter there by creating contradictions everywhere. That’s why we could not omit this point from our list on the reasons for division in Christianity.
Jealousy
Jealousy is a chief cause of division in Christianity. We ought to fight this faith killer by name jealousy. The Holy Spirit shares gifts separately as He wills. So let’s not envy anyone’s spiritual gift. If you haven’t been anointed for a purpose do not condemn he/she who has been anointed for that purpose.When we read from 1 Corinthians 12: 28-30 we hear Apostle Paul saying that “In the Church, God has put all in place: in the first place Apostles, in the second place Prophets, and in the third place teachers; then those who perform miracles, then followed by those who are given the power to heal or to help others or to direct them or to speak in strange tongues. They are not all Apostles or Prophets or teachers. Not everyone has the power to work miracles or to heal diseases or to speak in strange tongues or to explain what is said“.
Human religious guides
When we read from Mark 7:8, we hear Jesus Christ reproaching the Pharisees for having substitute the teachings of God with those of men. Till date, we still experience this issue in the modern Church. Division in the Church regularly results from the fact that people have abandoned God’s teachings to teach those invented by men which are not Bionically founded. Many Christians blind-fully accept all kinds of teachings just because they come from a so-called spiritual leader. This is a big mistake in the Church today which must b corrected. That’s why Apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 5:21 that we must test all spirits and teachings with those from Jesus Christ who is our main teacher.
As we can read from Matthew 7:15, a preacher is worth being called God’s servant only when he/she preaches the truth which was revealed by Jesus Christ. Acts 17:11 encourages us to checkout all teachings from the Bible before adopting them because there are many false teachings who are quickly spreading false doctrines like wild bush fire. We ought to strive for the truth and the approval of God and not that of men or our family members. Hence, you should not dwell in error just because your loved ones are dwelling in it. When we read Matthew 10:34-37, we are made to know that as Christians, we should always follow Jesus Christ even if it means forgoing our loved ones.
This narrows us down to the end of our article on the reasons for division in Christianity today. God’s Holy Will for us is that we should fight and reject division in the body of Christ. We should rather prioritize unity and love while encouraging each other in winning the Christian race. As human beings, we are bound to have little misunderstandings, but let’s find midpoints of agreement in order to preserve the love and unity of Christ. If we continuously keep on dividing ourselves in the body of Christ, we won’t be able to stand firm when the enemy shall strike. For more information on this subject matter, we’ll recommend that you read our article on the Causes of divisions.
Learn everything that you need to know about the prophetic today. Get to know how you can activate, grow, and operate in this powerful spiritual gift from God. There are many gifts from the Holy Spirit but that to prophesy or speak forth the mind of God for encouragement, exhortation, and comfort is an outstanding one (1 Corinthians 14:3). Perhaps you were not aware but the New Testament Prophetic gift is not only about revealing future events or displaying past events with a greater understanding. It also has to do with boldly witnessing the teachings of Jesus Christ with power. In order words, it has to do with teaching the gospel with the evident miraculous and wonder working power of the Holy Spirit.
Apostle Paul encourages us in 1 Corinthians 14:1 that we should strive for love and set our hearts on obtaining spiritual gifts especially the Gift of Prophecy or speaking God’s message. This is because this gift greatly benefits the whole of Christ’s Holy Church. If we should earnestly seek to speak God’s message with all our hearts, He will eventually fill our mouths with what to say whenever need arises. You can be certain that God is still saying something. He wants to fill you with encouraging words for our fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord. The lord wants to use you and manifest His presence in the midst of His people.
Prophetic today in the modern Church
It is certain that the prophetic today is not a gift which is welcomed by all Churches talk less of individuals. Many reject it because of its complex nature to understand and operate within. While others suppress it because of the past errors or mistakes that they had encountered in trying to operate in it. Many as well have misused it and led to undesired consequences. On the other hand, many are claiming to be prophetic whereas they are not. Many obtain Satanic powers and appear to be Holy fro the outside in order to derail the faiths of many with their abilities to tell the future as well as past events.
In short, there are many false prophets out there just as Jesus Christ had foretold thereby calling on us to be careful. Due to this, many Churches have completely rejected this office in the body of Christ. But is this the right thing to do? Jesus Christ had warned us to be careful and not to reject or suppress any of the gifts from the Holy Spirit. These gifts are meant to fortify and strengthen us for the Christian service of working in God’s vine yard. However, the prophetic today is taking a different dimension of growth, fire, and might in the lives those who have welcomed and not suppressed it.
