The BIG Picture (Shorts)

Rom.16:25-26 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, ... The words "my gospel" are of great interest. Paul personalized the gospel he was preaching. This makes it different to the gospel that John the Baptist, Jesus, and the twelve Apostles taught. They preached the Kingdom gospel, the good news that the Kingdom of Heaven was near. And that was true, as the King was in their midst and He was willing and able to usher in His kingdom if they would repent and believe. But due to the unbelief of Israel's rulers, this kingdom was placed on hold based on Rom.11:25. Paul, on the other hand, was preaching a grace gospel. A gospel where one could place one's trust in the cross-work of Christ and that through His death, burial, and resurrection, (through His work of righteousness, not our attempts), one receives forgiveness and is completely justified before God. In order to recognize the difference between these gospels, one needs to divide them, ...

The book of Romans can be divided into 4 primary pillars of truth. God's righteousness, (ch.1-3), God's grace, (ch.4-8), God's dispensational wisdom, (ch.9-11), and God's mercies over our Christian living, in (ch.12-16). Understanding these 4 pillars, in proper order and context, is critical for faith and spiritual maturity. Consider the effects on the growth and maturity of a Christian if we review the order of these pillars in reverse. A believer's faith, identity, and stability (aka, the 4th pillar) are negatively affected if they do not have a grounding in dispensational truth. Dispensational truth, (aka, the 3rd pillar), cannot be appreciated without a firm knowledge of God's grace, and purpose, for both Israel and the Gentiles. God's absolute grace (aka, the 2nd pillar), is barely comprehendible if one has a good understanding of God's righteousness, but since many people do not even grasp the fact that they are hopelessly lost in their sins, the m...

Justification has absolutely nothing to do with us. It is a work of God, not men. It is found in the completed cross work of Christ, 2000-years ago, and God declares justification to a person when they respond to the gospel of Christ, believing in Jesus for their salvation. Furthermore, justification has nothing to do with sin, since that is already defeated at the cross. It has nothing to do with trying to live righteous by the law, since the law brings death and condemnation. It has nothing to do with repentance, since God has already forgiven us when we believe in Christ. It has nothing to do with one's works, past, present, or future, since it is Christ’s work that justifies us.  The only condition for justification, is believing in Jesus Christ. Thereafter, one serves God willingly, in the newness of the spirit, which is the increasing knowledge of His Word within us, and the blessed assurance that His grace through Christ is abundantly more than your limitations and weaknesse...

Repenting from sin is not what saves us; instead, we are saved by God's grace through faith, as explained in Eph.2:8-9. This faith means we believe in the good news that Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day. Repentance is something we do to show our obedience to God and to thank Him for His grace and mercy, and this starts after we believe in the gospel. As Christians, we will still make mistakes and sin throughout our lives, and we should repent—altering our mindset: by renewal in mind and application of our doctrine, as instructed in Rom.12:1-2. Paul says in Rom.1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth." It is not correct to say that some people who believe won’t be saved just because they haven’t repented from their sins, because that would go against what Rom.1:16 and other similar verses say, which assure us that everyone who believes will be save...

In Romans 1:16, Paul wrote, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes." To be saved, we need to believe the gospel. The word "gospel" translates to "good news." But before we can believe this good news, we need to understand what it is. I paraphrase what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4: "Brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you... that Christ died for our sins, as the Scriptures said; He was buried, and He rose again on the third day, as the Scriptures said." This is the good news we must believe to be saved. Unfortunately, many sincere Christians often use popular phrases instead of sharing the true gospel message. Some common phrases include, "Ask Jesus into your heart," or "Make Jesus your Lord and personal Savior." Another phrase you might hear is, "Say yes to Jesus today." These phrases don’t have the p...

Dictionaries are crucial for understanding word meanings, especially when delving into the King James Bible. However, the challenge arises when modern dictionaries don't always reflect the original connotations of words used in historical texts. The Bible itself, due to its extensive nature, often defines terms contextually across different verses. For example, the term "oracle" can be better understood by examining its application in various scriptures such as, 1 Kings 6:16 And he built twenty cubits on the sides of the house, both the floor and the walls with boards of cedar: he even built them for it within, even for the oracle , even for the most holy place. Acts 7:38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us: Romans 3:2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. While contemporary dictionaries ...

An incorrect approach to Bible study begins with preconceived notions, seeking out verses to support existing beliefs. For instance, to demonstrate a revival, one might cite verses about the Spirit's power and revival. Similarly, to argue against Jesus' divinity, one might select verses highlighting his humanity, submission to God, and prayers to the Father. This method overlooks context, ignores contrasting verses, and the author's intent, aiming instead to validate personal opinions with scripture. Conversely, the correct method involves allowing the Bible to shape one's beliefs. Rather than cherry-picking verses to match our ideas, we should strive to comprehend the Bible's messages within their original context. The Bible enlightens us on God, the identity and mission of Jesus, the revelation of mystery, of grace, salvation, and judgement. The scripture itself advocates for these doctrines; our role is simply to convey its teachings. Hence, the Bible should not ...

The bible is the ONLY source of truth! All other materials are interpretations of that truth. Some interpretations might be accurate, some might not, some might be biased and become false teachings. It becomes important to weigh up the material with the Bible and eliminate content that disregards scripture or that clearly misinterprets scripture. A rule of thumb is that "scripture must interpret scripture"; in other words, that a fact must be accurately confirmed by multiple other scriptures. If a fact is based on only one verse and clearly disregards the context of the verse or violates other scriptures, that fact is probably an opinion or a false (or biased) interpretation by the author. It is imperative that one keeps this in mind as you read, study, and apply what you've learned, into your life or writings or teachings. ______________ Please share these with friends and family. Use this WhatsApp channel to receive these quick Bible lessons on your phone: https://whats...

