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• Jesus Defines Repentance

  …ster WongMixxMySpaceNetvouzNewsvineoneviewOnlyWirePlugIMPropellerRedditSegnaloShoutwireSimpySlashdotSurphaceSphinnSpurlSquidooStumbleUponTechnoratiThisNextTwitterWebrideWindows LiveYahoo!Email This to a Friend  Link HTML:  Permalink:  If you like this then please subscribe to the RSS Feed.Powered by Bookmarkify™ More »The Bible clearly teaches that repentance is a command of God to all men (…

• Repentance–How Can I Be Sure?

  The words repent and repentance are Bible words, words hardly ever used outside of a religious context.  In reading one’s New Testament, beginning with the gospel accounts, the first preaching that is recorded is that of John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 3:2 NKJV)  In Matt. 4:17 we see Jesus preaching the exact same message.  The call to men from inspiration from the very …

• Peter’s Second Gospel Sermon

  …ree rather than Jesus thus condemning Jesus to death (Acts 3:14-15).  In view of Jesus’ innocence of all wrongdoing this was sin and sin of the worst sort since Jesus was the Son of God.  What they had done was evil and repentance was needed. Now what is repentance?  Paul says, “Godly sorrow produces repentance to salvation.” (2 Cor. 7:10 NKJV)  Thus godly sorrow precedes repentance and is not itself repentance.  Judas was sorry…

• Peter’s Preaching and the Apostle’s Preaching

  … apostles answered and said: ‘We ought to obey God rather than men.  The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree.  Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.  And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.’” (Acts 5:29-32 NKJV) Let us examine this sermon s…

• Does God Really Care?

  …ond place God begs and pleads with us through his word to repent and turn from disaster and avoid the suffering.  Peter says the Lord is “longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 NKJV)  He has given us a time to repent, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Cor. 6:2 NKJV)  He pleads with us.  Hear the apostle Paul, “Now then, we are amba…

• Repentance

  Jesus Defines Repentance Repentance–How Can I Be Sure? Repent–How Hard It Is To Do Peter’s Second Gospel Sermon Willful Sin–Can Anyone be Saved? More on Willful Sin–Can Anyone be Saved? The Chastening of the Lord The Blessing of Affliction and the Goodness of God …

• Jesus’ Baptism and You?

  … since come and gone.  Nevertheless, that was not the case when Jesus came to John to be baptized approximately 2,000 years ago. Mark tells us (Mark 1:4 NKJV), “John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.”  We know that Jesus never sinned and when Jesus comes to John to be baptized John is hesitant.  In Matthew 3:14 we are told that, “John tried to prevent Him, saying, ‘I have need to be …

• How Does One Get Into the Church Christ Built?

  f sins.” (Acts 2:38 NKJV)  There are many who will say that yes they believe in order to be saved one must also in addition to having faith repent of his sins.  However, that is where they want to stop.  They want to separate repentance from baptism in the passage and gladly ignore the fact there is a coordinating conjunction there, the word “and,” that joins the two words making one just as essential as another.  (They do the same thing with the…

• Repent–How Hard It Is To Do

  …God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared.” (1 Peter 3:20 NKJV)  It was the “world of the ungodly” (2 Peter 2:5 NKJV) that perished in the flood. I take from the passages quoted above that Noah preached repentance.  Why?  Because Peter said of those people that they were “disobedient.”  They therefore had law from God whether written or unwritten.  They were “ungodly” and Noah preached “righteousness”.  By definition repent…

• Disobedience to Jesus

  commandments, is a liar.” (1 John 2:3-4 NAS)  What keeps a person out of heaven?  I think we would all answer correctly and say sin does.  But what is sin?  How would you define it?  How should we define it?  The Bible defines it for us when it says, “sin is the transgression of the law.” (1 John 3:3 KJV)  Modern versions put it, “sin is lawlessness.” (NAS)  What does that mean if it does not mean that sin is a fail…

• What Must a Man Believe to be Saved by the Gospel?

  … loves man, “for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son” (John 3:16 NKJV), and does not desire that any man perish for he is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 NKJV)  As far back as Ezekiel we read the words of God, “‘I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,’ says the Lord God.  ‘Therefore turn and live.’” …

• The Faithfulness of Jesus to God the Father

  Hebrews 3:1-2 reads as follows:  “Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the apostle and high priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to him who appointed him, as Moses also was faithful in all his house.” (NKJV) Reading this passage and its surrounding context awhile back got me to thinking about the faithfulness of Jesus.  We seldom think about Jesus being “faithful,” that…

• What is it a Man Must Believe in Order to be Saved?

  What is it a man must believe in order to be saved according to the Bible?  If salvation is dependent on faith which the Bible clearly teaches then it is essential to know what it is that the Bible teaches we must believe.  This is not a subject that is studied a whole lot for the answer seems so evident–we must believe in Jesus.  Yes, that is true, but what does that mean?  I will talk about that later in the article but there are other t…

• A New Creation in Christ

  hat words like “is” and “if” mean?  May God have mercy upon us. Now please note what I have not said in this article.  I did not say we are saved or that we become a new creation without faith, without repentance, without confession of Christ, and I have not said we are saved by baptism alone. Faith is the energizing agent that leads to all further obedience to Christ.  Without faith absolutely nothing else follows.  In th…

• Spiritual Mirages

  … time to repent.  God is under no obligation to give man time to repent from sin.  Nevertheless, most men are given time as God “is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 NKJV)  One sees this not only in the book of Jeremiah where Jeremiah urged repentance and a turning back to God for years before tragedy finally struck but it is a common Old Testament theme a…

• Bible Contradictions on Salvation?

  is shed blood for the remission of our sins there is nothing to have faith in and there is no such thing as grace.  Thus again we see an interrelationship between factors that save. The Bible also teaches that we are saved by repentance.  Paul speaking to the people in Athens said, “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent.” (Acts 17:30 NKJV)  He says in 2 Cor. 7:10, “For godl…

• The Kingdom of God and the New Birth–A Matter of Timing

  ten to Peter.  One is born of the spirit when the spirit working through the tool he uses (the word of God–”the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” Eph. 6:17 – NKJV) leads a man to faith and repentance and then born of water when he is baptized for the remission of sins.  It is but one birth but has two aspects to it, either part without the other results in an aborted birth. The man with the keys of the kingdom…

• Why Men Today Cannot Be Saved Like The Thief On The Cross?

  beginning on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2. Jesus, in speaking to his disciples after the resurrection, said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the cit…

• God’s Willingness to Forgive–King Manasseh

  …temptation to a sin that we are attracted to.  In fact, if we could only commit a sin once and then if we did it a second time God would not forgive us who could be saved?  But, remember this, forgiveness is dependent on true repentance.  The rich young ruler went away sorrowful but did not repent. What I have been talking about is an attitude, an attitude of recklessness and carelessness, an attitude of almost indifference to righteousness, an a…

• The Case of Cornelius and the Holy Spirit

  …t for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38 NKJV)  Now note, when does the Holy Spirit promise these believers they will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit?  Is it before repentance and baptism for the remission of sins or after?  The answer is evident.  This raises a question.  Is there one gospel in one location and another in a different location so that we can never really know what the g…

• The Christian, Politics, and the Government

  …rth more than all of the wealth of this world combined.  “For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Matt. 16:26 NKJV)  Jesus said, “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” (Mark 2:17 NKJV)  That was his mission.  What is the mission of his servants?  Are we in the condemning them to hell camp or are we in the converting them to Christ camp? If our reaction to ungodly laws that are…

• Praying to God to Bless the Bread–Really?

  …d.  Bless thus means to give thanks in prayer to God or else Paul in 1 Cor. 10:16 is asking us to do something different from what he said Jesus did in 1 Cor. 11:23-25.  I also remind the reader again of 1 Cor. 14:16-17 which defines the word “bless” when used in prayer to mean give thanks. In the last half of chapter 11 of First Corinthians Paul deals with the subject of the Lord’s Supper in  order that the Corinthians (and all…

• Ways into Christ–How Many Ways Are There?

  … firmly established that salvation is found “in Christ” how then does one enter into Christ?  How many ways are there?  The Bible teaches there are conditions for entering into Christ, prerequisites if you will, namely faith, repentance, and confession all of which are absolutely essential to salvation but none of those things by themselves or even taken collectively will put you “into Christ.”  Only baptism is said to do that–no not baptis…

• Paul’s Conversion (Justified by Faith)

  …urrounding him and his party and a voice out of heaven telling him it was Jesus speaking to him (Acts 9:5, 22:8, 26:15) totally destroyed unbelief in Paul’s life and that instantaneously.  Likewise there can be no doubt repentance was immediate. Paul immediately became submissive to the will of God.  He was told directly by Jesus himself that he (Paul) was a persecutor of the one who spoke to him–Christ (Acts 9:4, 22:8, 26:15)–a…

• The Church as the Body of Christ–Which Means What?

