The BIG Picture (Shorts)

Rom 3:19-20 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore, by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. The Ten Commandments, given to Moses, define God's standard of righteousness and provide a moral framework for human behaviour. However, no one can follow them perfectly, highlighting our inherent sinfulness and failure to meet God's standards. The commandments were not given with the expectation of perfect compliance; rather, they were intended to reveal our inability to keep them, affirming our need for a Savior. Salvation does not hinge on flawless observance of these laws, but on God's grace and faith in Jesus Christ, who fulfilled the law. The purpose of the Ten Commandments is to prove our need for Jesus Christ, who provides forgiveness, grace, and eternal life to t...

In Romans, Paul tells of the "abundance of grace" and "the gift of righteousness" (Rom.5:17) bestowed by God to those who believe in His Son for salvation. The Bible tells us that no one is blameless before God without this gift of grace. Paul writes, "There is none righteous, not even one," showing his empathy for those trying to establish their own righteousness (Rom.10:3), which is futile without saving grace. He points to Abraham, who "believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness" (Rom.4:3). This foreshadowed Christ's atoning death, through which righteousness is now declared and offered to all. "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom.5:8), and "God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2Cor.5:21). This righteousness, however, is a gift accessed through faith, for "the one who does not work but believes in Him w...

In the verses in the image, Paul speaks of the faith of Christ, not merely faith in Christ. This concept refers to Christ's own faithfulness and trustworthiness, not His personal beliefs. Faith has two aspects: the objective, which is trust in another, and the subjective, which is being trustworthy oneself. If I have faith in you, you should keep faith with me; you should be trustworthy. Paul mentions "the faith of Christ" 7-times in his letters to highlight Christ's worthiness of our trust. For instance, in Gal.3:22 and Phil.3:9, the emphasis is on believing because Christ is worthy of trust. Christ's faithfulness, proven by His death and resurrection, precedes and underpins our faith in Him. It's this trustworthiness that assures us He can "save to the uttermost those who come unto God by Him" (Heb.7:25), just as Paul reassured the jailor in Philippi, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved" (Act.16:31). __________...

Contrary to popular belief, a church is not just a building for worship. Biblically, 'church' denotes a congregation of people. For instance, Act.19:32 uses it to describe a confused mob, unaware of their purpose for gathering. Sadly, this could reflect the state of many churches today, but the point is that a church represents the people, not the building. " The Church of God," as mentioned in the Bible, was purchased by the blood of Christ (Act.20:28). Paul refers to the current church as "the Body of Christ" (1Cor.12:27; Eph.1:22-23), entry to which is through faith in Jesus, not baptisms and other rites. Paul writes, "By one Spirit, we are all baptized into one body" (1Cor.12:13), and in Rom.12:5, "we, being many, are one body in Christ." Many have been on church rosters for years without grasping this truth. They have trusted their Church membership and traditions for salvation. Crucially, it's as simple as whether we have tru...

In the Book of Romans, God uses the phrase "There is no difference" twice, once in Rom.3:22-23 and once in Rom.10:12-13. The first phrase in question speaks to the universal guilt of humanity, encompassing religious Jews, godless Gentiles, refined moralists, and uncivilized barbarians alike. The first three chapters examine their respective privileges and duties, weighing their arguments with due consideration. The verdict drawn is unequivocal: all are equally culpable, having sinned and fallen short of God's glory. The same phrase, when used a second time, pertains to salvation.  It underscores the abundance of God's mercy towards all who call upon His name, promising salvation to those who do so. God's impartiality is evident in both sin and salvation: all are equally accountable for sin and likewise, all have equal access to salvation. The rich, educated, devout, uneducated, or immoral—none are excluded. Christ's sacrifice was for all, enabling everyone t...

