The BIG Picture (Shorts)

 QUESTION: How do we know that the “grace dispensation” doesn’t coincide with the “everlasting gospel” and that both have been present since the foundation of the world? ANSWER: The present dispensation is called “the dispensation of the grace of God” (Ephesians 3:2). This message was a mystery hidden from ages and generations (Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:26), not revealed since the foundation of the world but made known through Paul after Christ’s ascension. Paul affirms that his gospel came “by the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:11-12). Its content is the finished work of Christ: “how that Christ died for our sins… and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Salvation today is by grace through faith, “not of works” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Since this gospel was kept secret until revealed (Romans 16:25), it cannot have been present from the foundation of the world. By contrast, the “everlasting gospel” appears in Revelation 14:6-7, whe...

Rightly dividing is the key to proper contextual and accurate interpretation of Scripture. Without it, the Word is mixed together, blended across programs, and ultimately skewed. Passages meant for Israel under the law are wrongly applied to the Body of Christ under grace, and promises given to a nation are confused with instructions for the church. The result is spiritual instability, because truth has not been handled in its proper context. Yet notice this: rightly dividing is not the starting point, it is the outcome of study. Paul says, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). When we truly labour in the Word, comparing Scripture with Scripture, we begin to see the distinctions God Himself has made. We see the difference between prophecy and mystery, between law and grace, between Israel’s earthly kingdom hope and the church’s heavenly calling. One will never truly grasp the importance ...

Many believers stumble over Paul’s words in Romans 6:14. The verse is often misused to suggest that Christians can live however they please because they are “under grace.” Yet this is a distortion. Paul is not excusing sin; he is declaring its defeat. Why is it misunderstood? Some interpret “not under the law” as freedom from all moral responsibility, while others wrongly blend law and grace, teaching that believers must keep Israel’s commandments to maintain favour with God. Both errors miss Paul’s dispensational point. What does it mean? The law was given to Israel to expose sin and prove man’s inability to please God in the flesh. Grace, revealed through Christ’s finished work, provides righteousness apart from the law. Under grace, sin’s dominion is broken because believers are identified with Christ’s death and resurrection. Our standing before God is secure, not by performance, but by His gift. The correction: Romans 6:14 is not a licence to sin, nor a call to return to ...

 “Sell that ye have, and give alms” (Luke 12:33). Is this a command for Christians today? It was Jesus who said it — but He was speaking to Israel, preparing them for the earthly kingdom. They were to sell their possessions and live communally, trusting God to provide (see Acts 2:44-45). Why? Because their hope was earthly, and their programme was prophetic. But Paul never gave this command to the Church. He taught believers to work, provide, and give freely — not under compulsion (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12; 2 Corinthians 9:7). Why the difference? Because the programme changed. Israel’s kingdom gospel required readiness for Messiah’s reign. Our gospel of grace reveals a heavenly calling, not an earthly one. The Body of Christ isn’t waiting for a kingdom — we’re seated in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6). Under the Law, giving was commanded — fixed amounts, strict timing, and visible compliance. It was about obligation, not overflow. But grace changes our reality and response. We give ...

The eyes of our faith are not to be fixed on the outer man—his health, his wealth, his circumstances, or his religious performance, as these things may change, fade, or even deceive. But the inner man, renewed day by day, is where the Spirit works and where truth dwells. Our faith is not grounded in what we see, feel, or experience. It is grounded in what we know—specifically, in the words of our sound doctrine: the gospel of Christ according to the revelation of the mystery, found in Paul’s epistles and rightly divided from prophecy. Not vague impressions, not mystical signs, not emotional highs. But the written Word of God rightly divided, believed with understanding, and held with assurance. “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16). That renewal comes not through external effort or change, but through spiritual truth. And spiritual truth is found in our doctrine. So, we do not chase the visible—m...

It’s not always obvious. The weaker brother isn’t the one who skips church or struggles with prayer. He’s often the one who looks the most committed. He avoids meat, steers clear of certain days, and holds tight to rules that make him feel holy. He’s sincere. He’s serious. And in his own mind, he’s strong. But Paul says otherwise. The weaker brother is weak in faith—not weak in effort. He’s not rebellious, he’s just unsure. His conscience is sensitive, sometimes misinformed. He’s afraid of dishonouring God, so he builds fences where God gave freedom. He’s shaped by tradition, not truth. And while his heart may be in the right place, his understanding hasn’t caught up. He sees liberty and feels guilt. He sees others walking free and assumes they’re careless. He equates restraint with righteousness. And when someone enjoys a freedom he avoids, he’s offended—not because they’re wrong, but because he’s unsettled. Now here’s the twist: He thinks he’s the strong one. He sees his strictness a...

