Rom. 8:18 – For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

In understanding the Father’s purpose in the suffering and death of the saints, it is easy when in the throes of personal crisis, to desire for Him to operate differently than what we know He has made known for this age. This is natural, as our heart yearns to see our loved ones recover and abide still with us in the flesh. So often our esteem for the “light affliction” consumes our minds, and we lose sight...

The amounts and kinds of sin you have committed in your life have no relationship to the how spiritually dead you are as a natural man. You are spiritually dead by virtue of being a son of Adam whether your sins be great or small by quantity and kind. We are not spiritually dead sinners because we sin, rather we sin because we are spiritually dead sinners. This means that a moral person and an immoral person differ in nothing as it relates to the degree of spiritual deadness they posses. One may have greater visible manifestations of such than the other, and one may have more trouble in the flesh as a consequence of sins participated in, but both are equally dead...

Many times, zealous Christians will make statements such as “There is only one gospel in the Bible” or “The prophets, apostles and true Christians today all preach the same thing.” Thankfully, many of these individuals do rightly understand that the shed blood of Christ is the only means by which sinners can be justified before God today, and we rejoice in this. This is true, and Rom. 3 manifests to us that by the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, God is declared to be just in forbearing with the sins of men in time past, and declared to be the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus today. Indeed, for time and eternity, the only reason that sinners can be justified...

God is faithful.
1Cor. 1:9 – God is faithful…
1 Cor. 10:13 – There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful…
1 Thess. 5:24 – Faithful is he that calleth you…
2 Thess. 3:3 – But the Lord is faithful…

Romans 14:15 – But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.

In this section of the book of Romans, the apostle is addressing those that are strong in the faith. Among other things, the strong are characterized as those that know, believe, esteem, and are persuaded by the Lord Jesus concerning the doctrine of how we are to walk and please God under grace. Having now a justified and sanctified position...

Ps. 119:103 – How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

The book of Psalms is a book of wonderful doctrine when understood in its proper prophetic context. Truly the wisdom of God set to poetic verse is the best poetry that has ever been produced, and its doctrinal design in view of its greatest use during the last days...

2 Timothy 2:8 – Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel:

The resurrection of Christ is a truth that is based both upon faith and history. The historical events that led to the crucifixion of Jesus, His subsequent entombment and bodily resurrection the third day are supported by occurrences that have been factually documented...

When we come to Paul in the word of God, we are well into the narrative of God’s work with man in time, for it is not until the seventh chapter of the book of Acts that we encounter this individual that, at the time, was known as Saul (Acts 7:58). From the record of scripture, we come to understand that this young man was an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin, and although a native of Tarsus in Cilicia, he nevertheless was brought up after the perfect manner of the law of the fathers in Jerusalem (Rom. 11:1; Acts 22:3). In accordance with the Mosaic religion, this son of devout Jews had been circumcised the eighth day, and possessed...

Exodus 23:2-3 – Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment: Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause.

Have you ever heard of “mob mentality”? It describes the peculiar affinity of human beings to get caught up in and go along with a particular influence on a largely emotional (rather than rational) basis. The basic idea is that in a heated moment, the voice...

Romans 3:4 – God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

The expression “God forbid” appears fourteen times in Paul’s epistles. Of those fourteen times, ten of them are found in Romans while the remaining four are located in its milk doctrine supplements of 1 Corinthians (1 time) and Galatians (3 times). This strong...

Eph. 2:4-5 – But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

One thing that is clear in God’s word is that mankind’s only hope is the grace of God. Strip away all the accolades of vain glory, remove the earthly material of temporal wealth, set a man face to face with eternity and all that is left is a shriveled up sinner trembling...

Philippians 4:5 - Let your moderation be known unto all men...

Moderation is a trait by which the son/daughter of God should be known. Venturing into the extreme is a tendency of our flesh and it can occur on either side of the truth both in a good thing and in a bad thing. Zeal and passion need to be bridled by truth and likewise truth in understanding needs to be pursued with zeal and passion. Zeal without knowledge is dangerous, but knowledge without zeal....

2 Pet. 1:12-15 – Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things...Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.

In this post, I would like to share with you something that has been on my mind of late. Unlike the majority of the posts that I log, the primary purpose of this one is not going to be the exposition of any particular scripture passage nor the application of a devotional...

