Basic Discipleship

And Jesus came near and spoke to them saying:

All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of
all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit;
teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you
you every day, until the end of the world. Amen.
Mateo 28:18-20

Pastor Antonio Gabriel Guardia

Cell. / Whatsapp : +54 9 261 5 100 935
Email : gabrielguardia67@[Link]
Blog: [Link]
Basic Discipleship Manual
Called to be Disciples that Change the World

This material has been crafted with the purpose of helping new converts receive the
first teachings that will help you grow in Christ and develop spiritually and when these
they have assimilated the teachings of this manual, demonstrating it with the testimony of their lives,
they can do it themselves with other new disciples. It also aims that those who already
It has been a long time since they became Christians, enabling them to affirm their teachings and help them not lose sight of the objective.
basic things that every true Christian must have clear in mind.

This manual includes some reflective teachings that every Christian should have.
count all of life regardless of how grown it is or the ministry in which one serves the Lord.

I thank God that He has allowed me to put together this manual, not everything in the manual is mine.
authorship, but of many authors. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, some selections were taken that
they understand very important to rescue and include in the manual. This manual is not for selling or making
business with him. This manual is completely free, and you can reproduce it by any means as long as
that it should not be sold. And as our Lord Jesus taught us in Matthew 10:8 'Heal the sick, cleanse...
lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons; FREELY YOU HAVE RECEIVED, FREELY GIVE.

God bless you richly, your brother in Christ, Pastor Antonio Gabriel Guardia.
Cel. / Whatsapp: +549 261 5 100 935
Email: gabrielguardia67@[Link]
Blog: [Link]
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General Index
The Principles of Christian Discipleship .........1 The apocryphal writings..................................................55
The law and the gospelo.....................................................55
What if... I'm pretending? ........................4
The Word of God is ............................... 59
The sin ...................................................5
The secret of true prosperityd ......... 65
What does it mean to follow Christ? .......................8
What is the key to applying the Bible in my life?
What is the lordship of Christ?? ........................9
life?. 67
What is the New Birth? ....................12
Annexes. 69
Why is it necessary to be born again? ........13
Basic Christian Doctrine. 77
Evidence of the New Birth ................15
From Temptation to Sino .......................... 78
The attitude that God blesses........................21
How can I overcome sin in my life
The Christian Must Be Diligent and Brave ...25
Christian? .................................................. 84
What should a Christian do?.....................26
How to Overcome Temptation. 88
How to Live the Christian Life ........................27
Are you saved? Are you a true Christian? ... 95
In Daily Communion...................................29
Examine your faith - Characteristics of faith
The Confession.............................................32
salvadora. 97
Necessary Provisions for the Study of
How do you know you are not a fake?
The Holy Scriptures...............................33
convert? ............................................... 103
Some suggestions for personal study of Things that do not necessarily demonstrate that there has been
the Scriptures.............................................33 a true conversion.........................................103
Evidence of a true conversion......................107
7 Conditions for Answered Prayera...35 There are three things that give us assurance of salvation:.....111
THE SENTENCE...........................................38 What does the word say about God and money?
1. Introduction...........................................................38
The prayer is to converse with God.............................38
The Eli Syndrome. 116
3. Benefits of Prayer...........................................46 Ways to Bless My Familya .................. 117
4. Elements included in the sentence..............................47 How the family thrivesa .......................... 119
5. The way of praying, position, place, style....................49
Doctrine of the Bible ..................................50 Twelve Marriage Killers ............... 120
The inspiration of the Bible.............................................50 Have you seen a Bible Church?. 123
Evidence of divine inspiration................................52 12 Marks of a Biblical Church. 126
How we received our Bible.....................................54

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The Principles of Christian Discipleship

The Great Commission

Jesus, during his earthly ministry, "focused his attention on making disciples." This was his priority, and to make them
he chose 12 perfect ones who lived with him for three years, day and night, in order to teach him a lifestyle, more
that an orthodox theory, and try to give it a character according to its own behavior.

After His death and resurrection, before ascending to heaven, Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 28:18-20:

... All power is given to me in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and
Here I am with you all days, until the end of the world. Amen.

They could understand what He wanted to tell them, because He was only asking them to continue what He had
practiced with them. The true disciples would not only grow in the likeness of their Master but also, through their
Spirit and in its time, they will reproduce their life in others. God chose some people to shepherd a
congregation, or to preach the gospel to the multitudes through mass evangelism, or to teach in seminaries
biblical, etc.; but all the converts have been called to fulfill the Great Commission, that is, to make disciples.

The Great Commission is not a special gift or a privilege reserved for a few. It is a command directed to everyone.
those who believe and follow Jesus. Christ's commission to His church was not to gain 'followers' or 'sympathizers', nor
entertain them with a musical or artistic show, but rather to make disciples among all nations. We must
proclaim the gospel to those who make up our immediate circle, but our responsibility does not end there, but rather
we must teach them by our example to be faithful disciples. Since it is about transmitting to others what the
the same Jesus had transmitted to them, the logical thing is that it be done following the same method that Jesus used with them; it is
to say, to exercise a personal discipleship. Jesus was only asking them to continue what he had practiced with.
they.

Discipleship is the best tool to prevent malnutrition, weakness, and the death of new believers.
which we are responsible for

The Discipleship

In the passage of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) there are two very important concepts that we must highlight that
to teach and to keep.
Christian teaching is not just about transmitting knowledge of the truths and commandments of God. It
What is taught is a way of life; what is transmitted is not just knowledge, but a character, a way of being.
When the truths and commandments of God are not only learned but also kept and lived, what remains, what
what endures is not just knowledge, but character, a way of life, a specific manner of living, ultimately,
a way of being. The teaching that only imparts knowledge affects knowing. Authentic Christian teaching does not
not only in knowing but also in being.

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They, the new believers, will learn to keep God's commandments by observing how we keep them.
Example is the most didactic tool to influence the 'being'. It is to convert orthodoxy into orthopraxis, that is to convert the
said in deed.

According to everything previously stated, we can now answer the question: What is discipleship? And the answer
Christian discipleship is a personal relationship, from teacher to student, based on the model of Christ and his
disciples, in which the master teaches the revealed truth and reproduces in the student the quality of life (the character) that he
he has in Christ, in such a way that the student is trained to teach and train others (reproduction)." But let's define
What is character, according to the dictionary? Character is: a set of qualities unique to a person or a community.
that distinguishes them, by their way of being or acting, from the others)

A disciple is one who obeys Christ and learns to be like Him, in order to reproduce that life in others. The term disciple comes from
The Greek word "maqhthj" ("mazetés" or "mathetés"), which is translated as "disciple," means: "... one who learns.
instruction from another. It was used in the secular Greek world for the learning of a craftsman. Literally, an apprentice.
...from the root 'maqV' ('maz' or 'math'), indicative of thought accompanied by effort, and that denotes one who
follows the teaching of a master (didaskalos). ... A disciple is not merely one who learns, but a
supporter; hence they are referred to as imitators of their master." (W. E. Vine; Expository Dictionary of Words
from the New Testament). The identification between 'Christian' and 'disciple' is so intense in the Bible that ... 'before telling them
The followers of Jesus were called "Christians"; they were referred to as "disciples" in Acts 11:26. "... and the disciples were called
Christians for the first time in Antioch. This involves the implications that discipleship had on their style of
life. "Being a disciple is not optional. It is a command from Christ. Whoever claims to be Christian but does not live as a disciple,
you are deceiving yourself.

The Cost of Discipleship

The vast majority of pastors today were never discipled, they just had a large number of years.
doing the same thing meeting after meeting. And that's why they find it difficult to disciple others, they don't know where to start.
to begin, because discipleship is not just about transmitting knowledge but teaching a way of life. The apostle Paul
It said: 'Be imitators of me, just as I am of Christ.' 1 Corinthians 11:1

Every Christian is called to be a disciple of Jesus, and this means that he will follow Jesus and put the words of Jesus as
First in his life, no matter what it costs him, and therefore requires two important elements: Obedience
in the Word and in the work, but according to the Word and not to human whim.

A Christian disciple is a person who is determined to follow Jesus Christ, with the desire to learn.
of him and live according to his example or model. Discipleship is a very serious matter. It is something costly; this is how Jesus Christ...
He saw. He did not start by offering his disciples a bed of roses! A discipleship without cost is not true discipleship.
Christians are called to deny themselves and take up their cross daily in order to follow Christ Jesus (Luke
14:27)

Many people come to God, say a prayer of surrender, but do not give their hearts to God; those people live deceived.
thinking that they are already true Christians, disciples of Christ, but in reality, it is not so, and that is why their nature
The sinful has not been crucified on the cross of Christ. Matthew 15:8 "This people honors me with their lips; but their heart is far from me."
far from me.

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There is no salvation without repentance. The Lord Jesus Christ was very clear in stating the cost of being a disciple of Christ:

He is the priority.
Luke 14:25-26 "Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: If anyone comes to me and does not hate their own
Father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
2. Obedience to Him is the only way.
Luke 14:27 "And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple."

The minimum requirement is to give up everything.

Luke 14:33 "So, therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple."

The believer only believes but does not obey, just like the demons. James 2:19 "You believe that God is one; you do well.
Even the demons believe, and tremble.

The disciples believe and obey, they believe what Christ says and do what Christ commands. If I wish to learn but do not
I want to obey, I am not a disciple.

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What if... I am pretending?

What if the definition of pretending is to deceive or give a false appearance?
What if pretending can deceive men, but it cannot deceive God?
How is it true that we are known by our actions?
What if Jesus was right in saying that not everyone who calls him Lord will enter the kingdom of
heaven? (See Matthew 7:21)
What if Satan wants to make me believe that I can sin and get away without punishment?
What if God is not just a God of love and forgiveness, but also a God of justice and wrath? What
How horrifying it would be to fall into the hands of the living God? (See Hebrews 10:31)

How could love for the things of this world show that I do not belong to Christ? (See 1 John
2.15)
How should I examine myself and see if I am in the faith? (See 2 Corinthians 13:5) What if I don't...
I am truly repentant for my sins against God and I have completely turned to the Lordship.
of Jesus Christ?
What if I have broken God's commandments thousands of times without caring, which is like
spitting in his face? What if God holds me responsible for every lie, every thought of
illicit sex and every time I get angry for no reason? What if God considers my desire for illicit sex
like adultery and my hatred like homicide of the heart?
What if I am ignoring the God who gave me life and who gives me each breath? What if I don't...
I see as an enemy of God, who deserves nothing less than to spend eternity in hell?
What if God doesn't want me to go to hell and made a way to be forgiven? What if
Did God receive my punishment by dying on the cross, in the form of Jesus Christ, for all my sins?
What about the conviction I feel in my heart that is begging me to truly repent?
and put my faith in Jesus Christ, the only one who can save me?
What if God allowed me to read this for a reason? What if I am pretending...?

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The sin
The first question we must ask ourselves is: What did Jesus come to this earth for? What was his mission? The answer to these
The question is the same and we find it in Matthew 1:20-21.

And while he thought about this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying: Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife.
Mary, your wife, for what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. And she will give birth to a son, and you shall call his name
JESUS, for he will save his people from their sins.

Jesús vino a salvarnos de nuestros pecados, tan simple como eso, pero muy difícil de lograr. Según la ley de Moisés se
I had to sacrifice a lamb to atone for someone's sin, but those sins were not eliminated but hidden, until
Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

John 1:29
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said: Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

Now then, what did Jesus say about this? Let's analyze the following verses:

Juan 8:34-36
“[Link] answered them: Truly, truly, I say to you, that everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. And 35.
the
36.
A slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So, if the Son sets you free, you will be
truly free.

Here we see that Jesus declares, 'everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin,' therefore He has come to set us free.
free from the slavery of sin and declares it thus: "Therefore, if the Son sets you free, you will be truly free."

So there is no doubt that Jesus came to free us from sin and that happened when he was brought as a lamb to the
slaughterhouse, was taken to the cross for us.

Isaiah 53:5-8
“[Link] he was wounded for our rebellions, crushed for our sins; the punishment for our peace was upon him, and for
by his wounds we were [Link] we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way;
7.
but the LORD laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb.
led to the slaughter; and as a sheep before its shearers, he was silent, and did not open his [Link] jail and by trial
he was taken away; and who will declare his generation? For he was cut off from the land of the living, and for the rebellion of my
the town was injured.

In the following passage from Psalms, it describes in detail how the moment of Christ's crucifixion was.

Psalms 22:12-18
“12. Many bulls have surrounded me; strong bulls of Bashan have encircled [Link] opened their mouth against me like a ravenous lion
14.
and roaring. I have been poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax,
melting in the middle of my [Link] a pot my vigor has dried up, and my tongue has stuck to my palate, and you have
set in the dust of [Link] dogs have surrounded me; a band of evildoers has encircled me; they have pierced my

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hands and my feet.17.I can count all my bones; meanwhile, they look at me and watch [Link] shared among themselves
my garments, And they cast lots for my clothing.

1 Peter 3:18
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, to bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh,
dead in the flesh, but made alive in spirit;

Christ has freed us from the slavery of sin, now we are servants of righteousness.

Romans 6:17-18: But thanks be to God that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.

“[Link] thank God, that although you were slaves to sin, you have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine.
to which you were delivered;[Link] from sin, you became servants of righteousness.

Now let's analyze the difference between the slave of sin and the child of God who sins.

1 John 1:8 (here the Apostle John is speaking to the church)

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Now let's observe the following passages written by the same apostle.

The one who commits sin is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.

“[Link] practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God appeared,
to undo the works of the [Link] who is born of God does not practice sin, because the seed of God
he remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

1 John 5:18
We know that everyone who has been born of God does not sin, for He who was born of God keeps him safe.
keep, and the evil one does not touch him.

When comparing these passages 1 John 1:8, 1:10; 3:8-9 and 5:18 it seems that John is contradicting himself but that is not the case. What
what he is saying is that all those who have not been born again are slaves of sin and therefore cannot stop practicing
the sin. Those who have been born again are now new creatures, they are no longer slaves to sin but like the flesh.
they never become, they will always suffer temptations and sometimes they will sin. When the son of God sins, he feels uncomfortable
with his sin, and he will soon settle his accounts with the Lord. A fish lives underwater and dies outside of it because
his life is underwater. On the other hand, a cat does not live underwater, but that does not imply that sometimes it falls into the water and
mine, but he is not going to stay living in the water because he is a cat and not a fish. The son of God will not live being a slave of
sin because he is now free from that slavery through Jesus Christ our Savior.

Going back to Juan, what happens when a Christian sins?

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

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1 Juan 2:1-2
“[Link] little children, these things I write to you so that you may not sin; and if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father.
Father, to Jesus Christ the righteous.2. And he is the propitiation for our sins; and not only for ours, but also
for those all over the world.

When God sees the lives of all those redeemed by the blood of Christ, He sees them as holy and unblemished because He sees the blood.
of His Son Jesus Christ poured out upon that life. Sin has been removed.

Hebreos 10:10-18
11.
“[Link] that will, we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ made once for all.
certainly every priest is day after day ministering and offering many times the same sacrifices, which never
they can remove sins;[Link] Christ, having offered once and for all a single sacrifice for sins, he
has sat at the right hand of God,[Link] then on waiting until their enemies are placed before their throne
pies14. for with one single offering he perfected for all time those who are [Link] the Spirit bears witness the same.
Saint; because after having said: [Link] the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord:
17.
I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them in their minds, And I will never remember their sins anymore.
transgressions. For where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.
18.

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

“[Link] to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before His glory without blemish with great joy,
25.
To the only wise God, our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, now and forever. Amen.

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What does it mean to follow Christ?

One of the most well-known passages in the Bible is found in Matthew 28:16-20. This passage is commonly known
like 'The Great Commission'. Jesus commands us to make disciples among all nations. The word disciple means
learner or follower. At the beginning of the church era, those who followed Jesus were called 'Christians' (Acts 11:26). By
Thus, disciple of Christ or Christian can be considered synonyms.
Now then, if the disciples of Jesus are called to make more disciples, what are the requirements that must be
to fulfill the followers of Christ? Jesus was very clear in defining the type of disciples he wants. Therefore, as
Christians must comply with the characteristics that Jesus desires in his followers. Furthermore, we must clarify to them...
people who want to follow Christ what he expects from them. According to Jesus, to be his disciple it is imperative to do what
next:

1. To love Christ above all things: "He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; he who loves son
O daughter more than to me, is not worthy of me" (Mt. 10:37). Jesus desires our complete devotion. Our love for Jesus.
it must surpass that of any person regardless of how loved they may be. In order to be worthy of following
It is imperative that one loves (obeys) Christ completely.

2. To abide in the words of Jesus: "... If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples."
(John 8:31). To be able to obey Jesus, it is necessary that we know his commandments. To remain means to dwell.
o morar. El hábito de hacer las palabras de Jesús parte de nuestra vida cotidiana es un requisito para ser un verdadero
follower of Christ.

3. Denying oneself: "If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself..." (Mt. 16:24). The phrase "deny oneself...
"treat me" is appropriate to summarize the attitude of a follower of Jesus. To be a disciple of Christ, it is essential
to renounce our rights and ambitions to seek only his.

4. Take up the cross: "If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily ..." (Luke 9:23).
the cross was an instrument of torment and death. Jesus asks his followers to be willing to die with Him every day.
such as to follow him. Being a disciple of Jesus implies a total commitment. To follow Jesus, one must be willing to
pay any price and make any sacrifice.

5. Follow Christ: "And calling the crowd and his disciples, he said to them: If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself.
Same, take up your cross and follow me" (Mark 8:34). Fulfilling the desires of Jesus must be the only purpose of your
Followers. Following Christ means obeying Him in everything. The plan of life is to do only what Jesus commands.

6. Renounce possessions: "Any of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple"
(Luke 14:33). Jesus asks everything from his followers. My possessions are no longer mine but belong to Jesus. Christ does not demand
only ten percent of our resources, he absolutely wants everything. His followers are managers of
material goods, but the true owner must be Jesus for one to be his disciple.

7. To love our fellow humans: "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another"
(John 13:35). The mark of Jesus' followers is the love they profess for one another. A disciple of Christ does not
It is identified not by attending a church, carrying a Bible, or using a certain type of language but by the love for one's fellow human beings.
Followers of Jesus must be willing to sacrifice for others just as Jesus did for them.
The requirements to be a true disciple of Jesus or Christian have not changed over time. To be able to follow
Christ, we must adhere to His conditions. What kind of disciple are you?

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What is the lordship of Christ?

The doctrine of the lordship of Christ teaches that submitting to Christ our Lord goes hand in hand with trusting in Him as
Salvador. The lordship of Christ is the opposite of what is sometimes referred to as easy belief, or the teaching that salvation
comes through recognizing a certain set of truths.

John MacArthur in his book The Gospel According to Jesus, presents the case for the lordship of Christ, summarizing the teaching
In this way: "The evangelical call to faith assumes that sinners must repent of their sin and submit to
the authority of Christ." In other words, a sinner who refuses to repent is not saved, because he cannot hold on
to his sin and to the Savior at the same time. And a sinner who rejects the authority of Christ in his life, has no faith.
savior, since true faith encompasses an absolute commitment to God. Therefore, the gospel requires something more than
to make an intellectual decision or to utter a prayer; the message of the gospel is a call to discipleship. The sheep
they will follow their pastor in submissive obedience.

Jesus Christ gave repeated warnings to the religious hypocrites of His time, as proof that merely being
Agreement with spiritual truths does not save a person. There must be a change of heart. Jesus emphasized
the high cost of discipleship: 'And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple'(Whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.),
"So, any of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple" (verse 33). In
In the same passage, Jesus talks about counting the cost; in another place, Jesus emphasizes a total commitment: "No one who puts...
His hand on the plow looks back, is fit for the kingdom of God.(But Jesus said to him, 'No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.').

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says that eternal life is a narrow path that only 'a few' find.(Matthew
7:14)On the contrary, easy belief seeks to widen the path so that anyone who has a profession of faith,
you may enter. Jesus says that 'every good tree bears good fruit' (verse 17); on the other hand, easy belief says that a
a tree can still be good and not produce anything, except one bad fruit. Jesus says that many of those who say 'Lord,
Lord" they will not enter the kingdom (verses 21-23); on the other hand, easy belief teaches that saying "Lord, Lord" is
sufficient.

The lordship of Christ teaches us that a true profession of faith will be backed by the evidence of faith. If a person
If they are truly following the Lord, then he or she will obey the Lord's instructions. A person who is living
intentionally in sin and without repenting, obviously, they have not decided to follow Christ, because Christ calls us from
sin against justice. In fact, the Bible clearly teaches that faith in Christ will result in a changed life.(2 Corinthians
5:17Gálatas 5:22-23; Santiago 2:14-26).

The lordship of Christ is not a doctrine of salvation based on works. Salvation is solely by grace, the believers
they are saved even before their faith produces any good works, Christians can sin and in fact do, but
they do not practice sin. However, true salvation will inevitably lead to a changed life. The saved
They will be consecrated to their Savior. A true Christian will not feel comfortable living in a sin they have not.
confessed and has not abandoned.

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Here are nine teachings that establish the lordship of Christ, separate from easy belief:

1) Repentance is not merely a synonym for faith. The Bible teaches that sinners must exercise their faith along with
the regret(Acts 2:3817:30; 20:212 Pedro 3:9)Repentance is a turning away from sin(Facts
3:19;And that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.)and even this is a gift from God(2 Timothy 2:25). Genuine repentance arises when
A person who submits to the lordship of Christ can only result in a change of behavior.(Luke 3:8Facts
26:18-20).

A Christian is a new creation and cannot simply 'stop believing' and lose salvation. Faith itself is a
gift of God(Efesios 2:1-5, 8)and true faith endures forever(Philippians 1:6). Salvation is only the work of
God, not man. Those who believe in Christ as Lord are saved apart from any effort they make for
his own account(Tito 3:5).

The object of faith is Christ himself; it is not a promise, a prayer, or a creed.(For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.)Faith must imply a
personal commitment to Christ(2 Corintios 5:15). It is much more than being convinced of the truth of the gospel; it is
to renounce this world and follow the Master. The Lord Jesus said, 'My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.'
they continue(My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.).

True faith always produces a change of life(Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!)The person inside is transformed by
the Holy Spirit(I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in [Link] the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.)and the Christian has a new nature(Romans 6:6)Those with genuine faith, the
who are subjected to the lordship of Christ, follow Jesus(My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.)they love their brothers(1 Juan 3:14)they obey the
commandments of God(1 Juan 2:3; John 15:14)they do the will of God(For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.)they remain in the Word of
God(John 8:31)they keep the Word of God(I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.)they do good deeds(For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.), and they continue in the faith
(Colosenses 1:21-23; For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end.)Salvation is not about adding Jesus to the pantheon of idols; it is a complete destruction.
of the idols with the maximum reign of Jesus.

5) God through His 'divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life'(2 Peter 1:3;
to seeHe who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also along with him graciously give us all things?)Salvation, then, is not simply a ticket to go to heaven. It is the means by which we are
sanctified (practically) in this life and through which we are growing in grace.

The Bible teaches that Jesus is the Lord of all. Christ demands unconditional surrender to His will.(Romans 6:17
18; 10:9-10)Those who live in rebellion to the will of God do not have eternal life, because 'God resists the proud.'
proud, and gives grace to the humble" ( But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, 'God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.').

Those who truly believe in Christ will love Him.(1 Pedro 1:8-9; Romans 8:28-30;1 Corintios 16:22).
Those whom we love, we long to love more.(John 14:15,23).

The Bible teaches that behavior is an important test of faith. Obedience is the evidence that our
faith is genuine(1 Juan 2:3)If a person continues to refuse to obey Christ, they are showing that their 'faith' is only that of
name(Whoever says, 'I know him,' but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him.)A person can claim that Jesus is their Savior and pretend to obey for a time, but if not
There is a change of heart, his true nature will eventually manifest. This was the case of Judas Iscariot.

Genuine believers may stumble and fall, but they will persevere in the faith.(1 Corinthians 1:8)This was the case of

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Simon Peter. To begin with, a 'believer' who completely distances himself from the Lord clearly shows that he was never born.
again(They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.).

A person who has been freed from their sin through faith in Christ would not desire to continue living a life
of sin(Romans 6:2)Of course, spiritual growth can occur rapidly or slowly, depending on the
person and their circumstances. And the changes may not be obvious to everyone at first. Ultimately, God
He knows who His sheep are, and He will mature us according to His perfect timing.

Is it possible to be a Christian and live in the flesh all your life, enjoying the pleasures of sin, and never seek to glorify the
Sir, who bought it? Can a sinner despise the lordship of Christ and still say that He is his Savior? Can
Can someone say the 'sinner's prayer' and go on with their life as if nothing has happened and continue to call themselves a 'Christian'?
The lordship of Christ says: 'No.' Let us not give false hope to unrepentant sinners; rather, let us declare
the whole counsel of God: "Do not marvel that I said to you: You must be born again." (Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.').

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What is the New Birth?

Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:3-5
“[Link] answered and said to him: Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4.
Nicodemus said to him: How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb?
his mother, and be [Link]? Jesus answered: Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot
enter into the kingdom of God.

What is the New Birth?

Being born again is a powerful spiritual operation that God performs through the Holy Spirit in beings.
Humans who believe in Jesus repent of their sins and turn to God. A repentance of sins.
Genuine commitments and true faith in Jesus produces the 'New Birth', but what is the New Birth?
It is the change of nature, we are a new creation that is no longer slaves to sin, it is having a new sensitive heart.
To God, is to have the Holy Spirit living within us, is to live for love of Jesus in the will of God. We are
changed from the kingdom. We are no longer slaves of sin, now we are servants of righteousness and above all, children of God.

Ezequiel 36:25-27
“25.I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be cleansed from all your impurities; and from all your idols I will.
I will clean.26.I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take away the heart of your flesh

stone, and I will give you a heart of [Link] I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and
keep my commandments and put them into practice.

Matthew 1:21
And she will give birth to a son, and you shall call his name JESUS, for he will save his people from their sins.

Juan 8:34-36
Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, that whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And the slave
The servant does not remain in the house forever; the Son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be truly free.
free.

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

“[Link] to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God;[Link]
who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

“[Link] thanks to God, that although you were slaves to sin, you have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine.
to which you were delivered;[Link] freed from sin, you became servants of righteousness.

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Colosenses 1:12-14
“[Link] joy giving thanks to the Father who made us qualified to share in the inheritance of the saints in light;[Link] us
14.
He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption through his
blood, the forgiveness of sins.

1 Juan 3:2-9
“[Link], now we are children of God, and it has not yet been manifested what we shall be; but we know that when He is
We will be like him, because we will see him as he [Link] everyone who has this hope in him, purifies himself
4.
purify oneself, just as he is pure. Everyone who commits sin also violates the law; for sin is
violation of the [Link] you know that he appeared to take away our sins, and in him there is no [Link] who
Whoever abides in him does not sin; whoever sins has neither seen him nor known [Link] children, let no one deceive you; he who does
justice is fair, as he is fair.8. Whoever practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. For
this appeared the Son of God, to undo the works of the devil.9. Everyone who is born of God does not practice sin
sin, because the seed of God remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

1 Juan 5:18-20
“[Link] know that everyone who has been born of God does not practice sin, for He who was born of God protects him.
he who keeps, and the evil one does not touch [Link] know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the wicked [Link] we know
that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding to know Him who is true; and we are in the true,
in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

Why is it necessary to be born again?

Unless you are born again, you will not be able to stop being a slave to sin. In 1 Corinthians 5:17 it says, 'Therefore, if anyone is in Christ...'
If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." and in 1 John 3:9 "Everyone
He who is born of God does not practice sin, because the seed of God remains in him; and he cannot sin,
because he is born of God." and in 1 John 5:18-19 "We know that everyone who has been born of God does not sin,
Well, he who was begotten by God keeps him, and the wicked one does not touch him. We know that we are of God, and the world
the whole world is under the evil one.

Many people come to God, make a prayer of surrender, but do not yield their hearts to God; those people live deceived.
thinking that they are true Christians, disciples of Christ, but in reality it is not so, and that is why their nature
The sinful has not been crucified on the cross of Christ. Matthew 15:8 "This people honors me with their lips; but their heart
he/she is far from me.

There is no salvation without repentance. The Lord Jesus Christ was very clear in stating the cost of being a disciple of Christ:

He is the priority.
Luke 14:25-26 'Great multitudes went with him; and he turned and said to them: If anyone comes to me, and does not hate his...
If anyone comes to me and does not hate father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, and even their own life, they cannot be my disciple.

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The obedience to Him is the only way.

Luke 14:27 "And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple."

The minimum requirement is to renounce everything.

Luke 14:33 "So, therefore, anyone of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple."

If you want to be born again, you must give yourself completely to God, He loves you and has plans for you. He wants to make you
free from the slavery of sin and make you a new creature, wants to fully transfer you to the kingdom of his beloved Son!!!
Colossians 1:13 "who has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of His beloved Son,"

Now, how can you realize that you have truly given your heart to God?
In the primitive church, the word 'Lord' was not used for just anyone, nowadays the word 'Lord' is used for anyone.
mayor. But before in the town of Israel, for someone to be called 'Lord,' they had to be rich, a landowner of great estates,
to have slaves and military power. The word 'Lord' comes from the Greek word 'Kyrios' which means 'Master, Chief, Sovereign'.
Owner, Supreme Authority. The best way to know if you are a true Christian child of God is when you truly
Jesus Christ is your Lord, the master of your life, your owner, your boss, the one who commands in your life, to whom you are subject. In Matthew 7:21
Jesus said: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father."
Father who is in heaven.

It is very important to understand that God loves you and sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for your sins so that
you can be saved from sin, become a new creature, and have a personal relationship with Him. The Bible says in Ephesians 2:
For by grace you are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, so that
"That no one may boast." And in 1 Corinthians 5:17-21 it says "[Link], if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the things
The old things have passed away; behold, all things have become [Link] all this comes from God, who reconciled us to himself.
by Christ, and He gave us the ministry of reconciliation;[Link] God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not
20.
taking into account the sins of men, and entrusted us with the word of reconciliation. So,
we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were pleading through us; we urge you in Christ's name:
Reconcile with [Link] who knew no sin, for us he made sin, so that we might be made
God's justice in him.

If you really believe in God, you must surrender your life to Him unreservedly, and if you have never done so, say this prayer with all your heart.
but with all your dedication. You know, if Jesus Christ is the one who commands your life now then Jesus Christ is your Lord. Do not
It is about confessing Jesus with the mouth only, it is about confessing Jesus with your life for the rest of your life!!!

God, I need You! I confess that I have sinned against You and I repent of all my sins and I ask You
Sorry. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for all my sins to save me and I accept him as my
Salvador. I believe he resurrected from the dead to give me eternal life. I surrender my life to Jesus as my Lord,
to serve and obey you. Write my name in the Book of Life. Make me the person you want me to be.
sea. Thank you for listening to my prayer. Thank you for saving me. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

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Evidence of the New Birth

Everyone who believes in Jesus Christ is made a new creation.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

The born again is obedient.

1Juan 2:3-6
“3. And by this we know that we know him, if we keep his [Link] who says: I know him, and
he who does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him;[Link] whoever keeps his word, in this one
Truly the love of God has been perfected; by this we know that we are in Him. The one [Link] says that
stay in him, we must walk as he walked.

The born again loves what God loves.

1Juan 2:15-17
“[Link] not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
[Link] everything that is in the world, the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life,
17.
it does not come from the Father, but from the world. And the world passes away, and its desires; but he who does the will of God
remains forever.
Juan 17:25-26
“[Link] Father, the world has not known you, but I have known you, and these have known that you sent me.26.Y
I have made your name known to them, and I will make it known still, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and
I in them.
1Juan 5:4-5
“[Link] everyone who is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith.
5.
Who is it that overcomes the world, except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

4. He does not practice sin.

1Juan 3:6-9
“[Link] who abides in him does not sin; anyone who sins has neither seen him nor known [Link] children, no one
I deceived you; the one who does justice is just, as he is [Link] practices sin is of the devil; for the devil
sin from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God appeared, to destroy the works of9. the devil. Whoever is
born of God, does not practice sin, because the seed of God remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he is
born of God.
1 John 5:18
We know that everyone who has been born of God does not practice sin, for He who was begotten by God
He keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.

5. Love your brother.

1Juan 3:14-18
“[Link] know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brothers. He who does not love his
brother, remain in [Link] who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer
he has eternal life in [Link] this we have known love, that he laid down his life for us; also
17.
we must lay down our lives for our brothers. But he who has goods of this world and sees his
If a brother is in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in 18.
him?My little children, no
let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

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1Juan 4:7-8, 20-21

“[Link], let us love one another; for love is of God. Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
to God.8. Anyone who does not love has not known God; because God is [Link] anyone says: I love God, and hates
his brother, is a liar. For he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
Have you not seen?[Link] we have this commandment from him: He who loves God, loves his brother also.
1Juan 5:2-3
3.
“[Link] this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep His commandments.
Well, this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not burdensome.

