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A Campus Magazine
Vol. 33 Issue 9
September 2015
Into The
PAGES
Editorial 04
Who is a friend ? 06
Dr. K. Jacob Kurian
temÃv sjt∏¿Uvkv 08
s_¿en h¿Kokv
myths and truths about
Friendship 9
Sam Storms
David’s Great Friendship 14
R.C. Sproul
With You and In You 16
Dr. V. Sam William
Book Review - CALLED 22
Jose Jacob
The Eternal Friend 24
Blessy Jerin
Cover: Friends meet at the residence of Reji
and Anitha at Hyderabad. Samson, Karen,
Asher and Reji's children.
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The pulse
Prof. P.G. Varghese
“And you are my friends if you
do what I command you. I do not
call you servants any longer.........
Instead, I call you friends,
because I have told you
everything I have heard from my
father.” John 15:14,15.
“My dear friend, do not imitate
what is bad, but imitate what is
good. Whoever does good
belongs to God; whoever does
what is bad has not seen God.” 3
John 1:11.
Friendship matters. Friendship
in and through Jesus Christ our
Lord and Saviour matters very
much. When friends travel in the
same ship, it is friendship. Only
when they are true friends, they
can enjoy travelling in the same
ship.
When friends meet each
other, they have many matters to
talk, discuss and share. When
these matters are honestly dealt
with to the best of their
satisfaction, they will find out that
their friendship really matters. We
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September 2015
should aim at cultivating that kind
of a friendship that really matters.
The founding fathers of UESI had
such a spiritual friendship
between them which is the real
distinguishing feature of this
student movement. They lived
together and worked together as
good friends. Moreover, they
considered and loved each other
as brothers and sisters in Jesus
Christ.
Mr. Moses Raja in his article
‘Keep the Coals of Romance
Burning’ in the June - July, 2015
issue of ‘Family Foundation’ says,
“When God instituted marriage, it
was meant to be a ‘friendship’
since He found Adam lonely
without a human friend. ..In the
coldness of the world, the
friendship between Adam and
Eve would bring warmth to their
hearts. He further speaks of
“friendship with passion” -
Romance in the relationship
between husband and wife sets it
apart from other friendships.
Friendships without passion
makes it mundane and removes
the essence of it - “Passion
without friendship leads to
allegations of coercion and
marital rape and so on and so
forth.”
A friend in need is a friend
indeed. This is an eternal truth
that has stood the test of time. In
psalms 15, we read that a real
friend is one who does no wrong
to his friends, does not spread
rumours about his neighbours but
will be a real friend when we go
through struggles.”He despises
those whom God rejects, but
honours those who obey the
Lord. He always does what he
promises, no matter how much it
may cost. He gives loans without
charging interests and cannot be
bribed to testify against the
innocent” Vs 3-5.
True friendship depends on
that type of love about which
Apostle Paul writes in 1
Corinthians 13. In verse 2, Paul
says “... but if I do not have love, I
am nothing” Then he describes
the characteristics of love. “Love
is patient and kind.., it is not
jealous or conceited or proud.
Love is not ill-mannered or selfish
or irritable., love does not keep a
record of wrongs., love is not
happy with evil, but is happy with
the truth. Love never gives up.
Love is eternal.” Christian
friendship is built upon the strong
foundation of Christian love. That
love is Christ’s love that we find
on the Cross of Calvary. In the
end of that famous chapter on
love, Christ’s servant Paul
proclaims “meanwhile these
three remain- Faith, Hope and
Love... And the greatest of these
is love.”
Let us introduce “Our Best
Friend Jesus Christ” to all people
whom we come in contact.
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Who is a friend? A friend is a
well-wisher. He is a very present
help in needs which prompted the
terse afforism, “A friend in need is
a friend indeed”
A neighbour is available close-
by to put in a word or two to show
you the way when you grope in
darkness. The Good Samaritan in
Christ's parable was thus a real
friend and functioned like an ideal
neighbour. A friend will be in the
forefront to restore you and to
extend a helping hand in times of
trouble. Thus friendship is also a
sort of frontship!
In these days of innovations in
mission strategies, friendship
evangelism has a place among other
strategies including cobweb
evangelism in which you exhibit
decorations in your drawing room
WHO IS A
FRIEND?
Dr. K. Jacob Kurian
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September 2015
which will elicit queries from the
visitors the answer to which
invariably leads to the gospel. For
example a plate full of different
kinds of seeds with a caption
“Genesis 1:11”may facilitate an
opportunity. If the visitor ignores it
the host can “look at it to induce the
visitor to look at it and then
proceed with a question “Do you
know what this is?”
Mesers Tito Thomas K., V.M
Benny and Aisoo Thomas, former
student members of U.E.S.I.
successfully executed this friend-
ship evangelism method and led a
non-believer to faith. Today he
bears witness to Christ as a
Professor in Bharathiyar University.
He is none other than Dr. Ajoy
Mathew of Coimbatore. They
struck a friendship with Ajoy
Mathew with the declared aim of
leading him to faith. Friendship
evangelism can be a life style worth
adopting, It is an integral ingredient
of friendship
Friendship is a two – way
traffic. One-side friendship is
impossible. Friendship is defined as
the desire for the well-being of the
other. The same definition is given
for love by Billy Graham.
