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Paul’s greatest joy and sole desire for those whom he met was that they would come to know Christ, to trust in Him, and receive salvation through faith in His blood. As his rejoicing to God for them is their faith, of which was known throughout the ‘whole world’, Paul longed to visit the saints inRome in order to bless them with some spiritual blessing so they could grow stronger in their faith in Christ. Not only did Paul love these brothers and sisters in the Lord, but he considered himself to owe all men the benefit of hearing the gospel of Christ, and being built up and more firmly established in their faith in Him.

Romans 1:8-14

“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

For God is my witness, whom I serve w...

The letter written by the apostle Paul to the Romans is a rich treatise on the grace and goodness of God towards men. As the apostle to the Gentiles, Paul had not met those to whom his letter was sent. He begins by identifying himself and his intended audience, and clarifying the nature and purpose of his ministry, that of a servant under His Master, Jesus Christ, sent out as Christ’s ambassador with the proclamation of God’s good news pertaining to Christ.

In a few short lines, Paul succeeds at establishing both the humanity and the deity of Christ Himself, as well as the historical anticipation of His coming in fulfillment of God’s express promise recorded throughout the Old Testament.

Romans 1:7

Paul a servant of Jesus Christ, called an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, (which ...

That’s what temptation is: struggle against the urges and desires that are by nature wicked, or by circumstance detrimental. And that’s why so many people fail; because they won’t struggle. When temptation comes – and it will always come – the voice of “I want” is allowed to drown out the objections, and the urge to satisfy every tugging desire over-rules any sense of what is right, best, or helpful.

When man chooses to refuse God, why does he then accuse God of abandoning him to the consequences of his independence? While demanding that God exercise no authoritative influence over his life, he continues to expect Him to exercise exceptional benefit in interfering with any negative influences that may cross his path.

When we meet other people who desire the kind of relationship with us, one in which they only desire our presence to improve some otherwise unpleasant reality in their life, we call those people “users”.

Somehow, men have come to believe that because God is abundantly able to affect any aspect of our material existence, that if He is a good God, He is also obligated to do so to our advantage...

9       For My name’s sake will I defer mine anger, and for My praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.

10      Behold,I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.

11      For Mine own sake, even for Mine own sake, will I do it: for how should My name be polluted? and I will not give My glory unto another.

12      Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, My called; “I am He. I, the first, I also the last

13      Mine hand laid the foundation of the earth; My right hand has spanned the heavens. I call to them, they stand up together.

14      All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them hath declared these things? The LORD (YHWH) hath loved him: He will do His pleasure on Babylon, and Hi...

What was the cup which Christ came to drink?

Some say Christ’s cup was separation from God the Father, but Psalm 22 says the Father did not turn His face away from His Son on the cross, but withheld His hand until His afflicted Son spoke the word – “It is finished”.

Some say it was the cup of God’s wrath poured upon Christ for men’s sins, but when James and John asked to have the right and left-hand positions in Christ’s kingdom, answering that they were indeed prepared and able to drink of the same cup that Christ drank, Jesus affirmed that they would indeed drink of the cup that He drank. But no man bore the wrath of God for the sins of men other than Christ. No disciple bears God’s wrath for his own sin, much less for the sins of the world...

Even with the hurting Jesus spoke of sin, because without sin, the message of the gospel is meaningless. If we had no sin, we would not be enemies of God, we would not be under His judgment, we would not need reconciliation with God, nor salvation from His justice. 

Most people are not murderers, rapists, bank robbers, and child abusers. Most people’s sins are of the ‘milder’ sort: lying, gluttony, jealously, gossip, laziness, cowardice. We don’t see ourselves as ‘bad’ people because we don’t see our sins as ‘bad sins’. Consequently, most people expect God to freely allow them access to His glory on the basis of their being ‘good’ people, and do not see a need for Christ to save them...

Luke 24:36 – 48 (45)

“And as they spoke this, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, ‘Peace to you.’

But being dismayed and becoming afraid, they supposed they were seeing a spirit.

And he said to them, ‘Why are you troubled and why do thoughts come into your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that I am Myself. Handle Me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as you see I have.’

And saying this, He showed them His hands and His feet.

Because they still yet disbelieved for joy, and wondered, He said unto them, ‘Have you any food here?’

And they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish, and of honey from the comb, and taking it, He ate it in their sight.

And He said to them, ‘These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still together with ...

Sometimes people have trouble understanding that we are justified before God by faith, and not by how good we are. Some people are offended at the thought that God would justify everyone only on the basis of faith, and not on the basis of an inventory of their good works; they feel that ‘good people’ should be acceptable to God, and He should open wide the doors to His presence to all those who are ‘good’. These latter often raise the argument of the injustice of ‘horrible people’ who will get into heaven because they have faith, and therefore God is ‘unfair’. Most of this misunderstanding is rooted in the failure to understand  the key words “faith” and “justice”. 

The word ‘justice’ refers to receiving what is deserved by our actions...

John 3:3         Jesus … said unto [Nicodemus], “Truly, truly I say unto you, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Jn 3:16           For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him will not perish but have everlasting life.

Jn 3:18-21      “He that believes on Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

And this is the condemnation: that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, neither comes to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed...