Bible Study - The Road to Salvation through Jars of Clay - May 24, 2026

 

Bible Study - The Road to Salvation Though Jars of Clay - May 24, 2026

Where were you before you were born physically?

I contend all humans were and are in the heart and mind of GOD. Once in GOD’S mind, each of us were created and chosen to serve GOD according to HIS will and purpose, with the freedom to either choose or not choose JESUS, GOD’S only SON. JESUS came in the flesh upon earth, as our Savior or to reject HIM.

All are chosen to be in a personal relationship with GOD through the miracle of Spiritual birth through faith in JESUS, the promised Messiah. JESUS confirmed by HIS physical life, physical death, physical bodily resurrection, ascension into Heaven to take HIS seat at the right hand of GOD, HIS FATHER to intercede for all who are born again Spiritually by the Holy Spirit.

Jeremiah 1:5

I chose you before I formed you in the womb; I set you apart before you were born. I appointed you a prophet to the nations.

Yes, this was GOD’S message to the Prophet Jeremiah, but it gives us insight into the mind of GOD.

I contend that we came from the heart and mind of GOD. GOD chose us to serve HIM, as a person free to either choose to be in right relationship with HIM or to ignore or reject GOD.

Since GOD chose us and formed us, it gives HIM the right to reveal truth to us.

HIS desire is for all to choose HIM before JESUS and JESUS after JESUS came to earth and fulfilled GOD’S purpose for HIM.

GOD’S desire is to have all humans recognize their need for HIM and come to HIM through faith. First through the Law and the Prophets and final through JESUS knocking on the heart’s door of all humans.

Revelation 3:20 Christian Standard Bible

²⁰ See! I (JESUS/THE HOLY SPIRIT) stand at the door (of your heart) and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him/her and eat with him/her, and he/she with me.

JESUS willingly came to earth to live a sinless life and give HIS life for all people who place their faith in HIM.

If you had been the only person in all of history to place your faith in JESUS, HE would have come to earth to live and die for your salvation.

Now that is personal and that is the love that GOD and JESUS have for you.

What did JESUS tell HIS disciples?

John 14:1-31: Christian Standard Bible

The Way to the Father

14 “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe^[a] in God; believe also in me. ² In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? ³ If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also. ⁴ You know the way to where I am going.”^[b]

⁵ “Lord,” Thomas said, “we don’t know where you’re going. How can we know the way?”

⁶ Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you know me, you will also know^[c] my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Jesus Reveals the Father

⁸ “Lord,” said Philip, “show us the Father, and that’s enough for us.”

⁹ Jesus said to him, “Have I been among you all this time and you do not know me, Philip? The one who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who lives in me does his works. ¹¹ Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Otherwise, believe^[d] because of the works themselves.

Praying in Jesus’s Name

¹² “Truly I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³ Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If you ask me^[e] anything in my name, I will do it.^[f]

Another Counselor Promised

¹⁵ “If you love me, you will keep^[g] my commands. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor^[h] to be with you forever. ¹⁷ He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive him because it doesn’t see him or know him. But you do know him, because he remains with you and will be^[i] in you.

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit

¹⁸ “I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you. ¹⁹ In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Because I live, you will live too. ²⁰ On that day you will know that I am in my Father, you are in me, and I am in you. ²¹ The one who has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father. I also will love him and will reveal myself to him.”

²² Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it you’re going to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?”

²³ Jesus answered, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. ²⁴ The one who doesn’t love me will not keep my words. The word that you hear is not mine but is from the Father who sent me.

²⁵ “I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you. ²⁶ But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.

Jesus’s Gift of Peace

²⁷ “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful. ²⁸ You have heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I am coming to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. ²⁹ I have told you now before it happens so that when it does happen you may believe. ³⁰ I will not talk with you much longer, because the ruler of the world is coming. He has no power over me.^[j] 31 On the contrary, so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do as the Father commanded me.

When did GOD send THE HOLY SPIRIT to indwell the human body of all who place their faith in JESUS? At Pentecost as revealed in Acts 2.

John 14

Christian Standard Bible

The Way to the Father

14 “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe^[a] in God; believe also in me. ² In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? ³ If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also. ⁴ You know the way to where I am going.”^[b]

⁵ “Lord,” Thomas said, “we don’t know where you’re going. How can we know the way?”

⁶ Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you know me, you will also know^[c] my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Jesus Reveals the Father

⁸ “Lord,” said Philip, “show us the Father, and that’s enough for us.”

⁹ Jesus said to him, “Have I been among you all this time and you do not know me, Philip? The one who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who lives in me does his works. ¹¹ Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Otherwise, believe^[d] because of the works themselves.