Friendship is essentially a
relationship studded with introves
of fellowship. Rev. 3:20 basically
talks about fellowship not salvation.
The friendship with Christ perme-
ates the whole life of the redeemed,
from edge to edge.
Friendship and Fellowship are
two sides of the same coin namely
saved state of man, who was
otherwise doomed. Friendship can
become inactive or imperative and
the fellowship can be lost, but not
eternal life. Eternal life that can be
lost is not eternal. For example,
there cannot be eternal life, for say,
10 years!. It is a self-contradiction
like saying, “Let's all together sing
a solo!
You cannot serve two masters,
at the same time. Likewise you
cannot be a friend of both God and
Satan. It is self-contradictory.
Enoch was a friend of God, for he
walked with God. Jehovah called
Abraham his friend. David was a
Friend of God for he was a man
after God's own heart. Friendship
refers to a relationship of two hearts
that gently murmur, “I love you''.
Dr. K. Jacob Kurian is a Bible teacher who
lives in Kottayam. He has served as
President of UESI – Kerala and Principal
of IBTS, Kottayam. Presently involved with
CRM Ministry. Sosa and Mariam are his
daughters and they are settled with their
families. He may be contacted at
0481-6453429.
Friendship is a two – way
traffic. One-side friend-
ship is impossible.
Friendship is defined as
the desire for the well-
being of the other.
Cover Story
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Three Myths about Friendship
(1)The first myth is that cultivating
close, intimate friendships is primarily,
if not exclusively, for weak and
immature people who are emotionally
needy; friendship exists only for those
who need to have their sagging spirits
bolstered; only for people with
feelings of insecurity. Does that sound
like Paul to you?
(2) The second myth is that
friendship is for those who are
untaught; those with little or no
theological training; those with poor
(from the life of Apostle Paul)
Sam Storms
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September 2015
theology; those who just haven’t had
the time or opportunity to study the
Bible (as if knowledge of the latter
precludes the need for friends). Does
this sound like Paul? Can you hear
Paul saying to Timothy:
“Don’t bother yourself Timothy.
I’m perfectly o.k. all alone. I don’t
need you or anyone else for that matter.
I’d actually prefer to be left alone. I’ve
matured in my faith beyond the need
for encouragement and support and the
companionship of others.”
No! Paul saw in Timothy
Seven Truths about Friendship
(1) Paul believed in the critical
importance of having close friends –
2 Tim.4: 9,21a.
Don’t just read Paul’s words.
Listen to his heart. There is a sense of
desperation in his voice.
Notwithstanding all that Paul was,
knew, had seen, heard, and
experienced, he wanted Timothy. Feel
the passion and urgency in his words:
“Timothy, make every effort to come
to me soon!”
• ”Timothy, I am an apostle,
and on earth and in the church no one
has greater authority than I do, but
please, please, I need you. Make every
effort to come soon!”
• ”Timothy, I’ve seen the risen
Christ in all His glory; I’ve known
what it’s like to behold His majesty
(Damascus road). But Timothy, I need
you. Come quickly!”
• ”Timothy, I’ve been granted
revelation and insight into the deepest
mysteries of God’s redemptive
purposes. But please, do what you can
to come now!”
• ”Timothy, I’ve laid hands on
the blind, deaf, and paralyzed, and
seen them healed. Even the dead have
been raised through my ministry. But I
still need you. Please hurry!”
• ”Timothy, I have performed
great signs and wonders, cast out
demons, etc., but do whatever it takes
to come soon. Please.”
• ”Timothy, I wrote Scripture.
I wrote Romans, with all its theological
depth and power. But I need you.”
• ”For all these things, for all
these experiences, notwithstanding all
my knowledge and insight, Timothy, I
need you: your presence, your
friendship, your words to comfort me,
something that theology alone, books
alone, sound thinking alone, could
never do.
(3) The third myth is this: “I
don’t need friends.All I need is Jesus.”
One of the problems with this is that
even Jesus himself sought out and
cultivated close, intimate friendships
while on the earth. Look at Paul. Not
even the presence of the Lord himself
precluded the need for the intimate
companionship of another believer.
Paul’s gratitude for Christ’s
comforting presence in vv. 17-18 is not
a substitute for friendship with other
people. His point is simply that the
Lord was there to do for me what
others failed to do because of their
absence.
...even Jesus him-
self sought out
and cultivated
close, intimate
friendships while
on the earth.
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someone to whom I can pour out my
heart, bare my soul, talk about my
fears, doubts, sins, someone I can trust
with knowledge of my weaknesses and
frailties and frustrations.”
“Timothy, make every effort to
come to me soon! I know you are
busy, but change your schedule. Re-
arrange your life. Do whatever it takes,
but come soon. I need you now. With
every passing day that you’re not here,
I hurt a little more; my heart grieves a
little more. Hurry.”
People are more important than
power, fame, position, prestige . . .
“Oh, Timothy, I don’t want to die
alone. Hurry, dear friend, hurry!”
(2) Paul knew from personal
experience the pain and anguish of
loneliness – 2 Tim.4: 10b,11a,16a.
v. 10b - He refers to the absence
of Crescens, Titus, Tychicus. There is
no word of condemnation here.
