By: Undre Griggs, Jr To understand the power of Jesus Christ we have to understand our own shortcomings. We have to understand well intentioned people are going to let us down. We also need to understand on our best day we are going to sin and make mistakes. Whether that sin comes by way of thought, action, or inaction is of no difference. 1 John 1:8 (ESV): If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. Romans 3:23 (ESV): For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, If all have sinned and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), how come some are going to be saved and some are going to perish? Quite simply, those who understand they sin every day and understand they will perish as a result will seek something to save themselves. Consider the task of walking in the light as Jesus walked in the light. 1 John 1:7 (ESV): But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. Jesus stayed in the light till death and we are expected to do the same. But since we are in HIS light, we still have OUR darkness. As sinners, our light is not bright enough to save us; therefore we must walk in the pure light of Jesus Christ. As long as we stay in His light, we will be purified, but the moment we leave… our darkness will flourish. There is the need for a continual washing and rejuvenating of our soul in the blood of Jesus Christ (Romans 5:9). And there remains only one to be washed in the blood of Jesus, and that is through baptism for the remission of sin. Revelation 1:5 (ESV): And from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood
By: Undre Griggs, Jr Death comes for us all and none of us know the day or the hour. The unknown frequently brings about fear and anxiety, but should death be any different? We tend to try and prepare as best as we can for the unknown. In the case of death, we purchase life insurance policies, fill out wills, and buy burial plots. But can we ever truly do enough to be prepared for our physical death? Should we be worried and anxious about the unknown or should we focus on what we do know? We know that worrying will not add a single hour to our life, so ideally we should focus on what we do know about death. We know that God created us with a soul: Genesis 2:7 (KJV): "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” We know that our bodies are temporary and return to dust: Ecclesiastes 12:7 (NIV): and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. As a result of having a soul, we know that a physical death is not the end: John 11:25 (NIV): Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; Hosea 13:14 (NIV): “I will deliver this people from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. Where, O death, are your plagues? Where, O grave, is your destruction? We know that Jesus Christ died to free us from death and the snare of the devil: Hebrews 2:14-15 (NIV): Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. And we know that death cannot keep us from God’s love: Romans 8:38-39 (NIV): For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
By: Undre Griggs, Jr. Understanding truth is essential to being a Christian, but how do we go about investigating what truth is? To understand truth, we need to understand God, and to do that, we need to be baptized. I Corinthians 2:13-14 (NIV): This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned." To grow properly, We must learn the pure word of God. 1 Peter 2:2 (ESV): Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation John 17:17 (ESV): Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. We must devote our time and effort to maturing in the faith by constantly studying and applying the lessons from the Bible. Hebrews 5:14 (ESV): But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. We are required to remain humble in all interactions and give the glory to God. Psalms 25:9 (NIV): "He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way." It is fundamental that we pray to God asking for the wisdom to recognize His truth. James 1:5 (NIV): If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. Rightly discerning the truth is an expectation of God for us to show ourselves approved ( 2 Timothy 2:15). It will not always be easy, but it is necessary and it does lead to a better life. There is nothing worse than not knowing enough to make a wise decision. We will find ourselves blowing to and fro in the wind because we do not have a foundation. We will believe whatever sounds appealing at time and that will surely put us on the wide road to destruction. Let us never stop growing in truth.
By: Undre Griggs, Jr. Lying is saying something with the intent of creating a false belief or impression. It is an attempt to get someone to believe something that is not true. But why lie? People lie to avoid consequence; whether the consequence is hurting someone’s feelings, losing a job, losing a friend, or a child losing out on their favorite dessert. Based on Proverbs 12:2, it is apparent God sees lying as a faithless action. Proverbs 12:22 (ESV): Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight. Matthew 5:37 (ESV): Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil. Reflecting on the reasons a person would lie helps us to see why God would see it as a faithless action. If we are lying to avoid a consequence that the truth would surely bring about, are we not taking matters into our own hands? Are we not leaning on our own understanding and foregoing God’s wisdom? 1 Peter 2:20-21 (ESV): For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. The truth may cost us much in this world, but if our mistakes are bringing about the punishment, the minimal we can do is accept the consequence. If speaking the truth is all we are guilty of, Christ wants us to endure and know that God is pleased with our self-sacrifice. When we speak the truth, we no longer have to worry about what will happen in the future. We do not have to worry about whether we will be able to remember which lie we said to which person. No matter the size of the first lie, one lie begets another lie, which begets another lie. The only way to free ourselves of this prison is to tell the truth. Whether the truth comes out in the beginning or near the end is of no consequence, the reward is the same. John 8:32 (ESV): And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. Walk upright in truth and understand any short term gain a lie may provide ends in destruction. Proverbs 11:3 (ESV): The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.
By: Undre Griggs, Jr In English “scoffer” can mean; “one who mocks, ridicules, or scorns the belief of another“. According to Strong’s Concordance, the Hebrew word translated as “scoffer” can also be translated to mean “ambassador”. Meaning a scoffer does not simply disagree with an idea, but they make it their personal mission to prove your idea wrong. Throughout the Bible, a scoffer is considered someone who chooses to disbelieve God and His Word. This is not limited to nonbelievers who believe there is no God (Psalm 14:1), but also believers who choose not to be obedient to all of God’s Words (2 Timothy 4:3). You will notice scoffers do not like to: Be Corrected - Proverbs 15:12 (ESV): A scoffer does not like to be reproved; he will not go to the wise. Listen to Correction - Proverbs 13:1 (ESV): A wise son hears his father's instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke. Grow in Understanding - Proverbs 14:6 (ESV): A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain, but knowledge is easy for a man of understanding. Have People Around Them Who Correct Them - Proverbs 9:8 (ESV): Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. We will never truly be able to avoid scoffers. They will be present within our family, our faith, and our workplace. To combat scoffers, we should "always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks . . . to give the reason for the hope that you have" (1 Peter 3:15). With that said, it is important to understand that we need to avoid speaking to scoffers once we start to become influenced and not influencers (1 Corinthians 15:33). But rest assured, there is coming a promised day when "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:10-11). On that day there will no longer be any scoffers. They will finally accept the whole truth, and their scoffing will be forever silenced.
|
Dean Road
|