Many Christians believe that when Christ ascended to heaven, He stopped speaking. However, Paul reveals that the things he wrote were the "commandments of the Lord", 1Cor.14:37. After Israel's rebellion, God temporarily set aside Israel, and raised up a new apostle, Paul. From heaven, Christ gave Paul a new revelation concerning His heavenly ministry to the Body of Christ, Gal.1:11-12. Paul became the apostle to the Gentiles, Rom.11:13. Paul's words, as revealed to Him by Christ, are spoken of as "commandments." When God commands something, He expects us to obey it. In past dispensations, commands were given that were valid then, but not for today's obedience. For example, the Bible commands man to eat only fruit and veggies, then allows for meat with fruit and veggies, then certain foods to be eaten, and finally, all food can be eaten. Thus, it is essential to determine which commands God would have us obey today. Paul's epistles are the commandmen...

  Paul told grace believers to “quit you [or act manly] like men, be strong” (1Cor.16:13) and to “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might” (Eph.6:10). We must not succumb to fear nor surrender to Satan who wages spiritual warfare against us. We must be strong! God’s power is accessed “by His Spirit in the inner man” (Eph.3:16). We cannot overcome Satan with our strength alone, but we can prevail by allowing God's words to work within us. How do we strengthen our inner “new man” in Christ? Paul instructs us to equip ourselves with “the whole armour of God” (Eph.6:11). This armour is the spiritual walk that comes from obedience to the Word within us. It will lead us in (v.14), living and sharing the gospel (v.15), protecting our minds through faith in God’s Word (v.16), living in the confidence of our eternal hope (v.17a), using the Scriptures to cut through Satan’s lies (v.17b), and being constant in prayer (v.18). Friends, surrounded yourselves by the 'words' o...

  In 1Cor.1, Paul reminds believers they will be “blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1:8). It is important for us to realize there are two aspects of a Christian’s perfection. The first is our POSITION before God. Through faith, we have been “made the righteousness of God in Him [Jesus Christ]” (2Cor.5:21). Our position before the Father is now one of perfection in the identity of the Savior. The Father now sees us as holy and perfect. This position will never change. Our daily PRACTICE after salvation is also to be “perfect.” We have been “called to be saints” (1Cor.1:2), and the Lord expects us to seek to live up to a standard of holiness. What does that mean? Paul writes “…I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1Thess.5:23). This process involves getting the written Word of God into you. It is the only thing that will wash you (spirit), renew your mind (soul), and influence your actions (body)...

Start with PART 1 here. Part 4 of 4 - It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. The Mystery program had to remain a secret to ensure that 'the powers of darkness in the heavenlies' would work to get Jesus Christ onto the cross. Our salvation is ENTIRELY wrapped up in the cross of Christ. Did you ever notice how Paul NEVER mentions anything about Jesus' earthly ministry. Paul recites no parables, no teachings of Jesus, no activities .... NOTHING, EXCEPT the cross. Paul glories in the cross (Gal.6:14) because the only thing that could come out of Jesus earthly ministry, for the salvation of the Gentiles, is his death and resurrection. Everything else about the life of Christ incarnate is for the Jews. We can learn of the earthly life of Christ, and we can study prophecy, but these are not addressed to us as Gentiles under grace. What we take as instruction is the doctrine of Paul.  1 Corinthians 14:37 If any man think himself to be a prophet, or...

Start with PART 1 here. Part 3 of 4 - It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. If we come back to Jesus' statements to the Canaanite woman, we can also understand the references to not casting Israel's bread to the dogs. The bread was God's word, God's new covenant that was His word to Israel. The covenant had NOTHING to do with the Gentiles. It was Israels bread, the children's bread. Casting it to the dogs, the Gentiles, would be fruitless and a waste as it was not meant for the Gentiles. Gentiles were known as 'dogs' during this time. Jews saw Gentiles as pagans, serving other gods and wandering around without the perfect law. It was a slang term that was commonly used, so this explains why Jesus used this phrase. Our final point to answer is, "what about the Gentiles then? How do the Gentiles get saved?" Well, in short, this is where Paul's ministry comes into view. Israel failed to receive their Messiah, so ...