If a man seeks to be justified by the law, he must keep  all  of it. Scripture does not permit selective obedience: “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” —  James 2:10 “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” —  Galatians 3:10 “I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.” —  Galatians 5:3 The Law Was Made for the Unrighteous The law was not designed for the righteous, but to expose and restrain sin: “Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners…” —  1 Timothy 1:9 The law reveals sin, but it cannot remove it. It condemns, but cannot justify. We Are Not Under Law, But Under Grace Through Christ, we are freed from the law’s condemnation—not to sin freely, but to live freely  from  sin: “For s...

When Paul stood in the temple, accusations flew—he was charged with speaking against Israel, the law, and the temple, Act.21:27-28. But was this true? Absolutely not! Paul, an apostle of God, was entrusted with  a NEW dispensation , one not rooted in the law, but  in grace . A doctrine revealed  for all mankind , not limited to one nation or one place. The temple made of stone was no longer necessary, for  the true temple is the spiritual body of Christ . Today, God is not operating in Israel's kingdom program meant for another time—He is working in the dispensation of grace, for the Body of Christ, where  salvation is freely given to all who believe , Rom.5:15-16; Rom.6:23. Let’s be sure we understand this doctrine, as it is the doctrine for today.  Are you standing firm in the truth revealed to Paul?  Don’t hold onto an old program with old commandments when God has revealed something greater through Christ! ______________ Please share these with f...

FACT NO. 3 —That the gospel we are to preach is called the Gospel of the grace of God. “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify THE GOSPEL OF THE GRACE OF GOD” (Acts 20:24). This is God’s only message for the lost in this present age. We are to follow Paul as he followed Christ (I Cor. 11:1). In his writings ALONE do we find the doctrine, position, walk, and destiny of the Christian. Some other important aspects of grace are: 1. We are saved by GRACE—Eph. 2:8,9. 2. We are justified freely by His GRACE—Rom. 3:24; Titus 3:7. 3. His GRACE is sufficient for us—II Cor. 12:9. 4. We are not under Law but under GRACE—Rom. 6:14,15. 5. This age is the age of GRACE —Eph. 3:2. 6. We are to approach the throne of GRACE in prayer—Heb. 4:16. More FACTS to follow... See this article for even more rightly dividing differences By Robert C. Brock Source:...

FACT NO. 2 —That the DISTINCTIVENESS of Pauline truth is a most important doctrine of the Bible. The risen Lord Jesus Christ revealed His heart and His mind to the Apostle Paul: “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it but by THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST” (Gal. 1:11,12). “If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward; how that BY REVELATION He made known unto me the MYSTERY…” (Eph. 3:2,3). This proves conclusively that Paul did not preach what the 12 Apostles preached. Rather he went up to Jerusalem to TELL THEM of the special gospel of grace that Christ gave to him (Gal. 2:2). He preached Jesus Christ according to the REVELATION OF THE MYSTERY which was kept secret, hid in God (Rom. 16:25; Eph. 3:9). He was the Apostle to the Gentiles and magnified his office (Rom. 11:13). More FACTS to follow... See this article for even more rightly d...

1 Tim.1:15-16 ... that in me first ... The key word here is 'FIRST'. First in what? —Salvation of course! But how could this be since God had shown mercy to save many others before Paul? Paul was certainly not the first person to ever be saved! No, but we must understand that Paul's conversion started a brand new 'mystery' program, the program of grace, and he was the first to be saved into this new program. Paul is the first member immersed into the Body of Christ. He was divinely selected by the risen Christ to become the apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15; Gal.1:1). Christ would reveal to him the secrets of this new dispensation (Eph.3:1-5) and provide him the gospel of grace (Gal.1:11-12). This is why Paul says that in Christ Jesus he has begotten us through the gospel (1 Cor.4:15). ______________ Please share these with friends and family. Use this WhatsApp channel to receive these quick Bible lessons on your phone: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaGag8iJP212...

The Word says, “I’m not under the law but under grace,” but what does that mean? What's grace and how are you under grace? Well, consider this: The Bible says grace through what? Faith. Eph.2:8 "For by grace are ye saved through faith;". Then, faith comes by what? Hearing. Rom.10:17a "So then faith cometh by hearing,". Hearing by what? The word of God. Rom.10:17b "and hearing by the word of God."  So, ultimately, where is grace? It’s found in the Word. Thus, when you say you’re under grace, it means you are to place yourself under the authority of the written Word of God: study it, let it renew you, apply it in your life by faith. It's then that you'll experience God's grace, not only for justification, but for sanctification in this life too. 1Thess.2:13 "For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the wo...

