JOURNAL INTRODUCTION
Welcome to BELIEVE! The grace of God transforms residents of earth into Citizens of Heaven who Believe in Jesus Christ.
Let’s consider our name for a moment. We are Big Valley Grace Community Church. Grace is at the center of who we are. In fact, we like to say, “Grace is our middle name.” The Bible teaches that it is by grace, through faith, in Jesus Christ alone that we can know the salvation of God.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8–9 ESV
This is an opportunity to focus on both our belief in Jesus as well as our belief about Jesus. As a church we have a Statement of Faith which is essential for the unity and practice of the members of this church and articulates what we believe about eleven essential topics beginning with the Authority of Scripture through to Marriage & Human Sexuality.
The goal of BELIEVE is to increase dialogue within our church family about these essential statements of our faith in Jesus Christ. As we increase dialogue around the Statement of Faith, we can expect to increase unity as a local body of believers who are embracing the same truth together.
I strongly recommend that you enjoy BELIEVE in a small group setting. By the end of this series, each person should be able to have a conversation about our Statement of Faith with another believer or even a person who is yet to believe and is curious about our beliefs.
We are so excited to go on this journey of grace together with you over the next twelve weeks.
Believe!
Pastor Joel
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT)
You are about to enter a wonderful journey with Christ in studying His Word. This journal is designed to help you and your family and friends dig deeper into the Word and apply the Word to your life. Each section is designed to help you interact with one of the themes of our series on “Believe.”
This journal is designed to engage various learning styles throughout the week to allow the Word to reach our minds, hearts, souls and lives through as many means as possible. We hope one or more of these interactions will help God’s truth come to life for you.
Have fun!
SERMON NOTES (auditory)
A lined page for you to take important notes covered by each of the weekend teachers. As your thoughts are stimulated, write them down here for future reference.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (oral, social)
Facilitate conversation and discussion around your dinner table as a family or with friends who are praying and supporting you through these questions crafted to get everyone talking.
JOURNAL (creative, visual)
Bullet journal pages are included to encourage you interact with the Word through artistic expression. Goals, action steps, prayers and reactions to the Word can be listed here. For more ideas on how to use these pages creatively, check out Bible journaling or bullet journals on Pinterest <Pinterest.com>.
MY PRAYER (reflective)
We encourage you to write out your prayers as the Lord speaks to you through His Word. Write your prayer as a personal letter to the Lord about what you are discovering, expressions of gratitude, and your requests.
DAILY DEVOTIONAL (solitary)
Five daily devotionals written by BVG staff, active members, and our REACH Partners help carry the impact of the theme throughout the week into your daily quiet time. Each devotional covers a theme that identifies with one of the themes, a personal story and application. Take time to go deeper each day using the Reflect questions on the backside of each devotional.
SCRIPTURE MEMORY (all styles can be implemented)
Make an effort for you and your family to memorize. There is incredible value in hiding God’s Word in one’s heart! We have a special certificate that we would like to give to each family/person who successfully memorizes these passages of Scripture.
SCRIPTURE MEMORY VERSES
Memorize and recite all 12 verses together and receive a special certificate from BVG.
Complete and return the form found in the back of this book to redeem your certificate.
(The verses listed below are in the ESV version, but feel free to use any version you are comfortable with.)
WEEK 1 — Why Study Biblical Doctrine?
2 Timothy 2:15 — Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
WEEK 2 — Authority of Scripture
2 Timothy 3:16-17 — All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
WEEK 3 — Triunity of God
John 14:16-17 — “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”
WEEK 4 — The Person & Work of Jesus Christ
Ephesians 2:4-7 — But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
WEEK 5 — The Ministry of the Holy Spirit
Galatians 5:22-25 — But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
WEEK 6 — The Creation & Fall of Man
Romans 6:23 — For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
WEEK 7 — The Salvation of Mankind
Romans 5:8 — but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
WEEK 8 — Human Destiny
John 14:1-3 — “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also.”
WEEK 9 — The Existence of Satan & Evil
Revelation 12:10-11 — And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.”
WEEK 10 — The Church of Jesus Christ
Ephesians 2:19-22 — So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In Him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
WEEK 11 — The Great Commission
Matthew 28:19-20 — “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
WEEK 12 — Marriage & Human Sexuality
Genesis 2:23-25 — Then the man said,
“This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
because she was taken out of Man.”
Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.
How firm a foundation, you saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He has said,
to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?
INTRODUCTION
This traditional church hymn dates back more than 200 years, but it still holds a treasure trove of truth. The Bible presents the whole of God’s message to us. Though we visit God regularly in prayer and ask Him to speak to us by the Holy Spirit, and at times may clearly sense a leading in various decisions, the most reliable source for God’s truth and God’s voice remains the Holy Bible. We often refer to it as the Word or the Word of God which signifies His speaking to us, even as it marks the authority of it over our lives. As such, the Holy Scriptures alone serve as the authority from which derives every thought in this devotional study as it pertains to the essential and distinctive Christian doctrines (teachings) of the Bible. Moreover, these doctrines set apart Christianity from all other world religions and prove useful in guiding our lives.
The Bible in its present form came to us through an unbroken chain of history and tradition. For centuries, scholars, scribes, and devotees have preserved it faithfully. In essence, it is the most reliable history of God’s people on earth due to the diligence of its guardians. Furthermore, in theological terms, we regard the Bible as a closed canon of God’s instruction. This means that the Bible reserves supremacy over every other authority, and it prohibits expansion of any sort by its own proclamation (Revelation 22:18-19).
A CONTIGUOUS HISTORY
Though we regard the Bible as single unit, it comprises many parts. The largest division occurs between the testaments: the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament refers to scriptures that come to us through the Hebrew/Jewish tradition. This section has a long history which traces back to the beginning of creation. The Jews have zealously carried these scriptural treasures for millennia.
God inspired the various writers of the thirty-nine books contained in the Old Testament over collective centuries. The author’s peers and successive generations confirmed and preserved their authenticity through scribal practice which meticulously copied the texts for distribution to synagogues where rabbis taught the Scripture. Though some have scrutinized the scriptures, the finding of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947 verified the integrity of the scriptures. Though a span of time had lapsed between archeologically discovered and preserved copies, these scrolls validate scribal accuracy.
While God spoke into history, a time came about 400 years prior to Jesus’ birth where God appeared silent. We call this time the intertestimental period. God’s people waited with great expectation for God to speak again, and He did so in Jesus Christ. The book of John chapter one cites Jesus as the Word himself. Thus, the most important connection between the Old and New Testaments relies on the messianic prophecies. These prophecies of the coming Christ detail numerous aspects which clearly identify Jesus as the Messiah. In 1825, a completed Jewish Scholar, who came to accept Jesus as the Messiah, noted 456 Old Testament scriptures that point to the Christ, all of which Jesus Christ fulfilled.
THE INTERSECTION OF THE OLD WITH THE NEW
With Jesus’ coming, God spoke once again for a time during the New Testament period through Christ Himself and a collection of firsthand witnesses contemporary to Jesus in addition to a few directly interacting with those witnesses. The New Testament begins with gospels, which means Good News. These gospels include accounts of Jesus’ ministry in word and deed. Each gospel bears a particular focus to a specific audience, but collectively we have an accurate and complete account of Jesus’ life and God’s message of grace to all mankind as God intends. By complete, we do not mean that we hold in the Bible every minute or day of Jesus life, but we do possess all that God chooses to say to us in it. This understanding informs how the Bible speaks to us in our daily lives and puts at ease our many unanswered questions.
Christians inherit the Old Testament from the Jews, who faithfully tested and preserved it. But, the New Testament Canon took a few centuries to authenticate and codify. The early Church circulated various parts of the New Testament from its inception. As the early Church circulated these various letters from Paul and others together with the Gospels, other writings surfaced as well. Since various and numbered writings circulated, church leaders soon recognized the importance of authenticating these writings as inspired from God. Almost all the accepted books correlate to the Apostles who witnessed and encountered the life of Jesus. Yet, they made a few exceptions with Mark and Luke, knowing that they had a direct connection to one of the twelve.
Additionally, leaders in the late fourth century A.D. determined that the larger community of believers must attest to authenticity of the twenty-seven books we now preserve in the New Testament of the Bible. Eventually, the councils, which finalized these decisions, put the writings to various tests regarding content. The books in question must not contradict the central teachings derived from the Apostles’ teaching in other texts. Although the councils closed the canon with the twenty-seven books hold as the New Testament church, the Catholic Church does acknowledge a few additional books known as the Apocrypha due to some of the controversy in the matter. The church councils of the late fourth century, though, held these as disputable in all their merits. Therefore, the larger Christian Church holds to the historical precedent set in the fourth century as more reliable and authoritative in renouncing any writings other than the twenty-seven books of the New Testament. The Apocrypha holds no authority whatsoever.
In all, the various books provide teaching about many central truths critical to the Christian faith, and they also, in many cases, provide practical instruction for daily living. For this reason, even today, believers often find the New Testament much more practical. However, we should never forget that those teachings had their roots in Old Testament values. For this reason, Christians often draw connections between New Testament teaching and the Old Testament, finding application of Old Testament principles which provide a practical basis for us in New Testament living. Furthermore, the Bible makes reference to the “living and active” Word (Hebrews 4:12) and the importance of Scripture memory (Deuteronomy 11:18). Overall, committing the Scripture to memory facilitates a presence of mind that informs good decision-making consistent with the will of God.
FOUNDATIONS FOR INTERPRETATION
In all, the Bible holds several different types of writings. Understanding these various genres, their nature, and purpose remains critical in how Christians today effectively interpret and apply the truths in the Scripture to their lives. For example, a historical account where God speaks into the life of historical individuals may not directly or literally find application today as in the case of an animal sacrifice. However, the Apostle Paul in the New Testament does figuratively apply the idea of sacrifice when he urges believers to offer themselves as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). Additionally, other portions of the Bible sometimes use metaphor and symbolism to communicate ideas. These, too, while they bear truth, do not necessarily manifest literally. Therefore, students of the Bible should take care in identifying the genre or type of passage they read so they can make sense of how to apply God’s truth to their lives.
Depending on how we name them or divide the types of genres, the list may differ. The various ways that scholars generally break the Bible into these categories varies because some of the categories deserve subsets under more critical study. But, in general, we can understand the Bible in six genres: histories, instruction, wisdom, poetry, letters, and prophecy. The most important part of considering these forms relates to how a person should best read each for understanding. Though we may attribute each of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament to a dominant genre, many of those books bear multiple personalities. For example, some of the narrative histories may incorporate sections of poetry or instructive material. Additionally, narratives may provide instructional application in lessons learned.
For the most part, the narratives serve as histories, telling stories in which God interacts with mankind and intervenes on their behalf. Instructive material comes to us in the Laws of God in the Old Testament, prophetic material, and the later letters (epistles) of the New Testament.
The Wisdom literature of the Old Testament provides both practicable truths and probabilities of truth which may not necessarily equate with promises in every case. Some of these truths may apply more universally while others upon conditions. Psalms, for example, may incorporate elements of wisdom and history in poetic form. The poetry of the Bible in the case of the Psalms often bears a musical element or application in the service of corporate worship. However, we find poetical structures and forms within the prophets, the letters of Paul, wisdom literature, and other books, as well. Often, the poetic or psalmic form finds use in memorization of the Bible in the original languages. Though difficult, translators often attempt to preserve this artistic sense when translating the Bible from the original to secondary languages.
All this information may overwhelm us, but it should not. Rather, it should make us all the more aware of the need to work with a study Bible which includes study helps such as introductory information and other aids that help us to understand the history and the context of writing all of which inform our understanding. Additionally, various commentaries, dictionaries, word studies, maps, and encyclopedias that explain various nuances and details of the Bible book or a particular passage will aid Christians in navigating the depths of Scripture. In all, this is a lifelong pursuit that brings much joy, peace, and confidence for a life lived through faith.
INTERPRETATION
Since no one speaks the original Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek from the original texts, partly because even modern variations of these languages have evolved, every translation or version of the Bible bears some aspect of interpretation. The difficulty with translation into other languages such as English further complicates the matter and continues to challenge translators as the English language continually grows as English word meanings sometimes morph across generations.
For this reason, most translations result from a team of well-educated scholars who discuss the intricacies of the matter, knowing how it will affect the average reader. Still, the large catalogue of various translations speaks to the many ways that people are drawn to consume the Word of God. Certain interpretive phrases clarify a point, but in reality, they often sacrifice something in doing so. Therefore, most people benefit from reading multiple accredited translations of a specific passage. Synthesizing Bible insights from differing translations together with commentaries or other supports aid the student of the Bible in getting the most from it, which in every case promises to lead us into the “abundant life” that Jesus promises (John 10:10).
Even this being the case, we can draw a distinction between a paraphrase which seeks to amplify or explain the essential meaning and a translation which seeks to retain a more direct connection to the original without interpretation as much as possible. None of these paraphrases or translations desires to add, alter, or diminish the sacred canon of Scripture. Yet, they help illumine the essential meaning when studied in parallel, especially when studied with others.
GOD AT THE CENTER—THEOCENTRICITY
At all points, we should approach the Bible Theocentrically, At all points, we should approach the Bible theocentrically, putting God at the center. The Bible is God’s story of His ministry to His creation, a story of judgment and redemption. God’s judgment comes quickly with Adam and Eve’s fall into sin during their time in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). This occurs as a result of God creating humans with the capacity of free will. We must choose obedience in following Christ. However, our selfish desires and innate flaws naturally and unavoidably lead us astray. A holy God cannot tolerate willful disobedience. Therefore, He cast Adam and Eve from the garden paradise. But, the story does not end here.
This makes opportune God’s mercy and redemptive love. The rest of the Bible chronicles God’s redemptive plan over numerous millennia and foretells God’s ultimate redemption in the creation of a New Heaven and Earth, Paradise restored in Revelation 22, the last chapter of the Bible. Therefore, as we read the various books of the Bible, we should keep God’s redemptive purpose and message in mind. The Bible is not the record of human history, but a dialogue between God and mankind, expressing His plan, His purpose, and His grace. Essentially, whenever God pronounces judgment, He always provides a means of redemption—God at the center.
Moreover, since the Bible is God’s Word to us, we best not at any time say, “what it means to me.” The Bible speaks. We listen. Therefore, we should apply ourselves to good listening, which in the Hebrew sense also carries the idea of obedience. Overall, we must apply ourselves to learning how to listen to God through Scripture. This requires serious study and a supporting community of likewise dedicated believers.
AN INCOMPREHENSIBLE GOD
Early church father, John Chrysostom writes, “A god comprehended is no god at all.” Consider for a moment all of creation, its intricacies, and its mysteries. Occasionally, science discovers another wonder in the universe or something at the microscopic level which astounds us. Yet, we must remember that God created all of it and nothing escapes His infinite knowledge, even our thoughts—every single thought from all of humanity, throughout all of history, and all at once. He exists in eternity without any bounds whatsoever to time. Such a thought escapes us. We think in such limited terms, restricted by our experience and knowledge, yet God transcends any bounds—time, space, or dimension. Such considerations astound us and remind us that we best leave some things a mystery. When it becomes necessary or purposeful for our benefit, God will reveal it to us and not before. In fact, our propensity to force matters generally gets us into trouble. Knowledge appealed to Adam and Eve, and the pursuit of it in disobedience compounded their troubles.
An attitude of faith that wholly trusts in God proves the best response to our questions, and an attitude of awe and worship will also better serve us. When I consider that the God of the Universe chose to send His Son to die for my sins, I lay prostrate before Him. When it comes to problems, some people say, “Why me?” When I evaluate my life, I say to God, “Why me—why did you choose to love unlovable me?” And even when I face uncertain or hard times, I know that the all-knowing and ever-present God will walk with me through it. This knowledge produces unimaginable and unexplainable peace because this incomprehensible God holds my life in His hands. God’s love confounds me more than any other mystery.
A CHILDLIKE FAITH
Children accept truth more readily and simply than adults. With experience and knowledge too often comes doubts and disbelief. Many of life’s experiences give rise to unanswerable questions.
To this phenomenon, Jesus speaks this essential truth: “Truly I say to you, unless you change and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3 NASB). One songwriter expresses it this way: “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so…”
This children’s refrain should remain foundational to staying centered in the faith. The simplicity of a child’s acceptance to Jesus’ love bears significant consequence in everyday living as we face various trials and tribulations.
James admonishes adults with these strong words: “Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4 NASB). Though our difficulties and the troubles of this world often raise questions, a childlike faith trusts that God wants us to lack nothing. Therefore, we look heavenward for the consummation of all the good that God plans for us.
The Apostle Paul speaks to this same perfecting plan of God: “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6 NASB). If we should come to question anything, we must return to where we started—a childlike faith. God’s eternal Word speaks to us, assuring us of God’s “good work” among us and in us, while He prepares us for meeting Him face to face.
A SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY
As we develop an understanding about complex matters of the faith, we need to take into consideration the meaning of specific passages in their local setting, but also the context of the whole Bible. Thus, a systematic approach will improve our understanding. This means that wherever we have difficult questions, we should resolve these through an investigation of the whole Bible. This remains particularly true when understanding the Old Testament because so much of the Old Testament foreshadows the New Testament. Yet, in its foreign setting, we do not understand its purpose from our current perspective. For instance, as Abraham readies to sacrifice his son Isaac in obedience to God, God stops him and promises that He will provide the lamb for the sacrifice. And just as Abraham passes the test of faith, God provides a ram caught in a thicket. But, central to the life of Jesus, John the Baptizer announces Jesus as the Lamb of God (John 1:29). The two testaments are inextricably linked in multitudinous connection.
In other cases, questions raised by a given text find answers elsewhere. Therefore, as we consider the great doctrines of the Bible in this study, we will produce an understanding by gathering evidence from several scriptures in forming our theology. In one case, the Apostle Paul instructs that we are “saved by grace…through faith” (Ephesians 2:8). But, James, the brother of Jesus, admonishes his audience to act upon their faith (James 1:23). Systematically, then, we understand that we should live a life in obedience even though God saves us by His grace through faith. Faith is the corridor of God’s grace. Moreover, we should consider the lack of knowledge as a gift from God that directs to dependence upon Him who provides sufficiently in every circumstance (Philippians 4:19).
COMMUNITY VALIDATION AND PURPOSE
Key to the preservation of the integrity of the Bible, community plays a central role. Moreover, community includes more than just those believers with whom we associate. Community spans a larger scope which includes the Christian Church (all believers) as a whole, both present and historically. Though Peter refers to Christians as a priesthood of believers, which means that every person has direct access to God through Jesus Christ, we must remember that the New Testament as a whole highly values the fellowship and partnership in the Gospel. The practice of discipleship and Bible study together serves to test our understanding of what we read—and test it we should. Furthermore, we should even test what others say about the Bible with the Bible text itself. The best interpreter of the Bible is the Bible itself.
This brings us back to the importance of a trustworthy study method which we must cultivate over years of faithful reading and contemplation. Should we fail to consider the traditions and consensus of successive generations, we may likely fall to the whims of society and culture which in many cases do not adhere to the teaching of the Bible. The influence of ever-changing fads and popular opinion can cause us to question God’s authority and the authority of Scripture. Yet, we must hold tightly to Bible as the supreme authority and guide for our lives. In doing so, we will find the abundant life that Jesus promises. Conversely, deviating from God’s instruction ultimately results in sorrow and regret. This, again, points to the need of community support throughout our lives in the case of both interpreting the Bible and applying it to our lives. This idea serves as the basis for carefully and collectively participating in this study.
PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY
For these reasons, we undertake a study of the essential Christian teachings found in the Bible. We call these doctrines, which literally means teachings related to the documents or books within the Bible. In all, everyone should test these teachings with the Scripture itself so that when someone offers an interpretation, they can verify its truth through a careful and critical reading of the Biblical text, which includes consideration of the historical setting, context, historical meaning, and universal application as discussed earlier in the interpretive guidelines.
During this study, we do not want to tell you what to think or what to believe. Rather, we invite you on a journey of discovery as we investigate how various parts of the Bible formulate central beliefs about God and life. In all, we want to point you to the Bible as your personal guide to treasure and study, both independently and in community. This study should provide for you insight that helps illumine God’s truth.
Yet, we cannot understand any of it apart from what Augustine calls divine illumination. In coming to Christ, He gives us a new heart and mind, capable of understanding the essential truths of the Bible which bring us to faith as we open ourselves to God. Though we will still find many things difficult to understand, we persist in our pursuit of God. Furthermore, as we fulfill the Great Commission in our lives, we will find need of explaining God’s truth to others. This study will equip us in this earthly calling. Therefore, let us draw near to God and His Word where we will find clarity in those things that matter most in life and let us do this in community.
– What new things did you learn about God?
– If at all, how does this differ from previous understandings?
– What new questions come to mind as a result of this study?
– How did this study impact my faith about God and life?
– How can I apply what I learned in a practical way?
– Research and list Bible verses that support the topic here.
– Pick two verses and look them up in different translations.
– Choose a key verse to memorize on this topic.
WEEK 1
Why Study Biblical Doctrine?
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:15 (ESV)
Introduction
Justification by faith, sanctification, eternal security, and eschatology. These words, statements and phrases are part of what we, as followers of Jesus, call Biblical Doctrine. Why should we study or know Biblical doctrine? These truths are the foundations of the Christian faith. Studying them and understanding each one allows one to know why they believe what they believe. When this moment of understanding is reached, clarity of thought occurs and the ability to effectively articulate one’s faith and share that faith with another culminates in evangelism.
Why Study Biblical Doctrine?
In Matthew 22:34-40 Jesus tells His followers and those in the crowd the two greatest commandments. Of those two commandments, the first is to “…love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind…” (Matthew 22:37 NIV). This phrase is oft quoted by various Christians, authors, and pastors. Here in this verse Jesus tells us to love God with all our mind. An important encouragement from Jesus, to have a well-rounded faith in God. One that involves knowing why we believe what we believe because we have taken the time to study the Bible and understand the doctrines of the Christian faith. When one comes to faith in Jesus, accepting the truth and one’s need for salvation, there is a clear understanding of the depth of one’s sin. However, the Christian life does not simply stop, learning about God has just begun. God is an unfathomable Being, in that, we cannot exhaust the knowledge there is to be gained about God. Therefore, continuing to learn about God involves the studying and understanding of Biblical doctrine.