  Start with PART 1 here. Part 2 - It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. It is important to first understand that God established the Jewish nation to be His people; a holy (set apart) nation, a royal priesthood who would be the representatives of God in a godless world, (Ex.19:5-6). The nation of Israel had a divine purpose, to show forth the presence and glory of God among the Gentile nations. They were also to bring forth the promised Redeemer and Saviour of the world, (Gen.3:15). Israel did not reach this goal during Christ's first advent due to unbelief, but in the Millennial Kingdom, Jews would carry the law of God in their heart (Jer.31:33-34) and would finally fulfil their great commission (Matt.28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16), to bring salvation to the world through their Messiah and the Kingdom gospel. With this understanding, it is now clear to see why Jesus came for the Jews. The earthly ministry of Jesus was to establish the Jewish nation to...

  It might come as a surprise to many Christians, but Jesus clearly tells us that He did not come for the Gentiles, Matt.15:23-27. In the above passage a Canaanite woman begs Jesus to heal her child. Jesus ignores her and His disciples get annoyed at her cries to get Jesus' attention. Then Jesus finally responds by saying, "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." What did He mean by this?  Another statement that bewilders many is when Jesus says, "It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs."  What is the bread? Who are the children? Who are the 'dogs'? This is not the only time Jesus said something like this. Earlier in Matthew, Jesus sent out his disciples to preach the Kingdom gospel and clearly stated that they do NOT go to anyone, EXCEPT to the Jews, Matt.10:5-8. How do we explain this? Where do the Gentiles fit into the ministry of Jesus? How do the Gentiles get saved then? See PART 2 here... See P...

  This phrase occurs 5 times in the New Testament. The first 2 apply to Jews (Israel), the last 3 apply to Gentiles (the Body of Christ). Thus, it applies to ALL men, both Jew and Gentile who have received and believed whatever the gospel of salvation was in their day (dispensation).  Act_5:31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. Act_13:38 Be it known unto you therefore, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: Act_26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance... Eph_1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, by the riches of his grace; Col_1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: God’s grace goes out to everyone who takes refuge in His Son. ______________ Join my WhatsApp...

  Q: Did Paul ever teach the Kingdom Gospel?  Yes! But only for a very short period of time. In Act.9:19 it says that Saul preached that Jesus is the Son of God. This was the key faith condition (and confession) for receiving salvation as per this gospel. A person had to believe that Jesus was the prophesied Messiah and confess Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God. Q: So you are saying Paul is accursed for teaching another gospel? No! It is important to get your eschatology correct when assuming statements like this. At this time in Acts 9 (35AD), only the Kingdom gospel was preached. There was not even a hint of a Grace gospel yet. Nevertheless, what you refer to concerning being accursed for preaching another gospel, Gal.1:6–8, only happens after the Jerusalem council in Acts 15 (48AD). Paul writes Galatians in about 49AD warning believers that the Kingdom gospel is no longer valid when Peter bound up the kingdom in Acts 15:11 during the council meeting. ______________ Join ...

The mystery doctrine revealed to Paul completed the Word of God. It ended the need for further revelation. When a person claims to prophecy God's will or interprets tongues, they are 'claiming' that God is speaking through them (Acts 2:4). This is a blanket denial of the complete and final authority of the written Word of God. We simply cannot believe that God's Word is complete while claiming that He continues to give further revelation of His will through extra-Biblical revelations. This is exactly the meaning of prophecy and interpretations. In the Jewish church in Acts, these giftings were still valid as they were used to communicate revelation from God, since the completed scriptures were not yet available.  Today, the Bible is the full revelation of God. The scripture is complete. God has finished His Word. It is through the Word of truth written in a book, studied as rightly divided, that God speaks today --and through which we grow up in Christ and become workme...