John 8:12 – Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Acts 5:30 – The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.

Romans 8:14-17 – For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God...heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

In Romans 8:14, the Apostle Paul sets before us the crowning moniker of our sanctified identity in Jesus Christ. As those that have been fully identified with Him in His work of redemption, having received perfect justification unto eternal life and perfect sanctification...

John 13:34 - A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

In John 13, we get a glimpse of the Lord with his disciples in the upper room at the last supper just hours before His arrest and expedited crucifixion. As the time for the Passover drew near, the Lord spent the final hours of His pre-Calvary ministry laying the foundation...

1 Thess. 5:18 - In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

The life of a son/daughter of God should be a life of thanksgiving. Frequently on the pages of scripture we are exhorted to give thinks to the Father and to continue therein without ceasing (Col. 1:12; 1Thess. 2:13). We are taught the joy that attends a thankful spirit and are given to understand the utter chaos of mind and action that results when we slip into a grumbling disposition of heart. Furthermore...

Romans 5:16 – And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.

In Romans 5, Paul the apostle delineates the security of the “hope” that we have in Christ. Having expounded the fundamentals of “the gospel of Christ” and its reception by faith, Paul caps the teaching of “justification” by pointing to the provisions of God contained...

Romans 1:13 - Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto...

Romans is the foundation of “the faith” (Rom. 1:5). As Paul declares in Rom. 1:11, the doctrinal design of the epistle is “to the end ye may be established” and thereby be “comforted” by “God our Father” in the provision He has made for our “mutual faith” (Rom. 1:7, 11-12)...

Romans 1:16-19 – For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth...

The gospel, by definition, is good news. We should expect no less of a message revealed by God, for His essential being is the essence of all that is good. Whatever God may choose to do, we may confidently rest our minds that it is right and cannot be improved upon by...

Isa. 53:5 – But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities…

In Isa. 53, the prophet is outlaying the means by which the redemption of Jehovah’s nation would be accomplished. Per the terms of the law contract, the nation’s transgressions had yielded the bitter fruit of covenantal chastening, and their iniquities had made a breach in the hedge whereby the adversary was permitted to enter the pleasant land and seize upon them as his lawful captive...

Romans 1:16a - For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ...

In this verse, Paul is describing the nature of his readiness "to preach the gospel" (Rom. 1:15). As he says, this readiness involved "as much as in me is" and testifies to the fact that there was something working in Paul that produced the readiness (Rom. 1:11-12). My understanding is that the readiness involved was the product of the effectual working of the "some spiritual gift" that had been...

1 Timothy 1:3-4 – As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.

One of the qualifications for a bishop is the trait of being “not soon angry” (Tit. 1:7) This trait is given the same weight and importance...

1 Timothy 1:3-4 – As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.

The business of the pastor-teacher is the “godly edifying” of the saints in “sound doctrine.” Giving heed “to fables and endless...

Romans 10:2 - For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.

Romans 9-11 sets forth the inspired explanation of the great dispensational change that has occurred in God’s dealings with man in view of Israel being set aside. The subject matter of these chapters is the nation Israel and the purpose of God with her in view of her past (Rom. 9), present (Rom. 10) and future (Rom. 11). In Rom. 10, Paul is specifically addressing the issue of blindness that Israel...

Genesis 29:20 - And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.

Genesis 29 contains the account of Jacob’s years in Haran in service to his Uncle Laban. It was agreed upon between these men that seven years of service should be performed in the exchange for the Jacob's wedding of Laban’s youngest daughter, Rachel. Thus did...

Habakkuk 2:4 - ...the just shall live by his faith...

The prophet Habakkuk was a minister to the southern kingdom of Judah and wrote in anticipation of the start of the fifth course of punishment and Judah’s impending Babylonian captivity. As part of the national covenant, the law of God promised that His nation would eventually be scattered among the heathen if God’s repeated warnings and chastisements were not heeded (see Lev. 26, Deut. 28)...

Prov. 17:25 - A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him.

I Cor. 4:10 - We are fools for Christ's sake...

In I Corinthians 1-4, the Apostle Paul revisits the glories of the power and wisdom of God resident in the cross of Christ with a group of...

Galatians 3:13 - Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree...