If the short daily post does not appear on any day, it means that I have uploaded a link in the WhatsApp channel to a longer post in one of my other blogs which is also reflected in WordPress.  To view the latest WhatsApp message, click here . ______________ Please share these with friends and family. Use this WhatsApp channel to receive these quick Bible lessons on your phone: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaGag8iJP212QPSMmx2W

Our inheritance is in Christ, BUT…. the above scripture also tells us that Jesus Himself has an inheritance --which is US (ie: 'in the saints'). This should make you understand the context of the judgement seat of Christ, and the importance of having gold, silver, and precious stones, to offer Christ in that day. You are of His inheritance. When we know this, it's not just a matter of getting saved anymore! We should increase in value in order to increase His inheritance before the Father. WOW!!!  Let’s understand then that we ought not to be satisfied in just being a nominal Christian. We ought to press on in the doctrine of Christ and let it build up knowledge and wisdom of the doctrine within us, forming Christ in us, which are the riches of truth and glory, that we might be of value to the inheritance of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wood, hay and stubble have no value in the Kingdom! ______________ Please share these with friends and family. Use this WhatsApp channel to rec...

Rom 4:20 He [Abraham] staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; (21) And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. (22) And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. (23) Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; (24) But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; (25) Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. What a beautiful passage. Abraham did not waver in faith, believing that God could perform what He said, and Abraham was imputed righteousness. So it is with us. We should have unwavering faith in the cross work of Christ, for our justification, because the power of God raised up Christ from the dead to confirm that we too are imputed this same righteousness unto salvation.  God is faithful and able to do that He promised. Hallelujah! _________...

Many believers today might be saved, but they do not grow up in Christ. They remain babes in Christ, carnal Christians, because they do not pick up God's Word and study it. According to our key scripture above, “Vanity of the mind” means that believers are empty concerning the truth about Christ, which is the cause of their carnal behaviours. Their understanding is darkened, and they are ignorant of the transforming life of God that can empower them to live a life that is pleasing to Him. Paul continues to confirm that, we have not learned Christ in this way.   It is through learning the Bible, studying it, understanding it, and through obedience to it, allowing it to renew us, and influence us, that we will be empowered to put off the old carnal man with his old desires and by being renewed in the knowledge of the Word, to put on the new man which can walk in an increasing measure of righteousness and godliness towards God. ______________ Please share these with friends and famil...

The Christian journey should be one of continual growth. Even the Apostle Paul, long after his conversion, confessed that he still had more to attain to and apprehend of Christ, Phil.3:12. Those who have been believers for a long time are expected to have a deeper understanding of the Scriptures than those who have been saved for less time. It is God's will that we develop in spiritual knowledge 1Tim.2:4, and we do that by first choosing to separate ourselves from traditions and denominational beliefs that we have been taught, and then to dig into the written Word for ourselves, to read it, to study its dispensations, to rightly divide its doctrines, and to learn of God's divine plan for both heaven and earth. To honor the Lord, we are to follow the example of Paul's life and ministry. The sound doctrine entrusted to Paul is crucial for allowing Jesus Christ to manifest His life within and through us. The key to our spiritual growth is parallelled only by our increasing kno...

V.25 highlights 2-crucial factors for our salvation: The death of Christ, which atones for our sins. The resurrection of Christ, guaranteeing our own resurrection and eternal life with God. Christ's resurrection was the vindication of God’s acceptance of the sacrifice for our sins. His resurrection brought about the reality of our justification before God. God raised Jesus as a preview of all those who follow Him. When we are raised from the dead, we will appear before God, wholly accepted in His sight. The resurrection is the assurance that Jesus has fully settled our debt with God. Without his resurrection, we would not know whether our account was paid in full. However, because Jesus lives, it will be fully evident, upon meeting God, that we have been justified. The sure proof of our salvation lies in our complete acceptance by God. He accepted the resurrection of Jesus and He accepts our resurrection. Jesus represents us in every respect, and God is satisfied with Him and us fu...

V.25 highlights 2-crucial factors for our salvation: The death of Christ, which atones for our sins. The resurrection of Christ, guaranteeing our own resurrection and eternal life with God. The crucifixion of Jesus as atonement for our sins holds a central position in God's plan of salvation. Without His death, we cannot receive justification or the imputation of God's righteousness to us. "Delivered up" signifies being handed over; God intentionally surrendered Jesus to die for our sins. This act was God's judicial response to our wrongdoings. Jesus bore the death penalty for our sins. It was not the Jews or the Romans who ultimately handed Jesus over for crucifixion—God was the one who did it, a decision made from eternity (Rev.13:8). Jesus' death was part of God's predetermined plan to deliver us from our guilt and offences, Isa.53:10; Rom.8:32; Act.2:22-23. Just as a judge orders the execution of a convicted murderer, so the Father ordered the execu...

4-Aspects of Christ's death at Calvary: crucifixion, substitution, representation, and identification. Crucifixion: execution by being nailed to a cross and left to suffer in extreme agony until death. This humiliation stands as a testament to Christ's humility and obedience unto death, even death on a cross. We cannot fully comprehend the cross unless we recognize that Christ died there as our Substitute, atoning for our sins. He bore our sins in His own body on the tree, 1Cor.15:3. Christ served not only as our Substitute; He was our willing Representative at Calvary, assuming human form to stand in for humanity before God and to die as a Man for men. Identification: Christ became identified with us at Calvary, and in turn, we become identified with Him as we accept Him by faith. Paul writes, "I am crucified with Christ, yet I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave...