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• Receiving the Gospel (Acts 2:41)

  …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 »“So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and there were ad…

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

  That the gospel of Christ must be believed (as well as obeyed) in order to receive Christian salvation is made abundantly clear by the apostle Paul in one of the best known passages found in the Bible–Rom. 1:16:  “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (Rom. 1:16 NAS)  It thus becomes essential that we learn what it is that …

• 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.  …

• Peter’s Preaching and the Apostle’s Preaching

  To say that one New Testament preacher/writer contradicted another is to say that God himself is inconsistent and says and teaches one thing at one time and another thing at another time.  It is to say there is more than one gospel which is the very thing scripture denies. One can “pervert the gospel of Christ” (Gal. 1:7 NKJV) but you cannot make two gospels out of one.  Paul says, by inspiration, “But even if we, or an angel f…

• The Case of Cornelius and the Holy Spirit

  There are many who believe beyond doubt that Cornelius was saved at the time the Holy Spirit came upon him and his household.  It is a topic that ought to be discussed.  While I have written once before on this subject more needs to be said as there has been some objection to what was written.  I know of no person who claims to be a Christian who would deny the fact that the very first gospel sermon ever preached after Christ’s death, buri…

• Does God Really Care?

  Over the course of time just about all of us are confronted with the reality of suffering and abuse not just on newscasts but in our own personal world where we live day by day and experience life up close.  Why are small precious children abused?  Why do many of them from all outward appearances not have a chance from the get go due to the circumstances they were born into?  Why do old people often get in such horrible conditions as you find th…

• Peter’s Second Gospel Sermon

  Most people who know anything at all about the Christian faith realize that Peter preached the first gospel sermon ever preached on the Day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2.  The second recorded sermon in the Christian dispensation of time is again a sermon preached by Peter as found in the next chapter in Acts–chapter 3.  That there was preaching being done between Peter’s first sermon and his second there is no doubt for the Bibl…

• Gospel Obedience at Corinth

  Did Paul preach the same gospel at Corinth that he taught elsewhere?  Everywhere else he taught, as part of the gospel, baptism for the remission of sins.  One can go to Acts 16 and read two accounts, in the same chapter, of conversions made by Paul–Lydia and the Philippian jailer–in which in both instances those being converted were baptized.  Paul himself, in his conversion, was baptized.  You may recall the words of Ananias to him…

• Ignorance Does Not Excuse Sin

  r sins (1 John 4:10) which simply means Jesus paid the penalty for our sins so that we will not have to which allowed God to be just in punishing sin and yet give unto us a way to be saved through faith in Jesus.  This is the gospel story. We need to make applications of these truths.  What can we learn from what we have said? (1) The person who has never heard the gospel is lost.  Everyone of us has a tendency to say to ourselves, based on emoti…

• Bible Conversions

  In the book of Acts one finds the inspired apostles and evangelists going out into the world and preaching the gospel.  That statement in itself while true is misleading to a degree for if those who preached the gospel were inspired the preaching was in reality that of the Holy Spirit.  What was demanded of those being converted for salvation was being demanded not by Peter, Philip, or Paul but rather by the Holy Spirit himself. The conversion e…

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

  ng conversion account and one that men have debated as to what actually happened.  Yet, when one reads closely, there is little mystery to it.  Paul, Silas, and Timothy, as you recall, enter the city of Philippi to preach the gospel.  Their first opportunity, as far as we can tell, is to a group of women out at the river side at a gathering place for prayer.  Lydia is one of the women assembled there.  The first mystery to some people is found in…

• Faith and Baptism in Paul’s Preaching

  How does a person become a Christian?  What does it take to make a person a Christian (a saved individual)?  Over the years there has been an enormous amount of debate over this very question.  It is a question that can only be resolved by seeing what the Holy Spirit inspired apostles preached, taught, and practiced as they went out into the world preaching the gospel.  In this article I want to take a look at the apostle Paul and what he taught…

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

  und in Luke 24 “that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:46-47 ESV) This gives us a beginning point of both time and place of the gospel message God has for us today.  Those desiring to be saved the way the thief on the cross was saved (by faith without baptism) go back too far, past Jerusalem, past the beginning, and in doing so end up with another go…

• Is Holy Spirit Baptism The Baptism That Saves?

  alvation (whatever that means).  Of course, his emphasis was on Holy Spirit baptism.  In any case since I said I would respond I will do so here thinking I might as well make an article out of my response.  When one reads the gospels the very first mention of the subject of baptism comes with the introduction of John the Baptist.  Mark says, “Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him …

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

  nnot exist today alone by itself outside of denominationalism.  That raises all kinds of problems. If what she said is true then of what value is the Bible in our generation?  In the early years of Christianity the Bible (the gospel message) made Christians and Christians only that were added by God to the church.  “And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47 NKJV)  If the pure gospel message of the New Testamen…

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

  I have written a series of articles on the subject of obeying the gospel in the first century based on the history given in the book of Acts.  The idea has been to cover every such conversion to Christianity listed in Acts.  This is another installment dealing with the same subject.  Why do so?  Because there is absolutely no possibility that Holy Spirit inspired men, some apostles, could have gotten it wrong.  The case of Cornelius is unique in…

• The Conversion of the Philippian Jailer

  In Acts 16 verses 23 through 34 we have the account of the conversion of the Philippian jailer at the hands of Paul and Silas who preached the gospel to him and his household.  As you recall Paul and Silas had been jailed in Philippi when an earthquake at midnight loosed their bonds and opened all the prison doors.  Being responsible for the prisoners the jailer assumed all had escaped and was ready to take his own life when Paul called out to h…