Prophets today
Prophets today are there in our midst proclaiming God’ message on daily basis. It won’t make sense for us to get deep into the prophetic without first making it clear that there are Prophets today in our midst. Many have been misled to believe that there are no more prophets these days. If you are doubting, check your Bible and you’ll find out about the New Testament prophetic lineage which started with early prophets like Agabus, Judas, and Silas who came after the death of Jesus Christ and John the Baptist.
We can read about them from Acts 11:27-28 – “About that time some prophets went from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus, stood up and by the Power of the Holy Spirit predicated that a severe famine was about to come over all the Earth. (It came when Claudius was Emperor)” Acts 21:10 – “We had been there for several days when a prophet named Agabus arrived from Judea” And Acts 15:32 – “Judas and Silas who were themselves prophets, spoke a long time with them, giving them courage and strength” This clearly make us to know that John the Baptist was not the last prophet.
Different types of prophetic operations and callings
We cannot understand the prophetic today without first learning the different types prophetic operations and callings. The Bible tells us that there are different gifts and callings (1 Corinthians 12:4-11). Each of these is freely given by the Holy Spirit for the good of the Church and society in general. In addition, these gifts are also given to better prepare us for our christian duty as we work in the Lord’s vine yard.
We’ll backup our subsequent points and views with the following Biblical passages and verses. 1 Corinthians 12:28-30 – “In the Church, God has put all in place: in the first place Apostles, in the second place Prophets, and in the third place Teachers; then those who perform Miracles, followed by those who are given the Power to Heal or Speak in Strange Tongues. They are not all Apostles or Prophets or Teachers. Not everyone has the power to work miracles.” Eph 4:11-13 – “It was he who “gave gifts”; He appointed some to be Apostles, others to b Prophets, others to be Evangelists, others to be Pastors and Teachers. He did this to prepare all God’s people for the work of Christian service.” 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 – “Do not restrain the Holy Spirit; do not despise inspired messages. Put all things to the test: keep what is good and avoid every kind of evil.”
Generalities on prophetic operations and callings
The Gift of prophecy includes different types of prophetic callings. It is worth noting here that not everyone who prophesies is called to operate in the ministerial office of the prophet. A prophet is one who comes with a prenatal calling from God. It’s a grace from God which does not depend on the actions or efforts of the person being called or chosen. That’s why you cannot work your way to the prophetic ministry. It’s not something that you earn due to human effort. Such a calling is generally recognized by the elders in the Church.
It is worth noting here that the calling to operate in the prophetic office is not something automatic. That’s why the individual will have to learn how to go about and efficiently grow in this gift. We must also add here that the gift on its own is not all that is needed to operate in the prophetic office. And that’s why a person can be called yet he/she is unable to fully operate or walk in this governmental office in the body of Christ due to issues of poor character, unfaithfulness although they might be able to prophesy accurately.
Spirit of prophecy
The spirit of prophecy has greatly influenced the prophetic today. You might be asking yourself what’s the spirit of prophecy? It has to do with the release of a temporal prophetic unction in a particular area or gathering of people who are worshiping or praising God for His Holiness, Goodness, and Might. This was what happened with Saul’s soldiers who met with the company of prophets praising God in the desert. The atmosphere was filled with the prophetic unction that not just the prophets prophesied but even the soldiers were moved by the spirit of God to speak forth His mind.
Here, even people who have never prophesied can prophesy. But in most cases, this is usually temporal. Excerpt that the individual later grows his/her spiritual level through God’s teachings. In most cases, mature Christians can easily be overtaken by the spirit of prophecy. By overtaking here, we do not mean that the person won’t be able to control him/herself. For Apostle Peter said that the spirit of the prophet is subject to the prophet. We rather mean that the individual will have an urge to speak out words of encouragements, exhortation, and comfort just as mentioned by Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:3. This also applies for someone who is working in the prophetic ministry. At some point in time, they’ll be more yielding to hearing the Holy Spirit because of the prophetic atmosphere in which they work.
The Gift of Prophecy
In most cases, the Gift of Prophecy develops in the person who took the spirit of prophesy serious. In order words, he/she prayed and requested for it from God. And they remained under the light of God’s righteousness through Jesus Christ as they grew the more in their spiritual lives. The Gift of prophecy is seen to manifest more in the lives of those who regularly practice and grow in the spirit of prophecy.
