1 John 3:1
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
The main issue here is the free, unmerited love of the Father in bringing us into His family (a state of justification and [...]
Archive for the ‘Articles - By Bill Parker’ Category
1 Nov
A Study Of 1 John 3:1
28 Oct
What Kind Of Fruit Do We Bear?
“Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the [...]
28 Oct
The Excellence Of The Knowledge Of Christ
“Yea doubtless, and I count all things [but] loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them [but] dung, that I may win Christ,”
(Philippians 3:8)
There is no greater knowledge than that which God teaches all His children by [...]
24 Oct
Can A Regenerate Person Believe A False Gospel?
This article deals with a controversial topic that seems to have divided many people — “Can Regenerate Persons Confess a False Gospel?”.
I most certainly believe, as may the majority of you, that all issues must be settled by a careful study of God’s Word and not by our own subjective standards. Therefore, this article is [...]
22 Oct
God’s Highest Glory
A preacher may have some understanding of certain aspects of God’s character, and he may even preach the truth about these particular attributes of God. However, until he understands and preaches the particulars revealing how God justifies the ungodly based on the blood and righteousness of Christ he cannot and has not properly identified the [...]
22 Oct
A Study Of Psalm 103:11-12
“For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us.”
(Psalm 103:11-12)
To the ancient Hebrew the distance from east to west and “the depths of the sea” represented infinity. [...]
21 Oct
Something To Think About
Sinners will either be saved based on the righteousness of Christ alone, or they are debtors to do the whole law. It is either one or the other. If righteousness comes by the law (by our efforts to keep the law) then Christ died in vain. It is either all grace or all works, and [...]
19 Oct
Election And The Gospel
Ephesians 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Ephesians 1:4
According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Ephesians 1:5
Having predestinated us unto [...]
19 Oct
The Full And Simple Gospel Of Christ
“And I am sure that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.”
(Romans 15:29)
The “fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ” is the fullness of salvation in Him and by Him as the crucified, resurrected Redeemer, the one Mediator between God and [...]
19 Oct
Christian Living
Christian living is not an activity of obedience engaged in so as to obtain an eternal reward and inheritance. It is the activity of obedience engaged in because Christ has already obtained our eternal reward and inheritance.
It is not activity aimed at making ourselves righteous and holy before God. It is the obedient activity of [...]
19 Oct
The Nature Of God’s Grace
The nature of God’s grace is such that it leaves no possibility for salvation, perfection, eternal life and glory, but that which is found only in the Lord Jesus Christ and based upon His accomplishments in His obedience unto death.
The proof of this is His own resurrection from the dead and His ascension unto the [...]
19 Oct
God Hears Only The Righteous
“The LORD is far from the wicked: but He heareth the prayer of the righteous.” (Proverbs 15:29)
Prayer is an intimate communication of the child of God unto His heavenly Father through the Lord Jesus Christ (Hebrews 4:14-16).
This is why God is far from those who do not come to Him in faith through His Son. [...]
19 Oct
God Must Deal With Our Sin
It is a fact that God who is holy and just and righteous MUST punish our sins. He will by no means clear the guilty (Exodus 34:7), and the soul that sins must surely die (Ezekiel 18:4,20) because death is the just wages of sin (Romans 6:23).
If God were to fail to punish even one [...]
19 Oct
Revising History Or Revealing History
The focus of all the inspired Scriptures is the fulfillment of all God’s promises and intent in the Person and work of Jesus Christ.
This includes the single, historical act of Christ to put away the sins of His people (Old and New Testament believers) and to work out, establish, and finish the righteousness based upon [...]
19 Oct
The Cause Of Christ’s Death
“Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin.”
(Isaiah 53:10)
The first and ultimate cause of His death is God the Father. Christ was set up from eternity by Divine decree to be the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”
Although [...]
18 Oct
Reconciled In One Body By The Cross
“and might reconcile both in one body to God through the cross, having slain the enmity in it,”
(Ephesians 2:16)
There was such enmity between Jews and Gentiles that it took the greatest of all works to bring them together.
It took the work of Christ on the cross. As we see the glory and power of the [...]
18 Oct
Faith Is The Victory
Many people sing the old hymn “Faith Is the Victory.” We as true believers may wonder how this could be so because we know our faith is all too often weak and pitiful. Add to that the fact that so many have such a perverted view of faith.
They really have faith in their faith.
To many [...]