• Resource Sites

  y Safe  (A sermon by Benjamin Franklin, no not that one but they were related.  A great sermon for who would not want to be infallibly safe?  This is one sermon from a book of sermons that can still be purchased entitled, The Gospel Preacher, Vol. I by Benjamin Franklin.  This one sermon book may well have had more influence on me than any other that I have ever read and I have read many.  I believe the book of sermons, of which this sermon was o…

• Baptism

  ’s Preaching Is Denominational Baptism Scriptural? What Does the Phrase “Born of Water and the Spirit” Mean? The New Birth and Water Who is the Believer in John 3:16? Faith, Works, and Baptism Receiving the Gospel – Acts 2:41 Philip Preaching the Gospel in Samaria Preaching Jesus Means Preaching Baptism (The Conversion of the Ethiopian Eunuch) Moses, the Waters of Marah, and a Lesson for Today Saul’s Conversion Pau…

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

  is proof that Jesus was who he claimed to be–the Christ, the Son of God, the Savior of man.  To accept the resurrection then is to accept the truth about Jesus. Peter, on the Day of Pentecost, while preaching the first gospel sermon ever to be preached said of Jesus that God raised him up (Acts 2:24, 32).  In addition to these passages I have counted 15 other passages that state God raised Jesus up from the dead (Acts 3:15, 4:10, 10:40, 13…

• Cornelius’ Conversion–Final Thoughts

  ionship with God. The passage (1 John 4:13) is not talking about initial obedience to God (gospel obedience) for there can be no obedience to what is thrust upon you (baptism of the Holy Spirit).  To say that obedience to the gospel (a command of God–2 Thess. 1:8, 1 Peter 4:17) equals Holy Spirit baptism and vice versa is to say in reality that there is nothing to obey since only Jesus could baptize one with the Holy Spirit.  Had Cornelius …

• Mt. Sinai and the Day of Judgment

  be no doubt about God’s existence.  There will be no doubt about whether or not there is going to be a Day of Judgment.  There will be no doubt about where you are heading very, very shortly if you have never obeyed the gospel.  There will be stark terror in the hearts of all the disobedient.  There will be knees too weak to stand on. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 13:42).  “It is a fearful thing to fall into the h…

• The Mysterious Eloquent Evangelist

  He says in Acts 19:3, “Into what then were you baptized?” (NAS)  Why assume they had been baptized into anything or anyone if it was not necessary in making Christians, if it was not necessary in obedience to the gospel, if it was not a part of the gospel? In Acts 19:2 Paul talks of that time “when you believed.”  Then in verse 3 immediately following he says, “into what then were you baptized?”  He ties belie…

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

  r the unholy and profane” and then lists among others “men who practice homosexuality.” (1 Tim. 1:9-10 ESV)  He wraps up this section by saying “and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the glorious gospel.” (1 Tim. 1:10-11 ESV)  Thus homosexuality is lawlessness, disobedience, ungodliness, unholy, profane, and contrary to sound doctrine in accordance with the gospel. In Rom. 1 Paul speaks of history, of years gone by, …

• Parable of the Tares–No Middle Ground

  vertheless made a point we all need to give consideration to.  He said, “For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17 NKJV)  What indeed? Paul tells us elsewhere what will become of them.  He talks of Jesus’ second coming and says this, “When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mig…

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

  keeping in mind the language is figurative and spiritual, means simply that a man must be willing to take advantage of Christ’s death on the cross for the remission of man’s sins and by faith and obedience to the gospel surrender his life to Christ. It means we allow ourselves by following after Christ to be remade in the image of Christ.  “But we all (speaking to Christians–DS), with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirr…

• Misunderstanding the Grace of God

  Sometime back I had an article rejected that I had submitted to an article directory, a site that says it is a Christian article directory.  It was a short article entitled “Receiving the Gospel” which, if you like, you can find on this site and read for yourself.  It was deemed to be unfit for a Christian article directory.  The editor of the directory made it clear to me in an e-mail that he believed man was saved by grace without …

• Repent–How Hard It Is To Do

  out these things when he said, “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.” (1 Cor. 1:26 NKJV)  What did he mean by that in view of the fact the gospel call is for all men (2 Thess. 2:14)?  We are all called by the gospel.  It is obvious he was saying that not many of such a class of people would respond to the call. Jesus said of a rich man that it was easier for a …

• The Need to Preach on Sin

  ty for the sin of man.  Jesus died physically so we do not have to die eternally which is to say we can be saved from the punishment for our sins against God if we are willing to accept the sacrifice Jesus made by obeying the gospel.  God punished sin through Jesus’ willing sacrifice on the cross.  Make no mistake about it God did uphold the honor of his law and did punish sin on the cross of Jesus at Calvary. For the man or woman who is no…

• Christianity and Multiculturalism

  in the same judgment.” (NKJV)  Here we have a plea not for diversity but rather unity which brings up the question of whether or not Christianity is a multicultural religion.  If it is then in what sense is it? That the gospel should be taken into all the world and preached to every creature is clearly taught in the Great Commission.  “And he (Jesus–DS) said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every cr…