Whatever the case, we must add here that your character takes your gift to a higher level.That’s why you’ll have to remain humble before God and men. Respect your spiritual leaders who are helping you on how to grow in this spiritual gift. Pay attention to their corrections and learn to welcome their points of views too. Always remember that the words of the New Testament Prophets must be tested just as recommended by Apostle Paul. That’s why it’s advisable to bring forth the inspired messages before your church elders for analysis.
Ministerial office of the Prophet
The ministerial office of the prophet is a unique and special gift which comes before you are even born into this world. It is an unmerited favor from God on your life. God chooses people and blesses them with this gift so that they can fully witness the gospel of Jesus Christ with the power of the Holy Spirit. Such people are the gifts to other men. It generally requires an anointing to operate in this gift. Being the last prophetic level, it takes many years of preparation and equipment before God can fully release you into this ministry.
When God calls you, He will definitely prepare ou for all the obstacles and challenges that lay ahead of you before your release else it’ll be a dangerous mission for you. That’s why you should not find it strange that you’ve been waiting for over years but nothing is happening. God’s time is generally the best and He knows why He hasn’t released you yet. Those around you generally confirm this call in your life from the manifestations of God through you.
Those in this level are called to serve and lay their lives for Jesus Christ and the Gospel. Prophets generally work together with the other ministers in the Body of Christ for better achievements. Prophets are called to serve within and out of the Church. They can run ministries which are usually accompanied by the mighty power of God through Deliverance, Healing, and many wonders.
Developing and operating in the prophetic today
The chief key into the prophetic is love. Nothing defines God best as love. God is love. And loving God means loving his people. It means having God’s heart for the people. A bitter and offended heart cannot operate in the prophetic today. God will definitely reveal things which have never been heard nor seen to those who have dedicated their lives in loving him.
You’ll obviously gain much in the prophetic by spending time with those who are more than you in this spiritual gift. In other words, we’ll say that the environment in which you regularly spend time has a lot to play in your spiritual growth. It is without doubt that a medical school is more likely to produce a medical doctor same as a university is more likely to produce a university graduate. Environments play a lot in who and what you become. Hence, always choose wise.
You’ll certainly grow in the prophetic if you remain faithful to God and
regularly get soaked with His written word in the Bible. The Bible says
that the truth revealed by Jesus Christ is the Spirit of Prophecy
(Revelation 19:10). So if you are serious about growing in the prophetic
you must get drunk with this revealed truth and for sure, it will start
flowing from you at will under the directives of the Holy Spirit. Just
as we previously mentioned, you must be patient enough to wait on God’s
time because it is definitely the best. Do not be discouraged, rather
find it as a reason to pray the more and fast the more. Be ready to
carry your cross at any moment and follow Jesus Christ wherever he leads
you to.
Are prophets today real or false? This is one of the main questions being asked by Christians everyday. However, the complex nature of this question makes it suppressed by many Church leaders. This very question has brought lots of controversial teachings and beliefs in the modern Church. While some spiritual leaders believe that the gift of prophecy which leads to the office of the New Testament is available in some chosen people, others completely reject the idea. Some people do not even want to mention it in the Church while others prefer to take a neutral point. Perhaps it is because of the misunderstandings and mistakes which have been made in the modern day’s Church in the name of prophecies or simply because some people judge it right to reject the Biblical prophetic office and teach their own laws.
Whatever the case, is it sufficient for us to just sit back home on our comfort chairs and reject the Gift of prophecy because of our personal convictions. We must not abandon the teachings of God to teach those of men. It’s not about us but about God. So are Prophets today real or false? To bring elements of answers to this question, we cannot do so without referring to the Bible which is our chief tool in winning the Christian race. Should you just believe a friend, spiritual leader, or family member who says that Prophets today are no more? Believing without testing and finding out the veracity of this statement from the Bible is actually putting your salvation at risk as we can read from 1 John 4: 1-6. So let’s find out what the Bible says about this matter.
Do Prophets still exist?
We can not talk of the authenticity of prophets today if you do not even know if Prophets still exist or not. You certainly have some answer clues to this question somewhere deep in your heart. Might be you’ve left your thoughts to be influenced by friends, family members, and even spiritual leaders who say that prophets today are no more. Hence, pushing you to believe that every New Testament Prophet or the Prophets of our days are all false. But before you believed their words, did you even bother to find out what the Bible says about this very matter. Believing Spiritual teachings without verifying their veracity from the Bible is actually putting your salvation at risk. You’ve got to find out what the Bible says and also pray that God may lead you through His Spirit into All Truths just as Jesus Christ promised in John 14:17.
The Bible says that Prophets are there in our midst speaking the message of God, yet we are too stubborn to listen. Led us read from 1 Corinthians 12:28 – “In the Church, God has put all in place: in the first place Apostles, in the second place Prophets, and in the third place Teachers; then those who perform miracles, followed by those who are given the power to heal or to help others or to direct them or to speak in strange tongues.” This is a clear setting of the Church which was founded by the Apostles as narrated and written by Apostle Paul. Who then are we to upset God’s house? Could it be that we are much better than the immediate Apostles of Jesus Christ who bought about this revelation from God. If we are not then why the question “are prophets today real or false?”
The Spirit of prophecy is for all times
Why do we abandon God’s true teaches to teach those of men? God is the one who puts His servants in place and not us. He chooses who becomes an Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist and Pastor. Else you’ll be telling me that the Church setting above does not apply for today’s Christians. And that’s not the Case. The Bible is very clear on these things. We should stop relying on others to study the Bible on our behalves. Salvation is personal. Your spiritual leader will not answer your sins on the last day. He’ll answer for his while you answer for yours. If you are ignorant of God’s teachings, be ready to perish or you step out and seek to know what God wants. However, knowing what God wants is not sufficient, you’ll have to practice it as well.
Thus, are prophets today real or false? We’ll pour more light on this by saying that the Spirit of Prophecy is for all times. So what do we mean when we say that the Spirit of prophecy will last for all times? Let’s open our Bibles to Revelation 19:10 where we are told that the Testimony of Jesus Christ is the spirit of testimony. In order words, the revealed truth of Jesus Christ is what inspires the New Testament prophets as it keeps them busy in God’s vine yard till the next coming of Jesus Christ. So what can we say about that verse? That we’ll always have the spirit of prophecy with us till the next coming of Jesus Christ. Hence, saying that there are no more prophets these days is same as saying that the testimony of Jesus Christ is no more in our days. That’s why in our discussion of prophets today real or false, we’ll say that the spirit of prophecy is still in our midst.
What makes us believe that prophets still exist
Whatever we are saying or doing, we should always get our roots from the Bible. So let’s find out why New Testament Prophets still exist. This will bring light in the hearts of those who believe that John the Baptist was the last prophet. Is the Bible in agreement with this belief? I don’t think so because the Bible gives us a list of New Testament Prophets and their spiritual accomplishments in the Body of Christ for the glory of God the Father.
Let’s open our Bibles to Acts 11:27-28 – “About that time some prophets went from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus, stood up and by the power of the Holy Spirit predicted that a severe famine was about to come over all the earth. (It came when Claudius was emperor.)”, Acts 21:10 – “We had been there for several days when a prophet named Agabus arrived from Judea” and Act 15:32 – “Judas and Silas who were themselves prophets, spoke a long time with them, giving them courage and strength.”
The above verses in the Bible are clearly revealing New Testament Prophets who came many years after the death of Jesus Christ and John the Baptist. Hence, John the Baptist was not the last prophet. Others might argue that the gift of prophecy was enabled just for the foundation of the church by the immediate Apostles of Jesus Christ. A view point which turns to be very wrong and error inducing. When we read from Ephesians 4:11, we are told that when Jesus Christ rose up from death, he shared gifts to the rest of mankind including you and me. These gifts among which is that of prophecy are given by the Holy Spirit. Thus, denying this gift is denying the presence of the Holy Ghost in or midst just as Jesus Christ had Promised to send. That’s why we could not omit this point in answering the question “are prophets today real or false?”
Are prophets today real or false
We’ve already proven the existence of prophets in the modern Church. In other words, we still have New Testament Prophets in our midst. Now that we know that prophets still exist these days, let’s focus on bringing elements of answers to the question “are prophets today real or fake?” We cannot easily say that they are all real neither are they all fake. Before the departure of Jesus Christ and all his immediate Apostles, they did not say that all prophets who will later come should be considered fake. Rather, they called on us to be careful because many false prophets will arise in the name of God to turn us from the real faith (Matthew 24:24).
False prophets can only come because true prophets are in existence. They appear to fight the good deeds of the true prophets in preparing the people of Christ for the last day. That’s why Apostle Paul called on the anointed to careful look after the flock which the Holy Spirit has made them overseers. (Acts 20:28-30). This clearly tells us that every called and anointed servant of God is given a number of people to cater and lead towards God. This is the case of today’s Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and teachers of the Gospel.
How to Know a false prophet?
Figuring out a false prophet is not that easy. Yet we are advised by Jesus Christ not to be quick in calling people false prophets or attributing their actions to Satan. It could be that they come from God and are using the power of the Holy Spirit to carry out miracles and wonders as signs that accompanying true believers in preaching the gospel (Mark 16:15-17). And if we hurriedly speak against them, we’ll be speaking against the Holy Spirit and as well being guilty of blasphemy. Our master, Jesus Christ says in Mark 3:28-30 that anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. This also applies to those who attribute the works of the Holy Spirit to Satan.
That’s why we are advises by several authors of the written Biblical books to be slow in speaking. You can’t just wake up and see some one doing miracles and you start saying that he/she is false. By saying these things, you are putting your salvation at risk. What if they are not false, you’ll be guilty of speaking against the Holy Spirit. It will only show you how ignorant you are about the God you think you are serving. In short, it will be that you do not even know the God that you are serving. That’s why the first step in knowing whether a prophet is false or real is to start by deeply studying and understanding the Bible. You’ll also need to call on the Holy Spirit to be your guide in this process. The Holy Spirit can better answer your question of “are prophets today real or false?”
Biblical passage on how to know a false prophet
If you are among those who have been asking the question “are prophets today real or false?” We’ll invite you to open your Bible to 1 John 4:1-6 “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world“. The Bible does not tell us that Prophets today are no more rather it calls on us to test the wordings, actions, and teachings of everyone who claims to be Prophet. So how do we test? The true test here is one which is based on Biblical Knowledge and the help of the Holy Spirit.
That’s why we started bringing answers to the question “are prophets today real or false” by inviting you to carefully study your Bible while depending on the Holy Spirit to help you understand as God intended it to be understood. Once you are equipped with the teaching of Jesus Christ, you’ll definitely be verse with His voice just as the scriptures say that “my sheep no my voice”. This is the only way to identify the voice of Jesus Christ through a prophet today. Hearing His voice through a prophet makes him real. If you can’t hear the voice of Jesus Christ or see his actions in a prophet, then he is fake. Whatever the case, always avoid blackmailing and persecuting men of God base on what you heard someone say. This will prevent you from error because the Bible did not ask you to rely on friends and spiritual leaders to test on your behalf.
Ways to detect a modern false prophet
We are still in the same line of bringing light on the question regularly asked “are prophets today real or false?” Let’s show you a few number of ways through which you can easily detect a false prophet and their teachings. Detecting them in time will save you from the risk of going to hell.
False prophets focus on preaching the gospel of prosperity
I’m not against prosperity because God asked man to leave the garden where he had everything for a life of hard work. And it is certain that if you work hard, you’ll definitely become rich and wealthy. The problem here arises when you begin to see yourself as a “small god”. In other words, it is wrong or sinful to offer a higher place in your heart for wealth and property than that offered to God. If you work God will definitely bless you. But you must always keep your blessings below Him and at His feet. Today, lots of false prophets have abandoned the teachings of salvation which were left by Jesus Christ to teach theirs.
They’ve made many people to believe that being a Christian implies that you won’t encounter any suffering or hardship in life. But is this true? No, for Jesus Christ said “a servant can not be greater than his master”. Himself suffered and was rejected in this world. we ought to carry our crosses and follow his foot steps without complaining. In everything or situation, let’s always give thanks to God. Work hard to make it in life but always put God first in everything that you do.
False prophets do not point out sin in the Church
We must say here that the primary role of a true prophet is to call the people back to the Christian faith. A true prophet won’t cover the sins of the people in order to win a crowd of Church members. He or she will prefer to speak the truth and better remain with the few that are willing to follow God. Hence, you should be very careful with prophets who are not out to help men and women to abandon their evil ways and follow God. This is one of the best ways to get answers to the question on prophets today real or false.
False prophets bring teachings different from those of Jesus Christ
Real prophets from God work towards propagating the gospel of Jesus Christ to the four corners of the world in order to bring salvation. The false prophets are more into bringing strange teachings and twisting those of Jesus Christ to suit their evil nature. They are more into causing confusion and leading people astray with unsound doctrines. That’s why you must know the voice of Jesus Christ as a christian by reading your Bible at all times.
This brings us to the end of our writing on answering the question “are prophets today real or false?” You can learn more by reading our article on Prophets today.
Have you been wondering what have become of prophets today? Are you wondering if prophets still exist? Do not panic about this matter. We’ll guide you through our writings to better understand what the Bible says about today’s prophets. This is one of the most complex subject matters in the modern Church. In short, a lot of Churches always avoid bringing it on table for discussion. Perhaps this is because it is one of the most complex office in the body of Christ. It is without doubt that many people have abused this powerful office. But is it sufficient for us to eliminate it as most churches have done? I don’t think so because it is there for a powerful purpose when it comes to building the managing the Body of Christ.
Are Prophets today real or false? You can be certain to always have spiritual leaders, friends, and family members who will tell you that prophets today are no more. And that everyone speaking as a prophet is false. This reminds me of Jesus’s words when he said “they are neither going to heaven nor allowing others to go there”. This is to say that you’ll always have people who are not living the truth because they do not know it neither do they want to know it. And for sure, they’ll strive to convince you to follow them. They’ve told you that modern day prophets do not exist. So what next? Are you going to blind-fully follow them or open your Bible to seek God’s opinion about this matter.
Prophets today in the modern Church
Many Christians in the modern Church have been misled by their spiritual leaders concerning the prophetic office. Might be they’ve successfully convinced you that prophets these todays are no more. In order words, they’ve pushed you into believing that everyone who claims to be a modern day prophet is fake. Whatever the case, we are not trying to argue with them. For everyone is able to achieve in the body of Christ only what he/she has first believed in their heart (2 Corinthians 4:13). You might be asking yourself what we mean by this saying? We are simply saying here that Jesus Christ is who you take him to be in your life.
That is, if you believe that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, He’ll obviously do in your life all the things promised in the Bible (Hebrews 13:8). If you take Him for a healer, He will heal you. If you take Him for a savoir, He will save you. Those who take Him for one who had stopped performing wonders and miracles, He won’t perform any in their lives. So what’s the message we are trying to pass here? It’s very clear and simple; faith. Without faith we cannot please God. And you can only receive from God according to your proportion of faith or ability to believe in Him. Many spiritual leaders say that there are no prophets these today because they do not believe in the mighty working power of God.
Was John the Baptist the last prophet?
In my Christian journey, I’ve heard many spiritual leaders say that John the Baptist was the last prophet. They use this saying to convince their followers that prophets today are all fake. As followers of Jesus Christ, the Bible is our chief tool in winning the Christian race. There is no spiritual leader on Earth, Heaven, or below the Earth who will say the contrary. The teachings of Jesus Christ which represent everlasting life are found in the Bible. That’s why we should fully depend on our Bibles and the inspirations of the Holy Spirit rather than inclining towards men who call themselves spiritual leaders.
Are we trying to say here that you are not to respect your spiritual leaders? No, this is not our message. Spiritual leaders have always had their place in the midst of God’s children since creation. That’s why we must respect them just as they are called upon to respect all the teachings of Jesus Christ. But the moment they live the Holy Gospel to teach their own doctrines or those of men, I don’t think they are still considered our guides. Jesus Christ is the one and only True teacher. Hence, everyone who claims to be a spiritual leader must teach only what he heard Jesus and his immediate Apostles in the Bible teach.
Biblical proof that John the Baptist was not the last prophet
Coming back on the saying that John the Baptist was the last prophet and that all prophets today are fake, let’s find out what the Bible says. The Bible clearly denies this saying through the following verses. Acts 11:27-28 – “About that time some prophets went from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus, stood up and by the power of the Holy Spirit predicted that a severe famine was about to come over all the earth. (It came when Claudius was emperor.)”, Acts 21:10 – “We had been there for several days when a prophet named Agabus arrived from Judea” and Act 15:32 – “Judas and Silas who were themselves prophets, spoke a long time with them, giving them courage and strength.”
