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There are many different religious groups today that teach a doctrine called “the perseverance of the saints”; this teaching is commonly labeled as “once saved, always saved.” As we begin to think about what the Bible says about this topic, I want to show you a quote, from a website entitled allaboutGod.com, that articulates what “once saved, always saved” is all about: The Bible teaches “once saved, always saved” — that we can be saved once and for all only…

One of the most quoted verses in all of the Bible is Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” While Philippians 4:13 is one of the most well-known verses in Scripture, in my opinion, it is also one of the most taken out of context. Philippians 4:13 is oftentimes quoted by athletes before sporting events, preachers as a source of general encouragement, or speakers at school graduations. Very rarely does a quotation of Philippians 4:13…

War requires communication. Communication is essential to victory in battle. Failing to realize this was one of the reasons why Germany so easily defeated France in the Battle of France in World War II. The German tanks had wireless radios that provided a means of instant communication. In contrast, from 1923- 1939, only 0.15% of the French military spending was used on communication equipment. Because the French were not able to communicate with one another as quickly as the Germans…

In order to stand against the attacks of our spiritual enemy, we must trust in God’s strength and take up His armor (Ephesians 6:10-20). There is one final piece of armor that we have not discussed yet that we must use in our battle against the enemy: “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). The other pieces of armor that we have considered over the last several weeks are usually only used defensively; this…

Have you ever sinned? I know that I have. In fact, Scripture teaches us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Sin separates humanity from God (Isaiah 59:2) because evil cannot dwell with God (Psalm 5:4). The price that we should have to pay for our sin is death (Romans 6:23). This is exactly what Satan wants for us. As our enemy, Satan’s number one goal is to destroy us (1 Peter 5:6).…

To first century Roman soldiers, a shield was a very significant defensive weapon. If you are like me, when I think of a shield, I think of a round circular piece of metal with a fancy looking symbol on it. However, the shields of first century Roman soldiers were not like that at all. According to an ancient Roman historian named Polybius, Roman shields were very large; they were in the shape of a rectangle, being four feet long and…

In our lives, we have different shoes for different occasions. Speaking in generalities, a football player wears cleats, a cowboy wears boots, a runner wears running shoes, a lawyer wears dress shoes, a basketball player wears high-top sneakers, and a surfer wears flip flops. The shoes that we wear depend on where we are and what we are doing. As Christians, as we wage war daily against Satan and his demons by putting on the whole armor of God (Ephesians…

As we are all aware, Satan not only schemes against us (2 Corinthians 2:11) but also carries out those plans in an attempt to devour us (1 Peter 5:8). One way that Satan wages war against us is by trying to make us doubt our status before God. For example, Satan tried to create doubt in Eve’s heart concerning God’s word when he said to her, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?’”…

As we go to war each day against Satan and his schemes, according to Ephesians 6:10-20, we must choose to take up the whole armor of God. When we take up the armor that God supplies for us, we will be able to stand against our enemy. We cannot stand against Satan based on our own strength; as we take up God’s armor, we must be strong in the power that He supplies. Our enemy, Satan, is a liar. As…

We are all familiar with the idea of war. I read about a group of historians who claim that, within the last 5,600 years, there have been 14,351 wars resulting in about 3.64 billion casualties. During that same period, there have only been 292 combined years of peace. There is a war going on right now that is not included in those statistics; it is a war that all Christians are a part of. As followers of Jesus, every single…

Over the past ten weeks, we have had the opportunity to consider the identity of Jesus Christ. Although we have certainly not covered the topic exhaustively, I believe that we have seen several helpful ideas that are both applicable to life and anchored to Scripture. We have thought about Jesus’ incarnation and role as Creator and Sustainer of all things. We have considered how Jesus makes the invisible Father known to us and speaks on His behalf. We have seen…

As Job went through an indescribable amount of suffering in Job 1-2, in Job 9, Job pictures himself in a courtroom with God. In Job’s attempt to demonstrate his innocence before God, he highlights this problem in Job 9:33: “There is no arbiter between us, who might lay his hand on us both.” In Job’s situation, there is no mediator between him and God. There is no one to intercede between the two parties. There is no one to lay…

One of the most familiar titles that is used to describe the Lord Jesus is “Son of God.” This phrase is used to refer to Jesus about thirty-seven times in the New Testament. Just to list a few of those, in Matthew 16:16, Peter confessed Jesus to be “the Son of the living God.” As Paul states, “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who…

In the Old Testament, God made a very powerful promise to King David: “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom… I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (2 Samuel 7:12-13). This promise is echoed to the prophet Isaiah: “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from…

If you had the opportunity to read last week’s article, we thought about what Jesus being the “Son of Man” means. Based on how the Old Testament uses the phrase the majority of the time, this title demonstrates our Lord’s humanity. Demonstrating great humility, Jesus came to earth and lived as a human being. While being true, this is only a part of what Jesus being the “Son of Man” means. For Jesus, the title “Son of Man” demonstrates not…

In the New Testament, the phrase “Son of Man” is used to describe Jesus almost eighty-eight times. In fact, this was Jesus’ favorite way to refer to Himself. Jesus refers to Himself as the “Son of Man” about fifty times throughout the four Gospels. What is the significance of this phrase? What does this title teach us about the identity of our Lord and Savior? In the Old Testament, the phrase “son of man” is oftentimes used to simply refer…

What does it mean for Jesus to be “the Christ”? When I was younger, I thought that “Christ” was Jesus’ last name. As I grew in knowledge, I found that to be incorrect. Instead of being a name, “Christ” is a title that Jesus holds, position that He occupies, and function that He carries out. “Christ” is a term that describes to us who Jesus really is. “Christ” is a word in the New Testament that comes from the Greek…

Consider the words of Hebrews 1:1-2: “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.” Going back to the Old Testament, God spoke to the nation of Israel through His prophets. Prophets were messengers of God. God communicated to the prophets the message that He wanted the nation of Israel to hear. Then, the prophets would proclaim God’s message…

Scripture is very clear in stating that human eyes have never seen and are not able to see the fullness of God’s glory and person. In the Bible, God is described as being “invisible” (Colossians 1:15; 1 Timothy 1:17). God is the one “whom no one has ever seen or can see” (1 Timothy 6:16). The Apostle John uses the same phrase two different times in order to describe this reality: “No one has ever seen God” (John 1:18; 1…

One of the most well-known, important stories in all of the Bible is the seven days of creation recorded in Genesis 1-2. Truly, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). In the midst of the Ten Commandments, we find an excellent summary of this indescribable series of events: “For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day” (Exodus 20:11). All…

Over the next few weeks, I would like us to consider a question of the greatest importance. It is a question that determines who we are, what we do, and where we will spend an eternity. Who is Jesus? What does the Bible teach us about the identity of Jesus? As we think about this question together, we are going to examine several different passages over the next several weeks. Today, we are going to begin by thinking about what…