Women and the spiritual work

Grab to eternal life!

Jesus is the way,
the truth, and the life

WOMEN AND SPIRITUAL WORK

In this writing we are going to examine the position of women in the church. The purpose is to examine what the Bible says about it, to examine verses that in some way are connected with this issue. We examine verses from both the New and the Old Testament. We will also examine some practical examples.

   First we are going to examine our greatest need, whether we are spiritual workers or not. It is important that this need is met in everyone’s life because all other needs are small compared to it.

OUR GREATEST NEED - SALVATION

Regarding spiritual life and eternity, it is most important that we are born again, we walk in faith, we have been forgiven, and we have fellowship with God. This concerns both spiritual workers and those who are not engaged in spiritual work. Someone who is a member of a congregation might still not have experienced these things but can be outside of them and on his way to damnation. In other words, we could be members of a congregation, could have the education of a priest, or we could come from a believing home, but still be outside of the kingdom of God. Furthermore, we can have strong opinions about spiritual issues but still not understand what saving faith is.

   If we fit this description, we in reality are only converts or people who want to be Christians but do not have any inner experience. People like this usually cannot definitely answer whether they are saved, or clearly explain their faith. Niilo Yli-Vainio wrote about this kind of people in his book Kristitty vai käännynnäinen (p. 21):

In the course of my spiritual work, I must have asked thousands of people if they were believers. An ordinary sinner admits, “Not yet.” But the convert beats about the bush and does not give a direct answer to a direct question. He wants to be a Christian but he lacks the internal experience. That is why he cannot really even lie properly. He does not want to deny – nor admit – that something in his innermost says that there is not assurance of what they have been talking about.

   Often the convert bases his faith on the supposed faith of his father or mother, on the church or on some Christian action or deeds, such as the baptism of child or partaking of the Communion.

Are we in the faith? Based on the previous information, one should ask oneself the following question: “Am I in faith?” This question was asked from of some well-known an influential members of the Church (magazine Kotimaa 26 July 2007), and some of them were unable to give an unambiguous answer. This shows that issues of faith were in the dark for these people.

   However, we might ask how anyone could be a spiritual worker if he cannot answer positively even this basic question. For example, Pietism and other revivalist movements in Finland were born just because people wanted to be personally aware of the issue. Paavo Ruotsalainen and the other leaders of Pietism would certainly not be well-known now if they had stopped halfway here. They wanted to know how to be saved and to be in faith, because it is written: “Examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith; prove your own selves.” (2 Cor 13:5).

   Therefore, regarding your own life, ask yourself whether or not you are really in faith, whether you have been forgiven, whether you have the assurance of salvation and Christ in your heart, or whether your faith is only theoretical and rational? It is good to present these questions to yourself because there is no use to take a stand on spiritual issues if you do not yet understand the main issues of faith and are outside salvation. We have to first reach a clear understanding, so that we can advise others later.

   Let us look at a passage that addresses rational versus trusting faith. There is a difference between these two approaches. The person in the account stood in theoretical and rational faith for a long time but then he understood that it did not take his work to connect with God. You should also think about what your state is before God, right now:

(...) This is why people demanded that one could not be in faith before having to accept doctrines, doctrines, DOCTRINES of the Gospel as a precondition for faith. But I had been guided to accept these doctrines rationally and firmly before my conversion. I was also told that I had to believe, and I answered that I do believe – and any claim or speech could not convince me that I did not believe the Gospel. And I was not and neither could be convinced of my mistake up to the moment of my conversion.

   At the moment of my conversion or when I first time practiced faith, I saw my disastrous mistake. I noticed that faith is not a rational conviction of that the truths about Christ in the Bible are true but it is trust of heart in the person of Christ. I learned that God’s witness of Christ had to lead me to trust in Christ, to believe in Him as my Saviour, and that mere believing in the doctrines of Christ was a fateful mistake, which unavoidably left me to my sins. (...) Besides firm rational conviction being directed to His willingness and abilities, it would also be of utmost importance to go to Him, turn to Him and trust Him… (1)

You can be born again RIGHT NOW!

After having read the text above about faith and salvation, you should not remain an outsider and a bystander: you can experience salvation and be born again right now. This is how it’s done:

1. Turn to God and give your life to Him

The first stage in being born again and receiving salvation is turning to God and Jesus Christ. Confess to God that you are a sinner who needs salvation and that you want God’s plan to come true in your life. At first, you do not have to try to become a better person, just turn to God as you are, with all of your imperfections.

2. Receiving

Since eternal life is only in Jesus Christ, it is obvious that you have to ask Jesus to come into your life (Simply say, “Lord, Jesus, come into my life!”) and turn to Him. According to the Bible, He already stands outside the door of your heart, waiting to step into your life:

- (Rev 3:20) Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

If you ask Him into your life, He will accept you. You are adopted by God, you enter into eternal life, and you have been born again. Ignore your human emotions and stand in faith on the promise of God:

- (John 1:12) But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name

- (1 John 5:11-13) And this is the record, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

12 He that has the Son has life; and he that has not the Son of God has not life.

13 These things have I written to you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God.

THE PRAYER OF SALVATION:



Lord, Jesus, I turn to You. I confess that I have sinned against You and I have not lived according to Your will. However, I want to turn from my sins and follow You with all my heart. I also believe that my sins have been forgiven by Your atonement work and I have received eternal life through You. I thank You for the salvation You have given me. Amen.

Women and spiritual work 2

Jari Iivanainen