The Holy Spirit bears witness to our spirit that we are children of God.
Romans 8:16
The Spirit itself testifies to our spirit that we are children of God.

To the born again, the Holy Spirit guides them.

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
John 16:13
But when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but
he will speak all that he hears, and he will make known to you the things that are to come.
John 3:8
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound; but you do not know where it comes from, nor where it goes; so is everyone
what is born of the Spirit.
Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; your good spirit lead me to the land of uprightness.

8. He has the desire to know the Lord more and more.

1Corintios 2:11-16
“[Link] who among men knows the things of a man, except the spirit of the man that is in him? So also
12.
No one knew the things of God, except the Spirit of God. And we have not received the spirit of the world,
but the Spirit that comes from God, so that we may know what God has granted us,[Link] we also talked about,
not with words taught by human wisdom, but with those taught by the Spirit, adjusting the spiritual to the
[Link] the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and
15.
They cannot understand them because they must be discerned spiritually. In contrast, the spiritual judges all things;
16.
but he is judged by no one. For who has known the mind of the Lord? Who will instruct Him? But we
we have the mind of Christ.
John 17:3
And this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
He who is of God hears the words of God; therefore you do not hear them, because you are not of God.

He who is of God hears the words of God; therefore you do not hear them, because you are not of God.

He delights in the Word of God and keeps it.

1Pedro 2:1-3
“1. Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander,[Link], like children
newborns, the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow for salvation,[Link] you have liked
the kindness of the Lord.

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{"3":"Andbythisweknowthatwehavecometoknowhim,ifwekeephiscommandments.","4":"Whoeversays'Iknowhim'butdoesnotkeephiscommandmentsisaliar,andthetruthisnotinhim.","5":"Butwhoeverkeepshisword,[Link]:","6":"whoeversaysheabidesinhimoughttowalkinthesamewayinwhichhewalked."}

“3. And by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.4. He who says: I know him, and
he who does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him;[Link] whoever keeps his word, in this
6.
Truly the love of God has been perfected; for this we know that we are in Him. He who says that
remain in him, you must walk as he walked.
1Juan 3:24
And whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in
us, through the Spirit that He has given us.
John 14:23-24
“[Link] answered and said to him: He who loves me will keep my word; and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and we will make
dwelling with [Link] who does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you have heard is not mine, but of the Father.
that sent me.

The born-again is concerned with the things of the Holy Spirit.

Romanos 8:1-9, 12-13
“[Link], therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh,
but according to the [Link] the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and of
[Link] what was impossible for the law, because it was weak through the flesh, God, sending His Son in
4.
likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh; that the righteousness of the law
5.
it is fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For those who are of
The flesh thinks about the things of the flesh; but those who are of the Spirit, about the things of the [Link] taking care
For the flesh is death, but to be concerned with the Spirit is life and [Link] the designs of the flesh are enmity
against God; because they do not submit to the law of God, nor can they;[Link] those who live according to the flesh cannot
to please God.9. But you do not live according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.
you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to [Link], brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh,
so that we live according to the flesh;[Link] if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death
“If you mortify the deeds of the flesh, you shall live.”

11. The Holy Spirit intercedes for the children of God.

Romanos 8:26-27
“[Link] in the same way the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know what we ought to pray for,
27.
we know, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that cannot be expressed.
But he who searches the
Hearts know what the intention of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

12. He believes that Jesus is the Christ, the savior of the world.
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God; and everyone who loves the one who begot also loves.
to the one who has been begotten by him.
1Juan 2:22-23
“[Link] is the liar, but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.
23.
Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father. The one who confesses the Son has the Father also.
The born again walks in light and not in darkness.
1Juan 1:6-7
7.
“[Link] we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but
If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us
clean from all sin.

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1Juan 2:4, 6, 9-11

“[Link] who says: I know him, and does not keep his commandments, that one is a liar, and the truth is not in him;[Link] one who
9.
he who says he remains in him ought to walk as he walked. He who says he is in the light and hates his brother,
11.
is still in the [Link] who loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no stumbling. But the one who
He who hates his brother is in darkness, and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.
the eyes.
Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him."

“[Link] answered: Does not the day have twelve hours? He who walks in the day does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world;
10.
but he who walks in the night stumbles, because there is no light in him.
I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

I, the light, have come into the world, so that everyone who believes in me may not remain in darkness.

14. The born again remain in communion with the saints and do not become apostates.
1Juan 2:18-19
“[Link] children, it is the last time; and as you have heard that the antichrist shall come, even now there are many risen.
antichrists; for this we know that it is the last [Link] went out from us, but they were not of us; because
If they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out so that it might be made manifest that not all
they are ours.
2Juan 1:9
Anyone who strays and does not persevere in the doctrine of Christ does not have God; he who perseveres in the doctrine
of Christ, that one truly has the Father and the Son.

Everyone who practices righteousness is born of God.

1 John 2:29
If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of him.
1Juan 3:7, 10
“7. Little children, let no one deceive you; he who practices righteousness is righteous, just as he is [Link] this, the children of God are manifested,
and the children of the devil: everyone who does not do justice, and who does not love his brother, is not of God.

God hears their prayers.

1 John 3:22
And whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things
what are pleasant before him.
John 15:7
If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
John 16:23-24
“[Link] that day you will not ask me anything. Truly, truly I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name...
name, will give it to [Link] to now you have asked for nothing in my name; ask, and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.
fulfilled.

17. The born again know the voice of Christ and follow Him because they are His sheep.
John 10:2-4, 27-28
“[Link] will expel you from the synagogues; and indeed, the hour is coming when anyone who kills you will think that they are serving God.
[Link] they will do this because they do not know the Father or [Link] I have told you these things so that when the...

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Now, do you remember that I had already told [Link] sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me,[Link] I to them
I give them eternal life; and they shall never perish, nor shall anyone snatch them out of my hand.

1 John 4:6
We are from God; whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. In this we know the
spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

18. The born again testify of Christ.

1Juan 4:14-15
“[Link] we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son, the Savior of the [Link] who
confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him, and he in God.
Mateo 10:32-33
“[Link] anyone who acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father that
is in the [Link] anyone who denies me before men, I will also deny before my Father.
that is in the heavens.
2Timoteo 1:8-9, 2:12
“8. Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me, His prisoner, but share in the
afflictions for the gospel according to the power of God,9. who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to
our works, but according to his purpose and the grace that was given to us in Christ Jesus before the times of
centuries,

19. The born again are a living testimony of a transformed life committed to God.
3Juan 1:5-6, 9-12
“[Link], you conduct yourself faithfully when you render a service to the brothers, especially to strangers,
6.
those who have testified before the church of your love; and you will do well to guide them as is worthy of their service
to God, so that they may continue their journey.9.I have written to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence
10.
among them, he does not receive us. For this reason, if I were, I will remember the works that he does chatting with words.
malicious against us; and not content with these things, does not receive the brothers, and those who want to receive them...
it prohibits it, and expels them from the [Link], do not imitate what is bad, but what is good. He who does good is from God;
but whoever does what is wrong has not seen [Link] bears witness to Demetrius, and even the truth itself; and also
we bear witness, and you know that our testimony is true.

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Or do you not realize about yourselves
You yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you, unless you are reprobate?
2 Corinthians 13:5

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Evidence of the New Birth

Everyone who believes in Jesus Christ is made a new creation.
2 Corinthians 5:17
The born again is obedient.
1Juan 2:3-6
The born again loves what God loves.
1Juan 2:15-17, Juan 17:25-26, 1Juan 5:4-5
He does not practice sin.
1Juan 3:6-9, 1Juan 5:18
Love your brother.
1Juan 3:14-18, 1Juan 4:7-8, 20-21, 1Juan 5:2-3
The Holy Spirit testifies to our spirit that we are children of God.
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.

7. The born-again are guided by the Holy Spirit.

Romanos 8:14, Juan 16:13, Juan 3:8, Salmos 143:10
He/She has the desire to know the Lord more and more.
1Corintios 2:11-16, Juan 17:3, Juan 8:47
He delights in the Word of God and keeps it.
1Pedro 2:1-3, 1Juan 2:3-6, 1Juan 3:24, Juan 14:23-24
10. The born-again is concerned with the things of the Holy Spirit.
Romanos 8:1-9, 12-13
11. The Holy Spirit intercedes for the children of God.
Romans 8:26-27
12. Believes that Jesus is the Christ, the savior of the world.
1Juan 5:1, 1Juan 2:22-23
The born again walks in light and not in darkness.
1Juan 1:6-7, 1Juan 2:4, 6, 9-11, Juan 11:9-10, Juan 12:46
14. Those born again remain in communion with the saints and do not become apostates.
1Juan 2:18-19, 2Juan 1:9
Everyone who practices righteousness is born of God.
1Juan 2:29, 1Juan 3:7, 10
16. God listens to their prayers.
1Juan 3:22, Juan 15:7, Juan 16:23-24
17. The born-again know the voice of Christ and follow Him because they are His sheep.
Juan 10:2-4, 27-28, 1Juan 4:6
18. The born again testify of Christ.
1Juan 4:14-15, Mateo 10:32-33, 2Timoteo 1:8-9, 2:12
19. The born again are a living testimony of a transformed life committed to God.
3Juan 1:5-6, 9-12

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The attitude that God blesses

Philippians 2: 5-7 says:
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, did not consider it
equal to God as something to cling to, but he emptied himself...

In this powerful passage, the Apostle Paul advised the brothers in Philippi to have "the same mind" that Christ had.
When we continue reading in the passage, we understand what kind of feeling is being referred to. Christ's feeling was that the
He spared no effort and sacrifice in his life and ministry, but stripped himself of everything and continued towards total fulfillment.
of God's plan. This kind of sacrifice and effort served to bless all of humanity.

Just as Jesus achieved his goal with much effort and sacrifice, this principle of the 'feeling of Jesus' must also be
present in us, His Church, to achieve those goals that God has entrusted to us and to be channels of blessing.
Many argue that since we live under the Grace of God, there is no longer a need to strive in our walk with the Lord,
when in reality the Bible says in 2 Timothy 2:1 'You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus' and
In verses 4-6, three interesting examples are given that reflect the constant attitude that the believer must have:

The example of the soldier who fights

2.v.5 The example of the athlete who struggles
The example of the farmer who sows

It is not necessary to give more details to realize that any of the three examples represent the class of Christian life.
striving that we need to do to please God.
The sacrifice and effort must be the characteristic that accompanies everything we undertake in life, even the
spiritual. This kind of sacrifice and effort that we make is not born out of obligation but a measure of gratitude towards the
Lord who gave everything to save us.
In the Word of God, much is said about certain characters who were diligent people. Let's look at some of them.
they

Judges 6:12 Mention Gideon who was considered a "strong and brave man".
b. Judges 11:1 Here Jefte is mentioned as 'strong and brave.'
1 Samuel 14:52 speaks of one of the warriors as 'valiant and fit for battle.'
2 Samuel 17:10 It was said about the warriors of King David, "he is a brave man, and those who are with him are...
strenuous
2 Samuel 23:20 Benaiah was a "man of valor, great in deeds"
2 Chronicles 17:14 The warriors of Jehoshaphat were 'very brave'

With these few examples, we can learn the following:

1. Before mentioning the ability to do something, the word 'diligent' was mentioned. This teaches us that before the
aptitude (the ability, gift, or talent) is the attitude of being (behavior) hardworking.

Those who earned the privilege of being with the King (which represents a position of authority) were the hardworking.

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There are levels of effort (some were strenuous, others very strenuous)

The Bible mentions that the attitude of effort is needed for many things:

Numbers 13:20 It requires effort to take the fruit or blessings of God.

... strive and take from the fruit of the land
One thing is to have the promises of God legally (according to what the Bible says) and another is to have them practically in life.
daily. For this to happen, we have to battle against the enemy that will try to prevent us from getting there.
the blessings of God.

Deuteronomy 31:6 It takes effort not to be discouraged or filled with fear

Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or dismayed of them...
When we go through times of struggles and trials, the days are bad. It seems like it takes effort to get up each day.
Tomorrow, to start a new day because we know that everything will remain the same or worse. To overcome that 'heavy' atmosphere.
we need to strive to continue trusting in the Lord.

Joshua 1:6 and 7 It takes effort to grow in courage

Be strong and be courageous... Just be strong and be very courageous...
One does not become brave overnight. It takes time and effort to start winning small battles.
and then continue winning the great battles of life. It is always the small battles won that will give us
the authority to win the great battles.

4. Joshua 23:6-7 It takes effort to keep the Word of God and avoid being contaminated with relationships that do not.
agree
Be diligent, therefore, to keep and do all that is written in the book of the law... so that you do not mix.
with these nations...
The unbroken reasoning constantly wants to rebel against the Word of God. The Bible says that this is
Bad and our mind reasons saying: - It's not that bad -. Renewing the mind is a hard task that every Christian
victorious must do. The renewed mind leads me to obey the Word and avoid friendships or relationships that lead me
lead directly or indirectly to sin.

2 Samuel 2:7 It takes effort to accomplish any work

So make an effort, for now your hands...
As Christians, there is no such thing as secular work and spiritual work. Everything we do is for the Lord, whether it is
in the office as in the ministry of the church. Laziness and neglect of our duties are not pleasing to
God, we must have a wise attitude of effort.

6. I Samuel 13:12 It takes effort to give generously to God

I made an effort, therefore, and offered a burnt offering.

Our ability to give is seen in times of scarcity more than in times of economic plenty. Anyone
he gives from what he has left, but only the diligent obedient ones are the ones who give even from what they do not have to please
God and support the work of God.

1 Chronicles 28:10 It takes effort to build our home and the House of the Lord
"Look, then, now that the Lord has chosen you to build a house... be strong and do it."

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To build has a parallel word: 'time'. To think that a marriage will be happy just because they made the vows.
At the altar is a mistake, as is thinking that building a local church is something that happens on its own. God does his
But it is also necessary for us to play our active part. Building requires a process of devoted time.

1 Chronicles 28:20 It takes effort to be available to help

"Cheer up and strive, and get to work; do not be afraid, nor lose heart..."
You don't need to have great gifts or talents to be useful in the House of God. There are people in every congregation.
places that are highly willing to do anything in order to see a job, a project, a goal accomplished.
The hardworking and willing person is the one who always asks: - Can I help with anything? -

9. 2 Chronicles 15:7 It takes effort not to faint and receive the reward.
...be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for there is a reward for your work.
Perseverance is an essential trait to receive God's reward. There are rewards that
We will receive in heaven but there are others, which we will receive here on earth as a reward for our faithfulness.

2 Chronicles 19:11 It takes effort to achieve goals and objectives

Therefore, be strong to do it, and the Lord will be with the good.
Just as an athlete must strive for months and years to win a competition, to achieve goals and objectives.
that God has placed us, we need the effort not to give up in the process, when things seem not to
they slow down or become slower.

11. Nehemiah 2:18 One must always strive in every good cause
"Thus they strengthened their hand for good"
The faithful believer always, before offering themselves and striving in any undertaking, finds out if what they are going to do with their
effort glorifies God, exalts Christ and is based on the Word of God. This is called a sound administration of
faith and effort.

12. Job 4:4 It takes effort to help the weak and the fallen.
To the one who stumbled, your words straightened, and you strengthened the knees that were weak.
When one decides to reach out to help others, they must be willing to do so at all times. Many times
we will receive calls at late hours of the night, which we will have to attend to for ministry; other times with our
tests and difficulties on our shoulders we must also minister to others who are going through the same. Without a doubt
All of this requires faith and effort.

13. Psalms 31:24 It takes effort to wait on the Lord

Be strong all you who hope in the Lord...
Time becomes our greatest enemy when time passes and we do not see the work of God that so much
we need. In order not to falter and fall into disbelief, a high level of effort will be necessary to take care of the
mind and feelings.

14. Luke 13:24 It takes effort to be faithful to God

Strive to enter through the narrow door; for I tell you that many will seek to enter and will not be able to.
Learning to say no to our flesh is a continuous and at the same time exhausting task. Training our entire being to be
Guided by the Holy Spirit takes its good time and certainly effort that is worth it.

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GOD'S REWARD FOR THE EFFORTS

A. They receive more strength to continue

Isaiah 40:29 says:
He gives strength to the weary, and multiplies the power of those who have no might.

The Lord knows everything that happens to His children and knows that we are flesh and bone, fallible and weak. That is why
that to our faith, He adds the power to keep standing in the gap and not give up. Have no doubt: When
You will cross to the other side to a new stage of blessing, it will have been by the forces of God.

B. They receive greater spiritual authority

Amos 5:9 says:
which gives effort to the stripped over the strong, and causes the plunderer to come upon the fortress

The Bible teaches us that the 'strong man' is the devil, who always tries to steal our blessings from God. When
We are faithful to the Lord, He equips us with greater authority to recover everything we have been stripped of. In the
In the name of the Lord, we can destroy the enemy's strongholds over our lives, families, and ministries.

A final word from God for the diligent.

Isaiah 41:9-13 says:

“[Link] I took you from the ends of the earth, and from faraway lands I called you, and I said: You are my servant; I have chosen you, and I have not forsaken you.
I [Link] not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God who strengthens you; I will always help you,
I will always uphold you with the right hand of my [Link], all those who are angry with you will be ashamed and
confused; they will be like nothing and perish those who contend with you.12. You will seek those who have a dispute with you, and
13.
You will not find them; they will be like nothing, and like something that is not, those who wage war against you. For I, the Lord, am your
God, who holds you by your right hand and says to you: Do not fear, I will help you.

At this moment, man, woman striving for God, I encourage you in faith to take this specific word from God as a
word for your specific situation. Let these words renew your faith, trust, and courage... And do not doubt that
You will see the glory of God in any place or position you find yourself!

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The Christian Must Be Hardworking and Brave

“[Link] David left there and fled to the cave of Adullam; and when his brothers and all his father's house heard it,
they came there to [Link] all the afflicted gathered with him, and everyone who was in debt, and all who were distressed.
in bitterness of spirit, and he became their chief; and he had with him about four hundred men. 1 Samuel 22: 1-2

Be strong all of you who hope in the Lord, and let your heart take courage. Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!

Introduction:
Being brave is having the spirit to face life's difficulties with some determination. You can feel the
hardships of what one faces, and even the temptation not to move forward, but one takes the snake by the tail, as one
Moses did, so that it would turn into a staff, and with the staff of faith, we open our way in life. David had the courage to face
to the giant Goliath and defeat him, but he also had the courage to flee when Saul sought to kill him. The Christian life is a
life of purpose and balance, because there is a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to seek and a time to lose,
a time to weep and a time to laugh, etc. (Eccles. 3). David fled to the cave of Adulam and attracted people in bitterness of
spirit, encouraged them, trained them, and made them his brave allies. Therefore, one must do the best one can with what
what you have and give thanks to God. Because everything in life works for good for those who love God (Rom. 8:28). Strive and
be brave and do what God wants you to do.

Point 1.
¿Cómo se llamó el padre de David? (1Sam. 17:58) Isaí de Belén. ¿Cómo se llamó su hermano mayor? (1Sam. 17:13)
Eliab. What was the command that God gave to Joshua? (Joshua 1:7-8) That he should be strong and courageous and not turn away.
from his mouth the book of the law. How did David demonstrate his bravery? (1 Sam. 17:36-37) By killing lions and bears and the giant
Goliath. What did three of David's mighty men do? (2Sam. 23:15-16) Therefore, they boldly entered the camp.
from the Philistines to bring water to David from the well of Bethlehem. What did Shammah son of Age do? (2Sam. 23:11-12) He defended
successfully a field of lentils from many Philistines.

Point 2.
What does the Bible say about striving in the work of the Lord? It says, (1)(Luke 13:24) that one must strive to enter through.
the gate that is narrow; (2) (Matt. 11:12; Luke 16:16), that all who strive for the kingdom of God will enter
he; (3)(1Cor. 16:13) that we must stand firm and behave courageously in the Christian life; (4)(2Tim. 2:1) and that there is
to always strive in the way of the Lord. Why do we have to be brave in the Christian life? (1) (Rev. 2:10)
Because, if we want to inherit the crown of life, we must be brave in the struggles that the Christian life brings us.
y(2)(Rev. 3:11) because we cannot allow another to take our crown.

Conclusion:

It is a fact that the Scriptures encourage us and urge us to be brave and to strive in every circumstance of life;
not to be intimidated, nor frightened and not to back down. The Word says: "For God has not given us a spirit of fear,
for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control" (2 Timothy 1:7). The Scriptures also encourage us "not to be frightened

before the enemies we have to face, since the Almighty God is with us" (Deut. 31:6). Also
the word says: 'We are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who have faith for the preserving of the soul.'
"soul." Our effort and courage will one day be made manifest and for that we will receive reward (Rev. 22:12).

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What should a Christian do?

The true Christian is distinguished as someone who strives, with the help of Christ, to live according to every word.
of God. Matthew 4:4 "He answered and said: It is written: Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from
the mouth of God. "Matthew 5:48 "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."
By submitting to Jesus Christ, the Christian increasingly manifests the fruits of the Spirit in their life.
A Christian is much more than someone who 'knows' the truth. The Gnostics believed that 'knowledge' brought the
salvation, and there are still those who deny that a Christian must 'do' something. But the Bible gives us very clear instruction.
different
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
Christians have to do what Christ did.
In the 'great commission' he gave these instructions to his followers:
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations... teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and behold, I am
I am with you all the days, until the end of the world.” Matthew 28:19-20
Christians must carry His message 'to all nations' and teach 'all the things' He commanded.
to alter its message until it became what it is today: something almost unrecognizable!
Unfortunately, many who call themselves Christians, even Christians who keep the commandments, only think of themselves.
same. Convinced that they must 'prepare the bride' (the Church) for the return of Christ, they set aside, however,
the instructions of the 'Groom'.

How can the Church 'prepare' for the return of Christ if it ignores his instructions to preach the
gospel of the Kingdom to all nations? (Matthew 24:14 'And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world, for
testimony to all nations; and then the end will come."). That's not possible! That is the reason why the Church of
God Living has sent this brochure; and that is why we publish other brochures, magazines, the Bible course for
correspondence and other educational material. That is why we broadcast the radio and television program The World of
Tomorrow. That is why we make use of the internet and all the means that God provides to carry out His work, in
so much so that it opens the doors for us to take their message to the world as testimony before the return of Jesus Christ.
It is important for our readers to fully recognize that those of us involved in this work, the magazine staff and
from the program The World Tomorrow, and all of us who in some way participate in the work of the Church of God
Living, we are dedicated to the task of restoring original Christianity!

When you read our articles and brochures or when you listen to the program The World of Tomorrow, it is very important
that they understand why we do what we do. Because our intention is to continue preaching and teaching the same.
message that Jesus and the first apostles proclaimed. Our goal is to restore, in all its spiritual aspects, the
the way of life that Jesus and the apostles taught and followed. And moreover, under the guidance of the Spirit of God, we will continue
preaching the inspired prophecies of the Bible and warning those who are willing to listen about what awaits us
wait.

As the time approaches for God's intervention in human affairs and the great tribulation, it is of vital importance
that you and your loved ones ensure that you truly belong to Jesus Christ, the Christ of the Bible; that you are
worshiping God 'in spirit and truth' (John 4:23 'But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers...
they will worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeks such worshipers to worship Him.) and to form
part of the true Church of God, the one that teaches and practices the original Christianity, the Christianity of Jesus and the early
apostles.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelation 3:13

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How to Live the Christian Life

Steps in your New LIFE

CREA
Create the events of the Bible, which is the Word of God, and which through Christ you have received eternal life.
John 5:10-13). Then, by faith, walk in newness of life (2 Corinthians 5:17). Remember that now you are a
living testimony of the saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ and that the new life of resurrection in Christ is
manifested in you, the believer, forever.

LEA
Read and study your Bible, memorizing the verses that are helpful and a blessing to you. Pay special attention.
on the promises that God gives to believers. Meditate on this and it will be nourishment for your soul (1 Peter 2:2).
Remember that the Word of God is the light for your path (Psalms 119:105) and your weapon of battle (Ephesians
6:17).

ORE
Pray constantly to God, your eternal Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Give thanks to God for everything.
(Ephesians 5:20); praise Him for His blessings (Philippians 4:6). Ask Him for victory over sin and weakness.
(1 John 1:9). Pray for the needs of others when you pray for your own needs. A life of
Constant prayer will keep you spiritually strong and growing.

CONFESS
Confess the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior as a testimony of your faith (Romans 10:9-11).
All those who have believed in their heart 'in salvation' will be able to confess their inner reality before
others. The Christian is an ambassador of Christ to the lost world (2 Corinthians 5:17-21).

AVOID
Avoid temptations. The Bible tells us that they will come, but we must be careful not to walk in
his paths (Psalms 1:1). It is also important that we avoid those things that we know may hinder
our Christian testimony, or cause us to stumble (1 Thessalonians 5:22). When temptation begins,
Remember that God has promised a way of escape for those who faithfully serve and obey Him.
(1 Corinthians 10:13).

TESTIFY
Testify about others concerning the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8). Many do not have the Savior, who will tell them?
Will he speak? (Romans 10:13-14). The greatest joy of the believer is the privilege of sharing the good news.
There is nothing more important that we could do for other people than to tell them about the power of God to
salvation. Make the Gospel known to the lost (Romans 1:16)!

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SIRVA
Serve the Lord Jesus Christ with joy (Psalms 100:2). God has a ministry for every believer (1 Corinthians
Join a local church that teaches sound Christian Biblical doctrine. You need the
pastoral care, instruction, and fellowship with others of the same faith, and the church needs him too.
usted. (Hebreos 10:25). Invierta su tiempo, talentos y dinero en la eternidad (Colosenses 3:1-3).

STAY
Stand firm in the Word of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). Be alert to false teachers and false...
doctrines (2 Peter 2:1-3). Test everything according to the Word of God, not by experiences (Isaiah 8:20).
Remember that God has promised victory for those who honor Him and His Holy Word (1 Corinthians
Be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ who perseveres to the end by doing His will and pleasing Him.
God.

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In Daily Communion
What is a devotional time?
It is a daily appointment with God. It must be daily because time is needed to develop your
relationship with him. Maturity does not come 'instantly', but is cultivated day by day.

O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.

"Oh Lord, in the morning you will hear my voice; in the morning I will present myself before you, and I will wait."

Some call it 'the quiet hour' because it is a time to wait before God, so that He can speak to us through His Word,
and then respond in a sentence.

What importance does a devotional time have?

Joshua 1:8
This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may keep and do
according to everything that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and everything will turn out well for you.

Psalm 63:1
God, my God, it is you; early in the morning I will seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my flesh longs for you, in a dry and arid land where
there are no waters,

But he answered and said, 'It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'

He answered and said: It is written: Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

Would you say that a daily appointment with God is a necessity or only a good idea if you have time?

WHEN AND WHERE TO HAVE YOUR DEVOTIONAL?

Perhaps the best time is in the morning. This allows you to start the day with God. Our Lord Jesus Christ, and people
Like David, they set aside special time in the morning (Psalm 5:3 'O Lord, in the morning you will hear my voice; in the morning I will...')
I will present myself before you, and I will wait." And Mark 1:35 "Rising very early in the morning, while it was still very dark, he went out and...

"He went to a deserted place, and there he prayed." Obviously, this implies that he will have to get up earlier than...
used to it, but it will be worth it.
One should look for a quiet place where they can spend this time without interruptions. Sometimes, to seek this privacy,
One must get up before others, close the door of their room or go to the dining room or to a living room or to a desk or
office, to the terrace or to the patio.

Set a time and place for your devotional right now:

Hora: _________________ Me levantaré a las: ___________________
Place: ____________________________________________________________________________________

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WHAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN YOUR DEVOTIONAL TIME

Preparation of your heart: What attitude should you present before God?

Psalm 139:23-24 With disposition, humility, and a desire to please God.

“[Link] me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts;[Link] see if there is a way in me of
perversity, and guide me on the eternal path.

Psalm 119:18 With expectation.

Open my eyes, and I will look at the wonders of your law.

Psalms 5:3 With contemplation waiting to hear the voice of our sweet Lord.
"Oh Lord, in the morning you will hear my voice; in the morning I will present myself before you, and I will wait."

Hebrews 4:16 With confidence to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
help.

Sentence
Pray to start your devotional. Present yourself to God, worship Him, thank Him for another day of life He has given you, ask
forgive them their sins and bless them in their devotional time so that you may understand what He wants to tell you.

Study of the Word of God

John 5:39 'Search the Scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life; and they are they which'
and bear witness of me;" he sends us to study the Scriptures deeply. This implies not only reading but also studying.
the passage with the purpose of discovering its meaning and what God wants to communicate to him.
To begin, study short passages (no more than one chapter).
Perhaps it is better to read a short passage several times than to read several chapters. This way you can analyze it well.

How to Study the Bible

Passage: ______________________

Here are some questions that may help you analyze the passage.

What impressed me the most about the passage?

What is the main idea?
What are the keywords? What do they mean?
What does it mean in my life? What does God want me to do today?
Also consider the following questions, as they will help you make the most of the passage:
Is there a mandate to obey?
Is there a role model?
Is there a sin to avoid?
Is there a promise to make her mine?

I bought a notebook today to use in your devotional time. Use the box method above when studying your Bible.
writing down his thoughts in his notebook.

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Sentence
Ore refiriéndose al pasaje bíblico estudiado. Responda a Dios, comentándole su reacción al pasaje. Incluya en su
sentence:
✓ Confession upon realizing all the impurity in his life.
✓ Worship for what God is (the Psalms can help you enrich your praise).
✓ Pray for the requests on your prayer list.
✓ Thanksgiving for what God has given him.

Sing to the Lord

Music lifts your spirit and helps create an atmosphere of worship in your devotional time. Sing or listen to choirs.
and hymns regularly, not only in your devotional, but throughout the day. Ephesians 5:19 'speaking to one another with
Psalms, with hymns and spiritual songs, singing and praising the Lord in your hearts;

Put into practice what you have learned

James 1:22 "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."
it warns to be 'doers of the word, not just hearers'. Reading the Bible without applying it to your life is like verse
face in a mirror and leave without cleaning the stains that the mirror shows you. It will not make sense to read the Bible if it is not
willing to submit to what it says.

Meditate and Memorize

Copy a verse from the passage read onto a card, paper, or notebook so you can meditate on it throughout the day. Try to
memorize it. In this way God will help you resist sin.

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PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS

1. Take the time you need for your devotional. Don't try to rush.

2. Give priority to your daily appointment with God. Try not to miss the appointment. If you miss a day, don’t be discouraged; but don’t miss the day.
next.

3. Try to read a chapter daily. Sometimes, it's better to read less in order to study it well.

4. Mark your Bible, underlining key verses to find them later.

[Link] de poner los versículos claves en sus propias palabras para entenderlos mejor.

6. If you find it hard to concentrate, read or pray out loud or while standing. Don't have your devotional lying in bed; you might fall asleep.
Ask for God's power to be able to concentrate.

7. Have a notebook to write down the results of your Bible study, prayer requests, etc.

The Confession
What should Confession be like?
The confession must be made to God in prayer, in a private place with God, following the next:

1 Juan 1:8-9
9.
“[Link] we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
We confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Confessing is not just saying 'I sinned'. True confession requires several things:

Be sincere.
To be repentant (to wish not to commit the same sin again).
Be specific (tell God what my sin concretely consisted of).
Do it soon. As soon as I realize that I have sinned, I must confess it. Otherwise, I am exposed to falling into
more sin.
Do it with humility (ask for forgiveness from those people who were affected by my sin).
We should not continue reproaching ourselves for the sins we have already confessed. If God has forgiven us, we must
to be sure of his forgiveness, and to thank him for having done so.

1 Juan 2:1-2
“1. My little children, these things I write to you so that you may not sin; and if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father.
Father, to Jesus Christ the [Link] he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also
for everyone around the world.

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Necessary Provisions for the Study of the Holy Scriptures

Every Bible student who wishes to gain the most spiritual benefit from it needs the following:

1. A respectful spirit.- The Bible is the Word of God, which is why we must approach it with great respect.
with absolute reverence. When we study the Word of God in this way, it will reveal its wonders to us.

2. A docile spirit.- The stubborn person who approaches the Bible with preconceived ideas in the eagerness to criticize it.
or finding errors and contradictions in it, will gain no spiritual benefit from it. But the meek disciple and
the meek will see and understand the divine truth, for God promises 'He will guide the humble in judgment, and will teach the'
He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.” Psalm 25:9

3. Love for truth. - To study the Bible profitably, it is necessary to have a heart that loves the truth.
God, and because of this he wishes to know her.