This, however, brings one back to the question of “why.” What is the purpose of studying and knowing one’s faith? Understanding purpose carries the weight and feeling of value and meaning. Therefore, understanding Biblical doctrine gives one value and meaning. Connect this truth to the opening statement of our article and the question of how the understanding of those statements impacts the believer. Imagine, one has made the decision to become an electrician. One does not simply make this decision and then become an electrician. A specific process and journey begin, requiring time, study, effort and even to the point of becoming an apprentice of a skilled and trained electrician. There are tests and certificates required before one is given the label of a journeyman electrician. In this same way, the Christian does not become Biblically-versed overnight. Instead, there is a process of study, including the process of becoming the apprentice of a skilled and trained disciple, one who has traveled the path of following Jesus and is further down the road. To embark on this journey of following Jesus without ever understanding Biblical doctrine would be akin to one becoming an electrician and re-wiring one’s own house without the tools, understanding or proper training.
As followers of Jesus there will be times when one’s faith is challenged. There will be moments when an objection is brought forth and there is, seemingly, no rebuttal. This is a difficult moment and one that happens for a plethora of Christians during their teenage years. Knowing Biblical doctrine well gives one the answers to tough questions regarding the Christian faith. As Paul says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom…” (Colossians 3:16 ESV).
Conclusion
Receiving the proper training gives one the proper foundation upon which to stand. This foundation operates similarly to the way the foundation of a house operates. Without the proper foundation, the walls crumble, crack and come crashing down. Therefore, without the proper understanding of Biblical doctrine the Christian, when his faith is challenged, the faith house comes tumbling down. Knowing why we believe what we believe is of the utmost importance. It allows the believer to know, own and share their faith effectively to give glory to God.
Contributed by Pastor Jeff Thompson, High School Ministries
Tossed By Opinions Or Standing In Truth
Ephesians 4:11-16
A friend in Slovenia calls himself a Christian, but in reality, he thinks the point of faith/spirituality is to piece together “truth” from various thinkers, religions, and philosophical sources. I have been trying to show him that the point is not to hunt for truth, but to be transformed by Biblical truth. Truth sets us free. But we need to remind ourselves of the truth constantly.
I have never been on a boat in a storm, but it must be scary because the disciples of Jesus who were hardened fishermen were frightened during storms on the Sea of Galilee. It must be a horrible sense of being out of control. Paul’s metaphor in Ephesians 4 is even darker, a child tossed back and forth in the midst of a tempest.
Slovene Reformer Primoz Trubar lived in the 1500’s, a dark, violent time of the black plague and Ottoman invasions into Europe. How did he encourage his beaten-down, peasant nation in the first printed Slovene book from 1550? He describes faith as trusting in God’s word, no matter what. “With such faith a Christian can stand and withstand in troubles and temptations.” “Stand and Withstand,” is inscribed on the Slovene one-euro coin! It’s a phrase every Slovene knows, but few have read it in context and fewer have this kind of faith.
What can you do when a virus hits the whole planet, when war erupts again in Europe, when our world, our lives, even our hearts, are not the way they should be? Know what the Bible says, know sound Biblical doctrine. Grow in faith; be transformed by the renewing of your mind through the Word. Stand and withstand firm in life’s trials and temptations.
NEXT STEP :: Lord, I submit myself to You and Your Word. Give me faith to believe Your Word, no matter what. Transform me, renew my mind, help me to grow and stand firm.
Contributed by Todd Hunnicutt, Reach Partner
We Can Trust In God’s Word
2 Timothy 3:16-17
Have you ever questioned the authority of the Word of God, whether it is still valid today? There will be times in our lives when we will not understand the why of God, or of the Word of God itself. It is during those times of questioning when the enemy, Satan, and false teachers will arise to try and take advantage of those questions, to distract us, to move us off our trust in God and His Word.
I can look back on my life and remember times when I did not understand why something was happening in my life, but when I looked more closely, I was being attacked by the enemy because of my faith, and I was driven to the word for answers. Remember, 2 Timothy 3:16 says: “all Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness”. It is only through the study of Scripture, memorizing, internalizing the Word—cherishing the Word in our hearts, that we can overcome and stand firm in the promises of God.
We live now in perilous times when false teaching is rampant within and without the churches, wickedness is glorified, and righteousness is looked upon as evil. We are attacked on all sides. We are in a spiritual war. We must look within ourselves and cleanse our hearts and humble ourselves before God. Trust in His word today—refute the false teachers among us with the truth of the word of God and stand firm in the spiritual battle we are in. Recognize the times in which we live, as we are on the cusp of His return.
NEXT STEP :: Pray today for wisdom that we should live in a worthy manner in this world, so that our lives would be an example to those around us. Trust in Him today to provide the answers and direction for your life. You can trust His word.
Contributed by Steve Carter
Signs Of The Times
Matthew 16:1-4
In these verses, the Lord Jesus is admonishing dishonest and sensation seeking listeners, who paid more attention to temporary weather patterns, than the “signs of the times”, which were of eternal significance and pointed to Him as the promised Messiah and Savior. In the German language there is a term for such a focus on current, momentary trends and it has been adopted into English: Zeitgeist = spirit of the times.
Shortly after I came to Christ a certain worship song was very popular: “Jesus is the answer for the world today” by Andre Crouch. The truth contained in this song is still valid today! However, we must recognize the fact that in today’s world we are confronted with issues, trends and deceptions unheard of back when this song first hit the charts. Yes, Jesus is and remains the answer, but the questions we now have to deal with are often radically different!
So where should we turn for guidance? Just adopt the ever-changing Zeitgeist and “go with the flow”? That would be a tragic mistake. Rather we should turn to the word inspired by God’s eternal Spirit for orientation. Some say: “C’mon, the Bible is just an old, outdated book!” They are wrong—the Bible is a timeless book! In it God not only reveals to us the signs of the times coming our way, but also how we should interpret them and be prepared to deal with them correctly.
Jesus told his disciples that whoever hears and digs deep into His word and acts upon it is like a man who builds his house upon a solid rock. It remains firm in the face of storms. In contrast, he who builds his house upon the shifting sands of current trends and views, it will be shaken and crumble (Luke 6: 47-49).
NEXT STEP :: God give us grace to stand firm and be effective in the times we now live in!
Contributed by Rocco Panepinto, Reach Partner
Sound Doctrine In A Healthy Church
Titus 1:5-9; 2:1-15
Paul continues to give instruction and encouragement concerning the ministry on the island of Crete by emphasizing the importance of teaching sound doctrine. Paul does not go on and use big words to define sound doctrine, but instead, he wants the understanding of the Word to be translated through our lives into daily practice.
“This is sound doctrine, Titus,” Paul says, “that the older men are to be sober.” That is, they should not be caught up in silliness or immature frivolity.
Sound doctrine means that older men are to be wise and not take life lightly. They need to be men that live for eternity and see the big picture of God’s Word.
Sound doctrine for women as they get older is to exhibit holy, whole, and spiritual interests for their daily lives. The ideal curriculum for a woman’s ministry is right here in verse five. Women that obtain Godly wisdom can teach the younger women how to love their husbands and their families, and to be great keepers of their homes.
Young men and women, likewise, are not to simply tell others what they should be doing but set the pattern to others with their own lives. Sound doctrine for the younger generation is that they live in such a way that those who are eager to condemn the Christian faith will find nothing to hold against them.
Once a person receives the free gift of salvation, he knows intuitively, innately, and immediately that he is to live righteously! Titus 2:14 tells us how: “Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.”
Knowing that He is coming back will affect everything you do!
NEXT STEP :: Lord Jesus, be the foundation of my life. Help me to know you better and live my life reflecting You in all that I do!
Contributed by Pastor Gordon Rumble, Congregational Care & Senior Adult Ministries
Be Like The Bereans
Acts 17:10-15
My mantra since becoming a Christian has always been “be like the Bereans, be like the Bereans.” What is so important about being like a Berean? Read on.
The Bereans were inhabitants of the city of Berea in Macedonia, known today as northern Greece in 50 AD. Except for these verses, there is little known about them. The apostle Paul visited them during his second missionary journey. This little visit not only changed their lives forever, but also gave us a valuable example of what sort of Christian we can choose to be once we have invited Christ into our hearts.
First, the Bereans were “more noble” because they willingly and eagerly embraced hearing the word of God (v. 11). They were not hesitant like the Thessalonian Jews (v. 13). Second, the Bereans examined what Paul told them in contrast to the Old Testament scriptures. They would not believe even what the apostle Paul said without checking against the Word of God first! Verse 11 also says they examined the Scriptures daily.
The Bereans are a model of how a person or community should respond to biblical teaching. We should have an eager and willing heart to learn from God’s Word from the pulpit, small groups, the internet, books, and all media but at the same time examine and investigate everything against the Bible and to never take anything at face value. That is what it means to “be like the Bereans.”
NEXT STEP :: Find a renewed eagerness to study God’s Word and examine everything from every source every day.
Dear God, give me an eagerness to study Your Word daily. Make it a habit for me to examine everything I read and hear and NOT take anything at face value without first checking against Your Word myself.
Contributed by Darryl One, Elder
WEEK 2
Authority of Scripture
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV)
Foundational Doctrine
The sixty-six books of the Bible in the Old and New Testaments complete the written record of God’s revelation to humankind without error in the original autographs, sufficient in providing the ultimate rule of faith and practice.
An Introduction to the Doctrine of Scriptural Authority
Christians reserve several terms for the Bible: the Holy Scriptures, God’s Word, Scripture, the Word, and His Truth. All of these point to the sacred nature of the biblical texts and its authority. Moreover, Christians hold the Bible as the supreme authority over their lives. While the Bible supports respect for people in positions of leadership, even as in obedience to Scripture, the Bible remains the ultimate and final word in all truth and all decision making. As such, believers must not yield to any authority that contradicts the teaching of the Bible. In practice though, Christians must prayerfully and wisely exercise such decisions in concert with the counsel of other wise believers who share a similar respect for Scripture. Additionally, as guided by the Holy Spirit, believers gain spiritual insight which informs these and many other everyday decisions. Therefore, gaining a substantial understanding of what the Bible says and how to apply it to practical living, remains the highest priority for the full living that Jesus promises when believers live in obedience.
The terms Old and New Testaments bear several layers of meaning. First, the Old predates the New. As mentioned previously, the Old Testament is derived from a long-standing Hebrew tradition which the Jews carried forward. The New Testament, as noted in the introductory material of this devotional journal, came later from the distributed writings which circulated through the early Church, which was birthed following the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But, the terms of age, Old and New, also refer to God’s covenant with humankind. The people living before Christ lived under the Law of Moses, thus the Ten Commandments. They looked forward to the promise of God and salvation through the Messiah. Conversely, those living after the time of Christ live in the age of grace because Jesus fulfilled the law. The law required payment for sin against the Law of Moses; Jesus paid that debt in full on the cross. Though He did not abolish God’s law or standard of living, believers do not follow the teaching of the Bible in order to earn God’s favor; they live obediently out of gratitude for all that God accomplished on the Cross. God’s goodness, unfailing love, and abundant promises elicit an allegiance from believers which emanates from a renewed mind and continues to develop through the regular study of His Word.
Finally, when reading a biblical text, it serves students of the Bible well to consider the historical context as this informs how to both interpret and apply the particular passage’s teaching to modern living. When combined with a knowledge of the purposes of each biblical genre, a historical understanding unfolds riches that greatly benefit the reader. Many supportive resources fill the bookshelves of the serious Bible student which include Bible maps, encyclopedias, word studies, and more. Of course, most of these resources also find digital formats to assist believers in the technological age. But, Christians call on these to help understand the Bible’s teaching, not to supplant its authority. Moreover, believers will find it most beneficial to study God’s Word together in community where they can pool their resources, knowledge, and experience in treasuring the Scripture as it blesses believers from its study. This helps deter misunderstanding. Overall, God speaks to us through the Bible unlike any other means, and for this reason we treasure its every page.
The Inspiration of God
All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; (2 Timothy 3:16)
When it comes to placing our faith in the Bible, we cannot escape the need for an understanding of inspiration. God speaks to believers today through the written record of His message as recorded by inspired writers. These writers, chosen by God, hold a special place in the lineage of those who place their trust in God. Thus, the authentication of their inspiration belongs first to those who bore witness to the truth in their message. Additionally, successive generations add to their validation as they test their writings by a multiplicity of witnesses and records. The chain of evidence remains unbroken for these inspired writers so that we can fully trust the Bible.
God’s Final Answer
You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, so that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I am commanding you. (Deuteronomy 4:2)
The Apostle John echoes the word of God through Moses in admonishing God’s people to not add or take away from the Scriptures (Revelation 22:18). Therefore, the sacred nature of the texts remains critical to understanding the Bible’s authority. God’s Word presents a complete record of all that He has to say to all people throughout all points in history. Anyone or any entity that suggests a companion text or a leader as authoritative over or in addition to the Bible violates its teaching as the exclusive authority from God.
A Timeless Textbook
For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. (Romans 15:4)
The Apostle Paul attests to the timeless nature of the inspired Word of God. Though the community of faith gathered inspired writings over numerous centuries, the incalculable value of the truth of the Bible serves people for all time. The Bible holds a rich history of God’s interaction with humankind and each of these accounts bear a lesson critical to our spiritual growth. Though many of the cultural settings and historical situations no longer remain today, all lessons in the Bible hold the power to change lives in profound ways.
The Promised Blessing
This Book of the Law…you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous… (Joshua 1:8)
God’s admonition stands for believers today. Think deeply about the Scripture, constantly. The terms, “day and night,” apply literally and figuratively. We need to contemplate God’s law every breathing hour. No hour of the day, day of the week, or month of the year escapes our need of God’s truth. Personal discipline that involves a constant awareness of God’s presence and His instruction assures the “abundant life” (John 10:10). Keeping the teaching of the Bible at the forefront of our minds, keeps us anchored in showers of blessing.
Contributed by Michael WJ Kopulos, M.Div
The Safeguard Of Faith
II Timothy 3:16-17
Isn’t it interesting how easily and rapidly both individuals and societies are enticed by heresy? Without a guide, we fall into error in a flash! We need a safeguard, a guardrail to keep us on track.
Good news! God has provided exactly what Christians need, THE BIBLE! Here is a totally reliable resource for Christians to keep life on track. These last days feature a multitude of “slick-talkers” with ideas to entice us away from obedient Christian living to all kinds of perversions loading us down with sin and leading us away with lusts that disable us from coming to truth. The Bible keeps us on track!
The Bible is reliable because of its CREATOR! We often think of the Gospels as written by four disciples, and the epistles as written mostly by Paul. But the author of Scripture is God! God guided the thoughts and the pens of the Bible writers. His Word was transferred by inspiration to the original manuscripts which have been transported and translated for us today—God’s light and guide for all godly people. The Bible is absolutely reliable.
The Bible is also reliable because of its CONTENT. It communicates how to receive and live abundant, everlasting life. Doctrine is the accurate teaching of who God is and what God desires from His people. Reproof and correction help us understand the “rights and wrongs” of godly living, guiding believers and setting us right when we go astray of God’s will.
By so doing, we—like Jesus himself—“increase in wisdom and maturity and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52).
NEXT STEP :: Heavenly Father, thank You for preserving Your Word through the ages. Thank You for having Your Word in a language that we can understand. Thank You for using Your Word in my life to not only to better know You, but also in how I ought to live. Holy Spirit, help me to know and apply the truth of Your Word to my life and bear fruit for You!
Contributed by Dr. Jim Huckaba
Scripture Has Stood The Test Of Time
Proverbs 30:1-6
Every word of God proves true; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you and you be found a liar. (Proverbs 30:6)
In the world today, sources of reliable truth are hard to find. This is not a new phenomenon. Even Pilate implored, “What is truth?” (Imagine his tone to be snide and rhetorical.) Jesus declared, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6).
It is not our job to “discover” our own individual truth. Collective truth has been revealed and is found and defined in the Bible already. Truth is the very expression of God.
“The words of the Lord are PURE words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. You shall keep them, O Lord, You shall preserve them from this generation forever” (Psalm 12:6,7).
Believers also have a Helper to discern Truth: the Holy Spirit. “However, when He, the SPIRIT OF TRUTH has come, He will guide you into all TRUTH” (John 16:13). What a great comfort!
God has granted us: 1. The SOURCE of Truth—Jesus (John 14:6) 2. The WORD of Truth—His Word, the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17) 3. The SPIRIT of Truth—The Holy Spirit (John 16:13)
“Every word of God proves true; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him” (Proverbs 30:6).
NEXT STEP :: Take confidence, refuge and security in the absolute Truth of God today.
Contributed by Theresa Heinrich
What Lasts Forever?
Matthew 5:18; 24:35
God’s Word (the Bible) is more relevant today than I imagined when I first believed. Perhaps through Holy Spirit empowered understanding, and constant use of His Word, my eyes see the truth and the lies, so I can discern the difference between good and evil (Hebrews 5:14). Today it is as if we are living in a twilight zone episode of contradictory realities. This is our test, and, in a way, the same test written about two-thousand years ago in Romans 1:18-32. God has made Himself evident in the natural revelation of creation; “…therefore we are without excuse… although they knew God, they did not glorify Him, they exchanged the truth about God for a lie…”. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has set eternity in the human heart”. What we choose to believe and how we live are serious matters. Yet how much time is spent watching “tell-a-lie-vision” or listening to news that only reports what sells (propaganda), instead of spending time reading our Bibles, the forever special revelation of God’s Word?
Jesus quoted scripture to the devil when tempted in the wilderness, demonstrating the enduring quality and reliability of the Word of God, in every trial and temptation (Matthew 4:1-4, Deuteronomy 8:3). As Christians, we can choose to fix our eyes on the unseen reality of eternity (2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Ephesians 6:12). We have been given everything we need to live a Godly life (2 Peter 1:3-4).
God’s Word has enduring standards that never change (Exodus 20:3-17, Deuteronomy 5:7-21). God’s Word has enduring promises that will never end (John 10:27-29, Psalm 145:13). “Although heaven and earth will pass away, God’s Word will never pass away” (Matthew 24:35).
NEXT STEP :: Father, give us wisdom to make things eternal the priority in our life, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Contributed by Brad Root
What Are We To Do With Scripture?
Joshua 1:8-9
After the death of Moses, God tasked Joshua with leading the Israelites to cross the Jordon River into the land He had sworn to give to their ancestors. This would seem to be an impossible mission requiring defeating and driving out the inhabitants of the land already living there. But, God promised that Joshua would be prosperous and successful, providing he meditate on the Scriptures, day and night, and that he be careful to do according to all that is written in it. As Joshua meditated on and obeyed God’s Word, God gave him success.
This is God’s promise to us as well. If we want God to prosper us and give us success, we must be diligent to daily meditate on His Word and obey it completely.
To meditate on Scripture means to think deeply and reflectively on what God is saying to us, and what He would have us do. Daily meditation on God’s Word renews our minds, and obeying it completely, transforms our lives. This is what we are to do with Scripture! This is God’s key for successful Christian living!
God discloses His combination for success to us repeatedly throughout the Bible (cf. Psalm 1:1-3; 19:7-14; 119:9-11, 97-104; Matthew 7:24-27; Romans 8:5-6, 12:2; Colossians 3:16-17; James 1:21-22; Revelation 1:3).
The more we grow in making this a reality in our daily lives, the more we will know and experience the promise of God, “you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”
NEXT STEP :: Lord, help me to diligently meditate on Your Word daily, and help me to obey it completely that I may live my life fully and successfully for Your honor, glory, and praise. Amen!
Contributed by Pastor Rick Thompson, Congregational Care Ministry
Necessity of Scripture
Matthew 4:4; Psalm 119:9-11
Food, clothing, and shelter are all things that are a vital part to survival. They are necessities for living. A necessity is a need for something or an essential piece. We know we would not survive long without some of those necessities.
Jesus tells of another necessity. It is the Word of God. Jesus says, “Man cannot live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” It is vital to a believer’s survival. Reading and memorizing scripture are important in keeping us connected to God. He wrote the Bible for us to guide us in our daily living. He wrote it for us to read.
Memorizing scripture helps our everyday life. It gives us hope and strength. When we struggle, we are able to recall a verse to support us in our time of need. The Holy Spirit will not bring to mind that which we have not read.
We can pray scripture over our loved ones and friends. I have several life verses that I keep close to my heart, to remind me of my God and His love for me (Zephaniah 3:17; Jeremiah 29:11). I also have several verses highlighted in my Bible—ones that spoke to me as I was reading or heard during a sermon. It is great to be able to reflect on these verses when I open my Bible.
Reading God’s Word and memorizing Scripture is vital to our spiritual life. It is God speaking truth to you.
NEXT STEP :: Gracious, Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word that You gave to us. Thank You that it applies to me even today. Help me to write it on my heart. Help me to live it out. In Your name, Amen.
Contributed by Michelle Aguilar
WEEK 3
Triunity of God
“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”
John 14:16-17 (ESV)
Foundational Doctrine
God is one, manifesting and revealing Himself in three distinct and separate Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each deserve honor and worship as God; each operates in specific role in the life of the believer to accomplish His will on earth as in Heaven.
An Introduction the Triunity of God
The triunity or trinity of God often proves the most mysterious and incomprehensible doctrine of the Bible, but it may well remain the most important and essential to the distinction of a Christian faith. Even scholars cannot explain it in human, earthly, or scientific terms. As John Chrysostom, early church father (A.D. 347-407), first wrote, “A comprehended god is no god.” God exceeds the imagination and comprehension of the human mind. He is boundless in all His capacities: omnipresence, omniscience, and omnipotence. He is all present, all knowing, and all powerful.
