Why You Shouldn’t Use AI to Write a Sermon

PREFACE

We have all likely heard a lot about Artificial Intelligence and Chatbots, like ChatGPT. I had no prior usage of any of these Chatbots so I set out to see if it would be proper to use them in sermon preparation. I constructed this sermon by entering the following prompt into six of the top ten AI Chatbots plus one other relatively new one, seven in all.

Prompt: “Please write a 4000 word sermon with outline quoting scripture and biblical principles on why you shouldn't use AI to write a sermon.”

In seconds each Chatbot crafted an outline and a full sermon in accordance with my request.

The irony of my request was not lost on one of the bots (Perplexity) –

It responded like this –

“That’s a really thoughtful and somewhat ironic request! Writing a 4000-word sermon on why you shouldn’t use AI to write a sermon (by having AI write one) carries an inherent paradox. But I understand your intent: you want a comprehensive, scripture-rooted message that cautions against outsourcing the sacred work of preaching to Artificial Intelligence.”

So, to be perfectly clear and totally transparent with you, the words of this sermon are NOT my words. They are a compilation of the responses of all seven AI bots. I merely cut and pasted them into a document. Bear in mind, Artificial Intelligence does not innovate; it draws from the material it finds on the internet and through algorithms structures a report verbatim of what it found.

I did not write this sermon in the traditional sense. I merely collated the seven AI responses to organize the flow, add headers, and delete redundancy, along with a few edits for length and clarity.

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INTRODUCTION

We live in a season of astonishing technological progress. Tools that once belonged to science fiction now sit on our desks and in our pockets. Technology can serve the church — and sometimes it does. Yet today I must speak plainly about a temptation in our day: the temptation to outsource the work of preaching the Word of God to Artificial Intelligence — to let a machine write our sermons.

It is the temptation of efficiency, the allure of the shortcut, the promise of a tool that can, with a few well-placed prompts, craft something that looks and sounds like a sermon.

I want to be clear from the start: this is not a sermon against using technology. Technology is a gift from God, and we see it used for good in countless ways, from livestreaming services to digital Bibles. This is a sermon about the nature of the Word itself and the sacred trust given to those called to preach it.

The sermon is not merely a speech or a collection of words; it is a medium through which God speaks to His people. It is a sacred act, rooted in prayer, study, and the leading of the [Holy] Spirit. Today, we will explore why entrusting this task to AI undermines the biblical principles of preaching, the authenticity of the preacher’s calling, and the transformative power of God’s Word.

The temptation to use AI assistance for sermon preparation might seem practical, even reasonable. After all, doesn’t AI have access to vast theological resources, commentaries, and biblical knowledge?

 

It can process the entirety of the Bible in a millisecond. It can cross-reference every theological commentary ever written. But it cannot believe.

 

A sermon written by AI, therefore, is a ghost. It has the shape of a sermon, it has the words of a sermon, but it lacks the soul. It is a beautifully crafted report about the Word, but it is not a living act of faith. And what our world desperately needs is not more information about God, but a living encounter with Him.

Preaching is not a mere transfer of facts—it is the living communication of God’s truth, spoken through a man with God’s Holy Spirit. When we look to shortcuts—whether through [outright] sermon plagiarism or, in our modern day, through the outsourcing of preaching to Artificial Intelligence—we tread on dangerous ground. Preaching is holy, weighty, blood-bought work. It cannot be delegated to [the ghost in the machine].

Today, we will explore the practice of using AI to write sermons. This is not about rejecting technology entirely, but about understanding the irreplaceable elements of authentic ministry that cannot and should not be outsourced to machines.

 

THE CALL OF THE PREACHER

 

2Ti 4:1-5 NKJV

(1)  I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:

(2)  Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

 

What does Scripture demand of those called to preach? When Paul charges Timothy in our text with the solemn words, “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus,” he establishes preaching not as mere information transfer, but as a sacred trust that requires the whole person—heart, mind, soul, and spirit.

 

Can a machine carry the weight of God’s call? Can it wrestle with the text as a human heart does? The answer is no, for preaching is not just about words—it is about faithfully stewarding the message God entrusts to His servants. What seems helpful may erode the foundations of our faith.

The preacher is not merely a communicator; he is a [faithful] steward of [the] mysteries [of God]. (1 Corinthians 4:1–2)

 

Jas 3:1 NKJV  My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.