4. Patience in study.- Patience, diligence, and perseverance are essential virtues for studying.
profitably the Holy Scriptures. Psalms 119: 103, 128, [Link] sweet are your words to my palate!
128. Therefore, I considered all your commandments to be right above all things, and I hated everything.
More than honey to my mouth.
path of lies.162.I rejoice in your word like one who finds great spoil.

5. Prudence in study.- One must begin the study of the Bible from the simplest to the most difficult.
The New Testament is simpler than the Old. The gospels are easier than the apostolic letters. The three
The first gospels are simpler than the fourth.

Some suggestions for personal study of the scriptures

but let everything be done decently and in order.
But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.

I find it necessary to share some useful suggestions that can help during personal study of the Scriptures.
As mentioned, they are 'suggestions' and should not necessarily be understood as 'absolute laws' to be able to
understand the Bible. These suggestions are very personal, and they have helped me in my studies of the Scriptures.

For personal Bible study, it is suggested:

Set aside some time.

The day does not have more than 24 hours, the week does not have more than seven days. Therefore, we have enough time to be able to
apartar un horario y poder estudiar. Entiendo que muchas veces las ocupaciones seculares u otros, hacen dificultoso poder
punctualize the time. But it's all a matter of organization! It's advisable to make the effort to carve out a space,
whether in the morning, in the afternoon, or at night. Perhaps thirty minutes; an hour a day, or just organizing a
schedule and day of the week to carry out this effort. Of course, the 'desire' that each one has plays an important role here.
Take care! Many times we waste too much time on superficial things that kill our time. I am not...

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against it, but there are times when in our order of priorities a soccer match, a movie, has more value
telenovelas, Facebook, etc., to dedicate some time for the study of the word of God.
This is what the apostle Paul wrote:"[Link] carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,
16.
making the most of the time, because the days are evil.' (Ephesians 5:15-16). Making the most of the time is knowing
to be organized and to live orderly and wisely!

Find a place to study.

We all have our place in the house. It is that place that helps us think, meditate, and reason. It is essential to set aside
a place for studying the Scriptures. Perhaps in the privacy of your room, a special room, or if possible to have
a private office where one can be in silence and communicate with oneself. The mind needs concentration and must
to be directly focused on what is being studied.
It's necessary to have silence in order to study! For this reason, it's essential to talk with the family and teach the children the
Order. The family must understand that during the time allocated for studying, their privacy should not be invaded.
we must distract ourselves, otherwise everything will become more difficult. Whenever possible, always use the same place to carry
finish your studies!

3. Keep the place tidy.

It is important to be organized and avoid clutter. Therefore, keep your desk free of papers and books that you are not using.
using. All those things that are in excess, remove them from your sight and arrange them elsewhere. Being organized is
just pay attention to the important things. Remember that God is a God of order! Paul wrote to a church
that had several disorders like the one in Corinth: "Let all things be done decently and in order" (1 Corinthians 14:40). This
Truth must be applied to us in every aspect of life!

Say a prayer before studying.

The prayer is to harmonize what one desires with what God desires. It is essential to begin with a prayer to
Our Father before studying. The knowledge we can obtain from our God is what determines our
practice speaking with him. Jesus, before naming his twelve apostles, spent the night praying (Luke 6:12-16). How much
but we must do it ourselves, dedicating a moment to prayer before starting our Bible studies.
Indeed, the Bible says that he has "left us an example, to follow in his steps" (1 Peter 2:21).

One must have the desire to study the Bible daily, for through it we will be greatly blessed. The Bible contains
a wealth of riches that must be harvested by all those who profess to love God. I like those words.
from Jeremiah, who said: "Your words were found, and I ate them; and your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart."
"heart" (Jeremiah 15:16). The word of God is a resource available to everyone. There should be no type of limitation.
that prevents us from rejoicing our heart with the study of the Scriptures. Let us turn to the Bible with great excitement and
enthusiasm!

Without a doubt, the serious student of the Scriptures will receive an unmatched benefit, a benefit that will have consequences.
not only for this life, but for eternity. We must not forget that we will be judged by what the Scriptures tell us.
(Revelation 20:12 - see John 12:48); it is advisable to study them carefully!
It is my hope that this humble treatise has encouraged you to be more dedicated to the study of the Scriptures with a
open mind and putting sense (Nehemiah 8:8); and not to be carried away by forced interpretations that are foreign to the will
of God.

Finally, I wish to join in the prayer of the apostle Paul saying: "9. And this I ask in prayer, that your love may abound
even more and more in science and in all knowledge,[Link] that you approve of what is best, in order that you may be sincere and
irreproachable for the day of Christ,[Link] of the fruits of righteousness that are through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise
of God.” (Philippians 1:9-11). May God help us to study and use the Scriptures well!

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7 Condiciones para La Oración Contestada

Everything has a purpose. We cannot pray for the sake of praying, pray mechanically, pray simply emotionally, pray like
a religious exercise where there are no results.
When we pray, we want to see results, and God wants to answer our prayers. Jeremiah 33:3 "Call to me, and I will...
I will answer you, and I will show you great and hidden things that you do not know.
Not only are the prayers answered, but through prayer we learn to know God. The more time
we move on to a better person, we get to know her.
When our prayer life begins to grow, words flow easily guided by the Holy Spirit.

A heart free of sin.

The glass must be clean in order to pray, we must be holy to have communion with a holy God. He
he is compassionate, he is merciful, he is full of grace, he is truth, he is full of all virtues, but he continues
being holy and just, and to dwell with Him one must be like Him. 1 Peter 1:[Link], like the one who called you
be holy, for I am holy; but also you be holy in all your conduct;[Link] it is written: Be holy, for I am
I am a saint.

If you are in sin, do not pray, because you will waste time. If we are in sin, we must repent before
God and ask Him for forgiveness. 1 John 1:9 'If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins.'
sins, and cleanse us from all wickedness.

God listens to the prayers of His saints, and not only does He listen to them, but He also keeps them in golden bowls. Revelation 5:8
And when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the
Lamb; everyone had harps, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints;", Psalm 66:18-
20"[Link] I had regarded iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have heard [Link] certainly me
20. Blessed be God, who did not reject my prayer, nor turn away from me his
God heard; He listened to the voice of my plea.
mercy.

We must ask for forgiveness for our sins but also pray that God frees us from those that are hidden to us.
Salmos 19:12-14“ [Link] can understand their own mistakes? Deliver me from those that are hidden from [Link]
also from the proud; Let them not rule over me; Then I will be blameless, and I will be clean from great
[Link] the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock, and
my redeemer.

God receives our prayer and we receive his mercy.

2. The attitude of forgiveness towards my peers

Matthew 6:12, [Link] forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.14.
For if you forgive men their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive [Link] if not
If you forgive men their offenses, your Father will not forgive your offenses either.

When we do not have a true attitude of forgiveness, God does not forgive our sins, and therefore He does not listen.
Our prayers for not being in holiness. He didn't even want to receive our offering. Matthew 5:[Link],

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If you bring your offering to the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you,[Link] your offering there before the
altar, and go, reconcile first with your brother, and then come and present your offering.

The one who offends must ask for forgiveness, and the one who is offended must forgive even if no one asks for forgiveness. Matthew 18:23-35
“[Link] this reason, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his [Link] starting
25.
to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed ten thousand talents. Since he could not pay, he ordered his
Sir, sell to him, and to his wife and children, and everything he had, so that the debt could be [Link] that servant,
prostrate, he begged him, saying: Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you [Link] lord of that servant,
Moved by mercy, he released him and forgave the [Link] when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants,
that owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him, he choked him, saying: Pay me what you [Link] your fellow servant,
falling at his feet, he begged him saying: Have patience with me, and I will pay you [Link] he didn't want to, but
he went and threw him in jail until he paid the [Link] what was happening to their fellow countrymen, they were very saddened,
And they went and reported to their lord all that had [Link], llamándole su señor, le dijo: Siervo malvado,
I forgave all that debt of yours, because you [Link]. Shouldn't you also have had mercy on your fellow servant?
as I had mercy on you?34. Then his lord, angry, delivered him to the tormentors, until he should pay all that was due.
35.
So will my heavenly Father do to you if you do not forgive each one from your heart.
brother his offenses.

3. Pray always according to the will of God

1 John 5:[Link] this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he
he/she hears [Link] if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we
we have done.

Where do I find the will of God?

Firstly in the word, secondly in the genuine direction of the Holy Spirit. It is genuine when it is in harmony.
with the word of God, with the character of God which is love and with the justice of God, this is also valid for the
dreams, visions, and prophecies.

4. Remaining in Jesus
John 15:4-8 [Link] in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it
remain in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me.5.I am the vine, you are the branches; he who
Abide in me, and I in you, this one bears much fruit; for without me you can do [Link] who is not in me
remains, will be cast out like a branch, and it will wither; and they gather them, and throw them into the fire, and [Link].
You remain in me, and my words remain in you; ask for anything you want, and it will be done for [Link] this it is
glorified my Father, in that you bear much fruit, and so you will be my disciples.

Remaining in Jesus is keeping His commandments, and when this happens, we bear much fruit. John 15:10 'If
you will keep my commandments, you will remain in my love; just as I have kept my Father's commandments,
and I remain in his love.

We cannot be a casual visitor to Jesus, we must not be a Sunday Christian or an event Christian. The
A true Christian has a life committed to Jesus and to God.

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To remain in the word is the same as remaining in the doctrine of the apostles as the early church did.
Acts 2:42 "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine, in fellowship, in the breaking of bread...
bread and in the sentences.

5. Faith, we must believe that God hears and answers

James 1:6-8 [Link] let him ask in faith, nothing wavering; for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, which is
dragged by the wind and thrown from one side to [Link] not think, therefore, that anyone who does this will receive anything from
Mister.8.A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.

We must be consistent and not of double mind.

Hebrews 10:[Link] the just shall live by faith; and if he draws back, my soul shall have no pleasure in [Link] we don't
we are not of those who retreat to perdition, but of those who have faith for the preservation of the soul.

Hebrews 11:1,61. Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not [Link] without faith it is
impossible to please God; for he who approaches God must believe that He exists, and that He rewards
those who seek him.

6. Ask the Father in the name of Jesus

John 16:[Link] that day you will ask in my name; and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father for you,[Link]
The Father himself loves you, because you have loved me, and have believed that I came from God.

The Father is asked in the name of the Son in the power of the Holy Spirit.

7. Persistence
Luke 11:[Link] also said to them: Which of you who has a friend, goes to him at midnight and says: Friend,
6.
lend me three loaves of bread, 7.
because a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him; and that one,

responding from inside, he says: Don't bother me; the door is already closed, and my children are with me in bed;
I can't get up, and give them to you?8.I tell you that even if he does not rise to give them to him for being his friend, however,
your unworthiness will rise up and give you everything you need.9. And I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find;
Call, and it will be opened to [Link] everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.

2.
Luke 18:1-8 [Link] also told them a parable about the necessity of always praying and not losing heart,
saying: There was a judge in a city, who neither feared God nor respected [Link] was also in that city
4.
a widow came to him, saying: Grant me justice against my adversary. And he would not for a time; but
after this he said to himself: Although I neither fear God, nor have respect for man,[Link], because this
The widow is annoying me, I will do justice, lest by coming continuously, she wears out my [Link] the Lord said: Hear
what the unjust judge [Link] will God not bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?
In answering them?8.I tell you that justice will soon be done for them. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?
earth?

We must persist in prayer because the enemy stands in the way so that we do not receive the answer. Do not confuse,
to persist in prayer is not to make vain repetitions, but while we have a burden for a certain situation we must
keep praying to God every time we have the opportunity. But when the burden disappears, even if it hasn't arrived yet
The answer is, we must rest trusting that the situation is already in Jesus' hands.

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THE SENTENCE
Learning to communicate with God

1. Introduction.

By having placed faith in our Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, He has brought about in us the New Birth.
Spiritual. This new birth allows us to relate to God under the New Covenant. Being involved in the new
Covenant is being in communion with God, this communion gives us everything we need to live the Christian life.

Christianity is living out the will of God. Christianity is Christ living His life through us (1 John
"He who says he abides in him ought to walk as he walked." Therefore, it is necessary to be in continuous communion.
with Him to know what His will is and to carry it out. This communion with God is what we call prayer, of which it says the
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ [Link] always [Link] sin [Link] you for everything, because
this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.

The passage teaches that continual prayer is one of the normal characteristics of the Christian life as it is the will of
God. And it is of such importance that after being Spiritually Born and having the Spirit of God dwelling in
We, prayer is the most important element in the life of every Christian. Without it, it is impossible to live the Christian life.
because prayer is really communicating with God.

2. The prayer is to converse with God.

Prayer is actually talking to God. Prayer is something we must learn to do, especially because
In the world, we have learned and practiced a way of communicating that, although it can be very effective, does not
is appropriate in our relationship with God.
In a conversation, there must be at least two participants; when one speaks, the other listens, and when the one who speaks...
the one who was listening responds.

A. How does God speak?

Generally, people have no problems expressing to God what they think or making countless requests.
requests but there is a lot of ignorance regarding how God speaks and communicates with man. The cause
not understanding this makes men think that God is responding and prayer has become a
monologue. However, God speaks and responds to men in different ways.

God speaks through the conscience.

Psalms 16:7 "I will bless the Lord who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me."
Conscience has been placed in man by God and it is what tells him when something is good or bad.
Conscience in man without Christ is cauterized or corrupted due to values and goals that are completely
mistaken in the world. However, it is an element given by God to guide man and there is no other remedy.
to the man who uses it.

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Consciousness is of such importance in directing the life of man that all those who have not heard the
the word of God will be judged by their conscience. Romans 2:[Link] when the gentiles who do not have
15.
they naturally do what is of the law, these, although they have no law, are a law unto themselves, showing the
the work of the law written in their hearts, bearing witness to their conscience, and accusing or defending them
reasonings,

People who live according to their conscience (or in integrity) are people who usually end up
Knowing God. Acts 23:1 "Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said: Men and brethren, I with
I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day." John 3:21 "But he who practices the truth
comes to light, so that it may be made manifest that his works are done in God.

Although a man lives according to his conscience, it does not mean he is doing what is right, the perfect.
the will of God. 1 Corinthians 4:4 "For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted; but
the one who judges me is the Lord.

God speaks through the scriptures.

2 Timothy 3:16-17: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
to instruct in righteousness, so that the man of God may be perfect for every good work.

The scriptures have been given to us by God so that with them we can correct our consciences of all those
completely wrong concepts that we have learned in the world. For this reason, the more we know and
let us grow in the scriptures, for it will correct our conscience, which will allow us to discern right from wrong,
it is from God and what is not from God. Therefore, we must renew ourselves through the scriptures in our
understanding and thus proving what is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2 'Do not be'
conform to this century, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that
you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

When a Christian says that they live according to the word of God, what is really happening is that they are
living according to his conscience renewed by the word of God. Acts 24:16 'And for this reason I strive to have'
always a conscience without offense before God and before men." 2 Corinthians 1:12 "For our glory is this:
the testimony of our conscience, which with the simplicity and sincerity of God, not with human wisdom, but with the
grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and much more with you.” and Romans 9:1 “I speak the truth in
Christ, I am not lying, and my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit.

God speaks through the Holy Spirit.

While the Lord Jesus Christ was on earth, He was the one who bore witness to the truth. Knowing that He was about to depart, He gave...
the promise that the Holy Spirit would continue to bear witness to the truth John 16:13 'But when he comes...'
Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but he will tell you everything...
what you will hear, and it will make you know the things that are to come.

The Holy Spirit is dwelling in the life of every child of God, fulfilling the promise given by the Lord.
Jesus. Every Christian must live under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. 1 John 2:27 'But the anointing that you received...'
what you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you; just as the anointing itself
He teaches you all things, and is true, and is not a lie, just as he has taught you, abide in him.

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The Holy Spirit can speak to us and guide us in many different ways: placing a feeling, through the
scriptures, through a preaching, with the manifestation of spiritual gifts, through a situation,
hearing a voice, having a vision, a dream, etc.

The direction of the Holy Spirit never goes against the scriptures or the principles taught by God.

B. ¿Cómo debe hablar el hombre?

Men have learned to communicate with each other, but communication with God is something very different.
Therefore, we must learn to communicate with God. What do the scriptures teach us about this?

The prayer must be made to God.

On one occasion, the disciples asked the Lord Jesus Christ to teach them how to pray, and he said to them: 'You, then,
you shall pray like this: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,” Matthew 6:9.

The first thing Jesus teaches is that prayer should be directed to God the Father. If we review the scriptures, we will notice
that the apostles prayed to the Father or to God. 2 Corinthians 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Father of mercies and God of all consolation," Philippians 1:3 "I give thanks to my God every time I remember
for you,” Colossians 1:3 “Always praying for you, we give thanks to God, Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ," 1 Peter 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy...
he made us reborn for a living hope, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Jesus not only taught that our prayer should be to the Father, but that everything we ask of the Father we must
do it in his name. John 14:[Link] whatever you ask the Father in my name, I will do it, so that the Father
be glorified in the [Link] you ask anything in my name, I will do it." John 15:16 "You did not choose me
me, but I chose you, and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain; for
that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give you.”, John 16:[Link] that day you will not ask me
Nothing. Truly, truly I say to you, that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give it 24.
to you. Up to now
You have not asked anything in my name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be fulfilled.

Another very important thing that Jesus taught is that we must ask the Heavenly Father to give us the Holy Spirit.
Luke 11:13 'If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father'
"Will the heavenly one give the Holy Spirit to those who ask for it?"
To summarize, we can say that Scripture teaches us that 'we must pray to the Father in the name of Jesus Christ in
the power or the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

We don't need intermediaries.

To communicate with God, intermediaries are not needed as He is omnipresent (that is, everywhere) and
he is also omniscient (he knows everything), so all we have to do is pray to the Father in the name
of Jesus Christ. Jeremiah 23:23-25 [Link] I a God near at hand, says the Lord, and not a God afar off?
24.
Will anyone hide, says the Lord, in secret places that I do not see him? Do I not fill, says the Lord, heaven and earth?
25.
I have heard what those prophets said, prophesying lies in my name, saying: I dreamed, I dreamed.

Not only has God heard what those lying prophets said, the scripture tells us that God knows our
more intimate thoughts and knows beforehand what we are going to say: Psalms 139:1-4 1. Oh Lord, you have me
examined and known. 2. You have known my sitting down and my rising up; You have understood my thoughts from afar.

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[Link] have scrutinized my walk and my rest, and all my ways are known to [Link], it's still not here.
the word in my tongue, and behold, oh Lord, you know it all.

Some believe they need intermediaries because they do not consider themselves worthy of speaking with God.
There are believers who ask other believers to pray for them because they believe that the other believer has a direct connection to God.
he answers him, but scripture teaches us that there is only one mediator between God and man, and that mediator is
Jesus Christ. 1 Timothy 2:[Link] there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, Jesus Christ.
man,[Link] gave himself as a ransom for all, which he testified at the proper time.7. For
I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie), and a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and
Truth. I [Link], then, that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without anger and without disputing.
9.
Likewise, that women adorn themselves with decent clothing, with modesty and propriety; not with ostentatious hairstyles, nor gold.
neither pearls nor expensive dresses,[Link] with good works, as is proper for women who profess [Link]
woman learn in silence, with all submission.

The only valid intermediary between God and men is Jesus Christ, who died for our sins.
justifying ourselves and making ourselves acceptable before God. This means that any child of God can
to approach God with confidence.

Others believe they need intermediaries because of the nature of their request.
These people believe that God does not answer their requests because they do not have enough faith or because their request
it istoo big to address directly to God. Therefore, they seek an intermediary who can influence
or to manipulate God to force Him to answer something they believe God does not want to answer.

The belief in an intermediary to do this is evidence of great ignorance and a terrible image of
God. Romans 8:31-32 31. What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? The32.
He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also along with him graciously give us all things?
all things?

This bad belief of needing an intermediary to communicate with God is what has given rise to a practice
that in the eyes of God must be abominable: and it is the one of payment, or making a pact with God when making a request to secure
the answer to this.

The prayer must be sincere.

Matthew 6:5 "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the
corners of the streets, to be seen by men; truly I tell you, they already have their reward.

When the prayer is not sincere, it does not please God, because it is an attempt to deceive God, for God is in
everywhere and knows everything. Such behavior is clear evidence of not knowing God.
God appreciates sincerity, there is more trust in God when you tell Him what you really think even if you
he is wrong.

In our relationship with God, sincerity is more important than knowledge, and when there is sincerity, God
increase knowledge. When there is no sincerity in our prayers, God who knows all, perceives our
hypocrisy and lack of trust in Him, which certainly damages our relationship with Him.

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If the prayer is sincere and to God, it does not matter what people think, God who sees what is deep within
our heart promises to reward us publicly. Matthew 6:6 "But you, when you pray, go into your room, and
When you have closed the door, pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you in public.
Mark 9:[Link] said to him, 'If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.'[Link] immediately the father of
The boy cried out and said: I believe; help my unbelief.

The sentence should not contain useless repetitions.

Matthew 6:7-86. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret;
7.
And your Father who sees in secret will reward you in public. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions, like the
Gentiles, who think that by their words they will be [Link] not be like them; for your
Father knows what things you need, before you ask Him.

What leads men to insistently ask God for something? Is God deaf? Is He forgetful? Does He...
Do you like to make others beg to feel important? Does God charge us for prayers? Doesn't God understand what it is
Good for us, and after asking for anything so much, will it end up giving it to us? Any of these reasons shows
the great ignorance that people have of God. To pray is to converse with God, the continuous repetitions
they are not.

God knows what we need even before we ask Him, however God commands us to ask and to never
they bother our requests. Luke 11:[Link] I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
will open [Link] everyone who asks receives; and he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks it will be opened.” However
after praying, instead of insisting with the same prayer or insisting with arguments to convince God to
give us what we ask for, we must learn to rest, that God at the right moment will give the answer
You need to bring true blessing to our life.

One of the reasons to rest is the following promise:

1 Juan 5:14-15“[Link] this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will,
He hears [Link] if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests.
that we have done to him.

Where it tells us that everything we ask for, if it is according to His will, God will hear us and grant us what we ask.
we have asked.

If I ask for something that is not in accordance with God's will, God will not answer us, so we should not insist.
with the same request would be foolishness. We also run the risk that they will respond to show us the
wrong about our request, and we will end up regretting and repenting for having made such a request to
God. We can see what happened to Balaam in Numbers 22:1-34.

When are repetitions valid?

There are sentences where there are continuous repetitions that declare the attributes of God. Isaiah 6:3 'And one to another'
And they were calling out to one another: 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.'
4:8 'And the four living creatures each had six wings, and were full of eyes around and within; and they did not
they ceased not day and night to say: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, who is, and who is to come.
has to come.

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This type of sentence is actually called praise or worship, it is also called exaltation, and when we do them
By repeating the greatness of what God is, it comforts our soul and gives us strength to face difficult situations.

There are passages that teach that persistence in prayer brings results, but we must understand the difference between
no empty words and the legitimate need to insist with our prayer. Luke 18:1-71. Jesus also referred to them a
parable about the need to pray always, and not lose heart,[Link]: There was in a city a judge, who neither feared
neither feared God nor respected [Link] was also in that city a widow, who came to him, saying: Grant me
justice of my [Link] he did not want for some time; but after this he said to himself: Even though I do not fear
5.
to God, nor do I have respect for man, yet because this widow is troublesome to me, I will grant her justice, lest
coming continuously, I ran out of [Link] the Lord said: Hear what the unjust judge [Link] doesn't God...
Will he not bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?

There must be knowledge.

Having the promise that God will answer every prayer made according to His will 1 John 5:14-15 14.Y
15.
this is the confidence we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if
We know that he hears us in anything we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have made to him.
done." The knowledge of God's will becomes one of the most important matters of life.
Philippians 1:[Link] this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all
knowledge10. so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,

The lack of knowledge of the will of God will lead us to do many completely wrong things, which
en lugar de hacer bien producirá mucho mal. Igual pasa con las oraciones hechas sin el conocimiento de la voluntad
from God, when God does not respond we will be in a state of confusion regarding the person of God.

There must be true desires.

It is also possible that we make sentences in which we do not have a true desire to receive the answer from.
God: "Lord, give me disciples." It can also happen that we pray interceding for another person, but without desire.
from the heart, from the heart, may God respond.

If we are asking God for things that we don't care whether He gives us or not, then it will not affect us if God responds.
Oh no, most likely God will not answer. Matthew 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is..."
it is the kingdom of heaven.

When we pray asking something from the Lord, we must do it not only with faith but also with great desire and passion.
2 Kings 13:18-19 [Link] he said again: Take the arrows. And when the king of Israel had taken them, he said to him:
He struck the ground. And he struck it three times, and [Link] the man of God, angry with him, said: To the
If you had dealt five or six blows, you would have defeated Syria until none remained; but now you will only defeat them three times.
to Syria.

The best motivation with praying with passion and desire is true love. Galatians 5:5-6 [Link], we by the
Spirit, we wait for the hope of justice by faith; for in6. Christ Jesus neither circumcision counts for anything, nor the
not uncircumcision, but faith that works through [Link] God is my witness of how I love you
to all of you with the affectionate love of Jesus Christ.9. And this I ask in prayer, that your love may abound even more
and more in science and in all knowledge,

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The Apostle Paul, aware of the love for his disciples, fervently prays for them and asks that their love
it will also grow more and more. It is undeniable that when we truly love someone, we will have the best
Wishes for that person, in such a way that we will rejoice in their triumphs and feel saddened by their defeats.
Romans 12:15 "Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep."

But if there is no love, we will be indifferent to their life, to such an extent that our prayer will not be fervent, or
passionate and therefore it will not be effective. Santiago 5:[Link] your offenses to one another, and pray.
17.
each other, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful. Elijah was a man subject to
passions similar to ours, and he prayed fervently that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three
years and six [Link] he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

There must be faith

Mark 11:[Link] answered them, saying: Have faith in [Link] truly I say to you that anyone
whoever says to this mountain: Be removed and cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will be done
say, what he says will be [Link], I tell you that whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it, and it will be yours.
will come.

According to this passage, anyone who truly believes that what they say will be done, will be fulfilled. For this reason, it says
the Lord Jesus that anything we ask believing, you will receive the answer. However, this promise does not
it can be separated from this other: 1 John 5:14-15 [Link] this is the confidence we have in Him, that if we ask
Anything in accordance with his will, he hears [Link] if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask,
We know that we have the requests we have made to him.

If we do not take this second promise into account, we could think that anything we ask for believing it
we will receive it, regardless of whether it is a good or a bad request.
If God did not place this filter and answered any request, it would bring great problems, as God would be seen
you ask and do not receive, because
You ask badly, to spend on your pleasures.

But if we take into account this second promise. 1 John 5:14-15 [Link] this is the trust we have in him,
that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears [Link] if we know that he hears us in anything
that we ask for, we know that we have the requests that we have made to him/her." we know that anything that
If we ask according to the will of God, we will receive the answer to that request.

If we do not have an affirmative answer, our trust in God must lead us to recognize that the request was
mistaken or it is not the time to receive it, therefore God's negative response is the best we can have
receive at that moment.

The reason why God responds positively or negatively to a request is always the same: the Purpose.
God's eternal will be fulfilled in man. There is no greater blessing for man than for God to fulfill His purpose.
in him.

There are Christians who instead of praying make declarations of faith or proclamations of faith without realizing that what they say is
or not according to the will of God, and many times they declare as fact things that God does not support because they do not
to be his will. For example, they have declared a sick person healthy and then they had to preach at the funeral.

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For this reason, when we are going to pray, if God has shown us what He is going to do and asks us to do it.
Let us declare it as a fact, we must do it and the request will be fulfilled. But if we are not clear about what the will is.
From God, the right thing is to say a prayer as the Lord Jesus taught us in one of the most critical moments of
His life 'Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.' Luke 22:42

Any prayer in which we are wholeheartedly willing to accept God's will, whatever it may be
it is something that undoubtedly pleases God.

There must be obedience.

Prayer is a resource given by God for us to do His will; those who do not want to do His will do not
needs the prayer. John 15:7,[Link] you remain in me, and my words remain in you, ask for anything
what you want, and it will be done to [Link] you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love; just as I have
I have kept my Father's commandments, and I remain in his love.

When someone does not remain in God nor does the word of God remain in him, it is most certain that the requests that
let's pray they will not be according to the will of God and therefore will not be answered. (1 John
5:[Link] this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he will
[Link] if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we
You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.

There are also those who, without knowing God and without wishing to do His will, use prayer to get what they want.
but God will not answer that prayer.

When a Christian is born again through faith in Jesus Christ, they will show the works of a new life.
in Christ, and among those works is a life obedient to God. James 2:14 "My brothers, what good will it do
If someone says he has faith, but does not have works? Can faith save him?

It is common due to the hardness of man's heart that when he does not receive an answer to his prayers, instead
Instead of acknowledging the mistakes made or the bad attitude in making them, he prefers to blame God. However, God in His word
It clarifies to us the reason why he does not answer: Isaiah 59:1-21. Behold, the hand of the Lord is not shortened to
save, neither has his hearing worsened;[Link] your iniquities have made a division between you and your God
God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he will not hear." God does not listen to the prayers of the
man who lives in sin. Psalms 66:18-19 [Link] I had regarded iniquity in my heart,
The Lord would not have heard [Link] certainly God heard me; he attended to the voice of my plea.

There must be time.

Due to the importance of prayer for our lives and the command to pray without ceasing, we must understand what it is.
necessary to have enough time to pray. Jesus would rise very early, while it was still very dark, he would go out and
He went to a deserted place, and there he prayed. Mark 1:35 "Rising very early in the morning, while it was still very dark, he went out and..."
He went to a deserted place, and there he prayed.

It is a big mistake not to make time to pray, for prayer is one of the most important resources for our
spiritual life. Prayer is as important as our breathing, as our life depends on it.

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The study of the scriptures gives us knowledge of God and His will, and prayer allows us to relate to Him.
with God. Without these two elements, it is impossible to live the Christian life.

Given this, is it correct for a Christian to say that they don't have time to pray? Isn't it rather a clear...
evidence that you are not managing your time well?

When someone says they don't have time to pray or for anything God asks of them, it is because they are not
willing to pay the price, not because he doesn't have time. This shows that his scale of values and his priorities
They are wrong. For this reason, the scripture warns us: Luke 14:33 "So, anyone of you who does not renounce..."
“He who owns anything cannot be my disciple.”, 2 Timothy 2:4 “No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs
life, in order to please the one who took him as a soldier.

3. Benefits of prayer.

Prayer being one of the powerful resources given by God for us to do His will, the benefits of prayer
There are many. The main one is that it helps in the work of God, but regarding our lives we can...
mention.

Prayer allows us to know God better each time.

Knowing that God only answers what is His will, through answered and unanswered prayers we can
by evaluating the will of God, which also allows us to know Him better. Knowledge is so important
of God, which is one of the few things of which God allows us to boast or praise ourselves. Jeremiah 9:[Link] said
Jehovah: Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor let the mighty man boast in his might, nor let the rich man boast in his riches.
24. But let him who glories glory in this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, who exercises lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.

mercy, judgment, and justice on the earth; for these things I desire, says the Lord.

How can we know and understand God if we do not converse with Him?
All our life and all our eternity will depend on the knowledge we have of God. Ephesians 3:19 "and of
to know the love of Christ, which surpasses all knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
1Tesalonisenses 5:4-6“[Link] you, brothers, are not in darkness, so that day should not overtake you as a thief.
5. 6.
For you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore, do not
Let us sleep as others do, but let us watch and be sober.”, 1 John 2:5-6 but whoever keeps his word, in this
5.

Truly the love of God has been perfected; for this we know that we are in Him.6. He who says he remains
In him, you must walk as he walked.

The more knowledge we have of God, the easier our lives become not only because we do things
more accurately, otherwise because trust in God allows us to know Him more and more.

Prayer is the thermometer of our relationship with God.

Just like a couple in love, who wish to know each other better because of the love they have, they spend time together.
Conversing, just like the time we dedicate to prayer with God shows how in love we are with Him.
God.

But if there is a bad relationship with God, prayer will be almost nonexistent or worse, it could be hypocritical and stubborn or religious.

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Exodus 16:4 "And the Lord said to Moses: Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather daily
the portion of a day, so that I can test if he is in my law, or not.

When we become aware that the world is a desert for our spiritual life is when we draw closer to God in
search for the necessary spiritual food. We must meditate on what our main goals in life are and in
our daily lives, whether God is the first in our life, or is it our work, or study, husband or wife or child or
business or anything else in our life Matthew 10:[Link] who loves father or mother more than me is not
worthy of me; he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;[Link] he who does not take his cross and follow
to me, is not worthy of [Link] finds their life will lose it; and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it." Psalms
32:[Link] I kept silent, my bones aged in my groaning all [Link] day and night it worsened
about me your hand; it became my greenness in summer droughts. Selah 5.I declared my sin to you, and did not conceal my
Iniquity. I said: I will confess my transgressions to the Lord; and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.