18 Oct
God Makes Us To Differ
One of the hardest lessons that we as believers must continually learn is that it is God alone who makes us to differ. The apostle Paul wrote of this to the church at Corinth when they were exalting preachers and pitting one against another.
He wrote this that they (and we) “might learn in us not [...]
18 Oct
Christ And Him Crucified
Any view or understanding of eternity and/or time that denies, diminishes, or even devalues the glory and necessity of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ is a perversion of the Gospel of God’s grace in Him. God’s preachers preach Christ and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2) and His righteousness established on the cross as [...]
18 Oct
It Is God That Justifies
“Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.” (Romans 8:33)
To be justified is to be declared righteous, not guilty, before God based on the finished work of Christ on the cross (His shed blood and imputed righteousness).
This was God’s purpose in eternity as we see that the [...]
16 Oct
A Short Study Of Romans 12:1
Romans 12:1
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
It is certainly not unreasonable to expect a sinner, who has been freely and unconditionally pardoned, redeemed, forgiven, justified, sanctified, who has been given the fulness of righteousness, [...]
11 Oct
The Righteous Shall Fourish And Grow
“The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.”
(Psalm 92:12)
First, who are the “righteous”?
They are sinners saved by the grace of God in, through, and by the Lord Jesus Christ.
If we are righteous before God, our righteousness is not our own but CHRIST’S righteousness imputed 9charged, accounted, given) [...]
11 Oct
The Lamb Slain From The Foundation
“And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship Him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”
(Revelation 13:8)
Christ was and is God’s appointed “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” for all God’s elect.
This verse in no way teaches any [...]
29 Sep
A Study Of Matthew 6:19-20
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:”
(Matthew 6:19-20)
No matter how much we accumulate of material goods and [...]
28 Sep
How Am I To Worship God?
“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”
(John 4:23-24)
We thank God for the freedom we have to worship [...]
28 Sep
“Lay Not Up For Yourselves Treasures Upon Earth”
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:”
(Matthew 6:19-20)
No matter how much we accumulate of material goods and [...]
28 Sep
God’s Absolute Sovereignty
“For He saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.”
(Romans 9:15-16)
God’s absolute sovereignty in all things may be difficult [...]
28 Sep
Consider These Great Truths
· The great truths of God’s power and faithfulness to save all whom He has promised to save by Jesus Christ through His blood and righteousness alone and not by the supposed righteousness of sinful men.
· The great truth that all of salvation is by grace, not by physical heritage, not by the will of [...]
28 Sep
Encourage One Another
God did not allow Moses to lead Israel into the promised land. That task was given to Joshua whose name means “saviour.”
Moses typified the law which cannot bring sinners into the promised land of salvation. Joshua typified Christ our Savior who kept the law for us and died for our sins. He alone brings [...]
28 Sep
Necessary Obedience And Good Works
“And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.”
(Titus 3:14)
For true believers obedience to God and good works are not options. They are necessities.
They are necessary not in order to gain, maintain, earn, or deserve salvation or any part of it but because of the grace of [...]
28 Sep
Sin Imputed To Our Perfect Saviour
The Bible never states that Christ was made a sinner on the cross.
It states that He was “made sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
The fact that this was by a legal act of imputation (God charging the sins of His elect to Christ’s account) does not make it any less real.
Those who call this a legal fiction [...]
28 Sep
Christ Bearing Our Sins In His Own Body
“Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”
(1 Peter 2:24)
Some today claim this verse teaches that the corruption of our sins was imparted or infused into the body of Christ. They insist that [...]
28 Sep
“Out With The New; In With The Old”
The Gospel of God’s grace in Christ is an old and eternal message. Man comes up with new ways, but they are false and deadly to the soul.
Our salvation has been accomplished by Christ who died on the cross and arose again for our justification. Our salvation is secured by His shed blood and [...]
28 Sep
How Can Christ Claim Our Sins To Be His Own?
“O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from Thee.”
(Psalm 69:5)
This Psalm is a messianic psalm, one that sets forth the glory of Christ as Messiah in prophecy, type, and revelation. These words not only apply to King David and, in essence, to all believers, sinners saved by grace, but they [...]
28 Jun
All Of Christ And All In Christ
Everything in true Christianity is built upon and centers around Christ crucified and risen again. This is why TRUE Christians cannot and do not differ over how God saves sinners. It is by His free and sovereign grace in the glorious Person of Christ who is God the Son in sinless human flesh (John 1:14), [...]