• Behold the Judge is Standing at the Door

  .  We ought to make use of it for “behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Cor. 6:2 NKJV)  Today is the day God will accept us if we will accept him by faith and obedience to the gospel.  But as life has well taught us today is here and gone tomorrow.  Yes, of course, today is as long as our life lasts but we have all been to the cemetery too many times to fool ourselves into thinking that today will…

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

  When the children of Israel left Egypt, led by Moses, the first major event one reads about in the book of Exodus after the Red Sea crossing is found in Exodus  15:22-26, the crisis at the waters of Marah.  I say crisis for that was how the children of Israel perceived it.  They had been traveling three days in the wilderness and had found no water to drink during that time. Was that a crisis?  It was when you consider how much water was require…

• 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 …

• Weak, Defiled, and Seared Consciences

  #8217;s conscience cleansed?  The seared conscience may be past that but not the defiled conscience, not the conscience that still has some feeling.  Yes, it is possible to restore one to a clear and good conscience.  How? By gospel obedience for the man who has never obeyed the gospel.  Consciences were cleansed by obeying the gospel in Acts 2 when Peter preached the first gospel sermon ever and men and women responded believing, repenting of si…

• 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…

• The Peace Found in Forgiveness of Others

  when we do so.  Paul said to Christians, “do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (Eph. 3:30 NKJV)  If a Christian can grieve God how about all those who know the truth of the gospel but will not obey it?  Do you think they grieve God?  If you think the one you will not forgive is your enemy do you think you are God’s friend all the while grieving him?  So we see the one who will not forgive needs…

• The Fragrance of Christ

  life, bearing as its fruit life itself. But as there are pleasant smells there are also unpleasant ones–the open sewer, the hog pen, skunks, decaying animals killed in the road, etc.  From those we flee.  Christ and his gospel are like the unpleasant offensive smell of death in those who are rejecting him.  Ever wonder why some just do not want to hear it, the gospel?  I am persuaded that deep down they know their guilt and their need but t…

• Religious Titles Forbidden in Christianity

  ethren are equal.” Yes, it is true Paul said to the Corinthians, “For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.” (1 Cor. 4:15 NKJV)  Paul also referred to Timothy as his “true son in the faith.” (1 Tim. 1:2 NKJV)  He referred to Titus (Titus 1:4) and to Onesimus (Philemon 1:10) in a similar way. In 2 Cor. 12:…

• Jesus the Foundation of and the Builder of the Church

  al rock that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, who came into the world as the lamb of God to give his life as a sacrifice for all of mankind’s sins in order to bring salvation to all who will but believe and obey the gospel message. What kind of building is the church?  Paul describes it as “the temple of God” (1 Cor. 3:16 NKJV) and says that the Spirit of God dwells in it (1 Cor. 3:16) and says it is “holy” (1 Co…

• Better to Never Have Been Born–Why?

  in adulthood.  It is as though there is nothing in the least to be concerned about even though they know full well that if the Bible be true they are living in active disobedience to the teachings of it as regards Jesus, the gospel, and the keeping of the commandments of God. There is a day of judgment the Bible being true.  You cannot say you believe in the Bible and deny that it teaches a day of accounting.  For all practical purposes the day …

• One Church—A Thing Hard to Accept

  had sent by His Spirit.” (Zech. 7:11-12 NKJV)  It was not a matter of they couldn’t hear but rather that they wouldn’t hear. When Paul says the Gentiles “will hear it” (the reference being to the gospel) it is the same as saying to those Jews to whom he was speaking in Rome “you won’t hear but they will.”  Both could have heard.  The only difference between the two parties was the heart.  The Jewish…

• Christ Did Not Send Paul to Baptize

  Sometimes it is easy to misunderstand passages of scripture and especially so if we are getting all kinds of help doing so.  Paul’s statement in 1 Cor. 1:17 is such a passage.  It reads as follows:  “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel.” (1 Cor. 1:17a NKJV)  What is Paul saying here?  Is he saying that Christ does not care whether or not disciples are baptized?  Is he saying it is unimportant and mak…

• 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 …

• Whatcha Gonna Do When They Come For You?

  the Bible. I am reminded of the Philipian jailer who fell down trembling before Paul and Silas and asked them “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30 NKJV)  In Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost when the first gospel sermon ever to be preached was preached by Peter many who heard were “cut to the heart” (convicted of the truth and of their sin) and the Bible says they say to Peter and the apostles, “Men and breth…

• Unhappy With the Church of Christ?

  makes the big, big difference.  The one thing all the congregations I have discussed in this article had in common, along with the congregations of the church of Christ today, was that the membership understood what the true gospel was and believed and obeyed it and thus were in a place where they could be saved individually if not collectively.  That place was the church of Christ, his body, his church, that which he is the Savior of (Eph. 5:23…

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

  e, they are honest, they work hard, treat us well, and it is hard to see how God could reject them.  They are like Cornelius in Acts 10 but I remind the reader Cornelius in order to be saved had to hear, believe, and obey the gospel for salvation.  If he was saved in the state he was in why bother Peter?  Why does Peter need to travel to Caesarea in view of the fact it is a waste of his time to preach to Cornelius if Cornelius, a good man, is alr…

• The Blessing of Affliction and the Goodness of God

  to what life really is and to our ultimate end and accountability before God is indeed a blessing. In the book of 1 Corinthians in the first chapter Paul makes a statement worthy of our consideration.  He says, regarding the gospel, “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.” (1 Cor. 1:26 NKJV)  Yet, we know all are called by the gospel (2 Thess. 2:14) and that the…