In many cases, the inspired Biblical writers speak of God in anthropomorphisms, which literally means “in the shape of man.” Many scriptures speak of God’s mind, His emotions, and His hand. Somehow, God in His infinite wisdom knows that humans cannot comprehend Him, and therefore the Bible largely lies mute on unnecessary subjects. Yet, the evidence in the Bible for the trinity strongly prevails despite its scant definition.
Though Bible teachers and scholars try to explain His triunity, all metaphors fall short. Of all things to accept as a matter of faith, this remains the utmost because He is the utmost. Even the Bible itself does not well-define the undefinable God; it cannot put Him in fully understandable terms. Rather, it speaks loudly of His character in the way that He relates to humankind, in grace and mercy with great patience. Thus, the Bible sufficiently portrays the character of God to the extent to which we can comprehend and in a manner which facilitates our need for expressions of faith.
Some teachers try to explain the trinity through a human metaphor where one man may serve as a father, son, and husband. His role in each capacity serves a different function. While this makes some sense, it does not fully apply to an omnipresent and infinite God who operates in eternity. Christ departed from heaven (Philippians 2:4 ff.) taking on flesh. God the Father did not leave heaven (Philippians 2:4 ff.). Further, as Christ departed the earth, He sent forth a counselor in the person of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1). Jesus instructs us that the Holy Spirit indwells us (John 14:16-17). Again, all metaphors fall short because Christ sits at the right hand of the Father since His ascension into Heaven. While each person of the trinity holds a special function in relationship and activity, the Bible maintains the unity of the three even as Jesus said that “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30).
The idea of God’s unity remains central to the historical linkage between the God of creation in the Old Testament and the God who saves in the New Testament. Furthermore, it signifies a distinctive of the Christian faith, setting it apart from all other religions. In the Old Testament, Moses relays the Ten Commandments to the people of Israel. He follows later with the Shema, a term which forecasts an all-important message to which they should listen carefully. He begins: “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). He then follows with admonition to love the Lord your God with “all your heart, soul, and strength.” Just as God exists as a unified trinity or triunity, we unify every aspect of our being to love God. In a sense, like God, we, being made in His image, bear a sense of triunity as we dedicate our whole being in heart, soul, and strength to serving, loving, and worshiping Him.
From the Beginning
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…” (Genesis 1:26).
From the very first chapter of the Bible, the Scripture implies a trinity in the act of creation by use of the first-person plural pronouns, us and ours. In the New Testament, John’s gospel explains this truth. He writes, “All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being…” (John 1:3). This correlates to other scriptures that reference Christ as the Word of God. By this we understand that Christ is the great executor of God’s will—“the will of Him who sent Me” (John 6:38). Likewise, in the beginning, Christ performed God’s will in the act of creation.
The Victory Secure
The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand—Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” (Psalm 110:1)
This verse belongs to messianic prophecy concerning the Christ, as it illustrates the trinity in conversation. The psalmist writes that the Lord (Yahweh) speaks to my Lord (Adonai). The two terms in the Hebrew for Lord serve a different function, but both refer to the same God. The Lord Yahweh, understood as the Father, refers the Great I Am who spoke directly to Moses. The term refers to the sacredness of God. He stands above all creation. The term Adonai speaks to the absolute authority, which the Father dispenses in Adonai, the Son. This infers both a distinction between the two lords and a unity as indicated in other passages. The New Testament later clarifies the added third member, the Holy Spirit.
Three Distinct Roles in the Triunity
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19)
Biblical references to the “name” always carry with it the character and authority of God. This verse more than others references distinct attributes of the triune God as it relates to Christian mission. The name symbolizes that people live out the virtues of God. Making disciples and baptizing them is the work of God in the character of God: the authority of the Father, the redemptive work of the Son, and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. More, believers exercise all three capacities in the disciple- making work to “all the nations.” Our lives exhibit God’s authority, sacrifice, and service in all we do.
The True Sense of Fellowship
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:14)
God’s love equates to His redemptive plan; Christ is the agent of His grace. His propitiation for sin for all time manifests the love of God. God is not distant; He abides. If Christ ascends, the Holy Spirit must come and fellowship with us. The Greek word for fellowship, koinonia (κοινωνία), literally speaks of a partnership. Christians often think of fellowship as the social nature of Christian life, but here it is more rightly understood as an association as co-contributor in God’s work. Paul prays that all three persons and capacities “be with you all.” Each has its function and consequence in our daily living for Christ.
Contributed by Michael WJ Kopulos, M.Div
The Trinity Is The Central Belief Of Christianity
Colossians 2:9; Acts 5:3-4; Matthew 28:19
If you search the Bible, you will not find the word “trinity” anywhere. What exactly is the “trinity” and what does it exactly mean?
The fact that Christ is God is clear in Colossians 2:9 (“… in Christ all the fullness of deity dwells…”). The Holy Spirit is God according to Peter in Acts 5:3-4 (“Lie to the Holy Spirit…have not lied to men but to God”). The first chapter of John says, “the Word was God” then says, “the Word became flesh” (Jesus). Finally, the Great Commission tells us to “…baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). These and many other verses show that God is one God but in three distinct expressions: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
This is important because our salvation is dependent on it. Jesus had to be fully man to shed blood as a substitute for man’s sins, which a spirit being could not do. Jesus also had to be fully God, because only a Perfect Sacrifice could substitute for the sins of the world. Jesus had to be fully Spirit, to reside within believers with God’s power so He could direct and empower us to live Godly lives. All three fully distinct yet fully God.
Our Redeemer had to be human to suffer and to sympathize, fully God because only a sacrifice of that magnitude could save all of mankind, and present and dwelling in us to make it possible for us to live Godly lives.
NEXT STEP :: The Trinity is a central belief because without the Trinity, salvation would not be possible.
Dear God, thank you for the Trinity and its importance in our salvation.
Contributed by Darryl One, Elder
A Comforting Reminder
Isaiah 9:2-7
Throughout the Scriptures, God has revealed Himself to us. The names He has chosen give us great insight into who He is. In Isaiah 9:6, God gives us four names in just one verse: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Isaiah 26:3 tells us that He will keep those who trust Him in perfect peace. He is El Olam (Jeremiah 10:10), our everlasting Father—we can rest assured that throughout our entire lives and our children’s lives to come, God will always be our present Father.
He is El Elyon (Genesis 14:18-20), the mighty God. Sovereign over all, He who spun galaxies out of nothing and created the inner workings of the world, is the same God who cares deeply for us. He is Jehovah Raah (Psalm 23), our shepherd. A shepherd must live near the sheep and care for them. The shepherd knows each sheep, and watches by night. If one strays away, he goes to find it and brings it back to the fold. Similarly, God knows each one of us by name, and we, His sheep, know His voice (John 10:27).
It is a special thing to have the God of the universe adopt us and care for us as His children. Even just these few names remind us of God’s infinity, eternity, sovereignty, and His tender care for us.
Of course, the names of God aren’t limited to this short list.
As you read through the Word, you will find even more names that God has given us to call Him and know Him by. And each time we meditate on His names, we can be comforted and reminded of God’s character, of who He is.
NEXT STEP :: Father, help us understand Your character more, to have a desire to know You more and more each day. Remind us of Your sovereignty, Your love, and surround us with Your peace.
Contributed by Angela Van Artsdalen
The Fear Of The Lord Is The Beginning Of Wisdom
Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7
As new believers in Christ read through the Bible for the first time and come across this and many similar verses they come running to their pastor for an explanation: “Are we supposed to be scared and terrified of God? And how can this be reconciled with the statement in 1 John 4:18: ‘there is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment and the one who fears is not perfected in love.’?”
The former Muslims we minister to are especially interested in a clear answer here. In Islam they were raised to live in stifling fear of Allah who identifies himself in the Koran as the “Master of all deception/lying” (Arabic: “Khayrul-Makereen”), an unpredictable god who is out to get you. We explain that this word “fear” has two fundamental directions—a negative fear coupled with terror, mistrust, and insecurity as is the case with Islam, and a fear with a positive direction, based on trust, respect and confidence.
In fact, in the German language, we have various words to express this difference in orientation. “Furcht” (fear) is usually used to express the negative type of fear, while “Herfurcht” (reverent, honor fear) expresses the positive type of fear used for the fear of God. In the parable of the entrusted talents (Matthew 25:14-30) Jesus contrasts these two types of fear. The first two servants had a healthy respect for their master, and it inspired them to joyfully use and increase what he had entrusted to them. The third servant had a negative fear: “I knew you to be a hard man…was afraid…and hid your talent in the ground”. This negative fear lamed him. In our own lives we don’t have to be afraid of God because we can be confident that He is always for us and that He will not deceive or lie to us (Titus 1:2).
NEXT STEP :: Father in heaven, help me to find my boldness and courage in You for You never leave me and are always near! AMEN!
Contributed by Rocco Panepinto, Reach Partner
Jesus The Word Of God
John 1:1-5
In this passage of Scripture, John calls Jesus Christ “the Word.” In the Greek language, he says Jesus Christ is the logos. This word has a deep meaning. For time’s sake, we can define it to mean “a divine self-expression or speech.”
At the same time, you may notice that this chapter shares a great similarity to that of Genesis chapter one. Genesis though, begins with the creation of the world, at a point that time started, while the account here in John chapter one goes back even further than that…into eternity. Genesis says, “in the beginning, God…” while John says, “in the beginning, was the Word” (Jesus Christ).
Jesus has always been, just as God the Father has always been, just as the Holy Spirit has always been. They have always existed.
In existing forever or being eternal the author of this gospel spells out the fact that Jesus not only manifested (displayed) the very nature of God, but He also possessed eternity showing that He is God, the second person of the Holy Trinity. Mind-blowing when you think about it, but it shows again the beauty of God’s plan of salvation and the amazing love that He has for us.
Not only did God the Father know the price of creating mankind (the sacrifice of His one and only Son), but the Son also knew the price of creating the world (His own life, crucifixion, and death!)
Ephesians 1:7 says, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.” How great and unfathomable are those riches!
NEXT STEP :: If God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit all knew the price it would cost to create all that we see, what should our response be?
Contributed by Pastor Ben Kelley, Counseling Ministry
The Holy Spirit Is God
John 14:16-26; 15:26-27; Acts 5:3-4
As a Sunday School teacher, it is not often difficult to help
kids understand the concept of the Trinity. What is harder to teach, and to comprehend myself, is how the Holy Spirit who raised Christ from the dead (Romans 8:11), the Spirit who appeared to rest as tongues of fire on the disciples (Acts 2:3), and the Spirit who searches the deep things of God (1 Corinthians 2:10), lives in me (1 Corinthians 6:19). How can I possibly go through any day with God’s immense power through His Spirit and yet, at times, largely ignore it? Why would I ever try to rely on my own gifts, intellect, or effort before passionately pursuing a relationship with God’s Spirit who can do immeasurably more through me than I can do on my own?
It has become clear to me over the past few years that I have spent too many hours trying to understand the mechanics of the Holy Spirit and not enough time pursuing a relationship with the person of the Holy Spirit.
I was given God’s Spirit when I first accepted Christ. That is a promise from God, and it is a deposit guaranteeing my inheritance in heaven forever (Ephesians 1:13-14). However, when I don’t passionately and consistently seek a relationship with Him, He becomes like a gift given, tried out for a little while, then placed on a shelf to marvel at from a distance.
I am convinced that nothing eternally worthwhile can be accomplished without God’s Spirit at work. It is our privilege as God’s children to call upon Him daily, to seek His guidance and to listen for His direction. May everything we do be infused with a desperate longing for the Spirit’s power to work in the lives of people. What an incredible gift we have been given; may we allow Him to radically transform our hearts to be more like Christ.
NEXT STEP :: Thank you, Jesus! What an incredible gift we have been given! Holy Spirit, continue to radically transform my heart and character to be more like Christ.
Contributed by Jonnalee Dunn
WEEK 4
The Person & Work of Jesus Christ
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2:4-7 (ESV)
Foundational Doctrine
God manifested Himself in human flesh in the person of Jesus. His incarnation bears these qualities: He was born of a virgin; He lived a sinless life on earth; He bears the capacity to payfor our sins in His crucifixion as a result of His sinlessness;His resurrection from the dead proves and secures ours; His ascension predestines our home in Heaven;and His promised final return assures His eternalKingdom in a New Heaven and Earth for believers.
An Introduction to the Person & Work of Jesus Christ
The person and work of Christ remains central to the Christian faith. It establishes an exclusivity to Christ as the only means of salvation and access to God. Furthermore, we did not seek God so much as He sought us out. Many world religions seek a higher being, salvation, or redemption, but Christianity remains the only system of belief which attributes God as the Seeking One. His plan purposes to restore the relationship lost through sin. Sin separates us from God and we need a bridge to cross the divide of our transgressions.
For this reason, God put in the hearts of humankind a void or longing from which comes an innate and underlying awareness that we are missing something apart from Christ. This natural yearning produces all forms of religion, yet only Christ restores a relationship with God and truly satisfies. This yearning draws us to Christ and requires a sensitivity to hear His Call.
Furthermore, whereas many religions teach morality as the means of achieving entry to a heaven of sorts or following certain prescribed acts as a means of absolving one of transgressions, only Christianity puts the work of salvation and redemption on God. God, through Christ, intervenes in the affairs and addresses the human condition. This connection is uniquely personal and intimate. Each person has direct access to God through Christ without any need of any other mediator. We cannot earn salvation; Christ purchased our redemption through His sacrifice on the cross. His sinless life and sacrifice inhere a promise and provide a model of God’s purpose in our lives.
The prophet Isaiah foretells Christ’s virgin birth: “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will name Him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). Matthew affirms this event in reference to Mary, Jesus’ mother. Furthermore, the works of Christ in miraculous form, witnessed by countless numbers, and His resurrection from the dead, witnessed by more than 500, all attest to the divinity of Christ. The virgin birth remains critical to His ability to pay the sin debt for all humankind. In His humanity and sinless record, He satisfies God’s justice on the Cross. Moreover, His resurrection proves His victory over death and our potential in Christ. This we hold in confidence: He paid our debt; He assures us life eternal; and He will complete us.
Christ’s last words on the cross, “It is finished,” establish a finality and confidence in the absolute execution of God’s will in the work of grace. Understanding that salvation comes by grace relates closely to Christ’s “finished” work on the cross. If His death completed the work of salvation, then none of us can add a thing to His sacrifice. His sacrifice satisfies God’s justice without our participation. We merely need to accept this gift by faith. Since God exists and operates in eternal terms, Christ’s work on the cross, His resurrection, His initiating work in us, and His completing work in us all bear consequence in eternity. Though we understand life in the confines of history, God defines life in timeless terms. He offers the gift to all. By this, we long for Christ and put our striving at rest.
The Wondrous Appearance
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. (John 1:14).
In ancient times, the Hebrew people often thought of God as distant. At the threat of death, they also feared seeing Him face to face. But, God clothed himself in bodily form in the second person of the Trinity. By Christ’s coming, God came near. He made his “residence” in our midst. The nearness of God in Christ created a shock wave of faith that continues today. Furthermore, at His ascension to Heaven Christ sent the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, to make His residence within us. This profoundly affects, blesses, and empowers us who believe. God’s abiding love makes life abundant and full.
The Exclusivity of Christ
“I am the way the true and the life; no man comes to the Father except by me” (John 14:6).
When Moses asked God’s name, God answered “I AM WHO I AM” Exodus 3:14). John records here one of the many times that Christ alludes to Himself as God by starting with “I am.” In fact, in the Greek, Christ emphatically duplicates the “I,” translated more clearly as “I, myself,” to assuredly announce His divinity. Christ further asserts his exclusivity in the latter part of the verse: “No man comes to the Father, except by me” (John 14:6). In the book of Acts, Peter echoes these words: “Salvation is found in no one else.” A faith in Christ alone provides the path to God, the truth, and the life. Furthermore, of the two Greek words for life, the Greek here refers to the quality of life in abundance, which we enjoy to the full in Christ.
The Surety: His Death and Resurrection
…that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
The historicity of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection remain central to all Christians’ claims. His burial makes certain His death, for they prepared His body in grave clothes, and He lay in the tomb for three days. The Roman officials, the Jewish leaders, and those close to Him were certain of His death. Yet, Christ rose from the grave, appearing to over 500 for many days. His appearance was not imaginary or exclusive to a few suspected conspirators. Furthermore, everything concerning Christ fulfilled Old Testament prophesies.
A Surety of Empathy
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things just as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15).
Scholars speak of God’s omniscience, His infinite capacity for knowing all. But, in case anyone questions how God can know human struggles without the experience, the writer of Hebrews assures believers of Christ’s union with human frailty. If God is all-knowing, then it follows logically that He did this for our benefit, not His. Moreover, Christ, fully divine and fully human, demonstrates the power of God in human life to overcome sin. Believers may find this same power in the indwelling Holy Spirit—power over sin.
Contributed by Michael WJ Kopulos, M.Div
Only One
1 Timothy 2:5
If there is but one God, then we are all accountable to Him, and this is where the problem lies. In our pride we do not want to be accountable to anyone. Perhaps we think that by ignoring the truth about Him we can avoid the inevitable question: How am I to account for my rebellion against a holy, singular, God?
Well, this Holy One has provided a way, but one way only. Though we are unable to bridge the chasm between us and God that was caused by our sin, there is One Mediator, the perfect man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all. He can do it.
In Paul’s testimony as a former blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent of Jesus, he put forth himself as proof that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”. Paul saw himself as the worst of sinners, the example that if he can, anyone may be saved (1 Timothy 1:12-16). If Christ can bridge the gap between Paul and God, there is no gap that cannot be bridged by Him, including your own.
NEXT STEP :: Have you trusted the only One who can set things right between you and the God whom you have offended? If you have not, what are you waiting for? Do not delay nor allow yourself to be distracted from turning away from your sin and towards your only Mediator, the man Christ Jesus.
Contributed by David Turnbaugh
Jesus: The Good Shepherd
John 10:1-18; Luke 15:1-7
Jesus’ rural audience understood the work of shepherding well. The land and landscape of the region lent itself to the raising of small flocks of sheep for wool and food. It was common to observe a shepherd leading his/her beloved flock through the neighborhood to find new ground to graze.
Many of the Jewish patriarchs were shepherds (Jacob, Moses, David). If they knew the Old Testament—and most Jews did—the shepherd image runs throughout the Holy Scripture.
Everyone knew about good shepherds and good shepherding. God’s Word tells us that the focus of a good shepherd is to be on his flock—their provision, guidance, and safety. In Jesus’ description of Himself in John 10, He adds to our understanding of what makes for a good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. He is willing to ignore his own needs to meet the needs of the sheep. (Vv. 11, 15, 17, 18). Most shepherds treated their flock like their own children, leaving the 100 to search for the beloved stray (Luke 15).
Jesus is our good shepherd who shows great concern for us. He provides for us nourishment and rest. He guides us, and leads the way through life. He is deeply involved with us and concerned for our safety. He sacrificed His own comfort, even His own life, for the sake of you and me—His sheep.
Therefore, I can wholeheartedly exclaim, “The Lord is MY shepherd—I don’t need a thing.”
NEXT STEP :: Thank you, Jesus, for being my Good Shepherd! Thank you for your promise that you will never leave me or desert me. Help me to be one of those sheep that finds greater delight in being at Your feet, than wandering far away and not hearing Your voice in my life.
Contributed by Marvin Jacobo, Reach Partner
Expression Of God’s Love
Romans 5:6-8
While talking to a friend the other day we were discussing the idea of God’s timing. She and her family were looking for a new place to live because their current place was being sold. She had a date she had to be out by and she had been looking for months. A week before the date of eviction she finally found a place to live. I was so ecstatic that she finally found a place, and at the last minute.
Thinking about this made me think about God’s timing. I thought, “Why did it have to cut so close to the deadline? It would have been better to find a place sooner, so they had more time to move.” Discussing this more I thought how it must look to God. He thought it was perfect timing, and He would not have done it a single second earlier. Because He loves us enough to not rush things until the timing is right—His timing. Romans 5:6 tells us, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” At just the right time He died for us so that we can be free of our sins and live for eternity with Him. Not early and not late. We may never understand why God’s timing is the way that it is, but it will always be at the right time.
Trusting God with His perfect timing is tough for me. I want what I want right now, and I can be very impatient. Reminding myself every day that God has my best interest and that He loves me, helps me to remember to wait on Him (Romans 8:28, Ephesians 3:18-19, 1 John 3:1).
NEXT STEP :: How can you work on patience and waiting on God’s perfect timing?
Lord, I thank You that everything You do happens at Your right time and not mine. I pray for patience when I struggle to want things in my own timing, and to remember the truth that You love me no matter what.
Contributed by Deanna Duncan
Jesus Came To Save
John 3:16-18
Jesus, who has existed for all eternity, wrapped Himself in human flesh and came to earth to save people from their sins. Think about it! The Creator gave Himself for His creation. Why? Because of His great love for us. He not only loves us but wants us to love Him and be with Him for all eternity.
When God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden, He told him he would live as long as he didn’t eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17). But Adam believed the lies of Satan and ate from the tree. And when he did, the death sentence came upon him and all his descendants. All humanity was now subject to death. However, God loved humankind so much that He didn’t want everyone doomed to eternal death. So, He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus, so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).
Let’s never forget the loving sacrifice of Jesus, which makes it possible for us to have eternal life. When we trust in Jesus and accept Him as our Lord and Savior, we are born-again through the direct action of the Spirit of God and become citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, we should live each day knowing that all who believe in Jesus shall never die (John 11:25-26).
NEXT STEP :: Father, thank You for the great love You have for me and granting me eternal life through Your Son Jesus. Thank You for all You have done and do for me. Help me this day to stay focused on You and conduct myself in a way that is pleasing to You and encouraging to others.
Contributed by Joe Adams, Elder
Can You Hear Me Now?
John 10:1-6
In the Old Testament tradition, the word shepherd is used for the three key offices of priests, kings, and prophets. We read of the failure of the priests as shepherds in 1 Samuel 2:12, “Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the Lord.” This leads the people of Israel to ask, “Give us a king to judge us” (1 Samuel 8:6). In the two hundred and eight years of kingly rule of Israel and Judah, we find only five good kings and thirty-three bad ones. Jeremiah 5:31 describes similarly of the prophets, “... the prophets prophecy falsely …” So God promised Israel, “… I will give you shepherds after My own heart …” (Jeremiah 3:15). When the Lord Jesus called Himself the Good Shepherd in the New Testament, it was against this backdrop of failures in the three key offices of priests, kings and prophets.
