For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. James 2:26 KJV This statement from James, the brother of Jesus, cuts to the core of a controversy that exists in our understanding of Christian faith. Are we saved by faith or by works? Scripture teaches that our...
They are of the world. Therefore they speak of the world, and the world hears them. 1 John 4:5 WEB Chapter four of 1 John begins cautioning the reader to test all spirits to see if they are from God. It is a warning to beware of false teachers because of the many false prophets present in the...
Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” John 4:16 WEB Christ’s words, “Go, call your husband,” directed to a Samaritan woman as she draws water from a well give insight to those who worship God with a hardened heart. She knows of prophets, God and worship but is far from...
Stand firm therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and don’t be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Galatians 5:1 WEB In this verse of his letter to the Galatians, Paul encourages his readers to to stand firm in Christ. The liberty that the Lord gives releases us from the...
If then I don’t know the meaning of the sound, I would be to him who speaks a foreigner, and he who speaks would be a foreigner to me. 1 Corinthians 14:11 WEB In this scripture from his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul reasons about the effective use and purpose for speaking in tongues....
He made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the surface of the earth, having determined appointed seasons, and the boundaries of their dwellings, Acts 17:26 WEB Chapter seventeen of the Book of Acts describes Pauls’s Journey through three Greek cities. In Thessalonica and Berea,...
Now while the multitude pressed on him and heard the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret. Luke 5:1 WEB The lake of Gennesaret is another name for the Sea of Galilee. By this point in the ministry of Jesus, large crowds followed him to hear the word of God. Although he generally...
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart...
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? Romans 6:1 KJV The grace of God is greater than the sins of mankind. Realizing this, some may wonder, “Shall we continue in sin?” If God is so forgiving and his grace all encompassing, then why do we bother to change our...
In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. 1 Timothy 3:8 NIV Too often, the church suffers in its ability to spread the truth of the gospel because of the reputations of those who serve the church. For this reason,...
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. Hebrews 9:27 KJV In contrast to religions that teach reincarnation or secular views of degrading into nothing, the Christian faith teaches rebirth in Christ and thereafter the righteous judgment of God. Each of us is held...
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, Ephesians 1:13 NIV Paul opens his letter to the church in Ephesus with a greeting that offers his wishes of grace...