• Mary of Bethany–Doing What You Can

  her behalf saying, “Let her alone.  Why do you trouble her?  She has done a good work for me. … She has done what she could.  She has come beforehand to anoint my body for burial.  Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the whole world, what this woman did will also be spoken of as a memorial to her.” (Mark 14:6-9 NKJV)  Is that not what we are doing even now as we bring up this story and seek lessons fro…

• The Church Christ Built–Marks of Identification

  ower.” (NKJV)  Paul says some years later in Col. 1:13, “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love.” (NKJV) Peter used the keys of the kingdom (the keys being the gospel message with its requirements) on the day of Pentecost.  When the 3,000 that day heard the message, believed it, repented of their sins (as instructed to do–Acts 2:38), and were baptized for the forgiveness of s…

• If Miracles Have Ceased–the Implications

  and the other apostles if they knew they had stolen the body and hidden it?  Was there money in it?  Was there power?  Was there security in doing so or danger?  Why did those 12 men put their lives on the line to preach the gospel?  Faith built on reasoning with the truth, a truth confirmed by the greatest miracle of all–the resurrection of Christ, is not emotionalism.  The unbeliever cannot explain the empty tomb nor the lives of the apo…

• Healing For the Brokenhearted

  hat must be considered. (1) Have I made myself a righteous person?  If I want God to hear my prayer and help me then if I am not a righteous person I need to take the steps necessary to become one.  That may be by obeying the gospel from the heart if one has never done so.  For those who have but have not been faithful then to be a righteous person one needs to repent, pray for forgiveness, and seek to live righteously henceforth.  For those who …

• Hypocrites in the Church

  lk about politicians, friends, you name them, but the question to be dealt with in this article is what shall we do about hypocrites in the church? There are some people who lay all the blame for their own failure to obey the gospel on hypocrites in the church.  They talk as though they want nothing to do with such a bunch of hypocrites and it is beneath them to associate with such.  They are better than that. Certainly, the Bible condemns hypocr…

• Why Men Do Not Believe

  y can reason that out scientifically.  The only foolishness with them is the idea of “God.” But what else does the Bible have to say about why men do not believe?  Paul says in 2 Cor. 4:3-4, “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the imag…

• Never Give Up

  When we learn the truth of the gospel message, come to believe it, and then sincerely obey it we sometimes expect more of ourselves than is humanly possible for us to deliver.  When we first come out of the water of our baptism we are determined that we will not sin, we are going to live sin free.  This attitude is to be highly commended but is also unrealistic. Many who obey the gospel do so when young and thus their own expectations about life…

• Lincoln’s Tomb and Jesus’ Tomb

  ind of life we have lived while we were here in the 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 com…

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

  ing what was of or from Jesus and declared it to them. Thus when an apostle spoke by means of the Holy Spirit he spoke not of himself but rather spoke the very words of God.  Peter speaks of “those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.” (1 Peter 1:12 NKJV)  On the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 Peter himself spoke just such a gospel sermon after the Holy Spirit fell on him and the other apostles.  Paul s…

• Christian Wars–A Misnomer

  mselves up to go to war to destroy pagans?  Do we not know the Bible teaches we are to teach and convert them rather than destroy them? And yet what is so obvious is not seen by us for we have come to fully accept a perverted gospel as being the genuine thing.  Paul dealt with a perverted gospel in the book of Galatians but we seem to think that was a onetime historical event only and that the gospel has never been perverted since then. What I ha…

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

  s 15:7 (NKJV), “And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: ‘Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.” It is said from this passage that there is proof here that water baptism was not needed–the household of Cornelius was saved before it and without it.  The argument is made on the word “…

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

  read a sermon whose message in the title has stuck in my memory now for decades.  The sermon was by a preacher named Benjamin Franklin, some distant relation to the Benjamin Franklin of historical fame, in a book entitled The Gospel Preacher, Vol. 1.  The name of the sermon was “The Course to Pursue to be Infallibly Safe.”  That sermon had nothing to do with instrumental music but it seems to me the title is exceedingly applicable to the subject….

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

  ow in our standing with God, like the prodigal son.  We left God when we chose sin over him.  “There is none righteous, no not one.” (Rom. 3:10 NKJV)  “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23 NKJV) The gospel message is God’s call for the prodigal to come home.  It is the message of the father seeking the son or daughter who has gone astray who waits patiently until their return if only they are willing to be reconciled.  …

• The Cleansing of the Church at Ephesus

  urthermore, in scripture the church (Eph. 5:25-26) and the kingdom (John 3:5) generally, not always but generally, are interchangeable terms.  Peter was given the keys of the kingdom.  When he used those keys by preaching the gospel on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 when people believed and obeyed they were added to the church–one and the same.  Were the Ephesians saved by grace through faith “before” they were cleansed?  Let me quote that …

• Faith in the New Testament–Different Meanings

  on salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” (NKJV)  The phrase “the faith” is reference for the entire gospel system of salvation.  What a lot of people do not know is that the phrase “the faith” is found in your Bible more times than you know.  Why do I say that?  Because those who translated our Bibles left it o…

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

  The book of Romans begins and ends talking about the “obedience of faith” (Rom. 1:5 and Rom. 16:26).  In chapter 1 Paul says that “we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles.” (Rom. 1:5 NAS)  In Rom. 16 he speaks of the gospel being made known to all nations with the purpose being “obedience of faith.” (Rom. 16:26 NAS) Obedience of faith is simply the obedience that grows out of or is the …

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

  tian.  They think becoming a Christian is one process and becoming a church member is another.  The truth is that the same process that makes one a Christian also adds him to the body of Christ, the church.  If you obeyed the gospel of Christ in all truth and sincerity you are a member of the church whether any in the church like it or not.  God adds you to the church (see Acts 2:47 NKJV), not men.  He does it when we obey the gospel.  You cannot…

• How Does One Get Into the Church Christ Built?