One of the many fascinating concepts in God’s word surrounds the issue of how Christ was made a curse for us. Specifically, Paul says that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us (Gal. 3:13). The curse in the passage belongs to every one...

Acts 17:11 – These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

In this passage, we learn what true spiritual nobility is all about. Far from the accolades of ecclesiastical hierarchy and the approval of zealous religionists, the true nobility in God’s sight is found in those who receive the word with all readiness of mind...

Ps. 106:48 – Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the LORD.

Throughout the Bible when God’s program with Israel is in view, we find that there is an affinity that God has for expressing certain truths about his nation in the symbolism of trees. In particular, there are four different kinds of trees that we can see recurring in the pages of...

Exodus 12:13 - ...and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you...

In Exodus 12, we have the account of the Passover night in Egypt in which the tenth and dreadful plague was to finish the devastation of Egypt. On that frightful night, the Lord had given instruction to all on just how that plague could be escaped. Each household was to...

I Kings 17:13 - …the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets...

The portion of God’s word known collectively as “the prophets” is probably one of the most closed and confusing areas of the Bible for most believers. By the classification “the prophets” I am referring, of course, to those books comprising Isaiah to Malachi. There are a few reasons why this section of scripture is closed to most people, and despite what many might think, it has nothing to with the...

Acts 16:31 – Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.

I want to speak to you today about a very important subject. It is subject which will affect where you find yourself within the next 100 years, and that subject concerns the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel of grace concerns how that Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again the third day according to the scriptures. The message of what those gospel facts accomplished is the good news...

I Timothy 4:6 – If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.

The minister of Jesus Christ is only as good as the “whereunto [he] has attained” when it comes to the matter of “the words of faith and of good doctrine.” He cannot teach what he himself has not first come to understand through diligent study and prayerful...

John 12:39 – Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart...

I had a question asked of me recently that I decided may be beneficial for others to have answered as well, so I have produced a short summary write up around the topic for the benefit of all. The question was not phrased with respect to a specific verse, but rather it was...

Jeremiah 44:17 - ...for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil...

Jeremiah prophesied before, during & after the Babylonian captivity came to Judah. This was the time in which the fifth course of curses outlined in Lev. 26 as part of the Law contract were beginning to come upon the Southern Kingdom. Judah’s idolatry had grown to such an extent that she did worse than the Amorites that had dwelt in the land of the LORD prior Israel’s conquest under the leadership of...

Matthew 16:6 - Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven...

As part of a recent series I was privileged to teach, I was reminded again of the symbolism of leaven as seen in the word of God. It was during my consideration of the feast of unleavened bread that I was brought back to the reality of its significance as it relates to Christ. During the feast of unleavened bread, the key feature was the putting away of leaven out of the sight of the Israelites. This, in type...

Titus 1:2 - In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began...

God makes promises, and He keeps every promise He ever makes. He cannot lie. It is fundamentally opposite to His nature to ever be inconsistent and unreliable. If ever there were a situation in which God spoke and it did not come to be, then He would cease to be God because someone/something has overruled him. This will never be. God is true...

Isaiah 40:10 - Behold, the Lord GOD will come...

Visit your local Christian bookstore sometime and I am sure you will find several versions of men's attempts to "harmonize" the four gospel accounts of the earthly ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. Many men have gone through great efforts to try to piece together a continuous narrative of the life of the Lord...

Ephesians 3:20 - Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us...

This verse is fairly familiar to most folks who have had a decent amount of Bible exposure. It is often quoted and applied by men to a variety of situational settings, yet most believers are unaware of the context of the verse itself. Without ever first properly considering...

Rom. 5:8, 10 - But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us...when we were enemies...

The gospel of the grace of God declared to us wrath worthy Gentiles is a marvel beyond our natural comprehension. Scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man, some would even dare to die...

Romans 1:13 - Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren...

Six times in Paul's epistles, we find the apostle of the Gentiles using the phrase "I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren..." or some slight variation thereof. We might say he broaches the subject seven times if we include his injunction that we are not ignorant of Satan's devices, though knowing that many folks are...

Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law....

The fruit of the Spirit is found Gal. 5:22-23. Contrary to superstitious, religious ideas, this fruit is not the result of Spirit of God superseding our spirit, soul and body in some mysterious way. The Spirit "dwells" within the saint when the word of Christ "dwells" in...