Preachers will give account to God, not only for how they lived, but for what they preached. Every sermon carries eternal weight. Who then will answer for sermons generated by machines? To delegate one’s sacred duty to a program is to stand before God having abdicated responsibility.

Every preacher must wrestle with the text, weep over the lost, pray for the Spirit’s anointing, and stand accountable before heaven itself for what is proclaimed. This duty cannot be shifted onto the shoulders of silicon and software. It belongs to the preacher alone.

The strict judgment that James warns about attaches to a human conscience that responds to God. If a preacher lets a machine speak in his stead, who is truly accountable before God and before the church? Using AI shifts accountability— who answers for errors, the preacher or the program?

1Co 2:1-5 NKJV

(1)  And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God.

(2)  For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

(3)  I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.

(4)  And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

(5)  that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

 

It is not about perfection but about faithfulness. God does not call us to produce flawless sermons; He calls us to be faithful stewards of His Word.

Paul tells the Corinthians he did not come with “enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”

 

 

 

AI, no matter how advanced, cannot be filled with the Holy Spirit. It cannot pray, seek God’s face, or discern His will for a specific congregation. A sermon written by AI may sound polished, but it lacks the divine spark that comes from a preacher’s communion with God. The Spirit moves through human hearts that are surrendered to Him, not through algorithms that process data.

 

In 2 Corinthians 4:7 NIV, Paul gives us a beautiful and profound image of ministry: "But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us." The treasure is the gospel. The jar of clay is the preacher—fragile, breakable, and utterly human. The power, Paul insists, is not in the jar, but in the treasure, and the very imperfection of the jar serves to highlight the glory of the treasure it holds.

The temptation to use AI is the temptation to build a better jar—one that is flawless, efficient, and never fumbles for a word. But Paul’s ministry was a testament to the power of a fumbling, flawed jar.

The power of Paul’s preaching was not in its eloquence. It was in his weakness, his fear, and his trembling. His vulnerability allowed the power of the Holy Spirit to be made manifest.

When a congregation hears a sermon that bears the imprint of the preacher’s authentic life, they sense the credibility of the message. Without that personal touch, the sermon becomes a lecture rather than a shared pilgrimage.

Here lies the line AI can never cross. It can assemble enticing words of man’s wisdom. It can produce rhetorical elegance. But it cannot demonstrate the Spirit and the power of God. It can inform, but it cannot transform. For the things of God are spiritually discerned (1 Cor. 2:14), and a machine has no spirit.

 

 

PERSONAL WRESTLING WITH GOD’S WORD

 

There’s a connection between preacher and the sermon text. When the preacher hasn’t personally wrestled with the passage, he cannot speak with the authority of one who has been transformed by the text. The congregation senses this lack of personal engagement. They may receive information, but they don’t receive the bread of life that comes from a preacher who has first fed himself.

 

The foundation of authentic preaching begins with the preacher’s personal encounter with Scripture. Notice the progression in Ezra 7:10: study, do, then teach. It is not just information-gathering; it is prayerful encounter.

 

Ezr 7:10 NKJV  For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.

 

This wasn’t casual reading or surface-level research that could be accomplished by consulting an AI database.

 

2Ti 2:15 KJV  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Paul’s instruction to Timothy uses the Greek word “spoudazo,” meaning to make every effort, to be eager, to give diligence, studying, meditating, and praying over Scripture.

Scripture speaks personally before it speaks generally. When a preacher struggles with a text—questioning, praying, meditating—the message that emerges carries the authenticity of personal spiritual battle.

 

The Holy Spirit works through human vessels, not digital algorithms. Jesus promised, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26).

 

Personal wrestling produces spiritual authority. The difference between a sermon written by AI and one birthed through prayer and study is the difference between secondhand information and firsthand revelation. AI, by its nature, lacks a soul. It cannot experience the divine illumination. Nor can it be led by the Spirit of truth, as Jesus promises in John 16:13: "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth."

 

If we use AI, we risk sermons devoid of vitality. They become echoes of human data, not whispers from heaven. Imagine a preacher inputting keywords like "faith" and "salvation," and out pops a polished message. But where is the wrestling in prayer, the tears over sin, the joy of discovery?