  Not a single denominational church was built by Christ for he built his church, one and only, in the first century hundreds of years before any denominations came into existence.  The New Testament scriptures after the gospels and Acts chapter 2 all refer to the church as a then existing institution.  Paul wrote to various churches in some of his epistles.  Jesus in the book of Revelation instructs John to write concerning the 7 churches of Asia…

• Things People Do Not Know About the Church

  ved.” (Acts 2:27 NKJV)  Saved how?  By the blood of Jesus.  The saved are in the church not outside it. (4)  You cannot join the church or be added by man.  The Lord adds you to the church (Acts 2:47) once you have obeyed the gospel and been cleansed by the blood of Jesus in doing so.  I heard a man make an excellent point sometime ago.  He said you cannot join the church because God adopts you into it, the church being God’s family.  God “predes…

• A New Creation in Christ

  ent up to pray?  How about them?  The first thing that needs to be said is neither of these men had the opportunity to become a new creation.  That was not possible until after Christ’s death and resurrection, until the gospel began to be preached in its fulfillment, so I am not using the parable for that purpose.  What then is the purpose? The purpose is to show that there are two classes of men in the world (among those who believe in God…

• Looking Down Your Nose

  . 1:7-9, “and to give you who are troubled rest with us 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 destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.” (NKJV) God is no respecter of persons.  One has either believed and…

• Fear God

  he Lord one departs from evil.” (Prov. 14:27 NKJV)  That is to say by fear of the Lord one repents. Paul says we are to perfect holiness “in the fear of God”.  (2 Cor. 7:1 NKJV)  One of the reasons Paul gave for preaching the gospel, in his own words, was “knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men”.  (2 Cor. 5:11 NKJV)  The writer of Hebrews says, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Heb. 10:3…

• The Wicked Shall be Turned into Hell

  e, 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 must be careful lest by holding our s…

• Paul’s Conversion (Justified by Faith)

  istians.  Christians died because of his actions whether he ever cast a stone personally or not.  But, the answer to the question of whether or not God will have a man this bad or not is easily answered.  The first people the gospel was ever preached to lived in Jerusalem and were guilty of putting Jesus the Son of God to death.  When Pilate wanted to release Jesus they would have none of it (John 19:12).  They wanted him crucified.  Peter confro…

• God’s Hardening of the Human Heart

  Jesus makes it clear that it was the Jews themselves who closed their eyes and if you will read the Acts passage in its context (Acts 28:23-28) you will see Paul was blaming the Jews for a refusal to accept the message of the gospel.  As stated earlier, God’s word can harden people who are already in their own hard heart immune to it.  When that is the case it can certainly be said with justification that God has hardened a person’s h…

• New Birth

  Born Again at the Point of Faith – John 1:12-13 Paul’s Conversion (Justified by Faith) What Does the Phrase “Born of Water and the Spirit” Mean? The Kingdom of God and The New Birth The New Birth and Water A New Creation in Christ The Truth So Called Christians Will Not Accept Audio Sermons (by Waymon Swain) Born Again When One Obeys the Gospel Things That Happen With Gospel Obedience Why I Am a Christian Keeping The C…

• Jesus and the Furnace of Fire

  to the hands of the living God.” (Heb 10:30-31 NKJV)  Peter says, “For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now ‘if the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?’” (1Peter 4:17-18 NKJV) We have become so accustomed to talk only about the love of God, of his merc…

• The Hardening of the Human Heart

  t when cement is wet, before it has settled and dried, you can fashion it in whatever manner you choose but once it has hardened it becomes a different matter altogether. Once a person hears the truth, whether it be about the gospel  or the truth as regards a particular sin, and that person refuses to respond to the truth in an obedient manner he hardens his heart in that very act. Sin is a hardening agent.  Everyday away from God living for self…

• Three Attitudes That Destroy the Hope of Salvation

  at not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.” (1 Cor. 1:26 NKJV)  What Paul is saying in 1 Cor. 1:26 is that few of that particular class which are called by the preaching of the gospel will heed the call and respond to it. In the International Standard Version this verse reads as follows, “Brothers, think about your own calling. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were power…

• Christ and Baptism in Colossians

  de religion.” (Col. 2:23)  If Christ in me is “the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27 NAS) how does Paul tell us that this is brought about?  One must remember Paul is writing to people who have already heard, believed, and obeyed the gospel and thus are already Christians.  He says they had already been “delivered…from the domain of darkness, and transferred…to the kingdom of his beloved son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Col. 1:…

• Ways into Christ–How Many Ways Are There?

  e spirit we were all baptized into one body” (1 Cor. 12:13 NKJV) speaking of the body of Christ. How does this accord with the examples of conversions as we find them in Acts?  In Acts 2 on the Day of Pentecost when the first gospel sermon was preached that was ever preached and that by inspiration of the apostle Peter (thus God speaking through Peter) people were made believers.  Were they saved?  God did not consider them saved for his command …

