Features Bible Study Commentaries, Categories, and Lectures. “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
The Purpose for Our Lives God’s personal love for the believer emphasizes the object—those who express faith alone in Christ alone. Through grace, the love of God has provided everything necessary to make us acceptable (1 John 4:10). This is the doctrine of propitiation (Romans 3:25; 1 John 2:2) as the foundation for the doctrine of justification (Romans 3:28; 2…
Characteristics of Self-Contained Happiness (or The Signs of Maturity in Christ) Tranquility in the soul—contentment, peace. Capacity for life—thanksgiving, gratitude, appreciation, forgiveness, mercy, and love. Never feeling threatened by emergencies, adverse circumstances, other people, serious health issues, or death. A true sense of security in God’s Word, promises, and His love and forgiveness because of Christ in you. Freedom from…
The Cross — The Eternal Place of Communion Christ died so that even the ones who crucified Him could be saved. His cross work stands in total contrast to the darkness in man’s soul, reaching out and shining forth like a beacon to light the way back to God. This lighted cross of Christ stands in stark contrast to human…
By His Stripes Christ stepped down from His throne over the universe that He might save the perishing. Christ came to do the Father’s will, which was to give His life to save me. Christ came down to die on my cross—to pay for my iniquity (Hebrews 10:5-7). “A body thou hast prepared for me.” We could not have endured…
“A Good Global Citizen” If truth will set you free (it will, and it does) then the opposite is also true—lies and deception will eventually imprison you. If knowledge equals power then lack of knowledge equals powerlessness. If wealth equals power, no wealth means no power. Can there be untrue honesty? Our educational system teaches it in our public schools…
More On Sin These are just a few more thoughts of depravity—our falling short of God’s righteousness… Sin connotes the serpent in the minds of men and is a transgression of God’s laws (1 John 3:4). Sin is the inherent unwillingness of man to abide in the sphere of limitation set by God. While an angel became sin (the source…
The Indwelling of God God indwells every believer for fellowship and relationship. If you are indeed a believer in the finished work of Christ on the cross, you are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. But do we truly realize what that means? Do we understand the significance of the indwelling of God? No one else in the world can read…
God Detests Religion Andy Stanley said: “Jesus taught that good people do not go to heaven. Furthermore, he taught that God was intent on not giving people what they deserved.” God has given us exactly what we do not deserve—Jesus Christ, His Son. And Jesus taught against religion. His message was a departure from anything that had ever been taught….
Pursue Christ God’s perfect love pursues the believer all of his or her life. God loves the believer with personal love, and the unbeliever with impersonal love, demonstrated by the cross where God imputed our sins to Christ, where He imputed Christ’s (God’s own) righteousness and eternal life to the believer. God provided the solution to sin —Christ. God provided…
Bible Doctrine Transforms Discipline, trials, and suffering… all are testing from the Lord designed to transform us. These are signs—evidence that God is in our lives conforming us to the image of His dear Son. If you want to get closer to Jesus, endure, persevere, be patient, be thankful for the good and the bad (“in all things give thanks”),…
What We Truly Are Let’s take a brief look at God and his attributes. The difference between homo-sapien (you and me) and God is night and day. As Creator of all things that exist (i.e. universe, matter, time, etc), God is omnipotent and omniscient. As we ascribe and define God’s attributes, we are not describing His personality nor his looks….
The Eight Covenants of God The New Covenant is the last of the eight great covenants of God in Scripture. Endemic Covenant – Genesis 2:16 – Relationship—Christ is the “second representative man” and the “last man,” with Adam being the first (1 Corinthians 15:45-47). He restores all that was lost by Adam (Colossians 2:10; Hebrews 2:7-9). Adamic Covenant – Genesis…
Grace is Christ, Christ is Grace (Both given freely by God) A contrast of righteousness demanded by God from man, and righteousness given to man from God, by Christ. Man must choose between his own righteousness or receive God’s righteousness through faith and trust in the finished, perfect work of Christ on the cross (Romans 3:21-24; 8:3-4; Galatians 2:16; Philippians…
Points of Light God is light The Holy Spirit is light The Word of God is light The believer is light To walk in fellowship with the Lord is to walk in light. The Word of God is a pillar of fire to light our way—Nehemiah 9:12. God lights our darkness—2 Samuel 22:29; Psalm 18:28. By his light I walk—Job…
The Word, the World, and the Believer The purity, humility, and holiness of Christ antagonized the Jewish leaders and brought out their hatred, resentment, and the evil of pride, which, when acted upon, brings about murder and the worst in mankind—we truly are at enmity with God. Christ’s life of self-denial and sinless devotion to the Father was reproof to…
How Do We Know? Morality restricts our choices and morality convicts us. As individual human beings, we basically do not like having to answer to someone—we do not want to acknowledge a superior authority. Every statement of supposed truth requires faith—even the secular views of “make God what you want” and “there is no God,” require faith. Why? Because we…
Atheistic Worldviews and Darwinism To some, Darwinism is morally comfortable because there is no moral accountability, no perceived moral restraints of God. To me, Darwinism provides an intellectually convenient escape from the guilt of immoral behavior and/or rejection of anything or anyone superior to self. Personal desires do not make room for “gods” with differing desires—encroachment by any “god” is…
The Believer and Doubt From man’s viewpoint, God is a friend. From God’s viewpoint, man is cursed, but believers become His born again children, which is much more than simple friendship. Friendship is not an accurate truth of our relationship with God. We are, as believers in Christ, His children. We become spiritual children to a Spiritual Father at the…
God Is in Control God directs and controls human history, and He controls each believer’s personal history. Death passed through Christ and Christ passed through death unto life—eternal life. Death has no power; life has no power because everything in life passes through God—what God allows He allows in perfect knowledge. God has a definite predestined plan that cannot fail…
Christian Intellectual Stimulation Lasting Pleasures vs. Temporary Happiness Mankind is in a frantic search for happiness—the pleasures which people seek are physical, and physical pleasures are always short lived, futile, and often have future consequences which are many times more harmful than the enjoyment they brought. Self control and prudence are prerequisites to finding true inner happiness, along with a…