  …, is only one condition.  While everything else flows from it and while it must of necessity be the first thing in order (Heb. 11:6) God requires more of man than that even though most do not believe it. A second condition is repentance.  God is not in the business of saving unrepentant sinners even if they are believers.  If so where does the Bible teach it?  If man can be saved without repentance what did Jesus shed his blood for?  If a man can…

• Everlasting Life–The Believer of John 3:16

  Who has everlasting life?  Is it the man Jesus spoke of in John 3:16 when he said, “whoever believes in him (speaking of himself–DS) should not perish but have everlasting life” (NKJV) or is it the man he spoke of in John 5:24 when he said, “I say to you, he who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has everlasting life” (NKJV)?  First,  Jesus says in the former passage believe in him for everlasting life wh…

• Misunderstanding the Grace of God

  …is a passage in Rom. 2:4 that bears on the very thing I am trying to get across.  It says, “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” (Rom 2:4 NKJV)  Is this not God’s grace?  Is not his goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering toward us that we might repent of our sins God’s grace? Peter says, “The Lord is not slack co…

• Ashamed of Jesus and His Words

  In Luke 9:26 Jesus made the following statement, “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” (NAS)  There are two things here that men are told they must avoid if they are to have any hope of Jesus not being ashamed of them in the day he returns to judge the world in righteousness (Acts 17:31) – (1) being ashamed of …

• Jesus the Foundation of and the Builder of the Church

  blueprint for what the church ought to be.  Who among us really believes that any of those congregations could have continued in error forever without eternal consequences?  The rebuking was for the purpose of bringing about repentance and thus salvation. Here is our problem today.  We are not going to get a letter to our church directly from the Lord or from an inspired apostle.  When we start deviating from the blueprint (New Testament teachin…

• When did Obedience Become Legalism?

  ect to hate speech legislation. The religiously liberal Christians (if there is such a thing) say God loves all men (true) so we say we can rejoice in Christian fellowship with those actively practicing homosexuality–no repentance required.  Of course in doing so we destroy the Bible as written but the national desire today is to either abandon the Bible altogether as a standard of conduct, to say nothing of authority, and to write our own …

• The Need to Preach on Sin

  …d hope of a wonderful life to come. How sad it is then that men today will not preach against sin, showing men their sins, confronting them with them, so that they might be made aware of sin and its consequences and be led to repentance, gospel obedience, and forgiveness. If we preach the Bible we must preach about sin.  Have you ever given it thought that if there was no sin there would be no need for the Bible, no need for Jesus the Savior, no …

• Obedience of Faith and Justification by Faith–Opposing Doctrines?

  …ially being baptized, is seen as a work and thus working one’s way to heaven.  What people fail to understand is man has always been and always will be under law to God. If there has been no law there has been no sin for John defines sin as being lawlessness, “sin is lawlessness.” (1 John 3:4 NAS)  Were Adam and Eve under law to God?  How about the people in the time of Noah?  Why did they die if not because of lawlessness?  How about the people …

• Faith and Baptism in Paul’s Preaching

  …” (Acts 16:14-15 NAS) We are not told exactly what Paul said in his sermon but we know he preached at least the following:  (1) Man as a sinner in need of salvation, (2) Jesus as Lord and Savior, (3) Faith in Jesus, (4) Repentance, and (5) Baptism.  We can glean a lot about Paul’s preaching from Lydia’s statement to Paul and Silas, “if you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay,” (Acts…

• Did Christ Rise From the Dead or is Faith Folly?

  …not but that is the position of the professors of science in our schools today.  They proclaim that position as being the scientific, the reasonable, and the intellectual one.  Save us from the scholars if that is the way one defines reason. The atheist, the evolutionist, all non-believers have staked their eternal well being on their thesis that Christ did not rise from the dead.  Thus the faith of the non-believers and the faith of those who do…

• Finding Truth in Divided Christendom

  …y no longer think it is possible to know the truth in any absolute sense.  It is just a matter of individual opinion is a common thought.  Consequently, it is not unusual to hear sentiments like just as long as you believe in Jesus and are sincere that is all that matters and any church will do, just find the church of your choice. It is easy enough for the sincere seeker after truth to just throw up his/her hands in despair and give up but the B…

• Never Give Up

  … sorrow. What is the lesson?  Never give up; there is always good reason for hope.  God will forgive you no matter how atrocious your sins may be.  The Bible says God is not willing that any should perish but that all come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).  Jesus did not come to earth to die on the cross just so men could die in sin.  I remind the reader that both Moses and David were men of God at the time of their sins.  God forgave them.  He will f…

• One Church—A Thing Hard to Accept

  …:42 again as just one example).  No one wants that kind of faith.  We are interested in saving faith, in the faith where the Lord adds us to his one church because of our faith. Men will generally accept what Peter said about repentance as essential for their salvation but not baptism and that despite as plain a statement as one can find in scripture on any subject.  You can point them to other scriptures that say the exact same thing as what Pet…

• Is Holy Spirit Baptism The Baptism That Saves?

  …. 3:16 NKJV)  So our very first introduction to the subject of baptism relates it to water, not the Holy Spirit.  However, John did prophecy of two other baptisms to come.  He says, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”  (Mat 3:11 NKJV)  It is very important to note who will be doing…

• The Truth So Called Christians Will Not Accept

  …who preaches what Peter or Ananias preached (promise you that).  Peter and Ananias would be kicked out of today’s denominational churches. Now does all of this mean a man can just go out and be immersed without faith or repentance and be saved?  No, not at all!  The Bible does not teach any such thing.  Faith and repentance are prerequisites to acceptable baptism.  Baptism is not just something one does blindly without forethought and under…

• Jesus as the Bread of Life (John 6:48)

  st obsessed with pleasing the Father? In closing it needs to be repeated for emphasis sake that it all begins with gospel obedience and contrary to the thoughts of the denominational world that does include not only faith and repentance but also baptism as well.  It is only in baptism that we die to sin for it is there where we were crucified with Christ being baptized into his death (meaning the benefits of his death).  Read carefully Rom. 6:2-8…

• The Mysterious Eloquent Evangelist

  …aptized once with John’s baptism did not need to be baptized again. When the church first began it already had charter members, those who had believed the preaching of John and of Jesus concerning Jesus and the need for repentance and cleansing of their sins.  When they were baptized by John or one of his disciples they were cleansed for Jesus himself said that John’s baptism was from heaven.  Listen to the scriptures. Jesus speaking,…

• What Does The Phrase “Born Of Water And The Spirit” Mean? (The New Birth)

  good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.” (Luke 8:15 NASU) When one accepts the word of God and allows it to work in his life, having an honest and good heart, faith develops and leads the man to repentance, changing him within in his inner being, his spirit.  He now believes differently, has different goals and aspirations, has a desire to live a different life.  When this occurs the first prerequisite for the new b…

• Resource Sites

  Here are some links to what I consider to be some great sites I highly recommend. Christian Courier  (This site is owned and run by Wayne Jackson who does the writing found on it.  I don’t know where you would go to find more scholarly Christian articles on the web.  The man does his homework which means he does extensive research before he starts writing.  All of this will be readily evident to you once you read an article or two of his. …

• What Does the Phrase “My Name” Mean in the Bible?

  …se “my name” is found 118 times in the NAS and a 119 times in the NKJV Bible.  For the purpose of this study I used the NAS and read through all 118 verses where the phrase is used to get at the meaning.  What did Jesus mean when he used the phrase “my name” which he frequently did?  We seldom use the phrase today in personal conversation, certainly not like Jesus did, unless we are introducing ourselves.  Is that the way …

• Which Denomination Did Jesus Build?

  Years ago I had a lady tell me it was impossible to be just a Christian without being in a denomination.  Did Jesus build a denomination?  Which denomination did Jesus build?  I fear the lady I spoke of above was in grave error those many years ago but she was in a bind.  What do I mean?  Those who are in denominational churches generally all agree that those in other denominations can and will be saved the same as they will be.  Which means wha…

• The Church Christ Built–Marks of Identification

  …in this body, this church of Christ, this church Jesus built, is granted only on the basis of the new birth (John 3:5).  It begins with the Spirit in that through the Spirit’s word, the gospel message, man is led to faith and repentance and a willingness and desire to confess Christ for who he is–the Son of God–and it culminates in baptism for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38, 22:16) but more succinctly to put to death the old man o…

• The Kind of Faith in God That Destroys

  There is a faith, a so called Christian faith, which destroys.  Those who hold such a faith, while sincere, do not understand faith from a scriptural point of view.  Faith is all too often defined as “what I believe.”  There is more to saving faith than just believing in Jesus, believing he is the Son of God. If faith alone, defined as what one believes, could save by itself then even the demons could be saved for James says, “…

• The Wicked Shall be Turned into Hell

  …r evil ways!  For why should you die, O house of Israel?” (Ezek. 33:11 NKJV)  Has God changed?  The Bible says, “I am the Lord, I do not change.” (Malachi 3:6 NKJV) God’s desire is that all men come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9), obey the gospel, and be saved.  As long as the wicked are made to feel as though all the general public they know is siding with them in their evil ways how can they be brought to repentance?  We mu…

