Random Thoughts on the Really Good News

"I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus"  (1 Corinthians 1:4) Let’s be perfectly clear, the Grace we receive from God is  FREE . We do not earn, accept, or reject it. The GRACE of God is ours as a FREE gift. We only learn of it  “by Jesus Christ” . And we are SAVED by the grace of God, it is also  FREE .  And we only learn it is ours  “through Jesus Christ” . “…the FREE GIFT of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord”  (Romans 6:23b NASB) I notice some translations leave out the word  “free”  but look at it in the original Greek and the idea of being free is there. These translators have a problem with  "eternal life"  being free. They also have a problem with salvation being free as a result of the  "grace of God which is freely given you" . They prefer their own version which requires joining their group by accepting their offer of salvation with heaven the reward. They add words like “o

I have never met a human that didn’t sin. However, I have met a few who think they don’t, or at least give you that impression. They are usually condemning sinners for sinning, and worse, are saying God will condemn them – for eternity – unless they do this or that. So, for THEIR sake, let’s take a stroll through the Bible they are usually thumping, remembering that God is LOVE, but humanity, all of us, are NOT. All humans are equally subject to the penalty for sin - which is death. There are no self-righteous acts that can avoid it. “All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6 NLT) “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins.” (Romans 3:23-24 NLT) “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life t

“Now faith is an assumption of what is being expected, a conviction concerning matters which are not being observed” (Hebrews 11:1 CLNT) The faith that the Bible speaks of is not some blind leap into the dark, but it is believing that what God says is true even though we are not now observing it, or able to prove it.  For example,  God has promised to resurrect the dead when Jesus returns. We assume and expect it to happen even though we have never observed anyone dying and coming back to life. But we have chosen to believe the Bible. Some say there is no God and when we die that is it…that is their faith.  They have no hope beyond this world.  Choosing to have  faith in God gives me peace and hope in this chaotic world. I agree with Paul when he said… “If in this life only we have hope…we are of all men most miserable.” (1 Corinthians 15:19)

"Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all humanity. For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God... And now I commend you to God and to the word of His GRACE, which is able to build you up and to GIVE you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified." (Acts 20:26-32) The revival was over. We had listened to a dynamic speaker for two weeks. During that time there were over 90 decisions for Christ and many other rededications. At one service, everyone there walked the aisle to make one decision or another or to pray at the altar, myself included. At the end of the last service, we had been challenged to "go win the world to Christ, one person at a time, bcause he who wins souls is wise ". Everyone was saying Amen and left fully intending to be a part of a great renewal. The evangelist received a big love offering and off he went to his next scheduled revival. Sound familiar?  Problem was that two w

The word “gospel” means “good news” The good news is about the Son of God, Christ Jesus… “It is the gospel of God…concerning His Son” (Romans 1:1,2) The good news was made known to the Apostle Paul through a revelation of Jesus Christ… “For I am making known to you, brethren, as to the gospel, which is being brought by me, that it is not in accord with man. For neither did I accept it from a man, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ.” (Galatians 1:11-12) The good news is powerful… “…it is the power of God unto salvation…” (Romans 1:16) The good news reveals the righteousness of God… “For in it the righteousness of God is being revealed…” (Romans 1:17) Is there a simple statement of the basis for the good news? – yes there is… “For I give over to you among the first what also I accepted, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that He was entombed, and that He has been resurrected the third day according to the scriptures...

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7) At the center of an ideal family relationship is love, agape love. By family I mean a father, mother, and their children.  In this kind of relationship with each other there is security, peace, faith, hope and joy….and freedom. My perception of God is that He meets mankind on this basis…as His family. Not on a scientific, forensic basis of pure justice under Law…like is required in the government of men. We are not dealt with out of His overbearing demand for obedience to His just Law, but under the Grace of a loving parent who gives us an ideal standard to live by, then allows us to test this standard within our own unique set of circumstances. Eve

"Are you not aware that those racing in a stadium are, indeed, all racing, yet one is obtaining the prize? Thus be racing that you may be grasping it...lest somehow, when heralding to others, I myself may become disqualified." (1 Corinthians 9:24-27) Paul says he is not engaging in the race "voluntarily" - "for wages" (for a prize) - but "involuntarily" .  "For if I should be bringing the evangel, it is not for me to boast in, for necessity is lying upon me, for it were woe to me if I should not be bringing the evangel!  For if I am engaging in this voluntarily, I have wages, yet if involuntarily, I have been entrusted with an administration." (1 Corinthians 9:16-17) He (or we) need not train to run a race to win a prize that Christ has already won. Humanity's race is simply to "grasp" what Christ has won on its behalf. All will "grasp" it when God's plan is consummated at the close of the eons. In the