Tychicus is on a legitimate mission for
Paul (“sent”, possibly carrying this
very letter). Most likely the same is
true of Crescens and Titus.
v. 11a - This isn’t a criticism of
Luke, as if Paul said: “Only Luke is
with me.” Rather: “Only Luke is
here.” His point is: I need more
friends. I need all of you. I’m
desperate.
v. 16a - “no one . . . all deserted
me.” Perhaps they left out of fear,
thinking that too close association with
Paul would result in their
imprisonment and death also.
Whatever the reason, there is no
bitterness in Paul’s heart, as he prays:
“May it not be counted against them,”
i.e., “Lord, forgive them, for they
know not what they do.”
But there is the reverse problem
too. “Let your foot rarely be in your
neighbor’s house, lest he become
weary of you and hate you” (Prov.
25:17). Even with good friends, don’t
overstay your welcome. Don’t abuse
friendship and show a lack of
consideration. “Well, if they wanted
me to leave, they’d say so.” Not
necessarily.
(3) Paul knew the importance
of having the right kind of friends: be
discerning and selective – 2 Tim.4:
14-15.
“He who walks with wise men will
be wise, but the companion of fools
will suffer harm” (Prov. 13:20).
Friendship has its risks, its darker
side. “A man of many friends comes
to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks
closer than a brother” (Prov. 18:24).
If you try to multiply friends
indiscriminately, you will sooner or
later get the wrong kind. The warning
isn’t against having friends, but against
multiplying friends out of a misguided
desire to be liked by everyone.
We don’t know what “great harm”
Alexander caused. Certainly he
attacked Paul’s teaching (v. 15). Others
believe he was responsible for Paul’s
arrest and may even have served as a
witness against him. Listen to Paul’s
advice: “Timothy, stay away from him.
Guard yourself from him and others
Even with good friends,
don’t overstay your
welcome. Don’t abuse
friendship and show a
lack of consideration.
“Well, if they wanted me
to leave, they’d say so.”
Not necessarily.
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like him.” Not everyone is a candidate
to be a friend. “O.K. I get the point.
But what kind of people are you
talking about?”
“Do not be envious of evil men,
nor desire to be with them, for their
minds devise violence and their lips
talk of trouble” (Prov.24:1-2).
“A perverse man spreads strife, and
a slanderer separates intimate friends”
(Prov. 16:28).
“Leave the presence of a fool, or
you will not discern words of
knowledge” (Prov. 14:7).
“He who goes about as a slanderer
reveals secrets; therefore, do not
associate with a gossip” (Prov. 20:19).
“Do not associate with a man given
to anger, or go with a hot-tempered
man; lest you learn his ways, and find
a snare for yourself” (Prov. 22:24-25).
“Do not be with heavy drinkers of
wine or with gluttonous eaters of
meat” (Prov. 23:20).
“Do not associate with those who
are given to change, for their calamity
will rise suddenly and who knows the
ruin that comes from them” (Prov.
24:21-22).
In sum: don’t cultivate close
friendships with envious people, those
who talk about violence all the time,
slanderers, fools, gossips, hot-
tempered, heavy drinkers, overly
indulgent, discontented.
(4) Paul knew from personal
experience the pain of betrayal and
abandonment – 2 Tim.4: 10a,16.
v. 10a - The defection of Demas
was especially painful to Paul, for at
one time Demas had been one of his
closest and seemingly most
trustworthy fellow-workers in the
ministry. READ Col. 4:14; Philemon
24. But this describes Paul’s first
Roman imprisonment when conditions
were not so threatening. This time,
however, Paul’s life was at stake and
Demas wanted nothing to do with him.
The verb implies not simply that
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Demas had “left” but had “left him in
the lurch,” had abandoned and
forsaken him.
“Like a bad tooth and an unsteady
foot is confidence in a faithless man
in time of trouble” (Prov. 25:19).
Nothing hurts quite like the disloyalty
and betrayal of someone you trusted.
It’s like a decaying, rotten tooth and a
palsied, disjointed foot. Not only are
they functionally useless (for chewing
and walking), they hurt!
Your own experience with this sort
of person has probably made you
hesitant, perhaps you have even closed
your heart to starting new friendships.
But Paul didn’t let the betrayal and
abandonment of Demas and others
scare him off or sour him to friendship
altogether. He didn’t say, “Oh,
Timothy, how do I know you won’t
abandon me like Demas did?”
(5) Paul had learned the
importance of forgiving those who had
failed him. In fact, he believed in
giving old friends who had blown it
another chance – 2 Tim.4: 11b,16b
v. 11b - During his 2nd missionary
journey Mark had turned back. Why?
Was he homesick? Did he feel
resentment of Paul’s eclipsing of
Barnabas as leader? Was it physical
exhaustion? Was he discouraged? Was
it his fear of thieves and muggers? Paul
interpreted it as a sign of weakness and
an unreliable character. Paul
questioned whether he was
trustworthy. But Mark had repented
and was restored. How? Through the
influence of his cousin, Barnabas?Yes.
Perhaps also the influence of Peter?
Yes. But also Paul! “Better is open
rebuke than love that is concealed.
Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but
deceitful are the kisses of an enemy”
(Prov. 27:5-6).
Note well: it isn’t just that Mark
had repented or restored. It isn’t just
that Paul has approved his return to
ministry. Paul declares, “He is useful
to me! I need him, just like I need
Timothy. I regard Mark as a close
friend who can help me in my final
days.”
Don’t be hasty in making snap
judgments about people. Initially, Paul
thought Demas would never leave and
Mark would never be of use. Now,
Demas has left and Mark is back!
(6) As you grow old in life, in
addition to friends, you need books! –
2 Tim.4: 13
Here is the aged Paul, after a
lifetime of studying and preaching and
teaching, burdened by life, burdened
by the churches, burdened by the
desertion of close friends, with the
impending shadow of the
executioner’s sword hovering over his
head, physically weary and
emotionally drained . . . but look at
what he wants: books! My hero!
(7) In the final analysis, when
everything is said and done, Jesus will
always be your best friend; the only
friend you can always count on – 2
Tim.4: 17-18.
Sam Stroms is the Lead Pastor for Preaching
and Vision at Bridgeway Church in Oklahoma
City, USA. This article was taken with
permission from Sam.
http://www.samstorms.com
“Better is open rebuke
than love that is con-
cealed. Faithful are the
wounds of a friend, but
deceitful are the kisses
of an enemy”
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“Jonathan made David swear
again by his love for him, for he
loved him as he loved his own
soul” (v. 17).
- 1 Samuel 20
Loyalty is one of the most
important parts of any human
relationship, but, unfortunately, it
is hard to find. Of course, “yes-
men” abound. But they are not
truly loyal, for they are not helpful
or trustworthy counsellors. It is
also common to find people who
put on a charade of love and
loyalty, only to conspire against us
once our backs are turned. Trust
is a valuable commodity, not easily
gained and quickly lost. All of us
have experienced disloyalty and
have been disloyal ourselves. Such
is not to be the case among the
people of God, for we are to
maintain our loyalty to all people,
not least our brothers and sisters
in Christ.
David, as a man of deep piety,
David’s Great
Friendship
David’s Great
Friendship
R.C. Sproul
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September 2015
is an example of such loyalty,
especially in his friendship with
Saul’s son, Jonathan. We see in
today’s passage a moving
description of the deep friendship
that existed between the two. On
the run from Saul, David explained
his plight to Jonathan, who could
hardly believe him at first (1 Sam.
20:1–11). Jonathan did not want to
accept that his father wanted to kill
David, since that would have
meant he would have to forgo
loyalty to his own family for the
sake of doing what was right. This
fact should not be skipped over too
quickly. In this fallen world, loyalty
to one person can often require us
to be disloyal to another, and it is
especially painful when we have to
be disloyal to our own relatives
who are in the wrong. But
Jonathan was an honourable man
and vowed to let David know
whether Saul’s anger still burned
against him, even if it meant losing
the trust of his father. The two men
even made a solemn covenant to
reassure each other of their godly
motivations (vv. 12–23).
Such a covenant might seem
unnecessary if we forget that we
are sinful creatures and prone to
break our promises. Oaths and
vows exist to help prevent us from
sinning against one another, giving
even those closest to us reason to
continue trusting us even when
times are rough. Those who are
loyal are not afraid to vow loyalty
to others so that their friends and
family might be assured of their
good intentions (see Gen. 24:1–9).
Marriage vows and other solemn
contracts all exemplify
this principle.
Having vowed to protect David,
Jonathan followed through on his
commitment, even at great
personal cost (1 Sam. 20:24–42).
Such is the integrity of the true
man or woman of God.
As the people of God, we must
be especially careful never to show
loyalty to the wrong people and we
must be worthy of the trust of our
friends and family. This can be
easier said than done at times, but
the Holy Spirit is with us to help
us maintain our loyalty even when
doing so is difficult. Let us repent
of any disloyalty we have shown
and work to make it up to someone
we have betrayed. And may we
always keep our vows to the
Lord Himself.
R.C.Sproul is an American theologian,
author and pastor. He has written more
than ninety books including ‘The Holiness
of God’, ‘Chosen by God’ and ‘Faith Alone’.
He serves as the general editor of ‘The
Reformation Study Bible’. This article was
taken from http://www.ligonier.org
Those who are loyal are not
afraid to vow loyalty to others
so that their friends and
family might be assured of
their good intentions
(see Gen. 24:1–9). Marriage
vows and other solemn
contracts all exemplify
this principle.
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Dr. Sam William
Jesus said “…And I will ask the Father, and
he will give you another advocate to help
you and be with you forever— the Spirit of
truth. The world cannot accept him, because
it neither sees him nor knows him. But you
know him, for he lives with you and will be
in you”
John 14:16, 17
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Though the Holy Spirit is
mentioned in various New
Testament passages and a few Old
Testament passages, a lot of
confusion exists in the Christian
world regarding the indwelling of
the Holy Spirit. Let us make an
attempt to study this topic with the
help of the Holy Spirit who teaches
us “all things”. (Jn.14: 26)
Revelation of the Holy
Spirit:
a) Old Testament times:
We read about the coming of the
Spirit of God upon certain chosen
individuals in order to execute
some divine work for various
lengths of time. We read about
Joseph, Joshua and Daniel as
examples of persons in whom the
God’s Spirit indwelt throughout
their life. And there are several
examples of persons on whom “the
Spirit of the Lord came” such as
King Saul, Samson, Solomon to
name a few. David knew that God
could take away the Spirit of God.