• How Does the Blood of Jesus and Baptism Tie Together

  I know of no one who claims to be a Christian but what believes we are saved by the blood of Jesus.  All believe that for the Bible clearly teaches it stating it plainly, “We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” (Eph 1:7 NKJV)  There are very few, however, who realize where God has placed that blood spiritually speaking.  Christianity is a religion of the spirit.  No man is saved by coming into physical contac…

• If Baptism is Not Essential for Salvation

  …of Pentecost while preaching the first gospel sermon ever to be heard Peter commanded believers to be baptized for the remission of sins.  “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.” (Acts 2:38 NKJV)  If baptism is not for the remission of sins one has to pick either Peter or the Holy Spirit as being a teacher of error.  (4)  If baptism is not essential for salvat…

• The Conversion of the Philippian Jailer

  …r mouth the Lord Jesus.”  Yes, “if” you do.  The word “if” has meaning.  Another bind that those find themselves in who say all I have to do is believe in order to be saved is that they leave out repentance all together.  That ought to save the demons then, hadn’t it?  They believe and no repentance required for salvation.   Yes, I am sure Paul taught faith in the Lord Jesus and when understood properly that wi…

• The Silence of the Scriptures

  …ngs I found that are not just ideas but things actually being done.  Tattoo stations during communion where people would get a black cross put on their hand or wrist to symbolize their decision to become bondslaves of Christ, repentance windows during communion where you would write your name on a board as a confession of your sin and then have it pronounced that your sins were forgiven and your name would be erased from the board, gift flags mad…

• Things People Do Not Know About the Church

  he door.  If anyone enters by me, he will be saved.” (John 10:9 NKJV)  The saved are in the church (Acts 2:47, Eph. 5:23, Col. 1:24). To enter into Christ is to be baptized into his spiritual body (based upon a genuine faith, repentance of sins, and a willingness to confess him with the mouth)–“For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.” (1 Cor. 12:13)  Baptism is into Christ (Rom. 6:3, Gal. 3:27).  “He who believes and is baptiz…

• Acceptable Prayer

  …arrived and told Cornelius what God would have him do he believed and obeyed what he was told. However, if you are one who is not truly seeking God, but only one who is seeking to get out of a tight spot, and there is no true repentance, then you fit into that class mentioned in Prov. 28:9, “He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, even his prayer is an abomination.” (NAS)  One must be willing to hear what God says and be …

• Hypocrites in the Church

  …r, I do not regret it; though I did regret it–for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while–I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leadin…

• The Hardening of the Human Heart

  …  Things seem to go fine without God or without faithfulness.  That is until the day it is too late. In Heb. 6 the Bible speaks of Christians who have gotten themselves into a situation where it is impossible to renew them to repentance: “For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age …

• Jesus and the Furnace of Fire

  …your daughter, your son, your mother or dad, your neighbor, your friend, some of the best people you know to end up in what the Bible calls the furnace of fire.  And what people cannot comprehend and refuse to believe is that Jesus will put them there (although the reality is they really put themselves there the result of the life they chose to live). Hear Jesus, “The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His king…

• Indifference – The Great Destroyer

  … not seek, knock, or search in any way for anything other than what satisfied already has for satisfied is satisfied. It becomes, a result of that, nearly impossible to get people who fit into that state of mind to a state of repentance. They are not interested in studying or searching the scriptures for they are indifferent and content. What does the Bible say or teach on this subject? That is our concern or ought to be for no matter what you or…

• Who Gets to Decide–God or the Church?

  …whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Col. 3:17 NAS)  Not a word about doing a thing in the name of a council. Women preachers, homosexual ministers, the acceptance of adultery without repentance in the church, and a ton of other things came from denominational legislative bodies, from man, not from God’s word. Hear Paul from 1 Tim. 4:1-3 (NAS), “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later tim…

• Cornelius’ Conversion–Final Thoughts

  …ccess to eternal life through the gospel.  “When they (the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem–DS) heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, ‘Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.’” (Acts 11:18 NKJV)  Tongues served for a sign to the Jewish Christians with regards to the Gentile Cornelius and thus to all Gentiles concerning God’s will for them. This whole episode …

• Weak, Defiled, and Seared Consciences

  …ead works to serve the living God.” (Heb. 9:14 NAS) No one has ever become a Christian who has not first had to deal with his/her conscience which was convicting them of sin.  Clean, clear consciences do not lead men to repentance.  So, yes, consciences can be cleansed.  They are cleansed, made good, in baptism (see 1 Peter 3:21)–a baptism preceded by faith, repentance, and confession of Christ as the Son of God.  One meets up, spirit…

• Fear God

  …s a book that lists sin after sin for which Paul rebukes them.  In the second letter to the church at Corinth Paul speaks of their repenting.  He says, “Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance.” (2 Cor. 7:9 NKJV)  He goes on to say, “Godly sorrow produces repentance to salvation”. (2 Cor. 7:10 NKJV)  It sounds much like repentance was a requirement for their salvation meaning, of course, that there was …

• He Went Away Grieved

  People came to Jesus while he was on earth for different reasons.  Some came because they felt he could provide them with the necessities of life.  After having fed the 5,000 the crowd intended to take him by force to make him king (John 6:15).  Jesus said to them, “You seek me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.” (John 6:26 NKJV) Others sought after him that they might be healed of sickness and dis…

• The Cleansing of the Church at Ephesus

  … given?  So, yes, I think we are all glad salvation is a matter of God’s grace. God’s grace is granted to us as a result of faith we possess.  “Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand.” (Rom. 5:1-2 NAS)  “For by grace you have been saved through faith.” (Eph. 2:8 NAS)  There are many other passages…

• Religious Titles Forbidden in Christianity

  …t to Matt. 23:9, “do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven,” (NKJV) and it would have no effect upon him either. Not only are men accepting religious titles, contrary to Jesus’ teaching, but the general public is just as guilty in granting these titles.  I have never seen a single instance in my lifetime of a Catholic priest being interviewed on TV without the interviewer calling him F…

• Saved by Jesus Outside the Church?

  It is not uncommon to hear people express their opinion that organized religion (the church) has nothing to do with salvation.  All that matters it is said is whether or not one has a personal relationship with Jesus. I do not know where this “personal relationship with Jesus” language came from for if you type in the phrase in any online Bible concordance you will not get a single return for the phrase is manmade and not found in sc…

• Christian Wars–A Misnomer

  …s 2:19, James 2:24).  The Bible teaches it is repent or perish, “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:3 NKJV)  “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” (Luke 5:32 NKJV)  See the following passages–Acts 26:20, 2 Cor. 7:10, 2 Peter 3:9, Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19, Acts 17:30. A man then must confess his faith in Jesus as the Christ, the son of God and Savio…

• Saved by Faith or Saved by Holy Spirit Baptism–Which Is It?

  …llow.” Every one of us knows that there is truth in this.  How so?  Because even if you are a faith only advocate and can come up with verse after verse advocating your doctrine yet you know and will admit (I hope) that repentance is required for salvation.  Who would deny that?  Thus it is evident that the word faith (or believe) must include repentance (I believe it also includes baptism upon a confession of faith) and is thus used very o…

• The Peace Found in Forgiveness of Others

  …crucifying him, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34 NKJV), then surely no one has done such evil to you as that done to him.  (I am not saying those who crucified Christ were forgiven without repentance and obedience to the gospel but only that Jesus’ prayer was from a heart desiring their forgiveness which came to many as they obeyed the gospel on the Day of Pentecost.)  How is our heart toward God and our fello…

• The Prodigal Son–When He Came to Himself

  hrase “when he came to himself” found in verse 17. This verse marks the point in the young man’s life where his eyes were opened to the extent he could now see clearly what before had been hidden from his eyes and as a result repentance entered his heart.  As the text says (NKJV), “he came to himself.” To me there is a teaching in that phrase that has generally been overlooked or at least not talked much about.  It indicates that while the prodig…

• Mary of Bethany–Doing What You Can

  Sometimes even when we do good we receive criticism and blame as though that which we did was evil rather than good.  Such was the case with Mary of Bethany a friend of Jesus and one whom Jesus loved (John 11:5).  If you are not familiar with the story of Mary who anointed Jesus with some very expensive oil of spikenard not long before his arrest, trial, and crucifixion you can read the account in Matt. 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9, and John 12:1-8. I w…

• Demas Has Forsaken Me

  …d Lipscomb once said that he doubted that any man ever lived a single day without sin.  Are all men doomed despite the death of Jesus? Peter tells us that God is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 NKJV)  When Peter asked the Lord (Matt. 18:21) how many times he should forgive a brother and says, probably thinking he was being generous, 7 times the Lord answers, “I do not say to you, up to sev…

• Christianity and Multiculturalism

  …  Every one of them was established hundreds and hundreds of years after Christ built his church starting on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 thus they are not the church he established.  Furthermore, it takes along with faith, repentance, and confession of Christ, baptism to make a Christian which virtually every denomination denies and rejects.  Peter said baptism was for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38), that it saves us (1 Peter 3:21), but the…

• The Washing of Water by the Word–Baptism and Salvation

  …” just as well as he who believes and is baptized.  They say they are going to be saved by faith but have no faith in what Jesus said.  I find a deep irony in that.  Baptism is essential to salvation just as much as faith and repentance and the confession of Jesus but there are non-believers who will neither believe nor obey.  They are in God’s hands.  “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Heb. 10:31 NKJV)  When you w…

• The Heart of Man from a Biblical Perspective

  …if there is anything praiseworthy–meditate on these things.” (Phil. 4:8 NKJV) I readily admit it is a tough to change the way you think but I ask the question–is that not what every man does when he repents?  Yes, repentance is certainly a change of the will but is it not also a change of the mind, a change of our thinking?  When a man comes to accept the Bible and its teaching is he not committing himself to a new way of thinking abo…

• Are Paul’s Writings as Authoritative as Jesus’ Words?

