Paul’s Epistle to the Romans is still transforming people, just as it transformed Martin Luther and John Wesley. The one Scripture above all others that brought Luther out of mere religion into the joy of salvation by grace, through faith, was Romans 1:17: “The just shall live by faith.” The...
Obedience to God’s will is the test of true faith in Christ. The test is not words—saying “Lord, Lord,” and failing to obey His commands. How easy it is to learn a religious vocabulary, even memorize Bible verses and religious songs, yet not obey God’s will. When a person is...
Years ago I heard a story about two sisters who enjoyed attending dances and wild parties. Then they were converted and found new life in Christ. They received an invitation to a party and sent the RSVP in these words: “We regret that we cannot attend because we recently died.”...
A church member criticized her pastor because he was preaching against sin in the lives of Christians. “After all,” she said, “sin in the life of a believer is different from sin in the lives of unsaved people.” “Yes,” replied the pastor. “It is worse.” While it is true that...
The New Covenant is wholly of God’s grace; no sinner can become a part of this New Covenant without faith in Jesus Christ. Grace and faith go together just as the Law and works go together. The Law says, “The man that doeth them [the things written in the Law]...
The hope of heaven is also an encouragement in times of suffering. As believers, we have our share of suffering; but in the midst of trials, we can rejoice “with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8). When unbelievers suffer, they get discouraged and they want to give...
Christian living is a matter of the will, not the feelings. I often hear believers say, “I don’t feel like reading the Bible.” Or, “I don’t feel like attending prayer meeting.” Children operate on the basis of feeling, but adults operate on the basis of will. They act because it...
The Beatitudes of Matthew 5 describe the attitudes that ought to be in our lives today. Four attitudes are described in the Matthew passage. Our attitude toward ourselves (5:3). To be poor in spirit means to be humble, the opposite of the world’s attitudes of self-praise. Our attitude toward our...
Paul gave the believers at Thessalonica the commandments of God regarding personal purity. The word commandments is a military term. It refers to orders handed down from superior officers. We are soldiers in God’s army, and we must obey orders. Paul reminded these new believers that sexual immorality does not...
Today our Lord as our High Priest is seated because His work is completed. There were no chairs in the Old Testament tabernacle because the work of the priests was never finished. Each repeated sacrifice was only a reminder that none of the sacrifices ever provided a finished salvation. The...