Between the Kingdom and Grace programs, provision works differently when you study and compare the two. In the Kingdom program the Lord told His disciples they can ask for anything (for ex: Matt7:7-8, Matt.18:19, Matt.21:22) and it will be given them. This is actually a command that will be more relevant in the Millennial Kingdom, when the law is written upon their hearts according to the New Covenant (Jer.31:31-34; Ezek.36:24-28). Nevertheless, even when Peter, and the other 11 prayed, their prayers were answered and the dead rose, the sick were healed, and necessities were provided. Today in this grace age, God, in His wisdom and purpose, can work miracles today, but it is not the primary focus. We live by faith today. Paul prayed many times for help, needs and relief, but he did not get it, 2Cor.12:7-10. Today, we can pray all kinds of prayers and supplications, but our faith is in His grace and not in favourable answers for provision, comforts, and necessities. Whether God provides...

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, ...

Romans 8:1 refers to our daily walk as believers rather than our initial salvation. The term "condemnation" in Rom.8:1 refers to self-condemnation, not eternal damnation. When we are not walking in our identity under grace, we find ourselves falling into Law, which brings this condemnation. In Romans 7, Paul expresses misery due to legalism rather than grace, and the term "therefore" in our key verse connects to all those emotions in Romans 7, which depicts a believer overwhelmed by self-condemnation, mirroring the defeat and depression of many Christians today.  Believers should not continue in a mindset of ignorance to Paul's doctrine, as sin is inevitable. To live in accordance with the Spirit, we must align our thoughts with our new identity in Christ, and this comes by studying and applying our grace doctrine in Paul's epistles. When we become transformed by the renewing of our mind, we start to walk by the Spirit (of the Word), and we grow in conform...

The liberty of our grace doctrine, given by Christ, is not an invitation to indulge in fleshly desires, but it teaches a transition from carnal babes to the freedom and responsibility of spiritually mature sons, who grow up in godliness, Gal.3:24 and 4:1-7. Paul's grace doctrine challenges the false notions that grace allows believers the freedom to do as they wish. Paul faced false accusations of promoting this view, having been "slanderously reported" in Rom.3:8, but unfortunately, carnal believers continue to exploit their freedom as an excuse for self-indulgence, turning liberty to license, an error as severe as turning from liberty to law. In Eph.4:20, Paul states, "But you have not so learned Christ." This statement, of itself, informs us of the root and fix of this issue. It is only proper doctrine and teaching of the rightly divided Word of truth that can stablish the hearts of babes and motivate them to the deeper things of Christ; the work of faith, ...

It is interesting to note that the Apostle Paul rarely talks about his own love for Christ. Instead, he often talks about Christ's deep love for him. He doesn't tell us to love Christ, but he highlights how much Christ loves us. This is in line with the special message committed to him: "The Gospel of the Grace of God" (Act.20:24). The Law commands, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God" (Matt.22:37), which is its core principle. Indeed, we should love God, but the law cannot make us love Him. Therefore, in grace, God tells us, "I love you." It is for this reason that Paul's letters are full of mentions of "the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus" (Rom.8:39). Just because God interacts with us through grace doesn't mean that believers shouldn't or don't love Him. In fact, love begets, or leads to more love. It is through learning and growing in understanding of Christ's love (through the written Word) that people...

Every Pauline epistle opens with “grace and peace” (Rom.1:7; 1Cor.1:3; 2Cor.1:2; Gal.1:3; Eph.1:2; Phil.1:2; Col.1:2; 1Thess.1:1; 2Thess.1:2; 1Tim.1:2; 2Tim.1:2; Tit.1:4; Phm.3). Rather than wrath and judgment, God's attitude towards the whole world—all nations—in the Dispensation of Grace is characterized by grace and peace. This message is unique to Paul's apostleship, as searching through the Scriptures will reveal no similar proclamation before it. The question then arises: how did such a dramatic shift in God's attitude towards the Gentiles occur? The key is the cross of Jesus Christ! In 2Cor.5:19, it states that God does not count the world's trespasses against it. The cross work of Jesus Christ serves as the means for God to extend grace and peace towards this present evil world. Such doctrine was completely unknown in the Bible before the ministry of Paul. It was a unique revelation given directly to Paul by the Lord Jesus Christ, Gal.1:1-4. ______________ Join...

From a ‘positional’ (heavenly) standing, we are freed from the law by the cross of Christ. Rom.7:4-6 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. (5) For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. (6) But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. From a ‘practical’ (earthly) standing, the law will always apply, but as we grow in obedience to the Word of God, through walking in the spirit, we learn to mortify the deeds of the flesh, Rom.8:13, and thus the law diminishes in proportion to obedience because the law is made for the transgressor, as Paul says, 1Tim.1:9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for ...

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...