  …h of the matter is every single word of the New Testament excepting only those words added by translators for clarification (usually marked by being printed in italics) came directly from God the Father including the words of Jesus himself.  In John 1:1 Jesus is called “the Word” (NKJV) but he says later, “He who rejects me, and does not receive my words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in th…

• Honestly Deceived

  …Which will we choose?  Will be believe what God has said or will we believe what man tells us to believe?  Will we be the prophet from Judah?  Will we be Eve? I might add God’s love does cover all but only on the condition of repentance.  The world wants us to accept homosexuality as being pleasing to God without repentance. I used homosexuality as one example of a vast multitude of examples that could be given.  When one wonders into the realm o…

• Be Faithful to the Lord (The Conversion of Lydia)

  …her things, that they must be baptized.  But, the point is that such passages are just summary statements without details being provided.  Let the reader ask himself this question.  None of these accounts mention a word about repentance nor should they in view of the fact they are, as has been stated, summary statements.  Do we believe that there is such a thing as salvation by faith without any repentance of sins?  Again, when it is simply state…

• More on Willful Sin—Can Anyone be Saved?

  …liar, and His word is not in us.” (1 John 1:10 NKJV) The Christian who sins needs to confess his sins to God after having become penitent.  “Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing.  For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces deat…

• Better to Never Have Been Born–Why?

  Jesus in reference to his betrayer Judas said, “It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” (Matt. 26:24 ESV)  Most of us who believe the Bible can understand what Jesus said and why as it pertains to Judas and if we could leave it at that we could rest in peace.  Why then does such a statement torment us? The answer is because we know the truth to be that any man or woman whether it is our mother or dad, our wif…

• Who is the Believer in John 3:16?

  Sometimes things that are the most obvious are also the easiest to overlook.  No passage in the Bible is better known nor been memorized more than Jesus’ statement in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (NKJV)  This was part of a conversation that Jesus was having with a man named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews who …

• Christ the Savior of the Body but Which One–the Matter of Timing?

  …f the hundreds of others that could be named?  Many would say it is all of them taken collectively.  It is a subject worthy of consideration, an important study, for if we do not get it right we will be found outside the body Jesus’ is saving at the last day. It is important that we understand that when Paul said Jesus was the “savior of the body” he was talking about the church as already stated.  The church is the body, “And he (God the Father&…

• Pray For Others Lest You Sin

  …rence.  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (NKJV) God is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 NKJV) In Rom. 10:1 Paul speaks of his praying for those who were not Christians for his desire for them was that they might be saved.  In 2 Cor. 5:11 he spoke of knowing the terror of the Lord and t…

• The Army of the Lord–the Church

  …ill not contend earnestly for the faith. One of the great failings of Christian understanding is to fail to understand that until the heart is pricked with the sword of the Spirit (and someone has to wield it) there can be no repentance, no seeking of salvation, and no turning from error to truth.  You may hurt a man’s feelings for a day yet save his soul for eternity.  Until a man is convicted of the truth in his heart, the truth of his own sin,…

• Bible Authority, Foot Washing, the Holy Kiss, and Head Coverings?

  … invited to come to boldly (Heb. 4:16) and a God who is willing to forgive and who desires that all men be saved (1 Tim. 2:4) and who “is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 NKJV) The critic’s desire is that we find his God, the God who allows him to innovate and do as he pleases and add to the word of God.   He says he needs no Bible authority the idea being that his o…

• Non-Offensive Christianity

  end man for that is what it comes down to? No matter how much you and I desire the salvation of all men we do not desire it any more than God does.  God is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 NKJV)  He “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Tim. 2:4 NKJV)  He loved the world (mankind) so much he gave his only begotten son that man mi…

• The Great Commission and Cornelius

  …l have remission of sins.” (Acts 10:43 NKJV) Here is the point; the phrase “through His name” designates a relationship with the name.  Meaning what?  For that part we have to go back to the Great Commission Jesus gave himself in Matt. 28:18-20.  Let me quote that: “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,…

• Why Men Do Not Believe

  …ly that Saul was totally unaware of everything that had been transpiring.  He says in Acts 22:3 that he was raised in Jerusalem. That does not necessarily imply he was an eyewitness but one is reminded of what Cleopas said to Jesus, unknowingly, on the road to Emmaus, “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?” (Luke 24:18 NAS)  That was said before the disciples generall…

• Christian Circumcision

  …ism and acts out of faith in those scriptures in obedience he will never be circumcised with the circumcision of Christ.  Christ ultimately cleanses us regardless of the conditions he imposes upon us for doing so–faith, repentance, confession, and baptism being the conditions.  A man who has complied with those conditions out of faith in the word of God is a man who has experienced the circumcision of Christ.  He is a man with a circumcised…

• Lessons for the Church from Isaiah (Chapter 1)

  …r, a believer in Christ, and hardly believe a word he says? We have to remember it does not have to end this way for the sinner.  God “is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 NKJV)  God would have “all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Tim. 2:4 NKJV)  That is why Christ was sent into the world and is what the cross is all about.  Nevertheless…

• Faith is Not Just What You Believe

  …V) Thus a salvation by faith without works of obedience would also be a salvation without love for God.  Faith only advocates will not have baptism as an element of salvation for they fear it is a work.  Well, no more so than repentance.  When the Bible teaches we are saved by grace through faith and not of works, Eph. 2:8-9, is that passage teaching we are saved by disobedience because to obey would be a work and we cannot be saved by works?  Is…

• Whatcha Gonna Do When They Come For You?

  …ing just what I (Peter) have told you–repent and be baptized for the remission of your sins. So a man can prepare to meet God in death by hearing, believing, and obeying the gospel which includes not only faith but also repentance, confession, and baptism for the remission of sins.  This many have not done and thus wait unprepared for the bridegroom. In Matt. 24:35-44 Jesus is speaking to his disciples and says: “Heaven and earth will…

• Gospel Obedience at Corinth

  …y.” (Eph. 5:23 NAS)  He has not said a word about saving anything else save his body.  One needs to get himself into Christ where salvation is and the road to doing that is certainly faith but not faith alone apart from repentance, confession of Jesus, and baptism for the remission of sins which places one in Christ.  The reader should not confuse being in the church mentioned in the Bible with denominations.  The thing Paul is discussing i…

• Lincoln’s Tomb and Jesus’ Tomb

  …e flesh.  Were we kind with people; were we gentle, patient, and understanding?  Did we care about people?  Did we love?  Were we forgiving?  Did we seek God?  Did we obey the gospel and his commandments?  Were we faithful to Jesus and did we accept him as Lord?  Did we worship and serve God?  These are the kinds of things that matter.  These are the kinds of things that will matter when death comes. But as I thought on this visit at Lincoln’s to…

• Three Benefits of Being a Christian in This Life – Hope, Love, Peace

  … is another wonderful blessing, a blessing of peace of mind. When the Christian does sin, as all men do, he has a way to renew within himself a clean and clear conscience, the opportunity to start over again knowing that with repentance and confession the blood of Jesus will cleanse his sin and make him white as snow again.  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.&#…

• The Sin of Being Unthankful and the Need for Thanksgiving

  …r them or gave to them meant nothing at all to them it hurts us down to the bone.  It tells us they do not care about us and it hurts.  It is a sin for a person to respond to an act of kindness and love that way. In Luke 6:35 Jesus ties the unthankful with those who are evil.  “But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and you reward will be great, and you will be sons of the most high.  For he is kind to the u…

• Healing For the Brokenhearted

  “Reproach has broken my heart and I am so sick.  And I looked for sympathy, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none.” (Psalms 69:20 NASU)  Read in context one sees clearly that this passage of scripture refers to Jesus toward the very end of his life on earth when facing the cross and perhaps, very possibly, on the cross itself.  The heart has been broken to the point of sickness. Is there a person whose heart has …

