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Salt and Light

You are the salt of the earth…

In Matthew 4:17, as Jesus speaks to the crowd, He addresses the fact that the Jews are the salt of the earth. The Jewish nation is the salt of the earth because of the promises that God gave to Abraham. In Genesis 15:18-21, God made a covenant with Abraham and his descendants regarding a specific section of land. It is because of this covenant that the earth is being preserved. Jesus is using the term “salt” metaphorically to describe how the nation of Israel keeps the earth from total destruction. However, if a Jew is not believing in the promise and doesn’t live a life that glorifies God, what value towards preserving the world does this Jew have? Just as salt that has no flavor is cast out to be trodden by men, so a Jew who does not believe in the Kingdom will be tossed aside. The message that Jesus is bringing requires the Jews to change their mind about His coming Kingdom. The Kingdom is now at hand. If they do not believe that Jesus is the Messiah, then how can they enter into the Kingdom?

Christians are never describe as salt. There is only one section in Scripture where salt is used in connection with a Christian; Colossians 4:6. Christians are instructed that their speech should be with grace and seasoned with salt.

As God’s nation the Israelites are also described by Jesus as being a light to the world. He likens them to a city on a hill that cannot be hidden. The nation as a whole is responsible for showing light to the world by their good works so that their Father who is […]

Salt and Light2023-11-23T10:33:29-08:00

When Life Begins

In the book of Genesis, God records the creation of mankind. “God created out of nothing Adam in His image, in the image of God He created him out of nothing, male and female He created them out of nothing 1.” In the next chapter more detail is given as to the process in which God created the three parts of man: the body, the spirit, and the soul2. God forms the male out of the red dirt3 of the earth making the physical body of Adam. He then breathes the breath of lives4 into his nostrils and he becomes a living soul, thus creating the soul and spirit and giving Adam both physical and spiritual life. At this time Eve has not been formed. Adam is given time to see the renovated world5, learn that there is no other created being on earth like him, and the standard that God expects him to live by before God causes him to sleep and He builds the woman from his side. “So Jehovah God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept, and He took one from his ribs and closed up the flesh there under, and He built the rib, which he took from Adam, into a woman and brought her to Adam6.

Scripture does not use the word “formed” for Eve, like Adam was formed from the earth; rather, she is specifically build for man to be his helper like before him7 from what God had already created. God does not breath the breath of lives into her nostrils, for everything that she needs for life is taken from Adam. He does not form her, therefore creating a different body for her; […]

When Life Begins2023-11-23T12:57:30-08:00

The Testing for Approval of Our Faith

1 Peter 1: 6, 7 In which you all greatly rejoice, yet since for a little while it is necessary to grieve in diverse trials in order that the testing for approval of your faith, being more precious than gold, the one purified through fire, indeed when it is tested for approval, it may be found unto the praise and honor and unto an expression of a proper opinion at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

When we are solicited to do something that lacks in character, through this temptation, the quality of our faith is clearly seen. Are we truly taking God at His Word, or just saying we believe, but not actually willing to put it into action?

James writes, “ Count it all joy, my brethren, when you are encompassed by various trials (caused by solicitations to do that which lacks in character), experientially knowing that the testing for approval of your faith works our patience. And let patience have its work of maturity in order that you may be mature and whole, lacking in nothing.”  James 1:2-4

When we struggle with desires that we know are contrary to what we as Christians should be involved in, we should not fear them, but see them as opportunities to know if we are taking God at His Word.

Do you know how to have victory over your sin nature? Do you know that the sin nature is? If you know, are you applying it correctly? If you do not know, this is a very basic part of the Christian life, apart from which you will never live a successful life His saint.

So often we use a quality of law to defend against desires that are contrary to what […]

The Testing for Approval of Our Faith2013-02-20T08:09:54-08:00

Faith – Taking God at His Word

Romans 1:16, 17 For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of the Christ for it is the inherent ability of God unto salvation to all the ones believing, both the Jew first, and Greeks, for the righteousness of God is revealed by it out from faith into faith just as it is written, “The righteous will live out from faith”.

Faith – Taking God at His Word (Faith is the substance of that which is hoped for, the evidence of accomplished deeds not seen)

What does it mean to live by faith? Since faith is always based upon a promise from God, when we live by faith, we live according to what God has said. Faith is not blind, so living a life out from faith is not a blind leap; rather, it is a life that takes full advantage of the benefits that God has so graciously provided for the believer who is in Christ.

When we believed the Gospel for salvation, a new life began for us. Now, we are no longer in Adam; rather, we are in Christ. As part of our salvation, we know that God has promised that we will one day be with Him in a state of blamelessness and purity; however, what about today?

Does the fact that we are in Christ affect our lives today? Oh, we know that it should, but how?

Framing our minds on who we are in Christ is not positive thinking, it is acknowledging facts that are true and therefore seeing things as they really are, which will result in having a correct frame of mind. Since we are in Christ, let us put on Christ as an outer garment and make no provision […]

Faith – Taking God at His Word2016-10-12T06:02:46-07:00

The Complete Thing- 1 Corinthians 13:10

The Complete Thing

1 Corinthians 13:8-12 The love never falls, but whether prophecy, it will be caused to be idle1, whether languages,2 they will cause themselves to cease3, whether knowledge, it will be caused to be idle. For out from a part we experientially know and out from a part we prophecy, but when the complete thing comes, then what is out from a part will be caused to be idle. When I was a baby4, I spoke as a baby, I thought as a baby. When I became a man, I made the things of the baby idle. For now I see through a mirror obscurely, but then face to face. Now I experientially know out from a part, but then I will be fully experientially know just as I am fully known.

Paul speaks of a day when the Church will no longer require the use of the Spiritual gifts of prophecy, languages5, and knowledge. When the full Word of God comes, He will stop giving revelation; therefore, prophecy will become idle. Languages, or better known as speaking in tongues, will cause themselves to stop existing because the purpose for speaking in another language ceases to exist. Speaking in another language was a sign to the Jews. It is no longer active since the Jewish nation has fully rejected Jesus and the Church6.  Paul explains what knowledge he is referring to further down in the context where he states that the knowledge comes from only a partial revelation. Paul did not have the full cannon of Scripture at this time. He only had access to the Old Testament. Although he was involved […]

The Complete Thing- 1 Corinthians 13:102018-10-28T13:26:19-07:00
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