In Ps.51: 11, he pleads, ‘take not
thy Holy Spirit from me.’
b) Teaching of Christ
about the Holy Spirit:
1. In Luke 11: 13, we read
Jesus’ statement, “If ye then, being
evil, know how to give good gifts
unto your children: how much
more will your heavenly Father
give the Holy Spirit to them that
ask him?” Though the subject here
is ‘Ask, and it shall be given unto
you’, Jesus categorically indicates
that the Holy Spirit will be given
to his children.
2. In Jn. 7: 37-38 Jesus
says, “If any man thirst let him
come unto me and drink. He that
believeth on me, as the scripture
hath said, out of his belly shall flow
rivers of living water.” Even here
Jesus clarifies that the Holy Spirit
will be available to the one who
believes in Him. Apostle John
clarifies in v.39 that Jesus was
speaking of the Spirit which they
that believe on Him should receive:
for the Holy Spirit was not yet
given: because that Jesus was not
yet glorified.
3. Now in Jn. 16: 7, Jesus
says, “…If I go not away, the
Comforter will not come unto you:
but if I depart, I will send him unto
you”.
4. In Jn.14:16,17 Jesus
said, “And I will ask the Father,
and he will give you another
advocate to help you and be with
you for ever – the Spirit of truth.
The world cannot accept him,
because it neither sees him nor
knows him. But you know him, for
he lives with you and will be in you”
5. In Jn.20: 22, we find
Jesus breathing on the disciples
and saying, ‘Receive ye the Holy
Ghost’. Though it appears
contradictory to the other portions
mentioned before, this is actually
said in anticipation to what was to
happen in very near future. Yet
after all these teachings we never
find the disciples asking for the
Holy Spirit.
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6. In Lk.24: 49, again we
have the promise of the Holy
Spirit, this time more specific
about the timing. “…I send the
promise of my Father upon you:
but tarry ye in the city of
Jerusalem, until ye be endued with
power from on high.” This He
spoke just before He ascended to
the Father.
7. The same promise is
repeated in Acts. 1: 4: “Wait for
the fulfillment of the promise”.
c) The Fulfilment of the
Promise: Acts. 2:2-4 narrates
the fulfillment of the Promise
mentioned in all the above
passages and the Old Testament
passages like Eze.36: 26, 27 and
Eze. 11: 19, 20 that says, ‘A new
heart I will give you, and a new
spirit I will put within you; and I
will remove from your body the
heart of stone and give you a heart
of flesh. I will put my spirit within
you, and make you follow my
statutes and be careful to observe
my ordinances’ though the passage
talks about the Israelites in
particular. Joel 2: 28 also talks
of pouring God’s Spirit on all the
flesh in the end times. The
manifestations of the appearance
of the Holy Spirit mentioned in
Acts. 2: 2-4 is comparable to the
birth of Jesus. Both are events
never to be repeated. Both were
events predicted to take place at a
certain time and place.
d) The Manner in which
the Holy Spirit came upon
believers: When we read the
Bible passages in Acts we find it
was different in each case.
1. Laying on of hands:
Acts. 9: 17 ‘Ananias…entered into
the house; and putting his hands
on him said, Brother Saul, the
Lord…hath sent me, that though
mightiest receive thy sight, and be
filled with the Holy Ghost.’ Acts
19: 6 ‘And when Paul had laid his
hands upon them, the Holy Ghost
came on them…’ Acts. 8: 15-17
‘…when they were come down,
prayed for them, that they might
receive the Holy Ghost: For as yet
he was fallen upon none of them:
only they were baptized in the
name of the Lord Jesus. Then laid
they their hands on them, and they
received the Holy Ghost’.
2. While hearing the
Word of God: Acts. 10: 44.
‘While Peter yet spake these words,
the Holy Ghost fell on all them
which heard the word.’ Act. 11:
15-17. ‘And as I began to speak,
the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on
us at the beginning. Then
remembered I the word of the
Lord, how that he said, John
indeed baptized with water, but ye
shall be baptized with the Holy
Ghost. For as much then as God
gave them the like gift as he did
unto us…’ These words are
narrations of Peter.
3. At the time of trusting
Jesus: Paul expected believers to
receive the Spirit at the time of
trusting in Jesus for salvation.
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September 2015
Act. 19:2 ‘He said unto them,
‘Have you received the Holy Ghost
since ye believed?’ Later he
understands that they have
actually received the baptism of
repentance given by John and goes
on to baptize them in the name of
Jesus Christ telling them they must
believe in Jesus Christ after
repentance and then lays his hands
on them so that they received the
Holy Spirit. In Eph. 1: 13, 14,
talking about the Ephesian
believers, Paul says, ‘In (Christ) ye
also trusted, after that ye heard the
had trusted in Jesus before the
coming of the Holy Spirit and as a
result said ‘we have not even heard
that there is a Holy Spirit’ Acts
19:2. And there were also people
who had received only the baptism
of repentance given by John.