A good relationship with God will always be rich in prayer.

A good prayer is a clear indication of our dependence on God.

Luke 6:12 "In those days he went out to the mountain to pray, and he continued all night in prayer to God."
If Jesus, being the Son of God, prayed, it is because He believed that prayer was truly useful, necessary, and very important.
to do the will of God and live in His will. If this is so, how much more should we pray? It is for
this that the apostle Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray without ceasing."

4. Elements included in the sentence.

The prayer being a conversation can include elements such as worship, praise, thanksgiving, confession, and
specific requests. The elements used and the order in which they are arranged will depend on each person and their
needs. The important thing is that it does not become a ritual and that the true meaning of prayer, which is
communicate with God.

Worship.
Worship is a deep and genuine acknowledgment of God's greatness. Psalms 95:[Link], let us adore and
Let us kneel; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.7. For he is our God; We are the people
of his pasture, and sheep of his hand. If you hear his voice today,

Under the New Covenant, worship is something that cannot be lacking in the life of the believer since the Holy Spirit that
He who lives in him will lead you to worship the Father. John 4:23-24 [Link] the hour comes, and now is, when the true
worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father is seeking such worshipers to worship Him.
24.
God is Spirit; and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.

A genuine worship causes our heart to humble itself before God and to be willing to do only His will.
Whoever is not willing to do the will of God has not understood, has no idea of the greatness of God.
God is worshipped for what God is.

Thanksgiving and praise to God in everything.

Praise is our acknowledgment of God for who He is and for what He does. God does all things.
perfect way to bless us.
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1 Chronicles 16:[Link] great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and to be feared above all.
[Link] all the gods of the people are idols; but the Lord made the [Link] and magnificence
in front of him; Power and joy in his dwelling." Hebrews 13:15 "Therefore, let us always offer to God, through him,
sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.

The opposite of praise is complaints. Anything that comes out of our mouth, directly or indirectly, offends God.
Well, it's complaining about his sovereignty and the things he commands or allows to bless us. Contrary to this, praise
it allows us to be in His presence. Psalm 95:2 "Let us come before His presence with praise; let us shout joyfully to Him with song."

songs." 1 Thessalonians 5:18 "Give thanks in everything, for this is the will of God for you in
Christ Jesus.

If you cannot praise him or thank him from the heart, that is to say feeling truly grateful for what
What's happening, then you must ask God for forgiveness for your disbelief and pray that He allows you to believe in Him and thank Him.
For what He is doing in your life. Romans 8:28 "And we know that to those who love God, all things work together for good"
they help for good, that is, to those who are called according to his purpose.

Praise strengthens our spiritual life and allows God to do His work. 2 Chronicles 20:22 'And when they began...'
to sing songs of praise, the Lord set ambushes against the children of Ammon, Moab, and the mountain of Seir,
of themselves who came against Judah, and they killed one another: "Acts 16:25-26"[Link] at midnight,
Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God; and the prisoners were listening 26.
to them.
Then suddenly a great
earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison shook; and instantly all the doors opened, and the
The chains of everyone were released.

Confession of sins.
In our prayer time, if we are aware that we have sinned, we must reconcile with God.
This is saying sorry to God for our faults and sins. 1 John 1:9 'If we confess our sins, he is faithful and
just to forgive our sins, and cleanse us from all wickedness.
For what we learn in the scriptures of the Bible, we recognize our sins, and by the same scripture we must
accept God's forgiveness and the help offered to stop sinning.

Specific requests.
According to the scripture, one of the reasons we do not receive what we desire is because we do not ask for it. James
You desire, and do not have; you murder and covet, and cannot obtain; you fight and quarrel, yet you do not have what you want.
You desire, why don't you ask.

God assures that he is willing to give good things to those who ask him. Matthew 7:11 "For if you, being evil, know
If you, then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him?

pidan?”, Juan 14:[Link] whatever you ask the Father in my name, I will do it, so that the Father may be glorified.
in the [Link] you ask anything in my name, I will do it.

We must include in the petitions the needs that others have. 1 Timothy 2:1 'I urge first of all that requests be made...'
supplications, prayers, requests, and thanksgivings, for all people;

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5. The way of praying, position, place, style.

There are no reasons to think that there are places from where God cannot hear us, or that there are positions that prevent.
that our prayer reaches the presence of God. The important thing about prayer will always be our attitude, which can be
expressed in different ways. For example.

He fell on his face. Matthew 26:39 "Going a little farther, he fell on his face, praying and saying: Father
Mine, if possible, pass this cup from me; but let it not be as I want, but as you do.

Lying down he buried. 2 Samuel 12:16 "Then David pleaded with God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and spent the night.
lying on the ground.

With harp, with psaltery and decachord, playing with joy. Psalms 33:2-32. Praise the Lord with the harp; sing to Him with
psaltery and [Link] to him a new song; play it well, rejoicing.

Sing with joy, shout with gladness. Psalm 81:1 'Sing with joy to God, our strength; to the God of Jacob'
acclaimed with joy.

I will lift my hands. Psalms 63:4 "Thus I will bless you in my life; in your name I will lift up my hands."

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Doctrine of the Bible

All scripture is inspired by God, and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the
that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works
The Bible is the only book given by direct revelation from God to man. The word 'Bible' is derived from the Greek biblos,
What does 'book' mean? The Bible is our sacred book because there is no other that has such authority or author.
similar.

The inspiration of the Bible

We believe in the verbal inspiration of the Bible. That is to say, the Holy Spirit guided holy men to write each
word that appears in the original writings. Although personal characteristics in the style of the
writers, their wills were completely under the control of the Holy Spirit. The writers did not write even a
no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation of things (2 Peter 1:20-21).

We also believe in the plenary inspiration of the Bible. This means that the whole Bible, from beginning to end,
it was given by verbal inspiration.

The Bible does not explain in detail how the writers received inspiration from the Holy Spirit. But it tells us that
we must revere the words that they wrote. 'If anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away'
his part of the book of life, and of the holy city and of the things that are written in this book" (Revelation 22:19).

In Galatians 3:16, Paul makes us understand in his writing the importance of analyzing even the smallest letter in the scriptures.
He explains that God's promise to Abraham (Genesis 13) "does not say: And to the seeds, as if speaking of many, but
as of one: And to your seed, which is Christ" (Galatians 3:16). If God had said "seeds" he would have referred to
the sons of Abraham, but because he said 'seed' we know he referred to Jesus Christ. In this case, we can observe
how a single letter depends on a very important Christian doctrine. For this reason, Christ placed so much emphasis on its importance
of every jot and every tittle of the law (Matthew 5:18).

Some have asked: "Why do the personality and style of the writers become so evident if the Bible is not
writing of men, but of God?” Let us illustrate our answer with a brief example: You pass by a
house that has recently been painted in many colors. Then asks: "How many painters worked on that
house?" "Just one," they answer her. "But, why so many colors if it was just one painter?" "Well, it's not hard to explain;
"This painter mixed his paints and produced many colors to paint the house to his liking." Does this not give you
An idea regarding that Great Author of the divine book who chose many personalities to express his message?
this way this divine book is more useful and more suitable to meet the needs of the people who read it. Since
a part of the Bible is written in the language of Moses, another in that of Paul, and others in those of other writers.
that God used man to write His message and not just his pen. All these 'holy men of God
they spoke as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit.

The Bible is authentic in its content, authoritative in its commandments, without error in its original writings, and also the only one.
infallible rule of faith and practice (2 Samuel 23:2; Psalm 12:6; 139:7–12; 2 Timothy 3:16–17).

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The writings of the Old Testament are inspired by God.

Paul refers to the writings of the Old Testament when he says: 'All Scripture is inspired by God' (2 Timothy
Pedro clarifies that the writings are inspired because the writers were inspired by God. He said that 'no one
the prophecy of Scripture is of private interpretation, for no prophecy was ever brought forth by the will of man, but rather
the holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:20-21). There are many
statements that demonstrate that the writings of the Old Testament were inspired by God. On several occasions
in the Old Testament we find expressions such as: "The Lord says this" and "Thus says the Lord".
In the same way, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying: Take a scroll of the book, and write in it all the words
what I have spoken to you against Israel" (Jeremiah 36:1–2). In the same way, the Lord came to Ezekiel telling him to speak
to the children of Israel, saying: "You shall speak my words to them" (Ezekiel 2:7). There are many similar expressions.
throughout the Bible.

The writers of the New Testament understood that the scriptures of the Old Testament were the message of God.
spoken through his servants. At the moment of choosing Matthias for the apostleship, Peter quoted the scripture, saying:
The Holy Spirit spoke beforehand through the mouth of David" (Acts 1:16). The book of Hebrews begins with these words: "God,
having spoken at many times and in various ways to the fathers by the prophets, in these last days
“In these days He has spoken to us by His Son” (Hebrews 1:1-2).

The writings of the New Testament are inspired by God.

Regarding the inspiration of the scriptures of the New Testament, they are as emphatic and firm as the
from the Old Testament. Paul, writing to the Corinthians, says: 'we speak, not with words taught by wisdom
human, but those with which the Spirit teaches” (1 Corinthians 2:13). Later in the same epistle he says: “If anyone
Create prophet, or spiritual, recognize that what I write to you are commandments of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 14:37). This
The declaration agrees with what the Lord had said to Ananias about Paul, as noted in Acts 9:15. Paul
he also writes to the Thessalonians saying: "When you received the word of God that you heard from us, the
you received not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God. (...) Therefore we tell you this in
"word of the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 2:13; 4:15).

The apostles warned against the forgeries of the word of God. They accepted the four as genuine.
gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the epistles of Paul, James, Peter, John, and Jude, and the Revelation. (Read
Gálatas 1.8–9; 2 Pedro 3.15–16; 2 Juan 7–10; Judas 3; Apocalipsis 22.18–19.)

The Bible comes to us with an imposing and inflexible declaration that it is not a book made by men, but a book
whose real and only Author is the living and eternal God.

3. God used imperfect men to bring a perfect message to the world

The Bible speaks of the faults of Moses, Peter, Paul, John, and other writers of it. But none of
these imperfections, although revealed in the inspired word, alter in some way the value or perfection of the
divine message.

At times, God sent the prophets to declare prophecies that they themselves did not understand. For example, see the
Daniel's perplexity when the Lord placed the last prophecy in his mouth (Daniel 12:4-8). Then return to 1 Peter.

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1.10–11 so that you can see a testimony that shows that the prophets did not understand everything they prophesied. This
It demonstrates that while God worked through imperfect men, He brought through them a perfect message.
world.

Evidence of divine inspiration

Below we present some of the main pieces of evidence that demonstrate that the Bible was inspired by God.
same.

The fulfillment of the prophecy

Among the most outstanding data we have in the Old Testament are more than three hundred prophecies that
refer to the Messiah. Each of these prophecies was fulfilled to the letter in the person of Jesus, the Christ. The prophets
they predicted that he would be from the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10); that he would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14); that he would be born in
Bethlehem of Judea (Micah 5:2); who would be called out of Egypt (Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:15); that a messenger would be sent
before him (Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 3:1); who would teach in parables (Psalm 78:2); who would be patient at the time of the
testing and tribulation (Isaiah 53); that he would be sold for thirty pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12–13) with which he
I would buy the potter's field. In short, all these prophecies were fulfilled, along with many others that were not.
they could not have been predicted by human wisdom nor could anyone have guessed them. Many of these prophecies could
news similar to improbable and incredible at the time they were prophesied.

The prophecy of Daniel in the vision of the four beasts (Daniel 7), along with the interpretation of this vision, gives us a
exact description of what happened next in the history of nations, and it may be that some elements of them are
refer to what is happening in the current world.

The prophets not only predicted the destructions of the cities and nations of that time, but they also
they described some of the details of these destructions. And so it has happened. Even the secular history of the peoples has
the fulfillment of some of these prophecies has been archived as true events.

For example, Ezekiel prophesied against Tyre (Ezekiel 26:4-12), which became the pride of merchants and the envy
of the nations at that time. These prophecies were fulfilled in the days of Alexander, when the whole city came to
to be a great ruin.

The desolation of Egypt occurred centuries after the prophecy as described in Ezekiel 29–30. The history
Secular confirms in detail the prophecies of Ezekiel regarding what happened in Egypt. The prophecy is history.
written in advance. This is verified in the fulfillment of the prophecies concerning the desolation of Babylon, Syria, Medo-
Persia, Greece, Rome, Carthage, and other nations. The desolation and complete destruction of Jerusalem, foretold by Christ,
And the dispersion of the Jews among the nations of the earth, predicted by the prophets, is presented in the writings of Josephus.
and they are confirmed in the history of the Jews.

This proves that these prophecies could not be the result of human wisdom. It would be madness to even assume
that they were nothing more than human assumptions and opinions. Each of these prophecies proves that the Bible
it was written by men who were guided by an infinite mind, by the God of heaven and earth, who sees and knows
all things before they happen.

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2. The unity of the Bible

The Bible consists of sixty-six books that were written over a period of approximately fifteen centuries.
It was written by around forty writers who held different positions, from the king on the throne to the
captive in pagan land; from Moses and Paul who were very well-educated men to Peter and John who were
“men unlettered and from the common people” (Acts 4:13). The same was written before, during, and after Israel became
a nation. But despite everything stated, there exists a beautiful and impressive harmony that proves the presence of the mind
of a Master who inspired all these writers. In other words: 'Never was prophecy brought by human will,'
but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21).

3. Its preservation through the ages

No book has ever been put to such severe tests as the Bible. Although the Jews were taken to pagan lands
they took the scriptures with them and preserved them there. Over the years, many false prophets have imitated such
ingeniously the writings that people have hardly been able to distinguish between the inspired word of God and the word
false of the false prophets. During the early centuries of the Christian era, many efforts were made to put an end to
this 'sect' that flourished after the crucifixion of Jesus. Throughout the history of the centuries, efforts have been made to
suppress the message of the Bible using fire, the sword, and many other methods. However, the word of God
Live. In every generation there have been men who, filled with pride because of their intellect and knowledge, taught
that the Bible should be believed entirely only by the ignorant and the superstitious. But despite
Despite all these oppositions, this old book still remains. Today, this wonderful book is more popular than
any other book that has ever been printed. In fact, the Bible is and will always be the same.

4. Your integrity

The Bible is the only book that has never had to change its message because of advances in science. It is not a book
of science; however, everything it says is scientifically correct. This cannot be said of any other book or
treatise never written. Naturalists, astronomers, geologists, historians, and renowned men have taught things
which have subsequently proven to be wrong. The theories of men have been revoked, or at least extremely
changed, regarding the principles of light, nature, the shape of the earth, the glacial period, geology, the
structure of the body, diseases, laws of health and every field of science. The Bible agrees
completely with what man has observed from nature. It is the only book that is totally and eternally true.
It is true that many have cited the Bible to support their erroneous theories, but the Bible does not teach any falsehoods and
she has never taught it. However, it is not strange that they have cited the Bible in this way to support their false theories, for the
The devil himself is an expert at citing scripture to give life to his falsehoods (Genesis 3:1–6; Matthew 4:1–11).

Next, we will quote a part of the writings of I. M. Haldeman:

In less than ten years, a text is already outdated, an encyclopedia loses its value, a library is a cemetery of
dead books and ideas without lives; but this book continues to live. Science has mocked it, in vain. In the century
eighteen Voltaire said: “In fifty years the world will hear no more of the Bible.” Secular scholars have
declared outdated and dead. Many times funeral services have been held to bury the Bible that they believe
who has died... and, behold, much before the critics have returned to their homes, the Bible has resurrected from the dead,
he has hastened ahead of the funeral procession with surprising speed, and he is, as before, in the very center of life
of many people and of society itself. There he continues to raise thunderous voices against evil, revealing the secrets of

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heart, offering comfort to those who are mourning and hope to the dying, and continues to emit from each of
its pages the wonders of the future.
—From Christ, Christianity, and the Bible, pages 151–152.

The effect on its readers

The effect that the Bible has on those who read it also teaches us that it is inspired by God and that at the same time
It has supernatural qualities. The Bible is light wherever it is read because it reveals Christ, the light of the world.
Wherever people believe in it and obey it, it brings changes in purity, education, culture, development, and in
everything that contributes to the moral and spiritual happiness of the soul. It is not that reading the Bible itself changes
it automatically the heart, but it does teach the sinner how to reach Christ who can indeed change the heart.

The more a person surrenders to Christ through His message in the Bible, the more orderly and virtuous that person's life will be.
Additionally, this will also cause positive effects to be observed in those around you. For example, even the unbelievers many
They are often more careful when expressing themselves when Christians are present.

It has been proven that the more the laws of nations follow biblical principles, the more blessed those nations will be.
This demonstrates the validity of biblical principles.

We conclude that the Bible:

It is the word of God, given by divine inspiration

It is the only book given as a direct revelation from God to man
It is infallible, absolutely trustworthy

Why this honor to the Bible? There can be only one answer: because it is the word of God. On every page
From this wonderful book, one can find the divine imprint of its author.

How we received our Bible

The Bible is divided into sixty-six distinct books. Of these, thirty-nine belong to the Old Testament and twenty-seven
to the New Testament. These books offer us a complete story that would be incomplete if any of them were missing. Many
They believe that the book of Job is the oldest of all the books of the Bible. Following it, chronologically, is the Pentateuch (the
first five books of the Old Testament), written by Moses; then the other historical books were written,
poetic and prophetic. The Old Testament was written by kings, judges, and prophets. The books that make it up were
compiled in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah. The interest in these writings was so great that they were translated
in Greek more than three centuries before Jesus Christ. The most famous Greek version was that of the seventy (the Septuagint) which was
translated around the year 250 BC by the scholars of Alexandria.

The disciples of Jesus wrote about his life and teachings in four books that we know as 'the
gospels." The activities of the apostles after the crucifixion of Jesus were compiled in a book that we call
the “Acts of the Apostles.” These books, along with the “epistles” and the last book that we call “Revelation,” are the
what makes up the New Testament. Most of these books were recognized as sacred writings in the early
200 years of the history of the Christian church.

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The complete Bible has been translated into many languages. Thus, the word of God has reached the peoples of many
países. Existen evidencias que demuestran que algunas partes de la Biblia fueron traducidas al español a fines del siglo
twelve and principles of the thirteen. In the year 1569, Casiodoro de Reina, a Spaniard who had to flee from Spain due to his
he published the first complete version in Spanish. Casiodoro translated it from the original languages and published it in Basel,
Switzerland. Its version was known as the Bible of the Bear because a bear is seen eating honey on its cover.
a hive, thereby representing the delight with which the believer receives the word. It is said that the vast majority of the
Examples of the first printing of 2,600 were burned by order of the Inquisition. A Spanish friend of
Casiodoro, Cipriano de Valera, revised the Bible of Osoy and published his version in 1602. He also had to flee from Spain.
due to persecution and spent most of his life in England. The work of Messrs. Reina and Valera, the version
Reina-Valera, in its various revisions throughout the centuries, has been the favorite of Spanish-speaking evangelicals.

Sometimes the question arises: "How can we know that our Bible is the same as the first one used by Christians?"
at that time?
before the Council of Nicaea to calm any doubts regarding the authenticity of the Bible. In this list of the writers
from the primitive church are Clement and Polycarp, who lived during the time of the apostles and knew
Personally to some of them. There are thousands of reproductions of various parts of the scriptures that were written to
hand and dating from the fourth century to the fifteenth. After this time, there have been several reproductions
Printed up to the present day. There is no doubt that we have the same gospel that was preached in the days of the apostles.
and the same message that was compiled in the first canon of the New Testament.

The apocryphal writings

Along with the sixty-six books that were finally incorporated into the sacred canon, other writings also appear.
that many people have considered worthy of a place among the canonical books. Most of these works
were written in the period between the Old Testament and the New Testament. They form a historical link
and present many points of interest for those studying the Bible. However, they lack evidence that
they demonstrate that they were inspired by God.

The law and the gospel

In the Bible, the Levitical law is presented to us in the ancient history of the nation of Israel. It was God's will that the nation
would have a written law that governed its citizens. God gave them the Levitical law on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19.) This law
It was in effect until the time of Christ (Matthew 5:17–20; John 1:17; Colossians 2:6–17).

The supreme law for the people of God in the old covenant was the Levitical law, and in the new covenant it is the gospel of Christ.
There is a harmony and a perfect unity between these two laws. Both depend on each other. All sacrifices and
the ceremonies under the law were only shadows of Christ and would have served no purpose if they had not been fulfilled
in Christ. He, "with one offering made perfect forever those who are sanctified" (Hebrews 10:14). On the other hand, "the
the law has been our tutor to bring us to Christ" (Galatians 3:24). The law of Moses showed the Israelites how sinful
were and the efficacy of blood to erase sins. He prepared them to receive Christ. When he came, the law had
having fulfilled his work. Their sacrifices were no longer valuable, and the word of Christ took the place of those norms.
The New Testament is the law that is now in effect and governs our lives. That law is the rule by which the church
biblical is governed.

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Does God change? No. "I am the Lord, I do not change" (Malachi 3:6). Does His law change? Yes and no. The principles of truth
Eternal truths were expressed both by the law and by the gospel; the two are part of the same word of God.
But God, in his infinite wisdom, applies his eternal principles to the conditions of each era.

Does the father change his mind in the following dialogue?

A son approaches his father one day and says:

Dad, can I go to the city?

No, the boy's father replies.
The next day the son comes again and asks his father:
Dad, can I go to the city?
Yes,

Has the father changed his mind? No, but the circumstances have changed, and that's why the father let him go, although
he was not allowed yesterday.

Similarly, God has given laws in the new covenant that are not in accordance with those of the old covenant. Not because he or his
truth has changed, but because the conditions have changed. God applies eternal truth to the conditions.
existing from each era. Regarding this point, Jorge R. Brunk says the following:

God has given two distinct covenants, the Old and the New (Hebrews 8:6–10).

2. In view of the fact that some conditions have changed, God in His mercy prohibits certain things in the New Covenant.
what was ordered in the Old Covenant (Matthew 5:38–39; Exodus 21:23–25; Jeremiah 31:31–32; Hebrews 7:12).

3. El Antiguo Pacto era la norma de vida de Israel hasta la muerte de Cristo en la cruz del Calvario (Gálatas 3.23–25;
Ephesians 2:14-15; Colossians 2:14). When Jesus died, the law fulfilled its purpose of revealing Christ and preparing a
village to welcome you.

The Old Covenant was removed so that the New Covenant could be established as the only applicable standard for the Christian.
(Hebrews 10:9-10; Galatians 1:8-9).

The New Covenant is now the standard for Christian conduct until the second coming of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:6;
2 Thessalonians 1:7-8

The Christian must regard the Old Covenant as a rich mine of instruction and as something very essential for the
proper understanding of the New Covenant (1 Corinthians 10:6, 11; Galatians 3:24-25).

7. Those who persist in promoting the doctrine of the Old Covenant, instead of the teachings of the New Covenant,
they disturb the souls of the listeners (Acts 15:24; Titus 1:9–11).

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2 representatives
God authorized a representative for each of the two covenants: Moses for the old covenant and Jesus Christ for the New.
Covenant. Regarding Jesus of Nazareth, Moses said: "The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet from among your brothers,
like me; him you will hear" (Acts 7:37). The writer to the Hebrews says: "God, having spoken many times and in many ways
In different ways at other times to the fathers by the prophets, in these last days He has spoken to us by the Son.” (Hebrews 1:1–
2). The Father, speaking from heaven, makes it very clear that Christ is the authorized spokesperson for this age when he said:
“Este es mi Hijo amado, en quien tengo complacencia; a él oíd” (Mateo 17.5). Hebreos 12.25 dice: “Mirad que no
you reject the one who speaks. For if those who rejected the one who warned them on earth did not escape, much less
we, if we were to reject the one who admonishes from the heavens.
This last verse clarifies that in the time of the Old Covenant, the people of God regarded the law of Moses as their
rule of life, while in our times we look to the gospel as our supreme law.

2. Of the pacts
The writer to the Hebrews, comparing the two covenants, says: "But now he has a much better ministry, as much as...
mediator of a better covenant, established on better promises. For if that first had been without fault,
Surely a place would not have been sought for the second. For reprimanding them, he says: Behold, days are coming, says the
Sir, with which I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah" (Hebrews 8:6–8).

In this writing, there are two very notable expressions: "better ministry" and "better covenant." The first refers to
Christ and his work compared to Moses and the work of the Levitical priesthood. And it is not difficult to realize that it is better the
ministry of Christ than that of Moses. But, what shall we say about the "better covenant"? Was the old covenant not
imperfect?

In no way. "The law is indeed holy, and the commandment holy, just and good" (Romans 7:12). There does not exist
absolutely no fault or imperfection in the law of God. The law of Moses, like the gospel of Christ, is
the law of God. It was conceived in the mind of God and therefore is absolutely perfect. But 'it was weak through the flesh'
(Romans 8:3); in other words, no one was able to obey it perfectly. "For by the deeds of the law no human being
it will be justified” (Romans 3:20). For this reason, the Jews had to continue making daily sacrifices. In this way
the law fulfilled its purpose; it showed people that they needed something that the law did not offer. They needed Christ.
Furthermore, as the sacrifices under the law were nothing more than "the shadow of the goods to come," the law "can never, by
"the same sacrifices that are offered continuously every year, to make perfect those who draw near" (Hebrews 10:1).
In other words, the law was perfect, but the sacrifices offered under it were valid only in relation to their
fulfillment in Christ. For this reason, the covenant of grace is better than the covenant of the law and that is why it is said that the first
the covenant had a defect (Hebrews 8:7).

3. The law and grace

Pablo wrote to the Galatians saying: "The law has been our tutor, to bring us to Christ" (Galatians 3:24). The law was
correct in its place, in its time, for its purpose; the law was pure, just, holy, and perfect. But the law served for its
purpose and it was fulfilled in Christ when he was nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:14). Thus, today we are no longer under the
law, but under the gospel of Christ. Now we look to Christ as our Savior and Redeemer, our Legislator and
Supreme Authority. We no longer look to the law of Moses to discern the will of the Lord regarding us, but
we seek in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Juan revealed something important to us when he said: 'The law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through.'
through Jesus Christ" (John 1:17). The former is a symbol of God's justice and power, the latter is a symbol of His

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mercy and of his grace. Under the first covenant, the seal was through the blood of animals; under the second, by
by the blood of Jesus Christ, "slain from the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8).

One of the most notable distinctions between the law and the gospel is the way they deal with transgressors. The period of
The time when the law was in force was an era of justice. Justice demanded the death of the rebellious generation that did not want to
entering Canaan, the stoning of Achan, the death of Uzzah (2 Samuel 6:6–7) and the captivity of Israel and Judah for their
infidelity. But in Christ, God showed His mercy. He came to save, not to condemn. In our time, we see the
mercy of God in the midst of the great iniquity that exists in the world. Moreover, we personally know His
mercy through the forgiveness he offers us for our faults and sins.

But let not man think that God will deal with less severity with His people of this time than in the way that
He dealt with the men of the past. God's dealings with His people at that time were designed as a
example for us (1 Corinthians 10:6, 11) so that the grace of God would not be given to us in vain. Today to us is
He warns us emphatically that those who reject God's grace will suffer His wrath for eternity (2 Thessalonians 1:7–
9; Hebrews 12:25).

The central theme of the Old Testament is the law and consists of thirty-nine books. The central theme of the New
The testament is the gospel and is composed of twenty-seven books. The sum of these books completes the perfect message of
God to man. This is what we call the sacred canon of the sacred scriptures: the Bible.

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The Word of God is...

2 Timothy is a passage of fundamental importance for understanding the identity and use of the Bible. It says:

2 Timothy 3:16-17
“[Link] Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.17.a
that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

In this passage, I have emphasized the word 'is' that is used there and which, as we probably know, is used to
to identify, characterize, or describe something. Therefore, according to the previous passage, the Bible or Scripture IS inspired by
God or, as it says in the text in Greek, by the breath of God. This means that the author of the Bible is God, who
inspired it, produced it, and therefore the Bible is the Word of God. Aside from that, the previous passage also says that the Bible
It is useful, giving four reasons for it. More analytically, it tells us that the Bible is useful for teaching, for reproving,
to correct and to instruct in righteousness. So, and since the title of this article is: 'The Word of God is:'
we have several things that the Word of God is. The first of these refers to the identification of the inspired Word with
the Bible; while the second, the usefulness of this Word to teach, reprove, correct, and to instruct in righteousness
that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
However, that is not the only thing that the Word of God is. Later we will consider other things additionally.
that will also help us appreciate its value and usefulness better.

The Word of God: what God has magnified.

I believe there would be no better way to start this research than by listening to the opinion that God has about
His Word. To see that opinion, we go to Psalm 138:2.

I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your unfailing love and your faithfulness, for you have so exalted your solemn decree that it surpasses your fame.

For you have magnified [referring to God] your name and your word above all things.

Keeping in mind that there is nothing greater than God, which His name expresses, we can easily understand that
What God wants to tell us is that He has exalted His Word above all else. If we then want a
correct evaluation of the value of the Word of God, here is the evaluation that God Himself has made: for Him, there is nothing
more valuable than His Word.

2. The Word of God: the food for life

Having seen the high position that God gives to His Word, let us continue to see other things that the Word of God is.
starting from Matthew 4:4 where Jesus Christ said:

Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

He answered and said: It is written: Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

Many people think that bread and physical food in general is all you need to live. It is true that food
Physics is necessary to survive and satisfy our physical hunger, but according to Jesus Christ, there is something more that is ...
It is needed to make our lives something more than mere survival. What is it? The answer comes in the same verse:
, but of every word that comes out of the mouth of God.
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According to this passage, to make your life an abundant life and not just survive, what you need is 'all
word that comes from the mouth of God,” that is, the Word of God. As 1 Peter 2:2 says:

1 Peter 2:2
desire, like newborn babies, the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation,

Newborns cannot live without milk. They wake up when they sleep and cry because they want milk. Likewise,
Just as newborns cannot live without milk, so our lives cannot exist without the Word of God. We do not have to decide if
we need the milk of the Word of God or not, it is a FACT that we need it. Just as it is a fact that physically
to survive we need to eat something, which is a FACT, an unchanging truth, that to truly live
necesitamos la Palabra de Dios.

3. The Word of God: the truth

After we saw that the Word of God is as necessary for our lives as milk is for newborns.
born, we are going to continue to see what other things the Word is. What we are going to read happened during the investigation.
of Jesus before Pilate (John 18:33-38). During that investigation, Pilate asked a question that had probably already been
asked by many people since then. Pilate asked that question after Jesus told him that he came into the world
to bear witness to the truth (John 18:37), Pilate's question is found in John 18:38:

John 18:38
Pilate said to him: What is truth?

La pregunta de Pilato no es para nada poco común. Mucha gente, y de hecho muchos de nosotros, puede que la hayamos
asked at some point in our lives. Therefore, it is vital to find an answer to that question. The answer
It comes in John 17. There, Jesus Christ, shortly before his arrest, prayed to God and said:

John 17:14, 17
“14.I have given them [the disciples] your word; and the world hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
I am from the [Link] them in your truth; your word is truth.

The answer to the question about truth is very simple: THE WORD OF GOD IS TRUTH. The Bible, being the
Word of the only and true God, it is the truth upon which we can base our lives without the fear of being.
disappointed. It is that word that speaks of Jesus Christ as, 'the way, the truth, and the life' (John 14:6) and of things
wonderful things he achieved for us. It is that Word that says that if you confess the Lord Jesus and believe that God raised him
you will be saved from the dead (Romans 10:9). It is not just a positive phrase, it is not another religious word; it is the
TRUTH. If you do it, you will be saved, and if you don't do it, you will surely continue without salvation. The truth is truth. NOT the
You can change it, you cannot alter it. It is UNALTERED. You can only accept it or reject it.

On the other hand, the lie has a thousand facets. Hundreds of ideas, philosophies, and religions go around claiming a place in our lives.
minds. The period of an entire lifetime would be enough to account for the birth and death of dozens of them. The man
needs to continuously update its philosophies and theories to be 'in agreement' with the times. If they had been true...
they would need to update. The truth is still truth today, tomorrow, and after a thousand or millions of years. And the WORD
OF GOD, the truth is the only one that has eternal duration. As it says in 1 Peter 1:23-25:

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1 de Pedro 1:22-25
“[Link] purified your souls by obedience to the truth through the Spirit for sincere brotherly love
feigned, love one another deeply, with a pure heart;[Link] reborn, not of corruptible seed, but of
incorruptible, por la palabra de Dios que vive y permanece para [Link]: All flesh is as grass, and all
the glory of man is like the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls;[Link] the word of the Lord remains forever
always. And this is the word that has been announced to you by the gospel.

The Word of God remains forever. It does not need updating. The God who supported that Word over two years ago
a thousand years, it is the same God today as well. As it says in James 1:17:

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow.
of variation.