Praying in Jesus’s Name

¹² “Truly I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³ Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If you ask me^[e] anything in my name, I will do it.^[f]

Another Counselor Promised

¹⁵ “If you love me, you will keep^[g] my commands. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor^[h] to be with you forever. ¹⁷ He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive him because it doesn’t see him or know him. But you do know him, because he remains with you and will be^[i] in you.

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit

¹⁸ “I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you. ¹⁹ In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Because I live, you will live too. ²⁰ On that day you will know that I am in my Father, you are in me, and I am in you. ²¹ The one who has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father. I also will love him and will reveal myself to him.”

²² Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it you’re going to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?”

²³ Jesus answered, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. ²⁴ The one who doesn’t love me will not keep my words. The word that you hear is not mine but is from the Father who sent me.

²⁵ “I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you. ²⁶ But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.

Jesus’s Gift of Peace

²⁷ “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful. ²⁸ You have heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I am coming to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. ²⁹ I have told you now before it happens so that when it does happen you may believe. ³⁰ I will not talk with you much longer, because the ruler of the world is coming. He has no power over me.^[j] 31 On the contrary, so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do as the Father commanded me.

The coming of the Holy Spirit – Acts 2 - Christian Standard Bible

Pentecost

2 When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. ² Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. ³ They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. ⁴ Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues,^[a] as the Spirit enabled them.

⁵ Now there were Jews staying in Jerusalem, devout people from every nation under heaven. ⁶ When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. ⁷ They were astounded and amazed, saying,^[b] “Look, aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? ⁸ How is it that each of us can hear them in our own native language? ⁹ Parthians, Medes, Elamites; those who live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts), ¹¹ Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the magnificent acts of God in our own tongues.” ¹² They were all astounded and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” ¹³ But some sneered and said, “They’re drunk on new wine.”

Peter’s Sermon

¹⁴ Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them, “Fellow Jews and all you residents of Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and pay attention to my words. ¹⁵ For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it’s only nine in the morning.^[c] 16 On the contrary, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

¹⁷ And it will be in the last days, says God,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all people;
then your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
and your old men will dream dreams.
¹⁸ I will even pour out my Spirit
on my servants in those days, both men and women
and they will prophesy.
¹⁹ I will display wonders in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below:
blood and fire and a cloud of smoke.
²⁰ The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes.
²¹ Then everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.^[d]

²² “Fellow Israelites, listen to these words: This Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through him, just as you yourselves know. ²³ Though he was delivered up according to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge, you used^[e] lawless people to nail him to a cross and kill him. ²⁴ God raised him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by death. ²⁵ For David says of him:

I saw the Lord ever before me;
because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
²⁶ Therefore my heart is glad
and my tongue rejoices.
Moreover, my flesh will rest in hope,
²⁷ because you will not abandon me in Hades
or allow your holy one to see decay.
²⁸ You have revealed the paths of life to me;
you will fill me with gladness
in your presence.^[f]

²⁹ “Brothers and sisters, I can confidently speak to you about the patriarch David: He is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. ³⁰ Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn an oath to him to seat one of his descendants^[g] on his throne. ³¹ Seeing what was to come, he spoke concerning the resurrection of the Messiah: He^[h] was not abandoned in Hades, and his flesh did not experience decay.^[i]

³² “God has raised this Jesus; we are all witnesses of this. ³³ Therefore, since he has been exalted to the right hand of God and has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, he has poured out what you both see and hear. ³⁴ For it was not David who ascended into the heavens, but he himself says:

The Lord declared to my Lord,
‘Sit at my right hand
³⁵ until I make your enemies your footstool.’^[j]

³⁶ “Therefore, let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”

Call to Repentance

³⁷ When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”

³⁸ Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” ⁴⁰ With many other words he testified and strongly urged them, saying, “Be saved from this corrupt^[k] generation!” ⁴¹ So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added to them.

A Generous and Growing Church

⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.

⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. ⁴⁴ Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. ⁴⁵ They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶ Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number^[l] those who were being saved.

Being together, as a group, is good but there comes a time when the Good News needed to be shared with others, as led by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

So, the diaspora or scattering of those who knew the truth of the Good News of salvation and Spiritual Birth through faith in JESUS took place for the purpose of sharing and spreading the Good News with people beyond Jerusalem.

We who know the truth of salvation through faith in JESUS, need to share it with others as led by THE HOLY SPIRIT.

I recall the first time I witnessed to a fellow passenger on a plane. He was a burley guy. I gave him my testimony and when I finished, I didn’t know what reaction he would have. He said, “I have been thinking about things like that lately.” I was relieved!

The Good News is contained in jars of clay, the human body, and we are commissioned to share it. Blessings!!!