Hence they had to receive the Holy
Spirit on a later date. But in the
present age, we receive the Holy
Spirit instantaneously when we
believe on the Lord for salvation.
That is why Paul says to Ephesians,
‘When ye believed, ye were sealed
with the Holy Spirit’. The
impartation of the Holy Spirit in
this day and age is at the moment
of individual acceptance of Christ
as personal Saviour. And if one
studies the purpose for which the
Holy Spirit is given to the believers,
one can understand why it should
be so.
Who sent the Holy Spirit
and why?
When we read Jn.14: 16, 26
and 16: 7, we understand that
· God the Father and Jesus
Christ the Son were involved in
sending the Holy Spirit to the
believers.
· Holy Spirit subordinates
himself to the will of the Father
and the Son in working out the
benefits of the redemption for us.
Earlier, the Son subordinated
himself to the will of the Father
and the Spirit and became a man
to work out redemption for the
sinners.
· The Lord Jesus made possible
word of truth, the gospel of your
salvation; in whom also after that
ye believed, ye were sealed with
that Holy Spirit of promise, which
is the earnest of our inheritance
until the redemption of the
purchased possession, unto the
praise of his glory.’ Rom. 8: 9 says
that ‘…if any man have not the
Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.’
This means those who belong to
him have the Holy Spirit.
Analyzing all these passages,
we may conclude that during the
time of Apostles, in the early
Church, there were believers who
But in the present age, we
receive the Holy Spirit instan-
taneously when we believe
on the Lord for salvation.
That is why Paul says to
Ephesians, ‘When ye be-
lieved, ye were sealed with
the Holy Spirit’.
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what is impossible under the law
i.e. complete obedience to the law.
· Holy Spirit was sent to the
world to work in our hearts to
perform another aspect of the
redemption work, namely
sanctification, by abiding with the
believer and teaching all things.
Jesus knew that it would be
impossible for man, who still lives
with a sinful nature in this
corrupted world, to live a holy life
without the divine help.
· The work of the Holy Spirit is
primarily to impart a sanctified life
in us. While on earth, Jesus proved
that a sinless life was possible for
Him. The Holy spirit helps us to
live by the law of the Spirit to
nullify the law of sin and death.
(Rom. 8: 2-4)
· Secondly the Holy Spirit helps
a believer to bear fruits. In Jn.15:
16, Jesus said, “…I have chosen
you, and ordained you that you
should go and bring forth fruit…”
And in verse 4, Jesus says that
unless we abide in Jesus, we
cannot bear fruit. It is the Holy
Spirit who helps us to abide in
Jesus.
· The Holy Spirit helps to grow
up into him, in all things, which is
the head by teaching us, giving us
peace, the courage and strength,
helping us to witness, to pray and
guiding us into all truths. This He
does by indwelling in us.
· However, just indwelling of
the Holy Spirit will do us no good,
unless we allow Him to control us.
So we must learn to submit
ourselves to the Holy Spirit.
Rom.6: 13 and 12: 1, 2 talks
about this.
Indwelling of the Holy
Spirit: In I Cor. 3: 16, Paul asks
the carnal Christians (see verse 1),
‘Know ye not that ye are the temple
of God, and that the Spirit of God
dwelleth in you?’ Again in I Cor.
6: 19, he asks the same question,
‘What? Know ye not that your body
is the temple of the Holy Ghost
which is in you, which ye have of
God, and ye are not your own?’
These passages along with
Rom.8: 9 and Eph.1: 13, 14,
makes it clear that in the present
age, we receive the Holy Spirit as
soon as we are saved. However,
the indwelling of the Spirit does
not depend upon our
consciousness of that fact. It is on
the basis of the word of God that
we believe that we are indwelt by
the Holy Spirit. When we thus
believe, we can understand that it
is the Holy Spirit who gives us the
assurance of salvation (Rom. 8:
16) and we could pray by the Spirit
since the Spirit helps us in our
infirmities (Rom. 8: 26) and that
the Holy Spirit intercedes for us
(Rom. 8: 27). However, one
must know that the indwelling of
the Spirit is not the filling of the
Spirit.
Difference between
‘Indwelling of the Spirit’ and
the ‘Filling of the Spirit’:
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September 2015
· Faith in Christ is the basis
for ‘indwelling’, but our
submission to the Spirit (which
comes out as Christian behavior)
is the basis of the ‘filling’.
· ‘Indwelling’ is a
permanent one, while ‘filling’ need
not be. There are instances of
temporary indwelling. Working of
the Holy Spirit is entirely different
after the day of Pentecost when the
Spirit descended on the believers.
· Sin does not expel the
Holy Spirit from the believer, but
it prevents His filling. That is why
we are asked not to grieve the Holy
Spirit and not to hinder the Holy
Spirit. However, when we confess
the sins about which the Spirit
reminds us, the ‘filling’ continues.
· The evidence of the
indwelling can be seen as the ‘fruit
of the Spirit’ in a believer’s life.
Jesus said, “…I will pray the
Father, and he shall give you
another Comforter, that he may
abide with you forever; 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”
(Jn. 14:16,17).