 

Consider the process: A preacher sits with an open Bible, perhaps struggling with a difficult passage. He reads commentaries, yes, but ultimately must grapple with the text himself. He prays, “Lord, what are you saying to me first, before I speak to others?” In that holy tension between human limitation and divine revelation, the sermon is conceived. This process shapes not only the message but the messenger.

 

The process of sermon preparation, when done authentically, serves as a means of grace in the preacher’s life. Consider the spiritual disciplines inherent in proper sermon preparation:

 

Prayer and Dependence on God: Before opening commentaries or consulting resources, the faithful preacher must come before God in prayer, acknowledging his need for divine illumination. “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law” (Psalm 119:18). This prayer of dependence cannot be replicated by AI because it flows from genuine humility and recognition of human limitation.

 

Meditation on Scripture: The Psalm 1 man meditates on God’s law day and night. The Hebrew word for meditate (hagah) suggests a continuous, ruminating process—like a cow chewing its cud. This deep, repetitive consideration allows the Word to penetrate not just the mind but the heart. When a preacher sits with a text, reading it repeatedly, thinking about it while driving, praying over it before sleep, the text begins to work on the preacher before the preacher works on the sermon.

 

Wrestling with Personal Application: Before a preacher can faithfully apply a text to others, he must allow it to search his own heart. This personal examination cannot be outsourced because it requires genuine self-reflection and repentance.

Intercession for the Congregation: As the preacher prepares, he should be praying for his people—their specific needs, struggles, and spiritual condition. This intercession shapes not only the content of the sermon but its tone, emphasis, and application. This pastoral heart cannot be replicated artificially.

 

When we use AI to write sermons, we short-circuit this formative process. The result is not just an inferior sermon, but a preacher who remains spiritually unchanged by his own message and through him, the congregation—is bypassed in the name of efficiency.

 

When we shortcut this process through AI assistance, we rob ourselves of the transformative work that sermon preparation is meant to accomplish in the preacher’s own soul. We become distributors of processed spiritual food rather than shepherds who have tasted and seen that the Lord is good. (Psa 34:8)

 

RELIANCE ON GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT

Central to the task of preaching is the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We must rely on the Holy Spirit, not human inventions like AI.

1 Corinthians 2:10-13 NIV: "The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God... We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit."

Here we face the critical problem: Artificial Intelligence can generate words, but it cannot generate Spirit-taught words. AI is like a mirror of human knowledge—but preaching requires more than knowledge. It requires revelation, illumination, conviction—all of which can only come through the Holy Spirit.

The process of interpreting and applying Scripture requires spiritual discernment—a faculty that belongs solely to believers who have been indwelt by the [Holy] Spirit. An AI, however sophisticated, operates purely on pattern recognition and statistical inference, algorithms fed on vast datasets, often biased by secular worldviews; it lacks the Spirit’s illumination. Consequently, any sermon generated by AI can never claim true inspiration; it remains a human‑crafted artifact masquerading as divine counsel.

Artificial Intelligence, at best, is a simulacrum [semblance] of human language patterns. It can analyze texts, quote Scripture, assemble arguments, and mimic rhetorical forms. But it has no Spirit. AI's "creativity" is derivative, remixing human input without true innovation. Sermons should be fresh words from God, not algorithmic echoes.

Even if an AI were fed countless sermons, it would lack the living presence that makes a message transform lives. The Spirit’s timing, emphasis, and nuance are beyond any algorithmic prediction.

The power of preaching is not in polish but in presence—the Spirit’s presence coming through a sanctified messenger. “For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy [Spirit], and in much assurance” (1 Thessalonians 1:5).

The sufficiency for ministry flows from God: “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament” (2 Corinthians 3:5–6).

When we shift our functional trust to the speed, novelty, or polish of a generated sermon, we quietly confess another sufficiency. Tools may serve; they must never supplant.

 

EFFICIENCY OVER FAITHFULNESS

The process of sermon preparation is a sacred discipline. It is a journey of prayer, of meditation, and of diligent study. As we read and reread the text, as we consult commentaries and theological resources, we are not just gathering information; we are allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to us, to challenge us, to transform us. This is a process of sanctification.

It is a spiritual discipline that shapes us as much as it shapes the content we deliver. When we outsource this process, we are not just saving time; we are sidestepping a crucial part of our spiritual formation.

