Bible Study - The Journey - June 14, 2026

 

Bible Study - The Journey - June 14, 2026

We considered the Apostle Paul and his testimony in our last study.

Paul’s arrest gave him opportunity to share his salvation experience with both the Romans and the Jewish Sanhedrin.

Our encounter with JESUS along life’s journey and our conversion experience gives each Holy Spirit born person their personal witness of his/her journey to salvation; GOD provides the opportunity.

Who is GOD?

Moses wanted to know GOD and in doing so, Moses learned that GOD had to set boundaries for Moses to interact with HIM.

Exodus 33:18-23 - Amplified Bible

¹⁸ Then Moses said (to GOD), “Please, show me Your glory!” ¹⁹ And God said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the Name of the Lord before you; for I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion (lovingkindness) on whom I will show compassion.” ²⁰ But He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man shall see Me and live!” ²¹ Then the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place beside Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; ²² and while My glory is passing by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and protectively cover you with My hand until I have passed by. ²³ Then I will take away My hand and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.”

WOW!!! Precious!!! When we seek GOD, HE does HIS part in accommodating our desire to know HIM! But truth prevails.

James 4:8

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded.

Be honest with GOD.

GOD sent JESUS to be the intercessor and personnel representative of GOD, without the restrictions GOD requires.

We are all sinners and need salvation through faith in JESUS. Placing our faith in JESUS and HIS Passion, results in a miracle taking place in the human body – those who place their faith in JESUS are “born again.”

The first birth of all people is physical and the physical will die but the GOOD NEWS is those who place their faith in JESUS and HIS Passion will be “born again”, and the physical becomes eternal when the divine sperm of GOD, the Holy Spirit, unites with the human spirit, eternal conception takes place quicker than the twinkle of the eye.

This union results in a person being “Spirit born” or “Born again.”

Since the Passion of JESUS, the Good News is as published in Bible Hub:

1.    Jesus as Mediator: According to 1 Timothy 2:5, "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." This verse highlights that Jesus is the sole mediator who enables believers to approach God directly without the need for human intermediaries, such as priests Bible Hub+1.

2.    The Role of the Holy Spirit: Romans 8:15-16 explains that believers receive the Spirit of sonship, allowing them to call God "Abba, Father." This relationship signifies a personal connection with God, affirming that Christians can communicate with Him directly Bible Hub+1.

3.    Confidence in Prayer: Hebrews 4:16 encourages believers to "approach God’s throne of grace with confidence," indicating that they can seek God's guidance and support without barriers Bible Hub+1.

What was the major boundary for Moses? Moses wanted to see GOD face to face. Let’s explore!

God told Moses, “You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live” (Exodus 33:20), He was saying that truly seeing God as He is, in the fullness of His glory, is more than mortal man can tolerate (Isaiah 6:5). Therefore, to protect Moses, God was only going to reveal that portion of His majesty and power that was humanly possible to absorb. God communicated this plan to Moses in a way we can all understand: “You cannot look ME full in the face [it is impossible for you to know everything about ME], but I will allow you to see my back [I will reveal to you a small portion of My nature so as not to overwhelm you].”
In essence, GOD was allowing Moses to encounter HIS reality without that reality killing Moses. GOD’S desire was to communicate and reveal truth.

Simply, if GOD had not revealed this boundary to Moses, we would not know this truth about GOD. It also, reveals why GOD sent JESUS to earth.

Truth is WHO JESUS is. JESUS came to fulfill GOD’S creative mission of providing a planet that is fully equipped to sustain the plant, animal and human lives which sustains all that GOD created, which includes nature.

It is amazing as we read in Romans 8:19

For [even the whole] creation [all nature] waits eagerly for the children of God to be revealed.

I recall hiking in the woods, pausing to speak to nature that redemption is coming. The original sin of Adam and Eve not only results in the death of humans but also all nature. All people need to be redeemed from eternal death and so does all nature.

The sinless life of JESUS and HIS shed blood redeem, not only all who place their faith in JESUS and HIS Passion, but all of nature waits eagerly to be redeemed. The best is yet to come for those who are redeemed, both humans and all nature!!!

Let’s consider - 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?”

Good Question. Thomas was looking forward to the redemption plan, and we look back at GOD’S redemptive plan through faith in JESUS and HIS Passion.

⁶ Jesus told him (Thomas), “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.”

We know the rest of GOD’S redemptive plan -----

Faith in JESUS and HIS passion, HIS death, resurrection from the dead, witnessed by HIS disciples, select followers, over 400 people, HIS bodily ascension into Heaven to take HIS seat at the right hand of GOD to intercede for all “Spirit-born” people.

As Philip seeks, so do we ----

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 – THE TRINITY

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.

THE HOLY SPIRIT makes up the third member of the Trinity – FATHER, SON and THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Where does THE HOLY SPIRIT reside in the “Born Again Christian?”

