Blog Archives

23 Jun 2021 Galatians (Program #41)

Galatians (Program #41) – Walking by the Spirit to Live Christ

Before we were saved, most of us were quite aware that we and God were separate, far removed from each other. But after we’re saved, God is not separate and distant. Quite to the contrary, He was literally conceived in us and born into us. By regeneration, we and God have become one Spirit. How marvelous is this divine reality, but does it match our understanding?  Even more, does it match our experience? Don’t miss today’s life study of the Bible.

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24 May 2021 Galatians (Program #11)

Galatians (Program #11) – Not Nullifying the Grace of God

In the Old Testament, God’s promise of grace was first made to Abraham. It was nearly 2000 years later, however, that God fulfilled that promise. As grace from God came to man in the person of Jesus Christ. If your understanding of grace is simply God’s material blessings to you, you really need to stay tuned for today’s life study of the Bible.

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03 Apr 2021 2 Corinthians (Program #15)

2 Corinthians (Program #15) – The Ministers of the New Covenant (7b)

All genuine believers in Christ know that an essential of the Christians faith is that Christ our Savior is sinless. In fact the Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians that He did not know sin. Yet the very same verse tells us that this One that did not know sin, was made sin. Here is chapter 5:

21 “Him who did not know sin He made sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

What mysterious, marvelous language. He, Who did not know sin, was made sin on our behalf. We, who believed treasure the fact that He died for our sins. Yet do we really have the proper understanding, a proper appreciation of the fact that according to God’s word that He was made sin on our behalf?

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25 Mar 2021 2 Corinthians (Program #6)

2 Corinthians (Program #6) – The Ministry of the New Covenant (2)

Metaphors play an important role in Scripture. Webster says a metaphor is the use of one set of words to describe or illustrate a similar point.

John uses the technique when he speaks of Jesus approaching him in the gospel. “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Surely he wasn’t saying that Jesus was a literal “lamb”. But the metaphor or picture gives us a much richer and clearer understanding.

The apostle Paul was also very fond of metaphors, particularly when conveying his deepest thoughts in teachings. We see it used intensively in 2 Corinthians. For example in 2 Corinthians chapter 2:14 he says “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in the Christ”  Here, the metaphor is the triumphant possession of captured and vanquished folks after a Roman battle. And Paul says that we, the believers had become such vanquished ones in the train of the victorious Christ.

Now, we come to another marvelous metaphor in the very next chapter, chapter 3 of 2 Corinthians begins this way:

1-3 “Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some do, letters of commendation to you or from you? You are our letter, inscribed in our hearts, known and read by all men, Since you are being manifested that you are a letter of Christ ministered by us, inscribed not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tablets of stone but in tablets of hearts of flesh.

Living letters of Christ. This is our topic today.

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09 Mar 2021 1 Corinthians (Program #45)

1 Corinthians (Program #45) – Dealing with the Gifts (1)

To our natural understanding the structure of a book like 1 Corinthians may seem random and really lacking any particular significance. But if we realize that the book is specifically arranged with the last half of the book focused on how God is administrating the entire universe for the accomplishment of His eternal purpose, we will have a key to open a much deeper understanding and appreciation of this portion of Scripture. It’s particularly important to use this key when we come to the matter of the gifts of the spirit in 1 Corinthians chapter twelve.

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