Sun, Jun 19th - 11:36PM

Philippians 1

The Book of Philippians was written while Paul was under house arrest in Rome and you can see the attitude of Paul here.  Instead of being bitter he used his imprisonment as an opportunity to reach out to the Roman Christians.  During his house arrest he was allowed to have visitors and to write his letters.  Church legend has it that Paul converted a large number of the Roman guard during this time and I don’t doubt it.  While Paul was under house arrest he was constantly chained to a Roman soldier, it wouldn’t have been the same soldier but a rotation of soldiers.  Can you imagine being that soldier chained to the great evangelist Paul while he teached and preached to his visitors.  I have no doubt a large number of his guards accepted Christ.  But that goes back to what I was saying Paul used every opportunity to reach the lost.

Thu, Jun 16th - 11:25PM

Ephesians 6

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

¹¹Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

¹²For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places

Don’t be fooled the devil is very real.  I believe he is behind a lot of the evil in the world and this is what we are fighting against.  The powers that be that would keep the Word of God from reaching the lost. 

Mon, Jun 13th - 11:18PM

Ephesians 4

Ephesians 4:1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. (NIV)

As Christians we no longer live for ourselves we live for God.  We live to represent Christ on this earth as his ambassadors to a lost world.  A lot of Christians don’t grasp this concept.  They want to be a Christian but they don’t want the responsibilities that come with being a Christian.  In reality their heart is not in it.

Fri, Jun 10th - 1:23AM

Ephesians 3

Ephesians 3:11 according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. ¹² In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. (NIV)

It is through Christ and Christ alone that we can approach the Father and it is through faith in Christ as our Lord and Savior that we can approach the Father.  We don’t need any priest or anybody else to approach the Father.  Every believer has access through Christ and Christ alone.

Thu, Jun 9th - 1:16AM

Ephesians 2

Ephesians 2:1 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. ² You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world.^a]">   He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. ³ All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.  ⁴ But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, ⁵ that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)  (NLT)

Without Christ we are dead, spiritual dead.  It is only through Christ that we can have life.  Without Christ we are subject to the judgment of God.  Christ is our Savior from the just judgment we deserve for our sins.

Mon, Jun 6th - 12:51AM

Galatians 5

Galatians 5:3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law (NIV)

This is what Christians who claim to follow the Law miss.  You cannot be justified by the Law unless you keep the entire Law.  If you break one law you are guilty before God.  There is only one person who was perfect enough to keep the Law perfectly and that was Christ.  Those who claim to follow the Law are only fooling themselves.  The sacrifice system was a internal part of the Law and there hasn’t been a sacrifice made in centuries.

⁴ You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. ⁵ For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. ⁶ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. (NIV)

Those who try to work out their own salvation by keeping the Law reject the grace of God.  God gave His Son as a sin sacrifice for us that all who accept Him through faith as their Savior will be justified before God.  We are justified by faith in Christ as our Savior.

¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. (NIV)

How simple is that.  If you are led by the Holy Spirit you are not under the Law.  To simple.  So why do we have some Christians saying we are obligated to keep the Law.

Fri, Jun 3rd - 12:47AM

Galatians 4

Galatians 4:10 You are trying to earn favor with God by observing certain days or months or seasons or years. (NLT)

God is interested in true worship not rituals and rule keeping.  As the Bible says those that worship Him must do so in Spirit and in truth.  Following rules will never make you right in the eyes of God.  We are justified before God through the blood of Christ and the blood of Christ alone.  You can never do enough yourself to earn your salvation.  Those that do so are trying to do so without Christ and it doesn’t work. 

Thu, Jun 2nd - 12:56AM

Galatians 3

Galatians 3:2 Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. ³ How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? (NLT)

I think the NLT puts in pretty clear.  You can never be perfect enough through your own efforts  to earn the grace of God.  The grace of God is a gift from God to all those who accept Christ as their Savior.  I can’t believe it is 2011 and we still have pretty preaching that we have to follow the Old Testament Law.  If the Law could of brought salvation there would have been no need for Christ to die on the cross.  You can never do enough good works to earn the grace of God.  You are made perfect before God through Christ and Christ alone.

Wed, Jun 1st - 12:15AM

Galations 2

Galations 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

I think it is pretty simple.  We are not justified by the Law we are justified by faith in Christ.  Faith that Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for us, He rose again, that He is returning someday, and that He is the one and only Way to heaven.

²¹I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

If the Law was able to make us right before God than there would have been no need for Christ to die on the cross for us.  It was impossible for a man to keep every provision of the Law that is why Christ was perfect.  He alone was the only one able to keep the Law perfectly.