1 Peter (Program #15) -Christian Life and Its Sufferings (2)

The word “grace” bears tremendous significance in the New Testament, yet like so many biblical terms, it has become almost a clichéd to many people and it’s been greatly devalued in the understanding of most Christians.  God’s unmerited favor has become the most common definition among believers.   While this does convey a certain  limited sense of the word, it’s obvious by considering Scriptures that this definition is grossly inadequate.

Consider Peter’s use of the word “grace” in 1 Peter 2:19-20 “for this is grace” he writes “if anyone, because of a consciousness of God, bears sorrows by suffering unjustly.  For what glory is it if, while sinning and being buffeted, you endure? But if, while doing good and suffering, you endure, this is grace with God.“

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Hebrews (Program #51) – Discipline for Holiness

In today’s life study, we look at the Christian walk: A walk of holiness, righteousness, and peace as we enter into the Holy of Holies in our everyday Christian life.

The tabernacle of the old testament is a marvelous picture of our experience of Christ, and is a favorite theme in the book of Hebrews. At the center of the tabernacle is the Holy of Holies. Holy, because God’s very presence is there. But, we can also be there as we will see in today’s life study of the Bible.

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Hebrews (Program #50) – Run the Race

You know it’s very important that we, believers in Christ, realize that we’re not just forgiven sinners that are waiting to go to heaven. There is a race for us to run, and there is a goal for us to reach.

At least four different times, the apostle Paul likened the Christian life to a race that we need to run. As we walk in spirit, we are also running this race with a great cloud of heavenly onlookers urging us to the finish line, with the promise of great reward to those who finish. We will look at the universal race on today’s life study of the Bible.

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Hebrews (Program #31) – The Heavenly Ministry of the Heavenly Christ

Too many of us as Christians have stopped our progress at the cross but we have not gone on to experience Christ on the throne. Today’s message I believe we’ll get much help how to progress on our Christian life.

We’re going to see Christ today as the Great High Priest ministering in two aspects. I think this portion of Scripture may tend to scare some people off because they just don’t understand what these types and pictures refer to and how they apply to them. The message we’re hearing today so clearly defines both of these aspects – the priesthood according to Aaron and the priesthood according to the order of Melchisedec. We will get a full appreciation of what has been accomplished by Christ as our High Priest.

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2 Thessalonians (Program #6) – Chosen by God Unto Salvation in Sanctification of the Spirit (2)

For a Christian salvation has many facets, many aspects. One of the great mistakes we can make in our Christian life is to assume that sum total of our salvation is the forgiveness of sins and the promise of everlasting life.  Surely these are facets, important facets of God’s full salvation but there are far more to our salvation that we dare not neglect. This may had been on the apostle Paul’s heart when he wrote to the young believers in Thessalonica in his second epistle. In Chapter 2:13, he wrote “But we ought to thank God always concerning you, brothers beloved of the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning unto salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.”  We have been chosen with a view toward salvation, a salvation that includes sanctification of the Spirit. Here, salvation can be liken to a long bridge. A bridge upon which we, the believers cross over bringing us out of this present evil age and into the realm of eternity.

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1 Thessalonians (Program #13) – The Hope of the Christian Life

In the apostle Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians he vividly describes how desperate mankind is apart from God. Listen to Chapter 2:12
“That you were at that time apart from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.”

But in his letter to the new believers in Thessalonica he repeatedly points them to the great hope of all the believers and that is the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and the promise of our rapture at the end of the age.

Rapture is a big topic in the New Testament but in the few selected verses in 1 Thessalonians we have a marvelous overview that will fill all believers with the genuine hope. Promised in God’s word and secured in the shed blood of Christ. He is coming again and all those who believe will join Him at that coming.

“But we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who are sleeping, that you would not grieve even as also the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and arose, so also those who have fallen asleep through Jesus, God will bring with Him. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are living, who are left remaining unto the coming of the Lord, shall by no means precede those who have fallen asleep; Because the Lord Himself, with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are living, who are left remaining, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and thus we will be always with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

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1 Thessalonians (Program #5) – The Church in the Triune God

In all of his epistles, the apostle Paul under scores that our God is Triune. That is He is God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit. And as such He becomes available to us not only as our Father and Savior without but also as the very source of our Christian life within.

Paul concludes 2 Corinthians, a marvelous book with an unmistakable reference to the Trinity, 13:14 “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”  But in both 1 & 2 Thessalonians he begins the books by drawing our attention not just to God in a general way but to the Triune God as he says, “to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.“

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1 Thessalonians (Program #4) – The Triune God Embodied in the Word to Produce a Holy Life for the Church Life (2)

First Thessalonians, a letter written to a very young Church composed of newly saved believers reveals the Triune God in the first chapter. But this unveiling of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit goes on to reveal not just that God is Triune but that in our dynamic salvation all three of the Godhead are ministered to us becoming the very substance and elements of our faith and the beginning of our Christian life. A life relationship with God Himself.

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1 Thessalonians (Program #2) – Characteristics of a Holy Life for the Church Life

The more you read the book of 1 Thessalonians, the more you can realize that this letter was written to very new believers. The apostle Paul passing through Macedonia close to one year before spent three weeks preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ in, to use his word, power, in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance to the people of this dark and sinful city.

In God’s mercy a good number of these worldly people got saved in a marvelous way. And from that short time of labor the Church in Thessalonica was born. Their testimony became an encouragement to the entire region. And now several months later the apostle writes the first of his two epistles to them with the goal not just of encouraging them but of strengthening them in three important characteristics of the Christian life.

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Colossians (Program #31) – Identified with Christ by Being Grafted into Him

We all realize that the air we breathe is all around us. So, is it fair to say that we are in the air? Of course it is. But, there’s another aspect of the air that’s also obvious, and that is that as we breath it, it fills our lungs. So, it’s also true to say that the air is in us. Without us first being in the air, there’s no way that the air could be in us. Well, what does this all have to do with the Christian life you say? Well, the Bible says that we are in Christ. But equally worth our attention, it tells us that Christ is in us as well. Identified with Christ by being grafted into Him. That’s our topic today on this life study of the Bible from Colossians.

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