Jesus prayed and God
responded by sending the Holy
Spirit to be our permanent
Comforter by abiding with us
forever. The world cannot see
Him or know Him or receive
Him because He dwells in the
believers and shall be in them
forever. As we open our hearts
by faith to Jesus, we are
redeemed because of the
finished work of Jesus Christ
on the Cross and
simultaneously the Holy Spirit
enters our hearts to begin a
new spiritual life. This is how
we are ‘born again’. It is like
the door opening slowly as the
wind blows. It happens
simultaneously. Let us trust
this and be sure of the presence
of the Holy Spirit in us. We
need not wait or pray for his
coming. Instead we can pray
to God to give us a submissive
heart so that the Spirit can
control and fill us to produce
the fruit of the Spirit.
(Dr. Sam William is a Medical practitioner
at Sheila Clinic, Mananthavady).
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Thanks a lot for your invitation to contribute an article and publishing it. This issue on
Independence day with the theme of National Integration is done quite well and contains
very good articles. The layout and design is also quite good. Appreciate your efforts. May
the Lord bless it to encourage and build our Students and Graduates.
Raaj Mondol
Salt Initiatives, New Delhi
Thank you very much for a copy of Our Contact. I appreciate it very much. The layout of
the magazine is very professional and it was wonderful to see the pdf copy.
Dr. Johnson C. Philip,
Kalamassery
Doctrine
22. 22 ContactContactContactContactContact
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September 2015
“mission”, too often an add on
that feels like a project, not the
embodiment of humble, loving
care”(p.28).
“...churches are often micro-
cosms of the same sociology as
any other part of life and bear
little evidence of the new human-
ity Jesus seeks. Many outside the
church do far better at living
across “the dividing walls” of
hostility (Ephesians 2:14) than
those of us who are meant to show
the way(p.30).”
The author writes in the 4th
chapter titled, 'Relocating', “ We
realize that the starting point for
our lives isn't in the hothouse of
protected faith but in a place of
winds and rains and flood that
“blew and beat against that
house”(Matthew 7:27; P.57).
Book Review
CALLED
THE CRISIS AND
PROMISE OF
FOLLOWING JESUS
TODAY
Mark Labberton
Publisher: IVP India, Chennai.
Pages:174
Price: Rs.110/-
This book, written by Mark
Labberton, the President of Fuller
Theological Seminary, California
and he served as the senior Pastor
of First Presbyterian Church of
Berkeley gives a fresh insight
about life abundant as a follower
of Jesus. In fact he opens wide the
foundations of what it means to be
a follower of Jesus and lover of
people.
Labberton writes that the
ordinary congregation often gives
the impression it is a small,
inwardly fixated club, either bland
or full of rivalry and fury inside,
with disregard beyond itself. The
church can seem as self-enclosed
as any other social group, bent in
on its own people, purposes and
ends, and it rarely has a life of,
loving engagement and service.
What it does beyond itself is
23. 23ContactContactContactContactContact
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September 2015
If the capacity to love devel-
ops in Christian community, we
will have far better instincts and
abilities to respond to the needs
for love in our neighbourhoods
and work places. These are not
natural capacities, since our
family backgrounds shape our
abilities and inabilities to empa-
thize and to love. We need the
help of other followers of Jesus to
teach us how to love and how to
serve beyond our basic skills.
At the end of the 4th chapter,
the author requests the readers to
make two lists. One for Promised
Land living and another for life in
exile.
· What activities demonstrate
how you hold, exercise or long for
power?
· What triggers your desire to
win or to be better, stronger,
faster?
· What are your consumer
habits?
· Which of your expectations
are primarily about your own
welfare? Which are about the
welfare of others?
In the fifth chapter titled
'Reorienting', the writer says that
'we can be saved by grace alone
and never by our capacity to
perform and measure up. This
rocked Luther's life and the lives
of millions since”(p.68). “Practic-
ing faith becomes an inward and
spiritual exercise, not an outward
and public one. We become those
who build their houses on sand,
not on rock, without even realiz-
ing it (pp.68-69). In fact, it seems
we have excised that text from
Matthew 7 in favour of simply
believing.”
He writes “In God's full
knowledge of us, both the inner
and the outer life matter. Our
practices of faith are meant to
show up in both domains and to
become a mutual validation of
each other. This is what it means
to reflect the glory of God – the
reality of God- whose heart and
actions are congruent” (p.77).
In chapter 6, 'Refocusing ', he
writes that ' some of the most
common lost practices in our daily
lives have to do with community.
One of the ironies of an increas-
ingly urbanized world and a
global population of more than
seven billion is that people
commonly experience life alone.
We're ever nearer physically, but
we're also ever more isolated from
one another. Putnam shows that
over the last twenty five
years,...family dinners have
dropped 43 per cent and having
friends over has dropped by 35
per cent . We crave community
even as we seek to avoid it”(p.80).
Being near someone is easier
than knowing them or being
known by them. In relationships of
communion, where we weep
together and rejoice together,
where we live as members one of
another, where we are each part of
one common body in Christ, much
24. 24 ContactContactContactContactContact
Our
September 2015
more is required than mere contact
of connection. Stepping into one
another's lives, listening and
hearing one another's stories,
honouring one another's unique
gifts, carrying one another's
burdens- this is the stuff of
community'(p.84).
Many who long for a fix for
our macro and micro issues know
this: the fix must be real, it must
be reformative, and it must fit the
need. No fantasy or idealism will
do. No shuffling of words without
action. No generic, globalized
response(P.120).