Sometimes just a few minutes are enough for a man to change his mind. 'Variation' is something very common.
in man, but with GOD there is none, not even the most remote sign of it. The Word of God being truth and
backed by an unchanging God is certainly the most secure foundation for our lives and the only thing of which
we can learn without fear of failing.

4. The Word of God: a pure Word

One of the characteristics that truth has by definition is 'purity'. So, the question would be: Is the Word pure?
of God?, if yes, how much? To see the answer to this question let us go to the book of Psalms, where we read:

Psalms 12:6
The words of Jehovah are pure words, like refined silver in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

Your word is very pure; therefore your servant loves it.

Your word is exceedingly pure, and your servant loves it.

The Word of God has no impurities. It is not a word for which you have to apologize for its 'errors' nor a word
that needs to be refined before use. Otherwise, it is a PURE word and indeed as pure 'as refined silver
in an earth oven, Purified seven times," that is, it cannot be purer. That is why we love it ("And [as a result]
your servant loves”). Its purity, perfection, and accuracy truly reflect the purity, perfection, and precision of its author:
GOD.

5. The Word of God: the source of joy

We have already seen several things that the Word of God is. However, the list does not end here. In Psalm 119 we see another
effect that the Word has:

I rejoice at Your word like one who finds great treasure.

I rejoice in your word like one who finds great spoil.

Also, Psalm 119:14

I have rejoiced in the way of your testimonies more than in all riches.

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Many people try to find joy by possessing large amounts of money. However, as we have already seen, it does not
One can survive on bread alone and money cannot buy the ingredient that gives you true life and real joy.
What is the ingredient? The Word of God. The Word of God, apart from all the things we have seen so far,
it also brings great joy. In fact, it brings as much joy as that of one who finds a great treasure. You don't need
Winning the lottery for joy, what you need is to go to the Word of God, study it, believe it, and keep it in your heart.
Every time you do it, your joy will be as great as that of one who finds a great treasure. Isn't it wonderful the
to have such a constant source of joy? It is not a joy that depends on conditions, 'luck' or other things, but of
God and His wonderful Word, the Bible.

The Word of God: A lamp to our feet

Another thing that the Word of God is, can be found in Psalm 119:105 and in 2 Peter 1:19 and it says:

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.

Also, 2 Peter 1:19

We also have the prophetic worda2safer, to which you do well to pay attention as to a torch that illuminates
in a dark place, until the day clarifies and the morning star rises in your hearts;

To walk along the path, light is needed, whether physical or artificial; the fact is that without it, you cannot walk. The path of
life is not an exception to this rule. To walk down that path you need light to illuminate it. Where are you going to
find that light? According to the previous passages, the answer is in the Word of God. By following it, you will walk through
a path full of light. As it says in Psalm 84:11 and in 1 John 1:5:

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

For the Lord God is a sun and shield;

1 John 1:5
God is light, and there is no darkness in Him.

God is like a dreaml3Therefore, following His Word is like walking along a path illuminated by so much light, like the
light itself of its author, that is, the light of God.

7. If the Word is not our delight....

You would probably better understand the importance of something when you are aware of what would happen if you didn't have it.
previously, some of the things that the Word of God is were exposed and therefore we can easily understand
through them, what we would lose if we didn't have it. In the Psalms, however, there is a passage that does not speak of the
benefits of the Word of God, but what would happen if it were not our delight. In Psalm 119:77 David said through
revelation:

Let your mercy come to me, that I may live; for your law is my delight.

your law is my delight.

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For David, the Word of God (the 'law' in the times and administration of David) was his delight. Now to see what
What would happen if the Word were not his delight, we only have to go fifteen more verses ahead, verse 92 says:

If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.

If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.

It may be that sometimes difficult periods come, in which there may be slight and temporary affliction (2 of
Corinthians 3:17 and 1 Peter 1:6). However, that does not mean that during those times the Word of God ceases to be a source
the constant of joy, the lamp to our feet and the food for our lives. There is no situation or circumstance that
one can make the Word shine less than it is or lose its value. God is the same loving and powerful God
both in good times and bad. His Word is the same reliable Word. However, WE have to
be careful to keep the flame of the Word always lit in our hearts. Sadness, pressure, and affliction
they may come at times, but they will not be able to defeat us as long as the Word of God is our delight. God is
a faithful God who will always make us more than conquerors if we trust in Him. (Romans 8:37)

8. If we meditate on the Word of God we will be...

Having seen some of the things that the Word of God is, the great benefits it offers should now be clear.
we will have it by studying it and placing it deep in our hearts. However, we will also look at some
results more than this word will have if we meditate on it, that is, if we make it the focus of our mind and
thoughts.

Blessed and like a tree planted by streams of water

To see what the Word predicts for the one who makes it the focus of their mind, let us go to Psalm 1:1-3, which says:

Psalms 1:1-3
Blessed is the man who did not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seat of...
scorners have sat; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law he meditates day and night. He will be
like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither; and all that it does,
will prosper.
Is there any of us who doesn't want to thrive? I don't think so. However, how can we achieve it? According to the
the previous passage the way is by meditating on the Word of God. If we divide it correctly and make it the focus of
our mind, then, anything we do, will please God since it will come from a mind in which
The Word of God takes first place, so according to the previous passage we will prosper and be 'blessed'.
('happy') and like FRUITFUL trees planted by the streams of water.

8.2. Prosperous and prudent

The effects of meditation on the Word of God become more than clear when looking at the book of Joshua. Joshua
he was the successor of Moses in the leadership of the people of Israel, while they were on their way to the promised land. Having
in mind that he was the one who would lead the Israelites to the promised land, and also knowing, upon reading the records
correspondings4that the people were not the easiest to guide, we can easily understand how much Joshua needed
prosperity and prudence to carry out that difficult responsibility. Therefore, it is interesting to see what God has for you.
he advised to do, so that he would have that prudence and prosperity. Let’s go to Joshua 1:5-8, there, God spoke to Joshua and said:
Josué 1:5-8

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No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not leave you nor forsake you.
I will abandon. Be strong and courageous; for you shall distribute this people the land which I swore to their fathers.
that I would give to them. Only be strong and very courageous, to take care to do according to all the law that my servant
Moses commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may prosper in all things that
You shall not let this book of the law depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may observe
and act according to everything that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and everything will go well for you.
Hebrew: 'sakal' which means to be cautious, prudent, to have understanding, wisdom, to prosper.

Observe how wonderfully God motivated Joshua. God is not someone who stays far away without understanding strength.
and the comfort we need; but he is a loving and caring God. Also observe what he said to Joshua, he said
So that you always ("wherever you go") prosper, you had to be very brave and do everything that the law of Moses.
He ordered (The Word of God at that time). In fact, He told him to be careful and not to stray from what.
the law said and also, he told him that if he meditated on it day and night, that is, if the Word of God was
continuously focusing on your mind, you would thrive and act wisely. Those 'THEN' that are used in the
passage shows that their prosperity and prudence were conditional on the position of the Word of God in their mind.
Certainly, only if the Word of God is the center of our thoughts and actions will we be prospered and
prudent. Just as the reader can confirm by reading the story of Joshua, Joshua was, without a doubt, a man who
He followed and served God throughout his life, and he was absolutely prosperous and prudent in his task.

9. Conclusion
Having completed this study, we must say that it was not exhausting at all. The reader is advised to seek the
Word of God and find for oneself what it is. However, I believe we have seen many things that remind us.
they will help in our appreciation of the Word of God.

Summarizing the above, we saw that the Word of God, the Bible, is:

the truth,
the most exalted of God
[Link] for life
[Link] for growth
the source of joy
6. lamp to our feet
7. useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness
very pure
9. If we make our delight something, sorrow will not overcome us.
10. Something that if we meditate on, we will be:

a) bendecidos,b) como árbol plantado junto a corrientes de agua,c) prósperos en todas las cosas que hagamos
prudent.

Although the list here does not end, I believe it is enough to demonstrate to us the greatness, the importance, and the value of the
Word of God. It is also enough to clarify the marvelous effects that this Word will have in our lives.
lives if we study it, we put it in our heart and keep it alive there.

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The secret of true prosperity

Today we live in turbulent times in the economic area in several countries around the world. But also in these times
the church of Christ is experiencing turbulent times and this is due to a lot of scriptural ignorance in the people who call themselves
Christians but do not scrutinize the scriptures, this allows false ministers of God to teach false doctrines with which
They deceive and abuse people. The apostle Peter prophesied it like this:

2 Pedro 2:1-3
But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce
secretly bringing in destructive heresies, and even denying the Lord who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction
sudden. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed, and by
greed will make merchandise of you with feigned words. For such, the condemnation has long been lingering.
and their destruction does not sleep.

People are taught that they can buy God's favor, and the unfortunate thing is that people believe them because they do not know.
the Scriptures. Ignoring the word of God is very dangerous for the Christian and disciple of the Lord.

Oseas 4:6
My people were destroyed because they lacked knowledge. Because you rejected knowledge, I will reject you.
priesthood; and because you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.

Returning to the topic of prosperity, the question is how can the son of God prosper?

The apostle John declares to us a condition for the prosperity that comes from God.
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

Beloved, I wish that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

That 'just as your soul prospers' means 'just as you acquire the character of Christ in your life.' It cannot be acquired.
the character of Christ without loving Christ and obeying Him. In Psalm 1 we find the guidelines on how this should be, let's see:

Salmos 1:1-3
Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the wicked, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seat of the scornful.
scoffers have sat down; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law he meditates day and night. He will be like
a tree planted by the streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither; and everything he does shall prosper.

Let us analyze this passage from Scripture (Psalms 1:1-3).

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked: Blessed is he who does not lend ears to the words
that do not come from God.

"nor stood in the way of sinners": That lives to please God.

3. "he has not sat in the seat of scoffers": That he does not associate with the mockers.

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4. "but his delight is in the law of the Lord": Just as we delight in eating something we really enjoy, so
We must enjoy reading and studying the Word of God. The Holy Scriptures should be our delight.

5. "and in His law he meditates day and night": We must meditate on the Word of God day and night. To meditate means
to think and consider a matter carefully and thoroughly in order to study it, understand it well, and form an opinion
about it or make a decision. It is interesting to know that God can speak to us even when we are asleep. We must
pray to God to give us understanding and revelation of His Scripture.
Psalm 119:27 "Make me understand the way of your commandments, so that I may meditate on your wonders."

6. "It will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water": What God wants to tell us here is that we have our
[He] will be like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Our Lord Jesus Christ said this.
this way.

Matthew 6:31-33
Therefore do not worry, saying: What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or what shall we wear? For the Gentiles seek all these things.
these things; but your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the
kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

7. "that bears its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither": When daily sustenance is no longer the issue, our attention is
free to take care of other things. We must bear fruit and we must produce the fruit that God expects from us and for
We must focus all our attention on doing everything God asks of us. When we do this, we not only grow.
in our inner being, but we also store treasures in the heavens.

In Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus tells us:

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust corrupt, and where thieves do not break in or steal. For where your treasure is
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The question that arises here is: How do we make treasures in heaven? The answer is that when we deny ourselves
same, when we overcome the sin that assails us, when we help our brothers in Christ, when we preach
from Christ to the people, when we disciple new converts, when we minister the word to our children, when
we pass the tests when our testimony honors God and Christ and when we do everything that pleases God,
entonces estaremos haciendo tesoros en los cielos.

In 2 Timothy 1:12, the Apostle Paul tells us:

For which cause I also suffer these things; nevertheless, I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am sure that it is
powerful to keep my deposit for that day.

And in Revelation 22:11-12, the Lord Jesus Christ declares:

Let the unjust be unjust still; and let the filthy be filthy still; and let the just practice justice.
still; and let the one who is holy, be made holy still. Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to repay everyone
each according to his work.

8. "And everything he does will prosper:" When we do all the above, then everything we do that pleases
God will be prospered in our hands. This is how the prosperity that comes from God works.

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What is the key to applying the Bible in my life?

Applying the Bible is the duty of all Christians. If we do not apply it, it becomes nothing more than
any book or in a collection of impractical ancient manuscripts. That is why Paul says, 'What you learned and
recibisteis y oísteis y visteis en mí, esto haced; y el Dios de paz estará con vosotros”(Philippians 4:9). When we apply
the Bible, God himself will be with us.

Reading is the first step to applying the Word of God in our lives. Our goal in reading is to reach
to know God, to learn His ways, and to understand His purpose for this world and for each one of us. When reading the
Bible, we learn about God's interaction with humanity throughout history, His plan of redemption, His
promises and His character. We see how Christian life is. The knowledge of God that we obtain from the Scriptures, leads us
serves as a valuable foundation for applying the principles of the Bible in life.

Our next objective is what the psalmist refers to as 'keeping' the Word of God in our hearts: 'In
I have hidden your words in my heart, that I might not sin against you.( I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.)The way we 'keep' the Word
Of God in our hearts is through study, memorization, and meditation on what we have already read. These
Four steps, reading, studying, memorizing, and meditating, make it possible to successfully apply the Scriptures to our lives.

Study: While studying certainly involves reading, reading is not the same as studying. Studying the Word
To God means that we spend time in prayer and are attentive to gaining a greater understanding of a character.
in particular, a theme, a passage, or a book of the Bible. A number of study resources are available, such as
biblical comments and published biblical studies, which allow us to have a feast of 'meat' with the Word of
God(Hebreos 5:12-14)We can familiarize ourselves with these resources, and then choose a topic, a passage or a book that
awaken our interest and in which we can delve deeper.

Memorize: It is impossible to apply what we cannot remember. If we are going to 'store' the Word in our hearts,
First we have to make it arrive there through memorization. Memorizing the Scriptures produces in us.
a well from which we can continuously drink, especially in the moments when we cannot read our Bibles.
In the same way that we save money and other earthly possessions for use in the future, we should 'put
these are my words in our heart and in our soul(Deuteronomy 11:18)Organize a plan for the verses of
the Bible that you would like to memorize each week.

Meditate: The writer and philosopher Edmund Burke once said: 'Reading without reflecting is like eating without digesting.' We cannot
allow ourselves the luxury of 'eating' the Word of God without 'digesting' it. In the parable of the sower( And he spoke many things to them in parables, saying: "Behold, a sower went out to [Link] as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered [Link] some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"cf18-23),
Jesus speaks of a sower who went out to sow seeds in his field, only to realize that some seeds, or
let it be the word of God(When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart; this is what was sown along the path.)had fallen on "stony ground, where there wasn't much soil; and it soon sprouted, because
It had no depth of soil; but when the sun rose, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered.(Matthew 13:5-6)Jesus says
for this is the person who hears the word, and receives it with joy but has no root in themselves( But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.).

But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and [Link] says that the man who meditates on the Word of God delights in it. Donald S. Whitney, in his book Disciplines
spiritual for the Christian life, write: "The tree of his spiritual life flourishes better with meditation, because it helps him"
to absorb the water of the Word of God(Ephesians 5:26)Simply listening to or reading the Bible, for example, can be
like a gentle rain on hard ground. Regardless of the amount or intensity of the rain, the greatest

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part of the water runs and very little is absorbed. Meditation opens the ground of the soul and allows the water of the Word
From God it filters deeply. The result is a life with much fruit and spiritual prosperity.

If we want the Word to take root in our lives so that we produce a harvest that pleases God.(Matthew
13:23)we must consider, reflect, and meditate on what we read and study in the Bible. As we meditate,
we can ask ourselves some questions:

What does this passage teach me about God?

What does this passage teach me about the church?
What does this passage teach me about the world?
What does this passage teach me about myself, my own desires, and motives?
5. Does this passage require me to take any actions? If so, what actions should I take?
6. What do I need to confess or what should I repent of?
7. What have I learned from this passage that helps me focus on God and seek His glory?

Apply: The point to which we must study, memorize, and meditate on the Word of God is until we understand.
how it applies to our lives. However, it is not enough to understand how the Word applies; we must actually
apply it(James 1:22)The 'application' implies action, and an obedient action is the final step for the Word of
God may come to life in our lives. The application of the Scriptures reinforces our study and allows us to clarify it much more.
Moreover, it helps to refine our discernment, aiding us in better distinguishing between good and evil.(Hebrews
5:14).

To conclude, it is important to note that we are not alone in trying to understand and apply the Word of God in our lives.
lives. God has filled us with His Spirit(And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.), who speaks to us, leading and guiding us to all truth
(John 16:13)For this reason, Paul instructs believers to 'walk in the Spirit.'(Galatians 5:16), because He is Our
quick help in tribulations!(Psalm 46:1)The Spirit will faithfully guide us to the will of God, making us do
always what is right(Ezequiel 36:26-28; For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.). To begin with, who better than the Holy Spirit that
The Bible inspired us, can it teach us to live according to everything that is written in it? Therefore, let us make our
part, keeping the Word in our hearts and obeying the Holy Spirit as He permits us
remember the Word that is within us.

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Attachments

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Basic Christian Doctrine

There is only one God: Isaiah 44:6,8; 45:6, 14, 18, 21, 22
There are no other gods before God or after Him: Isaiah 43:10
God knows all things: 1 John 3:20
God is all-powerful: Psalm 115:3
[Link] is everywhere: Jeremiah 23:23-24
[Link] is spirit: John 4:24
7. A spirit does not have a body of flesh and bones: Luke 24:39
[Link] has always been God: Psalm 90:2
9. Jesus is God: John 1:1, 14; 8:58; 20:28; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:6-8
10. Jesus became a man: Philippians 2:5-8
11. Jesus has two natures: the divine and the human Colossians 2:9; 1 Timothy 2:5
12. The Holy Spirit is God: Acts 5:3-4
13. The Holy Spirit is not a force: He is alive Acts 13:2
14. All people have sinned: Romans 3:23, 5:12
15. Sin separates us from God: Isaiah 59:2
16. Jesus died for all our sins: 1 John 2:2
17. The sacrifice of Jesus was a substitution for us: 1 Peter 2:24
18. Jesus physically rose from the dead: John 2:19-21
19. Those who reject Jesus will go to Hell: Revelation 20:11-15
20. Hell is a place of fiery punishment: Matthew 25:41; Revelation 19:20
21. Hell is eternal: Matthew 25:46
22. The lost will go to hell forever: Revelation 21:8
23. Salvation is a free gift from God: Romans 4:5; 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9
The Bible is the Word of God: 2 Timothy 3:16
25. Jesus will return visibly to the earth: Acts 1:11

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From Temptation to Sin

By: Jorge L. Trujillo

James 1:13-15
“[Link] someone is tempted, let them not say that they are tempted by God; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor
he tempts no one;[Link] each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and [Link]
Lust, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
Génesis 3: 1-24
“1. But the serpent was cunning, more than all the animals of the field that the Lord God had made; which said to the woman:
2.
Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden' ? And the woman said to the serpent, 'We may eat the fruit of the
trees in the orchard that we can eat;[Link] from the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, God said: You shall not eat of it,
you shall not touch it, lest you die.4. Then the serpent said to the woman: You will not die;[Link] God knows the day
that you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and [Link] the woman saw that the tree
was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise; and she took of its fruit, and
he ate; and he also gave to her husband, who ate just like [Link] the eyes of both were opened, and they knew
they were naked; then they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves [Link] they heard the voice of the Lord God that
he walked in the orchard, in the daylight; and the man and his wife hid from the presence of the Lord God among the
9. 10.
trees of the orchard. But the Lord God called to the man, and said: Where are you? And he answered: I heard your voice in the
11.
garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. And God said to him: Who told you that you were naked?
Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?[Link] the man answered: The woman you gave me as a companion
13.
he gave me from the tree, and I ate. Then the LORD God said to the woman: What is this you have done? And the woman said: The
the snake deceived me, and I [Link] the Lord God said to the serpent: Because you have done this, you shall be cursed above all
15.
beasts and among all the animals of the field; on your chest you shall walk, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.
Y
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.
[Link] the woman he said: I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth; with pain you shall bring forth children; and your
17.
Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you. And to the man he said: Because you obeyed the voice of your wife, and
You ate from the tree that I commanded you, saying: You shall not eat from it; cursed will be the ground for your sake; with pain you shall eat from it.
her every day of your [Link] and thistles it will produce for you, and you will eat the plants of the [Link] the sweat of your brow
You will eat bread until you return to the ground, because you were taken from it; for you are dust, and to dust you shall [Link] called
21.
Adam named his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all living. And the Lord God made man and the
his wife tunics of skins, and he dressed them. And the Lord God said: Behold, the man is like one of us, knowing the
22.

23.
Good and evil; now, therefore, that he not stretch out his hand, and also take from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever.
And the Lord God cast him out of the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was [Link] cast out the man, and set
to the east of the garden of Eden, cherubim, and a flaming sword that turned every way, to guard the way
from the tree of life.

The devil made me do it.

Very often we have heard from the mouths of pastors, ministers, laypeople, and other people who have fallen into sin,
utilizar la famosa frase"el diablo me hizo hacerlo".Es una aseveración que se hace hoy muy a menudo solo para sentirse
free of all guilt, but how true will that be? It is true that the devil is a wrongdoer and desires by all means
that we do what goes against God; but who is ultimately responsible for the sins committed, the devil
or the person who commits the sin?

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According to the Bible, we can see that a human being will always be responsible for all their actions, whether good or bad.
What would you think if we told someone who has done something good that the reward for that good deed will be given to God?
Well, if the Devil is the one who takes the blame for all the bad that is done, it would be logical to think that God must bear the ...
reward for all that is done well. Surely some would protest against such a proposition (although it is very true
that every good gift comes from God and without Him we can do nothing); However, when we commit some fault or do
For something inappropriate, we quickly try to find someone to blame for what happened. We accuse someone who is nearby.
What is directly or indirectly related to what happened; if the offense is very clear and we know that we are the only ones.
responsible for what was done, then we can easily say: 'the devil made me do it' and thus remove from ourselves
all the blame.
According to the reading in James 1:13-15, we can understand how sin develops until it reaches its peak.
to happen in the life of a human being. We could then say that sin is a process that begins with a simple
bad thought which the Bible calls 'temptation'.

Temptation
It means to test or to summon evil. Being tempted is not a sin; giving in to temptation is indeed a sin.
The Devil or Satan can in some way, perhaps, create the situation for temptation to arise, but he never
He will be able to make sure that no one does something that the person does not want to do. Let's take the example of Christ himself:

Matthew 4
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting...
Forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came to him and said, If you are the Son of God, tell these stones
they will become bread. 4 He answered and said: It is written: Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out
from the mouth of God. 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to him: If
You are the Son of God; throw yourself down; for it is written: He will command his angels concerning you, and, In their hands they will hold you.
So that you do not stumble your foot on stone. 7 Jesus said to him: It is also written: You shall not tempt the Lord your God. 8 Again
the devil led him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, and said: All this
I will give you, if you prostrate yourself and worship me. 10Then Jesus said to him: Go away, Satan, for it is written: You shall worship the Lord your God,
And you will only serve him. 11 Then the devil left him; and behold, angels came and served him.
The problem is not in being 'tempted to sin', but in yielding to such temptation. As we see, Jesus was tempted, solicited to
to sin, but he did not sin:
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet he did not sin.

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who
tempted in all things according to our likeness, but without sin.
Although Christ had a body of flesh, he did not have sinful concupiscence. This proves that when the Bible...
It refers to 'the flesh,' not to the physical but to the fallen nature. Christ did not have a fallen nature although He had...
a carnal body. Unlike Christ, we have both things, a body of flesh, and a fallen nature, for
we must constantly rely on God and His Holy Spirit to overcome temptations and control nature
carnal.

The process of Sin

If we are believers, the devil has no power over our lives. For we no longer belong to him. The one who has not been born
Again, it is not of God, it is from the devil, he has control over their lives. But this does not remove the responsibility for their ...
facts, for it is they who have chosen to follow the 'prince of this world' Ephesians 2:2. and 'God has
delivered to the lusts of their hearts." Romans 1:24-32.

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1. Evil concupiscence - Desires that come from the mind (the heart) and go against the law of God.

The bad wishes of the mind are what lead a man or woman to do what is wrong (sin). For this
the reason is so important that we are filled with the spirit, to control the bad desires of the flesh. Both Jesus and
Pablo points to 'the flesh' or carnal nature as the source of sins:

Matthew 15
19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness
testimonies, the blasphemies.

Galatians 5
I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the desires of the flesh. For the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit.
The Spirit, and the Spirit is against the flesh; and these oppose each other, so that you do not do what you wish. 18 But if
if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication,
uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcrafts, enmities, strife, jealousy, wrath, contentions, dissensions
heresies, 21 envies, homicides, drunkenness, orgies, and things similar to these; about which I warn you, as
I have told you before that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

2. Temptation (one's own concupiscence acts to tempt)

Attraction - How a victim is lured with bait in order to trap them. The devil or the flesh will try to attract.
the victim in order to fall into sin. Although God does not send temptation, it is in a certain way permitted by Him who
In the midst of the problem, He gives us the way out so that we can overcome sin. (1 Corinthians 10:13.)
·Seduction / Deception - The word seduction has the connotation of being deceived. The lust will deceive the...
individual with the aim of making him do that which is inappropriate.

3. Conception

Santiago compares this stage of sin to that of the gestation or development stage of a child in the womb of the mother.
Conception is the moment when the creature begins to form or obtains life within its mother's womb. A
Once this process has begun, if the creature is not aborted, it will soon be born as the fruit of that seed that was.
implanted in the mother's womb.

Sin is conceived when (1. Seduction) one begins to entertain the possibilities of committing that which
Although we know it goes against the law of God, it promises us something we desire to have or achieve. It can be a relationship.
with that beautiful young woman, or that handsome gentleman, or perhaps, that position I have long desired, or that money that
it would come in so handy in this time of economic hardship, or to be able to take revenge on that person who harmed me,
or who knows what else. (2. Deception) Once we allow these thoughts into our minds and we give in.
Conception) sin is committed. "Sin has been conceived."

It is interesting for us to know that although this process of temptation (Seduction, Attraction) has started within
we, there is still the possibility of not committing sin (Conception.) Sin can be AVOIDED.
before it is conceived. If a person realizes that they are in the process of committing a sin, they can repent.
(change one's mind), ask for forgiveness and withdraw from their attempt. Sin once conceived, just like the child in the womb of

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his mother will give birth. And just as in the natural case of attraction between a man and a woman, the more time
The later it happens, the harder it will be to avoid the union that will lead to pregnancy.

There are sins that take longer than others to be developed and conceived. Some take only minutes to be
conceived or committed, while others may take days or weeks. The first sin that is committed
it will normally be more difficult, but as time goes by and when the person gets used to sinning, this process
It will become easier every time. A person can become one who practices sin. Such a person is not of God.
according to 1 John 3:8, for he has been placed under the dominion of the devil.

4. Sin is born - Childbirth

This is the moment when sin takes place, when one enjoys or achieves what they desire. It is not a sin that came out
from nothing, but this was planned, conceived, developed, and brought to light.

5. Sin is consumed

At this moment, the sin has already been committed. It has reached the peak of the mountain it wanted to conquer and soon
For a little while, one will feel the pleasure of having achieved what was desired but was inappropriate.

6. Death occurs

After sin has been consummated, it will begin to produce its consequence, death. (Romans 6:23.)

The Example of Adam and Eve

An example of this process can be observed in the first sin committed in the Garden of Eden. Let us look at Genesis.
Chapter 3 to see how this process took place in Eve and in Adam.

Temptation

Deception (Gen. 3:1-5) - Satan spoke to Eve through the serpent in a way that questioned what God had commanded.
Regarding the tree that was in the middle of the garden. She said to the serpent that they would not die, but that their eyes would be opened.
and they would be like God. Eve was deceived (2 Corinthians 11:2-7; 1 Timothy 2:13-14)
2 Corintios 11:2-7
2 For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy; for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to
Christ. 3 But I fear that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray.
lost from the sincere fidelity to Christ. 4 For if someone comes preaching another Jesus than the one we have brought you
predicate, or if you receive another spirit than the one you have received, or another gospel than the one you have accepted, well it
you tolerate
1 Timoteo 2
13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman, being deceived,
committed a transgression.

Attraction (Gen. 3:6a) - The woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, ...and desirable
to attain wisdom. Eva began to give space to the possibilities of wisdom and intelligence that she would gain. She was

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attracted to the tree because it looked good. Sin, whenever it appears, presents itself as something pleasant to our
senses (eyes, mouth, ear, touch.) The origin of sin is always something desirable and good to our desires.

Galatians 1
I am amazed that you have so quickly turned away from the one who called you by the grace of Christ, to follow a different gospel
different.
Gálatas 3
1 !!Oh foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was already...
clearly presented among you as crucified? 2 This only I want to know from you: Did you receive the Spirit by
the works of the law, or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now going to finish by
the meat? 4 Have you suffered so many things in vain? if indeed it was in vain. 5 Therefore, he who supplies you with
Spirit, and does wonders among you, does it do so by the works of the law, or by hearing with faith?

Conception (Gen. 3:6b)

The sin was committed, ...and she took of its fruit, and ate; and she also gave to her husband, who ate as she did.

The consummated sin - Birth of Sin (Gen. 3:6c-7)

Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked.
Once the sin is committed, one enjoys the few moments that follow having obtained what was desired and
enjoy the benefits obtained. Adam and Eve enjoyed for a short time the supposed benefit of sin, their
eyes were opened, they received the coveted wisdom.

Death occurs (Gen. 3:19)

From the very moment that Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden fruit, they died. The punishment was: With the sweat of your...
You will eat bread by the sweat of your brow until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.
death did not exist until this time, but because of sin it has now come to exist. Death (spiritual and physical) is the
consequence of sin.

Conclusion
Certainly we have been able to see how the words of James can clearly be applied to all sin, for sin
It is not a simple fact 'it is a process'. May God help us understand the destructive power of sin in our lives and
Let us trust in God to overcome the temptations that we face daily. The Bible says that 'sin is in'
he who knows how to do good and does not do it." (James 4:17.) He who does not do good is in disobedience and therefore
he is in sin. He has been tempted to disobey and has yielded to temptation. The good thing is not to give place to the devil, to the flesh
and to temptation. It is us who must answer to God for our sins, not the devil, nor the neighbor.

The same God is willing and gives us the help we need not to fall into temptation. The same Bible tells us:

1 Corintios 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man; but God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.
that you may be able to bear it.

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And it also tells us:

Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

Blessed is the man who endures temptation, for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life,
What God has promised to those who love Him.
I want to end with these words that have helped me in my life: Many say that 'the devil knows what our
"weakness", to which I say: "I also know what my weakness is." Therefore, let's not give place to the devil to take.
Take advantage of our weakness, first we must strengthen ourselves in the Lord and in the power of His might. (Ephesians 6:10)

Practical Teachings
We submit to God, humbled and acknowledging that we are not exempt from falling.
Resist the Devil, under the power of God
Living guided by the Spirit
Build yourselves up on the Scriptures for the knowledge of the truth
Stand Firm in the Truth
Praying at all times

For this reason, for the love of Christ, I rejoice in weaknesses, in insults, in needs, in persecutions, in
anguish; because when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corintios 12:10

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How can I overcome sin in my Christian life?

The Bible speaks of the resources we have to overcome our sinfulness:

The Holy Spirit - The Holy Spirit is a gift that God has given us (to His church) to be victorious in living.
Cristiano. InGálatas 5:16-25, God makes a contrast between the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. In that passage,
we are called to walk in the Spirit. All believers already possess the Holy Spirit, but this passage tells us that
we need to walk in the Spirit, submitting our will under His control. This means that we should carry the
Practice what the Holy Spirit inspires us to do in our lives, instead of following the desires of the flesh.
Gálatas 5:16-25
“16.I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the desires of the [Link] the desire of the flesh is against it.
The Spirit, and the Spirit is against the flesh; and these are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you would [Link] yes
if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the [Link] the works of the flesh are manifest, which are: adultery, fornication,
dirtiness, [Link], witchcraft, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, [Link]
homicides, drunkenness, orgies, and similar things; about which I admonish you, as I have already told you
Before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of [Link] the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faith,[Link], temperance; against such things there is no law. 24. But those who are from
Christ has crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
25.

The difference that the Holy Spirit can make in the life of the believer is demonstrated in the life of Peter, who before
being filled with the Holy Spirit, denied Jesus three times, having previously said that he would follow Christ to death. Once
Filled with the Spirit, Peter spoke boldly and openly to the Jews about the Savior on Pentecost.

One walks in the Spirit trying not to block what He Himself prompts us to do ('without quenching the Spirit' as it says)
en 1 Thessalonians 5:19"Do not quench the Spirit." And you will seek me well, be filled with the Spirit.(Efesios 5:18-21 “[Link]
19.
do not be drunk with wine, in which there is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, talking among yourselves with
psalms, with hymns and spiritual songs, singing and praising the Lord in your hearts; always giving thanks
20.

for all to God and Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus [Link] to one another out of reverence for Christ.

How does one get filled with the Holy Spirit? First, it is God's choice just as it was in the Old Testament. God
elegy to specific individuals in the Old Testament to fill these individuals that he chose to carry out
a work that he wanted to do them(Genesis 41:38And Pharaoh said to his servants: Can we find another man like
"This is he in whom the spirit of God is?"Exodus 31:3And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and in understanding,
in science and in all art,Numbers 24:2And lifting up his eyes, he saw Israel dwelling according to his tribes; and the Spirit of God
wine came over him.1 Samuel 10:10Here you have seen today with your own eyes how the Lord has delivered you today into my hands in the cave;
And they told me to kill you, but I forgave you, because I said: I will not lift my hand against my lord, for he is the anointed one.
of Jehovah."; etc.) InEphesians 5:18-21“[Link] not be drunk with wine, in which there is dissipation; but be filled with the spirit
Spirit, [Link] among yourselves with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and praising the Lord in
20.
your hearts; always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
21.
"Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ."Colossians 3:16The word of Christ dwell in you abundantly,
teaching and exhorting one another in all wisdom, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord with
"Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs." There is evidence that God chooses to fill those who are being filled with the
Word of God. So that brings us to our next resource.

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(2) The Word of God, the Bible–2 Timothy 3:16-177“[Link] Scripture is inspired by God and useful for
to teach, to reprove, to correct, to instruct in righteousness,[Link] the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly
prepared for every good work." It says that God has given us His Word to equip us for every good work. This helps us
teaches us how to live and what to believe, reveals to us when we have chosen wrong paths, helps us return to the path
Correct, and it helps us stay on that path. As it shares with [Link] the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the [Link] the word of God is
living and effective, and sharper than any two-edged sword; and penetrating even to the dividing of soul and spirit, joints and marrow
marrows, and discerns the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”, the Word is alive and effective, and able to penetrate into
our hearts, to uproot the deepest problems that cannot be overcome humanly speaking. The
the psalmist talks about this power that can change lives inPsalms 119:911105“[Link] will the young man clean his
path? With keeping your [Link] my heart I have stored your sayings, so that I may not sin against [Link] is to my
"Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path." and other verses. Joshua was told that the key to success in overcoming his...
enemies (an analogy for our spiritual battle) was not to forget this resource, but rather to meditate on the Word day
and at night, so that he could fulfill it. He did it, even though what God commanded him made no military sense, and this
it was the key to their victory in their struggle to obtain the Promised Land.

This is commonly a resource that we treat trivially. We prove this by bringing our Bibles to the
church or read the daily devotional or a daily chapter, but we fail to memorize it, to meditate on it, to seek the
application for our lives, in confessing the sins that it reveals to us, in worshiping God for the gifts it reveals having given us
often we become either anorexic or bulimic when it comes to the Bible. When we feed on the Word,
we aspire enough to keep ourselves spiritually alive, but we do it only when we go to the
church (but we never consume enough to be healthy and prosperous Christians); or we often feed ourselves, but
We never meditate long enough to gain spiritual nourishment from it.

If you have not made it a habit to study the Word of God on a daily basis in a meaningful way, and to
memorize it while passing through the passages that the Holy Spirit leaves imprinted in your heart, it is important that
Start making it a habit right away. I also suggest starting a journal (it can be on the computer if you
You can type faster than writing) or on a spiral notebook, etc. Make it a habit not to neglect the Word of God.
until I have written something that benefits him. Often, I jot down sentences that I send to God, asking Him to help me.
change in the areas where He has also asked me to do so. The Bible is the tool that the Spirit uses in
our lives and in the lives of others(Ephesians 6:17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the
word of God; a vital and essential part of the armor that God gives us to fight our battles.
spiritual(Efesios 6:12-18 “[Link] we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
authorities, against the governors of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the regions
[Link], take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all,
be [Link], stand firm, girded your loins with truth, and dressed with the breastplate of righteousness,15. and footwear
the feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of [Link] all, take the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the
17.
fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
18.
praying at all times with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching in this with all perseverance and supplication for
All Saints;!)

(3) Prayer—This is another essential resource that God has given. Again, this is a resource that Christians
they mention it but do not put it into practice, they give it a very poor use. We have prayer meetings, times of prayer,
etc., pero no encontramos el uso que le daba a ella la iglesia de la antigüedad, como puede ver en estos ejemplos en Facts
3:14:316:6;13:1-3, etc.

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Acts 3:1 "Peter and John went up together to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer."
Acts 4:31 "When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled shook; and they were all filled with the Spirit"
Saint, and they spoke boldly the word of God.
Acts 6:6 "whom they presented to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them."
Acts 13:1-31. There were then in the church that was in Antioch, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simon who was called
They called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and [Link] these
To the Lord, and fasting, the Holy Spirit said: Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called [Link],
having fasted and prayed, they laid hands on them and sent them away.

Pablo repeatedly mentions how he prayed for those he ministered to. We also do not use it in the way
correct this great resource that is at our disposal. But God has given us wonderful promises concerning
the prayern (Mateo 7:7-11; Luke 18:1-8John 6:23-271ª Juan 5:14-15, etc.).
Mateo 7:7-11
8.
“7. Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; and he who seeks,
knock; and the one who calls will be opened. What man among you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?[Link] if
9.

If he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?[Link], if you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children,
How much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him?

Luke 18:1-8
“[Link] also told them a parable about the need to always pray and not give up, saying:2. There was in a
In a city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected [Link] was also in that city a widow, who came to
he said: Grant me justice against my [Link] he did not want to for some time; but after this he said to himself:
Although I neither fear God nor have respect for man,[Link], because this widow bothers me, I will grant her justice, no
I see that coming continuously, it has exhausted my [Link] the Lord said: Hear what the unjust judge [Link] doesn't God
Will he not bring justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he delay in answering them? I 8.
tell you that he will quickly grant them justice.

justice. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?

John 6:23-27
“[Link] other boats had arrived from Tiberias near the place where they had eaten the bread after giving thanks.
the Lord. 24. So when the people saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they got into the boats and went to...
Capernaum, seeking [Link] when they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him: Rabbi, when did you [Link]? He/She responded
Jesus said to them: Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the
bread and you were [Link] not for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the
The Son of Man will give it to you; for this is the one God the Father pointed out.

And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him.

“14. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears 15.
[Link] if
We know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have made to him.

And once again Paul includes this in his passage regarding how to prepare for spiritual battle.(Efesios 6:18)!

How important is this? When observing Peter again, one can see Christ's words to him in the Garden of
Gethsemane before he denied it. There, while Jesus is praying, Peter is sleeping. Jesus wakes him up and says, 'Stay awake'
y pray, so that you do not enter into temptation; the spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak.(Mateo 26:41).
You, like Peter, want to do what is right, but you do not find the strength. We need to follow the recommendation.

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It is up to God to keep us seeking, calling, asking... and He will give us the strength we need.(Mateo 7:7)But
we need not only to mention, but to put this resource into practice.
I am not saying that prayer is magical. It is not. God is formidable. Prayer is simply recognizing our
our own limitations, and the inexhaustible power of God, and turn to Him for that strength, to do what He wants us to do
let's do (not what WE want to do)(1 John 5:14-15).

The Church - Once again, this last resort is one that we tend to ignore. When Jesus sent His disciples,
he sent them two by two(Matthew 10:1)When we read about the missionary journeys in the book of Acts, we see
that a missionary does not go out one at a time, but in groups of two or more. Jesus said that where two or three are gathered in
His name, there He is in the midst of them(For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.)He commands us not to stop gathering together as some have.
by habit, but encouraging one another to stimulate us to love and good works(Hebrews 10:24-25). The
He commands us to confess our offenses to one another.(Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.)In the accurate literature of the Old Testament, there
it tells us that iron sharpens iron; and thus a man sharpens the face of his friend( Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.) Three cord
"folds do not break soon." There is strength in numbers.(Ecclesiastes 4:11-12).

There are brothers and sisters in Christ who communicate through the phone or in person, and share their walk.
Cristiano, their struggles, their problems, etc., they commit to pray for one another, and they are responsible for supporting each other.
to others to apply the Word of God in their relationships, etc.

Sometimes changes come quickly in some areas, and slowly in others. But God has promised us that
As we make use of his resources, He will bring changes to our lives. Persevere knowing that He is faithful.
His promises!

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How to Overcome Temptation

We have prayer as a powerful weapon that God has placed in our hands. Through prayer, the son
God can overcome all things. But there is one thing that takes the weapon of prayer from our hands. What is it? It is
the sin! Mateo 26:14,Mateo 6:13.

When we give in to temptation, God will not hear our prayers. Satan knows this, and this is one reason why he works.
so hard trying to make Christians sin. 1 Peter 3:7

TODO CRISTIANO DEBE APRENDER A VENCER LA TENTACIÓN, porque

we will be tempted. But, by the grace of God, we can overcome temptation.
In this lesson, we will learn how to do this. First, let’s answer.
some questions about sin and temptation.

CAN SATAN FORCE US TO SIN? No, he cannot. Satan can

to tempt us to sin, but he cannot force us to sin.
For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
IS IT A SIN TO BE TEMPTED? No, it is not. The Lord Jesus was tempted, and
we know that he did not sin. The Bible says that He was 'tempted in every way as we are'
similarity, but without sin.
We must understand this point clearly: Temptation is not sin. Satan likes to condemn Christians even
when they have not sinned. He likes to make them feel guilty for having been tempted by some sin, but being
being tempted is not a sin.

WHEN DOES SIN ENTER? Sin enters when we say Yes to temptation. We sin when we yield to it.
temptation.
The Bible speaks of some sins that are external, and of other sins that are internal.

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By external sins, we mean sins such as cursing, lying, stealing, immorality, drunkenness, murder.
No Christian should be guilty of these sins. If these sins still exist in a person's life, there is no
evidence that he/she was born again.
But, sadly, both Christians and the unconverted are guilty of internal sins. By internal sins
We want to mention sins such as pride, jealousy, envy, selfishness, lack of forgiveness, hatred, greed. These are the sins.
secrets that the eyes of man cannot see. But God sees them and in His sight they are hateful. We must learn to
to triumph over them.

EVERY CHRISTIAN HAS SOME SIN THAT HARASSES HIM. That is the sin with which you are most tempted. Satan.
know your weakest point, and it is there where you are most tempted. To triumph over that sin and the other sins in your life,
You must learn to overcome temptation.

OVERCOMING TEMPTATION
To overcome temptation, you must do four things:
Depend on your death with Christ.
2. Depend on the life of Christ in you.
3. Equip yourself with the Word of God.
4. Do not pay attention to the flesh.

To depend on your death with Christ

As Christians, you and I have been rescued from the kingdom of darkness where sin reigns. How were we freed?
We were released through our death with Christ. God placed us in Christ on the cross. When Christ died, we died.
together with Him; when He was buried, we were buried with Him; when He rose from the dead, we too
we rise again with Him. The Bible says:
Giving thanks to the Father... who has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us to the kingdom of His beloved Son
(Colossians 1:12-13)

Galatians 5:24-25

What does this mean?

It means that, in Christ, we have been delivered from the kingdom of darkness where sin reigns. We are no longer under the
authority of sin. This is a great truth and we must rely on it. The Bible says:
Likewise you also consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:11).

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Since we have been freed from the authority of sin, sin has no right to rule over us. No longer
we must obey sin more.

HOW DO WE OBTAIN FREEDOM from the service of sin? By claiming it! The Bible says:
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof (Romans 6:12).
Let's think about a young person who enlists in the army. He is under the authority of the army. He has to work hard and
obey their superior officer. Years go by and, the day comes when they are discharged. Later that same day, they ...
find your superior officer and the officer says
— José, quiero que vaya a barrer el cuartel y a limpiar y pulir los fusiles.
José addresses him and respectfully says:
No more than that for me, sir.
The officer says to him:
What do you mean by that, José? For four years he has obeyed my orders. Why does he tell me, no more of that?
for me?
“Because,” says José, “I have my release license.” José accounted for the reality that he was already on sick leave and filed his
freedom from military service.

WE ARE ALSO "OUT!"

As believers, we are 'off-duty' from serving sin. The Bible says that the one who has died is free from sin; has
received your exit license.
GOD TELLS YOU: "You have your license to not serve sin. Now, rely on this reality and demand your liberation. Do not
let sin reign over you no longer.

YOU MUST OBEY GOD. When sin approaches you, tell it:
I recognize your presence and your power, but I refuse to obey you. Based on the clear Word of God, I acknowledge myself.
dead to you through Jesus Christ my Lord. You will not reign over me.
Esto es creer en la Palabra de Dios. Destruye el poder del pecado en tu vida.

2. Have the Life of Christ in you

Temptation comes to us not only from Satan, but also from within ourselves. The Bible says:
But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed (James 1:14).
We have within us something that is always trying to drag us into sin. The Bible calls it 'the law of sin.'
que está en mis miembros".Romanos 7:22-25, 8:1-2.

WHAT IS A 'LAW'? A law is something that happens over and over again. For example, we talk about 'the law of gravity'.
What do we mean by this? We mean that there is a force that always makes objects fall to the ground when
it lets go. No matter where you go, this always happens; so we call it 'the law of gravity.'
We have within us a principle of sin that is always trying to drag us down to sin. By
that is what the Bible calls 'the law of sin'.

CAN WE OVERCOME THE LAW OF SIN BY OUR OWN EFFORTS? No, we cannot. God
has to free us from the power of sin.

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How does God deliver us?

God delivers us by giving us Christ. His life conquers the law of sin and death in us.
Let's think again about the law of gravity. We know that the law of gravity is always at work. It keeps us
fixed on the ground. We cannot fly without a mechanical device.
But birds fly. Does this mean that the law of gravity does not affect them? No, the law of
Gravity pulls them down just like it does us. But birds have a kind of...
de vida que supera la ley de la gravedad. La"ley"de la vida de un ave es volar.
Now, let's return to our situation. We have 'the law of sin in our members,' but
we also have Christ living in us, and there is a "law" of His life. The law of life
In Christ, it is to overcome sin. His life always triumphs over sin. And His life in us
overcomes the law of sin and death. The Bible says:
The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death
Romans 8:2
This is wonderful, but there is a condition we must meet if we want the life of Christ to conquer sin.
in us: we must trust that He will do it.

3. Arm yourself with the Word of God

We have already learned about the powerful weapon of prayer that God has given us. But God has given us another weapon to
that we use it against Satan. This weapon is the Word of God. The Bible says:
And take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17).
When the Lord Jesus was tempted in the desert, He used this weapon to overcome Satan. Three times Satan tempted the Lord.
Jesus, and three times Jesus answered him with the Word of God.

THE LORD JESUS USED EXACTLY THE APPROPRIATE VERSE to refute each temptation of Satan. When
Satan tried to make Jesus worship him by offering him all the kingdoms of the world, the Lord Jesus did not quote Psalm 23.
This is a beautiful passage from the Scriptures, but it was not the weapon to use against that temptation. Instead, the Lord Jesus
he said to him,

Go away, Satan, for it is written: You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve (Matthew 4:10).

THE LORD JESUS DEFEATED SATAN because he had memorized the Word of God and knew how to use it. Do you see why it is
How important is it for you to memorize the Scriptures? You should equip yourself with the Word of God.
Here are some verses of victory. Learn what they mean. Memorize them. Use them against Satan.

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free, John 8:32.
The Word of God is the truth. When you know the truth about sin, about Satan, and about temptation, you can be
freed from its power over you.

For sin will not have dominion over you; for you are not under the law but under grace.
El pecado no continuará dominándote. ¿Por qué? Porque estás"bajo la gracia", donde el gran poder de Dios obra para tu
Good. Christ lives in you. He will enable you to overcome the power of sin.

Resist the devil, and he will flee from you

Learn to resist Satan. Resist him with the Word of God. Resist him in the name of Jesus. Resist him with the victory of
Calvary. Remind him that he is defeated and tell him not to bother you. Colossians 2:13-15

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Little children, you are of God, and you have overcome them; for greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.
world". 1 John 4:4.
Jesus Christ is the one who is in you. Satan is the one who is 'in the world'. This verse says that Jesus Christ, who is in you, is
greater than Satan, who is in the world.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind.
The spirit of fear is from Satan. Don't accept it! God does not give us the spirit of fear; instead, He gives us the spirit
of power, of love, and of self-control.

Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:6.

If you are a child of God, God has begun a good work in you. He will continue that work until the day you go to
to reunite with Him. You can count on this.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

The Lord Jesus Christ gives me strength to do everything He wants me to do. Why? Because He lives in me, and He is the one who
he does it.

Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

We should not be strong in ourselves but we should strengthen ourselves in the Lord. This means that we must
count on Him and His great power to give us victory.

"What, then, shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31.
Son of God, God is for you. You can be sure of this because He says so. Since God is for you, it doesn't matter
whoever is against you.

And we know that to those who love God, all things work together for good, to those who are called according to his purpose.
called
Some things seen alone may not seem good to us, but we know that God is working in all things for good.
from the person who truly loves them. We know this because God says so.

4. Do not pay attention to the flesh

To overcome temptation, you must not pay attention to the desires of the flesh. This means that you should not do things or
allowing yourself to enter situations where it is easy for you to sin. The Bible says:
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to satisfy its desires (Romans 13:14).
Here are some suggestions that will help you overcome temptation.

AVOID FRIENDS AND COMPANIONS who influence you to do sinful things. Learn to say NO! The Bible says:
My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent (Proverbs 1:10).

TAKE CARE IN WHAT YOU LOOK AT. You can't help but see some sinful things, but it's the second glance that
it makes you sin.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR WAY OF THINKING. A clean mind is of great value. You cannot have a clean mind if you read magazines.
you read indecent novels or watch improper movies.

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DO NOT ALLOW SINFUL THOUGHTS to remain in your mind. You may not be able to prevent Satan from
put a bad thought in your mind, but if you can reject it immediately. As it has been said: "You cannot avoid
Let the birds fly over your head, but if you can, prevent them from making their nests on it.
2 Corintios 10:3-5

FILL YOUR MIND WITH THE WORD OF GOD. The Bible says,
In my heart I have stored your sayings, that I may not sin against you (Psalms 119:11). Read Psalms 119:9-11, 14-16.

KNOW YOUR WEAKNESSES. Take special care of these areas of your life. One of the best ways to resist a
Sexual temptation is fleeing from it. This is what Joseph did when he was tempted by an evil woman (Genesis, chapter)
39). Genesis 39:7-12

DO NOT GO TO ANYPLACE where you would not want to be when the Lord Jesus comes.

DO NOTHING that you wouldn't want to be doing when the Lord comes.

CONFESS YOUR SIN IMMEDIATELY. Do not remain in defeat.

SEEK THE LORD to free yourself from temptation. The psalmist said:
My eyes are always toward the Lord, for he will free my feet from the net (Psalms 25:15).

DO NOT BE DECEIVED BY SATAN. The Bible says: 'Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.' If not
It comes from God and in the way that God arranges it, it is a sin. Acknowledge it as such and reject it.

Remember: "There is always a hook in sin"

Then lust, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth death.
death. James 1:15

The wonderful promise of God

God has given us a wonderful promise in 1 Corinthians 10:13. Every Christian should memorize this verse:
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man; but God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond what you are able.
that you may be able to bear it.

WHAT DOES THIS VERSE SAY? It says that other people are tempted with the same things that are temptation for
"God is faithful." This means that you can count on Him to do what He says He will do. What does God promise?
here? Promise that it will not let you be tempted more than you can bear. Promise to open a way out for you, so that you do not
you have to sin.

YOU CAN HAVE VICTORY over every temptation. God says: "Sin shall not have dominion over you." Remember
these four things:

Count on your death with Christ.

2. Have the life of Christ in you.
3. Arm yourself with the Word of God.
4. Do not pay attention to the flesh.

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Read the questions and mark the best answer for each question.

What is it that takes the weapon of prayer from our hands?

oa) Lack of time to pray.
ob) The sin.
Can Satan force us to sin?
o a) No, he cannot. He can only tempt us to sin.
ob) Yes, he can force us to sin.
3. Is it a sin to be tempted?
oa) No, temptation is not sin.
ob) Yes, being tempted is a sin.
4. When does sin enter?
oa) When we are tempted.
ob) When we give in to temptation.
5. Some internal or secret sins that only God can see are
o a) Pride, jealousy, lack of forgiveness.
ob) Lying, stealing, immorality.
6. How can we overcome temptation?
oa) Rely on the life of Christ in us.
o b) To depend on our own wisdom and strength.
7. A powerful weapon that God has given us is prayer. Another is
o the word of God.
o b) A good education.

8. Why is it important to memorize the word of God?

oa) So that we can use it when we are tempted.
ob) Because it is a good exercise for the mind.
9. To overcome temptation
oa) It is important to take care of what we watch, read, and think.
ob) Only the things we do are important.
1 Corinthians 10:13 says that
oGod will not let you be tempted.
ob) God will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear.

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Are you Saved? Are you a true Christian?

Many today profess to be Christians because at one point in their lives they went forward to an 'altar' and repeated a
prayer, 'accepting' Christ. Others think they are Christians because they were baptized. And others think they are because
they were born into a Christian home or attend a church. But according to the Bible, none of these things are the marks of a
true Christian.

In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus says that not everyone who calls him 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven. Many will tell him
that on the Day of Judgment, but He will reply to them: 'I never knew you; depart from me, YOU WORKERS OF
EVIL. So, how to know? How to be sure not to be one of those to whom Jesus will say that on that day.
day? The Bible gives us some proofs to know it.

In 2 Corinthians 13:5 it says: "Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Examine yourselves. Or do you not recognize yourselves?
You yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you, unless indeed you fail the test?

You may have been told that you should never doubt your salvation, but here it says the opposite. We must
to examine ourselves. And this is one of the reasons why Juan wrote his first epistle:

I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
1 Juan 5:13

In the book of John, we find a series of tests that will help us determine whether we are true believers or not.
There are many, but we will only look at five of them.
Are you ready? Let's get started.

Are we walking in darkness?

If we say that we have communion with Him, but walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
Does your life contradict the Word of God? Do you constantly live a lifestyle of sin, lying, stealing (without
importing the value), committing adultery (if you look at a person to covet them, you commit adultery in your heart, Matt. 5:28),
taking the name of God in vain, cursing, etc.? And worse still: do you do these things while professing to be a follower?
of Christ? This is called hypocrisy. 'Whoever practices sin is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning.'
principle…" 1 John 3:8

2. Do we deny having sinned?

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
sensitive to sin in your life? When was the last time you cried or were broken because you had offended a God
Saint? Do you abhor sin? If you fall, do you receive the discipline of the Lord, which He gives to all His children (Hebrews 12:5-11)?

3. Do we keep his commandments?

And in this we know that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments. He who says, 'I have come to know Him...
to know, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar and the truth is not in him." 1 John 2:3-4 Is your life consumed
by a deep longing to be more like Jesus? Is Christ the center of everything? Could your friends and family say that He is
the greatest love of your life and heart? Do you love His Word and feed on it constantly? Do you delight in the

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Sir, spending time with Him in prayer? Do you love sharing time with other Christians? Do you preach the gospel of
Christ to the lost?

Do we hate our brothers?

He who says he is in the Light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 1 John 2:9 Do you have hatred against someone?
Your heart? Do you hold resentment or bitterness? Have you forgiven everyone? "Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and
You know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him." 1 John 3:15

Do we love the world?

Do not love the world or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Because
everything that is in the world, the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life, does not come from
Father, but not of the world." 1 John 2:15-16 Do you love the things of the world (music, movies, television shows,
nightclubs, etc.)? Remember that anything that does not glorify God in this world glorifies the devil."I will not put
before my eyes an unjust thing. I abhor the work of those who deviate; none of them shall draw near to me.
Psalms 101:3 Can you sit and enjoy a program or a movie that God absolutely abhors, full of the
the same sins for which Jesus had to die? Do you love and desire wealth and material things? Are you attracted to everything?
ostentation and the glamour that this world offers? "Adulterers! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity against
God? Anyone, then, who wants to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God." James 4:4

How did you do on the exam? Will you go to heaven with the Lord, or will you be one of those impostors that Jesus will send to hell?
If your walk does not match the Word of God, it is very likely that you are not a Christian. It is our sincere desire that
you have a true experience of salvation.

Remember that Jesus did something for you so that you do not have to die in your sins. He suffered and died on the cross, bearing
about your body, your sins, and the punishment you rightly deserved: the wrath of God. He shed His blood and became a
curse so that you can have eternal life. And he rose from the dead on the third day and conquered death.
So, what must we do to be saved? The Bible says that we must be born again (John 3:3). The only way
what we can do is through repentance and faith.

Repentance means asking for God's forgiveness and turning away from sin, being willing to leave our lifestyle.
sinful life. Having faith in him does not mean believing intellectually (demons believe and tremble, James 2:19), but
put all our trust in him and his completed work on the cross, give him all our heart. If you do this God
he will truly save you and give you a new heart with new desires. You will be a new creation in Christ (2 Cor.5:17) and
you will start a true relationship with him. And the Bible says that you will truly know that you are a child of God: 'The Spirit himself
"The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God." Romans 8:16

After such a great sacrifice that Jesus made for you on the cross, do you not think He deserves everything? Will you undervalue the gift?
What does He offer you or will you give Him your whole life? Please, repent and put your faith in Him before it is too late. Do it!
today! 2 Corinthians 6:2

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Examine your faith - Characteristics of a saving faith

by John MacArthur

The Bible provides a clear understanding that true faith produces good fruits. In his parable of the
lands and the seed, the Lord Jesus taught that, while the unsaved are barren, those who are saved would bear
fruit. In this parable, three out of four soils produced fruitless plants, vivid illustrations of the receptions of the
word of God that never led to salvation.

In contrast, the plants that bear good fruit thrive in the good soil that represents a redeemed heart. Jesus
He said: "But he who was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears and understands the word, and bears fruit; and produces a hundredfold, a...
sixty, and thirty for one." (Matthew 13:23). All believers are fruitful, although not equally fruitful.

It is faith that is at the heart of our Christianity. Now, I want to give you a little test that will help you to
examine their faith. I am convinced that churches are filled with people who have a type of faith that does not save them.
Santiago called it a 'dead faith.' 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, 'examine yourselves to see if you are in the faith.' You must
make sure that your faith is real. Now, as you examine yourself, ask yourself: 'Am I really a Christian? Do I'
Have I appropriated this gift that God gives me? Have I truly believed? What should I seek in my life to
How can one discern that their faith is real? What are the marks?

First of all, let me show you some things that neither prove nor deny saving faith. I am going to give you a small list of
things that prove nothing. You could be a Christian; you might not be a Christian, and still have these things. Not
They neither test nor deny the saving faith, but you need to know this so that you are not deceived.

I. Things that neither prove nor deny the saving faith

Visible Righteousness (Matt. 19:16-21; 23-27)

What do I mean by that? Well, some people are just good people. Some of them are very religious.
Like Mormons who on the outside seem like very moral people, or Roman Catholics, or some other kind of sect or
religion. Some people are simply good people. They are honest, they are openly trustworthy in their dealings.
They are grateful people, they are kind people, and they have a certain visible external morality. Along the way, the Pharisees.
they certainly had their hope resting on that. They are loving people, some of them are tender-hearted individuals.
heart. But regarding loving and serving God, they know nothing and feel nothing. Anything they do or do not do
the person does not involve God.

This person is honest in their dealings with everyone except God. He would not steal from anyone but would from God. It is
thankful and loyal to everyone but not to God. I would not speak disparagingly or condemnably about anyone.
But yes, from God. They have good relationships with everyone except with God. They are very much like that rich young man who said:
"I have kept all these things, what do I lack?" This is a visible righteousness, but it does not necessarily mean salvation.
People try to "clean up their acts" through reformation rather than regeneration.

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2. Intellectual Knowledge (Rom 1:21; 2:17ss)

Secondly, another thing that does not prove or disprove saving faith is intellectual knowledge. Knowledge
The intellectual does not test true faith. The knowledge of truth is necessary for salvation and visible morality is
fruit of salvation, but neither is the same as salvation. You see, you can know everything about God. And you
You can know everything about Jesus, who he was and that he came to the world and died on the cross, that he resurrected, and that he will come again.

new. And you can still learn more about the details of His life. You can understand all of that and turn your back on
Christ.

That is what the writer of Hebrews is warning those about in Hebrews 6:4-6. There were people in the church who knew.
everything of God and understood the truths of the gospel. They even had a measure of experience with the truth of the gospel.
They had seen the ministry of the Holy Spirit working in the lives of people and even knowing all this they were
still a step away from the grave danger of distancing oneself and rejecting Christ.

In Hebrews 10, he tells them that they are trampling on the blood of Christ by not believing what they know to be true. There is
Many people who know the Scripture and have knowledge are headed for Hell! You never know...
It will save without that knowledge, but having that knowledge does not necessarily save you.

3. Religious Involvement (Matt. 25:1-10)

Thirdly, religious involvement. Religious involvement is not necessarily a proof of true faith.
According to Paul, there are people who have an appearance (a simple external appearance) of godliness but have denied the
power of it. They have an empty form of religion. Jesus illustrated this when he spoke of the virgins in Matthew 25.
They waited, and waited, and waited for the arrival of the groom, who is Christ. Even when they waited for a long time.
time, when they did not enter with Him. They had everything but the oil in their lamps was missing. That was the most
necesario no lo tenían. El aceite, probablemente emblemático de la nueva vida, la morada del Espíritu Santo. No eran
regenerated. They were religious but not regenerated. You can have an outward visible morality, a knowledge
intellectual, and a religious participation, and yet not possess a genuine saving faith.

4. Active Ministry (Matt. 7:21-24)

The fourth is the active ministry. It is possible to be active and still have a public ministry, yet not possess a saving faith.
genuine. Balaam was a prophet who turned out to be false (Deuteronomy 23:3-6). Saul of Tarsus (later became the
Apostle Paul) thought he was serving God when he killed Christians. Judas was a public preacher and one of the
twelve disciples of Christ, but he was an apostate. In Matthew 7:22-23 Jesus said: 'Many will say to me on that day: Lord,
Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons, and in your name performed many miracles?
And then I will declare to them: I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of evil." Those to whom Jesus spoke
They had a public and active ministry, but Jesus told them that he had never known them. Words indeed haughty.

5. Conviction of Sin (Acts 24:25; Matt. 27:3-5)

By itself, the conviction of sin is not proof of salvation. In this world, there are people filled with guilt. Many
they even feel bad for their sin. Felix trembled under conviction in the preaching of the apostle Paul, but he never did
on one side his idols or turned back to God (Acts 24:25). The Holy Spirit works to convince people of sin,

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of justice, and judgment, but many do not respond in true repentance. Some may confess and even
abandon the sins that make them feel guilty. They say: 'I don't like living this way. I want to change.'
They can amend their ways but still lack genuine saving faith. That is an external reform, not a regeneration.
internal. No degree of conviction of sin is a conclusive evidence of saving faith. Even demons have
conviction of their sins that's why they tremble but they are not saved.

6. Security (Mat. 23)

Some people say, "Well, I must be a Christian because I feel that I am. I believe that if I am a Christian." But
that is a false reasoning. If believing that one is a Christian is a sign that someone is a Christian, then by definition,
it would not be possible to be a deceived non-Christian and this would not fit the entire point of Satan's deception. He wants to
People who are not really saved think that they are. Satan has deceived millions of people.
religious ones think they are saved when they are not. They might tell themselves: "God does not me
I would condemn. I feel good about myself. I have confidence. I am well." But that means nothing.

7. A Moment of Decision (Luke 8:13,14)

Very often, people say something like the following: "Well, I know that I am a Christian because I remember when...
I signed the card.
step forward.” A person can remember exactly when it happened and where they were when it happened, but not
necessarily means something. Our salvation is not proven by a moment in the past. Many people have
made sentences, they have stepped forward in the church services, they have signed cards, they have gone to the prayer room,
They have been baptized, they have joined churches without even experiencing a true saving faith.

These are seven common conditions, or tests that do not necessarily prove or deny the existence of a saving faith.
What are then the marks of a true saving faith? Fortunately, there are at least nine biblical criteria.
to examine the authenticity of a saving faith.

II. Nine conditions that prove a true saving faith

(Fruit/Tests of true/authentic Christianity)

Love for God (Psalm 42:1; 73:25; Luke 10:27; Romans 8:7)

First of all, a deep and abiding love for God is one of the supreme evidences of true saving faith.
This goes to the heart of the matter. Romans 8:7 says: 'for the mind set on the flesh is hostile to God [hostility,
hate], because it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it cannot even do so" (LBLA). Therefore, if the heart of man
is at enmity with God there is no basis to affirm the presence of a saving faith. Those who truly
only the saved love God, but those who are upset with God and His sovereignty. Internally, they are in rebellion against
God and His plan for their lives. But the regenerated person loves the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. His
Delight in the infinite excellences of God. God has become your main source of happiness and satisfaction. Seek from
God and he thirsts for the living God.