Author Timothy S. Laniak describes the four key ways the Lord shepherds His people as: Presence (Psalm 23:1), Provision (Psalm 23:2, 5), Protection (Psalm 23:4), and Guidance (Psalm 23:2-3).
We are all in need of the Good Shepherd. But how do we access these four elements in our daily life? John 10:4 says, “… for they know His voice …” (ESV). Another version says, “because they recognize His voice” (CEV). As a child, we were able to hear our mother’s voice calling us even in the midst of a noisy crowd. This is the picture that this verse is painting. But hearing or recognizing the voice of the Good Shepherd is a cultivated habit. Remember the television commercial, “Can you hear me now?”
If you are a Christian for more than ten to fifteen years you often face plateaus, stagnation and lukewarmness in your spiritual life. Learning to hear and recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd is the key to revitalizing your spiritual life.
NEXT STEP :: Where have you experienced the Presence, Provision, Protection and Guidance of the Good Shepherd today? Can you hear Him now?
Contributed by Dr. David Tan, Reach Partner
WEEK 5
Ministry of the Holy Spirit
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesushave crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-25 (ESV)
Foundational Doctrine
The Holy Spirit, as the third person of the Triune God, convicts the world, causes spiritual birth, and baptizes all believers into one body in Christ. He indwells, seals, sanctifies, guides, and teaches every believer. Moreover, He leads and empowers those who walk in obedience to God and His Word.
An Introduction to the Holy Spirit
Of the three persons of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit likely confounds believers the most. Perhaps, the spirit in the name issues some of the mystery. This makes us think of the Holy Spirit as some kind of ghost rather than the God entity within. Yet, the Scriptures plainly refer to the indwelling presence of God which certainly transcends human understanding. Though imperceptible by qualified sensual experience, believers do often attest to the “leading of the Holy Spirit.” The various ways that God speaks to believers with strong unction that compels apart from coercion or duress bear this out in actuality, yet none can objectively or rationally explain it.
To understand the Holy Spirit, it might help to recognize the advent of His role subsequent to Christ’s ascension to Heaven following His resurrection from the dead. Though many Old Testament passages cite the appearance of the Spirit of God or His power descending on someone in a particular circumstance, His abiding and indwelling presence does not come until after Christ’s ascension to Heaven. During Christ’s post-resurrection appearance and ministry to the disciples, He promises to send the Holy Spirit by whom they will “receive power” (Acts 1:8).
The effect of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling first appears in Acts as God transforms the disciples into powerful witnesses, instruments of God’s power in various manifestations. Though often bewildered by Christ’s teaching, they present as illumined men, understanding the mysteries of God, before the unknown. This exemplifies how God imparts understanding in believers today. God opens their eyes to His truth. The Bible now makes sense.
Furthermore, apart from the indwelling Spirit, believers would find themselves powerless against temptation and tribulation. But, by the power of God through the Holy Spirit, believers find strength in their weaknesses to overcome an array of assault from the Tempter. When a person places their faith in Christ, God renews their mind, giving them a whole new attitude and a fresh desire to follow after Him. In addition, countless believers can verify the miracle of an internal peace and joy, inexplicable during times of great duress. This is the work of the Holy Spirit.
Overall, believers must cultivate a sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit. This comes from internalizing the Word of God. As we consciously and subconsciously digest the instruction from the Bible through regular reading and study, God draws from our memory, on various occasions, the Scripture that suits the moment. The deeper the “well,” the more God can draw from the wealth of our learning to guide our behavior and decision-making.
However, obedience to what we know increases our attention to God’s Word. Conversely, when we disobey, we build a resistance to God and “grieve the Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 4:30). Rick Warren once said that “practice makes permanent.” In a sense, when we practice saying yes to God, we become strong in the Lord; when practicing “no,” we numb ourselves to God. In the former case, God directs us and we often avoid many pitfalls in life. In the latter case, we miss the blessing of God, not because He does not offer it, but because we have rendered ourselves immune to His leading as an act of the will.
Born Again
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5).
The Spirit of God initiates the New Birth even as He indwells the believer. Understandably, the Holy Spirit generates life in the spiritual sense. We call this being Born Again. This New Birth not only represents the beginning of New Life, but the Holy Spirit also serves as the seal of salvation. Paul writes, “You were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise” (Ephesians 1:13). God abides in the believer as a permanent seal. Thus, God confers eternal life, not our pledge. Our life in Christ is eternal, incorruptible, and certain. Paul writes, “He who began a good work among you will complete it…” (Philippians 1:6). Our salvation depends on Christ’s work in us, not our work for Him.
The Leading Spirit
For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God (Romans 8:14).
The leading of the Holy Spirit grants confidence to believers. In following the Holy Spirit’s lead, we discover the power to overcome all sorts of adversity or temptation. This results in joy, peace, and a confidence in our faith. Paul says it this way: “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:16). This holy confidence produces thanksgiving, resulting in a focus on service unto God. Moreover, our obedience serves as evidence of God’s work in us. Apart from Christ, we do not possess the power to overcome sin. Obedience equates with sonship and daughterhood.
The Fruit of the Spirit
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control… (Galatians 5:22-23).
God produces goodness in us and in our actions. We do not manifest this by human effort—to God be the glory. The Fruit of the Spirit also demonstrates His work in us. Therefore, we cannot abide in Christ unchanged. As we yield to the Spirit’s guidance, we see the product of His work. Over time, this builds a confidence in what God can accomplish in and through us. The evidence of God’s work within us compounds the assurance of salvation that not only strengthens our faith, but a spirit of thankfulness, which inspires service. In effect, the Holy Spirit builds character “in the image (likeness) of God.” He restores the godliness of the Garden, purposing us for His work.
The Spirit of Confidence
You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4).
Distinct within the Greek text, John’s inspired choices of verb tenses play an important role in understanding this verse. The verbs, surrounding the believer and aspects of God, form in the present active tense, which means that the believer’s life in God remains ongoing and active. We should also note the perfect tense of the verb, overcome. This tense means that Christ completed the victory in the past with ongoing results. Of course, by this, we understand that Christ secured the victory with continued benefit for the believer.
Contributed by Michael WJ Kopulos, M.Div
God’s Spirit In Me
Genesis 1:1-2; John 14:16-17
When I get wrapped up in the things of this world, I often go back to “the beginning” and contemplate how God’s Spirit, who was hovering over the waters, is now alive in me.
Having received God’s Spirit, because of Christ, I am to make my whole life a continuous act of worship (Colossians 3), a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God (Romans 12:1).
I also often contemplate God as Spirit, and true worshipers will worship Him in spirit and in truth. As a believer who has received God’s Spirit my talents are now directed with a new attitude, one controlled by the Spirit not my fleshly desires. Amos 5:23 reminds me to not become full of myself. Being controlled by God’s Spirit keeps me humble, realizing it is not about me but Jesus Christ who lives in me. Contemplating Scripture throughout the day keeps me humble.
As I go throughout the day, I remind myself that the name of the One I worship, and the One whose Spirit is living within me, is to be revered. During my dry periods of life, which seem to come upon me more often than others, (not really, okay maybe), I look to the life of Jesus. Jesus has invited us to experience His formless presence through His risen presence as being the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus’ prayer to the Father, that we as believers experience God’s perfect love, is a powerful driving truth that pulls me out of the forces of this world and into the presence of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Thank You, Jesus, for the life You have given me!
NEXT STEP :: Holy Spirit, I am glad that You are alive in me. Lead me in my activities today. Help me to fulfill Your purposes which You have prepared for me to walk in today. May those around me see the fruit that You are producing in my life.
Contributed by Gary Fromm
Ministry Of The Holy Spirit
Ephesians 1:13-14
When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are given the Holy Spirit as a seal that we belong to God. We become God’s children and members of His royal family. This means that He has chosen us, accepted us, redeemed us, forgiven our sins, and has given us abundant grace. It also means, as members of His family, He has given us a great inheritance in His kingdom and He has made His will known to us, through His Word the Bible, so we will know how to live our lives for Him here on earth.
When God called Louise and me to be missionaries to the Philippines, we were reluctant to leave our present ministry as pastor and wife of a small church in central California. When we prayed and talked about it, we discovered that we both had experiences, earlier in our lives, that opened our hearts to overseas missions. So, we decided together to fill out the application and leave the rest in God’s hands. We both secretly hoped He would say no. But we are His, sealed by His Holy Spirit, and six months later we were in the Philippines as full-time missionaries. We both feel that it was one of the very best experiences of our lives. We made lasting friendships and still “Facebook” with several of our Filipino friends.
NEXT STEP :: When you feel God may be calling you to serve Him, pray and allow God to lead you. He will never lead you wrong.
Contributed by Robert Meeks
The Holy Spirit
Ephesians 5:18-21
As a student, I was on an ocean liner to Europe, Tourist Class. At 10PM, and very hungry, I saw on the First-Class Deck an unbelievable amount of every food desirable. But I knew I could not partake because I was ticketed, Tourist Class! I walked around for twenty minutes wondering how to get some! Finally, I asked a Steward if he would allow me a small amount. He said, “Your ticket is good for all of this! Enjoy!” Boy, was I ignorant!
So, the Holy Spirit has multitudes of blessings available to Christians, of which many do not avail themselves either out of ignorance, disobedience, or misunderstanding. The consequences are loss of joy, peace, power, and not witnessing for Christ. There is a throne or control center in our heart—either Christ is on it, or His enemy!
The key verse is Ephesians 5:18, which tells us to put Him in control over everything, especially our will! It also speaks of surrender. The idea is not that we get more of the Holy Spirit, but that He gets more of us!
Have you ever felt like a failure as a Christian? Ever ask, “How can I be one, and do, think, act, as I have?” It is that thought life that is the “stinger,” huh? We cannot stop our thoughts before they come, but we know from Scripture and experience where many thoughts, ideas, impulses, and desires come from which lead to temptations and sins. Therefore, we do know to avoid areas of life which breed these temptations—see the book of James.
How else do we deal with this? Just as Paul did in Romans 6-8…through Christ Jesus our Lord, who by His Holy Spirit gives us peace, power, and wisdom to resist—to conquer those tempta-tions and beguiles of Satan. So, be controlled, and empowered by Christ every day, walking in His Spirit!
NEXT STEP :: Are you living like a 2nd class citizen in God’s Kingdom? Take advantage of, and activate God’s gift of the Holy Spirit, then walk in Him daily!
Contributed by Chuck Jostad
Victory Over Sin
Galatians 5:16-26
The moment I became a Christian, a civil war erupted between my new spiritual nature vs. my sinful physical body. God called me out of my old life to live a holy, fruitful life. However, my body still craves the acts of its sinful nature. I must confess that at times, I feel powerless to resist giving into them. Even the apostle Paul asked this rhetorical question: “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24).
The obvious answer is that God has not left us hopeless or defenseless. Instead, He has empowered us to have victory over EVERY sin through the power of Christ and the Holy Spirit who resides within us. However, it is still our responsibility to choose to call upon Him to release this power source to enable us to overcome our personal battle with sin. Too often, out of pride or guilt, I find myself trying to fight the battle on my own, which only results in more failure and guilt.
What particular sin is the most difficult for you to overcome? Have you actively engaged the Holy Spirit to give you the power you need to overcome it?
NEXT STEP :: Lord, I want to live a holy life worthy of my new calling in Christ. When I am weak and tempted to sin, please help me to remember to ask the Holy Spirit for power to overcome and achieve victory over sin. All things are possible through Christ Who gives me strength!
Contributed by Gordon Ching
The Holy Spirit Points People to Jesus
John 15:26-27
I remember when a still small voice tugged on my heart and drew me towards Jesus. That was the Holy Spirit at work in my heart, working through one or more other believers who were themselves calling me to Jesus through their prayers and testimony. All of this was so I would accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, and all of Heaven will give Him glory.
Each time a new believer accepts the Lord, the Spirit gives glory to Jesus Christ. Jesus said He came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). Jesus did many miracles and amazing things during His ministry, but none more significant than what He did on the cross.
So it is with the Spirit. His most remarkable work is to testify to non-believers of the greatness of Christ and His sacrifice, so that Christ will get all the glory.
NEXT STEP :: Today the world is seeking to possess the things of man, and they neither seek nor want the things of God. We need to become witnesses that the Spirit can use to complete Christ’s work on earth. As they witness how we live and walk each day in faith, seeking to worship the Creator and not His creation, help us teach those around us of the wonder and splendor of Jesus Christ. Let the Spirit in us witness to the world around us as we proclaim the greatness of Jesus Christ. Pray that the Spirit will draw people near, so they can hear and read the Word of God and accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.
Contributed by Rick Elliott
WEEK 6
The Creation & Fall of Man
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23 (ESV)
Foundational Doctrine
God created man in His own image, and in this, He granted humans the free will to choose God’s ways or to disobey in following their natural desires. Yet, humans bear a sinful nature which they inherited from the first man and woman in Creation. Since this compulsion resides in the heart of every human, they naturally incline to sin, rendering them unable to save themselves.
An Introduction to Separation From God
The ancients viewed God as essence, immutable, and creative. God’s essence refers to His nature in all His attributes: omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, holy, loving, and just (to name a few). We add that God’s nature does not change, nor can the particular ways that He interacts with humans deviate. God’s response and interaction with humans must remain in accord with His essential nature. Nothing unnatural can proceed from the mouth or hand of God. Still, we acknowledge God’s creative capacity which He demonstrated most fully in the beginning in all of nature and its crowning glory, humans. A Divine Paradox emerges from His immutable essence and His creative glory. The living God is not static. Though we cannot explain it nor comprehend it in human terms, God dynamically relates to us, according to our relational exchange with Him in the process of living out our daily lives in faith. Since He operates in eternity, this makes it hard for us to differentiate between the temporal and the eternal. Yet, God does not trouble with us over the matter. Rather, He enjoys the union of our wills with His. But, according to our nature, we resist that union. For this reason, Adam and Eve initiated a course of the sinful nature common to all of humankind that follow. Every one of us comes short of God’s glory. Every one of us cannot fix this. Every one of us needs a savior.
The essence of human nature resides in the will, the capacity to choose. But our nature, unlike God’s, may choose evil. Our creative capacity compounds this bent in that we often devise ways to disobey God and justify our actions. Ultimately, this aspect of the human genome requires that we choose God, or we perish. Still, we inherently and most naturally choose self instead. Theologians refer to this as Original Sin, which dates back to Adam and Eve with their willful disobedience in the Garden. In response to their sin, God cast them from Eden (Paradise) to face death. Every human, without exception, is drawn to the same end, a separation from God, including both physical and spiritual death, only curable by a Second Birth in Christ. As a result, humans are born to die at least once.
Ultimately, every human will either experience one birth with two deaths or two births with one death. The first birth occurs from the mother’s womb which in this life ends in death. But, to avert the second death (spiritual death and eternal separation from God), one must be born again. God grants us the willful capacity to choose because He himself is an agent of free will, and since He created us in His image, we are privileged to choose. His purposeful and loving nature created us as free objects of His love. Therefore, while we exhibit natural proclivities for evil, God provides for redemption.
Incredibly, were it not for our sinful nature, God could not express His unmerited favor and love. Our resident and pervasive sin condemns us; His grace saves us. His foreknowledge of our intentions to sin satisfies His loving nature. Without the justice required in response to sin, God could not express His loving nature and redeem us.
Finally, Augustine saw God’s qualities as indivisible; they remain integral in God’s being. Humans as well display certain aspects of the divine, yet not fully. For this reason, Christ redeems and renews our capacity to bear the image of God which He intended at Creation.
Created in His Image
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule…over all the earth…” (Genesis 1:26-27).
Humans bear the fingerprints of God; they inherit the capacity to imitate God’s character. As such, God gave them dominion over the earth. The Hebrew root in the word, harodim, carries many nuances: to rule, to subdue, to subjugate, and more. But all these ideas infer a responsibility to God. Since made in God’s likeness, we must rule the earth justly. Authority assumes accountability. Thus, we hold the utmost respect for our God given capacity to rule the land in whatever position in which we find ourselves. The Lord requires that we do this justly, kindly, and humbly (Micah 6:8).
Actors of Free Will
So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken…[God] placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life(Genesis 3:23-24).
After the time of creation, Adam and Eve succumbed to the cunning of the Serpent (Satan). Though the Serpent deceived them and tempted them, Adam and Eve fell from grace of their own volition. As a result of their choice to disobey God and pursue their own devices, God cast them from the Garden, separating them from His presence and Paradise. Each person still wears the consequence of this sinful nature. Interestingly, God allowed this out of love and respect and free will. We must either choose God or our own course.
God Revealed through Nature
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so they are without excuse (Romans 1:20).
Scholars refer to God’s natural revelation which results from the abundant evidence of God and His order in nature itself. In case anyone wants to claim ignorance in defense of their sin, Paul refutes such a claim in specifying natural revelation. We carry God’s truth within us and cannot suppress it though we too often ignore it. The wonder of created nature testifies abundantly of God’s “eternal power and divine nature.” Accordingly, every human must give account to God without excuse. In this way, nature fulfills an evangelistic purpose.
The Corruptibility of Sin
For all of us have become like one who is unclean,
And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment (Isaiah 64:6).
Many verses note that we “all fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). However, Isaiah pictures sin’s pervasive nature. The repetitive all illustrates the complete and utter consequence of sin. Paul writes, “Just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men” (Romans 5:12). As the sin of one pollutes a society, the one sin corrupts the whole person. One wrong doing carries us down the path of perdition. Once stained, the whole garment needs cleaning. Nothing good outweighs sin. Yet, sin provokes the occasion of God’s grace which prevails over His wrath.
Contributed by Michael WJ Kopulos, M.Div
It Isn’t A DIY Faith
Romans 4:1-12
The major difference between Christian faith and every other religion is the element of faith. In every other religion, I “do” something, and the fact that I “do” that thing makes me a righteous follower of that faith. Not so for followers of Jesus.
We follow Jesus by faith. Romans 4:3 says that “Abraham believed (had faith in) God and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Humanity cannot save itself. No individual is saved by any special “work.” “Our salvation is by grace through faith, not by works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
I come from a Jewish background. In my younger years, I strictly obeyed especially the Ten Commandments so that I could be a good Jew. Then I heard that I could have Yeshua (Jesus) as my Messiah (Lord) by faith. I confessed Jesus as Lord and was saved by God through faith in the finished work of Messiah Jesus on the cross, the price for my selfishness, rebellion, and failure to do God’s will. Do I still obey the Ten Commandments? Absolutely!! But for a different reason. The Commandments also appear in the New Testament, but not so we can be good Christians, but as an example of faithful Christian living.
New Testament faith is belief that God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him…might have everlasting life. The righteous shall live by faith, not a “do-it-yourself” faith. The work is done. Blessed are those…whose sins are covered.
NEXT STEP :: Thank you, Jesus, for bearing my sin upon Your cross and setting me from judgment and eternal condemnation. Thank You for the peace and the hope that I have in You. Help me to live for You today while looking forward to the day that I see You face to face!
Contributed by Dr. Jim Huckaba
Made In The Image Of God
Genesis 1:26-28; 2:15-25
There are so many subjects that are addressed in these two selections of Scripture that it is difficult to know where to start. There are two key facts to glean from these passages.
First, we are created in God’s image. Unlike anything else in all creation, we are not just another animal, we are not accidental, we are not an afterthought! What we are is highly valued, uniquely designed, and completely loved by our Creator.
Secondly, we are made for a purpose! Men and women were specifically designed for each other, not to complement each other, but to complete each other. God Himself created us in this unique fashion to be a living illustration of the kind of intimate, loving, completing relationship that God Himself desires to have with us!
In the very next chapter of Genesis, we learn of man and woman’s rebellion and turning away from God, resulting in eternal separation from God. But, God loved the people of the world
so much, that even after humanity turned their back on Him, He made a way for them to return. He sent His one and only Son to suffer and die in our place, to pay the price of our rebellion.
Deep joy awaits us if we will only choose to believe in Jesus and commit our lives to following Him. This fulfills the purpose we are designed for—to live a life in close relationship with our Creator God and bring glory to Him!
NEXT STEP :: Heavenly Father, help me to be a wonderful reflection of You as I enter the activities of the day. I want to be a bright and shiny mirror of You! Please keep working in me such that the habits of my life, my character, and even the passions of my heart, be pleasing to You today.
Contributed by Pastor Richard Sasser, Men’s Ministry
The “Bad” News Of The Good News
Romans 3:9-18, 5:12-14
In 2017 we toured a musical drama across Slovenia, a two- hour illustration of why we need a Savior: the story of Adam and Eve. In the garden, the innocent playfulness of Adam and Eve was enchanting. But, when they sinned against God, the stage lighting darkened and so did the tone of the play. The evening ended with the hope of the Gospel, but some who came were bummed, even some Christians. They had come to the theater expecting a light- hearted presentation. The story of Romans 3, 5 and Genesis 3 is not fun, but it is true. We see the effects of it daily in our world, our cities, in ourselves.
Paul’s description of the default state of our hearts in Romans couldn’t be worse. It is all-encompassing; we are all messed up, everyone. A universal problem of catastrophic proportions. On the human level, we may think of a particular person as being nicer than another, of being more pleasant to be around than others. We may even say that this person is “good” and another “bad.” But Romans tells us there is only one default setting for the human heart: to not seek for our Creator. It takes faith in what Scripture says to see everyone, “good” people and “bad,” in the true state we all are in without Christ.
The “bad news” of the good news is everyone needs a Savior. Let a renewed understanding of the dark, default state of the human heart drive us to our knees in thankfulness for our salvation by grace through faith, and to action in sharing the good news–the “bad” and “good” sides of the good news–with everyone.