28 Jun
Faith Comes By Hearing The Word Of God
Believers sometimes ask for more faith and stronger faith. We must pray to God as faith is His gift to us through the Lord Jesus Christ. We must, however, realize that God does not give faith mystically, magically, or without means. The means of faith in its growth and continuance is the Word of God [...]
28 Jun
Iniquity Laid On Christ
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on HIM the iniquity of us all.”
(Isaiah 53:6)
We trust Christ our risen Savior who died on the cross to put away all our sins. All our sins, not one omitted, were laid upon [...]
28 Jun
No Loopholes
Just before the death of actor W. C. Fields, a friend visited Fields’ hospital room and was surprised to find him thumbing through a Bible. Asked what he was doing with a Bible, Fields replied, “I’m looking for loopholes.”
Men often look for loopholes in the law to avoid paying taxes or to side-step the [...]
28 Jun
“But By The Grace Of God, I Am what I Am”
“But by the grace of God, I am what I am”
1 Corinthians 15:10
Brethren, that which distinguishes us from the world can be summed up in one word – GRACE!
Now it is certain that most people who claim to know and love the grace of God do not know the reality of it, but that does [...]
28 Jun
Fruit Bearers, Not Fruit Producers
“Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.” (Romans 7:4)
One of the great and gracious results of our union with Christ by faith [...]
28 Jun
Obedience From The Heart
Romans 6:17
“But ye have obeyed from the heart”
This obedience is the obedience of faith in Christ and repentance of dead works that comes by the sovereign power of the Holy Spirit in the new birth. The “heart” is the mind, affections, and the will. It is the very center being of a person. This [...]
28 Jun
God Helps The Needy
“But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: Thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.”
(Psalm 40:17)
One who seeks to justify doubts concerning his own salvation may reason like this – “I don’t doubt the power of the blood of Christ to cleanse me from [...]
28 Jun
Buying Without Money And Without Price
“Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.”
(Isaiah 55:1)
Many of you may have heard or read the acronym of the word “GRACE” which goes like this:
G (God’s)
R (Riches) [...]
28 Jun
“My Grace Is Sufficient”
God’s grace is sufficient (more than enough) to save all His people in and by the Lord Jesus Christ. God’s grace is sufficient to redeem all His people in and by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and justify them completely based on His righteousness alone. God’s grace is sufficient to regenerate and convert [...]
28 Jun
“Set Your Affection On Things Above”
“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.”
(Colossians 3:1-3)
We have all heard it said that [...]
27 Jun
Total Fulfillment Of The Heart
Solomon wrote God:
“hath made every thing beautiful in His time: also He hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.”
(Ecclesiastes 3:11)
Setting “the world in their heart” means that God has implanted in the heart of [...]
24 Jun
Fruit Unto God Or Fruit Unto Death?
Romans 7:4
Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
Romans 7:5
For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, [...]
24 Jun
How Can God Justify The Ungodly?
God says it is an abomination to justify the wicked, and it is equal to declaring an innocent person guilty (Proverbs 17:15). God also says, “He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him:” (Proverbs 24:24)
It is not right for us to declare wicked people [...]
24 Jun
Avoid The “Self” Sins
The “self” sins are self-righteousness, self-pity, self-sufficiency, self-admiration, self-love, and I’m sure there are others. They dwell too deep within us and are too much a part of our fallen sinful human natures to come to our attention till the light of God in Christ is focused upon them.
How can we avoid these sins? [...]
24 Jun
God’s Call And Justification
“And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.”
(Genesis 7:1)
God’s call to Noah and his family to enter the ark was:
(1) THE CALL OF GRACE – “And the LORD said unto Noah” – The first thing [...]
23 Jun
“Led By The Spirit Of God”
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”
(Romans 8:14)
To be “led by the Spirit of God” is to be led to Christ for all salvation, righteousness and eternal life. It is to be led in sorrow over sin and repentance, not so as to despair [...]
23 Jun
How Do We Pray?
Some people pray proudly so as to be seen and heard of men. They do this under the guise of claiming it is their witness before men. Others pray repetitiously thinking persistence with God will wear Him down and finally pay off. They do this under the guise of faith. Some pray despairingly with tears [...]
7 Jun
What Happens In The New Birth?
A study of John 3:3-8
One of the most misunderstood subjects in the Bible is the new birth. In the 1970’s we heard so much about “born-again Christians.” A woman even stated on a TV program that she had been a Christian for over 20 years and had not been born again yet. Of course this [...]
