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The Standard – Our Commandments

Believe on God’s Son1; love one another (other saints2) as Christ has loved us; abide in Christ, John 13:34,35; 15:1-4; 1 John 3:24, 25. These are the commandments for Christian’s today. Christians are not under any quality of law, but rather under grace3. This does not mean that there is no standard for a Christian or that a Christian may continue in sin without any penalty4. Grace is not a license to sin; rather, through grace we are provided the ability to act righteously. The law5 of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus is the standard by which we live. We fulfill the righteousness of the law of the Spirit when we are […]

The Standard – Our Commandments2023-11-23T14:10:31-08:00

Why do we need salvation?

To understand why we need salvation we need to go back to the beginning when God created humans. He created Adam in His image and likeness and built Eve from his side1. Adam was given a commandment by God that he was not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In the day in which he ate of it the punishment would be death2. Not just physical death, but also spiritual death – dying you will die. Although Eve was thoroughly deceived and transgressed the law, Adam was not deceived and chose to disobey God. The result was spiritual separation from God and now he is subject to physical death. Did God setup Adam and Eve to fail? Absolutely not. He gave them all they needed to success. Satan deceived Eve into eating the fruit from the tree; however, Adam was not deceived at all and of his own free will chose to eat, knowing he was disobeying God3.

So what does this have to do with us and why we need […]

Why do we need salvation?2023-12-14T11:16:16-08:00

An In-Depth Look at Romans 5:12-21

When examining Romans chapter 5 verses 12 through 21 it is important to understand the difference between a trespass, sin, transgression, gift, and gracious gift in order to comprehend what is being revealed. Many of our modern translations are not consistent when translating in this section of Scripture, even though in other areas some translate the words correctly. By mistranslating words, confusion is brought into a very important section of Scripture. However, since there are no textual problems that are causing confusion, we just need to simply look at the original language to clear up any confusion.

To understand the difference between a trespass and a sin we can examine the process by which a sin is produced. This process is found in James 1:14, 15 But each one is tempted (solicited to do that which lacks in character), having been lured and baited by his own lust. Then the lust having conceived, births sin, and the sin having been brought to completion births forth death. A temptation is presented to us that draws us out of our safe place and gets us to bite. Both of these terms are fishing terms. The first is used to lure the fish out, and the second is used of baiting the fish into biting the hook. In like manner, the desire lures us out of our safe place, which is a mindset that is framed on the truth not the desires from the flesh, and attempts to get us to accept it as our own. Once we accept the temptation as our own and determine to fulfill it, we have trespassed – offended God. Sin is then birthed from the trespass.

Scripture uses the same terms for how a […]

An In-Depth Look at Romans 5:12-212023-11-23T14:10:11-08:00

God’s Desires for the Christian’s Life

As members of the body of the Christ, God has revealed to us His desirous will for our lives. We are not to sleep as unsaved do, but arise out from them so that Christ shines in our lives. Not governing our lives as fools, but as those who are wise, because the days are malignantly evil, understanding the desirous will of the Lord. (Ephesians 5:15-17).

God reveals in Scripture many things about His desires for the life of a Christian. As we do what He has already revealed we learn how to identify His will in any situation; our knowledge of His will becomes a full experiential knowledge, not just head knowledge (Colossians 1:9).

What God has specifically revealed concerning His desirous will for you as a Christian

Present your body as a living sacrifice, Romans 12:1

This is a logical response to the fact that Christ has purchased you. He gave Himself in order to redeem us from our lawlessness (Titus 2:14). We are bought with a price and therefore are to express a proper opinion of God with our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:20)

It is a one time act, giving to God what is rightfully His. Since we belong to God we should not serve men (1 Corinthians 7:23). Regardless of what position you have in life, serve God within that position, rather than man.

Bring transformed from the renewed mind that we now posses in Christ, Romans 12:2

Not being outwardly conformed to this world, as ones who are masquerading, but being transformed from the inside out by using the new mind we now have as a result of salvation, (1 Corinthians 2:14-16 But the soulish man does not receive the things […]

God’s Desires for the Christian’s Life2023-11-23T14:09:58-08:00

Definition of Sin

The Definition of Sin

The definition of sin has become so elusive today that there are so called “sins” in many churches that cannot be found in Scripture. How do you know what a sin is? True, we see very well defined sins in Scripture such as adultery, fornication, stealing, lying, murder, etc., but what about the things that are not revealed in Scripture. Is it a sin not to give ten percent of your wages to the Church? Is it a sin for a husband to ignore his wife? What about which movies you watch, what you wear, what friends you hang out with, going to a party…, how do we know if they are sins?

“Missing the mark” as a definition of sin is very predominate in teachings today. However, there is a problem with this definition. First of all, what mark are we missing? When we start asking this question we will find that the answer is a moving target. Secondly, this definition is so generic it allows for really anything to be put in as the mark missed. The mark could be, not living up to God’s glory; having a ruined character; not abiding by God’s law; and they go on and on. Lastly, where this definition comes from is an issue. In the book of Judges the word normally translated as “sin” from the Hebrew is used to describe men who are so good with a sling that they do not miss their targets. The meaning “missing the mark” comes off of a miss understanding of how this word is used in this passage and also requires ignoring other passages of Scripture that specifically define sin. These men are so good […]

Definition of Sin2018-10-28T13:29:20-07:00
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