• The Church as the Family of God–Things Found in It

  …For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16 NKJV)  He is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (1 Peter 3:9 NKJV)  He “desires all men to be saved.” (1 Tim. 2:4 NKJV)  “We love him because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19 NKJV) (2) He will never give up on me or come to the point he no longer wants me as …

• The Parable of the Talents–the Sin of Fear

  …d that he would.  Fear led Peter later to withdraw from eating with the Gentile Christians “fearing those who were of the circumcision” (Gal. 2:12 NKJV) and for which Paul rightly rebuked him (Gal. 2:14).  Without repentance Peter could not have been saved from these sins. What was missing from the thinking of the man who buried his master’s talent in the parable of the talents?  Faith!  His master had faith in him or else he wo…

• God’s Hardening of the Human Heart

  …their hearts?  We know he does not for “God is love.” (1 John 4:8 NKJV)  He “desires all men to be saved.” (1 Tim. 2:4 NKJV)  He is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 NKJV)  “He does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.” (Lam. 3:33 NKJV)  God does not harden a heart willingly since a heart hardened against God represents a lost…

• Parable of the Tares–No Middle Ground

  at if the desire is there to make the change.  God’s desire is to save, not to cast into the furnace of fire.  “The Lord … is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 NKJV)  “Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord God, “and not that he should turn from his ways and live?” (Ezek. 18:23 NKJV)  “F…

• He Feared

  …l.  Sin is a direct result of a weak faith.  We some how convince ourselves that we can disobey God and yet be saved which is another way of saying we do not believe what God has said.  To quote the Hebrew writer, speaking of Jesus, “He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him.” (Hebrews 5:9 NKJV)  We either believe that or we do not. But who was the man whose fear led him to sin and unfaithfulness?  The apostle Peter’s faith fa…

• Regrets

  …u think Paul had regrets?  Do you think those regrets ever completely passed from his thoughts as he lived day to day? Peter’s case is too well known to recount here but we are all well aware of his regret having denied Jesus just at the time when Jesus could have used support the most. A lesser known case is that of James and John.  Do you remember when Jesus was heading to Jerusalem how he sent messengers before him and as they came to a …

• Behold the Judge is Standing at the Door

  ….” (Psalms 44:21 NKJV)  Yes, he knows your evil thoughts (Matt. 9:4) and we will be judged for evil thoughts for they are listed in a list of sins as found in Matt. 15:18-19.  “God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 2:16 NKJV)  “All things are naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Heb. 4:13 NKJV) What I have written so far I have written both to the saint (the Christian)…

• Fools, Speech, and Christianity

  …re before the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.” (Matt. 5:22-24 NAS) In this article we will be dealing with the last of the 3 declarations or warnings Jesus gave as found in Matt. 5:22 regarding man’s attitude and speech toward his fellowman.  Jesus says that to say to one’s fellowman “you fool” puts him in danger of going to hell itself.  That is a…

• Are Works Essential for Christian Salvation?

  …tements than are there, and do not read the full context in which we find the statements.  The very next verse coming after this Eph. 2:8-9 passage is verse 10 which reads, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (NKJV) The man who takes Eph. 2:8-9 as eliminating the need for good works is saying then that even though we were “created in Chr…

• Is Church Attendance Essential for Christian Salvation?

  …(2) Can one be saved who does not love God?  John said, “This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.” (1 John 5:3 NKJV)  We know from what we have discussed that one such commandment is assembling with the saints. Jesus, who is God, says “he who does not love me does not keep my words.” (John 14:24 NKJV)  Every word found in the New Testament is the word of Jesus either directly or indirectly.  Of the Holy Spirit Jesus said, “He will …

• Work Out Your Own Salvation

  …ither going to try and obey (try to be righteous) or else he is going to be disobedient (unrighteous).  It is an either or matter. Which of these two men do you think will get to heaven?  Which is going down the difficult way Jesus spoke of?  “Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matt. 7:14 NKJV)  Is it the man who is unconcerned about righteousness or the man who is very concerned abou…

• Christianity–Who Rules Reason or Emotions?

  …d that does it.  But mark this down, if your religion is emotion based sooner or later you will have what you desire no matter what the Bible says thus many denominations now have women preaching and in leadership positions.  Jesus said of God’s word that it was truth (John 17:17) but in emotion based religion truth must take a back seat and really does not matter for emotion rules whatever the issue. An emotion based religion is a religion that …

• Why Do Men Run From God?

  …t last Sunday the majority by far of those the world calls Christians engaged in a worship service (if they went at all) in which they did at least some things which cannot be found in the New Testament of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, things that sprang up in some man’s mind once upon a time and that was taken up by a body of believers and has been handed down by tradition through the years as if it came from Jesus’ own mouth.  T…

• Deeper Spiritual Understanding–How do I Acquire It?

  … that they could tell you what they said.  Their problem was one of understanding them and making proper application but that was a result of heart failure. When you have developed your own religion as they had by the time of Jesus, an admixture of truth mixed in with manmade traditions that had the affect of law even to the extent of overriding the law of God (Mark 7:6-13), the heart ceases to be interested in anything that will disturb it.  Peo…

• A Heart Right With God (Test Your Heart)

  …hildren of Israel who came out of Egypt.  “They always go astray in their heart.” (Heb. 3:10 NKJV, see also Psalms 95:10)  “God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.” (1 John 3:20 NKJV)  The Bible says, speaking of Jesus, “But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, ‘Why do you think evil in your hearts?’’  Jesus could read a man’s thoughts and knew their hearts.  We cannot hide from God for, “There is no creature hidden from his sight, b…

• I Can Do All Things Through Christ

  …rcome the world–our faith.” (NKJV)  There is power in faith to not only overcome the temptations of the world but power to climb our own personal mountains, mountains so high and so steep as to seem to be impossible but Jesus tells us all things are possible “with God.” (Matt. 19:26 NKJV)  “The word of God is living and powerful.” (Heb. 4:12 NKJV)  It has caused people to repent of their sinful lives and make a 180 degree turn in their live…

• Preaching Jesus Means Preaching Baptism–The Conversion of the Ethiopian Eunuch

  “And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him.  And as they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?” (Acts 8:35-36 NAS) This is the account of Philip and his encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch.  It shows that when Jesus is preached baptism is preached as a part of preaching Jesus to an alien sinner.  When th…

• Things God Cannot Do

  …their sin does not mean he has not seen it or has overlooked it.  If it seems we have gotten by with it, it is only because God is “longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 NKJV)  There will be a day of accounting.  God “cannot look on wickedness.” (3) “God cannot be tempted by evil.” (James 1:13 NKJV)  This is just a straight forward stat…

• Baptized For the Dead

  … received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” (NKJV)  They were hearing what was demanded of them–faith, repentance, baptism for the remission of sins. But, many will object to the last point.  Remember who established the church at Corinth–Paul.  He is the one doing the preaching.  He is the one Ananias told, in Acts 22:…

• Abel’s Sacrifice by Faith versus Cain’s Sacrifice

  …r’s righteous.” (NKJV)  The question is whether this has reference to Cain’s sacrifice or to other things?  We do know his anger and lack of love (we could say his hate) drove him to murder. Rather than find repentance when God spoke to him in Gen. 4:6-7, a time when God was giving him we might say a second chance to do right, Cain goes off instead and commits murder giving full vent to anger, hatred, and jealousy.  He lived not…

• A Good and Pure Conscience

  …ound.  Truly the conscience is a gift from God if we will properly train it by God’s word and then honor its role in our life.  When your conscience pricks your soul thank God it is doing so for it is nudging you toward repentance and salvation and then peace. …

• Faith, Works, and Baptism

  …om. 1:17 NKJV)  “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.” (Rom. 3:28 NKJV)  “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Rom. 5:1-2 NKJV) In the book of Romans Paul is writing to a mixed audience of Jews a…

• For By Grace You Have Been Saved Through Faith Alone

  …isten to except in Eph. 2.  Let him explain himself. “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God which is through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe.  For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (Rom…

• Unhappy With the Church of Christ?

