Category Archives: 2 Corinthians

Who Or What Constrains You?

Throughout the Old Testament, God showed His love for His creation. God put Adam and Eve in a perfect “Paradise”, and even when Adam sinned, God covered his sin. Though Adam died spiritually, God did not take Adam’s life but took the life of an innocent creature. Adam was saved by the sacrifice of an innocent.

Man continued to fail God. The world drifted so far from God, that the Lord would have destroyed it all. Yet God loved us anyway. He had Noah build an Ark, and though God stayed the judgment of mankind for 120 years, God used Noah to save a remnant that would repopulate the earth.

Word Study: God loves us so much! Each time God loved us, we pushed Him away. And yet, He did not destroy us. His wrath tarried, for God promised that a Messiah would come to save us. The word “Messiah” is only rendered four times in the King James Bible, in Daniel 9:25-26; John 1:41 and in John 4:25. In the OLD Testament “Messiah” is the Hebrew mâshîyach, {pronounced maw-shee’-akh}, which means “One Anointed or Chosen by God to govern or care for others”. The Kings and Prophets of the Old Testament were mâshîyach or anointed for service. Yet in Daniel God foretold of a special Person Who would be mâshîyach or “The Anointed One”. When we come to the New Testament and move into the Common Greek (Koine Greek), the word mâshîyach is not used to describe the Messiah, but “Christos” or “Christ” – some 559 times. In the New Testament Jesus is called “The Christ”, or “Jesus, the One Anointed of God”.

Kings were anointed to protect, rescue, and lead nations.
Priests were anointed to temporarily cover our sins before God.
Prophets were anointed to speak to us God’s Word.
Jesus was anointed to be both King and Priest to “whosoever will”. Continue reading

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In Christ A New Creature

I loved being in the Air Force, and working around the bombers and fighters that brave men and women fly to protect our great nation. I started out as a “Food Service Technician”, but after 7 years I was cross trained to actually work on these aircraft.

I never worked on propeller type aircraft, but on jets. Jet engines produce more thrust, and can cause the aircraft to fly much faster than the older “props” could. One concern we always had when working on and around jets was “foreign object damage”. We signed out our tool kits, and counted every piece before and after a job. If a tool was left where it could be “sucked up” by the jet turbines, it could literally destroy the whole aircraft. Before launching the aircraft we walked the length and breadth of the flight line, insuring there were no loose objects that could be “sucked up” into the jet engine. If the engine breaks, the whole aircraft is broke!

Just as a piece of “foreign object” can “ground” a jet aircraft …

A Poor Understanding Of Salvation
“Grounds” The Gospel

2 Corinthians 5:14 For the love of Christ constraineth us …

Word Study: Some of the old English of the King James often obscures the meaning of the verse. The word “constraineth” is the Greek συνέχω synéchō, {pronounced soon-ekh’-o}, which means “to hold together lest we fall to pieces, to control, to press on every side”. It is the love of God that holds God’s people together. Love is the driving force. The fact that God loves us with an unconditional love, and as we have been loved, we are to love others.

I hear people today say “Why do we need the Church? Why can’t we just gather online, or in a meta-verse, and worship God in virtual reality?” It is because those saved by the Gospel MUST manifest LOVE toward God and others. You cannot do that with a computer or telephone screen…. Continue reading

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We Walk By Faith

The Apostle Paul, though highly educated (for he studied under the Rabbi Gamaliel – see Acts 22:3), used language simply so as to be understood. The Apostle tells us in our focal text today …

(for we WALK by faith, not by sight:)

These are very clear and simple words. Some other versions of the Bible that are out there manipulate the text, translating this as “For we LIVE by faith, not by sight”. That’s not a good translation. The word “WALK” is the Greek
περιπατέω peripatéō, {pronounced per-ee-pat-eh’-o}, meaning “to walk, to move about”. The word peripatéō is found in verses like:

Matthew 4:18 … Jesus, WALKING by the sea of Galilee …
Matthew 9:5 … {Jesus said} Arise, and WALK.
Matthew 11:5 The blind receive their sight, the lame WALK …
Matthew 14:25 … Jesus went to them, WALKING on the sea.
Matthew 14:29 … {Peter} WALKED on the water …

Why did the Apostle use the word WALK to describe the Christian way of life? It is because GOD uses the word WALK to describe how believers are to live. Continue reading

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New Or Old Creatures?

You were saved by faith in Christ to live in God’s Kingdom, both NOW and into ETERNITY. Live as if you are His. Put away the old darkness that you used to live in, and live as light in the power of God. Continue reading

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Simplicity In Christ

The Apostle had invested of himself in the Church. He poured out his heart to the Church. He said “I am JEALOUS over you”, the Greek ZELOO {pronounced dzay-lo’-o) which means “to burn with zeal”. Paul was not jealous over the Church Continue reading

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Finally, Farewell

How do we know that we are in “THE Faith”, the genuine faith, the Christ authored blood bought Spirit empowered never to depart faith? Continue reading

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The Problem Of Pain

If God loves me, why am I in pain?
If God is in control of all things, then why do His Children suffer?

These are questions that all Christians eventually ask themselves. Continue reading

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Married To Jesus

from Riverview Baptist Continue reading

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Cheerful Givers

The Almighty God established Laws of Physics and Laws of Nature that work in a certain way. These Laws are immutable, unchangable, for they are fixed. These Laws are bound in the Nature of God, and exist for our good, for the Common Grace of mankind. The Law we’re going to discuss tonight is certain, fixed, without change.

It is the Law of Sowing and Reaping. Continue reading

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Genuine Faith Gives

Do you love God? If you do, then give as others who love God give. Do not be like the Pharisee who only gave to be seen of men. Continue reading

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