7 Jun
A Continual Reminder
We who are called of God as ministers of the gospel and as ambassadors of Christ must continually preach the Gospel. The Gospel is to be our main message, and it should permeate all that we preach. We must continually preach the ground of salvation, Christ crucified and His righteousness imputed, as it is the [...]
7 Jun
Can We Know For Sure?
The issue of assurance of salvation seems to be a very touchy one amongst those who profess to believe the Gospel. This is due to a misunderstanding of what real assurance is. Those who profess to believe the Gospel will readily admit that God has an elect people, that He sent Christ to die for [...]
7 Jun
Imputed Or Imparted – Which?
One of the greatest debates amongst those who claim to be “Christian,” amongst various denominations, is this:
Are we saved based on an imputed righteousness, an imparted righteousness, or a combination of both?
This issue can be easily settled if we rely upon and bow to God’s Word.
First, what is righteousness?
Strictly speaking, when the Bible [...]
7 Jun
Christianity Vs Legalism
I read the following statement in an article — “The truth of the finished work of the cross will set you free from religious Christians who attempt to control and manipulate by attempting to put you under law for righteousness.”
The problem with such a statement is that it fails to recognize that legalism is not [...]
7 Jun
Justifying Faith And True Repentance
This is one of the most profound and theologically rich passages in the Bible. Here we have a clear description of the doctrine of justification based on the imputed righteousness of Christ without the deeds of the law. We also see one of the greatest examples of saving faith and true repentance in this autobiographical [...]
7 Jun
A Clear Understanding Of Gospel Repentance
Gospel repentance is a repentance which comes as the gift of God by the Holy Spirit as He enlightens our minds to the Gospel — God’s promise to save guilty, defiled, hell-deserving sinners, freely give them all of salvation (including the work of the Holy Spirit in them), and entitle them to all of heaven [...]
7 Jun
Sanctification And Belief Of The Truth
2 Thessalonians 2:13
But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
The instrument or the means by which God the Holy Spirit brings a regenerated (quickened) sinner to [...]
7 Jun
Election And Definite Atonement
There are so many misconceptions of the Gospel truths of election and definite atonement. These misconceptions are fostered mainly by natural prejudices and misunderstandings concerning what the Bible teaches about these blessed doctrines of grace. The goal of this article, if God be pleased to use it, is to remove the prejudices against election and [...]
7 Jun
The Glory Of God In The Gospel
2 Corinthians 4:6
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
In this verse God the Holy Spirit gives us one of the most comprehensive statements in the Bible concerning the [...]
7 Jun
The Nature And Scope Of Justification
Most everyone who claims to be “Christian” will agree that a sinner must be justified in order to be saved and go to Heaven.
But what exactly is justification?
How is justification attained, and what does justification include?
These are matters with which most who call themselves “Christian” disagree, and yet these are matters that are fundamental to [...]
5 Jun
“We Preach Not Ourselves, But Christ”
2 Corinthians 4:5
“For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.”
There are many, many ways in which false preachers preach themselves and avoid preaching Christ and the Gospel of salvation conditioned on Him alone.
When does a man preach himself instead of preaching Christ?
(1) When he preaches salvation, [...]
5 Jun
“Not With Wisdom Of Words”
The Apostle Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 1:17 that his primary mission, and this is the primary mission of all God-sent preachers, was to preach the Gospel–God’s promise of salvation and final glory conditioned on the imputed righteousness of Christ. Here, he states that he did not preach the Gospel “with wisdom of words.”
Paul did [...]
5 Jun
Christ Lifted Up
John 12:32
“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all (men) unto me.”
This language refers not only to the fact of Christ’s death on the cross but also the very nature of that substitutionary death. His death accomplished redemption and all that it includes according to God’s promise of salvation conditioned [...]
5 Jun
Identifying True Christians
The Apostle Paul gives us four identifying marks of a true Christian in the following –
Philippians 3:3
For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
(1) “We are the circumcision” — God’s elect who have been born again by the Spirit of [...]
4 Jun
“Ye Must Be Born Again”
A short study of John 3:7
Christ told Nicodemus that the new birth could only be seen and understood by its effects (John 3:8).
What is the NEW BIRTH?
What actually takes place in a sinner when he is born from above by the Spirit of God?
That sinner is REGENERATED (given life or quickened) and RENEWED (converted in [...]
4 Jun
The Necessity Of Right Doctrine
True knowledge revealed and defined in the Gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation, is the means which God uses to save His people and secure them in His fellowship (Romans 1:16-17).
It is this truth revealed that God uses to glorify Himself in our hearts, to exalt Christ and give Him all the [...]