  …s impossible today to have the original church of Christ?  It was once possible but it is no longer possible, is that the idea?  Many seem to think so.  If they are right then no one can be saved today because that would mean Jesus is the Savior of something that does not exist today (reread the Eph. 5:23 quote in the paragraph above) and if it does not exist you cannot be part of it and cannot be saved. The lady’s idea was that no matter w…

• They Loved the Praise of Men

  … before we are interested in your praise. This attitude itself is sin.  All men stand equal before God.  We are to show partiality to none.  James speaks of this in James 2:1-6, “My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.  For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the …

• If Miracles Have Ceased–the Implications

  Have miracles ceased?  They have if we are talking about the kind of miracles performed by Jesus, the apostles, and those possessed of spiritual gifts in New Testament times.  The purpose of those miracles was to confirm that the word spoken was from God himself.  Such confirmation was needed.  Put yourself in the shoes of those living back then.  Here one comes into your midst claiming to speak for God.  Is he delusional, a mad man?  Is he a ch…

• Bible Conversions

  …o sermons (sermons by a friend of mine–Waymon Swain) discussing mainly conversions recorded in the book of Acts with the emphasis on baptism.  Why that emphasis?  Because very few, if any, debate the necessity of faith, repentance, or the need to confess Christ. Receiving the Gospel – Acts 2:41 Peter’s Second Gospel Sermon Peter’s Preaching and the Apostle’s Preaching Philip Preaching the Gospel in Samaria The Conver…

• Looking Down Your Nose

  The expression “looking down your nose” was and is an American idiom used with reference to looking upon someone dishonorably with a degree of contempt.  It is felt that the person so looked upon is beneath the one doing the judging in respect to honor and dignity.  That is the subject of this article. James says: “My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.  For if there sho…

• The Struggle to be a Spiritually Minded Man or Woman

  …ef span of years on earth like a dog.  We are better than that. When God created man he said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness.” (Gen. 1:26 NKJV)  Only man was created in the image of God.  Jesus said of man in John 10:34, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods.” ‘ ” (NKJV)  I am not going to try and tell you what Jesus meant by that statement other than to sa…

• Abuse of the Old Testament

  …her things that should have been left there. The Hebrew writer says, “For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law.” (Heb. 7:12 NKJV)  Read in context the argument has been that Jesus is now our high priest and he is not of the tribe of Levi as were all the priests under the old Law of Moses.  He was of the tribe of Judah. But, our point is that the inspired writer tells us as clearly as words can m…

• The Need to Sing in Worship

  …y first line of this song of Moses and of the Lamb, how it starts, “Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty!”  To who is the song directed?  Directly to God just as much as a prayer would be. We know Jesus sang.  At the last supper when Jesus instituted the Lord’s supper the Bible says, “And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”  (Matt. 26:30 NKJV)  Speaking of Jesus we find …

• Ignorance Does Not Excuse Sin

  …, 13, 22, 27 and Lev. 5:2 and 5:15 bearing in mind as you read that to sin unintentionally in these verses is to sin in ignorance.) God’s nature is such that he cannot bear nor tolerate sin.  The Psalmist said, in prophecy of Jesus, “You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness more than your companions.” (Psalm 45:7 NKJV)  Jesus hates wickedness and wickedness is just another name…

• The Chastening of the Lord

  …hinking much on a national level.  His problems were personal–no food, no water. And, besides, how does a nation repent unless the people who comprise that nation repent on an individual basis?  There can be no national repentance without individuals repenting. There will be in life trials and troubles.  No one can say when such occurs that that specific instance is God’s chastening.  But it may be.  Hebrews 12 teaches beyond doubt that if …

• Walk in Truth—the Joy of John the Apostle

  …uld rather believe what we want to believe, that which brings comfort to the mind.  Generally, what we want to believe is that God is going to be very generous with those who disregarded his word just as long as they believed Jesus was God’s son.  That way we get probably 70% of the American people saved (I have not seen any recent surveys on the question of how many Americans believe Jesus is God’s son to give an exact percentage of …

• Can one be Just a Christian in Christ’s Church without being in a Denomination?

  … added to the church daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47 NKJV)  If the pure gospel message of the New Testament will not do that today then of what value is it? Does the gospel message now add you both to the church Jesus built and to a denomination simultaneously?  If so when did that begin?  If so where can I read about it in the Bible?  If so which denomination does it add me to in addition to the Lord’s church?  If so why is it need…

• Christ and Baptism in Colossians

  …have come.” (2 Cor. 5:17 NAS) Only in Christ does this spiritual circumcision take place in which “the removal of the body of the flesh” occurs.  One is baptized into Christ.  We are, Paul’s exact words, “baptized into Christ Jesus.” (Rom. 6:3)  See also Gal. 3:27.  It is “in him” where we “were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands.” (Col. 2:11 NAS) Paul in talking about this circumcision in Col. 2 connects it directly with “ha…

• Sin in the Desert–Testing God at Massah and Meribah

  One lesson that is clearly taught in the Bible is that man is not to test God.  Moses in speaking to the children of Israel told them, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah.” (Deut. 6:16 NASB)  Jesus in speaking with the devil while he was being tempted said, “It is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.” (Matt: 4:7 NASB)  Paul in telling us not to follow t…

• Christ Did Not Send Paul to Baptize

  …told him. One also has to ask another question if one is to interpret 1 Cor. 1:17 as teaching that baptism does not matter to Paul or to Christ.  Actually, two questions.  (1) Why was Paul, an apostle, exempt from the command Jesus gave to the other apostles just before his ascension to heaven in Matt. 28:19-20 where the command was, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son…

• Moses, the Waters of Marah, and a Lesson for Today

  …d of leprosy by doing what Naaman did?  What if Naaman had not gone and washed 7 times as directed?  (We know don’t we for until he did so, having refused for a time, he remained leprous and was not cleansed.) In John 9 Jesus crosses paths with a man blind from birth.  The Bible says, “He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.  And he said to him, ‘Go, wash in t…

• Faith in the New Testament–Different Meanings

  …t we have heard about so long and so much that we read right over the top of it not giving it a thought thinking we understand what is being said without even a pause to consider it. We think it means trust in God or the Lord Jesus and it most certainly does.  The word is used with this meaning more than any other meaning given the word in the New Testament scriptures.  I think the classic example of this kind of faith (trust in God) found in the…

• Saul’s Conversion

  …time (see earlier articles for details related to those conversions).  Verse 18 says of Saul that “he arose and was baptized.” (Acts 9:18 NAS)  The reader needs to take note of some things said in earlier verses.  Jesus, in speaking to Saul on the road to Damascus, says to him, “enter the city, and it shall be told you what you must do.” (Acts 9:6 NAS)  Just a few verses later we see the Lord sending a man by the name of A…

• Denominationalism’s Sin Against Peter

  … as the Son of God.  Today, however, men who claim Christianity pretty much just ignore his sermon that day for they do not like what he said and they no longer believe it. Peter was given the keys of the kingdom of heaven by Jesus himself in Matt. 16:19, “And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (NKJV)  He …

• Must the Christian Keep the Sabbath?

  …out of Egypt and that being the case the Sabbath law was never directed to you. It is time to move to the New Testament.  We find the Sabbath in the New Testament but we need to make some distinctions.  First we must remember Jesus was a Jew “born under the law” (Gal. 4:4 NKJV) and he and his fellow Jews were under obligation to keep that law.  Had Jesus not kept the law perfectly he could not have been our perfect sacrifice for sins….

• Israel’s Rebellion at the Red Sea

  … in and of themselves do not by themselves necessarily create a lasting faith.  For a time they may strike awe and wonder into a person and for a time make a believer out of him/her but how long is it going to last?  With all Jesus’ signs that he performed the Bible says, “Although he had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in him.” (John 12:37 NKJV)  Yet, the purpose of signs (miracles) is to create faith, R…

• Though He Slay Me

  …11;of whom the world was not worthy.  They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.” (Heb. 11:36-38 NKJV) Do you wonder if any of these people ever prayed for a change in their life’s circumstances?  Jesus did for his.  Three times he prayed that he might be spared the cross.  Yes, I suspect many prayers were offered by those mentioned in Hebrews 11.  God’s people are praying people by definition.  Would you have prayed …

• The Conscience as a Witness

  …ect his own steps then conscience might well be a suitable guide but that is not what the scriptures teach.  The guide is what the word of God says for only God knows what is perfect in goodness, holiness, and righteousness.  Jesus said to the devil, but it is applicable to all for it remains true, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” (Matt. 4:4 NKJV) …

• God the Father, Christ, and the Holy Spirit

  Does God Really Care? Things God Cannot Do Jesus as the Bread of Life Jesus and the Furnace of Fire Behold the Judge is Standing at the Door The Need to Preach on Sin What Does the Phrase “My Name” Mean in the Bible?   Audio Sermons (by Waymon Swain) Wonderful Jesus Who Is Jesus? Born To Die The Appearance of Jesus All Spiritual Blessings Are in Christ Enemies of Christ The Holy Spirit (Part I) The Holy Spirit (Part II) The Ho…

• The Grace of God in Baptism

  …r toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by his grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:4-7 NKJV) I would encourage the reader to compare this passage as rendered in the…

• What Is Baptism (the Sprinkling Hoax)

  …them in their particular faith.  We confess we believe in the Bible.  We also ought to confess that we believe in a lot of other things too, namely, man’s additions to it.  It reminds me a lot of the Jews in the days of Jesus.  They professed that they were abiding in the Law of Moses and keeping it faithfully.  Yet, what they were keeping was the Law of Moses shot through and through with their own traditions and manmade laws added.  I nee…

• Three Attitudes That Destroy the Hope of Salvation

  …who are indifferent are those who are basically satisfied with the way things are no matter what the state of things may be.  The church at Laodicea as described in Rev. 3:14-22 seems to have been trending in that direction.  Jesus described them as “lukewarm” (Rev. 3:16 NKJV) and satisfied (Rev. 3:17).  They were neither cold nor hot (Rev. 3:16).  It might be a matter of semantics, if you want to disagree with me, but it certainly so…

• Are the New Testament Scriptures Alone a Sufficient Guide to Heaven?