1 Corinthians 6:19

Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, ²⁰ for you were bought at a price. So, glorify God with your body.^[b]

Our redemption required a perfect acceptable sacrifice, GOD’S only SON, JESUS. JESUS willingly came to earth to be GOD’S perfect acceptable sacrifice to GOD for all sin. GOD sent THE HOLY SPIRIT, into the hearts of all who place their faith in JESUS to not only confirm their faith but as their guarantee as recorded in 2 Corinthians 1:22:

It is He who has also put His seal on us [that is, He has appropriated us and certified us as His] and has given us the [Holy] Spirit in our hearts as a pledge [like a security deposit to guarantee the fulfillment of His promise of eternal life].

JESUS places HIS redemptive seal upon all who place their faith in HIM; THE HOLY SPIRIT!!!

JESUS’S Gift of Peace (JESUS knew WHO HE WAS. HE WAS SECURE even when HE faced physical death upon the cross. Those who have been “Born again” have THE HOLY SPIRIT within them and is the Spirit born believer’s security and assurance.)

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 (Satan) 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.

All of this makes Jesus’ words to Philip all the more amazing: “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). When Jesus walked this earth, His glory veiled, so we could look Him in the face. “In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9). On one brief occasion, Jesus’ glory was revealed in this world, at the transfiguration (Matthew 17:2). Interestingly, Moses was there, speaking to the glorified Lord, face to face (Matthew 17:3).

Let’s consider John 3:1-21:

John 3 - Christian Standard Bible - Jesus and Nicodemus

3 There was a man from the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. ² This man came to him at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform these signs you do unless God were with him.”

Who was Nicodemus? We know he was a Rabbi and a teacher. He searched for truth. He went to JESUS, at night because of who he was. The key is that he had the courage to go. He went seeking truth.

³ Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again,^[a] he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

⁴ “How can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?”

Great question!!!

⁵ Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. ⁶ Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷ Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again. ⁸ The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So, it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

Human birth is the only way any person has the opportunity to be “born again” Spiritually. What about children or the aborted fetus?

Here is an “I think based upon scripture”----

Isaiah 7:16 (Wycliff translation)

For why before the child knows how to reprove evil, and choose good, the land, which thou loathes (loathest), shall be forsaken of the face of their two kings. (And before that the child knows how to rebuke, or to reject, evil, and to choose good, the lands of these two kings, whom thou fearest (fears), shall be deserted.)

(Another, I think – I contend that knowing varies with each individual. GOD judges the human heart. Again, this is an, I think. My basis is that GOD goes to the fullest to save ----- It vital when you hear the knock on your heart’s door, it is JESUS – Answer and let HIM into your life as written in Revelation 3:20: See! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. JESUS seeks you and when HE knocks – answer by opening your hearts door and letting HIM into your life.

Your response may be simple. I have heard of fellow Christian’s, simply saying LORD, I give up – Please come into my life and save my soul.

GOD seeks and HIS desire is that NO ONE IS LOST TO SPEND ETERNITY IN HELL, but the decision is yours to make ---)

GOD’S desire is for all to “born again” but the choice is ours to make. All humans have every opportunity to be “Born Again”.

It the meantime, we are to share the truth of salvation, as GOD gives us opportunity.  Back to Nicodemus and his search for truth -----

JESUS had just told Nicodemus about the need for a person to be “Born Again!”

⁹ “How can these things be?” asked Nicodemus.

An excellent question Nicodemus asked JESUS ----

¹⁰ “Are you a teacher^[b] of Israel and don’t know these things?” Jesus replied. ¹¹ “Truly I tell you, we speak what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but you do not accept our testimony. ¹² If I have told you about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven —the Son of Man.^[c]

¹⁴ “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, ¹⁵ so that everyone who believes in him may^[d] have eternal life. ¹⁶ For God loved the world in this way: ^[e] He gave^[f] his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. ¹⁹ This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ For everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it,^[g] so that his deeds may not be exposed. ²¹ But anyone who lives by^[h] the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.”

The sad thing, even today, humans still love the dark and think they can hide. But light dispels evil. The truth in Ephesians 5:8

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light—

What impact did JESUS have on Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea?

Let’s read John 19:38-42:

And after this (the crucifixion of JESUS), Joseph of Arimathea—a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews—asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. And Pilate granted him permission. So, he came and took away His body. And Nicodemus also, who first had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, [weighing] about a hundred pounds. So, they took Jesus’ body and bound it in linen cloths with the spices (aromatics), as is the Jews’ customary way to prepare for burial. ...

There are some writings about Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus after the burial of JESUS and HIS resurrection, but I choose not to go there. I am not sure of their authenticity.

However, it seems that both Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus continued to be faithful “born again” Christians and obedient disciples of JESUS.

Blessings!!!