All the prophets mentioned above are New Testament prophets who came after the death of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. It is without doubt that Jesus Christ upon sending the Holy Spirit on Earth eventually shared Prophetic powers to those whom he has chosen to contribute in preparing his people for the last day. The above passages in the Bible are sufficient enough to proof the fact that John the Baptist was not the last prophet. And that many more came after him for the sake of the gospel being preached by Jesus Christ.
Did the gift of prophecy end after the foundation of the Church
Many spiritual leaders and folks turn to say that the gift of prophecy ended immediately after the foundation of the Church by the 12 Apostles. In short, they say that this gift was sent and available only during the times of the 12 Apostles for the spreading of he gospel of Jesus Christ and the establishment of the Church. Truly speaking, this really sounds suspicious and incomplete. Just as we said, it is not our role to judge what has been said neither argue with those who have said it. We are rather struggling to point out what the Bible is saying. And that’s what we’ll do at this point which is obviously the duty of every Christian. We out to test every teaching through those of Christ in order to remain on the safe side of wining the Christian race (1 Thessalonians 5:20).
Biblical Support
When we read from Revelations 19:10, we are made to know that the revealed truth by Jesus Christ is the Spirit of Prophecy. In other words, we’ll say that the testimony of Jesus Christ is the Spirit of prophecy. Hence, saying that the spirit of prophecy is no longer dwelling in the modern Church implies that the testimony of Jesus Christ is not in the modern Church. Yes, you heard me right. If we should base ourselves on that scripture, it’s very obvious to say that a Church that lack the spirit of prophecy is one that lacks the revealed truth of Jesus Christ.
Still in the same spirit of pouring more light on the existence of prophets today, let’s read from 1 Corinthians 12:28 – “In the Church, God has put all in place: in the first place Apostles, in the second place Prophets, and in the third place Teachers; then those who perform miracles, followed by those who are given the power to heal or to hep others or to direct them or to speak in strange tongues.” If we are truly the Church which was established by the Apostles, why then do we suppress, neglect, or reject the above Church setting which was given to Apostle Paul by God.
Could it be that we’ve become more better and important that the early Apostles? I guess not. In 1 Corinthians 14:26, Apostle Paul encourages us to ask and share inspired messages in Church. But today, we prefer to suppress the power of the Holy Spirit and do as it pleases us. May God have mercy on us for abandoning His teachings to teach and follow those of men. For additional information, read our article on the Gift of Prophecy.
Difference between Old and New Testament Prophets
Until we clearly get the difference between Old and New Testament prophets, we’ll continuously have a tendency of saying that prophets today are no more. For many people, it is their first time to hear that there is a difference between the Old and the New Testament prophets. This difference is not from our imaginations, you can clearly read and figure it out from your Bible. The Old Testament Prophets where more of people whom God dictated his laws and teachings through. But the New Testament prophets are more of people who testify the revealed truth of Jesus Christ using the mighty Power of the Holy Spirit (Revelations 19:10).
That’s why you’ll realize that the Old Testament Prophets use to give out their message with a beginning like “Thus, says the Lord your God……….” They were more of people who were chosen and ordained by God to speak out His authoritative message through an authoritative voice. That’s why their message was registered and preserved as Holy teachings in the Synagogues. On the other hand, New Testament Prophets have already received the authoritative message of God that brings eternal life through Jesus Christ. Hence, they can only proclaim or testify it with the evidence of power from the Holy Spirit through miracles and wonders just as Jesus Christ had promised (Mark 16).
The Holy Spirit and New Testament Prophets
We must also add here that the New Testament prophets are moved as the Holy Spirit leads them. They are highly sensitive to God’s inspired messages through the Holy Spirit. That’s why Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14:26 and 1 Thessalonians 5:20 that we should not suppress or despise inspired messages from the Holy Spirit. That’s why prophets today are able to receive God’s mind or Godly messages through the Holy Spirit for a Church member or members, the whole Church, a City or Nation. There is no boundary, it depends on God to let His heart known by His servants.
The Prophetic Office in the modern Church
Prophets today are in our midst speaking God’s message, but we are too stubborn and stone-hearten to hear them. We are more interested in finding out their mistakes to shout at the top of our voices. Many are more interested in persecuting and blackmailing them. We prefer to condemn these men and women from God without first listening and testing their teachings with our reference being Jesus’s teachings. Instead of reading our Bibles and knowing the truth, we depend on others who will tel us that don’t go to that man or woman of God, they are fake. The Scripture s say that we should test every teach before concluding that it comes from God or not.