  …ttered by the disciples.  “Lord … grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” (Acts 4: 29-30 NKJV)  Then in verse 33 we read, no doubt in answer to their prayer, “with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.” In Acts 5:12 Luke says, “…

• The Parable of the 10 Virgins–7 Lessons

  … who were lost.  They are lost for they have made no preparation. The rich young ruler was an example of an otherwise good man who was lost.  We find his story in Matt. 19:16-30, Mark 10:17-22, and Luke 18:18-30.  He comes to Jesus and asks what he must do to inherit eternal life.  Jesus lists a number of commandments and he answers and says “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.” (Mark 10:20 NKJV)  Did he lie?  No!  But, he lacked…

• Abortion Luke 1 – All You Need to Know

  … the womb was a person, not a sterile fetus, not just a mass of tissue.  When the angel Gabriel (Luke 1:19) came first to Zacharias who would be the father of John the Baptist and then later to Mary (Luke 1:26), the mother of Jesus, Gabriel spoke both times as though the child to be born already existed.  He spoke in prophecy but this tells us something in itself.  What?  In God’s eyes both John the Baptist and Jesus in the flesh already ex…

• Must a Man Seek God?

  …hts” to mean that such a man never considers God in anything he does.  God is in none of his plans, is never given consideration in any of the man’s decision making, etc.  Actually, we find such a man described by Jesus in the New Testament in the parable of the rich man whose ground yielded such a plentiful crop that he knew not what to do with it all as described in Luke 12:16-21. This man decided to tear his old barns down, build b…

• The Church

  Things People Do Not Know About the Church How Does One Get Into the Church Christ Built? Saved by Jesus Outside the Church Jesus the Foundation of and Builder of the Church One Church–A Thing Hard to Accept Which Denomination Did Jesus Build? The Church as the Family of God–Things Found in It The Church Christ Built–Marks of Identification Can One be Just a Christian in Christ’s Church Without being in a Denomination? Ch…

• Receiving the Gospel (Acts 2:41)

  “So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and there were added that day about three thousand souls.” (Acts 2:41 NAS)  In my younger days I use to hear about those preachers on tv or radio who would tell their listening audience words to the effect that if they wanted to receive Jesus and salvation just to lay their hands on top the set, say certain words in the form of a prayer, and presto–salvation.  For all I k…

• Anger

  … remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.” (Matt. 5:22-24 NAS) When Jesus spoke these words he was speaking to a Jewish audience that was then living under the Law of Moses. Living approximately 2,000 years after the fact we today read this passage and it brings questions to our minds wonde…

• The Pleasures of Sin

  …res” (plural) is used 4 times in the New King James version of the New Testament.  Each time it is used it is in a context related to committing sin. (1) The first time it is used is in the parable of the soils (Luke 8:14) as Jesus is explaining the parable.  “And the ones (the seeds—DS) that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.” (NK…

• Without Natural Affection and Covenant Breakers

  …nt is sometimes called the New Covenant (it is listed as that on the title page of the copy I have of the original American Standard Version of 1901). As Christians we have entered into a covenant relationship with God.  When Jesus died on the cross and we come to accept him as Lord, Savior, and King of our life by gospel obedience we have entered into a covenant relationship with him.  Remember his words, “This is my blood of the new covenant, w…

• The Lord’s Supper as a Part of a Larger Meal–Right or Wrong?

  …ssing over the homes of the children of Israel who had sacrificed a Passover lamb and put the blood on their two doorposts and the lintel. One can read about the institution of the Passover and what it was about in Exodus 12. Jesus is the Passover lamb for Christians, “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” (1 Cor. 5:7 ESV) It is by his blood that we are spared spiritually. The Lord’s Supper is our memorial in remembrance of…

• Is Denominational Baptism Scriptural?

  There are many different baptisms being performed today by religious people–different methods and for different purposes.  However, the only baptism that I as an individual facing eternity ought to be concerned with is the baptism that Jesus spoke of when he said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.” (Mark 16:16 NKJV) This is the baptism of the Great Commission when Jesus told the apostles, “Go therefore and make disciples of a…

• Salvation (Becoming a Christian)

  Peter’s Second Gospel Sermon Peter’s Preaching and the Apostle’s Preaching Jesus as the Bread of Life Must a Man Seek God? Jesus and the Furnace of Fire Whatcha Gonna Do When They Come For You? Indifference – The Great Destroyer God’s Plea–On Christ’s Behalf be Reconciled to God Why You Cannot be Saved like the Thief on the Cross Bible Contradictions on Salvation How Was Noah Saved Through Water? How Doe…

• Baptism

  …swers if we will accept them. Below you will find links to many articles written by me (Denny Smith) on the subject as well as audio sermons on the topic by a friend of mine–Waymon Swain.  I hope they help. The Blood of Jesus and Baptism Jesus’ Baptism and You If Baptism is not Essential for Salvation Ways Into Christ The Grace of God in Baptism How Was Noah Saved Through Water? The Cleansing of the Church at Ephesus The Washing of W…

• Born Again At The Point Of Faith – John 1:12-13

  John 1:12-13 from the New American Standard Version:  “(12) But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in his name:  (13) who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will on man, but of God.” [verse numbers added by me for clarification—DS] Many believe that they are born again (become Christians) at the moment they come to believe in Jesus as t…

• Was Cornelius Saved Before Baptism? (Cornelius’ Conversion)

  …n that man.  And, yet God’s angel instructs him to send for Peter.  Why?  Might it not be that even a good man like Cornelius needed the gospel?  If a man can be saved without the gospel why bother to preach it, why did Jesus die on the cross, why the great commission?  You can read 2 Thess. 1:8-9 to see what will happen to those who do not obey the gospel.  Cornelius needed the gospel.  He was a man in need of salvation from his sins for n…

• Sin

  Honestly Deceived The Pleasures of Sin Better to Have Never Been Born Jesus and the Furnace of Fire Willful Sin–Can Anyone be Saved? More on Willful Sin–Can Anyone be Saved? Three Attitudes That Destroy the Hope of Salvation Disobedience to Jesus Must a Man Seek God Indifference – The Great Destroyer Looking Down Your Nose Ghost Hunting and Consulting the Dead Christianity, Homosexuality, and Gay Marriage The Wicked Shall be Tu…

• The Sin of Contempt (Verbal Abuse)

  …fore the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.” (Matt. 5:22-24 NAS) I want to deal in this article specifically with the second clause in this statement of Jesus where he says “Whoever shall say to his brother, ‘Raca,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court.”  My main interest is not how this passage may have applied to the Jewish audience living under…

• Instrumental Music in Christian Worship–Is it God’s Will?

  …an wait hundreds of years? If it was of man who gave man the authority to bring it into the worship?  Can one just do whatever feels good or seems right to him in worship to God and do that on his own authority? Remember when Jesus was confronted by the chief priests and elders who wanted to know by what authority he was doing the things he was doing?  He told them he would answer when they answered his question which was “The baptism of John, wh…

• Philip Preaching the Gospel in Samaria

  “But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike.” (Acts 8:12 NAS) It would be good to read an earlier article on this web site from an earlier time in the book of Acts, an article entitled, “Receiving the Gospel–Acts 2:41,” as Acts 8:12 is pretty much a parallel passage teaching the same thing as Acts 2:41.  …

• Confirmation Sunday–No Bibles Required

  …ch went outside the New Testament for its practice and authority.  Who has such authority?  I would think it would take a bold man to say I’ll bring it into the worship whether I can find it in the New Testament or not. Jesus himself said, “God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24 NKJV)  Since God’s word is truth, “your word is truth” (John 17:17 NKJV), and I “…

• Reconciling With a Brother

  …rselves.  We can end up worshipping ourselves rather than God.  The Bible says of that particular Pharisee that when he prayed he was “praying thus to himself.” (Luke 18:11 NAS) The man who would do such things as Jesus spoke of in our text in Matt. 5:22 seems to be a man much like the Pharisee of Luke 18 in his attitude toward his fellowman and towards himself.  Jesus is telling us in verses 23 and 24 of our text if we have been this…

• The Blessing of Affliction and the Goodness of God

  …  Why not?  Because they have not suffered affliction like those who lack the power and nobility and worldly wisdom they have.  Is money a blessing?  It could be but most of the time it is not.  How do I know?  I know because Jesus said, “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matt. 19:24 NKJV)  Why?  One big reason is because few of that class who are doing so well will ever …

