Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free…Galatians 5:1 You are free in Christ. You are free from salvation by works. You are free from always wondering if you have done enough good works to prove you are saved. This is the message of both James and Paul. Galatians 2:16: knowing that a […]
And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left…Matthew 25:33 Your living faith makes you one of His sheep destined to be at His right hand. This final judgment is so important Jesus repeats it three times in the Bible. This is the first, Matthew 25:31 thru 46. […]
Mercy triumphs over judgment, James 2:13 James is pointing out two forms of false Christianity that were creeping into the Church. 1) Those who think we must earn salvation. 2) Those who claim to be Christians but do not act like it. To those of group one: Verse 10: For whoever shall keep the whole […]
Without faith it is impossible to please God…Hebrews 11:6 The Bible is clear we are saved by grace through faith; not of works, Ephesians 2:8-9. Then there is verse 10: for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Clearly there is a […]
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works…Ephesians 2:10 We are not saved by good works. We are created for good works. Faith in the law, or works, for salvation is dead faith. Faith in Jesus for salvation is living faith. Dead faith does not have good works. Therefore, James wrote: Show […]
Faith without works is dead…James 2:20 James is addressing those in churches who claim they are believers and want to be accepted as followers of Christ by those who really do believe. Faith without action is dead faith. Every person must act upon their faith. That is, say to God I believe. And their actions […]
The just shall live by his faith, Habakkuk 2:4 Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith, Habakkuk 2:4. This verse is quoted by Paul three times in the New Testament, Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:1, and Hebrews 10:38. It is the foundation of living faith. Paul […]
Imagine a novel that starts with: “In the beginning…”, and ends with: “…and they shall reign forever and ever.” Besides Heroes and villains, it includes different languages, poetry, and songs. The text is sourced from various eras, empires, and cultures. The characters are born, pass on their experience, and then die; …and you realize as you […]
Choose this day…Joshua 24:15 Life is a series of choices. Given this knowledge, Joshua stands before the people to make this bold statement: And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… Choose this day; every day. The choice to serve or not serve God […]
Sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war…Jeremiah 4:19 Prior to Jeremiah, the sound of the trumpet was mostly for gathering together for worship. In Exodus 19:13, the sound of the trumpet signaled the ‘all clear’ for the people to come near Mt. Sinai. In Leviticus 25:9, it signaled the beginning of the year of […]