Many of us have heard sermons and teaching about spiritual warfare. I’ve been in churches where a significant amount of time was spent looking for the activity of the enemy or his minions in the lives of believers. Some believers even think that they live under demonic oppression. I’d like to provide some biblical perspective,…
Jesus often taught in parables. These are stories that contain instruction. Often we have difficulty understanding these parables. This should not be surprising. We expect that parables should clarify things, but in many cases that was not His intent. Look what we find in Matthew 13:10–13 (KJV 1900) “10 And the disciples came, and said…
These are sure days of upheaval, unrest, disunity and unkindness. Every day the news seems to get worse. Just when we dare to think things are improving we are told about some new problem. It’s easy to find ourselves worried and fearful. There is great value in remembering that Jesus said there would be days…
Galatians 3:24-29 (KJV) “24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of…
1 Corinthians 15 (KJV 1900) First Corinthians 15 is a long and interesting chapter in the first letter Paul wrote to the assembly of believers in Corinth. There are passages in this chapter that are challenging to understand. There are others that are fascinating and exciting. Let’s have a look. Verses one and two: “1…
Rivers of living water. Exodus 17:5–6 (KJV 1900) “5 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in…
Second Corinthians One 2 Corinthians 1 (KJV 1900) 1 PAUL, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia: 2 Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from…
Perhaps it is nowhere clearer than on television that the world does not value godliness. Increasingly we are told that deviant and perverted behaviors are normal ways of life that we should not only tolerate, but actively support. We are told that evil is good and that good is evil. Christians are belittled and portrayed…
Introduction to 1 Corinthians 1 Corinthians 1:1–9 (NASB 2020) “1 Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, 2 To the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every…
Shortly before Paul tells us that we are new creations in Christ and that we are the righteousness of God in Christ, he says something that may sound scary. Let’s take a look at that, shall we? 2 Corinthians 5: 10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each…
Hebrews 1:1–3 “1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. 3 And He is the radiance of…
In the past you lived a life of immorality, impurity, lust, and greed. You used to walk in these ways in that old life you once lived. (see Colossians 3:5-9) But you were completely cleansed, set apart, and made right with God. (see 1 Corinthians 6:11) You were made compatible with Him and acceptable to…
Please carefully read the passage in the King James and then the NIV. Paying particular attention to verses 11-13. Isaiah 28:9–13 (AV) 9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. 10 For precept must be upon precept,…
Romans 9:25–31 (AV) “25 As he saith also in Hosea, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. 26 And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called…
We have seen that Father made a covenant with the Hebrew people and predetermined the plan of redemption. In this section we will discover that since He is God it is His prerogative to do such a thing. Romans 9:14–21 (AV) “14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 15…
Now we come to a section that can be difficult. Paul is going to show from scripture and logical argument that God is free to deal with humanity any way He likes. He can set up the plan of salvation as He sees fit because we are His creatures, and He is the sovereign creator….
Romans 9:7–9 (AV) “7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. 9 For…
Romans chapter nine can be challenging. In this part of his letter to the believers at Rome, Paul writes some things that can be, as Peter put it in 2 Peter 3:15-16, hard to understand. Here we go. Romans 9:1–5 (AV) “1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing…
Romans 5:10 (AV) “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. Much attention is given to the fact that we received forgiveness through the death of Jesus, and it I good and right that we…
Romans 5:9 (AV) 9Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. The blood of Jesus justified us. The wages of sin is death. Our death could never have paid the price because our violation was infinite and our life was finite. The blood of Jesus is…
Romans 5:8 (KJV) “8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” When we commend one person to another, we give our favorable view of them and present them in their best light. That God would introduce us favorably to His love is a great…
Romans 5:6 (KJV) “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” What God did for us through Jesus is amazing. Anyone who knows anything about the Christian faith knows that Jesus died for our sins. This can seem distant and impersonal to some. It can be difficult to…
New Testament Circumcision Genesis 17:10–11 (AV) 10This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. 11And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. God established…
Romans 5:1 (KJV) “1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:” Justification means that we stand blameless before God having been acquitted of all charges. We are not guilty. Since this is the case, we are at peace with God. Trusting God for righteousness completes the reconciliation…
You are Free Because of Jesus Jesus did some pretty awesome stuff. Colossians 2:9-19 has some amazing, and truly profound things to say that shed a little light on this. Colossians 2:9–15 (NASB95)9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He…
