Newsletter: October 19, 2003 GODISFORUS.COM NEWSLETTER October 19, 2003 Volume I, Issue 4 Greetings to all! I hope this newsletter finds everyone standing firm in the grace of God! This is the fourth issue of our bi-weekly newsletter designed to bring encouragement for the Christian walk and witness and to help others better understand the website and how and it be used to evangelize the lost. Please feel free to forward any questions or comments you may have regarding the topics being discussed. You can view previous issues of the newsletter at this URL: http://www.godisforus.com/Archives.htm. OUR WALK AND WITNESS: We have been talking about sanctification and so far we have learned about the mandate, the need and the goal of sanctification. In this newsletter we will begin to discuss the means of sanctification. We want to try and learn from scripture what resources God has given to us to equip us to do His will in this important matter. The first God given resource that we need to be aware of is the Holy Spirit. Through the work of the Holy Spirit the believer begins a new life in Jesus Christ - a spiritual rebirth, which becomes the basis for the ongoing spiritual renewal of sanctification. Consider the following scripture which sheds light on this truth: (John 3:6-8) "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. {7} "Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' {8} "The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." (Colossians 2:13) And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions (2 Corinthians 5:17) Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. (Galatians 6:15) For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. The preceding verses describe this spiritual rebirth and new life which is experienced when one truly believes in Jesus Christ. In the following verse we see how this leads to the ongoing washing and renewing of our inner selves through the continuing work of the Holy Spirit in our lives: (Titus 3:5-6 NASB) He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, {6} whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior. It is the ongoing, daily washing and renewing process of the Holy Spirit in our lives which is at the heart of sanctification. But this is not some mystical process which takes place in some mysterious way whereby the believer without even realizing what's happening becomes conformed to the image of Christ! We will see in the next newsletter that there is another very important resource which is essential to the process of sanctification which we ourselves must begin to incorporate into our lives. THE WEBSITE: While the first two sections of the site are designed to present the essence of the gospel message in clear and concise terms, the third section, the library, is designed to give the visitor the opportunity to explore these truths in greater depth. There are 14 topics in the Library. The first topic, "God's Word the Bible" stands by itself at the top of the page. In the first column the following four topics are available: 1. A Biblical World View; 2. Jesus God's Son; 3. The Gospel Message; 4. Common Questions. In the preceding five topics the viewer will find the bulk of the information on the website regarding the Bible and the gospel message. In the second column these topics are listed: 1. Resources to Help; 2. The Local Church; 3. For New Christians; 4. Spread the Word. In the last column these topics are listed: 1. About Us; 2. What We Believe; 3. Search the Site; 4. How to Use the Library. Lastly, standing by itself under the other topics, the viewer will find this heading: "God's Plan of Salvation". In the next newsletter I will begin describe the purpose and content of the various topics found in the Library. Because God is For Us! Kevin McGill