NEXT STEP :: Lord, thank You for saving me from my sin, from hell. Thank You for Your Word, for grace. Help me to see others with Your eyes today.
Contributed by Todd Hunnicutt, Reach Partner
Good Works Are Like Filthy Rags
Isaiah 64:6; Titus 3:5-7
The prophet Isaiah says that “all our righteousness are as
filthy rags.” All our serving and helping, all our “do-gooding” and volunteering, are as filthy rags! Why? Because God sees not only what we do, but He sees the mixed motives behind all our actions! Jesus sees right through the things that look so good and the things that tend to impress others. He sees the position and the attitude of our hearts.
Although we still have fleshly tendencies, we have been washed and renewed, not because of our goodness and righteousness, but because of what Jesus did on the Cross in our place! And since we are now a forgiven people, we are to then forgive others!
Remember that it was the Lord who washed us, renewed us, saved us not by our great works that we did, but according to His abundant mercy!
It is so important that we keep this in perspective for our own lives! REMEMBER THIS: Remember what we once were dead, doomed, depraved, and damned, and how we have now been washed, renewed, and justified, not by our discipline, dedication, or devotion, but solely by God’s AMAZING GRACE!
Our salvation is not the result of any of our efforts, abilities, intelligent choices, or acts of service we may perform. Yet as believers, we are “created in Christ to do good works.” God’s intention is that our salvation will result in acts of service that bring glory to Him! Our acts of righteousness then can be evidences of our salvation.
NEXT STEP :: Heavenly Father, thank You for washing me clean of my moral filth and self-righteousness in Christ. Thank You for Your tender mercies and forgiveness and drawing me to Yourself. Help my life today to be a sweet aroma of Your grace and kindness.
Contributed by Pastor Gordon Rumble, Congregational Care & Senior Adult Ministries
Universal
Romans 3:10-18, 23
When a newspaper once posed the question, “What is wrong with the World?”, to 20th Century English author and Christian apologist, G.K. Chesterton, he simply wrote back, “Dear Sirs: I am. Sincerely Yours, G.K. Chesterton.” Chesterton realized what Paul reminds us of in Romans 3:10 when he says, “There is none righteous, not even one”, and again in Romans 3:23 when Paul plainly states that “all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.”
That word, all, leaves no room for ambiguity. It includes you and me. We all are born in sin, and there is a bent in each of us to sin.
Warren Buffet once pledged to contribute about 85% of his then $44 billion fortune (about $140 per person in the US) to four charitable organizations. Shortly after this pledge, Buffet said, “There is more than one way to get to heaven, but this is a wonderful way.” Buffet failed to realize that since we all start out as unrighteous sinners, there is no amount of generosity or good works that will get us to Heaven.
But there is good news. In Romans 3:22-24, Paul tells us that righteousness is a gift from God that comes through faith. The day that we believe that Jesus is our sin-bearer is the day we become righteous, despite our sinful nature. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” So, when Paul is talking about unrighteous sinners in Romans 1:30-31, I remind you that He is talking about you and me. When Jesus talks about the righteous inheriting eternal life in Matthew 25:46, He is also talking about you and me!
NEXT STEP :: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your gift of eternal life through Your Son, Jesus Christ! Thank You for opening my eyes, ears and touching my heart that
I might receive You by faith.
Contributed by Robert France
WEEK 7
The Salvation of Man
but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8 (ESV)
Foundational Doctrine
Jesus purchased salvation for humanity with His sinless sacrifice on the cross, thus affecting God’s justice and producing gift of God’s grace, from sin, death, and hell to everyone who believes in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Every believer possesses a secure salvation in eternal life through the finished work of Jesus Christ, and the ongoing work of the indwelling Holy Spirit. God remains true to His promise in completing the work that He started in each believer.
An Introduction to God’s Saving Grace
Christianity stands as the only grace-based religion on the face of the earth over the whole of history. Other religions attempt to reach God by attaining to good works. They focus on vain efforts to become good enough to earn salvation. Even atheists work to outweigh their shortcomings in moralistic efforts. But, with Christianity, God pursues people, affecting salvation first by His sacrifice, then His calling, and finally in the process of sanctification.
Christ’s death on the cross paid the debt for all. His sinless life serves as a sacrifice for sinners. He accomplished all that God, the Father, requires for redemption. In that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), all must turn to Jesus. To this, Paul answers back later in Romans when he proclaims that the “gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ, our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Salvation comes as a gift through faith, “not of works, that any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:9). Every person must rely on Christ’s sacrifice and not their own effort. This eliminates all wondering, all competition, and all striving. The human effort in every aspect forward and every act of service then proceeds from an overwhelmingly thankful heart as a means of worship to Christ. A constant awareness of our sinful nature and God’s grace produces a world of good. It directs us toward spiritual growth where we give constant attention to the betterment of not only ourselves in honor of Christ, but also the benefit of others to the glory of God.
However, we are not prone to seek God naturally. Rather, He draws us to Himself. John, in his gospel, recalls the words of Christ: “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (John 6:44). By no other means does anyone come to the Father. We so often refer to people as seeking God. We call those people “seekers.” We build our church platforms around being “seeker-sensitive.” But the fact remains that we should better cultivate a sensitivity to the “drawing” of God. God wants listeners above lookers. Referring back to Romans 1:20, which speaks of the natural revelation that testifies to the glory of God, we listen and observe. We recognize the move of God and submit to it.
Altogether, the Scripture does refer to us needing to seek God, but again this does not come from ourselves. Such a focus derives from the indwelling Spirit because of the New Birth. Seeking God does not emanate from our nature, but the New Nature. The command “to seek” in general speaks to believers, rather than seekers. Unbelievers must first take account of God’s revelation with openness, sensitive to God’s call for salvation.
His call extends to all, but not everyone answers. We all have our reasons for delaying God’s call, but we are all culpable for a response to God’s grace. Yet, once responding to God’s offer of salvation through faith in Christ, the story does not end there. While God in that moment seals us for the Day of Redemption (Ephesians 4:30), we persist in the process of sanctification, continually purging our lives of the dross of ungodly thinking and behavior. Beyond our eternal security comes our preparation for eternity. Let us return to listening for God to speak to each of us as He continues to draw us to Himself.
God’s Immense Love
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
The Greek often places words in order of importance. The first Greek word in this verse is “so.” So much did God love the world that He sent His only Son. Christ’s coming to die for our sins demonstrates His immense love for us “while we were yet sinners” (Romans 5:8). God expresses His love to us without merit. Notice as well, the inclusive nature of God’s redemptive plan—the world, everyone. Second, God offers eternal life in direct contradistinction to perishing. Given the choice, it makes total sense to accept God’s gift of salvation in faith.
Faith Over Works
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8)
If all depends on Christ, no one can take credit. A person comes to Christ and salvation without concern for having to fulfill a list of deeds. Christ’s atoning sacrifice and our faith in it supersedes any effort on our part, even though our will continues to impact the living out of our faith. This levels the way to God and frees us from striving. Our deeds rather evidence the “fruit of the spirit” (Galatians 5). James echoes this thought: “In the same way, faith also, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself” (James 1:17). Thus, we understand our godly living as a product of faith not the cause of our salvation.
The Only Path to Salvation
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6).
The path to salvation resides exclusively in Jesus Christ. The grammatical construct in the Greek emphasizes Christ as the One. Literally, it reads, “I, myself, am the way…” The emphatic position of the doubled first-person pronouns makes the pronouncement absolute. Christ affirms His divinity in this proclamation as the Jews knew God as the “Great I am.” As well, the triune structure of the way, the truth, and the life also symbolically carries the notion of God. God makes it clear that Christ is the only way. The negative clause, “no one,” strengthens this idea. Apart from Christ, no one is saved.
The Power of Confession
If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9).
The verb, confess, controls the sentiment here. The Greek word literally means to “utter the same word,” expressing a person’s agreement with God concerning their sinful and lost condition. Yet, faith is action; believe is a verb. This does not, however, suggest a works-based relationship with God. The confession emanates from a belief in God “with the heart.” For the ancients, the heart is the seat of the soul. It serves as the source of all outward expression. This stresses the locus of the confession. True belief produces godliness.
Contributed by Michael WJ Kopulos, M.Div
The Benefits Of Justification
Romans 5:1-5
Justification has been described as “just as if I never sinned.” What a freeing experience to know that Jesus died on the cross, not just for every sin in my past, but every sin I will ever commit. Justification is what brings me the peace Paul speaks of in Romans 5:1. But other benefits come from justification as well.
Romans 5:2 assures me of access to God. I have someone to go to in prayer with all my problems and issues. It also assures me that my future is guaranteed, and that one day I will leave this earth and gaze upon the splendor of God.
The next two verses bring me the kind of hope that has carried me through some of the darkest times in my life. I remember when I was first saved and read in John 16:33 that “in this world you will have tribulation.” That did not sound good! But, John goes on to tell us, “Take heart, I have overcome the world.”
Romans 5:3-4 talks about rejoicing in my sufferings. So how does that work? The passage goes on to explain that “suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” Hope! That is what I need during those dark times. I have found that God does not take me around trials, but if I surrender them to Him, He takes me through the trials. They strengthen me and grow my faith. What a blessing when I am on the other side of the trial and can look back at God’s work in the situation.
NEXT STEP :: I am thankful for all the blessings my salvation brings through justification. Teach me to rejoice in my sufferings.
Contributed by John Oehrke
Free Gift Of God
Romans 6:20-23
Have you ever received a message “Click here to receive your free gift?” And when you click, you are asked to send in $29.95 to receive that free gift. That does not make it a free gift if you must pay for it. A free gift should not come with terms or conditions. It should come at no cost to you.
Salvation is God’s free gift to those of us who believe in Him. There are no strings attached! No money to send in; no seminar to attend. Salvation is for everyone who believes (Romans 1:16). It does not cost anything. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8)
“For the wages of sin is death.” We were supposed to suffer and die for our sins. When you finish that verse we learn, “but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.” Through God’s grace and mercy, we now have eternal life. In John 20:31b it states, “that by believing you may have life in His name.” Jesus died on the cross to free us from suffering for our sins. Just by believing in Jesus we have eternal life—Salvation!
If you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, you will be saved! There is no better gift than that!
NEXT STEP :: Thank You Jesus for Your ultimate sacrifice so that I may live with You forever. Thank You for this free gift of Salvation. Thank You for Your love so freely given. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Contributed by Michele Aguilar
New Creation In Christ
2 Corinthians 7:14-21
I was born with one arm partially missing and hip dysplasia which causes me to walk with a limp. When I was young, I loved being different and kissed my “little arm” every night before bed thanking God for it. I joked with kids about getting bitten by a shark, answered questions with laughter and loved teaching kids to tie their shoes with one hand.
By the time I was in junior high something in my heart had slowly changed. I did not want to be different. I started asking “why me?” I no longer wanted kids to ask me what happened, and I tried my hardest to fit in and be like everyone else. Then Christ changed everything.
I committed my life to following Christ at a Christian Young Life camp the summer of my freshman year in high school. As I let the truth of His forgiveness and power change me, my old motives were replaced by pure joy in serving Him. Insecurity was replaced by confidence in my new identity as God’s child. Timidity was replaced by calm strength in being acutely mission-focused. I was once again grateful for my differences because I could see how God was using them to reach people who needed love and truth.
I was a new creation; the old identity was gone and the new had come. (2 Corinthians 5:17). I had been made new in the attitude of my mind (Ephesians 4:23); God had given me a new heart and put a new spirit in me (Ezekiel 36:26). I was truly alive!
This new creation status is true for every follower of Christ, but with our new identity also comes new responsibility. As 2 Corinthians 5:15 says, we no longer live for ourselves, but we live for Christ. The moment we trusted Christ with our lives we were made new, but thankfully we are continuously being transformed into His likeness through the Holy Spirit.
NEXT STEP :: Lord, Your love compels us, and Your hope emboldens us. May we bear Your image well and long to see others through Your eyes. Amen.
Contributed by Jonnalee Dunn
Justified By Faith
Romans 5:1-5
When the Bible speaks of “justification” or “justified”, it is talking about our journey out of selfishness, rebellion, and failure (sin) and into faith and forgiveness of sins by faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross. There is no work we can do to deserve this; it comes by faith. We have been justified by faith. We do not need to worry about someone taking it away, it is ours by faith in the Lordship of Jesus Christ in our lives.
As a result, we also have peace with God through Jesus. It is a product of our justification. This peace can bring calm to life as we face doubts, fears, and times of calamity, knowing that God will watch over and protect our lives. Furthermore, we have access by faith to the glory of God which allows us to rejoice in the hope we have, not only for guidance in this life, but in the hope of the glory of God everlasting. I’m pretty sure that means heaven!
We also enjoy the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives (v. 5). This Holy Spirit encourages us, fills us, and instructs us in understanding the Word, the Bible. This presence equips us even for tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance, which produces character and finally hope.
We have all this blessing because we have been justified by faith—declared righteous in God’s eyes because of faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus which pays the price for our sins—not by works of righteousness, but according to God’s mercy.
It is a great treasure—in fact, it is the greatest treasure that life offers. Enjoy!!!
NEXT STEP :: Thank You, Heavenly Father, that I am secure in You because of Jesus! Thank You for Your presence in my life and for giving me a peace and calmness because I am resting in Your hands! Help me today, Lord, to fulfill Your kingdom purposes that have for me!
Contributed by Dr. Jim Huckaba
Brave In His Love
John 3:16-17; Ephesians 3:20-21
For Arnav, being at home was like being in prison. His dad, Kumar, would not allow him to leave the house or talk with friends, but home life was worse when Kumar got drunk and abused the family. In a home like this, you can imagine how excited—yet fearful—Arnav felt when he was invited to a Children’s Bible Club. And yet Arnav enjoyed the experience so much that he started bringing his brother and sister, also!
But then, Kumar noticed something—Arnav seemed to be distancing himself from the family’s deities. So, Kumar approached Arnav and asked him to bow down before their idols. Arnav hesitated, and then he said something that shocked the entire family—he had received Jesus as his Savior.
In a rage, Kumar grabbed his leather belt and beat Arnav mercilessly. And yet, even after he was covered in bruises, Arnav’s faith could not be shaken. He not only continued to attend the Bible Club; he courageously invited the leader to his house to share the Gospel with his mom. Something shifted in her heart when she heard about Jesus, and she joined a church!
Meanwhile, Arnav prayed for his dad’s transformation. And when Kumar was sober, Arnav’s mom spoke with him about Jesus. God performed a miracle for this family—Kumar’s attitude toward Christianity changed, and he gave up his addiction!
NEXT STEP :: Do we believe that God’s power can save a family caught in generations of idol worship? Or an abusive alcoholic father? John 3:16-17 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” What family member, neighbor, or friend have you given up hope for? Let us be brave like Arnav, follow God, and believe that God can do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. (Ephesians 3:20)
Contributed by Michael Blaser
WEEK 8
Human Destiny
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms.If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also.”
John 14:1-3 (ESV)
Foundational Doctrine
God securely promises the reward of eternal life for all believers in the New Heaven and the New Earth. Upon physical death, believers immediately meet Christ in heaven awaiting their future bodily resurrection at the second coming of Christ. At this time, all others will stand before the Great White Throne Judgment of God and be cast into Hell, everlasting punishment, and separation from God.
An Introduction to Eternity
Ultimately, God wishes tranquility, peace, and beauty in its purest form for all to enjoy in Heaven. Therefore, He cannot allow for any sin that would corrupt His Paradise. While God does not desire a destructive end in punishment for anyone, His justice requires it. Yet, God also provides a means to affect our justice through Christ’s propitiation on the cross. In order to apply His sacrifice, He requires faith and a life of responsive worship generated by the New Nature.
Because God respects the free will of choice in individuals, each person must submit in faith to Christ as their redeemer. Thus, the human will determine a future in eternity in advance of God’s judgment. This places the burden of responsibility on us to choose Christ, yet God makes a way in that He draws us to Himself. Paul explains to the Romans that even nature itself in all its majesty, wonder, and glory testifies to humanity of God’s existence so that no one is “without excuse” (Romans 1:20). Still, we must listen and respond in the affirmative. In spite of all efforts, even those through the preaching of God’s Word and the testimony of countless Christians, some still choose otherwise in life on earth. They refuse God’s invitation or deny His truth. By this, they stand condemned, only redeemable by a reversal and confession of faith. These will face the Final Judgment of Christ and eternal damnation to Hell and eternal suffering. Without the appropriation of Christ’s payment for sin to the individual, a person may not enter Heaven because they would corrupt it by their character. God’s Paradise does not allow for evil in any form.
Christ’s final coming completes God’s plan which He instituted in the beginning. We can look at the beginnings in Genesis and the end in Revelation 22 as bookends for God’s redemptive plan. The same paradise pictured in Genesis returns in God’s New Heaven and Earth, this time without any sin or corruptible element. Imagine John’s revelation of a crystal-clear river flowing from God in the context of a person living in the hot arid Arabian landscape. This context commutes an endless refreshing from the presence of God. Furthermore, John’s vision pictures trees that bear fruit every month. God’s provision and love is never out of season. Given the striving that we all endure in this life, it seems unimaginable and insane not to want such a future—Paradise restored.
Conversely, the images of God’s wrath in the various narratives and figures of the testaments should issue an equal warning for all. Yet, God does not necessarily want to cast fear so much as He wants people to understand and respect the truth of His design. In reality, no one ever came to God out of fear so much as they come to Him in response to His love and grace. Our own conscience, an imprint in the likeness to God, testifies that we need the Savior. Furthermore, the practice of saying no to God can establish such a habit that it makes it hard for some to say yes. The longer we wait and put off saying yes to God, the more likely we will face the consequence of our rebellion and suffer much grief in this life, which is only a foretaste of what unbelievers will eventually face. Alternately, those who yield to God sample God’s goodness and blessing every day. For believers, the blessings of Heaven surround their daily living, even in its trials, yet they still look to a day when that blessing will fully consummate upon Christ’s Final Coming.
Distinctly Different Destinies
What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy… (Romans 9:22-24)
In direct contradistinction to God’s wrath and judgment which will befall the unbelieving (Matthew 25:46), Paul, notes that God’s judgment makes known His glorious riches. The contrast between paradise and damnation presents such a stark contrast that His grace appears all the more glorious. Too many times, people fixate on the horror of judgment to the point of losing sight of His abundant mercy. They want to reject God’s grace on account of His justice. Alternatively, focusing on God’s mercy frees us from judgment as we surrender to God’s authority. God’s mercy silences His wrath through faith.
The Security of the Believer
My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. (John 10:29)
In this statement, Jesus establishes the secure position of the believer in Christ’s care. The negation in “no one” ushers a complete and absolute promise. Believers enjoy a security in Christ from Satan, his demons, or anyone else who would seek to draw them away from God’s love. To be sure, this has more to do with eternal destiny than it has to do with transient entrapments. If we fall into sin, Christ can redirect us. If it were not so, we would be subject to falling away. Our destiny depends on Christ alone—unquestionably secure.
Commitment Accompanies Confession
The one who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment… (John 5:24)
This verse again pictures alternative destinies. The Bible does not teach any other possibility, middle ground, or second chances. The alternatives could not stand at greater odds. We have this life in which to secure our fate in Christ. Of note, “hearing” in the biblical sense means submission and obedience to the lordship of Christ. Commitment accompanies our confession. The moment we accept Christ’s death as payment for our sin and submit to Him as Lord, He frees us from judgment. Yet, the decision initiates a regenerative work where God produces change in a person’s attitude that results in a new direction in life, not to secure salvation, but because of it.
Instantaneous Transportation
But we are of good courage and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:8)
Paul answers the question of immediacy regarding our eternal home. He states this in very simple terms: we instantly transport into Christ’s presence when “absent from the body.” The simplicity here raises many questions, yet our acceptance of it covers any curiosity. Ultimately, this promise allays questions for those who depart. Nothing could be more reassuring than the presence of Christ. As a result of this promise, we live free from the fear of judgment, leaving only great wonder which inspires faithful living.
Contributed by Michael WJ Kopulos, M.Div
Is Your Name In The Book?
Revelation 20:11-15
The “Book of Life” is the one book you want your name to be in, because it’s the Book that decides what happens to you for all eternity! If your name is in the Book, you’ll spend your eternity with Jesus forever in heaven. If your name is not in the Book, you’ll spend your eternity separated from Jesus. God made it a simple thing to understand.
The question everyone should be asking is, “How do you get your name in the Book?” Well, once again, God made it a simple thing to understand. The Apostle John said this in 1 John 5:11-12, “And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.” God says if we have Jesus (if we’ve surrendered our life over to Jesus), we have the life (in other words, our name is written in the Book), but if we don’t have Jesus (if we’ve not surrendered our life over to Jesus), we don’t have the life (in other words, our name is not written in the Book).
If your name is in the Book (you’re a believer and follower of Jesus), live a life that celebrates and honors this great Truth. If your name is not in the Book (you don’t know Jesus), today would be a good day to surrender your life over to Him, because He’s the only one that holds the pen that can write your name into the Book.
NEXT STEP :: Thank you, Lord, for writing my name in the Book of Life! My trust and hope is entirely in You! I know that it is not in any good work that I have done, but entirely in the good work You have done for me! May my life give evidence today of walking hand in hand with You!
Contributed by Pastor Rick Countryman, Associate Pastor
You Never Know When You Will Die
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2; James 4:13-14
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:a time to be born, and a time to die….
There are only two men in the Bible who did not die— Enoch (Genesis 5:24, “Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him”); and, Elijah (2 Kings 2:11: “And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven”).
Everyone else is guaranteed to die, unless we are alive for the rapture of the church, or even later, Jesus Christ’s second coming. Many people fear death, but as a follower of Jesus there is no reason to fear.
In January of 2021 my mother suddenly died. It was very unexpected, but the Lord gave my dad and I peace about it. Sure, we miss her, but we both know she is in the arms of Jesus now, a much better place than here on earth. We know she was a faithful follower of Jesus and that makes all the difference. How about you? Have you put your trust in Jesus? If not, please do so; you are certain to die, you just do not know when.