• Jesus Defines Repentance

  and believed it. (2)  This brought godly sorrow to their hearts. (3)  They humbled themselves and sought God turning from their evil ways. This sums up the process of repentance from beginning to end.  Today when we hear the gospel message if we believe it we see we are in a condemned state before God.  Believing this it brings sorrow to our hearts.  If we are then willing to humble ourselves before God, seek him, and turn away from evil to do g…

• The Parable of the 10 Virgins–7 Lessons

  charge.  From all we can tell they seemed to be good people with but one fault. Thus one lesson we see in this parable is that being a good person by itself is not enough.  Not all good people by society’s standards obey the gospel.  Good people some may be as we see it–good but lost.  Peter asks, “What will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel?” (1 Peter 4:17 NKJV, see also 2 Thess. 1:7-9)  To ask is to answer. I know families a…

• Bible Contradictions on Salvation?

  on of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 3:21 NKJV) “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,’” while preaching the first gospel sermon ever heard after the resurrection of Jesus (Acts 2:38 NKJV). Saul was told, “Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins.” (Acts 22:16 NKJV) Jesus says, “unless one is born of water and the…

• The Joy and the Danger of a Clean Conscience

  his sins, and was baptized into Christ for the remission of sins. (Acts 22:16, Acts 2:38)  His conscience was now trained correctly and he could henceforth walk by faith rather than by the Law of Moses.  Had he not obeyed the gospel he would have violated his conscience for he now knew the truth. I am convinced thousands and thousands are walking around even today that know they ought to obey the gospel for their conscience tells them so.  Their …

• God’s Willingness to Forgive–King Manasseh

  tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” (1 Cor. 10:13 NKJV)  We thus go on living pretty much the way we would have had we never obeyed the gospel except that we go through the exercise of asking God’s forgiveness from time to time.  We never really repent from the heart. I do not want to leave the impression that to commit the same sin more than once implies th…

• The Truth So Called Christians Will Not Accept

  mission of sins) so you will just hide it from them and whatever pronouncements they say during the baptismal ceremony you will act as though you accept them.  You are going to play the role of the hypocrite while obeying the gospel.   You cannot acceptably obey the gospel while acting the role of a deceiver and liar. Thus here are your choices with denominational baptism–you either accept their false teaching about it and reject what the B…

• The Prodigal Son–When He Came to Himself

  r another (a worldly phrase that is applicable here). “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.” (1 Cor. 1:26 NKJV)  All men are called by the gospel so what does this verse mean?  It means that those who are living this kind of life where everything is seemingly going right and nothing going wrong, a life they can brag about for its worldly success, are seldom goi…

• The Great Commission and Cornelius

  e his spirit upon one not yet in a saved condition?  He could, none of us would deny his power to do so.  Would he do it?  Who is to say he would not if he had a purpose in doing so?  Might there be a purpose here?  What? The gospel was not being taken to the Gentiles as God intended.  Some say as much as 10 years had transpired between that first sermon on the Day of Pentecost and Peter going to Cornelius, a Gentile.  Even with Peter, an inspire…

• The Heart of Man from a Biblical Perspective

  thinking?  When a man comes to accept the Bible and its teaching is he not committing himself to a new way of thinking about the world and his relationship not only with God but also with his fellowman?  When one accepts the gospel he is saying I am going to let the Bible guide my thinking and I am not going to think about things the way I use to.  While we will never be perfect we can change our attitudes and the way we think. (2)  The heart is…

• Abortion Luke 1 – All You Need to Know

  …to save sinners, not destroy them.  While abortion is a very serious sin it is no worse than the killing of Jesus on the cross.  As many of those people who were responsible for his death who were later willing to believe the gospel, repent of their sins, and be baptized were saved (read Acts 2). If you have had an abortion God is not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9).  He will freely and fully forgive if you will but obey the gospel f…

• Saved by Jesus Outside the Church?

  cts 2:38 NKJV)  This is the church of which Jesus said, “I will build my church” (NKJV) in Matt. 16:18.  If you are saved you cannot help but be in the church for the Lord does the adding at the time one obeys the gospel and he adds only the saved and none who are not saved.  You do not join the church, though many have the misconception they do, but if you obey the gospel in all sincerity of heart the Lord adds you to his church.  Th…

• Waymon Swain’s Audio Sermons

  Waymon Swain is a gospel preacher from Bastrop, LA.  You will find Waymon’s sermons listed at the bottom of each of the following subject/topic pages.  If you have Windows Media Player they will start playing immediately once you click on the sermon title.  However, if you are using some other player other than Windows Media Player or browser other than Internet Explorer there may be a few seconds delay while the file downloads completely….

• Must a Man Seek God?

  d him, half with him and half with themselves or the world. Jesus came into the world seeking us.  “For the son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10 NKJV)  God calls all men by the gospel (2 Thess. 2:14).  He is not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9).  He desires that all men be saved (1 Tim. 2:4).  God is not hiding or making himself hard to find if we really desire to find him.  We will fin…

• Non-Offensive Christianity

  he Christian believes what he does is offensive to many.  To whom you might ask?  To those who believe otherwise—to the Islamist, to the atheist, to the secularist, to the communist, to those who will not believe and obey the gospel and live faithfully, etc.  The very fact one is a Christian instead of what they are tells them the Christian has judged his belief superior to their own.  That is offensive to them. If the Christian believes it is a …

• Why Do Men Run From God?