David reminds us in 2 Samuel 24:24 ESV [when he purchased the threshing floor to erect an altar]: “I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”

Sermon preparation is costly. A faithful preacher spends hours in the Word, days in prayer, nights wrestling with God’s truth. There are tears of frustration when the text feels closed and tears of joy when revelation breaks forth. This effort costs something—time, energy, life itself.

AI offers a shortcut. It says: “Save the time. Skip the wrestling. Here is something polished and ready.” But if David would not offer God something that cost him nothing, how dare we? To present to God’s people words concocted without sacrifice is to dishonor both God and His flock.

The church does not need efficiency. It needs faithfulness.

Using AI fosters laziness. 1 Timothy 5:17 honors elders "who labor in preaching and teaching." AI is a lazy shortcut, dishonoring God.

The parable of talents (Matthew 25:14-30) condemns the lazy servant. Revelation 3:15-16 rebukes lukewarmness: "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot... So, because you are lukewarm... I will spit you out."

When God calls a man to preach, He doesn’t merely assign him a job—He imparts a sacred trust.

 

DISCERNMENT NEEDED TO SIFT THE DATASET

Truth, especially divine truth, is relational. It meets us where we are, speaks into our hearts, and invites us into a covenant relationship with God. When we reduce Scripture to searchable keywords or statistical probabilities, we strip it of its relational depth. AI treats the Bible as a dataset, ignoring the living, breathing context of the believer’s journey. The result is a sermon that may be factually correct yet spiritually sterile—unable to illuminate the darkness of a soul or stir genuine repentance.

AI systems learn from a vast corpora, [body of work] but they also inherit the biases, errors, and ambiguities present in those sources. A subtle shift in phrasing can change theological meaning dramatically. Moreover, AI lacks the ability to discern cultural, historical, and literary contexts that are essential for sound exegesis. A misapplied verse can lead a congregation astray, cause doctrinal confusion, or even foster heretical ideas. The preacher, trained in hermeneutics and accountable to the church, must guard against such pitfalls.

AI is trained on the world’s data; it reflects human opinions, half-truths, and the confusions of the age. AI poses risks of error and dilution. Machines lack conscience; they replicate pattern rather than covenant. AI, trained on global data, might produce generic content that fails to resonate. This detachment could lead to shallow faith.

AI may [even] draw from thousands of sermons, but it cannot seek God’s face. It may mimic biblical language, but it cannot discern God’s will. A sermon written by AI risks being a hollow echo of human words, not a vessel of divine truth.

Col 2:8 KJV  Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

AI algorithms are designed to please and cater to user preferences.

The sermon must be prophetic, challenging worldly wisdom, and not catering to "itching ears."

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions (2Ti 4:3 ESV) 

 

The sermon is meant to be a moment of truth-telling, even if that truth is uncomfortable. It is meant to challenge the world's wisdom and to confront sin. It is meant to call people to a life of repentance and obedience. The temptation for a human preacher, and a temptation that an AI could very easily amplify, is to give people what they want to hear rather than what they need to hear.

An AI, by its very design, is built on algorithms that seek to please the user, to generate content that is most likely to be accepted and enjoyed.

The gospel is not about consensus, but about a singular, radical truth.

It is meant to be counter-cultural, to be a stumbling block to the world.

 

WISE DISTINCTIONS: TOOLS AS RESOURCES NOT AS AUTHORS

Commentaries, lexicons, historical helps, and even software can assist us.  If AI is used as a research assistant — to find historical background, to highlight linguistic questions, to suggest references — and then the preacher prays over, edits, and personalizes that material in a Spirit-led way, that is different from outsourcing the entire act of proclamation.

Use reference works to clarify difficult texts, to check outlines against the grain of Scripture, to consult backgrounds—then go back to prayer, meditation, and writing in your own voice.

The final composition, theological framing, and pastoral application must remain the preacher’s own work. After any technological assistance, pray earnestly, seek the Spirit’s confirmation, and perhaps run the draft by trusted elders for accountability.

Always remember the baseline: the pulpit must be human, accountable, and Spirit-led. Our Lord gave the church pastors and teachers “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11)

AUTHENTICITY AND INTEGRITY

Scripture calls for faithfulness, not convenience. “We have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully” (2 Corinthians 4:2).

Test everything by Scripture and conscience. “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Let the Spirit-trained conscience keep you from handing holy things to impersonal hands.

God calls His messengers to speak His Word faithfully, not to rely on artificial substitutes. An AI-generated sermon may sound impressive, but it lacks the fire of God’s truth spoken through a faithful heart.

Jer 23:30-36 NRSV

(30)  See, therefore, I am against the prophets, says the LORD, who steal my words from one another.

(31)  See, I am against the prophets, says the LORD, who use their own tongues and say, "Says the LORD."

(32)  See, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, says the LORD, and who tell them, and who lead my people astray by their lies and their recklessness, when I did not send them or appoint them; so they do not profit this people at all, says the LORD.

(36)  But "the burden of the LORD" you shall mention no more, for the burden is everyone's own word, and so you pervert the words of the living God.

 

Is that not what AI does? It steals phrases, recombines sentences, producing words as though they carried authority. It “wags its tongue” with borrowed wisdom. But God did not send it. He did not appoint it. And how dangerous it would be to put counterfeit words in the mouths of God’s people as though they were Spirit-breathed.

The pulpit must never echo with artificial words. The pulpit rings hollow if its words are not weighted with the burden of a human heart and the power of God’s Spirit.

Preaching must draw from the fountain of living waters, not from systems that repackage what they have gathered secondhand.

 

CONCLUSION

This is not a call to reject all technology or helpful resources. Commentaries, concordances, theological works, and even digital tools can serve as valuable aids in sermon preparation. The crucial distinction is between tools that assist human study and systems that replace human spiritual labor.

 

The question each preacher must answer is not whether AI can produce acceptable sermons—it probably can. The question is whether using AI to write sermons fulfills the biblical mandate to “preach the word”.

 

When we stand before Christ to give account of our stewardship, will we be able to say with Paul, “I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God” ? (Acts 20:27) Or will we have to acknowledge that we delegated this sacred responsibility to artificial systems?

So, I urge you: Preach the Word. Preach it when it is hard, preach it when it is costly, preach it when you feel weary. Preach it when the world says a machine could do it better. Preach it with trembling, with weakness, with tears, with joy. But preach it in the power of the Holy Spirit.

1 Timothy 4:13-16 ESV - “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things; immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on your teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”

 

Paul’s final charge to Timothy provides a fitting conclusion to our consideration of why preachers should not use AI to write sermons. Notice the intensely personal nature of Paul’s instructions:

 

“Devote yourself” - The Greek word (prosecho) means to turn one’s mind to, to occupy oneself with, to give attention to. This devotion cannot be outsourced or automated. It requires personal investment of time, energy, and spiritual focus.

 

 

“Do not neglect the gift that is in you” - Timothy’s spiritual gift was given specifically to him through prophetic ministry and the laying on of hands. This gift required cultivation and exercise. (Heb 5:14) Using AI to write sermons would represent a fundamental neglect of the spiritual gifts God has given to each preacher.

 

“Practice these things; immerse yourself in them” - The call to practice and immersion suggests ongoing, intensive engagement.

 

“Keep a close watch on yourself and on your teaching” - This vigilant attention requires personal responsibility that cannot be delegated to artificial systems. The preacher must guard both his character and his doctrine through personal spiritual discipline.

 

Paul’s final promise to Timothy is significant: “Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” The word “persist” (epimeno) suggests continuing steadfastly despite difficulty. The promise is twofold—both preacher and people benefit from this authentic perseverance.

 

 

The choice before every preacher is clear: Will we embrace the difficult but transformative work of authentic sermon preparation, or will we take the shortcut that promises efficiency but delivers spiritual poverty? Shortcuts—whether stealing another’s sermon or outsourcing to AI—undermines the sacred calling.

 

Let us open our Bibles, get on our knees, and allow God to speak to us first, so that we might then speak His living and powerful Word to a world in desperate need.

Preach the Word—prayerfully, faithfully, sacrificially.

 

 

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This Grace in Which We Stand

God has rescued us out of darkness and has given us an exceeding abundance of His grace, grace upon

grace. Therefore, we are to live in accordance with His will and to grow in grace ourselves and to be increasingly gracious toward others.

This word, grace, in the New Testament is the Greek word, “charis”, from which we derive words like character and charisma.

From the word grace itself, you can clearly see we get words like graceful, gracious, grateful, gratitude, gratuity, ingratiate, and congratulate.

