On the Bible and Faith

“THE NEW BIRTH”

“The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”- John 3:8

NICODEMUS, a ruler of the Jews, has come to Jesus by night that he might learn something of the Man.  He came by night for fear of his good brethren who might expel him from the synagogue for seeking the Nazarene.  Surely, many today would follow Him if they could leave their upper seats.  Here, as we find in every instance, our Lord’s conversation was immediately upon spiritual matters. …

“STRENGTHENED WITH MIGHT”

“That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man”-Ephesians 3:16

Our message comes to you today from the floor of a Roman prison where we find the apostle on bended knees praying for the Ephesian Church.  Though he was in prison, he was not an idle Christian.  His pen and his prayers were active, focused upon God and His people.  As we read this prayer it seems almost convoluted.  Paul is the one in prison, yet, we find him praying that the Ephesians would be strengthened.  We might write our…

“THE SAINT’S EVERLASTING REST”

“And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels”- 2 Thessalonians  1:7

“The seventeenth century Puritan, Richard Baxter had a thriving ministry in Kidderminster.  When he arrived, scarcely one house on any street maintained family religion.  By the time he left, he could say that scarcely could on house on any street be found where hymns were not sung and prayers offered every evening.  He was a godly man of uncommon talents and piety.  But Baxter was also a very sicklyu man.  Throughout his…

“THREE THAT BEAR RECORD”

“For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one”-1 John 5:7

The doctrine of the trinity has always been believed and preached in the Christian Church as we can tell by the writing of our beloved John.  The oldest confessions of the Christian faith emphatically declare a belief in the trinity, and most importantly, we find it declared from Genesis to Revelation.  It sheds light not only on our personal experience with God, but also reveals the roles that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit play in…

“SHADOWS”

“And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty…. And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen.”-Exodus 28:2,5.

The Old Testament abounds with types, shadows and figures of  the coming King.  In his letter to the Hebrews, Paul referred to them as “patterns of things in the heavens”(9:23), “figures of the true”(9:24), and “the example and shadow of heavenly things”(8:5).  The person of Christ, the story of redemption, how it would be carried out were meticulously played out by the Hebrews as they worshipped under the law.…

"THE GIFT"

"Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift"- 2 Corinthians 9:15

Undefinable by the mortal tongue the gift was given.  From heaven to earth, from glory to a sin cursed world, the gift would descend.  Without tinsel or ribbon, no gift has ever graced the halls of humanity as the gift of the Christ child.  The gift was not for pomp or show, the king was not invited, lowly shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night, they would witness the gift, a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a lowly manger.  This was no ordinary babe.  Verily man, verily God,…

“BAPTISM, THE ANSWER OF A GOOD CONSCIENCE”

“The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ” 1 Peter 3:21

Through the centuries, the ordinance of Baptism has been misrepresented as to its purpose and benefit in the New Testament Church.  It was during the 1800’s, that Spurgeon preached his great sermon against “Baptismal Regeneration” which sermon is still available today in the reprinted sermons of this great preacher.  Simply, and we must add,…

“A MATTER OF PRIORITY”

33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33

Among the many things that Jesus taught in His sermon on the mount, He taught His disciples that His kingdom must have priority in their lives.  From our earliest existence, many of us have heard similar words from parents and peers, “you need to go to church”. Until we understand these words of Christ, the reasons for such counsel have seemed vague and obscure.  So, many of us first began to attend church out of a sense of duty, rather than for the…

“AS DEAR CHILDREN”

“Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children”-Ephesians 5:1

In his letter to the Ephesian Church, we find some of the apostles most endearing pleas for Christian living. The order of the epistle is significant.  The first three chapters are primarily doctrinal.  Concerning these chapters, one scholar called them “The profoundest thing ever written.  He sounds the heights and depths of truth.”  The last three chapters are practical, dealing with the Christian’s behavior. The significance of this is noteworthy.  First, Paul reminds them of the blessings they have…