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By the way, there is a big difference between such love for God and the selfish attitude that focuses only on my own.
happiness and see God as a means of fulfillment and gain, instead of seeing myself as a means to glorify Him. Faith
True love for God desires to please Him, not to believe in Christ so that Christ makes one happy.
to God and glorify Him. Jesus taught that if someone loves their father and mother more than Christ, they are not worthy of Him. Jesus
It says this: "37 He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;"
he is not worthy of me; 38 and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it;
And whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:37-39)

Do you love God? Do you love His nature? Do you love His glory? Do you love His name? Do you love His kingdom?
You, Your Holiness? Do you love Your will? Supreme love for God is a decisive test of true faith. Your
the heart rises when it sings praises - because you love him?

2. Repentance of Sin (Psalm 32:5; Proverbs 28:13; Romans 7:14; 2 Corinthians 7:10; 1 John 1:8-10)

A correct love for God must necessarily imply a hatred for sin that leads to repentance. This
debería ser evidente. ¿Quién no entendería eso? Si verdaderamente amamos a alguien, buscaríamos su mejor interés. Su
well-being is our greatest concern. If a man tells his wife: 'I love you, but I have no interest in what
what happens to you" we would precisely question his love for her. True love seeks the greatest good for its object. If
We say that we love God, then we will hate anything. Sin is blasphemy against God. Sin curses...
God. Sin aims to destroy God's work and His kingdom. Sin killed His Son. So when someone says:
I love God, but I tolerate sin, so I have reason to question my love for God. I cannot love God without
hate those who try to destroy you. True love for God, therefore, will manifest itself through confession and the
repentance. The man who loves God will grieve for his sin and will want to confess it to God and abandon it. He
True repentance involves confession, it involves turning away from sin. I should be hurt by my sin.

I should ask myself, "Do I have a firm conviction of the wickedness of sin? Does sin appear to me as something like
How bad and bitter is it really? Does walking with Christ increase the conviction of sin in me? Do I not hate it?
simply because it is ruinous to my own soul, but also because it is an offense to my God whom I love? Do I grieve more when
I ask what to do when I have problems? In other words, what hurts me more - my misfortune or my sin? Do my sins?
Do they seem many? Frequent and aggravating? Am I troubled by my sin - more than by the sins of others?
That is a mark of salvation. True saving faith - loves God and hates what God hates, which is sin.

3. Humildad Genuina(Salmo 51:17; Mateo 5:1-12; Santiago 4:6,9)

Saving faith is manifested in genuine humility. Jesus said that blessed are those who are poor in
spirit, and those who mourn [for their sin] and those who are meek and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness
(Matthew 5:3-6) - all are marks of humility. In Matthew 18, Jesus said: "Truly I say to you, that if you do not turn and become like...
You act like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. True saving faith comes like a little child.
dependent. The savior is not the man who is full of himself but the man who denies himself, taking his
cruz cada día y siguen a Cristo (Mateo 16:24). En el Antiguo Testamento vemos que el Señor recibe a aquellos que vienen
with a contrite and humble spirit. (Psalm 34:18; 51:17; Isaiah 57:15; 66:2). James writes: "God resists the
proud, and gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6). We must come like the prodigal son. Remember what he said to his father
Luke 15: "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son" (v.21). Those who
they possess a true saving faith yet come boastfully before God with their religious or spiritual achievements. They come
with empty hands in genuine humility.

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4. All for the Glory of God (Psalm 105:3; 115:1; Isaiah 43:7; 48:10; Jeremiah 9:23, 24; 1 Corinthians 10:31)

True saving faith is manifested by a zeal for the glory of God. Whatever the believer does, whether it is
To eat or drink, your desire is to see God glorified. Christians do what they do because they want to bring glory to God.
Undoubtedly, Christians fail in each of these areas, but the direction of the Christian life is to love God, hate
sin, to live in humility and self-denial, recognizing one's own unworthiness and dedicating oneself to the glory of God. It is not the
the perfection of one's life, but the direction of life that provides the evidence of regeneration

5. Continuous Prayer (Luke 18:1; Ephesians 6:18; Philippians 4:6; 1 Timothy 2:1-4; James 5:16-18)

The humble, submissive, and believing prayer is a mark of true faith. We cry out: 'Abba, Father' because the Spirit groans
within us. Jonathan Edwards once preached a sermon titled: "Hypocrites are Deficient In Duty"
from the Secret Prayer." It's true. Hypocrites can publicly mourn, because that's what they want to do.
hypocrites. Their desire is to impress people, but they are deficient in the duty of secret prayer. The believers
true ones have a personal and private prayer life with God. They regularly seek fellowship with God through
the sentence.

6. Selfless Love (1st John 2:9; 3:14; 4:7)

An important characteristic of true saving faith is selfless love. James says: "If you truly fulfill the
real law, according to the Scripture: You shall love your neighbor as yourself, you do well

(Stgo. 2:8). John wrote: "But he who has goods of this world and sees his brother in need, and shuts his heart against him...
in his heart, how does the love of God dwell in him?

If you love God, you will not only hate what offends Him, but you will love those whom He loves: "We know
that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother remains in death.
(1 John 3:14) And why do we love God and others? Because it is the believer's response to His love for us.
"We love him because he loved us first" (1 John 4:19). Jesus said that we would know that we are His disciples.
for our love for others (John 13:35). "Beloved, let us love one another; for love is from God. Everything
Anyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” (1 John 4:7)

7. Separation from the world (1st Corinthians 2:12; James 4:4; 1st John 2:15-17, 5:5)

Positively, believers are marked by a love for God and for other believers. Negatively, the Christian
is characterized by a lack of love for the world. True believers are not those who are governed by
the affections of the world, but by their affection and devotion to God and His kingdom.

In 1 Corinthians 2:12 Paul wrote that: "And we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that comes from
of God, so that we may know what God has granted us." In 1 John 2:15 we read: "Do not love the world, nor the things
who are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." True saving faith separates one
from the search of this world—not perfectly, failing in these areas, but the direction of the believer's life is
toward the things above. He feels the attraction of heaven in his soul. Christians are those whom God has translated.

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from a power of darkness to the kingdom of His Son. The believer is marked by the lack of love or by the slavery to
Satanically controlled world system (Ephesians 2:1-3; Colossians 1:13; James 4:4).

8. Crecimiento Espiritual(Lucas 8:15; Juan 15:1-6; Efesios 4:12-16)

True believers grow. When God begins a true work of salvation in a person, He finishes it and
perfects that work. Paul expressed this certainty when he wrote Philippians 1:6 'being confident of this, that he who
He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ.

If you are a true Christian, you will grow, and that means you will look more and more like Christ. Life
produces itself. If you are alive you will grow, there is no other way. You will improve. You will increase. You
It will grow. The Spirit will take him from one level of glory to the next, so examine yourself. Can you see in yourself
Is growth the same? Do you see a decrease in the frequency of sin? Is there a pattern of increasing righteousness and
devotion to God?

9. Obedience (Matthew 7:21; John 15:14; Romans 16:26; 1 Peter 1:2, 22; 1 John 2:3-5)

An obedient life is not one of the optional pathways given to believers to walk. All believers are
called to a life of obedience. Jesus taught that all the branches that remain in Him bear fruit (John 15:1-
Pablo writes that believers: '...we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God
prepared in advance for us to walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10). This speaks of obedience. We are saved for the
obedience of faith (see 1 Peter 1:2).

If list 'I' is true for a person and list II is false, there is reason to question the validity of their
profession of faith. Likewise, if list 'II' is true, then the upper list will also be true.

How can we know that our faith is genuine? Examine your life in the light of the Word of God.
Do you see all these characteristics in your life?
Do you have love for God, hate for sin, humility, zeal for the glory of God, a pattern of prayer
personal and private, selfless love, separation from the world, the evidence of spiritual growth and
obedience?

These are real evidence of a true saving faith.

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How do you know that you are not a false convert?

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Or do you not realize about yourselves?
You yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you, unless you are disqualified?

These words were written to the Christians of the church in Corinth. It does not say 'Examine your neighbor', it says 'Examine yourselves'.
yourselves.” Why does Paul make this request? Because we can very easily be misunderstanding the
conversion and consequently believing that we are saved when we are not. That is why we must examine ourselves to
see if there is evidence of a genuine conversion in us.

Benefits of getting examined

1. To examine ourselves and see how we are.

2. Help us discern the experiences of others.
3. To help us share with those who say they are saved and are not.
4. To help us protect the purity of the Church.
5. To help us advise those who seek our help and are struggling with the security of their salvation.

Mateo 7:16-20
“[Link] will know them by their fruits. Do grapes gather from thorns, or figs from thistles?[Link], every good tree
18.
a good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
19. 20.
good fruits. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So, by their fruits the
you will know.

A regenerated person (born again) bears fruit according to their new nature. But an unregenerated person
it will bear fruit according to its fallen nature.

Matthew 12:33
Either make the tree good, and its fruit good, or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit.

Things that do not necessarily demonstrate that there has been a true conversion.

1. Having a profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ does not mean that you have truly converted.
We can see an example in the false conversion of Simon the magician.
Acts 8:12-13, 18-23
“[Link] when they believed Philip, who preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized.
men and [Link] himself also believed, and after being baptized, he was always with Philip; and seeing the
signs and great miracles that were being done, he was [Link] vio Simón que por la imposición de las manos de
the apostles were given the Holy Spirit, he offered [Link], saying: Give me also this power, so that
20.
whoever I lay my hands on may receive the Holy Spirit. Then Peter said to him: Your money perish
with you, because you have thought that the gift of God is obtained with [Link] have neither a part nor luck in this matter,
because your heart is not upright before [Link], therefore, of this your wickedness, and pray to God, if perhaps he...
be forgiven the thought of your heart;[Link] in the gall of bitterness and in the prison of wickedness I see that you are.

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Having assurance of salvation does not mean that you have truly converted.

Mateo 7:21-23

“[Link] everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father.
which is in the [Link] will say to me on that day: Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name
23.
Did we not cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles? And then I will declare to them: I never knew you;
Depart from me, you workers of iniquity.

Why will many say on that day, 'Lord, Lord'? Is it not because they had security of salvation? If this is not
out like this they would not argue with the Lord. These people believed they were saved and that was not the case.

3. Having knowledge of the Scriptures does not mean that you are saved.
Satan knows the Scriptures and is not saved!
Mateo 4:5-7
“[Link] the devil took him to the holy city, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple,[Link] said to him: If you are the Son of God,
lie down; for it is written: He will command his angels concerning you, and in their hands they will hold you up, so that you do not
tropieces with your foot on [Link] said to him: It is also written: You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.

The Pharisees always scrutinized the Scriptures but did not believe in Jesus, for Jesus himself told them to scrutinize.
the Scriptures because they bear witness to Christ.
John 5:39
Search the Scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life; and they are the ones that give
testimony of me;
Jesus made it clear to them that although they knew much of the Scriptures, the Father had never spoken to them, nor had they seen His form.
they also did not have the word dwelling in them.

Knowing the Scriptures does not save anyone; the only thing that saves is knowing the Lord. The Scriptures contain the revelation.
of Christ by whom we are saved. Nicodemus the Pharisee, a leader among the Jews, was well acquainted with the Scriptures.
but he had not been saved because he had not been born again and Jesus said to him:
John 3:10
Jesus answered and said to him, Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know this?

Having external morality and visible righteousness in your life does not mean that you are saved.
Lucas 18:11-12
“[Link] Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed in this way: God, I thank you that I am not like the others.
men, thieves, unjust, adulterers, not even like this tax collector;12.I fast twice a week, I give tithes of
everything I [Link] the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his
chest, saying: God, be merciful to me, a sinner.14.I tell you that this one went down to his house justified rather than the other;
for anyone who exalts himself will be humbled; and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead bones and all uncleanness.
True, they look beautiful, but inside they are full of bones of the dead and all kinds of filth.

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Having conviction about sin does not necessarily mean that you are saved.
Acts 24:25
But when Paul spoke about righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said: Now
Go; but when I have the opportunity, I'll call you.
Félix experimentó una convicción de pecado, sabía que era pecador, por lo cual se espantó pero no se arrepintió,
Well, he did not turn to God. Many people experience the same thing; they are convinced of their sin but do not repent.
truly of their sins. Many claim to be Christians, they have conviction of sin but do not flee from sin to the
feet of Christ.
Esau had conviction about his sin.
Hebrews 12:16-17
“[Link] there be any fornicator or profane person, like Esau, who for a single meal sold his birthright.
17.
For you know that even afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no opportunity for repentance.
remorse, although he sought it with tears.
You can have conviction about your sin, feel guilty for having sinned against God and that does not mean that
the Holy Spirit being within you necessarily may mean that it is convincing you externally.
You can have a conviction as strong as that of Judas or Esau, who with tears and deep sorrow about
what you have done and become an apostate.

Having pleasant emotions regarding the things of God does not necessarily mean that you are a true
converted.
King Herod was a very evil king, but he gladly listened to John the Baptist.
For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.

because Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe; and hearing him, he was perplexed
very perplexed, but I listened to him willingly.

{"7":"ButwhenhesawmanyofthePhariseesandSadduceescomingtohisbaptism,hesaidtothem,'Youbroodofvipers!Whowarnedyoutofleefromthewrathtocome?","8":"Bearfruitinkeepingwithrepentance.","9":"Anddonotpresumetosaytoyourselves,'WehaveAbrahamasourfather,'forItellyou,GodisablefromthesestonestoraiseupchildrenforAbraham.","10":"[Link]."}

“7. When he saw that many of the Pharisees and Sadducees were coming to his baptism, he said to them: 'You brood of vipers!'
8. 9.
Who taught you to flee from the coming wrath? Therefore, bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say
within yourselves: We have Abraham as our father; for I tell you that God can raise up children to Abraham.
even of these [Link] already the axe is laid at the root of the trees; therefore, every tree that does not bear fruit
A good fruit is cut and thrown into the fire.

Juan preached about the need for repentance in a very strong way and Herod listened to him 'well
Herod had nice emotions upon hearing the word of God, but Herod was not a convert to God, he was everything
the opposite.

Hebrews 6:4-8
“[Link] it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and tasted the heavenly gift, and were made partakers
of the Holy Spirit,[Link] likewise tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,[Link] they fell,
being renewed again for repentance, crucifying again for themselves the Son of God and exposing Him to
[Link] the land that drinks the rain that often falls upon it, and produces useful grass for those
for which it is crafted, receives God's blessing;[Link] the one that produces thorns and thistles is disapproved, is close
to be cursed, and its end is to be burned.

The apostates of Hebrews 6:4-8 were never saved, but they had experienced many miracles from Him.
ministry of the apostles who listened, had experienced some changes in their lives, had experienced

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a illumination of the Holy Spirit to understand the word of God, all of this was a work of the Holy Spirit over
ellos, pero no dentro de ellos, eran “convencidos” pero no “convertidos” y todo sale a la luz cuando apostataron de la
fe.
If you say that you know the word of God, that you have been enlightened, that you have tasted the heavenly gift, that does not mean
necessarily that you be saved.
Judas Iscariot had tasted the heavenly gift, had been externally anointed with the Holy Spirit, and was an apostate.

7. Being involved in the work of the ministry or church activities and still not being converted.
Mateo 10:1-4
“1. Then calling his twelve disciples, he gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out,
and to heal every disease and every [Link] names of the twelve apostles are these: first Simon, called
Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John;3. Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew the
publican, James son of Alphaeus, Lebeus, by the name Thaddeus,[Link] the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also
he handed it over.

How did Jesus cast out demons?

By the "finger of God." Luke 11:20
But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, certainly the kingdom of God has come upon you.
By the 'Spirit of God' Matthew 12:28
But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.

A divided kingdom cannot stand. Matthew 12:25 "Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them: Every kingdom divided..."
against itself, is desolated, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand." This indicates that Judas
Iscariot cast out demons by the same power of the Holy Spirit that had anointed him as an apostle of Christ
for a time, however he was a devil.
Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil." He spoke of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.

“[Link] answered them: Have I not chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?[Link] was talking about Judas
Iscariot, son of Simon; for he was the one who was going to betray him, and he was one of the twelve.

Judas Iscariot was not saved, he had not converted! You can be under the same ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ,
to work miracles, cast out demons and see many wonders and signs happen through your own hands, to preach the
repentance and the kingdom of God and still go to hell!
For Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica; Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia.

because Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to
Dalmatia.

Who was Demas?

Colosenses 4:14
Greetings from Lucas the beloved physician, and Demas.

Demas was with Luke and Paul. Demas was a missionary alongside Paul and yet he abandoned Paul and left loving.
to the world.
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Do not love the world, nor the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
Seeing all these points we have discussed. Do you realize why we should examine ourselves to see if we are in
the faith?

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Evidence of a true conversion.

The evidences of a true conversion are many, but we can summarize all these evidences in three things: The
faith, hope, and love.
1 Corintios 13:13
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

A false convert has no true faith, has no genuine and living hope, and has no true, not feigned, love towards
God, and he cannot have them because all this is the work of the Holy Spirit in his heart. Faith, hope
And love always remains, everything else perishes.

The faith.
The genuine convert has a true and genuine faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He has a living faith and not a dead faith.
true faith has its origin in God, it is a gift from God, it has its object in the Lord Jesus Christ, because it looks to Him and only to Him.
to trust only in Him and in His work for salvation.
Her nature is to trust wholeheartedly in the Lord Jesus Christ because she has true faith in Christ.
The fruit of true faith is works that glorify God.
James 2:14-17
“[Link] brothers, what will it profit if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?[Link] if a
a brother or a sister are naked, and they have need of daily sustenance,[Link] one of you
He says to them: Go in peace, be warmed and filled, but you do not give them the things that are necessary for the body, of what use is that?
17.
So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead in itself.

Hebrews 11:1
Faith is the certainty of what is hoped for, the conviction of what is not seen.

Faith is certainty and faith is conviction; this speaks of something more than being in intellectual agreement. True faith
seek God. Hebrews 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please God; for he who comes to God must believe that he is
Create that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him.

He who has true faith seeks God.

Romans 3:11 "There is no one who understands. There is no one who seeks God." This verse speaks of the condition of man.
without God.

True faith always includes a genuine repentance of the whole heart that we can define as renouncing and
abandon sin. True faith produces a victory over sin in our life and truly makes you
free from the bondage of sin.
The true believer, by his faith, lives to please God. Hebrews 11:6 For this reason the apostle John says that everything
Whoever is born of God overcomes the world, and this is due to our faith that believes that Jesus is the Son of
God.
1 Juan 5:4-5
“[Link] whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith.
5.
Who is it that overcomes the world, except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

There is no salvation without true repentance, without acknowledging the Lordship of Jesus Christ and without paying the price of being
a disciple of Christ.

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He is the priority: Luke 14:25-26 "Great multitudes were going with him; and turning, he said to them: If anyone comes to me,
and does not hate his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, and even his own life, he does not
you may be my disciple.
Obedience to Him is the only way: Luke 14:27 'And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot'
be my disciple.
The minimum requirement is to renounce everything: Luke 14:33 "So, any of you who does not renounce everything
What he possesses cannot be my disciple.
True faith produces obedience to God: 1 John 5:2 "By this we know that we love the children of God,
when we love God, and keep His commandments.

Genuine faith in our heart produces sensitivity to sin, a submission to the Lordship of Christ, an obedience
from the heart to the commandments of God.
But thanks be to God that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.

“[Link] thanks to God, that although you were slaves of sin, you have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine.
to which you were delivered;[Link] having been freed from sin, you became servants of righteousness.

Faith is not obedience, but obedience is the fruit of faith, yet you cannot have genuine and true faith without having
obedience. You cannot have a dead faith and be saved.
The true Christian longs to have more and more justice and holiness in his life. He who believes he has enough holiness
In his life, he has no holiness in his life, and without holiness, no one will see God.
Hebrews 12:14
Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.

2. Hope.
This hope is that of a sanctified heart that longs to have the joy of perfect justice. Faith produces
hope.
Gálatas 5:5
For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith;

Every true child of God has the hope that someday they will have a glorified body, because that body
glorified represents the perfect holiness towards God that every man can achieve through Jesus Christ. The
to know that there will be no more suffering, no more pain, no more tears, no more hunger, does not compare with the possibility
that we will no longer have to struggle against sin and our flesh to be holy. The attacks of sin will be
history and that is the hope we must have.
Maybe we don't always go hungry, or thirsty, or suffer, but every day, even if we are not slaves to sin,
And even when we are asleep we have to battle against sin. As the apostle Paul said in Romans 7:24
“Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”

Romans 8:1
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but
according to the Spirit.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

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Philippians 3:7-14
“[Link] whatever was to my profit, I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.8. And certainly, even
I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake...
9.
I have lost everything, and I consider it trash, in order to gain Christ, and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness,
what is by law, but that which is by the faith of Christ, the righteousness that is of God through faith;[Link] order to get to know you, and the power
of his resurrection, and the participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,[Link] in any
way to reach the resurrection from the [Link] that I have already attained, or am already perfect; but that
I press on to see if I can take hold of that for which I was also taken hold of by Christ [Link], yo mismo no pretendo
having already reached it; but one thing I do: forgetting certainly what lies behind and reaching out to what is ahead
in front14.I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

{"24":"But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.","25":"Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.","26":"Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets."}

“[Link] woe to you, rich! for you have received your consolation [Link] to you who are now full!
for you will hunger. Woe to you who laugh now! for you will mourn and [Link] to you, when
May all men speak well of you! For so did their fathers to the false prophets.

Where is your hope, in this land or in Christ?

Luke 16:19-25
“[Link] was a rich man, who was dressed in purple and fine linen, and who feasted sumptuously every [Link] was
also a beggar named Lazarus, who was lying at his gate, full of sores,21. and longed to quench itself with
the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table; and even the dogs came and licked 22. hisIt sores.
happened that he died on the

the beggar, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died, and was [Link] in Hades
He lifted his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away, and Lazarus in his [Link] he, shouting,
he said: Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool
my tongue; because I am tormented in this [Link] Abraham said to him: Son, remember that you received your goods.
In your life, and Lazarus also had evils; but now he is comforted here, and you are tormented.

Amar al dinero es poner la esperanza en el dinero y las riquezas, esta falsa esperanza manda muchas personas todos
the days to hell.

1 Timoteo 6:10
for the love of money is the root of all evils, which some coveting have erred from the faith, and were
transferred by many pains.

No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to the one and despise the other.
no one can serve two masters. You cannot serve God and wealth.

No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to the one and...
He will despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

Mateo 6:19-21
“[Link] not store up treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal;[Link]
Lay up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust corrupts, and where thieves do not break in or [Link]
Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

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The example of Moses in Hebrews 11:[Link] faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter.
Pharaoh,[Link] rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin,
26.
having considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of the Egyptians; because he was looking ahead
in the award.

3. Love.
The love for God, the love for our brothers, and the love for our neighbor. When you truly love someone, you want
to please that person. The true Christian loves God, for every day of his life he seeks to please Him, he thinks about everything
what makes pleasing God, and this will bring Him joy, delight, and pleasure.
The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.

And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your descendants, so that you may love the LORD your God with
with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.

The evidence of a genuine circumcision of the heart is to love God.

Hechos 7:51
Hard of neck and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; just like your
parents, so also you.

Love for one's neighbor goes hand in hand with love for our brothers in Christ.
1 Juan 3:14
We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brothers. He who does not love his brother,
remains in death.

The true Christian loves the Scriptures, loves the word of God.
Juan 14:23
Jesus answered and said to him: He who loves me will keep my word; and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and we will make.
dwelling with him.

1 Peter 2:2
desire, like newborn infants, the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up for salvation,

Love for the presence of God in prayer. The breath of every child of God is prayer, and it is the first thing they do.
a baby when it is born.
1 Thessalonians 5:17
Pray without ceasing.

The evidence of these fruits is only produced in a regenerated life and not by human efforts. Even though we are not
Perfect, he who began a good work in us will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:6
Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

We must set our eyes on Jesus and run towards Him.

Hebrews 12:2
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Pablo also gave us an example:

Filipenses 3:13-14

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“[Link], I myself do not pretend to have already attained it; but one thing I do: forgetting certainly what lies behind
forgetting what is behind and reaching out to what is ahead,14.I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ.
Jesus.

2 Corinthians 3:18
Therefore, we all, looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord with unveiled faces, are transformed from
glory to glory in the same image, as by the Spirit of the Lord.

The salvation produced by saving faith is evidenced in a life completely surrendered to Christ.

There are three things that give us the assurance of salvation:

Evidence in our lives of a true conversion.

Mateo 7:16-20
“[Link] their fruits you will know them. Do grapes gather from thorns, or figs from thistles?[Link], all good
A good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit.18.A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a tree.
a bad tree does not bear good [Link] tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the [Link], for your
You will know them by their fruits.

The testimony of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

The Spirit Himself testifies to our spirit that we are children of God.

Faith in God's promises in his word.

1 Juan 2:1
My little children, these things I write to you so that you may not sin; and if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father.
Father, to Jesus Christ the righteous.

Judas 1:24-25
“[Link] him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy,
25.
To the only wise God, our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, now and forever.
Amen.

Hebrews 10:11-23
“[Link] certainly every priest stands day after day ministering and offering many times the same sacrifices, which
12.
they can never take away sins; but Christ, having offered once and for all a single sacrifice for the
sins, he has sat down at the right hand of God,[Link] then on waiting until their enemies are placed by
15.
footrest;[Link] with one single offering he perfected forever those who are sanctified. And witnesses us
16. This is the covenant that I will make with them
the same the Holy Spirit; because after having said:
After those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them in their minds,[Link]:
And I will never again remember their sins and [Link] where there is remission of these, there is no more offering.
for the [Link], brothers, having freedom to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus Christ,
20.
by the new and living way that he opened for us through the veil, that is, his flesh,[Link] having a great priest
about the house of God,[Link] us draw near with a sincere heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts purified
of bad conscience, and washed the bodies with pure [Link] us hold firm, without wavering, the profession of our
hope, because faithful is he who promised.

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What does the word say about God and money?

The question is: Does God need our money? The answer is NO, but: Giving, Tithing, Making Pacts, Planting,
Biblical sound? Well, let's see the answers that the Word of God gives us to all this.

While God does not need our money, the act of offering and tithing is not only biblical but also an 'Act
of worship to God”, in which by offering and giving the tithe we are telling God that He is more important to
we who the money.

Matthew 6:24
No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to the one and despise the other.
No one can serve two masters. You cannot serve God and wealth.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

For the love of money is the root of all evil.

for the love of money is the root of all evils, which some coveting after have erred from the faith, and were
transferred from many pains.

The offering is still valid, for Jesus spoke to us about the offering and the apostle Paul did as well:

Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
24.
“[Link], if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there
in front of the altar, and go, reconcile yourself first with your brother, and then come and present your offering.

Acts 24:16-17
“[Link] for this reason, I strive to always have a conscience without offense before God and before [Link] after some time
Years, I came to make alms to my nation and present offerings.

The Tithe is also still in effect, let's see how Jesus says it:

Matthew 23:23
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and neglect what is more important.
Important of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. This was necessary to do, without neglecting that.

In this verse, Jesus clarifies to the Pharisees that it was necessary to practice justice, mercy, and faith without neglecting to give.
tithe.

Acts 2:44-47
“[Link] who had believed were together, and had all things in common;[Link] they sold their properties and their
goods, and they distributed to everyone according to each one's need.46.
And they persevered unanimously every day in the temple, and
breaking bread in their homes, they ate together with gladness and simplicity of heart,47. praising God, and having favor with
the whole town. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were to be saved.

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In the beginning of the early church, the brothers gave everything, that is, one hundred percent; today the tithe represents
a minimum that we must give for the sustenance of God's work and if you want to give more you have no hindrance, it
It is important that we are faithful to God in this.

What happens with the agreements and money sows?

Generally, the ministries that ask for money and sowing pacts, whether it be money, houses, or vehicles, do not teach.
correctly the word and the unsuspecting members due to the ignorance of the Scriptures fall prey to these deceits
produced by half-truths. Their favorite verse is 2 Corinthians 9:6 which says, 'But this I say: He who...
he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows generously will also reap generously.

But if we analyze the following verse, we will see the most expanded and complete teaching:

2 Corinthians 9:7
Each one should give as he has decided in his heart: not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Here we learn several things:

[Link] one has the authority to tell people how much they should offer or sow, but rather each believer should give as
he proposed in his heart.

2. The offering, just like the tithes, should be given with joy and not with sadness. This should be the case because it is a privilege.
to be able to offer and tithe and why it is an 'Act of Worship' to our God.

3. No one should offer out of 'necessity', one cannot buy God's favor, God is not a merchant. When the
people make 'Pacts', 'Sowing' or 'Special Offerings' and they do it so that God grants them a request, it is
seriously offending God! Jesus taught us what we should do in Matthew 6:[Link] not worry, therefore,
saying: What will we eat, or what will we drink, or what will we wear?32. Because the Gentiles seek all these things;
But your heavenly Father knows that you need all these [Link] seek first the kingdom of
God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

There was someone who wanted to buy God's favor with money, and it went very badly for him. Let's look at the story of Simon:

Acts 8:18-23
“[Link] Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money,
19.
saying: Give me also this power, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Spirit.
[Link] Peter said to him: Your money perish with you, because you have thought that the gift of God is obtained with
[Link] have no part or luck in this matter, because your heart is not right before [Link],
Well, from this, your wickedness, and pray to God, if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven 23.
you; because in ice
from bitterness and in a prison of evil I see that you are.

Nowadays, many things that are preached in churches are not the true gospel of Jesus Christ. Let's look at some verses.
and let us meditate on them:

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Jesus said this in Luke 12:15

And he said to them: Look, and beware of all greed; for a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.
possesses.
Colosenses 3:1-2
“1. If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
2.
Set your mind on things above, not on things of the earth.

Mateo 6:19-21
“[Link] not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal;[Link] makes you
treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust corrupt, and where thieves do not break in or [Link] where it is
Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Matthew 13:22
The one who was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the deceitfulness of riches
they stifle the word, and it becomes fruitless.

Mateo 8:19-20
“[Link] a scribe came and said to him: Teacher, I will follow you wherever you [Link] said to him: The foxes have holes, and
The birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.

2Corintios 4:18
for we do not look at the things that are seen, but at the things that are not seen; for the things that are seen are temporary, but the things that are...
they are not seen, they are eternal.

Hebrews 13:5-6
“[Link] your customs be without greed, content with what you have now; for he said: I will never leave you nor forsake you.
I will6. leave; so we can confidently say: The Lord is my helper; I will not fear what he can do to me.
man.

1Tesalonisenses 2:5-7
“[Link] we never used flattering words, as you know, nor did we conceal greed; God is witness;[Link] seek glory
of men; neither of you, nor of others, although we could be a burden to you as apostles of Christ.7. Rather, we were
tender among you, like the nurse who tenderly cares for her own children.

For we are not like many, who peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.

For we are not like many, who profit by falsifying the word of God, but we speak with sincerity, as from God.
God, and before God, we speak in Christ.

2Pedro 2:1-3
“[Link] there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will introduce
covertly destructive heresies, and even denying the Lord who rescued them, bringing upon themselves destruction
[Link] many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed,[Link] for
Greed will make merchandise of you with false words. Concerning such, their condemnation has long been hanging over them,
and his ruin does not sleep.

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These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.

These are murmurers, complainers, walking according to their own desires, whose mouth speaks great swelling words, flattering to
people to take advantage.

What to do to live under God's blessing?

Joshua 1:8
This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do
according to everything that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and everything will turn out well for you.

Salmos 1:1-3
“1. Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of...
mockers have sat;[Link] his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law he meditates day and night.3. It will be
like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither; and all that it does,
will thrive.

1 Pedro 5:6-7
“[Link] yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you [Link] time; casting all your
anxiety about him, because he cares for you.

Mateo 6:25-34
“[Link] I say to you: Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body,
What should you wear? Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?[Link] at the birds of the sky, that
They do not sow, nor reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of much more value than
they?[Link] which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to his stature?[Link] about the dress, why?
29.
Are you anxious? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they do not toil nor spin; but I tell you, that not even Solomon with
all his glory was dressed just like one of [Link] if the grass of the field, which is today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, God
31.
You saw it like this, will he not do much more for you, you of little faith? Do not fret, then, saying: What will we eat, or
What shall we drink, or what shall we wear? For the Gentiles seek all these things; but your heavenly Father knows that
32.

you have need of all these [Link] seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you.
will be [Link], do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
his own evil.

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Eli's Syndrome
I Samuel 2:12-36
INTRODUCTION

American youth, like it or not, is the youth that sets the trends, it is the kind of youth that young people
Latinos desire and long to continue (The music, the clothing, and the philosophy). But the saddest thing about all this is that those young people come
from Christian homes, they are children of parents who attend evangelical churches and do nothing for their children to continue
the moral principles that our God has given us. Many of those parents think that allowing their children to do so
what they want is fashion and that educating them under the teachings of the Bible is something so outdated and out of style.
To say that in the U.S.A. the Eli Syndrome is at its peak. And our churches are not very different from this.
Syndrome that occurs, albeit to a lesser degree. But let's see.