  Yes. Paul would have preached the grace gospel to the jailer. We are beyond the Jerusalem council in Acts 15 where the Kingdom gospel was closed, and Paul's grace gospel was the only valid gospel.  Let's look at all the details of this account: Paul says, "Believe on the Lord." This is not the whole gospel. This is just a short statement of fact. The next verse says that they spoke unto him "the word of the Lord" . This is probably where they presented him with the whole gospel message.  Note that baptism is still mentioned here. Remember that this is during the transition period. This account happened in 50AD. Paul only mentions 5-years later, in 55AD, when writing the Corinthian letter, that he no longer baptizes. So, even though the jailer was preached the Grace gospel, it was still evident that baptism was the custom for new converts. Over the next 5 years, this would fade away as Paul matures in the revelation of the grace gospel. ______________ Join ...

If Paul says, “I was not sent to baptise”, 1Cor.1:17, then surely that indicates that in our doctrine today, water baptism is of little consequence. Why would Paul not bother to baptize people if it was crucial for salvation? To expand on the topic, baptism was never an ordinance that belonged to the Body of Christ. It was a Jewish ordinance that was connected to priesthood. Every Jew in the Millennial Kingdom will be a priest of the Lord, ministering to the nations. Under the covenant laws of Moses, every priest needed to be washed. Thus, every Jew had to be baptised. This is why Jesus, who had no sin, had to also be baptised, so that he fulfilled the law requirements as a Jew. See Mat 3:14-15. You cannot mix dispensational content. The scriptures you quote belong to the prophetic program for Israel. Baptism was part and parcel of the Kingdom gospel. Our gospel does not even hint on water immersion. ______________ Join my WhatsApp channel to receive these quick Bible lessons on your p...

  Common disputes and arguments used by people that mix, or blend, both the Kingdom and the Grace gospels into one, confusing the matter and creating contradictions concerning salvation. We must learn the answers... Salvation has ALWAYS BEEN THE SAME. We must OBEY Christ’s commands always. Those who repent will be saved. Those who don't will perish. Saved merely by belief in God is refuted by James. The Bible warns of falling away. You MUST BEAR FRUIT, You MUST STAY CLOSE to God or you're not saved. Rev.3 warns that "Those who endure to the end will be saved." Once saved, always saved is a HERESY. God incarnate told us “When you pray… When you fast… When you give alms…” Not IF. Jesus never started His sermons with “For the next couple years…” There is no expiration date to the gospels. The Gospels are not just of historical interest. The 12 wrote content AFTER Paul's epistles, so Paul didn't bring a newer message.  Paul wasn't the ONLY church leader.  The...

  No. God will NOT enjoy it! It is not His will that any perish, 2Pet 3:9. He did EVERYTHING He could to prevent their destruction. But God’s wrath is righteous and perfectly just, and, at the appointed time, He will NOT hesitate in judgement to send the Christ rejecting people to the eternal flames. Why would God resurrect people just to put them to death again? Here's 3 points that the Bible makes perfectly clear: Human death is not the eternal death. These two are very different types of death.  The guilty must face judgement for their sins, their guilt and ungodliness. ALL must bow the knee to Christ, confessing His Lordship. Isa.45:23; Rom.14:1; Phil.2:10-11 The guilty will be cast into the eternal flames, because of their own choice, rejecting what God had made known to them all through their life. Though it might shock some, there is no injustice here. God's actions are perfectly just, righteous, and honourable according to His Word. ______________ Join my WhatsApp chan...

According to the Revelation of the Mystery, Rom.16:25 To preach, and live Jesus Christ, according to the mystery, means that we learn to align our faith, our actions, and our message to that which we learn from Paul about the risen and glorified Christ. This means that we do not know Christ according to the flesh (2Cor 5:16), we do not follow after the law-based teachings and principles taught by Jesus in his earthly ministry (while in the flesh), which was under law and directed to the Jews alone. We now preach of Christ as the Head of His body, we preach His cross-work for the salvation of all men, Jews and Gentiles alike. We now learn to walk by a new doctrine, one of grace, one that teaches of liberty under the constraints of love, one of personal convictions of righteousness (see Rom 14), and one of being led by the life-giving Spirit of Christ through knowledge of His Word within us. ______________ Join my WhatsApp channel to receive these quick Bible lessons on your phone: https...