  can have too big a heart but I do know our great love for a wife, a husband, a child, a parent, a friend, or whoever can lead us to reject God’s word in order to have them saved.  They will either not accept or obey the gospel or if they have done so go off into false doctrine or apostasy, as the case may be, and we want them saved so badly we start looking at scripture differently.  Suddenly we find the word of God changing and old passage…

• I Can Do All Things Through Christ

  t. 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 lives.  There were 3,000 who repented the very first day the gospel of Christ was preached. (Acts 2)   One cannot separate power from God’s word nor can one separate God from his word.  The word has the power it does because it is his word, not mine nor yours.  There is power in that …

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

  hrough the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people.” (NKJV)  Both Peter and Paul raised the dead through the power of God.  Philip worked miracles in Samaria.  Paul spoke of preaching the gospel from Jerusalem to Illyricum with “mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God.” (Rom. 15:19 NKJV)  And, we could go on and on but here is the point–if there has been latter day revela…

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

  white horses while being clothed in purple with golden rings on their fingers?  Would such glorify God?  What glorifies God is men bringing themselves into a Christian relationship with him through belief and obedience to the gospel. Does this mean one should not utter the words “in Jesus’ name we (or I) ask” in prayer?  No, not at all, for I do not know how one asks a thing in Jesus’ name without asking it in Jesus’…

• The Army of the Lord–the Church

  ng directly to a single individual in his letter to Timothy and saying to him, paraphrasing, if you are a Christian and you are living like it and talking about it–the command is to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15 NKJV)–then you are going to suffer for it.  If we do not suffer for it (sooner or later) then maybe that says a lot about our failure to live the life as God intended it to be live…

• The New Birth and Water

  n John 3:5 as being something other than baptism are modern day explanations.  While it may seem about everyone supports those views today it was not that way in the past, in fact, just the opposite. In the book entitled, The Gospel Plan of Salvation, first published in 1874, by T. W. Brents, I quote as follows:  “The religious world, with one voice, from the days of Christ until quite recently, has ascribed this language to water baptism.” (Page…

• Baptized For the Dead

  pus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.” (Act 18:8 NKJV)  What were the Corinthians hearing? They were hearing the entire gospel message (1 Cor. 15:3-4), “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day accordi…

• The Kind of Faith in God That Destroys

  believes, could save by itself then even the demons could be saved for James says, “even the demons believe–and tremble!” (James 2:19 NKJV)  What they believed was that there was one God but by studying the gospel accounts one also knows they believed in Jesus for they often confessed him.  One such example is Mark 3:11, “And whenever the unclean spirits beheld Him, they would fall down before Him and cry out, saying, …

• Faith, Works, and Baptism

  ead as a door knob and cannot save anyone and that is from the get go, from the very beginning.  “Faith without works is dead.” (James 2:26 NKJV) When Peter stands up on the Day of Pentecost and preaches the first gospel sermon ever, creates by his preaching faith in those who hear, and then tells them what to do in response to their question asking what they can do he responds saying, “repent, and let every one of you be baptiz…

• Praying to God to Bless the Bread–Really?

  SV is even plainer for it reads, “God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one  of you from your wickedness.”  This blessing came to man by means of the cross and the gospel which if believed and obeyed results in the greatest blessing possible that could be bestowed upon a man—eternal life. We next come to the word “bless” as found in 1 Cor. 10:16 which deals with the Lord…

• If Baptism is Not Essential for Salvation

  truth would be “he who believes and is not baptized will be saved.”  (3)  If baptism is not essential for salvation then Peter either lied or the Holy Spirit was in error when on the Day 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 sin…

• Jesus’ Baptism and You?

  e forgiveness of sins. The baptism Jesus gave man by way of the great commission was based on the fact that Jesus had already died and shed his blood for the remission of sins and the salvation of man.  Man has to believe the gospel, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (1 Cor. 15:1-4).  In short, for a man to receive the baptism of Jesus he must believe in the historical Jesus, the Savior of the world. If a man today refuses to obey the …

• Faith

  The Faith of Enoch Moses, the Waters of Marah, and a Lesson for Today Everlasting Life–The Believer of John 3:16 (This is a different article than the John 3:16 article above.) What Must a Man Believe to be Saved by the Gospel of Christ? The Kind of Faith in God That Destroys Faith Based on Deception–Gen. 37:31-33 Faith in the New Testament–Different Meanings How Was Noah Saved Through Water? He Feared Though He Slay Me Why Men…

• DennySmith.Net

  Welcome to my website, DennySmith.Net.  DennySmith.Net is a repository for my personal writings on God’s word, Christian articles if you will, and the audio sermons of Waymon Swain of Bastrop, Louisiana.  Waymon is a gospel preacher I have known since childhood, a man who has been preaching for approximately 60 years now.  In addition I have also listed under the “Resource Sites” link at the top of each page links to other webs…

• Grace

  Misunderstanding the Grace of God For by Grace You Have Been Saved by Faith Alone The Grace of God and the Parable of the Laborers How Was Noah Saved Through Water   Audio Sermons (by Waymon Swain) How God’s Grace Works The Gospel of the Grace of God Noah Found Grace …

• 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 …

• Saul’s Conversion

  “And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he arose and was baptized.” (Acts 9:18 NAS)  In Acts chapter 9 verses 1 through 18 we have the account of Saul’s conversion from a persecutor of Christians to an apostle of Christ.  In the early years of Christianity when a person heard and believed the gospel, accepting it, it always led immediately to baptism.  The reader and Bible…

