December 21, 2016

The Grace of God Has Appeared

Titus 2:11

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds” (Titus 2:11-14).

In the passage above, Paul reminded Titus of the grace of God – what it does for us and also what it requires of us. Many like to think of grace in terms of what we receive, but not what we must do. Yet we must accept all that the Bible teaches about it. Let us examine this passage and see what it teaches about the grace of God.
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November 30, 2016

All the Way Down Romans Road

Road and Rainbow

“Romans Road” is a way of teaching the scheme of redemption by going through verses in the book of Romans. It is an invention of the denominational world and is used by many today. In this article, we are going to examine this “Romans Road” – what it is, how it is useful, and how those who teach it do not go far enough.
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November 16, 2016

Aylett Raines: Removing a Diminutive Pimple

Aylett Raines: Removing a Diminutive Pimple

Aylett Raines (1798-1881) was one of the early figures of the Restoration Movement. Before learning the truth, he was a Universalist. This meant he believed that all men would be saved. However, as is evident from the quote below, he learned the truth and was able to expose the fallacy of the Universalist theory of salvation.
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August 10, 2016

Grace, Faith, and Works

Ephesians 2:8

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Ephesians 2:8-10).

Even though the topic of salvation is shown to be of fundamental importance in the Scriptures, there is sharp disagreement between brethren and the religious world about it – particularly about the role that grace, faith, and works play in our salvation. Many in the religious world believe that we are saved by grace through faith without any works on our part. In other words, they believe salvation is unconditional (unless they count faith as a condition, but that would be the only one). The passage above is often cited to defend this idea. Yet as we will see from the Scriptures, all three of these – grace, faith, and works – are necessary for our salvation.
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April 25, 2016

The Importance of Faith (Part 10): Salvation

The Importance of Faith (Part 10): Salvation

“Obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:9).

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November 30, 2015

The Psalm of the Word (Part 20): Truth

The Psalm of the Word

Look upon my affliction and rescue me,
For I do not forget Your law.

Plead my cause and redeem me;
Revive me according to Your word.

Salvation is far from the wicked,
For they do not seek Your statutes.

Great are Your mercies, O Lord;
Revive me according to Your ordinances.

Many are my persecutors and my adversaries,
Yet I do not turn aside from Your testimonies.

I behold the treacherous and loathe them,
Because they do not keep Your word.

Consider how I love Your precepts;
Revive me, O Lord, according to Your lovingkindness.

The sum of Your word is truth,
And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting.

(Psalm 119:153-160)

One of the more well-known verses in this psalm identifies God’s word as truth (Psalm 119:160). However, it is not enough to merely recognize that the word is truth. We must also obey it if we hope to be saved.
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November 9, 2015

The Psalm of the Word (Part 17): Grace

The Psalm of the Word

Your testimonies are wonderful;
Therefore my soul observes them.

The unfolding of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple.

I opened my mouth wide and panted,
For I longed for Your commandments.

Turn to me and be gracious to me,
After Your manner with those who love Your name.

Establish my footsteps in Your word,
And do not let any iniquity have dominion over me.

Redeem me from the oppression of man,
That I may keep Your precepts.

Make Your face shine upon Your servant,
And teach me Your statutes.

My eyes shed streams of water,
Because they do not keep Your law.

(Psalm 119:129-136)

We typically think of grace as a New Testament feature, and it is certainly emphasized there. “For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). However, grace still existed in the Old Testament and this passage reminds us of that fact. Let us notice how God’s grace and God’s word are related.
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