Let’s open our Bibles to Ephesians 4:11-12 -“It was he who “gave gifts”; He Appointed some Apostles, others to be Prophets, others to be evangelists, others to be pastors, and teachers. He did this to prepare all God’s people for the work of Christian service, in order to build up the body of Christ.” The whole chapter makes it clear that Jesus Christ upon raising up from death shared gifts to the rest of mankind including you and me.
These gifts were shared in order for those who have been saved through him to lead the unsaved to salvation as well. They were shared in order to equip God’s people for the Christian service till the next coming of Jesus Christ. Rejecting these gifts is another way of saying that the Christian service is over. And unto my knowledge, it is not yet over. It shall be over when Jesus Christ shall come for the second time. Hence, the prophetic office still has its place in the church today. For additional information, read our article on Prophets today are there.
Importance of the Prophetic Office in today’s Church
Prophets today are of great importance in Church. They play a fundamental and vital role in encouraging, exhorting, and comforting God’s people (1 Corinthians 14:3). In addition, they can be directed by the Holy Spirit to bring correction and direction in the Church as well as sound counseling. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, they can speak forth future events as well as display a greater understanding of past events. They can disclose secrets as well as bring solutions as to problems as the Spirit of God leads them.
An Example of today’s prophet
T.B. Joshua is one of the prophets today that we have in the body of Christ. He is the founder and general overseer of the Synagogue Church Of All Nations (SCOAN). Through him, much glory has been directed to God the Father through Jesus Christ. He has been in ministry for over 30 years today. God has been using him mightily to heal all kinds of sicknesses (eve incurable diseases), give sight to the blind, open the ears of the deaf, give speech to the dumb, strengthen the legs of the lame to walk, deliver those under satanic bondage, feed the orphans, widows, and above all preach the true gospel of salvation.
Warning
Our tongues are usually in blaspheming and saying evil against men of God even when we have not tangible proof for our words. We base ourselves on what we here from spiritual leaders, friends, and neighbors to condemn prophets today. But is this the right approach? Let’s be very careful as Jesus Christ said that those who blaspheme, say evil things against the Holy Spirit, or attribute the works and deeds of the Holy Spirit to Satan will never be forgiven (Mark 3:28-30). That’s why I’ll advice you not to hurriedly use your tongue to say evil things against a servant of God who is operating under the power of the Holy Spirit. It is true that Jesus Christ warned us against false prophets who will arise and devour the children of God. They’ll bring new and contradictory doctrines to those of Jesus Christ.
Most will even hide in white cloths and habits yet having evil motives and intentions. Some will use Satanic powers to perform great miracles and turn the hearts of men from Jesus Christ. Yes, they’ll do all these. And they are already doing it. So what’s the right approach to know where you are standing or going? Let’s read from the book of 1 John 4:1-6 were we are told not to believe every spirit without first testing to see if it comes from God. You can only test a spirit by knowing the teachings and voice of Jesus Christ. Whoever teaches contrary to his teachings or uses a different voice is not of God. Gain more knowledge by reading our article on Prophets today are there and the Gift of Prophecy.
Conclusion
This brings us to the conclusion of our article on Prophets today and the existence of God’s messengers in our modern world. Just remember to always pray and call on God to lead you to the right spiritual leaders whom he has chosen. And our heavenly Father who is so good won’t offer you a stone when you ask for bread. He’ll certainly lead you to the right people who will assist you in deeply growing your faith and smoothly running the Christian race.
Bestofchristianity.com is a Global Media Ministry. As a Christian Website and Online Evangelical Ministry, Best Of Christianity focuses on the teachings of Jesus Christ, the power of the Holy spirit, and above all the Love of God. It uses the Bible as the foundation to knowing and obeying God. It steps in at the command of Jesus Christ to take the holy gospel to the four corners of the world so that those who believe in him can have eternal life. Under the authority of Jesus Christ, we are Apostolic and Prophetic sons and daughters of God sent out to set the captives free, heal the sick, bring deliverance, give sight to the blind, strengthen the lame to walk and above all lead souls to heaven. It is in the Christian light that we analyze topics like Prosperity, Wealth, Debt free, Credits, Finance, and Money in the Bible.
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