Galatians (Program #40) – Walking by the Spirit as The Essence of our Life

The book of Galatians gives us a clear contrast; the wonderful person of Christ is contrasted with the harsh and demanding law of the Old Testament. Surely all of God’s saved ones love this Christ. But, why then in our living do we embrace the principle of living by law rather than living by this attractive, divine person who came to replace the law?  This is our focus as we look at walking by the Spirit to live Christ on today’s edition of life study of the Bible.

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Galatians (Program #35) – Sow unto the Spirit to Reap Eternal Life

What is the aim or goal of your Christian life? Maybe it’s just to be saved, and to some day go to heaven. Maybe it’s to be the very best person that you can be. These are just a couple of the more common answers we might get from Christians today, and these are okay. But do they match the goal and the aim that are presented to us in the divine revelation of scripture?   Galatians is a book that has much to say about the aim and goal of the Christian life. We will look at what the Bible reveals as the goal of the Christian life on today’s life study of the Bible.

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Galatians (Program #21) – Baptized into Christ and Putting on Christ

The thought in this chapter (Galatians 3) is quite deep and the thought is also divine. And, it’s one thing to be in the first couple of chapters with more objective matters, precious but yet rather basic concerning the fundamental truth of the Gospel and being justified by faith through grace and not out of the works of the law. But in chapter 3 and also chapter 4, which is not that much easier than chapter 3, we’re at the heart of this book. And, we’re deep into the experiential aspect of this book.

Let me try to summarize. We have received the Spirit, not by works of law, but by the hearing of faith. By receiving the Spirit, we receive the reality of the blessing God promised to Abraham. Having received the Spirit and having been brought to Christ through the law as a child-conductor, we are now sons of God and true sons of Abraham. We have believed into Christ. We have been baptized into Christ. We have put on Christ. And, by so doing, we have put off all natural distinctions. And, this is all for the carrying out of God’s economy for us to be in Christ and for Christ to be in us, that we may be the corporate expression of Christ.

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1 Corinthians (Program #50) – Dealing with the Gifts (6)

Two chapters in 1 Corinthians deals specifically with the matter of the gifts, chapter twelve and thirteen. Though there is similarities between these two chapters there is a significant change in focus or emphasis. Eighteen times in the chapter twelve Paul uses the term, “the Body” referring of course to the Body of Christ.

But in chapter fourteen, we never hear the Body. Rather in this chapter the emphasis was the church and specifically is the building up of the church. Listen to the shift that takes place in  these few verses.

12:12 “For even as the body is one and has many members, yet all the members of the body, being many, are one body, so also is the Christ.”

12:27-28  “Now you are the Body of Christ, and members individually. And God has placed some in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then works of power, then gifts of healing, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.”

Is this just Paul used of idol synonyms? Or is this divine? Or is this the divine wisdom manifest once again for our further instruction?

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John (Program #39) – The Organism of the Triune God in the Divine Dispensation (3)

Those who refuse Christ and who stay in Adam by so doing will remain one with Satan, and as a result will participate in the judgment reserved for God’s enemy.

In this chapter (John 15), the Lord speaks plainly, directly, and profoundly concerning the divine organism. And, He says, “I am the true vine, you are the branches.” So, here we have a corporate entity. The vine with its branches composed of Christ as the embodiment and manifestation of the triune God. And, all those who have believed into Christ by receiving Him into them. The Lord calls this the true vine, the real vine. What we have in this marvelous picture is God the Father embodied in Christ who is the stock of the vine. And, all the believers who have been added to Christ, to become parts of Christ, just as the branches of the vine are parts of the vine to be an organism. So, now we have on this earth the living, divine organism of Christ and His believers, the vine and the branches.

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John (Program #34) – The Dispensing of the Triune God for the Producing of His Abode (2)

Most Christians think that the Father’s house is heaven, or a heavenly mansion. But, I hope that those who are listening would come to the Word again to see what the Bible says that the Father’s house is.

In the last message, we saw that there are two major sections to the Gospel of John. The first section is the eternal Word incarnated to bring God into man. And, this is a marvelous section. Especially we saw from Johns 3 through John 11 how when God as the Word becomes flesh to bring God into man. He is the very divine, eternal, uncreated life of God to meet the need of every man’s case.

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John (Program #28) – The Need of the Dead – Life’s Resurrecting

Lazarus comes forth, but he still has his grave clothes on. So, what the Lord told the ones around him is, “loose him and let him go”. We still need the brothers and sisters. When we meet with them, we are loose and we are free to follow Christ with those who cooperate with the Lord in resurrection.

This is the conclusion of a long section from John 3 through John 11 that shows us how Christ as the divine, eternal, uncreated life of God meets the need of every man’s case.

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John (Program #18) – The Need of the Immoral – Life’s Satisfying (2)

There is quite a sharp contrast between the Lord’s way and the way I would call religion severity. His way was gentle, wise, divine, and I would say humane. What a wise Savior we have!

In our last program, we fellowshipped about the first part of John 4 and the woman at the well not being satisfied. The Lord told her that if she continued to drink of that water, she would never be satisfied. This is evidence by the fact that she went from husband to husband. And even the one that she was with at the time, she was not married to. This is a thirsty, thirsty woman. And what the Lord offered her was not religion, but Himself as another kind of water, living water. Isn’t this what the Lord is saying to all of us in that we never seemed to be satisfied?

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Luke (Program #37) – The Ministry of the Man-Savior in His Human Virtues with His Divine Attributes from Galilee to Jerusalem (17)

The Bible in both the Old and New Testaments speaks of the coming of the Kingdom of God. The Jews at the time of the Lord Jesus and His disciples had a definite understanding of this fact. So, it’s not surprising that the pharisees questioned Him about when the Kingdom would come. His answer is recorded in Luke 17 gives us tremendous insight, not just to the timing of the Kingdom, but as to what the Kingdom of God is in reality. And, His answer touches many topics of great interest even today such as the rapture of the believers. If you’ve ever wondered when will the Lord Jesus come again and set up His Kingdom, you won’t want to miss our program today.

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Luke (Program #35) – The Ministry of the Man-Savior in His Human Virtues with His Divine Attributes from Galilee to Jerusalem (15)

What does the Bible say happens to a believer in Christ when he or she dies? Does it actually say that we are taken immediately to heaven? Well though this is the common thought among Christians, remember the question was “What does the Bible say?” We may think we know, but we may be in for a surprise when we actually look into God’s Word. We will find this very important section of scripture today in Luke 16.

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