What a day that will beWhen my Jesus I shall seeAnd I look upon His faceThe One who saved me by His graceWhen He takes me by the handAnd leads me through the Promised LandWhat a day, glorious day that will beBy Jim Hill
NEXT STEP :: For further study, read: Genesis 5:21-24; 2 Kings 2:8-14; 2 Corinthians 5:6-9; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Romans 10:9-11.
Contributed by Pamela Bowman
Wrath Of God
Romans 1:18-32
Paul begins his writing to the church at Rome with unashamed preaching of the Gospel. His joy is evident. Here is the Truth! In the Gospel, a righteousness from God is revealed and it is by faith. Oh, how we love our salvation, our safety, and such love!
Therefore, it is hard to read Romans 1:18-32, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all godlessness and wickedness.” Wrath? Not a word we like to associate with “God is love.” Our God who loved to the extent of sending His Son to become sin for us, to take the wrath of God for us, still has more wrath? The answer is “yes,” and it is presently being revealed against all those who reject and suppress every kindness and grace that God has clearly shown them. He gives them over to what they want to do. Someday His wrath will explode on the final Day when they receive what was chosen, their final rejection will be granted, and they will have Self forever.
A God of righteousness must also be a God of wrath. God’s wrath is holy justice. It is not a temper tantrum. It is not a revengeful, sinful, getting-even rage. He is not like us.
God’s wrath is present, total, and permanent against sin and evil. John 3:36 says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”
And this is where we come in. We are not called to give over to God’s wrath those who are rejecting Him. We are called to give them the good news of escape from the wrath, and the joy of righteousness in, through and because of God’s provision in Christ Jesus. Now. While there is still time!
NEXT STEP :: Who have you given over to hopelessness because of their lifestyle and rejection of all things “Christian”? Are you embarrassed by the “wrath of God”? If so, why? Do you see yourself anywhere in Romans 1:18-32?
Contributed by Connie Grover
Jesus Promised
John 14:14; 16:24
I remember when my children were little, and I tried to get them to jump into a swimming pool for the first time. “Trust me!” I said. “There is no way I won’t catch you!” There was a 0% chance that I WASN’T going to deliver on my promise to catch them and yet they still were hesitant to jump.
In this passage, I feel like I am a little child not wanting to jump into my dad’s arms in the swimming pool. Jesus is saying, “Don’t worry!” “Would I tell you that I’m preparing a place in Heaven for you and that I’m coming back to get you if it wasn’t true?” “Trust Me!”
What better promise can exist than what we find in this passage? The King of Kings is preparing a place in Heaven for His followers so we can spend eternity with Him AND He is going to come back and give us a personal escort!!! And yet there remains places on this earth where we are anxious and unwilling to jump “all in” to the places Jesus is inviting us into. Jesus invites us to “seek Him first” and trust Him for the rest.
What is one area in your life that you are not fully trusting in Him? Could it be your schedule (how you invest your time)? Could it be your finances (how you invest money)? Could it be that “hidden” sin that you need to repent of? Could it be your willingness to share your faith story with your ACTUAL neighbor? Today can be the day that you exchange anxiety for joy by fully putting your trust in the Lord that He will always keep His promises. And when you choose that one area that you want to begin to fully trust Him in or for, do not just talk about it, but, in the power of the Holy Spirit, do it! In other words, JUMP!!!
NEXT STEP :: Sharing today’s decision with a Christian friend who will pray for you and hold you accountable will increase your chances of success exponentially.
Contributed by Pastor Bobby Kirchner, Executive Pastor
Joy Of Heaven
Revelation 22:1-7; Acts 2:28; John 15:9-11
I remember a time when my children found peace, safety, and happiness just sitting with my wife and me and resting their heads on us. Spiritual joy (happiness) is much like that how, in just being with Jesus, He makes us full of Joy. Heaven is a beautiful and wonderful place, but the most extraordinary and satisfying thing about Heaven is that Jesus will be there for all eternity, and we will be there with Him. (Acts 2:28)
The pinnacle of our joy is in the completion of the redemptive work of the Lamb which makes it possible for us to draw near to God. We know Jesus is our Messiah and that God accepted His work on the cross because God raised Jesus from the dead. When we accept Jesus as our Lord, we are in Him, and He is in us, and our joy is made full by Him. (John 15:9-11)
Another wonderful thing about Heaven is that Jesus is the light of Heaven, and the gates will never need to be closed because there is no darkness. (Revelation 21:25-27; 22:5) Because Jesus is the light of Heaven, He makes it a safe place full of His peace where the gates never need to be closed, and no darkness can never enter.
NEXT STEP :: We are all called to be a light showing what God has done in and through us. Let us rest our heads on Him and partake in the joy of His presence here on Earth and look to a time when we can experience the even greater joy of being with Him in Heaven.
Contributed by Rick Elliott
WEEK 9
The Existence of Satan & Evil
And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.”
Revelation 12:10-11 (ESV)
Foundational Doctrine
God created all angels, including Satan, who through pride and sinful ambition, rebelled against God, becoming the great adversary of God and His people. These spirit beings possess supernatural powers, but God limits their powers by His permissive will. Christ, in eternal terms, defeated Satan,as leader of evil angels, demons, at the cross of Jesus Christ, establishing Satan’s eternal destiny to the lake of fire, Hell.
An Introduction to the Reality of Satan
A theology of Satan tends to trouble people more so than God Himself. We more readily comprehend God’s love because we so desperately recognize our need. However, we would prefer to ignore or deny Satan’s power at work in the world. Satan works in our midst to disrupt peace and cause havoc. Of great import, this disruption concurrently occurs in the heavenly realms. Everything set here on earth bears heavenly consequence. It is a spiritual battle. Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19). He gave this admonition to His disciples within the context of various redemptive settings: salvific, sanctifying, forgiving, and relational. In accordance, Satan troubles human lives with the intent to confound God’s mission in the life of every individual. At times, he will do this to hinder the Gospel ministry and evangelistic enterprise. At other times, God allows Satan to interrupt the life of a believer. He tries to take the attention off God and put it on the temporal. Satan wants to circumvent God’s purposes.
To the Ephesians, Paul mentions the need of God’s armor to withstand the schemes of the devil and he refers to the spiritual realms as the site of warfare. Therefore, we must remain acutely aware of the potential for evil propagated by Satan. This plays out logistically for us in the day-to-day. Yet, apart from denial, though, we face two other dangers: to falsely ascribe Satan’s activity with our own shortfall, and to indiscriminately assume that all evil stems from Satan. We are tempted to blame Satan rather than take responsibility.
Humans possess a sinful nature. As such, they do not need Satan to tempt them to sin. People often do this of their own volition. Still, God may allow Satan to tempt people to test their resolve in following Christ. Paul writes, “No temptation has overtaken you except something common to mankind; and God is faithful, so He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able” (1 Corinthians 10:13). Thus, we understand that temptation comes our way in the permissive will of God. He expects that we will pass the test if we lean into Him. This also suggests that sin comes from the depths of desire and the will, not from an outside source of temptation. Satan may place a stumbling block before us, but the passion to succumb lives within us. Our passion for Christ must exceed all others.
Additionally, if we are to remain accountable for our sinful choices, we must acknowledge that others willfully perpetrate acts of evil and wickedness on their own accord. People do not always require Satan’s intervention to sin; they often do so of their own accord. That said, Satan and his demons still interfere in the affairs of humans, as he influences the “sons of disobedience”(Ephesians 1-3). As a whole, the activity of fallen angels in the midst of human affairs remains a mystery for us. We know not from whence came all evils, yet we can stand in confident faith, protected by God and His angels, which also remains a mystery that we must accept by faith when no other reasonable explanation presents itself. In all, we need not fear evil when we place our lives in the hands of Christ. Our eternity is secure in His hands. Any suffering from the Devil is for but a moment, though grievous and accounted to God.
Satan in the Beginning
You were in Eden, the garden of God;
Every precious stone was your covering…
You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor.
I threw you to the ground; I put you before kings…
(Ezekiel 28:13-17)
These verses frame a passage which speaks to the presence of Satan in the Garden. We should also note that since the creation account does not speak to angels, Satan’s creation predates the earth. God in His infinite knowledge foreknew of Satan’s evil intent and planned for it. God grants angels, like humans, free will. Unlike angels though, humans have access to God’s grace which elevates humankind as the crown of God’s creation. People have free access to God’s love and mercy together with a privileged audience to Satan’s defeat.
A House United
They said, “This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons”—If Satan is casting out Satan, he has become divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? (Matthew 12:24-26)
Christ Himself affirms the existence of Satan. Moreover, the testimony of the Pharisees to Christ’s miracles evidence Christ as from God, even His divinity. The good works of Christ could not possibly come from Satan as they oppose devilish purposes. The work of God counters the evil in the world and the work of demons. Accordingly, the victorious nature of Christ’s work demonstrates the superiority of His power over Satan. Further, the work of Christ is not divisive, but unifying. Therefore, the Church stands best against the devil in unity.
The Spiritual Battle
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God… (Ephesians 6:12-13)
Paul instructs the Ephesian church in the reality of a spiritual battle. Though many of our daily challenges may appear incidental and worldly, they bear a significant relation to the battle for our souls. Though impossible against the power of God, Satan is at work, trying to pluck us from the Father’s hand. Yet, Christians must partake in spiritual warfare through faith and prayer. Paul admonishes believers to stand ready in the battle because no evil can withstand the power of God. Our readiness as a matter of regular prayer, consistent study in God’s Word, and communion with other believers will prevail.
Christ’s Final Authority
Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I… will draw all people to Myself.” (Matthew 12:31-32)
These verses assess the finality of Jesus’ superiority in all things eternal. He will rule as Judge in the Last Day over Satan and all those apart from Christ. Though Satan possesses powers superior to ours, he submits to Christ’s victory over death. With all authority, the Lord draws all people to Himself in accord with God’s redemptive plan. Christ frees believers from a judgment otherwise inevitable—a sharp contrast here between the redeemed and the otherwise condemned.
Contributed by Michael WJ Kopulos, M.Div
God’s Good Intentions
Genesis 50:15-21
A Biblical response to adversity hinges on having a proper perspective. Satan, the great adversary of God, is continually seeking ways to inflict evil on our lives. Yet we know the end of the story—Satan will face his final destiny of everlasting punishment in Hell. Hallelujah! This is great perspective, but it doesn’t mean that we won’t face trials today. In Genesis 37-50 we read a harrowing story of Joseph, a faithful man who faced tribulation like few of us have.
As a beloved son of the Patriarch Jacob, Joseph’s life began full of favor. His brothers began to grow jealous of him, becoming so filled with sinful ambition that they planned to strip him of his robe, throw him into a pit and leave him for dead.
Joseph’s saga was far from over. After being pulled from the pit, sold into slavery, accused of rape, imprisoned and forgotten, Joseph could have allowed his perspective to turn inward, pridefully focused on the pit he once again found himself in. Instead, Joseph remained faithful and available to God.
Little did Joseph know that his journey of injustice and imprisonment would soon lead him straight into the throne room of the Pharaoh, the ruler and religious figurehead of Egypt. After enduring 13 years of unthinkable hardship, Joseph now found himself in a position of great influence and, once again, favor.
Throughout it all, Joseph remained convinced that God was ultimately responsible for allowing these things to happen to him, but that He also had a larger plan in place. That plan was to save His people—and many others—from the ravages of starvation and ultimately show goodness and forgiveness to the brothers. What the enemy intended for evil; God intended for good.
NEXT STEP :: Regardless of what you are facing today, God has a plan for you that is greater than your current circumstances. In every trial, every tribulation, in every pit you find ourselves in, what is your perspective?
Contributed by Pastor Chad Pippin, Worship & Production Ministries
Deceiver
2 Corinthians 11:13-15; Revelation 12:9-12
20th Century American missionary, A.W. Tozer wrote “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing to us.” In Genesis 3, we see Satan deceive Adam and Eve about who God is, to assassinate His character. Satan wants us to value our insights and perspectives over God’s laws and words by deceiving us into believing the lie that God is not truthful, good, or righteous.
In Genesis 3:1, Satan employs a favorite tactic. He wants us
to put a question mark where God previously put a period. Satan attempted to do the same thing to Jesus in the wilderness. Satan’s deceptions are more believable the less time we spend in God’s Word, but Satan flees when we wield God’s Truth.
In Genesis 3:1-3, Satan employs another favorite tactic. If God says “No” to something, He must not be a good God. According to botanists, there are some 60,000 species of trees worldwide. If we assume all 60,000 were in Eden, Satan’s deception is to make us think that we need self-sufficiency because a God that places restrictions on 0.01% of his creation cannot be trusted. In Genesis 3:4, Satan deceives Adam and Eve into denying the judgment of God and penalty of sin.
John 3:16 reminds us that those who do not believe in Him will perish, and Hebrews 9:27 says all men will die and face judgment. Because we tend to have a cartoon concept of death—do something bad and die immediately—we think that God overlooks sin because nothing bad seems to happen. Not so. Though Adam and Eve lived at least another 800 years after The Fall, they did eventually die and face judgment.
NEXT STEP :: Forgive us Father for the times we assassinate Your character and help us know Your Heart.
Contributed by Robert France
Satan’s Attacks And Accusations
Revelation 12:9-11
In today’s culture the concept of a devil (Satan) is minimized or fictionalized so people will not take him seriously. But here is the truth—Satan is real! His attacks and his accusations are real! He is an enemy of God and everything that God represents. It is much easier to do life without realizing that we are living in a world that is overshadowed and continually impacted by the spiritual battle between good and evil.
Jesus said this in Matthew 24:9 NLT “Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers.” If we, as followers of Jesus, will take seriously the kingdom work God has for us, we will
be able to recognize the attacks of Satan. But being a serious follower of Jesus also gives us the assurance that He, Jesus, has already won the victory, and He has given us all we need to overcome anything that the enemy could throw at us! “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NLT
NEXT STEP :: Take a moment to reflect on these verses: “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8 NLT
“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” John 10:10 NLT
“One day the members of the heavenly court came to present themselves before the LORD, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them. ‘Where have you come from?’ the LORD asked Satan. Satan answered the LORD,’I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.’ Then the LORD asked Satan, ‘Have you noticed my servant, Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.’” Job 1:6-8 NLT
Contributed by Pastor Richard Sasser, Men’s Ministry
Know Your Enemy
Ephesians 6:10-17
My husband and I don’t really fight, thankfully we get along really well. So, when the times come that we get into a spat, I take notice. And wouldn’t you know, most of those times are right when one or both of us is really stepping out in serving our God. Whether I’m putting on a Women’s event, he is faithfully living out his calling, or one of us is taking an important step in our faith… what is going on when we find this obstacle while chasing after Jesus?
Well, we have an enemy, and it’s not our spouse, or any other person. And that enemy is scheming, constantly, on how to destroy, divide, and discourage us.
Ephesians 6:10 says, “Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil spiritual forces in the heavens.”
The first way we can defeat an enemy is to identify just who the enemy is. As soon as we realize that we aren’t really fighting one another, but that we have an enemy who is cunning and deceitful, and sadly, effective, then the power that the enemy holds loosens and is more easily defeated! We turn our eyes back to Jesus, and back to one another and are united in our battle against the evil power, rather than battling each other. Whether it’s in our marriage, a friendship, or with someone in the Church, we must recognize that the enemy is scheming, and know that Jesus is our source of power, and peace!
NEXT STEP :: Lord, help me daily to put on the armor of God, so that I am not deceived by the enemy and his schemes. Fill me with Your power to be a peacemaker, and with Your strength to withstand the attacks from the enemy. Thank You for Your constant presence, power, and grace.
Contributed by Heather Blass, Director of Women
God Is Greater
Romans 8:31-39
From Panic to Peace
As followers of Jesus, we believe in the existence of Satan and evil, and we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is far greater. However, the problem comes in recognizing how that plays out in the midst of “life”. At least with me, that’s the case.
Several years ago, Steve and I climbed into bed, exhausted after 30+ hours travel back to Africa from the states. My dear husband, true to his worry-free character, was fast asleep within minutes, but as I lay there, suddenly a wave of panic came over me. I can’t remember now what thoughts triggered it, but there I was with the panic mounting. I tried to convince myself that there was nothing to worry about, but it wasn’t working. Finally, I got up, went into the next room and turned on the light. My eyes fell on a small book on the shelf that I don’t remember seeing before.
It was Let Us Pray, by Watchman Nee. I turned to the chapter, “Prayer that Resists Satan.” It was all scripture, magnifying the greatness of God and His power over Satan. As I prayed scripture after scripture, God’s peace flooded my soul and suddenly it dawned on me that this was not emotional, it was a spiritual attack. As I declared the truth, the enemy fled. The panic left as quick as it came! I went to bed in perfect peace!
God has already won the victory over Satan and all evil. Whatever the attack you may be facing, Jesus said, you are more than a conqueror through Him who loved you! God’s Word is your mighty weapon, and the enemy cannot stand when you declare God’s truth! “Greater is He that is within you than he that is in
the world.”
NEXT STEP :: Lord, help me to stand in Your Truth!
Contributed by Diane Warn
WEEK 10
The Church of Jesus Christ
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In Him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
Ephesians 2:19-22 (ESV)
Foundational Doctrine
The Christian Church constitutes all believers from the day of Pentecost in Acts 2 until Christ’s final coming. The Scripture refers to each believer as a member of
His body in service to Christ, each other, and the world. They assemble in community regularly for teaching, fellowship, prayer, baptism, and communion. According to the teaching of the Bible, churches baptize by water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit as a public confession of faith. In addition, believers should regularly partake in the act of remembrance for Christ’s sacrificial and atoning death through the ordinance of the Lord Supper as established in the Upper Room prior to His death.
An Introduction to The Church
The English language confounds the assumed meaning of a church. In one sense, we understand it as a building where believers gather. However, according to the Bible, the Church is a living organism, the body of Christ. This sense carries several connotations. First, as Paul notes in his letter to the Corinthian church, that “by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:13). God expands Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles (non-Jews, all nations) as expressed here in reference to the Greeks. The Church comprises believers from all nations into one body. Paul makes a point of the unifying ministry of the Gospel—no divisions. God does not divide the Church by race or any means—neither should we.
Formerly, God spoke to Abraham, the Father of the Faith. God promises that all nations will be blessed through him (Genesis 12:3). However, the Hebrews quickly forgot this missional call because they could not keep their faith pure. So, God warns them of those dangers as they enter the Promised Land. God never intended to exclude any who earnestly seek Him. Even in earlier Old Testament times, God issued a welcome to any foreigner that desired to worship the true God. For example, at Jericho, Israel accepted Rahab for her aid to the spies. She even makes it into the genealogy of Christ.
The Jews were to carry the message of God. The New Testament makes this clear in Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles. Peter also testifies, “God has shown me that I am not to call any person unholy or unclean” (Acts 10:28). In simple terms, no one is unworthy of God’s love.
Moreover, the body of Christ, like the human body, manifests many parts, and each part carries out its created purpose. This, too, signifies not only the unity of the Church, but the cooperative and coordinated work of the Church. As such, God gifts each member of the body special gifts of service, suited to specific tasks within the scope of the Great Commission. He puts upon every member the responsibility of service in a capacity suited to their gifting. Some members may even possess multiple gifts, and God’s gifting may manifest in more than one way. A particular gift may come naturally to a person, or a God may specially gift someone in the moment. In every case, we should open ourselves to the work of God through us.
In all, every act of service carries with it a spiritual act of worship (Romans 12:1). We dedicate all that we do to God’s glory. We credit Him with the ability to accomplish each and every thing. Apart from His power, we remain powerless to do the work. In serving Christ, we open our eyes to how God works amid our service. In so doing we find great joy. Even when we feel unqualified or ill-equipped if God calls, we answer because this might be the occasion of God’s special gifting and blessing. We do so because God’s work bears eternal significance for those who need Christ—to Him, be the glory. Even the smallest acts of service contribute to our ongoing mission.
A Foundational and Unconquerable Faith
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God…” And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. (Matthew 16:18)
In response to Christ’s question, Peter answers rightly in a confession of Christ as the Messiah, the Son of God. Peter’s faith serves as foundational to the Church. We should note that God made this known to him. Augustine and others refer to this as illumination, a key factor in faith. God makes Himself known in a supernatural luminary experience. God speaks to our spirit. Thus, our openness in receiving God’s truth remains key. In response to confessions, such as with Peter, God establishes a formidable Church through faith. It holds against all enemies, even the powerful work of Satan. By comparison, God’s Church possesses superior powers, and it will prevail.
God’s Purpose in Service
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand… (Ephesians 2:10).
God foreordains His people for the work of the Church. He prepares them, equipping them with all necessary to fulfill His mission. This verse strongly asserts God’s purpose in His creative work. It also speaks to His authorship in exactly how He has created each and every one of us. The idea of His workmanship suggests that the believer equates with a beautiful work of art. This pictures beauty within us all. Moreover, the good works of which Paul speaks infer God’s purpose in living as executors of God’s redemptive will.
Holding Loosely to the World
And all the believers were together and had all things in common; …and the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved (Acts 2:41-47).
More than any other passage in all the New Testament, this record of the Early Church illustrates the life of the Church. It specifies a selfless giving wherein people value generosity over acquisition. Where God blesses, people generously give toward the needs of others. This makes practical the spiritual work which stems from relational and worshipful gathering. Furthermore, the unity and activity of the Church serve as a witness which grants them favor in the sight of all people, which attracts others to faith in Christ.
Leadership as Equippers
He gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body… (Ephesians 4:11-12).
To fulfill the mission of the Church and help members serve effectively, God equips some with special skills for multiplying the capacity to accomplish God’s work. His work involves a two- pronged mission: ministry to other believers and ministry to the world. A strong Church accomplishes much. Therefore, to fulfill the Great Commission, gifted leaders must equip the church for ministry to the unbelieving. In opposition to common assumptions, the church leaders do not do ministry as much as they build up others to do so.