THE ETERNAL FRIEND
Blessy Jerin
Student of class XI
A friend who knew me before I was born,
Just imagine his love for me.
He knew just the kind of sins I would make,
And yet gave his life willingly.
But during the faltering days of my troublesome youth,
Pleasure and money I seek,
I thirst for temporary friends of youth,
Those that destroy the lowly and meek.
Oh that I may know the dangers of trusting in men,
So my faith can be ever found in Thee.
For friends of flesh are never good to depend,
But you remain from eternity to eternity.
When I’m left all alone - hurting and lost,
I know you’ll forgive and wash me clean.
For who can ever find such a friend to trust,
Ever faithful from everlasting to everlasting?
(Blessy, daughter of Billy Graham and Benitta, Ernakulam)
This book deals various
aspects of a Christian's life. It
addresses several issues which a
Christian faces in his day -to-day
life- church, loving others,
spiritual life, Christian's fellow-
ship, wisdom, etc. It calls the
Church to return to the most
profound and basic question –
what does it mean to follow Jesus?
Jose Jacob,
Staff,
Communication Dept;
UESI Kerala.
Poem
25. 25ContactContactContactContactContact
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September 2015
September 11, 2014 By Megan
Day MS, RD, CDE
Blogs Topic: Food
When you're talking about coffee
and reducing the potential type 2
diabetes risk, it's important to note
that we are talking about caffeinated
coffee without any additions, like
cream or sugar. While your corner
coffee shop is selling a grande mocha
latte, those types of drinks do not
carry the same health benefits of
plain, black coffee.
In this blog, we'll discuss how
caffeinated, black coffee affects your
risk of developing type 2. In addi-
tion, we'll talk about what you're
really drinking in your grande from
the coffee shop and ways to make
them healthier.
Coffee Consumption and
Diabetes Risk
In a study published in the
journal Diabetologia, increased
consumption of coffee showed a
reduced risk of developing type 2
diabetes. The risk reduction was
rather significant. Participants who
increased their coffee consumption
on average by one and a half cups
per day showed an 11% reduction in
risk. Participants who decreased their
consumption of coffee by one cup or
more showed a 17% higher risk for
developing type 2 diabetes. It's
important to note this study evaluated
thousands of people and followed
them for four years.(1)
Individuals that had the highest
rates of consumption (3 or more cups
of coffee per day) had a 37% lower
risk than the individuals that con-
sumed the lowest amounts of coffee
(less than one cup per day). (1) The
study did mention that individuals
with more complications such as
cardiovascular disease, high choles-
terol, high blood pressure, or cancer
may be those that also consume
lower amounts of coffee. However,
even when certain cases of
DiabetesandCoffee
Health
26. 26 ContactContactContactContactContact
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September 2015
comorbidities were excluded, the
results were similar. (1)
The take away from this is if you
drink coffee regularly, and you have
clearance from your doctor, it may be
beneficial to increase your coffee
consumption by another cup. I
wouldn't recommend drinking it all at
once, and avoid putting in etxra
sugar and cream.
Taming Down Etxravagant
Coffee Drinks
As mentioned earlier, coffee is a
brewed drink that doesn't have any
additives. When we speak of
increasing your coffee consumption,
it should certainly be taken with this
thought in mind: Many coffee shops
specialize in etxravagant, high-
calorie, sugar and fat-laden mon-
strosities, and in order to reap the
health benefits, coffee consumers
should consider simplifying their
drinks to make them plainer. Here
are some quick tips to making you
coffee healthier while still being able
to enjoy it:
• Try your coffee black. If
you haven't tried a fresh brewed
coffee in its natural state, you should
give it a try. Have you ever smelled
the aroma of a fresh-brewed cup of
java? In its plain, black state it's
robust and subtle. You may even
prefer it that way.
• A little sweetener. If black is
just too bitter for your taste, you
could try a little sweetener. Perhaps a
sugar substitute can get the job done.
Remember, artificial sweeteners
should still be used sparingly, and
they're much sweeter than pure sugar,
so you don't need a lot.
• Try some milk. Many
people love cream in their coffee, but
maybe you can get away with just a
little skim milk. When you're used to
drinking your coffee with cream, it
may take an adjustment period to
scale back on using creamers. Start
slowly andt ry reducing the amount
of cream you put in your coffee. You
could event ry using one or two
percent milk as an alternative.
Eventually you can back it down to a
little bit of skim milk and be per-
fectly content. If you like your coffee
really light, ask for low fat milk, and
cream on the side to top it off. This
way you can still get a light coffee
without too much etxra fat and
calories.
When Ordering Out
Every once in a while it's okay to
indulge in something etxravagant, but
as a general rule, try to lower the
calories in your fancy coffee. In
order to do so, use artificial sweeten-
ers instead of sugar, reduce the
amount of pumps you get in your
brew, try low-fat or fat-free milk, top
if off with cinnamon or cocoa, and
remember to skip the whipped
cream.
References
1. Shilpa Bhupathiraju et al.
Changes in coffee intake and
subsequent risk of type 2 diabetes:
three large cohorts of US men and
women. Diabetologia, April 2014.
Health
28. PRAY
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