I believe because, well, I believe.

Steve Brown:
I believe because, well, I believe. Let’s talk about it, on Key Life.

Matthew Porter:
Key Life is all about God’s radical grace. Grace that has dirt under its fingernails and laugh lines on its face. If you want the Bible to be a book of rules, you may want to stop listening now. But if you’re hungry for the truth that’ll make you free, welcome to Key Life.

Steve Brown:
Thank you Matthew. Hope you had a great week-end and I hope your pastor’s sermon was as good as my pastor’s sermon. We’re getting close to landing the plane on the study of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. And I want to talk to you a little bit about, this week and maybe into next week about how we believe and the Holy Spirit’s work in the believer to believe. But before we do that, let’s pray and then we’ll study. Father, we come into your presence always surprised that we’re here. We know our sin, and you do too. We know our failure, and you do too. We know the times when we wanted to run away, and you do too. And yet, in the midst of our darkness, you welcome us every time into your presence. Father, you know the people who are listening to this broadcast, the hard places and the soft places. Remind us that you’re sufficient for every need, that you are the sovereign Creator, Ruler, and Sustainer of all that is. And in a personal way, the sovereign Creator, Ruler, and Sustainer of our lives, and worthy of our worship. And then Father, we pray for the one who teaches on this broadcast, forgive him his sins, because there are many, we would see Jesus and him only. And we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen. You know, I was thinking the other day of the reasons I believe. When I was younger, I had a lot of doubts, and I still on occasion have some doubts, but they become less and less the older I get. For instance, I’m convinced with the arguments of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, that dead man got up and walked and said we could too. There’s more evidence for the resurrection of Christ than there is for the life of Julius Caesar. When I was a pastor every year at Easter, and I sometimes do it on Key Life now, I review the unanswerable questions surrounding the death and resurrection of Jesus. For instance, Why couldn’t anybody produce a corpse when all of the religious and government establishment wanted to produce a corpse? You think that maybe there wasn’t a corpse? For instance, why were the disciples, frightened, doubting, discouraged, willing to die for the claim they had been with a dead man walking? Just not telling the truth would have given them a long and happy life instead of the martyrdom almost all of them suffered. Maybe they were telling the truth. Maybe they did see a dead man walking. For instance, why did 500 witnesses proclaim that they had seen Jesus after his death? If there was only one, he would be psychotic. Ten would mean they got together and formed a conspiracy. But listen to me, 500, maybe they did see him after the resurrection. I could go on and on, but those are not the reasons I believe in the resurrection of Christ. I trust that he got up from the grave and further trust his promise that the same thing will happen to me because, well, just because. I firmly believe, given the options, the only alternative for a thinking human being is the verities of the Christian faith. Facing with courage the absolute meaningless and emptiness of life without those values is not an alternative. I believe when weighed in the emptiness of all life and all values, when weighed in the balance, the Christian worldview is the only one that makes sense. It’s internally consistent. It’s externally cogent. But, that’s not the reason I’m a Christian. I’m a Christian, well, just because. As I said, I’ve been walking with Christ for a very long time. Over and over again he has demonstrated his love for me, his compassion, his grace and forgiveness and mercy. He’s always been there to oversee my life. And I’ve often looked back and seen his hand in all the circumstances of my life. But that, and I’m grateful for it, don’t get me wrong. But that’s not the reason I believe in him. With Job, in my finer moments, I can say.

Though he slay me, I will still trust him.

Why? Well, I don’t know. Well, just because. Where does all of this knowing come from? Listen to me. It is a gift of our Lord, the Holy Spirit. There isn’t a process you have to go through to get it. There isn’t a ten step program whereby one acquires this knowing. There isn’t some spiritual giant who will tell you how you can have it. It’s yours. It’s from Him. Just thank Him for it. But you know something? All of what I just said is so minimal. It sounds sort of like the Holy Spirit’s only business is to keep our noses above water. But that’s not it. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Holy Spirit, in our weakness, grants us power. And sometimes overwhelming, amazing, wondrous, supernatural power. When Paul came to the end of himself, he discovered this amazing truth. You’ll remember that God had graciously given him great vision, but to keep him from being exalted with all of the things that had happened to him beyond what was seemly, he was given a thorn in the flesh. When he asked God to take it away, God told him that his grace, that the grace he had was enough. It was sufficient that God’s strength was made perfect in weakness. Then Paul said, and this is II Corinthians 12:7 through 10.

Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses. For Christ’s sake, for when I am weak, then I am strong.

You see it? God brought Paul to the end of himself. And when Paul reached that horrible, depressing, and bleak place, God’s power was made incredibly strong in him. What was that power? Let’s ask Paul. This is from Philippians, and by the way when we finish this study of the Holy Spirit, we’re going to spend a few weeks studying the Book of Philippians. And we’ll do some details on this text, but let me read Philippians 3:3 and 8 through 10. This is what he wrote.

For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. But indeed, I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. For whom I have suffered the loss of all things And count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having my own righteousness which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith– that I may know him and

here it comes

the power of his resurrection.

When I look back on my life, I’m amazed that anything could ever be accomplished for Christ. I once introduced my friend Jerry Bridges at a conference and said some nice things about him. When Jerry got up to speak, he thanked me for my introduction. Then he said, I wish my parents could have been here to hear what Steve said about me. My father would have been so proud and my mother would have even believed him. My mother would have too. And when I look, it’s hard to believe, but God has done good stuff in me. Even me. You think about that. Amen.

Matthew Porter:
Thank you Steve. That was Steve Brown. And today we resumed our ongoing study on the Holy Spirit. It’s a series we’re calling Follow the Wind. And as Steve said, we are beginning our wind down. So, hope you’ll stick with us as we continue our exploration tomorrow. Now, be honest, when you hear someone with a British accent, do you just subconsciously add like maybe 30 points to their IQ? Well, in the case of Philip Plyming, you’re probably on the right track. We recently spoke with Philip on Steve Brown Etc. about the apostle Paul’s hardships and the enduring power of being authentic. You know what’s not hard? Getting your hands on that full episode. That’s because we’ll send it to you today on CD for free. Just call us right now at 1-800-KEY-LIFE that’s 1-800-539-5433. You can also e-mail [email protected] to ask for that CD. To mail your request, go to keylife.org/contact to find our mailing addresses. Again, just ask for your free copy of the CD featuring Philip Plyming. And finally, if you value the work of Key Life, would you join us in that work through your giving? You can charge a gift on your credit card or include a gift in your envelope. Or simply pick up your phone and text Key Life to 28950. And Hey, if you can’t give right now, don’t worry about that. But if you would, please do pray for us. Okay? Always needed and appreciated. Key Life is a member of ECFA in the States and CCCC in Canada. And we are a listener supported production of Key Life Network.