I have to return to the basics sometimes in my meditations about God and the Lord Jesus Christ. I remind myself of the good news (gospel) of God concerning his Son (Jesus) delivered by the Apostle Paul. Here are the basics: The Son of God, Jesus Christ, died for the sins of mankind He was buried and remained in the tomb for three days and three nights He was resurrected to life "Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it...I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said.  He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said."   (1 Corinthians 15:1, 3-4) When I believe those three things I feel blessed and have peace, joy and hope. When I question or am tempted to stop believing those three things, I lose hope. "For the grace of God has been

“To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord...instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, nor to pay attention to myths… It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners...fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.” (1 Timothy 1:1-20) You can search all you want but you will not find a single verse in the Bible that says the penalty for sin is Christianity’s morbid concept of “hell” eternal conscious torment). It is a myth. The penalty for sin is DEATH in the Bible. "The wages of sin is death..."  (Romans 6:23) Jesus came into the world to save sinners from DEATH - the penalty for sin. But for more than 1900 years there have been a

Political and religious differences of opinion seem to have fostered such disunity among our American citizens that I fear nothing short of war, and maybe not even that, will bring us together. It is depressing to me at times so I find myself feeling that God is not paying attention. So, I go back into the Bible for encouragement. Here is what I found this morning that helped restore some joy in the midst of these turbulent times. "This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven..." (Matthew 6:9 Jesus came into the world to introduce a perceived distant God, as “Our Father” . All that is going on around us is simply preparing us all for the good that "Our Father" will when He gathers His family at the great reunion He will host for humanity one day. He is, after all, tHE “Father of all” .  "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;  one Lord, one faith, one baptism;  one God and Father of all, who i

“Fear not, for I am with you…” (Isaiah 41:10) Most of the world is united in the opposite. Out of this FEAR they have… Shut down schools; cancelled sporting events, concerts, and almost all other public entertainment; bankrupted small and large businesses dependent on social gatherings; hoarded resources; watched fearmongering news organization 24-7; and, prayed like God is just waiting on X number of prayers before He decides to have some pity of us. One thing God IS DOING. He is allowing this whole crisis to escalate beyond what was necessary if people would have a little faith in God. Reminds me of Jesus when He lamented to the folks of His day… “…when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth.” (Luke 18:6) Not if He came today! Sorry if that offends you, but we can do nothing better than to use common sense and place it all in God’s hands. He obviously allowed it to happen and He will allow us to find a remedy without all the fear we see on the news. God did not

Is it possible for an immortal created being to become mortal? If Jesus really died on the cross, then the answer is yes. And He did die, or the Bible is false and the evangel which Paul accepted is false. “Now I am making known to you, brethren, the evangel which I bring to you, which also you accepted, in which also you stand, through which also you are saved, if you are retaining what I said in bringing the evangel to you, outside and except you believe feignedly. For I give over to you among the first what also I accepted, that Christ DIED for our sins according to the scriptures, and that He was ENTOMBED, and that He has been ROUSED the third day according to the scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, thereupon by the twelve." (1 Corinthians 15:1-5) But how is it possible for the immortal Son of God to become mortal? Only in the context of the space time continuum which He created.  "In the beginning was the Word...In the world He was, and the world came into b

“…turn back to God from idols,to be slaving for the living and true God, and to be waiting for His Son out of the heavens, Whom He rouses from among the dead, Jesus, our Rescuer out of the coming indignation.”   (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10) Believers have been waiting for Jesus to return for about 2,000 years. It is not surprising then that we wonder if He will really come from time to time. Before Peter died, he warned that in the “last days” there would be those doubting that Jesus would return. “…knowing this first, that in the last days scoffers will be coming with scoffing, going according to their own desires and saying, Where is the promise of His presence? For since the fathers were put to repose, all is continuing thus from the beginning of creation." (2 Peter 3:3-4) The fact that there are more "scoffers" in the Church than ever before is actually a sign of the "last days" . R egardless of when, the Scripture is clear that Jesus will return. “...and