 

Grace and Truth Came by Jesus Christ

Joh 1:14-17 KJV

(14) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

[Like Jesus, we too want to be full of grace and truth]

(15) John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.

(16) And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. [the New American Standard Bible, the NASB, says “grace upon grace”]

(17) For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

Joh 1:16 AMPC  For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift.

 

Let’s look at just a few of these gifts of grace in the Book of John –

 

Joh 6:44 KJV  No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

 

Joh 14:15-17 KJV

(15) If ye love me, keep my commandments.
(16) And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
(17) Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

Whom the world cannot receive because it sees him not, neither knows it. The world cannot receive the Spirit of God because verse 15. The world does not love God nor do they keep His commandments; therefore, God has not qualified them to receive His Holy Spirit.

 

Joh 15:16 KJV  Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

 

Joh 16:23 KJV

23  And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

·       You have the Father drawing you, that’s grace! (John 6:44)

·       You having Christ validating you, that’s grace! (John 15:16)

·       You can now pray directly to the Father, that’s grace! (John 16:23)

·       You have God’s Holy Spirit living in you, that’s grace! (John 14:17)

·       Christ will raise you up at the last day, that’s grace! (John 6:44)

 

Grace upon grace upon grace! Gift heaped upon gift!

 

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Eph 2:8 KJV)

 

We have been justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: (Rom 3:24 KJV) 

 

 

Rom 5:1-2 NKJV

1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

 

Always rejoicing in the hope of the glory of God

 

Col 1:3-6 KJV

3 We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,

5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;

6 Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:

 

From the very beginning, you began to change and to show evidence of the fruits of the Spirit by God’s grace as he opened your mind to the truth.

Col 1:10-13 KJV

10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet [qualified us] to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

We are called out of darkness into his marvelous light. (1Pet 2:9)

When we are begotten by God’s Holy Spirit we become His adopted children, and we are translated into the kingdom of his dear Son.

What does that mean?

To understand the full sense of verse 13 let’s read it in a couple other translations.

First the NASB. The NASB is more of a word-for-word translation than is the KJV.

 

Col 1:13 NASB  For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,

 

Notice the NASB doesn’t say into the kingdom of His beloved Son. Since flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, we have not been transferred into the Kingdom just yet but transferred to the authority and reign of our King, the beloved Son.

 

Col 1:13 AMPC  [The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,

 

When we become a baptized member of God’s Church, God gives us His Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us and comfort us. We come under the domain, the control and dominion, of His Kingdom. We have been placed under the jurisdiction of the Kingdom of God. We are under the authority of His Kingdom and the reign of our King, His Son, and we His subjects.

We are no longer under law but under grace of the One who placed us there.

The rest of the world is not under grace but are still subjects of the prince of darkness. God may still grant them some modicum of grace until such time as he determines if this person is someone he can work with and chooses to call them. Bear in mind, we have not chosen Him but He chose us and his Spirit lives in us. (John 15:16)

This puts us in a very special relationship with God, not because we were anything special but by His grace.

 

1Co 1:26-29 KJV

(26)  For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

(27)  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

(28)  And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

(29)  That no flesh should glory in his presence.

 

Not wise. Not mighty. Not noble. But Foolish. Weak. Base. Despised. Nobodies. I guess we’re deplorables after all.

 

God may have found us in a deplorable state but we don’t stay that way.

 

By God’s grace we were chosen to confound the wise; to confuse the mighty; and to bring to nothing the things which are. Like when Peter and John came before the priests Annas and Caiaphas in Jerusalem, they perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men (by their judgment) and they marvelled at the deep and insightful things they said.

 

By God’s grace, with repentance, baptism, and the laying on of hands, we receive His Holy Spirit in us. No longer just with as when we were being called, but in us.

Makes it’s abode with us, then in us enabling us to walk in newness of life leaving that deplorable state of being behind!

 

Rom 6:1-10 KJV

(1)  What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

(2)  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

(3)  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

(4)  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

(5)  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

(6)  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

(7)  For he that is dead is freed from sin.

(8)  Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

(9)  Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

(10)  For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

 

We have been buried in the likeness of Jesus’ death and raised in the likeness of His resurrection. In that He lives unto God, so do we.

We live unto God, walking in newness of life. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we can now overcome sin, the lust of the flesh, by the very power of the Holy Spirit.

 

By God’s grace, we now have his very essence in our lives! The Sovereign Ruler of the Universe personally involved in your life and in my life!

 

Rom 6:11-14 KJV

(11)  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

(12)  Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

(13)  Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

(14)  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

 

You have pledged your life by a symbolic death of the old man, that person you once were. That death is joined to the death of Christ. That is the covenant relationship beginning between you and God the Father and Jesus Christ. At that point, when you receive the Holy Spirit, God now gives you the strength and the power through His Spirit to overcome what you could not overcome while you were a subject of the prince of darkness.

 

That’s under grace!

 

1Cor 15:55-58 KJV

(55)  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

(57)  But thanks [charis – glory]  be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

[Victory over death. We no longer fear death]

(58)  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

 

In return, we give God our loyalty, our faith, our gratitude. When we come to God, drawn by His grace, we create an obligation, a debt of sorts, to forevermore be loyal to Him, to remain faithful to Him, to serve Him, and to defend the faith once given.

 

Things are different now. We are in a special relationship with God and Christ.

 

1Jn 1:3 KJV

(3)  That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

 

We are now qualified to have fellowship with God and Christ to learn the ways of God. God welcomes us to his family.

 

We now have access to God the Father and Jesus Christ and fellowship with them! How amazing is that?

 

 

Those that are seeking God and God is working with and calling, begin to be drawn by God, which is the first step of grace, but they are not yet under grace until they have been baptized and received his Holy Spirit.

 

That changes your standing before God! His grace changes everything!

 

We conduct our lives differently under the jurisdiction of God’s Kingdom and the reign of our King, His dear Son. We need to learn how to conduct ourselves in the world and be a light and represent him to others.

 

Grow in Grace and Knowledge

 

2Pe 3:18 KJV  But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

 

We tend to think of growing in grace as increasingly receiving more and more of God’s grace for ourselves. Grace with God. And that is indeed the case as we draw closer to him. Grace upon grace.

 

Of course, we want to grow in God’s good graces and increase the grace we receive from Him.

 

Think of a child growing closer to his father and his mother. They naturally bestow more privilege and favor to him as he grows and becomes more obedient and responsible.

 

But we are also to grow in our grace, our graciousness, towards others. Grace with man.

Think of the pride of a father or mother as they see their child behaving graciously toward other children, especially the less fortunate. Think of how their face lights up with joy when they hear reports of their good manners and respectfulness from other parents. God is the same way.

“This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased”. (Matt 17:5)

 

Let’s first examine –

 

Grace with God

 

It is sin that separates us from God. (Isa 59:2) So, just like that child who knows his father loves him because he’s been obedient, respectful, loyal to the family name, and receiving of his father’s good graces, we too must be the same toward God to have a clear conscience, to feel certain of His love, to know we are in His good graces.

 

A Clear Conscience Before God

 

Heb 9:12-14 KJV

12  Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

13  For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:

14  How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

 

The good news is, it is the blood of Christ that purges and cleanses our filthy conscience. We can’t purge our own conscience.

The blood of Christ does! So stop trying.

Just let go of all that old stuff. Stop dredging it back up. Forgetting those things which are behind and press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Php 3:13)

 

We have but to trust in him.

1Jn 1:5-10 KJV

(5)  This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

(6)  If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

(7)  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

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

[When we do sin, and we will…]

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

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

 

It’s not what we feel that matters. Our feelings are from the heart and therefore deceitful. What do we know? What does the word of God tell us? What are the facts according to God, who cannot lie? We can take His promises at face value and trust in them. We can count on them regardless of how we may feel.

If we do those things which are pleasing in His sight always, we will have no reason to doubt. When we do sin, trust in what the word of God tells us. He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness restoring our standing in His good graces.

 

Heb 10:19-23 KJV

19  Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,

20  By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

21  And having an high priest over the house of God;

22  Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

23  Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

We have been freed from sin and the penalty that hung over our heads. The ransom was paid to free us and now we are no longer subject to eternal death. When we sin, we bring it to the Father, to the throne of grace, and He is faithful and just to forgive. (1John 1:9)

 

Rom 8:1-5 KJV

(1)  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

(2)  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

(3)  For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

(4)  That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

(5)  For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

 

It’s a wonderful thing that we have and live in God’s grace.

 

But if that’s all we focus on, the grace given to us, it’s self-centered. We are called to deny self and take up our cross daily and serve others as ambassadors of the Kingdom of God. (Luke 9:23)

 

We are to love our neighbor, our fellow man, even as we love ourselves.

