Category: Grace Living (Christian Life)

Fruit to Behold in the Ages to Come

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy” (1 Thessalonians 2:19,20 KJV).

Remember, we will not comprehend the full impact of God’s ministry through us until eternity future….

Invariably, any King James Bible, Pauline dispensationalist has had the thought cross his or her mind, “Is this worth it?” A doubt such as this is prompted by the usual replies, “Who believes that? How could so many people be so wrong? I have been in my [denominational] church for years, and I never heard what you are teaching before! I feel comfortable in my church tradition, so do not bother me anymore with your ‘heresy!’”

In spite of all the opposition you face, you meet someone who is tired of formalism, participating in mindless rites, ceremonies, and rituals just for the sake of “doing religion.” This one soul seeks liberty from works-religion, and you have the message whereby they can be set free from the shackles of sin—the message of God’s grace to us in Jesus Christ!

Despite all the opposition you face, you meet someone who is sick of existentialism, committing the sins of the flesh just to have a “good time in this one life.” This one soul seeks freedom from selfishness, and you have the message whereby they can be set free from the shackles of sin—the message of God’s grace to us in Jesus Christ!

Amidst all the opposition you face, you meet someone who is tired of fanaticism, seeking experiences, emotions, and encounters just for the sake of “doing religion.” This one soul seeks liberty from emotionalism, and you have the message whereby they can be set free from the shackles of sin—the message of God’s grace to us in Jesus Christ!

These precious, few souls who want to hear God’s truth make Christian service and ministry worthwhile, and for their sakes, let us continue so the remaining souls who are interested, can also become “our hope, our joy, our crown of rejoicing!” 🙂

Simple and Succinct

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

“The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple” (Psalm 119:130 KJV).

All the complicated theological systems and arguments and denominations aside, the Holy Bible can be summarized with three simple verses!

Our King James Bible contains 66 books; 1,189 chapters; 31,101 verses; and 791,328 words. God has much to say, and “every word” is important (Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4). However, the entire Bible can be summarized with three verses:

  1. “That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him” (Ephesians 1:10). God the Father’s purpose in creation is to make everything subject unto His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The governments of heaven and earth are to glorify and honor to Jesus Christ’s name by valuing, believing, and carrying out His doctrine.
  2. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12). There is an adversary, Satan, whose goal is to prevent #1 from being brought to fruition. Thus, the Bible contains accounts of Satan’s evil plan—man’s fall, the fall of angels, the antichrist, false teaching, et cetera—which is sinful rebellion against the Creator God.
  3. “There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand” (Proverbs 19:21). Man has willingly sided with Satan’s policy of evil (#2) in hindering God’s purpose and plan for creation. Thus, Scripture is filled with innumerable accounts of murderers, liars, idolaters, blasphemers, thieves, fornicators and adulterers, conspirators, and so on. However, God’s Word is very clear—despite Satan and man’s unwavering opposition against their Creator’s will, God’s original purpose of creation will still come to pass. In eternity future, Jesus Christ will receive everlasting praise and glory in both heaven (through the Church the Body of Christ) and in the earth (through redeemed Israel).

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

Reconciliation, Imputation, and Salvation #7

Sunday, June 23, 2013

“To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:19 KJV).

Soul salvation from everlasting hellfire is the Holy Bible’s most important doctrine, so let us be particularly careful with today’s Scripture.

Sin has separated man from God, thus necessitating reconciliation. Actually, the Greek word usually translated “reconciliation” in our King James New Testament is once rendered “atonement” in Romans 5:11. “Reconciliation” means “at–one-ment,” or “bringing two opposing parties together and making them one.”

When Jesus Christ died and shed His perfect blood, God the Father made Him a “propitiation” (Romans 3:25), a fully-satisfying payment for sin. Instead of punishing the world for their sins, God blamed Jesus Christ and made Him suffer God’s wrath instead (“not imputing their trespasses unto them;” today’s Scripture). “For he [God the Father] hath made him [Jesus Christ] to be sin for us, who knew no sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21a).

The Bible calls Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork and its merits the “atonement” (Romans 5:11), for they pay the sin debt that keeps man from fellowshipping with God. When the Bible says, “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation” (today’s Scripture), this reconciliation deals with the whole world, not just Christians—it involves all people, saved or lost.

Now, note verse 20: “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.” Notice “as though God did beseech you by us”—Paul is referring to the past (notice past tense “did”), to the time when the Corinthians were lost, when he first preached to them about Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork (verse 21). Here, Paul said that although God reconciled the world to Himself (verse 19), Paul urged the Corinthians to be “reconciled to God” (verse 20)—this is the reconciliation for Christians.

Again, reconciliation needed for soul salvation is two-fold, which brings us to the doctrine of imputation….

Reconciliation, Imputation, and Salvation #6

Saturday, June 22, 2013

“To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:19 KJV).

Soul salvation from everlasting hellfire is the Holy Bible’s most important doctrine, so let us be particularly careful with today’s Scripture.