Contributed by Michael WJ Kopulos, M.Div
Love One Another
Romans 12:9-21; 13:8; 14:13-20
One of the identifying marks of a true follower of Christ is how we love! Jesus said to His followers, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). The kind of love Jesus was talking about was extraordinary love! That kind of out-of-the-ordinary love is the kind of love that as followers of Jesus we are to show to one another as well as to any of our enemies!
Tough to do, isn’t it? This kind of out-of-the-box love requires us to walk by faith, trusting in God, believing in His promises, allowing God to work through us, and leaving the results to Him. Remember, Christ is the vine, we are the branches. If we abide in Christ, He will bear much fruit through us, and the fruit will remain (John 15:5).
In 1956, Jim Elliott and four other missionaries were killed while trying to contact a remote jungle tribe in Ecuador (Aucas). Jim and Elisabeth’s daughter, Valerie, was only 10 months old at the time when her daddy was killed.
In an extraordinary act of love for this jungle tribe, Elisabeth and her daughter chose to not stop trying to reach the Aucas for Jesus. One day her path crossed with two Auca women. Through that meeting, Elisabeth was eventually able to go to live with the Aucas. She, along with her young daughter Valerie, spent two years ministering to the tribe, leading to Christ some of the same men who had been responsible for her husband’s death. Elisabeth’s commitment to Christ and her extraordinary love for her husband’s murderers resulted in many coming to Christ, some of whom are serving as missionaries even today!
NEXT STEP :: Father in heaven, help me to love as You love. You love even my enemies! Help me to trust in Your and show loving kindness to even those who persecute me!
Contributed by Pastor Lonnie Skiles, Next Steps Ministry
The Purpose Of The Church
Matthew 28:19-20
When I was young, I thought the purpose of the church was to help people in need—building church buildings, collecting disaster relief, and helping the homeless and poor. Of course, the church does all the above but there is so much more. When we ask ourselves, “What is the purpose of the church?” we first need to begin with another question, which is “What is the church?”
The “church” is commonly perceived as a building where people of a common faith come together to learn more about that faith and to spread that faith to others. There are many buildings that say “Unitarian,” “Catholic,” “Latter-Day Saints,” and many, many more. However, as Bible-believing Christians, our definition is different. There is only one true “church,” and it goes beyond buildings and borders and is the physical extension of the God of the Bible to this world. It is NOT the building or the organization…it is US!!
The Church is the collection of all believers. We are God’s hands, mouth, and feet in this world. Matthew 28:19-20 tells us that our purpose is to make disciples of all nations, baptize one another, and teach these new disciples everything Jesus has outlined in the Bible. How do we do that? We read the Scriptures (Joshua 1:8), we pray (1 Thessalonians 5:16), we fellowship with other believers (Hebrews 10:25), and we share the gospel wherever we are (Acts 1:8).
Go forth with purpose, Church, and make disciples, baptize, and teach what Jesus has told us.
NEXT STEP :: Life is full of the urgent, but we should address what is important. Fulfill the purpose of the Church and make disciples of all nations
Dear God, help me to be intentional and bold in sharing the gospel.
Contributed by Darryl One, Elder
The Church—Strong & Protected
Matthew 16:18
When I am embarking on something scary, it is easy to be overcome with fear…let’s think about rock climbing. If I went to that new rock-climbing place and started up the wall, I would not get very far because the fear of falling (and the very real consequences that would follow—ouch!) would keep me from climbing that wall. However, when I am safely set up with the ropes and pulleys, and the spotter, who is watching out for me, I can climb that wall knowing that I am protected. I am set up with the right foundation to persevere, and I can climb with confidence that I am not alone and even if I fall, I will be safe.
In light of this, the Church is set up with strength, in the very person of Jesus! The foundation of the Church is the apostles and prophets, and the cornerstone—the most important stone that starts it all, that sets it square and strong—is Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:20).
We forget sometimes just how intentional and strong our God is. We get caught up with worry with each generation, that the church is dying and somehow, it is our responsibility to “fix.” Can we remember that the Church is people! It is US! And we, the Church, are the very Bride of Christ. We are His, we are loved, and we are protected. His Church will never die. He says quite succinctly in Matthew 16:18 that even the gates of Hell will not overpower it!
In Acts, the churches were growing when they were “living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit” (Acts 9:31`). We can climb with perseverance the path that Jesus has for us, the Church, because He has declared that we are built on a solid foundation and that even the power of the enemy will not overpower it!
NEXT STEP :: I call us, the Church, to live like we believe this is true! Let us not live in fear of what the enemy may try to do and let us live in the power of the Spirit!
Contributed by Heather Blass, Director of Women
The Mystery
Ephesians 3:6
“This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (Ephesians 3:6).
I love a good mystery, especially when it comes to my family tree. I hit a brick wall with Hiram Carver. After years of searching, DNA testing could get me family matches, but no direct path to a common ancestor—until I found his father’s will, and evidence of Hiram being an heir. 150-year mystery solved!
God promised Abraham that all nations would be blessed through his descendants. But it was a mystery. The Temple kept Gentile followers to the outermost court. Archeology confirms the existence of a wall inscribed with death threats to foreigners (Gentiles) entering courts restricted to only Jews.
Paul tells the Ephesians they were once foreigners, that
Jesus has broken down the “dividing wall of hostility.” Jewish and Gentile believers are being built together into one body, one dwelling place for God through the Spirit. It was given to Paul “to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 3:8-10).
My family mystery only lasted 150 years. As a Gentile, my connection to God’s family was hidden for the ages.
NEXT STEP :: Read the clues God gave us to the mystery and thank Him for revealing it and His wisdom!
Blessing—Genesis 12:3, 18:18, 22:18, 26:4
Light—Isaiah 42:6, 49:6; Acts 13:47
Every Nation—Luke 2:32, 24:47
Salvation—Isaiah 52:10; Acts 1:8, 13:47, 26:23
Contributed by Robin Bjerke
The “Bride” Of Christ
Revelation 19:7-9; 21:2
Sometimes a single word can tell an entire story. It can shift our whole perspective. God, in His revelation (the Bible) to us (His Creation), chose to reveal Himself using specific words. Something of unmistakable importance to God are His people, a theme that runs from the Old Testament nation of Israel to the New Testament Church. God chose many metaphors to help us better understand our relationship to God. One of those terms is “bride.”
I distinctly remember the season of life when this term entered my vocabulary. It was during college when, through a song I wrote and sang, I asked my high school sweetheart if she would be my bride. Thankfully she said “yes,” and with incredible joy, I spent the next several months bizarrely adapting to these new terms and reality—I now had a fiancée, who was to be my bride. If you’re married, perhaps you remember that season—the anticipation, joy, and flurry of preparation for not just a wedding date but a marriage where two lives become one (Matthew 19:6). It probably consumed most of your time, filled your thoughts, and even largely defined your identity.
This is how God tells us to see ourselves as His people. For all those who have placed their faith in Jesus (the Church), God assures you that you are His bride. God has lovingly chosen you (1 Peter 2:9), delights in you, and rejoices over you (Isaiah 62:4-5). The Lord is faithful to you; steadfast in His love and covenant (1 Corinthians 1:9). I encourage you to read Ephesians 5:25-32. Look at how profoundly Christ (the bridegroom) loves the Church— His sacrificial love and action (v. 25), radiant and blameless presentation (Vv. 26-27), and deep care (v. 29). Ultimately, we look forward to the final wedding celebration with Christ (Revelation 19:7-9; 21:2) and eternity together.
NEXT STEP :: Lord, may the reality of being the “bride” of Christ fuel our anticipation, fill our thoughts, and define our present and future identity.
Contributed by Pastor Brandon Peterson, Online Campus Pastor
WEEK 11
The Great Commission
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing themin the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV)
Foundational Doctrine
When the Lord visited the disciples following His resurrection, He left them with a commission to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. As such, every local church should engage in making disciples. More, every believer should participate inthis activity as they interact with members of their community, first by sharing the Gospel of Christ, and then by participating in the discipling work of the Church. Further, the Church accomplishes the extent of this mission by sending missionaries all over the world. All Christians receive guidance, power,and the words to bear witness in their daily living.
An Introduction to God’s Missional Purposes
The Great Commission relates to Jesus’ command given to the newly founded Church after His resurrection. Until Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon all believers, the disciples lacked the impetus to stand against all odds. The Gospels record Peter’s timidity when questioned during Christ’s crucifixion. He denies Christ three times. However, the absence of courage and powers applies to all the disciples for the Bible does not tell that others stayed in proximity during this time. They feared for their lives and did not speak out. However, after Christ’s resurrection, they found renewed faith in the reality that Christ fulfilled His foretelling of the events which included His crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. Christ also provided them with assurance of the promised Helper in the person of the Holy Spirit which would empower them.
Accordingly, we, too, fulfill our calling to missionary work through the power of the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, every act of kindness done in the name of Jesus to the “distressed and downcast” (Matthew 9:26) results from a dependence upon the work of the Holy Spirit lest anyone merely attribute our good deeds as something that emanates from our own good nature. So, when we do simple acts of generous and good will, we trust that others will attribute our character to the work of God within us. In some cases, we may state this plainly as God leads, but in other cases, the whole of our lives bears the testimony of God’s work. A consistent life of character helps people connect the dots. Therefore, every action deserves consideration of its role in our witness. Beyond this, God must illumine the minds of those on the receiving end whereby they realize that this work comes from God, creating a desire in them to pursue God for themselves. However, this does not at all negate active engagement through personal testimony and invitation.
In Matthew 28, we read, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). The grammatical construct suggests a two-fold work in disciple-making which first involves entrance into the family of faith as signified in baptism and then includes instructional development regarding the way to live out that faith in accordance with the teaching of Christ. More, the scope of making disciples occurs “as we go.” The verb, here in the Greek, presents as an aorist tense participle. The participial form just means that this verb describes in this case the main verb, “making.” The aorist tense does not refer to a specific time, but an unspecified time which focuses on the quality of the action “going.” In simple terms, this means that the verb form found in “go” describes the where and when of making disciples—anytime, anywhere in the daily going about our business.
No matter where we find ourselves or in whatever activity we engage, we seek to live out a missional calling to bear witness to the work of Christ in us. Furthermore, this testimony should follow with a question of invitation wherein we extend Christ’s offer of the eternally abundant life to the people we encounter.
The Need of a Message Bearer
For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then are they to call on Him in whom they have not believed? How are they to believe in Him whom they have not heard? (Romans 10:13-14)
This rhetorical appeal to reason speaks to the mission of the Church. Hearing remains the first order. We preach so that others will hear and in hearing they will “[call] on the name of the Lord.” Further, Christ sends us all to all. Paul later quotes a familiar passage from Isaiah 52:7, speaking of the “beautiful feet” of an evangelist. The passage places the herald on a mountain, a high place for all to see. This suggests visibility and a position of respect, both important to the work of evangelism. The “beautiful feet” also suggest ministry as a mobile activity. We send; we preach; we harvest.
Compassionate Harvesting
Seeing the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast…Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.” (Matthew 9:36-38)
The work of the Church involves compassion for the souls of the lost. This requires a sensitivity to both the Holy Spirit’s leading and the condition of those around us. All will experience distress and depression of some sort, an emptiness, whether displayed or hidden. Too often, we look at outward appearances, assuming that all is well when in fact it is not. Though people progress happily for a time, they all face demons and dark days. When we attune ourselves to the concerns of others, we find opportunity to participate in the harvest.
The Power to Speak
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth. (Acts 1:8)
Bearing witness and all other missional work of the Church requires the power of God. It begins with the movement of the Holy Spirit within us. When we attend to that inner voice, we will grow in our awareness and desire to witness of the good things that God has done. Every believer has a story to tell. It does not require that our story answers everyone’s objections or questions. Rather, our testimony attests to the miraculous change in our lives that results from our faith in Christ. God empowers us and gives us the words.
A Frail but Effective Witness
But we have this treasure in earthen containers, so that the extraordinary greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves. (2 Corinthians 4:7)
God demonstrates His power of redemption and entrusts the ministry of reconciliation to frail people. Our imperfections and shortcomings demand our utter reliance on the Lord. We carry “this treasure” of God’s grace within. Though fragile, earthen does not mean broken. Paul expressly says that “we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed…so that the life of Jesus may be revealed in our body.” People should not marvel at us, but at Christ. Our frailty should never impede our witness. Rather, it validates it the power of God in us.
Contributed by Michael WJ Kopulos, M.Div
Multiplying Discipleship
2 Timothy 2:1-2
As a seminary student, I met a Christian student movement that emphasized evangelism and follow-up and introduced me to “multiplying discipleship.” It was Paul’s method of discipling Timothy described in II Timothy 2:2, “The things you have heard from me, entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” His instruction here is not just growth in Christ, not just learning more, but a one-to-one relationship of learning, practicing, being accountable and training others in ministry skills, then teaching others to do the same, passing down this practice even to the fourth generation.
Adding people to the body of Christ from a few leaders, cannot fulfill the Great Commission, but if many leaders engage in multiplying their spiritual knowledge, maturity, and skills, through relationships of commitment and accountability into the lives of many who do the same, we will realize tremendous progress toward fulfilling Christ’s command, and develop great maturity in the church.
Don’t we all want to have children and grandchildren carrying on this multiplying—not just of being a Christian—but of discipling in Paul’s manner and command to Timothy? WOW!! The potential is huge! Recent decades showed growing numbers of professing Christians with no major impact on their lives of any significance! They have focused on personal peace and affluence, forgetting God’s agenda on planet earth. The window of opportunity for proclaiming God’s message may be closing. More Christians are being persecuted than ever before! This is a post-Christian era. It is time for Christians to give themselves whole-heartedly once again to God’s agenda of making disciples—multiplying disciples. The need of our world is great!
NEXT STEP :: How about you? Are you willing to become a multiplying disciple? BVG has many opportunities to connect with and encourage others to grow and develop in their relationship with Jesus, their Savior.
Contributed by Chuck Jostad
The Ultimate Job Description
Isaiah 6:8; John 4:34; Matthew 28:18-20
Do you have a written job description? Did your employer clearly define what you should do? We Christians have the most astonishing job description. In Matthew 28, our Boss—He who has all authority and heaven and earth, He who is with us always —commissions us to be His messengers. It’s His mission, done under His authority and He is with us. The task is ours to do. No matter where we live, what we do, where our paycheck comes from, this is our “great commission.” But are we available?
Standing before the throne, as the foundations shook and the temple was filled with smoke, Isaiah heard the Lord call out for someone to be sent in the name of God; he volunteered, “Here I am! Send me.” In John 4:34, Jesus obeyed the Father by coming to earth and accomplishing what the Father sent him to do. Isaiah and Jesus were sent; Isaiah and Jesus were available and willing.
In Greek, the command in Matthew 28 is not “go therefore” but “make disciples;” “As you are going, make disciples of all nations;” where we live, work, study, shop, play. There are still thousands of language/ethnic groups around the world who have no Bible, no believers, no body of Christ. Yes, my wife and I answered the call to go to the nations in 2001. Today it would be tough to get into places like Afghanistan or Ukraine, but Afghans and Ukrainians and numerous nations are here in our area today.
Our job description is clear; are you available? What changes to your lifestyle would position you to be even more available for this ultimate, life-long, life-and-death-stakes task? As his disciples, we are already commissioned, already sent…as we “go” in our everyday lives, let us make disciples for Jesus!
NEXT STEP :: Lord help me to see the world around me. Help me to be filled with self-sacrificing love for all ethnic groups, as You have loved me. Guide me this week into creative ways to build relationships and to share the good news. Here am I, Lord. Send me!
Contributed by Todd Hunnicutt, Reach Partner
Make Disciples!
Matthew 28:19-20
After Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, His disciples wondered, “What’s He going to do now? What is the plan to fulfill His words and promises? How will He spread the good news about His grace?”
Imagine their response when Jesus gathers them together after the resurrection and tells them, “I am leaving and my plan going forward is you! You have been with Me now for three years, you have been watching Me, you have been experiencing life with Me, we have been holding training sessions and now it is your turn. You are going to go out and do what I did. I will be with you through the Holy Spirit, but I am physically leaving, and the plan now is you. That is it. I am turning you loose into the world to express your love for Me by making disciples everywhere you go.”
The disciple’s response, “Really? You are God and the best strategy You have is us??!!” Jesus reflects to their last major evangelistic outreach to the other side of the Jordan river, before He made His way deliberately to Jerusalem to be crucified. They were sent to a very spiritually neglected place of Israel. They were sent to one of the most contemptible places of Israel. They were sent to one of the most hated places of Israel.
Jesus wanted them to know that they were going out with His authority (v. 18). He wanted them to know that He would be with them (v. 20). He wanted them to do something—go replicate yourselves—make more disciples (v. 19).
2000 years later, here we are. This Bible passage is called “the great co-mission”: the giving of a charge, an authoritative order, authority granted for a particular action or function. This charge we will do with Jesus, and He will do it with us.
NEXT STEP :: What was Jesus’ plan to rescue the world from its’ self-destruction and restore it all back to Himself? You and me. Will you go? Will you do it?
Contributed by Marvin Jacobo, Reach Partner
Meaning Of Baptism
Romans 6:1-7
On Easter Sunday in 2015 I was at church preparing for another Resurrection celebration when I received an unexpected message from my wife, Julie. Her text contained a photo of our daughter’s bike (training wheels and all) at the bottom of our pool, and the message “Guess what you get to do when you get home?” Intrigued, I called to hear the rest of the story.
After getting ready for church in her brand-new Easter dress, our six-year-old daughter Aubrey wanted to ride her bike in the backyard. As Julie watched her from a window, Aubrey misjudged a corner and rode straight into our pool, fully immersed, Easter dress and all!
Alarmed and slightly amused, Julie quickly rushed outside to help. By the time she got there Aubrey had swum to the side and exclaimed, “I tried to hang on to the bike, but it was too heavy!” As adorable as this story is, riding her bike into our pool didn’t count as Aubrey’s baptism. Water baptism, full of symbolism and spiritual meaning, is much more than simply being immersed.
Baptism isn’t regenerative. In other words, baptism isn’t the moment that a person is saved. Rather, it signifies a believer’s union with Jesus Christ in His death, burial (going under) and resurrection (rising up). Because of this we only baptize people who have already put their faith in Jesus Christ.
Although baptism is not required for salvation (Luke 23:39-43) it is something that all believers should partake in out of obedience and love for our Lord. Who wouldn’t want to bring honor and glory to God by sharing with the world this wonderful gift that we have received?
NEXT STEP :: As you have read this, have you obeyed the Lord’s command and have been baptized? If not, don’t wait any longer! We are here to help you! Call the church office today and talk to one of the pastors.
Contributed by Pastor Chad Pippin, Worship & Production Ministries
Every Word Of Jesus
Matthew 28:19-20
I’m a picky driver. I wish this were not true, but it is! I am picky about the rules of the road I follow—mainly, the rules that benefit my mood or situation. If I am relaxed and on time, I follow the speed limit. If I am late, then it is optional. Surprisingly, the police officers who so faithfully serve our community are also picky. They are picky about teaching others to follow every rule of the road.
We often treat the Word of God and His teachings in the same manner. We are picky and discriminate about what we know, follow, and share. We like the Lord’s teachings that fit our desires, but we would rather not follow or know about the ones that do not. It is the same with what we share. If it keeps the peace and helps others to feel good, then we share it. But we have a tough time sharing the teachings that challenge the desires of those we are in a relationship with.
To be faithful, following disciples (apprentices) of Jesus is to know all His teachings. It is to soak up His every word so that we might indiscriminately follow and teach others. A disciple, or apprentice, wants to be like his master. How can we be like Jesus if we do not know His teachings? How can we experience the fullness of our salvation if we do not learn the fullness of His teachings? How can we teach others about Jesus and the blessings of a life devoted to Him if we do not know His teachings?
Jesus was incredibly picky when He taught His disciples. The Holy Spirit was picky about the words that were recorded and preserved for us, His disciples. Now let us be picky, so very picky, to not miss a single word that Jesus taught nor to miss teaching even one of those words.
NEXT STEP :: Jesus, You said that it is not enough for me to live on bread alone and that I desperately need Your word in my life every day. Let Your word sink deeply into my heart and life!
Contributed by Pastor Tim Giannosa, Ceres Campus Pastor
WEEK 12
Marriage & Human Sexuality
Then the man said,
“This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”
Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.
Genesis 2:23-25 (ESV)
Foundational Doctrine
God intentionally designed and created humanity in both male and female. Then, He ordained and instituted marriage as the venue to express sexuality even as it pictures the relationship of Christ and the Church. This relationship pictures an exclusive union, mutual sacrifice, and complete submission to one another. Moreover, even as God is eternal, the union bears a quality of permanence in God’s design while we possess the earth. Any deviation from this design sins against God, resulting in many griefs to all those impacted by the sinful snare.
An Introduction to God’s Design for Sexuality
God expresses a fundamental principle in human design at creation: “Let us make man in our own image.” God’s passes down His creative capacity most significantly in procreation. He charges humanity with multiplying, being fruitful, and subduing the earth (Genesis 1:28). Human sexuality in its most fundamental design serves to bear the god-like capacity to create as the union of a man and a woman produces humans in kind. Couples literally become one in the embodiment of a child.
This suggests a distinct purpose in sexuality. However, the associated pleasures of sexuality tend to confound this focus and serve as an entanglement of temptation through natural sexual desires. Whereas God designed desire to facilitate intimacy, the intense pleasure derived from sexuality can become a distraction wherein people lose sight of God’s design. They may also become so addicted to the pleasure that the desire finds satisfaction in aberrant and sinful form. Many reasons underlie the cause behind deviant practice: sociological, psychological, physiological, or ideological. But that does not negate God’s design and purpose for sexuality, nor does it give free license to counter what the Bible teaches. Moreover, any deviation from God’s plan brings its associated grief. The high rate of suicide associated with people caught in sexual sin attests to this truth. Often, a person caught in this trap suffers from some trauma or trouble. They seek to meet their human need outside of God’s design because something corrupted or injured that design. This is not cause for condemnation, but a redemptive mission. Ultimately, the way people feel, think, or struggle does not change God’s truth.
