Tag Archives: grace

Rightly Dividing God’s Word: Part 1, Introduction To The Ages

The Apostle Paul was nearing the end of his ministry. He told Timothy – a young man he was training:

2 Timothy 4:6-8 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

Paul knew that shortly he would be standing before the Roman Emperor Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (rule 54-68AD), and that he would be – in all likelihood – beheaded for his preaching of Christ. One Source notes,

“Based on historical events of the day, it is likely that Paul was beheaded, possibly around the same time that Peter was crucified.”

Before Paul was saved on the Damascus Road, he trained under the noted Bible Scholar, Rabbi Gamaliel (Acts 5:34; 22:3). Paul was “taught according to the perfect manner of the Law of the fathers”, the Scripture. As Paul prepared to die he wanted to leave Timothy with the best advice on how to live and promote the Gospel of Christ. … Continue reading

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Eternal Life Is “This” Not “That”

We’re all going to live forever. Make sure you choose to live your life with Jesus. In 1980, a man named Harry Randall Truman had a sportsman’s lodge on Mount Saint Helens. When Truman was told the mountain was about to blow, he said “If this place is going to go, I want to go with it”. On May 18, 1980 Mount Saint Helens blew its top. This was the most powerful volcanic blast in U.S. History – and Truman’s body is lost under tons of hardened volcanic rock. But his soul lives on. Where did he “lift up his eyes”. As Jesus headed toward the Cross, He “lifted up His eyes to Heaven” (John 17:1). He came from Heaven to earth to bring us life. When you leave this life, will you lift up your eyes to Heaven, or in Hell? The choice is entirely yours. May God lead you to call upon the Name of the Lord today. For His glory we pray. Amen and Amen. Continue reading

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A Faith Which Works By Love

Galatians 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

The Church at Galatia was largely a Church composed of Gentiles who had received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Just like the Pharisees did with Jesus, the Pharisees came to Galatia and began to teach the people that they weren’t really saved if they didn’t keep the Law of Moses. A Gentile who was uncircumcised was certainly NOT a Christian, because true believers are supposed to be circumcised.

What is circumcision, and why did the Pharisees believe it was necessary for salvation? God established circumcision as a Law within Israel in Genesis 17. In that text God told Abram:

Genesis 17:4-8 As for Me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. 5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. 6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. 8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

God promised several things to Abram that day. God promised that Abram – renamed Abraham – would be “father of many nations”. But God also promised Abraham that he would father a specific nation that would inherit “all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession”. Abraham and his “seed”, his progeny, would be given title to Canaan in perpetuity. So in Abraham there was promised a specific nation that would be his… Continue reading

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Be Stewards Of God’s Grace

One of the most abused Bible verses in the Scripture is “Judge not, that ye be not judged” (Matthew 7:1). People love to trot this verse out anytime they make a lifestyle choice that the Scripture forbids.

The Scripture condemns practicing homosexuality.
The Scripture forbids sex outside of Biblical marriage.
The Scripture forbids drunkenness, thievery, greediness.
The Apostle said in:

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (ESV) … do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

And again in 1 Timothy 1:8-10 (ESV) Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9 understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10 the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine,

“Sound doctrine” (hygiainō didaskalia, wholesome or healthy teachings) will never advocate behavior that is forbidden by the Scripture. When Jesus said “Judge not, that ye be not judged”, Jesus was not forbidding that we should never make judgments. Right after saying “Judge not, that ye be not judged” (Matthew 7:1), Jesus went on to say in … Continue reading

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A Picture Of Grace

Grace is in Jesus. The gracious Jesus comes up to Jerusalem in order to celebrate a “feast”. The feasts were opportunities for the people of God to get together and celebrate the Grace of God. Leviticus 23 outlines the requirements for the Jewish weekly Sabbath, and the Feast Days.

The seven Feast Days were times when the Israelis rested and remembered the Grace that God had poured out. In America we commemorate with memorials & statues. Israel commemorated God with “feasts”.

Without going into detail, one of the “High Sabbaths” was Passover, where Israel celebrated God liberating the nation from Egyptian slavery. God did that through Grace. God did not choose Israel, to bring Messiah through them because they were GREAT as a people. No, God told Israel:

Deuteronomy 7:7-9 (ESV) The LORD did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath He swore to your forefathers that He brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commands.

Israel was the least of all the nations. Israel was riddled with sinful traits and drives. God came to Israel because Israel needed God. … Continue reading

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For By Grace

“For by GRACE are you saved through faith”. It is GRACE that saves the sinner. The Apostle says in another place:

Romans 11:6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

Word Study I have heard GRACE described as “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense”. That’s a good definition, for GRACE comes to us because of what Jesus did for us – praise His holy Name! A more proper definition is found in the Greek text. GRACE is the Greek χάρις cháris, {pronounced khar’-ece}, which means “unmerited favor, unearned love”.

A beautiful picture of GRACE is found first in the Bible in Eden. Though the Law of God demanded Adam’s death “for the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). God had warned Adam:

Genesis 2:17 in the day that thou eatest {of that forbidden fruit} thou shalt surely die.

It was the LAW that rightly said to Adam… Continue reading

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The Burning Bush

Let’s talk about Moses before we read our Exodus 3 text. The Bible has much to say about Moses. In the Gospel of John we are told that:

John 1:15-17 John bare witness of {Jesus}, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me {this Jesus} is preferred before me: for he was before me. 16 And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

God used Moses to bring the Law of Israel – but Moses, like all believers, was saved by faith. The Bible tells us that the purpose of the Law was to convict us, and teach us of our inability to be right before God in our own power. The Bible says: Continue reading

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Unsearchable Riches of Christ

To many Christians the Grace of God is but one note. To many believers Grace is all about salvation from sin. Grace is indeed about salvation from sin. The Bible tells us … Continue reading

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Foundation Series #3: Relationship Of Law And Grace

If you’ve been paying attention it would seem that John and Paul are at odds with one another. Paul said “you are not under the Law but under Grace”. But John said “sin is the transgression of the Law”. It seems as if Paul says “you’re not under LAW” but John says “you ARE under the LAW”. So which is true? Continue reading

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The Christmas Story Part 2: The Virgin

What would you do if God came to you and told you He was going to shape human history through you? Many people would become arrogant. They would think “God really needed me to do this!” and would probably bragg to everyone they knew about it.

Mary was not that kind of person. Continue reading

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