4 Jun
What Is The Simple Gospel?
Many people today talk about the word gospel, but few ever define specifically what they mean by the gospel. For example, most will agree that a person must believe the gospel in order to be saved, but most do not agree on what the gospel is. It is easy to say that the gospel is [...]
4 Jun
The Final Act Of Christ Our Mediator
When we studied Christ’s mediatorial office as king, we listed His duties as king. They were as follows:
A. To bring all of God’s elect, all who He redeemed, into the kingdom (John 17:2; John 6:37-40; John 10:16). As our King He sovereignly brings us under the sound of the Gospel and sends the Holy Spirit [...]
4 Jun
A Look At Man
Chapters One and Two of Genesis give an account of how God brought the world into being and created man in His own image (Genesis 1:26-29, Ecclesiastes 7:29). God gave to Adam the law concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:15-17). How long Adam remained obedient we do not know, [...]
4 Jun
This Ministry
“Therefore seeing we have THIS MINISTRY, as we have received mercy, we faint not.”
(2 Corinthians 4:1)
We who have been saved by the grace of God have the greatest responsibility. We have “this ministry”, the ministry of the Gospel of God’s grace in Christ Jesus.
This is a ministry of salvation as we tell sinners of God’s [...]
4 Jun
Heart Faith In Christ
“For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
(Romans 10:10)
Saving faith that God imparts to and implants in our hearts by His Spirit in the new birth is not a blind leap in the dark, nor is it wishful thinking, hope without substance, or positive determination. [...]
4 Jun
Trust In The Lord And Do Good
“Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.”
(Psalm 37:1-3)
While we as [...]
3 Jun
“Be Careful For Nothing”
There is a marked difference between being concerned and careful about the important matters of our life and being anxious over things to the point that it drives us to despair. It is said that an average person’s anxiety is focused on — 40% on things that will never happen, 30% on things about the [...]
3 Jun
Christ – God’s Just Delight
“A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.”
(Proverbs 11:1)
We are always disgusted with injustices done on earth in our legal system, when criminals go free because of loop-holes or technicalities in the law, when innocent people are falsely accused and punished. God has given every man a [...]
3 Jun
There Is Forgiveness With God
The psalmist asked, “If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?” (Psalm 130:3).
The answer is – NO SINFUL HUMAN BEING.
One of Job’s friends asked, “How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?” (Job 25:4).
Our only hope of salvation is [...]
3 Jun
What Is Truth?
When Christ was on trial before Pontius Pilate, He told Pilate, “… To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice” (John 18:37).
Pilate responded with the question, “What is truth?” (John [...]
3 Jun
“It Is Finished”
“It Is Finished” – John 19:30
What a treasure chest of truth is to be found in these few words of our blessed Savior on the cross!
What exactly did He finish in His suffering unto death?
(1) All prophecy in the Old Testament concerning Him was fulfilled – “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye [...]
3 Jun
What Are You Worth?
Men speak of what they are worth, and they immediately think of their earthly pedigree or possessions of money, land, stocks, bonds, gold, silver, etc. This is such a low estimate of life and reflects only the depravity of our hearts. The worth and value of your life cannot be measured by what you possess [...]
2 Jun
Faith, Faith And Faith
The title of this article may sound ridiculous, but if we consider the meaning of “faith” in the Scriptures, it makes perfect sense.
First, “faith” refers to the faithfulness OF CHRIST to fulfill all conditions of the covenant of redemption by His obedience unto death on the cross. This is the ground of our salvation as [...]
2 Jun
A Blessed Reality
The blessed truth that Christ died a judicial, legal death based on the sins of God’s elect imputed to Him in no way diminishes the reality of what He Himself suffered unto death nor what we as the ones for whom He died receive as the result of His death.
His death based on sin imputed [...]
2 Jun
We Worship God In Christ
We as “Christians” worship God as He identifies Himself in His Word, as He reveals Himself in Christ, and as He draws us to Himself by His Spirit. We worship God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, the true and living God in the Trinity of His sacred Persons.
We worship ONE [...]
1 Jun
Christ Crucified – The Heart Of The Gospel
Christ and Him crucified is the heart of the Gospel.
Everything in a sinner’s salvation points back to the glorious Person and finished work of Christ on the cross. God’s electing grace before the foundation of the world pointed to Christ on the cross. God’s redeeming, justifying grace was accomplished in time by Christ on the [...]