Therefore, believers must engage in the ministry of reconciliation regarding sexuality. We first love all unconditionally in accordance with Christ’s love. Through prayer, tender mercies, kindnesses, and compassionate sharing of God’s truth and plan, we fulfill our mission to those apart from Christ. However, since people often resist God in such matters, we must stay compassionately vigilant.
That said, in our present age, we must not stay silent. Though we may think highly of a person or take note that a person otherwise evidences notable character, we cannot disregard the nature of sexual sin. Salvation is not measured by the weight of our attributes over our shortfalls. Moreover, we must take into full account the destructive nature of sin. Therefore, as guided by the Holy Spirit, we may find occasion where we must respectfully and faithfully speak out on such matters, yet with compassion and respect, purposed to lead people into a redemptive and restorative relationship with God.
In short, sexuality may well be the greatest of all temptations because the attraction proves strong and difficult to resist. Many of the choices we see today ineffectively seek to substitute what God has designed and ordained for sexuality. Conversely, the reward of faithfulness to God’s design brings great joy and pleasure without any associated guilt or psychological trauma. God’s plan assures us that our inmost needs and desires will be fruitfully met.
The Original Marital Design
So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply…” (Genesis 1:27)
From the beginning of creation, God makes His design clear. Even our understanding of the biology regarding reproduction logically affirms the distinction of the human species in both male and female counterparts. No imagination or corruption can change these facts. God makes this abundantly clear when He purposed that a man “be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24).
Living Out Christ’s Example
In the same way, you wives, be subject to your own husbands… You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way…so that your prayers will not be hindered. (1 Peter 3:1, 7)
Verses like these need special interpretive care. People often take them out of context and twist them outside of God’s intent. Though the excerpt here frames the marital relationship, notice the context as given through these words: “In the same way.” This refers back to Christ’s relationship to the Church that serves to exemplify marital commitment and relationship. We understand this in the context of Christ’s manner where “[His] yoke is comfortable and [His] burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). The wife places her trust in her husband’s kindness. He leads his wife for her edification, not his whims. The more a husband cares for his wife as Christ cares for him, the more the wife attends to his leadership. This evidences true husbandship.
Comment
Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for God will judge the sexually immoral…(Hebrews 13:4)
The writer of Hebrews extends his exhortation of the previous chapter: “Rid [yourselves] of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles” (Hebrews 12:1). Here, he plainly iterates the supreme sanctity of marriage, especially regarding sexuality, in particular, infidelity. The word for immoral (πόρνους) in the Greek derives from the same root from which we get the word pornography. More, the word for adulterers (μοιχοὺς) belongs to the idea of extreme vulgarity. Therefore, we conclude that God’s plan stipulates an exclusive design, narrow in its scope, unbending for cultural interpretation or situational excuse.
The Highest Calling
An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable…not a bully, but gentle, not contentious, free from the love of money. (1 Timothy 3:2-3)
Paul puts marriage at the top of his list of leadership qualifications. This addresses deviant cultural practices of the age, but it also signals the importance of character that rightly sets priorities and demonstrates a compassion suitable to ministry. Marriage is the proving ground for ministry. The intimacy of marriage behind closed doors tests our character in every concern and rightly shapes us with attributes advantageous to ministry within the church body.
Contributed by Michael WJ Kopulos, M.Div
And Such Were Some Of You!
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
When I read Scripture, I can get overwhelmed if I read one of the long lists of sins that can separate me from God. Guilt and shame pour over me and start to overtake my thoughts.
In my recovery on Step 4, I have had a chance to do a searching and moral inventory of all the things that I have done wrong. All the sin in my life. At first when I see those things, I can get depressed. I have sinned a lot—lied, cheated, stole, judged, gossiped, sexual immorality, exploded in anger, and many more. If I dwell on those things, I will feel unworthy. Instead, I must remember that God gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). If I humble myself before God and others, His grace is poured out on me.
Jesus died on the cross for all our sins, not just some of them. Every single sin I have ever committed and every sin I will commit. If He died for all, and I believe that His Word is true, then all means all—that is all all means. Through this I can understand Jesus’ work on the cross and my acceptance of that work, I have been justified and sanctified.
When I can understand this truth, I realize that I was full of sin and therefore I can have grace and compassion for those who are struggling with their own sin. They are just at a different place in this process than I am. That is why I continue to do Celebrate Recovery, because I need to help others as they deal with their sin. If I stop helping others, then I may forget that I am a sinner and still need God’s grace in my life. If God can forgive me of my sins, then who am I if I cannot forgive myself or others for the heinous sins that have been committed?
NEXT STEP :: Father in Heaven, thank You for the grace and mercy that I have experienced in Christ. Father, please use my life’s story as a blessing in someone else’s life such that they might enjoy You forever!
Contributed by Pastor Scott Stubbert, Recovery & Counseling Ministries
God’s Design
Genesis 2:18-25
What a beautiful scene from the early story of humanity. No helper was found that was suitable for Adam—the man! So, God created Eve—the woman! Eve is to supply strength in the area that Adam lacked. This term “helper” does not imply that one is weaker or stronger, but she is to be the perfect match for him. Marriage is the unity between a man and a woman. In God’s eyes, it is the “perfect match.”
Every aspect of this account displays the uniqueness and holy covenant of marriage. It is the most paramount of relationships on this planet. So much so, it takes priority over our parents.
Entering this covenant relationship celebrates God’s design for humanity and for marriage. They become one flesh. One unit, not to be broken apart for any reason. This relationship is truly meant to be the building block of society and the root of families.
This account is the capstone of God’s creation story. It not only shows the proper covenant relationship for Adam and Eve, but for all men and women moving forward from that point until Jesus comes again. It also gives us understanding of our sexual desires as human beings. Sex is the consummation of this covenant relationship. This shows that it is meant for the context of marriage. It is to be celebrated in marriage.
“Holding fast” to his wife also spells out faithfulness to one’s spouse. It is the complete package of what God prescribes for us as human beings. Jesus affirms this account in Genesis when he says in Matthew 19:6, “What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”
NEXT STEP :: Since we are created in God’s image (both
male and female), the most significant expression of that image
is displayed in the covenant relationship of marriage! Have you thought about your marriage displaying God’s incredible majesty? Humbling to think about.
Contributed by Pastor Ben Kelley, Counseling Ministry
God’s Gift!
1 Corinthians 7:1-7; Ecclesiastes 9:9
One of the characteristics of being in love is the prompting to generously give as an expression of one’s love. We all know the first few words of John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He GAVE….” Our God is a generous God and because of His love for mankind, He is a giver of all good things. Even the rain falls on the just and the unjust because God loves even His enemies (Matthew 5:45)! Marriage is a gift from God. It is the sovereign hand of God who brings a man and a woman into each other’s world, and they are joined together as a husband and a wife (Matthew 19:6; Mark 10:9). In fact, because the Lord brings us uniquely together, we are a type of trophy, a gift of His grace to one another for all our labor under the sun (Ecclesiastes 9:9).
It is fun listening to each other’s love story. Everyone has a story of how the Lord uniquely brought them together, people who at one time were strangers to one another, and their lives sovereignly directed to meet, fall in love, and commit to one another a lifetime of mutual surrender until death separates their bond. Our marriages are to be an amazing picture of the grace and mercy of God that extends through several generations.
And, like everything else, whatever the Lord has called “good,” the enemy of our soul, Satan, has schemes to divide, discourage, and to destroy. A part of every good marriage is the quality of each person living in mutual submission to one another. However, the minute one begins to dominate the other for selfish gain or pleasure, we give ground for the enemy to work in our lives. The Apostle Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 7 are meant to be an encouragement to treasure one another and protect the gift the Lord has given to us.
NEXT STEP :: Father in Heaven, help me to be a blessing and encouragement to my spouse. Bless us with a oneness that brings not only personal delight but pleases You as well!
Contributed by Pastor Lonnie Skiles, Next Steps Ministry
What Does Loving Your Wife Mean?
Ephesians 5:22-33
We were so young—high school sweethearts. Raised with Christian values. Even so, we had little knowledge about marriage and how to really love each other. We were just in love, best friends and committed to each other. As the years ticked by, we took marriage classes and attended Christian marriage seminars to keep our marriage healthy. But, in retrospect, most of those were about practical “How To’s” and “Do’s and Don’ts” with seven bullet points all neatly starting with the letter “D.” Don’t get me wrong, they were beneficial. But I do not recall them focusing on the foundation of following God’s definition of love.
Fast forward almost 50 years. Still best friends. Still holding hands. By most accounts, this was an exceptionally good marriage. However, it took a major, life-changing event, Debra’s graduation to Glory, and an enormous amount of heartache, talking with Jesus and studying His Word to realize He wants so much from us…and for us.
God’s Word gives us the roadmap for love and joy in our marriages. Love your wife. Lay down your life (your human wants and desires) in service to her. Nourish, empower, and equip her to be holy, so that she can do more in God‘s kingdom than she ever thought possible. You see, love is not self-seeking. It is the exact opposite. Even though this “feels” wrong and is counter-cultural,
it is absolutely true. If only I had known and embraced that at the beginning of our marriage!
It is so simple—love your wife. Invest in helping her to be holy and radiant. God’s way to “love” your wife is spelled out
in Ephesians 5 and 1 Corinthians 13. It is the map to the hidden treasure of joy in your marriage. Learn it. Embrace it. Live it! Trust His Word. It is not a suggestion. You will reap more than you sow!
NEXT STEP :: Lord Jesus please help me to set myself aside. Please give me an intense desire to love my wife the way you love the Church. Jesus, I trust Your Way.
Contributed by Robert Hazenburg
Marriage Is A Promise Not A Passion
Book of Hosea; 1 Peter 3:5-7
Thousands of couples are standing at an altar today in America saying these words: “I do.” And then 50% of them “don’t.” A divorce is granted every 25 seconds in the United States, and by the time you finish reading this little devotional, approximately 3 more couples will “quit.” WHY?
Because it is all about a PROMISE not a PASSION! Read the book of Hosea and see the love that he had for his prostitute wife, Gomer! It will bring tears to your eyes! What kind of love was it? It was PROMISED LOVE…
1. A PROMISE that ENDURES!
1 Corinthians 13 says, “a love that suffers long and is kind, a love that bears all things, endures all things…”
It is the love that Christ has for us….endures all things!
2. A PROMISE that PROCURES (Purchases)
It involves a willing sacrifice that shows that each is significant. It is a love that will never show any “contempt.” A promise that procures will see the attitudes of criticism and defensiveness quickly diminish.
3. A PROMISE that SECURES
Hosea said these words to Gomer, “I will be for thee.” Jesus says to us His bride, “I will never leave you or forsake you!”
A man one time said to his pastor, “I love my wife so much I would die for her!” The pastor said, “Well that is nice and that is fine….but why not do something more important than that….why don’t you LIVE for HER?”
I do not know how any of your marriage stories will end. But
I do know of a Savior that made a PROMISE that He will be there with you every moment in your journey, and that He wants you to have a PROMISE for your companion, not just a passion.
NEXT STEP :: Father, thank You for the gift that You have given to me in my spouse. May my spouse see Christ in me today!
Contributed by Pastor Gordon Rumble, Congregational Care & Senior Adult Ministries
APPENDIX
Resources for Additional Study & Creeds
General Study
Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Bible Doctrine, by Dr. Wayne Grudem
Systematic Theology, by Dr. Norman Geisler
Do You Believe?, by Paul David Tripp
Christian Apologetics, by Douglas Groothuis
Things Which Become Sound Doctrine, by J. Dwight Pentecost
Mama Bear Apologetics, by Hillary Morgan Ferrer
How To Read the Bible For All Its Worth, by Gordon Fee
The Authority of the Bible
Taking God at His Word, by Kevin DeYoung
The Question of Canon: Challenging the Status Quo in the NT Debate, by Michael J. Kruger
In Defense of the Bible: A Comprehensive Apologetic for the Authority of Scripture, by Stephen Cowan & Terry Wilder
Why I Trust the Bible: Answers to Real Questions and Doubts People Have About the Bible, by William Mounce
The Triunity of God
Knowing God, by J. I. Packer
The Existence and Attributes of God, by Stephen Charnock
The Knowledge of the Holy, by A. W. Tozer
Delighting in the Trinity, by Michael Reeves
The Joy of Fearing God, by Jerry Bridges
Love Your God with All Your Mind, by J. P. Moreland
Enjoying God, by R. C. Sproul
The Person & Work of Jesus Christ
Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ, by John Piper
The Case for the Resurrection Jesus, by Gary R. Habermas & Michael R. Licona
Finding Jesus in the Old Testament, by David Limbaugh
Evil and the Justice of God, by N. T. Wright
Fifty Reasons Jesus Came To Die, by John Piper
The Case For Christ, by Lee Strobel
The Ministry of the Holy Spirit
Spirit Walk, by Steve Smith
The MIinistry of the Holy Spirit, by R. C. Sproul
How To Be Filled with the Holy Spirit, by A. W. Tozer
Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire, by Jim Cymbala
Experiencing the Holy Spirit, by Andrew Murray
The Creation & Fall of Man
Genesis Flood, by Henry Morris
Providence, by John Piper
The Battle for The Beginning, by John MacArthur
Creation Basics and Beyond, by Dr. Henry Morris III
Against God & Nature: The Doctrine of Sin, by Thomas H. McCall
The Salvation of Man
Trine Immersion, by James Quinter
All of Grace, by Charles Spurgeon
Saved from What?, by Charles Spurgeon
True Spirituality, by Francis Schaffer
What Is Saving Faith?, by John Piper
The Gospel Call and True Conversion, by Paul Washer
Human Destiny
Forever: Why You Can’t Live Without It, by Paul David Tripp
Heaven, by Randy Alcorn
Money, Possessions and Eternity, by Randy Alcorn
Heaven and Hell: What Happens When You Die?, by Chuck Missler
One Minute After You Die, by Erwin Lutzer
Narrow Gate Narrow Way, by Paul Washer
The Existence of Satan & Evil
Walking with God through Pain & Suffering, by Timothy Keller
The Many Faces of Evil: Theological Systems and the Problem of Evil, by John Fienberg
Evil and the Justice of God, by N. T. Wright
If God is Good: Faith in the Midst of Suffering, by Randy Alcorn
The Problem of Pain, by C. S. Lewis
How Long, O Lord?, Reflections on Suffering and Evil, by D. A. Carson
The Church of Jesus Christ
Church Membership: How the world knows who represents Jesus, by Jonathan Leeman
Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, by Mark Dever
Biblical Eldership, by Alexander Strauch
Elders and Leaders, by Gene Getz
The Compelling Community, by Mark Dever & Jamie Dunlop
The Great Commission
The Master Plan for Evangelism, by Robert Coleman
Talking With Your Kids About God, by Natasha Crain
Real Life Discipleship, by Jim Putman
The Art of Man Fishing, by Thomas Boston
Evangelism: How To Share The Gospel Faithfully, by John MacArthur
Conversational Evangelism: Connecting with People to Share Jesus, by David & Norman Geisler
Marriage & Human Sexuality
Sex and the Supremacy of Christ, by John Piper & Justin Taylor
Sex and Money, by Paul David Tripp
The Meaning of Marriage, by Timothy Keller
Our Bodies Tell God’s Story: Discovering the Divine Plan for Love, Sex, and Gender, by Christopher West
Holy Sexuality and the Gospel: Sex, Desire, and Relationships Shaped by God’s Grand Story, by Christopher Yuan
Momentary Marriage, by John Piper
The Importance of Trace History & Order
In the forward material, we discussed the importance of the trace history of the Biblical texts. God’s story, as told through the various inspired men, presents a chain of evidence to the veracity and reliability of the Bible. In the same way, the link between those original texts and a developed Christian theology in our day finds support in the centuries that follow the last of the living Biblical writers. Just as the Hebrew and Jewish understanding of God which grew over the centuries as they contemplated God’s interaction with them in experience, believers in the centuries that followed Christ, even on up to today, still experientially assimilate an understanding of God’s truth. Of course, we should not try to interpret the Bible through the lens of our experience or current cultural trends. Rather, God’s truth makes sense of our tribulation and satisfies our concerns through faith. We also look for ways to defend Biblical truth against the cultural confluence of ideologies which counter the Bible’s teachings.
To this end, a survey of doctrinal histories helps anchor our faith because we understand how the Christian Church has preserved the integrity of Biblical doctrines. This helps us not to fall prey to “sound good” values, which lack substance when examined carefully. For example, trigger words such as diversity, equality, and social justice tend to cloud better judgment when wrought with emotion. Although the terms have a place in a Biblical theology, application of these values must adhere to the precepts of God. Therefore, we define diversity, equality, and social justice on the basis of Biblical truth rather than emotionally charged agendas; Biblical righteousness proves an outgrowth of sound doctrine as opposed to a manufactured polity. The faith community, then, is not an organization, but an organism—devoted to God under the compulsion of God’s truth. Consequently, believers should stay focused on the Gospel mission without a fabricated social conscience. As in the context of their historical development, the creeds in part preserve the Gospel against false teaching, distortions, and excesses.
The following creeds establish certain absolute tenets of an orthodox Christian faith. They also serve as the seed to innumerable writings of theologians on Bible doctrines throughout the centuries.
Introduction
Legend holds that the Apostles’ Creed derives from the hands of the Twelve Apostles. While historical evidence does not clearly support this idea, the lack of clear origins does not diminish its import in the early life of the Church. During the first centuries of the Christian Church, believers had to contend for a clear understanding of God’s truth. During this time, leaders needed to clarify a theology of essential teachings that distinguishes the Christian faith from all other religions, since they had not yet authenticated and canonized the twenty-seven books of the New Testament.
Because the Apostles’ Creed predates other theological treatises, it embodies several essential elements from which others develop a more thorough treatment. Documents such as the creeds establish clear statements of faith, while refuting contemporary ideologies that threaten the Church. As such, scholars attribute a rule of faith to the first creed as it circulated in the first and second century. This means that it served more to define an orthodox faith rather than serve as a confession or liturgy of the Church. In later centuries, the creed as a confession sometimes serves in baptismal rites. As well, in some church traditions, the creed later enters into the liturgy of worship as corporate reading.
Overall, the Apostles’ Creed asserts both a Christological and a Trinitarian sensibility. The creed forms in a trinitarian three parts: God, the Creator; Christ, the Victorious Redeemer; and the Holy Spirit, who indwells the believing Church. The first and last sections provide summative statements without much specificity. However, the central and more comprehensive passage specifies the critical tenets of a biblical Christology. These distinguishing features set apart Christianity from all others. Christ’s divine origin in the virgin birth, His propitiatory death, and His victorious resurrection relates to almost every other essential Christian doctrine. The preservation of these truths within this creed served a critical function in the development and health of the Christian Church even as it does so today.
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day He rose from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from there He shall come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.
Introduction
The Apostles’ Creed in its circulation and preservation later spawns other doctrinal statements. In the fourth century, following Constantine’s conversion and declaration of Christianity as the official religion of Rome, several councils convened to resolve several controversies which plagued the Church.
The Nicene Creed, a product of these meetings, addresses these disputes. It also builds on its predecessor, strengthening an exclusive claim to one God and one Christ. With regard to the Creator, this creed distinguishes between the visible and invisible creation, acknowledging the limitation of humans in their perceptive capacity which accentuates the divide between the Divine and His creation. Conversely, the theology of Christ illuminates Jesus as God incarnate—in human flesh, fully divine and fully human—uniting the two. The creed also solidifies Christ’s salvific purpose in this union. Like the earlier creed, it also makes a clear historical connection with Pontius Pilate, a detail that serves a factual basis consistent with other historical records contemporary to Christ, such as in the works of Josephus. This correlation proves significant in validating the Bible and the Church’s teachings.
Furthermore, the unique claims of God and Christ extend to the Holy Spirit. The Nicene infers the holy inspiration through the prophets, a connection with history in ages past and the Old Testament. The text further marks another linkage with two descriptives: catholic and apostolic. Though later translations reference the Christian church, the original says catholic, which in Latin simply means general or universal. This idea imparts an inclusive sense among believers who affirm the essential tenets. But the authentic Church also finds its basis in apostolic roots which establishes an officiant entity traceable to the Apostles. On this point, the Bible does not support the unnecessary succession of popes as in Catholic viewpoint. More, though the ambiguous reference to baptism requires clarification, the central truth culminates in “life everlasting,” the promise of the one God and Christ to those who believe. Finally, while the gateway opens wide to all who believe, the entry point narrows on certain fundamental beliefs.
The Nicene Creed
I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by Whom all things were made;
Who for us men and for our salvation
came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again
according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life,
Who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
Who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
Who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
The sixteenth century experiences another move of God in protest to the abuses of the formal Catholic Church in its various practices regarding indulgences and papal authority. These prove points of contention for Martin Luther, a German Catholic priest. In his 95 Theses, he initially intends to reform the Catholic order rather than initiate a break from it. However, his writings together with the work of John Calvin, a French theologian, produce an unrest that restores attention to the Word of God. As well, the advent of the printing press makes available many doctrinal treatises and leads to the distribution of the Bible in English, advancing broader discussions concerning the Church’s teachings. This also leads to many Protestant denominations as people find it difficult to agree on every point. However, the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed serve to unify believers on the essentials of the faith, and they still define an orthodoxy critical to the preservation of Christianity.
Today’s evangelical positions derive from a blend of Lutheran and Calvinistic theologies. While Luther espouses sola scriptura, sola fida, and sola gratia (Scripture, faith, and grace alone), Calvin contends for total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints. For many, Calvin’s thoughts on election troubled them. Arminius, later in the same century, satisfies this concern with his attention on free will. Whereas some took Calvin to suggest that God elects and predestines those whom He saves apart from the will, Arminianism holds each individual must choose to follow Christ, a critical doctrine in today’s missiological enterprise.
The blend of elements within these and other works form a more mature understanding. In consequence, the seventeenth century produces the Westminster Confession and Catechism which expands and clarifies various doctrines first iterated in earlier writings. Again, the trace history of these writings chronicles the journey of the Church in comprehending what they can of the mysteries of God. Furthermore, centuries of other important theological works also hold great import in the study of Bible as we seek to mine its depths.
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