Our sin and sins gender God’s wrath, and we sinners in our natural state are separated from God, but God Himself provided a solution. Man had severed the relationship, but God was still friendly toward man. From the ministry of the Apostle Paul, we see how that salvation from sins through Jesus Christ is no longer limited to Israel (Matthew 1:21), but that it is now available to all people, everywhere!

Let us return to today’s Scripture and its context (2 Corinthians 5:18-20): “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”

Due to warped theology, confusion and questions have arisen regarding this simple passage. “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself” at Calvary’s cross, so does that mean…. That lost people no longer go to hell? That every person’s sins are completely forgiven? That everyone will make it to heaven eventually (the heresy of universalism)?

Let us be extremely careful to understand that the word “reconciliation” in 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 is two-fold—it does not refer to a single event, but it is actually two events (reread the passage above and notice the two boldfaced terms “reconciling” and “reconciled,” which refer to separate issues). Confusion results because people assume these verses only teach a one-fold reconciliation, a single event.

As we will see, the key to understanding “reconciliation” in 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 is the phrase in verse 20, “as though God did beseech you by us….”

Reconciliation, Imputation, and Salvation #2

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

“To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:19 KJV).

Soul salvation from everlasting hellfire is the Holy Bible’s most important doctrine, so let us be particularly careful with today’s Scripture.

Read today’s Scripture within its context (2 Corinthians 5:18–6:2): “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)”

Now, read Romans 3:24,25: “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;” And Romans 4:5: “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted [imputed] for righteousness.”

Note the key terms in the above verses: “reconciliation,” “imputation,” “righteousness,” “grace,” “salvation,” “justification,” “redemption,” and “propitiation.” It is crucial that we understand these doctrines as they are taught in the Bible; we do not appeal to statements of faith, hunches, opinions, church councils, seminaries, catechisms, and so on. Let us proceed to dissect these passages to learn the mechanics of soul salvation….

Reconciliation, Imputation, and Salvation #1

Monday, June 17, 2013

“To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:19 KJV).

Soul salvation from everlasting hellfire is the Holy Bible’s most important doctrine, so let us be particularly careful with today’s Scripture.

There are literally tens of thousands of arguments in Christendom, disagreements involving every Bible doctrine (and so, over 38,000 denominations all claim to “use” the Bible, and all disagree too!). Soul salvation is certainly one of the major issues often confused, and it really is such a shame because the Bible was given to eschew such obfuscation! When “Christians” argue about even the basics of soul salvation, it is no wonder why unbelievers avoid so-called “Christianity” and prefer to stay on their course to hell!

For those of us who are saved, who have assurance of soul salvation in and through the Lord Jesus Christ, we need to learn the mechanics of soul salvation so we can effectually witness to lost people. Remember, lost people are already spiritually blinded and wandering in darkness, so they do not need someone who misunderstands the Bible to further entangle them in Satan’s snare.

For those of us who are lost, who are dead in our trespasses and sins, we need to learn the mechanics of soul salvation so we can have it as a present possession. Remember, the Bible is God’s Word to mankind, and He designed it so that it not only reveals who He is, but what He is doing—especially who He became for you and what He did for you long before you had a chance to sin!

On one hand, soul salvation is so simple, but on the other, it is a very complex event. Soul salvation is actually one giant, glorious doctrine comprised of several other Bible doctrines—including reconciliation, justification, forgiveness, imputation, sanctification, grace, redemption, propitiation, and righteousness. In the next several devotionals, we will discuss these terms, with emphasis on reconciliation and imputation (two doctrines misunderstood in light of today’s Scripture), thereby learning what God has already revealed to us in His written Word.

Father: A Godly Man

Sunday, June 16, 2013

“And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4 KJV).

Since today is Father’s Day, we dedicate today’s devotional to the godly (Christian) fathers.

What is a godly father? Oftentimes, fathers are either too authoritative (very strict) or too carefree (little to no concern for their children). According to the Bible (today’s Scripture in particular), fathers must have a balance between setting boundaries and enforcing them, and refraining from being a heartless tyrant.

  • On one hand, the Christian father is to “bring [his children] up in the nurture of the Lord.” “Nurture” is simply defined as “caring for and encouraging their growth or development.” All too often, fathers (sadly) ignore this, usually being too rough, or even, apathetic (unconcerned).
  • On the other hand, the Christian father is to “bring [his children] up in the admonition of the Lord.” “Admonition” is simply defined as “authoritative counsel or warning.” He is to lovingly guide them in life, instructing them from God’s Word rightly divided.

A father is not simply one who procreates. God’s Word makes it very clear that they should serve a lifelong, active role in their children’s lives. A Christian man, especially a father, should be a godly man in beliefs as well as in deed. He needs to set an example for his children (especially his sons): it is his duty as an older Christian man to set an example for younger men.

He should be a hard worker, he should meditate on the things of God (the Bible), his speech should conform to sound Bible doctrine, he should be hospitable and caring, kind and loving, he should respect and love his wife, he should love his children, and he should be reserved and cautious in his actions.

Are you a Christian man or Christian father who desires to be the man God intends you to be in Christ Jesus? Place your faith in this sound Bible doctrine, and God will take care of the rest! Then, you will become the godly man described on the pages of Scripture.

*Adapted from a larger Bible study with the same name. The Bible study can be read here or watched here.

Wave Not the White Flag

Saturday, June 15, 2013

“Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:23,24 KJV).

In today’s Scripture, our Apostle Paul was certainly not hopeless….

Today, the average Christian looks at the world, throws up his or her hands in despair, and sighs, “I give up! This world is hopeless!” Beloved, indeed, it is so much easier to just sit back, close the Good Book, and “go with the flow.” After all, “everybody else is doing it!”

The Christian soldier is never called to surrender. Yea, it is senseless to capitulate when “God be for us” (Romans 8:31). As someone who has trusted in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the sufficient payment for your sins, it really makes no difference who your enemy is!! In fact, your enemy is the devil himself, and yet, even he will eventually be subdued and bound in an everlasting lake of fire (Revelation 20:10).

A spiritually mature Bible-believing Christian—that is, one who is firmly grounded in the dispensational layout and study of Scripture—understands that God is not restoring earth today unto Himself (He will do that with His earthly people, Israel, as Exodus 19:3-6 declares, once our dispensation closes). We are not called to change the whole world system. As members of the Body of Christ, we are simply here to “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:2). We share scriptural truths with those who want to hear them; we waste not our time with those who do not want to hear.

Regardless of the situations Paul faced, and did he suffer for the Gospel’s sake (2 Corinthians 11:23-27), it did not “move” (trouble, disturb) him. He ran the Christian race and undertook the Christian ministry, ending them with joy, undistracted by the evil world system. Let us follow our Apostle in that regard. 🙂

Fully Furnished and Forgetful

Monday, June 10, 2013

“And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full;” (Deuteronomy 6:11 KJV).

Israel has a wonderful prospect, though she deserves it not….

It has been almost 40 years since Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage. She has just experienced four decades of wilderness wanderings due to her unbelief and rebellion against JEHOVAH (Numbers 14:26-39; cf. Hebrews 4:7-19). Now, Moses has reached the end of his life (120 years), and will be dead by the end of the book of Deuteronomy (Moses’ generation, that which rebelled years earlier, has already passed away at this point).

Most of Deuteronomy is Moses repeating to Israel—that is, those new generations of Jews born during the forty years of wanderings—the laws of God, to the intent that they will avoid the mistakes of their sinful, faithless ancestors. Moses encourages these “youngsters” that JEHOVAH promised their fathers this land, which they will enter and possess after his demise.

Read today’s Scripture in its context: “And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, and houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage” (Deuteronomy 6:10-12).

Notice the goodness of JEHOVAH—He will let undeserving Israel go into the Promised Land, and they will inherit all the possessions of the Gentile inhabitants! Observe Moses’ warning: do not forget JEHOVAH! Now, notice what JEHOVAH said through the prophet 900 years later: “Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number” (Jeremiah 2:32).

May we never let material possessions cause us to forget our Lord Jesus Christ!

Unfathomable Distances, Unsearchable Speeds #5

Saturday, June 8, 2013

“For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself” (Philippians 3:20,21 KJV).

The vastness of space is mindboggling; today’s Scripture is equally mind-blowing….

Having received their glorified bodies, and left planet earth, Jesus Christ is now escorting His Christians across the heavens with speed unsearchable. He brings us outside of the universe.

After we each stand before “the Judgment Seat of Christ” (Romans 14:10-12; 2 Corinthians 5:9,10) where the Lord Jesus Christ evaluates the quality of the doctrine we believed and the quality of our Christian service (1 Corinthians 3:9-15; 1 Corinthians 4:4,5; Colossians 3:23-25), including suffering for His name’s sake (2 Timothy 2:12), He presents us to God the Father in the third heaven. This is where 1 Thessalonians 3:13 picks up: “To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.” Jesus Christ is with His saints, bringing us before God, His and our Father!

Based on the results of the Judgment Seat of Christ (that is, dependent on the capacity of our inner man to function in the government of the heavenly places), we will receive a reward, an office of heaven’s government (again, these various ranks/offices will be filled up by Christians based on their spiritual maturity levels)—see, whether you believe sound Pauline Bible doctrine or vain religious tradition is of utmost importance!!!!

Once we are individually installed in the offices of government in the heavens, they will be “subdued” under Jesus Christ’s authority (today’s Scripture). Eternity will be busy, especially using those glorified bodies! We will be able to travel those astronomical distances in only a short period of time, carrying out the will of God the Father to the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, reigning in the heavenly places, forever, and ever, and ever, and ever! 🙂