If salvation is a free gift from Jesus, why won’t people believe? There are forces at work in people’s hearts that block their understanding. While we can’t make anyone choose one way or another, we can pray for them, and it helps to know what might be blocking obstacles. However, we should never pray in …
Paul’s idea of who can be saved differs significantly from the world’s. Most people think they must find favor with God by doing something. All religions, except Christianity, teach a way to earn salvation. They expect to be approved by God based on how they live, or because of what they do, on the assumption …
Are you right with God? This may be the most critical question in your life. We had a speaker at our church a few years ago who testified how the Lord intervened in his life, both spiritually and physically. Our speaker said he was close to death after being stung by a poisonous box jellyfish. …
Will you choose death or eternal life? The answer seems to be a no-brainer. It would seem obvious that everyone would choose eternal life, but that is not the reality in our world. Each person is born physically alive but dead to the things of the Lord. My granddaughter was born just a few months …
Why would we revolt against sin? Paul has this advice for the Roman church. Romans 6: 12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires.[1] Paul has just explained to the Romans that through Jesus, God has given us new life and a new nature. The Gospel is …
Jesus frees us from our sins. This is a blessing because it changes our direction in life when we come to faith. During World War II, one of my relatives was a prisoner of war and was overjoyed when he was freed. Although he had been a prisoner, his greatest gift came years earlier when …
Fear of God is life-changing when you begin to understand this is a righteous fear that keeps you on the right path in a spiritual sense. I remember when I was in the sixth grade, I had an excellent teacher that commanded the respect of every student. Her goal was to teach and keep us …
We are so fortunate that the Lord seeks us because our sinful nature is to run from Him and not to Him. You may have experienced a time when you ran from God, or maybe you are running right now, but the Lord is pursuing you. The very nature of God is to seek lost …
How did Paul send Romans a letter? We are used to email, cell phones, and faxes in our culture. Once in a while, we may even use the postal service to mail a letter. But in the first century, Paul had none of those options available. Paul used a friend named Phoebe to hand-carry his …
The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the Romans who were believers in Jesus. Yet, Paul had never visited this church. He had plans to take the Gospel of Jesus to the farthest parts of the known world at that time. This would be what we know today as Spain. He would need to use …