 

1Ti 1:5 NKJV  Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith,

 

Out of the abundance of the heart… Mat 12:35; Luke 6:45

 

Paraphrasing from David Guzik’s Enduring Word Commentary, he has this to say –

 

The purpose of the commandment: The purpose of the law is found in its inward work upon the heart, not in mere outward observance.

Love from a pure heart: If spending time in God’s word does not produce love from a pure heart, a good conscience, or sincere faith in us, something is wrong.

...instead of showing love we are harsh and judgmental; instead of having a good conscience we always feel condemned knowing we don’t measure up; and instead of sincere faith we practically trust in our own ability to please God.

We must trust in the blood of Christ to cleanse us and our faith and just Father to forgive us our sins.

 

Having a clear conscience before God and living in His good graces allows us to respond with a pure heart towards others.

 

Grace with Man

 

Act 24:16 KJV  And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.

 

We can’t force people to like us or what we stand for. In fact, Jesus told us we would be hated of all men for his name’s sake.

 

But we can have a clear conscience void of offense toward God and toward men.

 

Rom 12:17-18 KJV

17  Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.

18  If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

 

We treat everyone with kindness, compassion, and love not because they deserve it. We don’t treat them kindly because of who they are. We treat them kindly because of who we are.

We are children of the living God who is no respecter of persons. We may no longer live in a model nation but we can be model citizens of the Kingdom and good ambassadors of Jesus Christ.

Paul described his approach toward his fellow man this way –

 

1Co 9:18-22 KJV

18  What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.

19  For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.

20  And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;

21  To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.

22  To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

 

We are to meet people where they are, on their level. We meet them on their level of understanding and point them toward Christ and the Kingdom of God. We show them grace and kindness despite whether or not they understand the truth.

 

2Ti 2:24-26 KJV

24  And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,

25  In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

26  And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

 

As the beginning of sorrows continues to unfold, there will be those who are seeking answers. We need to be in the right state of mind, growing in grace, in order to minister to them of the grace of God. We can’t make a difference to all who are in the world, but to some we can make all the difference.

 

After God poured out His Holy Spirit at Pentecost, how did they respond?

Act 2:46-47 KJV

46  And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

47  Praising God, and having favour [charis – grace] with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

 

Immediately following the pouring out of God’s Holy Spirit on Pentecost they were glad, with all simplicity, sincerity, and generousness of heart and showed grace toward all the people.

 

How were they able to be so gracious? By God’s Holy Spirit!

 

We are to continually grow in grace moving toward the direction of perfect love. Diligently seeking perfection even as our Father in Heaven is perfect. For God is love. (1John 4:8)

 

Luk 6:31-36 KJV

31  And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. [the Golden Rule]

32  For if ye love them which love you, what thank [charis – grace] have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.

33  And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank [charis – grace] have ye? for sinners also do even the same.

34  And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank [charis – grace] have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.

35  But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind [chrestos – gracious] unto the unthankful [acharistos – unthankful] and to the evil.

36  Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

 

When you do good, it is genuine, sincere. We don’t treat people kindly to “virtue signal” in order to gain the praise of men. We don’t seek the praise of men.

 

It is our duty. We have our reward, the grace and the praise of the Father.

'We are but unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.' (Luk 17:10)

 

Don’t expect thanks when you do good. It is what God expects of us and that is thanks enough, that’s grace, God’s grace.

 

Forgive them for they know not what they do.

 

1Ti 1:12-14 KJV

12  And I thank [charis – gratitude] Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;

13  Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

14  And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

 

As it was toward us. And still is to this day.

 

We might have a tendency to shake our heads when others just don’t get it. But they are only ignorant in their unbelief. Don’t get defensive when they don’t understand. Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the Kingdom of God, but not unto them. (Mark 4:11)

Show grace, compassion, and mercy exceedingly abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

What manner of persons ought we to be?

 

2Pe 3:10-14 KJV

10  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

11  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

12  Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

13  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

14  Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

 

2Pe 3:18 KJV  But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

 

 

1Pe 4:7-11 KJV

7  But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

8  And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

9  Use hospitality one to another without grudging.

10  As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

11  If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

 

Be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. And having done all. Stand therefore. In this amazing grace in which we stand.

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