The Holy Spirit Defends Us

A Word of Truth #164  

Your soul is marked as prey. “The Devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Your sinful flesh also works against you. Likewise, the world in which we live is a danger to your soul. God warns, “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” (1 John 2:15).

The Devil, our flesh, and the world are striving to bring our souls to destruction, but we have a powerful ally in this fight—the almighty God! Jesus went to the cross to defeat our enemies. The Holy Spirit has brought us to faith in Christ. Through that faith we receive forgiveness for our sins and we stand in Christ’s righteousness. As we stand with Christ, none of our enemies can harm us. The Holy Spirit preserves us in faith and thereby defends us against every spiritual enemy. “You are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation” (1 Peter 1:5).

The Nature of the Holy Christian Church

A Word of Truth #165  

What a church! Look at those beautiful stain-glass windows and carved statues. Did you know that when the Bible speaks of a church, it is not speaking about a building, but rather about the believers gathered within the building? In the same way, when the Bible speaks of the holy, Christian Church, it is not referring to any outward organization. No Christian denomination can claim to be the holy, Christian Church. Rather, the holy, Christian Church is made up of all people throughout the world who believe that Jesus is their Savior from sin. Those believers are holy, because Jesus’ blood cleanses them of their sins. They are Christians, because their faith is based upon the words of Christ found in the Bible. The holy, Christian Church is rightly described as being invisible, for God alone can see the faith within the hearts of His believing children.