I. What is Eli's syndrome?

A) It is not having authority over the children (v.22-25): His children did not respect him, did not obey him, and that is a sign that
I had no authority over them. Let me tell you beloved brother that if your children do not obey you, nor do they
They then respect the Mal of Eli that is present in their family. (How many young people do not honor their parents).
B) It is to consent to them and put them first before God (v. 29): Eli honored his sons more, he preferred them and according to the
I love them. But indulging is not love.

II. Why does Eli's Syndrome occur (v.12):

A) For not educating them in the fear of God Deuteronomy 6:6-9 How many parents worry about secular education
of their children and send them to the best schools. But they don't care about their children growing up in fear of
God.

III. How to correct Eli's syndrome

Today, little is said about how to educate children in the society we live in, but the best education we can give
To our children, it will always be as the Word demands.
A) Give testimony and example Titus 2:6-7 The example and testimony of us is very important.
B) Monitor their Christian education and invest both money and effort in it.
C) To Discipline Them Proverbs 29:15 We must correct our children, and although today there are people who say that this
the method is very wild the Bible does not make mistakes. (but with caution). Even the great ones we have to punish them and
even leaving them in very tough situations that hit rock bottom. (The father of the prodigal son). Samuel was not spoiled and was
a great man and a great servant of God.
D) We must dedicate time to them 1 Timothy 5:8 Providing is not just about finances, but also time and quality time.
E) Pray for them. How much time have you kneeled for them, so that God changes them, so that God makes them
useful servants, so that they may serve Him, so that they do not stray from Him? How many times have you prayed to God to give you
wisdom, good testimony, and authority to educate them?
F) Preparing ourselves to be parents: Reading books about it, attending workshops, and above all applying them.

Conclusion
In verses 32-33 and 36, it speaks about the consequences that both parents and children raised with have to suffer.
the stigma of Eli's syndrome. V. 32 God will humble and correct them for us. V. 33 We will suffer seeing them
suffer them. V. 36 It is most likely that they will never stand out, nor have a happy life. God willing that today we have
listened to your message and let's put it into practice.

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Ways to Bless My Family

He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord.

Introduction:
What a beautiful task God has given us by providing all the resources to bless the family. Those who are far away.
of their loved ones, they would give their lives to have it and put all these principles into practice, let's see; on the other hand it is
It's sad that all those who are surrounded by a lovely family do not know how to appreciate it and cannot give it what it would deserve.
totally happy.

Ask the people who are now mutilated at home... what they would do if they had their wife with them, what they would do if
her husband would be at home, what would they do if the children were by their side... and finally... let us ask those who do not
we have our parents nearby or perhaps they have already passed away... in the condition we were in to give to those beings that
God used to give us life... WE WOULD HAVE GIVEN THE BEST... sadly we didn't do it at the time we could have done it.
That is why today's sermon pursues that... to start doing all those things that we can still do... and not
to regret in the future and say... IF I HAD...

We will see from four angles what we can do as a family.

Ways to Bless my Parents:

John 8:29 'For the One who sent me is with me; the Father has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.'
pleases.

Try to do all those things that please your parents.

You will have whatever you want if you manage to do it.
It is very difficult for something to be denied to you.
Honor your father and your mother, love them and respect them.
Make them feel happy with you.

2. What wives can do with their husbands:

Titus 2:4-54. that they teach young women to love their husbands and their children,[Link] be prudent, chaste, careful
from their homes, good, subject to their husbands, so that the word of God may not be blasphemed.
Ephesians 5:33 "However, each one of you must also love his wife as he loves himself; and the wife must respect her husband."
husband.

Give thanks to God that you have a husband.

When you have it... respect it, attend to it, love it... because if you don't, someone else will have the kindness to do so.
Do everything possible so that your husband lacks nothing.
Pray for him, and if he is not a Christian, give him a good testimony. 1 Peter 3:1-21. Similarly you, women, be
submit to your husbands; so that even those who do not believe the word may be won over without a word by the
conduct of their wives,[Link] your chaste and respectful behavior.

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3. What husbands can do with their wives:

1 Peter 3:7 "Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife as to the weaker vessel...
fragile, and as co-heirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

Do the same... thank God that you have a wife.

Today, there are not many who want to get married.
Remember that in addition to being your wife... she is the mother of your children and your life partner, just as
your friend and confidante.
Respect her, love her, provide for what she needs, pray for her, and if she is not a Christian, seek her salvation.
soul.

4. What we can do with our children:

Psalm 127:3 "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord; the fruit of the womb is a reward."

Pray for them, fight for them, bless them. Bring them to the feet of Christ.
Feel blessed to see that a part of your life is in them
Give them a good example, be a good testimony for them.
It is a gift from God to have children... it is a blessing from God to be a father.

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How the family thrives

Beloved, I wish that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

The prosperity that comes from God is not a coincidence, for God is faithful to His promises. 'God rewards those who love Him.'
They honor. Material prosperity in God's plan is in second order (Matthew 6:33 'But seek first the kingdom of God')
and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”), the first thing God desires to prosper in us is the soul, from the beginning,
All of God's actions have been focused on the well-being of the family (Genesis 1:28 'And God blessed them, and said to them: Be fruitful and
multiply; fill the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and over all the beasts that are
they move over the earth.

There are people who set out to achieve prosperity by any means and without caring who falls in the process.
(Proverbs 1:32), but this is not the prosperity that pleases God (James 1:17). What to do to achieve true
prosperity in the family.

I. EXAMINE WHAT PRIORITY THE FAMILY IS LIVING IN

a) Jacob neglected the spiritual guidance of his family for more than twenty years
The family environment changed when he decided to put order in his house (Genesis 35:2)
This is the starting point from which every family must begin (James 4:8)

It is possible that we are creating a family without principles or values.

The prosperity that God gives us is more than a bank account (Luke 12:15)
2. What is the use of a good economy and spiritual coldness (Matthew 16:26)

II. EXAMINE WHAT PATH THE FAMILY IS TRAVERSING

Many have failed by straying from the path of God (Joshua 1:8)
To obey the word and put it into action is the commandment of God (Deuteronomy 29:9)
2. To remain in Christ and in His word is the key to success (John 15:7)

b) True prosperity is a blessing in the family (Proverbs 10:22)

If the prosperity I am seeking takes me away from God and my family, it is not from God.
If prosperity is harming my health, it is adding sadness.

III. SEEKING GOD AND SURRENDERING OURSELVES WITH ALL OUR HEART

a) The service in the house of God out of love for His work (2 Chronicles 31:21)
Test me now in this says the Lord (Malachi 3:10, Proverbs 3:9-10)
Our God will open paths in the wilderness and rivers in the solitude (Isaiah 43:19)

b) Understand what our position is now in Christ

1. While we live here on earth, we have a place reserved in the heavens (Eph.2:6)
2. Prosperity comes in addition to obedience to the word of God (Psalms 1:1-3)

Conclusion:
Neither wealth nor poverty are synonymous with a good or bad relationship with God; no one can judge the spiritual condition of a person.
brother, because of his economic situation. We have the example of Job, he lived through both extremes and neither of them was determinative for
to know your spiritual condition. God's will is for man to have spiritual prosperity, (Psalms 1:3) the other things already
they are under the care of God.

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Twelve killers of marriage

Doctor James Dobson
Founder and president of Focus on the Family.

My advice to thecouplesyoung people is simply this: Do not allow the possibility of divorce to enter your
thoughts. Even in times of great conflict and discouragement, divorce is not the solution. It only substitutes a new
series of sufferings for those who are left behind.

Guard your relationship from erosion as if you were defending your own lives. Yes, you can achieve it together.
They can not only survive, but they can keep their love alive if they prioritize it in their value system.

Any of the following evils can destroy your relationship if you allow them in your lives:

1. Overwork or commitments and physical exhaustion

Beware of this danger. It is especially insidious in thecouplesyoung people who are trying to start in a
profession or are still studying. Don't try to study, work full time, have a baby, drive
a small child, to make repairs in the house, and to start a business, all at the same time. Sounds ridiculous,
but many young couples do exactly that and then are surprised when their marriage falls apart. Why
Why wouldn't it be this way? The only time they see each other is when they're exhausted! It's especially dangerous when
the husband is the one who has too many commitments or work, and the wife is at home all day with a child of school age
preschool. Her deep loneliness leads to discontent and depression, and we all know where that leads.
They must make time for each other if they want to keep their love alive.

2. Very large debts and the conflict regarding how the money will be spent

Pay in cash for consumer items, or don't buy them. Don't spend more than you can for a house or for
a car, leaving very few resources to go out together, for short trips, for people to take care of the children, etc.
Distribute your funds with the wisdom of Solomon.

3. Selfishness

There are two types of people in the world, those who give and those who take. A marriage between two people who give.
It can be something beautiful. However, friction is the order of the day between a person who gives and another who takes. But two
people who drink can claw at each other until they are torn to shreds within a period of six weeks. In
Summary, selfishness will always devastate a marriage.

4. The interference of the in-laws

If the husband or wife has not fully emancipated themselves from their parents, it is best not to live close to them. Autonomy
It is something difficult to grant for some mothers (and fathers), and being very close will cause problems.

5. Unrealistic expectations

SomecouplesThey enter marriage expecting cabins covered in roses, a life without worries or
responsibilities and an uninterrupted joy. Counselor Jean Lush believes, and I agree with her, that this illusion
romanticism is particularly characteristic of North American women who expect more from their husbands than they
They are capable of giving. The ensuing disappointment is an emotional trap. Align your expectations with reality.

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The space invaders

I am not referring to extraterrestrials from Mars. Rather, my concern is for the people who violate space to
function that their spouse needs, quickly smothering it and destroying the attraction between them. Jealousy is a
the way this phenomenon manifests itself. Another is low self-esteem, which leads the insecure spouse to meddle
in the territory of the other. Love must be free and trusting.

7. The abuse of alcohol and other chemical substances

These are killers, not only of marriages but also of people. Avoid them like the plague.

8. Pornography, gambling, and other addictions

It must be obvious to everyone that human personality has imperfections. It tends to get trapped in
destructive behaviors, especially when one is young. During an early stage, people believe they can
play with temptations such as pornography or gambling without getting hurt. In fact, many distance themselves almost
without being affected. However, for some there is a weakness and a vulnerability that remains unknown until
It is too late. Then they become addicted to something that tears at the fabric of the family.

You may find this warning silly and even prude to my readers, but I have conducted a study for twenty-five years.
duration about people who ruined their lives. Their problems often begin with experimentation with a
badly known and ultimately end in physical death or the death of marriage. The restrictions and commandments
The Scriptures have been designed to protect us from evil, although it is something hard to believe when we are young. “The
"The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). If we keep our lives clean and do not allow ourselves to play with evil,
The addictions that have wreaked havoc on humanity will never be able to touch us.

9. Sexual frustration, loneliness, low self-esteem, and the illusion of infidelity

A deadly combination!

10. The failure in business

In particular, business failure adversely affects men. Their concern over financial setbacks some
sometimes shows anger within the family.

11. Success in business

It is almost as dangerous to have great success in business as it is to fail miserably in it. The author of Proverbs
He said: 'Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me' (Proverbs 30:8).

12. Getting married too young

Girls who marry between the ages of fourteen and seventeen are twice as likely to get divorced.
those who marry at eighteen and nineteen years old. Those who marry between eighteen and nineteen years old have
one and a half times more likely to divorce than those who marry between the ages of twenty and thirty.

The pressures of adolescence and the tensions of the early years of marriage do not make a good duo. End it.
the first before undertaking the second.

These are the marriage killers I have seen most often. But, in truth, the list is practically endless.
All that is needed for the weeds to grow stronger is a small crack in the pavement. If they are going to overcome

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the law of probabilities in relation to divorce and maintaining a close marital union in the long term, must
approach the task with seriousness. The natural order of things will keep them apart, not unite them.

How will they overcome the law of probabilities? How will they form a strong relationship that lasts until death separates them?
undertake the final journey? How will you be included among the ever-shrinking number ofcouplesof legal age
What have they harvested from a lifetime of memories and happy experiences? Even after fifty or sixty years of marriage,
they still seek each other for encouragement and understanding. Their children have grown up in a stable environment and
loving, and they do not have emotional scars or bitter memories to erase. Their grandchildren do not have to be explained.
with delicacy why "grandparents no longer live together." Only love prevails.

This is how God wanted it to be, and it is still something possible for you to achieve. But there is no time.
what to lose. Reinforce the riverbanks. Defend the fort. Bring the dredges and make the riverbed deeper.
Keep the powerful currents in their own channels. Only that measure of determination will keep love with the
that began, and there is very little in life that competes with that priority.

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Have you seen a Bible Church?

Everyone knows where the church is (if we are talking about a building). It is in front of the park. It is in the center of each
town of the Hispanic lands. And we all know that this is the Catholic Church. But I suppose that everyone also understands
Let’s show that in another sense the church is not a building. It is a people... the people of God.
But there are many churches. Which one is the people of God? How can we know? How does the Bible describe the
church?

The Bible says: "Christ is the head of the church, which is his body." (Ephesians 5:23) As such, "the church is subject to
Christ." (Ephesians 5:24)

The church that the Bible describes obeys Christ. It has no other chief, no other governor, no other lord.
Of course, there are leaders. But those leaders do not rise up as lords over the church. Rather, they guide their
congregations for the power of their example, using only the authority of the word of God. (1 Peter 5:2-3)

Christ loved the church and "won it by his own blood." (Acts 20:28) In other words, he bought it. It belongs to him. It does not belong to him.
belongs to no one else. For this reason, the Bible calls it 'the church of the Lord.' (Acts 20:28)

The Bible says that the people who make up this church are "one body in Christ" (Romans 12:5). It is united, not divided. But
the Bible does not speak of any organization or hierarchy that unites it. It is 'the unity of the Spirit' (Ephesians 4:3) that makes it 'one.'
body." (1 Corinthians 12:13) That is, the presence of the Holy Spirit in each member of the church unites the members not
not only to Christ but also to one another. He unites them under the lordship of Christ.

The Bible says that the true church is 'a glorious church, that has no spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that
holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:27) The church consists of all the people in the whole world who have been born by the
Spirit of God and they are (present tense) cleansed from sin by the blood of Christ. Christ lives in them (Colossians 1:27-
28) and they are in Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:30) They are "the saints and faithful in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 1:1) They are the church, the
universal church. The wife of the Lord.

But the Bible uses the word church in another sense as well. It talks about the church that gathered in the house of Priscilla and Aquila.
God sent a message to the seven churches (plural) of Asia, that is, to the groups of Christian brothers.
that met in different cities of this province. (Revelation 1:11) The apostle Paul wrote a letter 'to the church
of God who is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints." (1 Corinthians 1:2) The sanctified,
those who were in Christ Jesus, those known as holy men—who lived in that city—were 'the church'
of God ... in Corinth.

From these biblical verses and many similar ones, we understand that that universal, glorious, united church is made up of churches.
locales... congregations of believers, followers of Jesus. These believers are called brothers. For this reason, to those
Congregations are sometimes called brotherhoods. The Bible calls them 'churches of Christ.' (Romans 16:16)

Now, we ask the question again:

Have you seen a biblical church?
Is there such a church in the town or city where you live?
Are you part of such a church, of such a congregation of Christian brothers?
If you love the Lord, if you have been saved by Him, you also love His people. Love your brothers in faith. (John 13:35)
1 John 4:20) No believer lives isolated from their brothers. In biblical times, the brothers would gather in

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congregations. They formed Christian brotherhoods, that is, biblical churches. And it will be so today as well. You need
to be part of such a congregation.
We will look at some characteristics of the churches (local congregations) that are part of the universal church, the
Jesus' wife.

A biblical church believes the Bible

He believes it is the word of God, the revelation of God that He has given us in written form. He believes it is inspired by God.
from Genesis to Revelation. (1 Timothy 3:16)
He believes that the Bible has authority over all other authority. Therefore, he rejects any teaching that does not harmonize with it.
But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel different from the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.
anathema.” (Galatians 1:8)
A biblical church does not just say that it believes the Bible. It actually believes it. And it obeys it.

A biblical church obeys the Bible.

Many say they believe in God, that they believe the Bible. The Bible itself says that even 'the demons believe, and
they tremble..." (James 2:19) But the Bible also says that this kind of faith is dead. (James 2:26) It is worth nothing.
Jesus said: "Not everyone who says to me: Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of...
my Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21)
Jesus affirms that we are his only if we obey him: 'You are my friends if you do what I command you.' (John
15:14) Declares that our obedience proves our love: "He who has my commandments and keeps them, he is
the one who loves me." (John 14:21)
The same Bible condemns those who do not obey what the Lord commands: "He who says: I know Him, and does not keep...
His commandments, such a person is a liar, and the truth is not in him." (1 John 2:4)
For a biblical church, the Bible is not just a doctrine to discuss, it is a message to obey... and proclaim.

A biblical church preaches the Bible

The message of the Bible is known as the gospel. The biblical church preaches the gospel just as Jesus commanded: "Go, and
make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them
that they keep all the things I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
A biblical church preaches the entire Bible, "all the things" that the Lord has commanded in His word. It does not only preach
the popular, what pleases the listeners. It does not preach only isolated fragments, texts separated from the whole message.
Preach everything. And interpret each text in the light of the whole message of the Bible. Recognize that the New Testament, not the
Ancient, governs the life of the church. (Hebrews 9:6-13)
In a biblical church, not only do pastors preach the gospel. Members also share the good news of
salvation in Christ. In the apostolic church, for example, everyone was filled with the Holy Spirit and fervor
evangelical. "They went everywhere proclaiming the gospel."” (Acts 8:4) This is how it is in a biblical church. The work of the
evangelism involves the contribution of each member.

A biblical church cares about the spiritual well-being of each member.

In a biblical church, all members care for the well-being of everyone else. They value 'members of one another.
of one another." (Romans 12:5) Love one another. (John 13:35) Be kind to one another. (Ephesians
They exhort and encourage one another. (Hebrews 3:13) They admonish one another. (Romans 15:14) They pray for each other.
one another. (James 5:16) Bear one another's burdens. (Galatians 6:2) Do not grumble against one another.
the others. (James 4:11)
All of this makes a biblical church because it recognizes that its primary work is to build itself up spiritually. (Ephesians 4:16)
The church does not exist to enlarge its institutions. Its organization is simple: only what the Bible itself teaches.

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12 Marks of a Biblical Church

What is a Biblical Church?
What should a church be like?
What are the marks of a healthy church?
What does the Bible say about the church?

Christ has authority over the Church and the Church does not have authority over Christ. The Bible has authority over the Church and the Church does not.
About the Bible. The head has authority over the body and not the body over the head.

Efesios 5:23-27
“[Link] the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church, which is his body, and he is its
[Link], as the church is subject to Christ, so also let the wives be to their husbands in [Link],
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,[Link] sanctify it, having
purified in the washing of water by the word,[Link] order to present it to himself, a glorious church, that was not to have
spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but that she would be holy and without blemish.

A biblical church seeks to conform disciples to the image of Christ. It is a church that obeys the Great Commission.
not only preaches the Gospel of Christ, but also makes disciples.

Mark 16:15
And he said to them: Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

Matthew 28:19-20
“[Link], go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
[Link] them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you all the days,
until the end of the world. Amen.

Hebrews 10:23-25
“[Link] us hold fast, without wavering, the profession of our hope, for he who promised is faithful.24. Y
let us consider one another in order to stimulate love and good works; 25. not neglecting to meet together, as
some have the habit, if not urging us; and all the more, as you see that day approaching.

Acts 2:42
And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine, in fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayer.
sentences.

A Bible Church is a church that has a high vision of God. It is a church that exists to please and
glorify God and not to please men.
Isaiah 66:1-2
“1. The Lord said this: Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; where is the house that you will build for me,
2.
and where is the place of my rest? My hand made all these things, and so all these things were, says the Lord; but
I will look to the one who is poor and humble in spirit, and who trembles at my word.

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Éxodo 32:25-29
“25.Y viendo Moisés que el pueblo estaba desenfrenado, porque Aarón lo había permitido, para vergüenza entre sus
enemies, 26. Moses stood at the door of the camp, and said: Who is on the Lord's side? Let him come unto me. And they gathered.
All the sons of Levi gathered with [Link] he said to them: Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Let each one put on his sword.
on your thigh; go in and out from door to door throughout the camp, and kill each one his brother, and his friend,
and to his [Link] the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses; and fell of the people that day like
three thousand [Link] Moses said: Today you have consecrated yourselves to the Lord, for each one has consecrated himself in his own
son and to his brother, that he may give blessing upon you today.

Galatians 1:10
Well, am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? For if I were still pleasing men...
to men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

2. A Biblical Church is a church that has a broad vision of the Scriptures. It is a church that understands
and is clear about the inerrancy of the Scriptures (inerrancy: lack of error or faults in the Holy Scriptures, which, when
to be inspired by God himself, they always tell the truth, and they are not mistaken.). Do you really believe that all Scripture is
truly inspired by God. A Biblical Church has clarity of the Scriptures. It is a church that knows what
and what the New Covenant and its promises mean, by which one relates to God through this New Covenant.

Jeremiah 31:31-34
“[Link], the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house
32. of Judah.

No como el pacto que hice con sus padres el día que tomé su mano para sacarlos de la tierra de Egipto; porque ellos
they invalidated my covenant, although I was a husband to them, says [Link]. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of
Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law in their minds, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be to them for
34. And no one will teach his neighbor anymore, nor any brother, saying:
God, and they will be a people for me.
Know Jehovah; for all will know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says Jehovah; for
I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.

Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord.

Blessed are the perfect in their ways, those who walk in the law of the Lord.

2 Timoteo 3:16-17
“16. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness,
17.
That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

2 Pedro 1:19-21
“[Link] also have the more sure prophetic word, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp that shines.
shine in the dark place, until the day enlightens and the morning star rises in your hearts;
20. 21.
understanding first this, that no prophecy of Scripture is of private interpretation, because never the
prophecy was not brought by human will, but holy men of God spoke as they were inspired by the Spirit
Saint.

Biblical counseling says: "It is written!!!" We do not need to go outside of Scripture (psychology) to counsel.
biblically and effectively.

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3. A Biblical Church is a church that practices expository preaching. Expository preaching is the
preaching that is driven by the text and honors the truth of the Scriptures as given by the Spirit
Holy. Its purpose is to discover the meaning inspired by God through historical research and interpretation.
theological and grammatical. Through attractive and convincing proclamation, the preacher explains, illustrates, and applies the
meaning of the biblical text in its presentation and in the power of the Holy Spirit, preaching Christ for a verdict
of changed lives.
It clearly derives its content from the Bible.
Explain precisely what the Bible says.
Make the change that God wants the Bible to make.

1 Timoteo 4:13-16
14.
“[Link] I go, occupy yourself with reading, exhortation, and teaching. Do not neglect the gift that is in you,
that was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of hands of the presbytery.15. Take care of these things; stay
in them, so that your progress may be evident to [Link] care of yourself and of the doctrine; persist in
ello, pues haciendo esto, te salvarás a ti mismo y a los que te oyeren.”

Nehemías 8:7-12
“[Link] the Levites Jeshua, Bani, Serebiah, Jamin, Acub, Shabbetai, Hodeiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Josabad, Hanan, and Palaiah,
They made the law understood to the people; and the people were attentive in their [Link] they read in the book of the law of God clearly,
and they made sense of it, so that they could understand the [Link] Nehemiah the governor, and Ezra the priest, the scribe,
And the Levites who made the people understand said to all the people: 'This day is holy to the LORD our God; do not be...
10.
do not be saddened, nor weep; for all the people were weeping when they heard the words of thehelaw.
Then said to them: Go, eat
fatty foods, and drink sweet wine, and send portions to those who have nothing prepared; because it is a holy day for our
11.
Lord; do not be sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. The Levites, therefore, made everyone silent.
people, saying: Be quiet, for it is a holy day, and do not be sad. And all the people went to eat and drink, and to
12.

to give portions, and to enjoy great joy, because they had understood the words that had been taught to them.

A Biblical Church is a 'Christ-centered' church, it is a church where Christ has the preeminence.
in everything. The Greek word translated as "preeminence" means "to be first", "first in rank or influence".
church that recognizes Jesus Christ as its Head and as its Highest Authority.

1Corintios 2:1-2
“[Link], brothers, when I came to you to announce the testimony of God, I did not come with excellence of words
or of [Link] I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.

1 Corintios 15:1-4, 20-22

“[Link], I declare to you, brothers, the gospel that I preached to you, which you also received, in which you also
2.
you persevere; for which reason, if you hold fast the word I preached to you, you are saved, if you did not believe in vain.
3.
For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins, according to
the Scriptures;[Link] that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures;
20.
But now Christ has risen from the dead; He has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen [Link] por cuanto la
Death came through one man, and resurrection of the dead also comes through [Link]. Because just like in Adam
Everyone dies, but in Christ everyone will be made alive.

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Colosenses 1:15-18
“[Link] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all [Link] in him all things were created,
those in the heavens and those on the earth, visible and invisible; whether thrones, or dominions, or principalities,
sean powers; everything was created through him and for [Link] he is before all things, and all things are in him.
[Link] he is the head of the body, which is the church, he who is the beginning, the firstborn from among the dead,
that in everything he might have the preeminence;

A Biblical Church is a church that correctly understands conversion. There is no salvation without
repentance. He is clear about the cost of being a disciple of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ was very clear:
He is the priority.
Luke 14:25-26
“[Link] crowds were going with him; and turning, he said to them:[Link] anyone comes to me, and does not hate his father, and
mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
Obedience to Him is the only way.
Whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

And whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
The minimum requirement is to renounce everything.
So, likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.

So, any of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

A Biblical Church has a biblical theology. A church must have Sound Doctrine (Sound Teaching), theology.
correct (theology = The study of God).
The Doctrine must be Solid, Correct, and Biblical. This is important in order to safeguard against error and heresy. A
A church that does not know the Sound Doctrine is exposed to every wind of doctrine that blows in the churches.

Ezekiel 44:23
And they shall teach my people to differentiate between the holy and the profane, and they shall teach them to discern between the clean and the unclean.
not clean.

Pablo instructs Tito to "teach what is in accordance with sound doctrine" Titus 2:1 "But you speak what is
agreement with sound doctrine." Our concern must be not only with how we teach, but what we
we teach. Biblical Theology is a commitment to know the God of the Bible as He has revealed Himself in the
1 Timothy 4:16 "Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine; continue in it, for in doing this you will save yourself"
yourself and those who hear you.

A Biblical Church is where brotherly love is evident.

Whoever loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble.

Whoever loves their brother remains in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in them.

1 Juan 3:14,23
“[Link] know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brothers. He who does not love his...
brother, remain in [Link] this is his commandment: That we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and we
let us love one another as He has commanded us.

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1 Pedro 3:8-9
“8. Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another, loving as brothers, merciful, and friendly;
9.
not returning evil for evil, nor reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, blessing, knowing that you were
called to inherit blessing.

{"verse_12":"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.","verse_13":"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.","verse_14":"You are my friends if you do what I command you.","verse_17":"These things I command you, so that you will love one another."}

“[Link] is my commandment: That you love one another, as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this,
that one lays down his life for his [Link] are my friends, if you do what I command [Link] I send to you:
That you love one another.

By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

A Biblical Church is a church that is concerned with Evangelism and has missionary zeal.
To make disciples, we must first proclaim the Gospel of Christ, and then disciple. The church of Christ
He must love evangelizing; the command to announce the Kingdom of Heaven is for all the children of God. Evangelization
it is carried out individually by each believer in Christ through their life testimony as well as by testifying
talking to as many people as I know and can. On the other hand, the Church as a whole must organize work.
Evangelistic efforts at a local level to win over the neighbors where it is located. The Church of Christ must also have a burden.
missionary to reach those who are furthest away for Christ.

But whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

And whoever denies me before men, I will also deny before my Father who is in heaven.
heavens.

2 Timoteo 2:12
If we suffer, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us.

A Biblical Church is where there is confrontation of sin, a standard of holiness, and discipline.
ecclesiastical.
Galatians 6:1
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual should restore him with a spirit of gentleness.
meekness, considering yourself, lest you also be tempted.

Mateo 18:15-17
“[Link], if your brother sins against you, go and rebuke him when you are alone with him; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.
16.
But if he does not listen to you, take one or two others along with you, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.17.
If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

1 Corintios 5:1-13
“[Link] is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles; so much...
2.
that someone has his father's wife. And you are puffed up. Should you not rather have mourned,
So that the one who committed such an action would be taken away from among you?
3.
Certainly I, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have already judged the one who has done such a thing as if I were present.
done. [Link] the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, gathered you and my spirit, with the power of our Lord
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Jesus [Link] a one is to be delivered to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that the spirit may be saved in the day of the
Mr. Jesus.
6.
Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough?7. Clean yourselves, then, of the old
yeast, that you may be a new dough, without yeast as you are; for our Passover, which is Christ, has already been sacrificed
for us.
8.
So let's celebrate the feast, not with the old yeast, nor with the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with unleavened bread.
yeast, of sincerity and truth.
9.
I have written to you by letter, not to associate with fornicators;[Link] absolutely with the fornicators of this world,
or with the greedy, or with the thieves, or with the idolaters; for in that case you would need to leave the world.
11.
Rather, I wrote to you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother but is sexually immoral, or greedy, or an idolater, or...
slanderer, or drunkard, or thief; with such a person do not even eat.
12.
For what reason would I have to judge those outside? Do you not judge those who are inside?
13.
For those who are outside, God will judge. Therefore, remove the wicked person from among you.

A Biblical Church is a church that prays together. They have a prayer service.
Hechos 2:42,44
“[Link] they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine, in fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayer.
[Link] those who had believed were together and had all things in common;

A Biblical Church is a church that has a biblical practice of the ordinances.

Baptism
Matthew 28:19
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Saint;

Lord's Supper
1 Corintios 11:23-26
“[Link] I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus, on the night when he was betrayed, took
[Link] having given thanks, he broke it, and said: Take, eat; this is my body which is broken for you;
do this in memory of [Link], he took the cup after having dinner, saying: This cup is
26.
the new covenant in my blood; do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. Thus, all the
Every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

12. A Biblical Church has biblical leadership. Biblical leadership keeps a church healthy. It has
plurality.
1 Pedro 5:2-3
“[Link] the flock of God that is among you, caring for it, not by compulsion, but willingly; not by
3.
dishonest gain, but with eager intent; not as having dominion over those entrusted to you,
but being examples of the flock.

1 Timoteo 3:1-13
“1. Faithful word: If anyone desires the office of a bishop, he desires2.a good work. But it is necessary that the bishop be blameless,
3.
husband of one wife, sober, prudent, decent, hospitable, capable of teaching; not given to wine, no
4.
not quarrelsome, not greedy for dishonest gain, but gentle, peaceful, not stingy; who manages his house well,

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that has his children in submission with all honesty5.(for he who cannot govern his own house, how will he take care of
from the Church of God?)[Link] a novice, lest being puffed up he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
7.
It is also necessary that he has a good testimony from those outside, so that he does not fall into discredit and into the snare of the.
devil
8.
Deacons likewise must be honest, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain.
10.
dishonest;[Link] they keep the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And these also be subjected to trial
11.
first, and then let them serve as deacons, if they are blameless. Women should also be honest, not
slanderers, but sober, faithful in everything. Deacons must be the husbands of one wife, and manage their children and their own households well.
12.

your children and your [Link] those who exercise the diaconate well gain for themselves a good degree and much confidence.
in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

Tito 1:5-9
“[Link] this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city, as I commanded you.
6.
as I sent you; the one who is blameless, the husband of one wife, and has believing children who are not
accused of dissolution nor of rebellion.
7.
For it is necessary that the bishop be blameless, as a steward of God; not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not
given to wine, not quarrelsome, not greedy for dishonest gain, but [Link], a lover of good things,
sober, just, holy, [Link] of the word faithful as it has been taught, so that also
may exhort with sound teaching and convince those who contradict.

12 Marks of a Biblical Church

A Biblical Church is a church that has a high vision of God.

A Biblical Church is a church that has a broad vision of the Scriptures.

A Biblical Church is a church that practices expository preaching.

A Biblical Church is a 'Christ-centered' church, it is a church where Christ has preeminence in everything.

5. A Biblical Church is a church that correctly understands conversion.

A Biblical Church has a biblical theology.

A Biblical Church is where brotherly love is evident.

A Biblical Church is a church that focuses on Evangelism and has missionary zeal.

A Bible Church is where there is confrontation of sin, a standard of holiness, and ecclesiastical discipline.

A Biblical Church is a church that prays together.

A Biblical Church is a church that has a biblical practice of the ordinances.

12. A Biblical Church has biblical leadership.

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