• Diotrephes Loves To Have the Preeminence

  … of Proverbs says, “Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD.” (Prov. 16:5 NKJV) Peter tells us, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time”. (1 Peter 5:6, NKJV)  Jesus was the one who took the towel and washed the disciple’s feet and said we ought to be willing to do the same, that is serve our fellowman and one another. Jesus said, in speaking to the twelve, “You know th…

• Mt. Sinai and the Day of Judgment

  …are unfaithful and disobedient we will see how strong and tough you are on that day and you will see for yourself.  On that day we will all know who we are and what our place is. That will be the day when “when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.  These shall be punished with everlasting…

• Faith

  Paul’s Conversion–Justified by Faith Faith Comes by Hearing the Word of God–the Implications Who is the Believer in John 3:16? What is it a Man Must Believe in Order to be Saved? Faith is Not Just What You Believe Obedience of Faith and Justification by Faith–Opposing Doctrines? Disobedience to Jesus The Faithfulness of Jesus to God the Father I Can Do All Things Through Christ If Miracles Have Ceased–the Implicatio…

• Assorted

  … Sandra Fluke Controversy Christian Wars–A Misnomer Christianity–Who Rules Reason or Emotions? The Truth So Called Christians Will Not Accept If Miracles Have Ceased–the Implications Lincoln’s Tomb and Jesus’ Tomb Abortion Luke 1 – All You Need to Know Non-Offensive Christianity Ghost Hunting and Consulting the Dead Bible Authority, Foot Washing, the Holy Kiss, and Head Coverings Christianity, Homosexuality, an…

• How Was Noah Saved Through Water?

  …is, eight souls, were saved through water.  There is also an antitype which now saves us, namely baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” (NKJV) How was Noah and his family saved through water?  What was he saved from?  What is an antitype?  Was he saved by grace or by works (he did build the ark)?  There are a lot of questions.  Let us start fr…

• Who Governs the Church if We Follow the Bible?

  … is a New Testament church.  If it is not we ought to get out of it. “Christ is head of the church” (Eph. 5:23 NKJV) and whatever is done in the church or anywhere else is to be done “in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Col. 3:17 NKJV), meaning by his authority.  Jesus has all authority, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.” (Matt. 28:18 NKJV)  We cannot step outside the authority of Christ f…

• Singing and Playing in Christian Worship

  …ve a pretty good idea how one would sing with the spirit but I am at a loss to know how one plays, as in play a musical instrument, in the kind of spirit Paul is talking about in this chapter. In Heb. 2:12 the reference is to Jesus and the text reads, “I will declare your name to my brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to you.”  Does my brother think Jesus does this singing while playing an instrument?  And, by the way, this …

• The Faith of Enoch

  ….” (Rom. 10:17 NKJV)  The NAS (New American Standard) translation has “word of Christ” here rather than “word of God” but it is hard to see that that makes any difference in view of the fact that Jesus is the Word (see John 1:1,14) and the Word was God (John 1:1).  Enoch’s faith then had to be, as does that of all men, based on God’s word.  By that I mean he had to have heard from God to have faith (Rom. …

• The Joy and the Danger of a Clean Conscience

  …now when we are giving into it.  We know while we are doing it that it is wrong.  Can a conscience violated, which is another way of saying a heart that has been made impure, be restored to cleanliness again?  If not, why did Jesus die?  Did he die just for those sinners who were like Paul or did he die for sinners of every stripe? When David had sinned with Bathsheba and had her husband killed the prophet Nathan came to him and confronted him.  …

• Christian Living

  …he Forgiveness of Others The Christian, Politics, and the Government Must the Christian Keep the Sabbath? Three Attitudes That Destroy the Hope of Salvation The Sin of Being Unthankful and the Need for Thanksgiving Ashamed of Jesus and His Words I Can Do All Things Through Christ The Blessing of Affliction and the Goodness of God Anger The Sin of Contempt (Verbal Abuse) Fools, Speech, and Christianity Reconciling With a Brother Audio Sermons (by…

• Keep Your Heart With All Diligence

  … of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.  These are the things which defile a man.” (Matt. 15:19-20 NKJV)  Take special care here to notice that the first sin Jesus lists is “evil thoughts.”  Paul says we are to bring “every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” (2 cor. 10:5 NKJV) We are even given directions as to what to think about.  “Finally, brethren, whatever t…

• Fornication–Take It Lightly at Your Peril

  …u are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you…deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” (1 Cor. 5:2-5 NKJV)  This was a man who was a Christian but who stood condemned because of his fornication. Today we celebrate, or are expected to, the birth of children born of fornication.  Now do not get me wrong,…

• Canaan and Heaven–How God Gives

  How God gives to men is not only an interesting study but also one of upmost importance as it relates to our salvation, a salvation which is clearly set forth in the scriptures as being a free gift of God to man.  “Being justified freely by is grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (Rom. 3:24 NKJV)  It is by grace through faith that we are saved and not by works. (Eph. 2:8-9)  Salvation is specifically said to be “the gift of God…

• Christianity, Homosexuality, and Gay Marriage–What Do We Do With the Bible?

  …arried?  They would have looked on me with bewilderment thinking my mother and dad needed to take me aside and have a little talk.  What we have now was unknown, unheard of, beyond anyone’s imagination just a few decades ago. Jesus said, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one fles…

• Ghost Hunting and Consulting the Dead

  Ghost hunting has become popular on TV in recent years.  Just about all of us are curious about those things that are unknown, mysterious, and frightening and we think maybe even a little dangerous.  Some people believe in ghosts and some do not.  The disciples thought they were seeing a ghost when they saw Jesus walking on the water–Matt. 14:26, Mark 6:49–but that may have been simply because they felt there was no other way of acco…

• DennySmith.Net

  …  I can only write those things I believe to be the truth. I hope you profit from the site.  I do know that what will profit some will anger others.  That is just the way it is when one writes on or talks about religion.  Ask Jesus or Paul.  As a guy who is growing older I am only trying to please one person—God—but if I can do some good for others by writing that will be a blessing to me. [Please feel free to use the articles you find here but i…

• The Grace of God and the Parable of the Laborers–Is God Just?

  …tends towards jealousy and envy) and overcome it if we are to become the person of character that we need to be having the kind of attitude God would have us have.  Those first hired in the parable fell short in this respect. Jesus used the parable about the laborers in the vineyard to teach how God’s grace works for those who become Christians.  We become Christians at different stages in life and in different circumstances and environments.  So…

• God’s Plea–On Christ’s Behalf be Reconciled to God

  …e but also about what will not be there–all of these evil things that burden the heart and bring tears and sorrow.  Heaven is a place of love.  It is not a place of alienation, anger, and bitterness. The Bible says when Jesus drew near the city of Jerusalem, as he drew near to it for the last time (from afar), “he wept.” (Luke 19:41 NKJV)  What do you think brought him to tears?  In Matthew we find his feelings expressed when he says, “O Je…

• The New Birth and Water

  Having written on the subject of the new birth before I was surprised, although I doubt I should have been, to have gotten some comments back to the effect that the water mentioned in John 3:5 where Jesus says, “most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (NKJV) had reference not to baptism but to the water of childbirth.  Probably shows what a sheltered life I have led to be surp…

• Authority

  Are the New Testament Scriptures Alone a Sufficient Guide to Heaven? Are Paul’s Writings as Authoritative as Jesus’ Words? The Silence of the Scriptures Religious Titles Forbidden in Christianity Audio Sermons (by Waymon Swain) False Standards of Authority       …

• Faith Comes by Hearing the Word of God–the Implications

  “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Rom. 10:17 NKJV)  On its surface this proclamation by Paul is very simple and easy to understand and yet the failure to grasp its implications has brought much division and strife among those who believe Jesus is the Son of God.  Faith and opinion are mixed and it seems no one is able to separate the two.  It appears to the casual observer that one man’s faith is another man’s op…

• Abraham’s Faith (Faith Accounted for Righteousness)

  Every person who truly believes that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, is interested in having what we might term “saving faith.”  The Bible could not be any clearer than it is on our need for such faith.  Paul tells the Ephesian Christians, “By grace you have been saved through faith.” (Eph. 2:8 NKJV)  To the Christians at Rome he speaks of them “having been justified by faith” (Rom. 5:1 NKJV) and then the…

• Faith Based On Deception–Gen. 37:31-33

  …an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.” (2 Cor. 11:14-15 NKJV) Satan quoted scripture to Jesus while tempting him after his baptism. False teachers can quote scripture. We today are gullible. We believe about anything that is called Christian, whether in doctrine or works, is God approved. We just accept it and …

• Word of God

  Are Paul’s Writings as Authoritative as Jesus’ Words? Are the New Testament Scriptures Alone a Sufficient Guide to Heaven? Finding Truth in Divided Christendom Walk in Truth The Need to Preach on Sin I Can Do All Things Through Christ If Miracles Have Ceased–the Implications Audio Sermons (by Waymon Swain) What a Preacher Must Preach The Power of the Word of God to Change Lives False Standards of Authority What the Word of God…