Paul’s ministry focus is primarily on faith in Christ, the gospel, and living by the Spirit. Fasting is not a central theme in his teachings. The only time Paul mentions fasting is in these 3-verses, 1Cor 7:5; 2Cor 6:5; 2Cor 11:27.  The last 2 verses are not actual fasting, but to do with his sufferings for the sake of the gospel, not by his choice, but due to circumstance. The first scripture is about fasting, but we must understand that he wrote to a Corinthian church that was as much Jewish as it was Gentile. Thus, the advice here is applicable, but more to the Jews who practiced fasting as per the Mosaic laws. Thus, if you choose to fast, or not, do it with conviction, Rom.14:5. It's really between you and God, Rom 14:22-23. Fasting will not twist God's arm. It will not get you any closer to God than you are already in Christ. If you have reason to fast, obey that working and do it with conviction and sincerity, else sit back, enjoy your food, and praise God for his many bl...

If you have heard and responded in faith to the grace gospel, the penalty of your "sin" (not "sins") has been completely removed. By believing in the grace gospel, you are saved for eternity and your sin have been nailed to the cross of Christ. The Bible states that the penalty of sin is death, but because you have placed your faith in Christ, you are forgiven, the penalty is removed, and you are acquitted spiritually unto eternal life. While God's salvation has resolved the issue of "sin" that separates people from God, the "sins" of individuals still exist, still have consequences, and must still be dealt with. These consequences are not God's punishment or judgment, as those were emptied out upon Christ, but are the natural sowing and reaping results of past actions and abuse. These consequences affect one's circumstances and people around them, and it's these that individuals feel they are paying the price for currently. _____...

People often see their own faults in others. For example, a liar believes that everyone else is also a liar, and a thief sees everyone as suspect. Similarly, an unbeliever cannot comprehend how someone can have faith. An unbeliever considers faith to be foolish. Judas, who was consumed by greed, couldn't appreciate the sacrifice of the Lord at the supper. When our minds and consciences are corrupted, being devoid of sound doctrine, our judgment becomes flawed. We can no longer distinguish between truth and error. We struggle to discern what is good and tend to follow popular leaders. Churches today are filled with people who judge a doctrine based on its popularity or the appearance of the person delivering it. Paul speaks of those who focus solely on earthly matters as enemies of the cross who cause many to turn away from Christ because they deny Him through their deeds. There is a simple remedy! Paul tells us to hold fast to the faithful Word of God and speak the things which be...

When we look at the horrific death of Christ, and the fact that the Bible says His death is essential for our salvation, then we can only conclude that our condition is one of extreme and inescapable despair, disability and destitution – to the extent that we ourselves could do nothing to rectify our existing situation. The extreme measure that God took to save us is an indication of our extreme need to be saved. Friends, as a committed believer, one would be in the Word often, reading about the message of the gospel of Christ many times. One would be surrounded by friends, talking of the things of Christ often. We worship and pray to God in thanks, daily, for all that Christ has done. My encouragement to you today is to NEVER forget how destitute we were when the Lord reached down to save us, and ALWAYS rejoice in thanks for the extreme measures He took to redeem us, and clean us up, and give us an unimaginable hope that lies ahead of us in glory. AMEN ______________ Join my WhatsApp ...

Prophecy and mystery are two parts of the full redemption plan of God, but they are mutually exclusive. How can something prophesied and made know at the same time be a mystery and kept secret?  Paul clearly tells us that the mysteries that make up his doctrine were kept secret in the heart of God and only revealed after Paul was saved. No prophet of the Old Testament or in the Gospels ever knew or spoke of the things that Paul revealed. Act 3:20-21 And he shall send Jesus Christ, ... (21) Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. Rom 16:25-26 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, (26) But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, ... Today, our doctrine is that of mystery. ______________ Join my W...