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

  ne is that they were jealous and angry over the generosity shown by the vineyard owner to those hired last. One must understand, and I think we do, that this parable is about God’s dealings with those who believe and obey the gospel.  God’s grace gives a man what he needs and not what he deserves.  Such was the case in this parable.  His grace is not based on works, not on how much work one has done, not on how difficult it has been, not on how l…

• Lessons for the Church from Isaiah (Chapter 1)

  can cleanse you if you are but willing and I can cleanse you perfectly, completely. We often forget that those who Peter said were guilty of taking Jesus by lawless hands and crucifying him were by faith and obedience to the gospel of Christ, preached by Peter on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, forgiven of their sins and saved.  How much greater sin can one commit than that of crucifying Christ?  If one can be forgiven of that, cleansed, and mad…

• Fornication–Take It Lightly at Your Peril

  committed but people generally realized they had done wrong when they became involved in it.  Today there seems to be no conscience of such.  Be that as it may the Bible still teaches that if we will not repent, and obey the gospel if we have not done so, “God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.  For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption.” (Gal. 6:7-8 NKJV) The Greek word behind the English word “…

• They Loved the Praise of Men

  our calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.” (1 Cor. 1:26 NKJV)  The words “are called” are supplied words to complete the thought.  All men are called by the gospel but the meaning is that not many of this class of people–the wise, the mighty, the noble–will respond to God’s call.  And yet this is the class of people whose praise we so often desire. If we will be fait…

• Without Natural Affection and Covenant Breakers

  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, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” (Matt. 26:28 NKJV) Paul spoke of himself …

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

  t expectation, not an iffy “I hope so” the way we speak today.  “Hope does not disappoint.” (Rom. 5:5 NKJV)  It is the “anchor of the soul.” (Heb. 6:19 NKJV) (2)  Love When one becomes a Christian out of sincerity of heart in gospel obedience he can know that as a child of God that God loves him in a special way.  Jesus said, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home wi…

• Are Works Essential for Christian Salvation?

  lieves he can do enough good works and obey perfectly enough to be saved.  Both hold and believe error. I close this article saying that I know as well as you we are saved by the grace of God, the blood of Jesus, by faith, by gospel obedience, etc. but I also know we cannot be saved without works.  If so, if we can, then someone please write an article and post it on how Jesus was unjust in his judgment of those in Matthew 25 who did not provide …

• Though He Slay Me

  ritance eternally with Christ in heaven–life everlasting. No, we do not understand.  We know why Jesus had to die and what God’s purpose was behind that but why did Stephen have to die so soon after the preaching of the gospel and the establishment of the church?  Why did John live so long?  Why did Paul have to suffer so much?  Jesus had said he would, “For I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name’s sake.” (Acts 9:16 NKJV…

• Is Church Attendance Essential for Christian Salvation?

  sin is death.” (Rom. 6:23 NKJV) (6) James said, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17 NKJV)  Is it good to go worship God? (7) We are to go into all the world preaching the gospel (Matt. 28:18-20).  The one who will not assemble for worship is not doing this in any form or manner for how can he?  His example would overrule all his words.  His neighbors know the truth. (8) Then there is the matt…

• Who Gets to Decide–God or the Church?

  arn it is being clearly contradicted by the word and will of man what am I to think?  Do I believe the word of God or man? Peter and John found themselves in this very same quandary–God told them to go preach Jesus (the gospel) but in Acts 4 the Council or Sanhedrin “commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.” (Acts 4:18 NAS)  What was their response?  Peter and John “said to them, ‘Whether it …

• The Conscience as a Witness

  y one.” (John 8:9 NKJV)  What was convicting them?  Their conscience, yes, but the conscience was the heart.  Their hearts were pricking them. We find the same thing on the Day of Pentecost when Peter preached the first gospel sermon and the first converts under the Christian dispensation were made.  Peter preached to them in a way to convince them that not only was Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, but that they were guilty of putting him …

• Confirmation Sunday–No Bibles Required

  faith, or worship, or religion. After reading the article I went to my e-sword concordance and did a search on the word “confirmation.”   I did find it in 2 locations.  Paul spoke about “confirmation of the gospel” in Philippians 1:7 and the writer of the book of Hebrews spoke of how an “oath for confirmation” (Heb. 6:16) is for men an end of all dispute but was just making an observation about secular matters…

• Pray For Others Lest You Sin

  that they might be saved.  In 2 Cor. 5:11 he spoke of knowing the terror of the Lord and thus sought to persuade men.  We too know something about the terror of the Lord and ought to be praying for those who need to obey the gospel, praying fervently in their behalf, praying that such events might transpire in their life that their eyes will be opened and they can see their need and will turn to the Lord. We ought to be praying for the needy, th…

• Abuse of the Old Testament

  was for God’s chosen people, the Jewish nation.) Part of the problem the Galatians were having was that they wanted at the very least an admixture of the old Law of Moses with Christ.  Paul called it a perversion of the gospel of Christ in chapter 1 verse 7.  Some were going so far as to wanting to go back to the law for Paul says, “Tell me, you who desire to be under the law.” (Gal. 4:21 NKJV)  The desire was wrong.  Remember, …

• Canaan and Heaven–How God Gives

  tter of faith, disobedience a matter of a lack of faith.  Why are men today who claim to believe not baptized “for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38 NKJV) as Peter preached and commanded in the very first Holy Spirit inspired gospel sermon ever to be preached?  The answer is because disbelief leads naturally to disobedience.  The Hebrew writer sums it up well, “the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who…