1 Jun
Empty Assumptions Or Godly Assurance
Many times we assume, for various reasons, that we ourselves and others are Christians and going to heaven when they die. It may be they profess to believe in Jesus Christ. It may be they go to church, got baptized, attend the church regularly. It may they are moral in our eyes and dedicated to [...]
1 Jun
“Peace Through The Blood Of His Cross”
Colossians 1:20
“And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, [I say], whether [they be] things in earth, or things in heaven.”
Christ established peace between God and sinners when He died on the cross to put away the sins of His people. This is [...]
1 Jun
Who Are The Godly?
“But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for Himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto Him.”
(Psalm 4:3)
Who are the godly, and who are the ungodly?
A “godly” person is not one who is sinlessly perfect within himself. The godly person sees himself as a sinner and that his only [...]
1 Jun
Do Grace And Works Ever Mix?
Many people cannot reconcile the reality of God’s grace in salvation with the responsibility of believers to obey God’s Word, be careful and zealous in good works, and to strive diligently to be conformed to Christ in our character, thoughts and conduct. Some see grace as canceling out works altogether. Others see works as canceling [...]
1 Jun
Our Past, Present, And Future In Christ
What is the best way to describe a believer’s past, present, and future?
Let me present the following for your serious thought and consideration –
1) OUR PAST – We live our lives out of and based upon what Christ our Lord and Savior has already accomplished for us in the past — “But God forbid that [...]
1 Jun
Do You Love Christ And His Word?
Many who profess to believe in and love Christ and His Word are like the little girl who was invited to dinner at her friend’s home. The vegetable was buttered broccoli. The mother asked the little girl if she liked it. The little girl replied politely, “Oh, yes, I LOVE it!” But when the broccoli [...]
1 Jun
God’s Glory – The Standard Of All Judgment
We who believe the Gospel must judge all things by the standard of God’s glory, and we must seek to be motivated in all our desires by that same glory. It is our love and compassion, therefore, for lost sinners and our desire to see them saved that keeps us from compromising the truth concerning [...]
31 May
God’s Glory The Defeat Of Satan
Satan’s attacks are always aimed against God’s glory in salvation. It is in this context that we understand the wiles of Satan. Satan’s goal is to keep sinners in a state of condemnation, and his main weapon is deceit concerning the glory of God and the ground of salvation. Satan’s attacks are always aimed against [...]
31 May
God’s Redemptive Character
God’s redemptive character, how God reveals Himself in salvation, is His chief glory. We cannot properly identify the God of redemption, and, therefore, call on sinners to believe unto salvation, until we preach the particulars revealing how He justifies the ungodly based on the righteousness of Christ. Everything we preach by way of encouragement, warning, [...]
31 May
God’s Glory – His Ultimate Purpose
Everyone who believes the Gospel, every sinner in whose heart God has been glorified, has been given by God the Holy Spirit a threefold desire:
1) An honest zeal for the glory and honor of God.
2) A sincere concern for the preeminence of Christ.
3) A fervent desire for the salvation of sinners.
God’s foremost design in all [...]
25 Mar
God’s Glory – The Provision Of Salvation
“God is love” (1 John 4:10), and the greatest evidence of God’s love is His sending His Son to die to honor His character in the salvation of guilty sinners. By nature all men are “dead in trespasses and sins,” guilty, depraved, without spiritual life, incapable of thinking, feeling, choosing, acting, enjoying, or loving communion [...]
22 Feb
What Is Your Testimony?
In popular religion a convert is often called upon to give his or her testimony. Whenever these opportunities arise, most people begin telling the story of their own personal conversion. The stories are usually fraught with dramatic and emotional events and experiences. Many times they are accompanied with dreams, visions, and/or great changes in conduct. [...]
22 Feb
Great Joy And Comfort Out Of Trouble
Some of the greatest experiences of God’s grace and joy, and some of the greatest words of comfort and joy to God’s children have come out the adversity, trouble, and persecution of saints. For example, Paul was arrested and sent to Rome where he was in bonds when the Holy Spirit inspired him to write [...]
22 Feb
“Righteousness Exalteth A Nation”
Proverbs 14:34
“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin [is] a reproach to any people.”
Whenever we see verses like this, we could speak much of how nations ought to seek out and find just, fair, and honest leaders and judges. We could speak of how nations ought to adopt and enforce fair laws, take care of [...]
22 Feb
Listen To God
“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.” (Proverbs 12:15)
In the Bible, a fool is one who fails to recognize, seek, trust, worship, serve, and listen to God as He reveals Himself in the glorious Person and finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. [...]
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