Podcasts about christians paul

Being involved in Christian activities and knowing Christian terminology doesn't make a person a follower of Jesus! Hear about twelve “almost” Christians Paul encountered and the discerning questions he asked. Listen to Truth For Life with Alistair Begg. ----------------------------------------- • Click here and look for "FROM THE SERMON" to stream or read the full message. • This program is part of the series ‘For the Sake of the Gospel, Volume 1' • Learn more about our current resource, request your copy with a donation of any amount. Helpful Resources - Learn about God's salvation plan - Read our most recent articles - Subscribe to our daily devotional Follow Us YouTube | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter This listener-funded program features the clear, relevant Bible teaching of Alistair Begg. Today's program and nearly 3,000 messages can be streamed and shared for free at tfl.org thanks to the generous giving from monthly donors called Truthpartners. Learn more about this Gospel-sharing team or become one today. Thanks for listening to Truth For Life!

Being involved in Christian activities and knowing Christian terminology doesn't make a person a follower of Jesus! Hear about twelve almost Christians Paul encountered and the discerning questions he asked. Listen to Truth For Life with Alistair Begg. Acts 19:110 To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/163/29

Being involved in Christian activities and knowing Christian terminology doesn't make a person a follower of Jesus! Hear about twelve almost Christians Paul encountered and the discerning questions he asked. Listen to Truth For Life with Alistair Begg. Acts 19:110 To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/163/29

Part 4 The question that has plagued the Church of Jesus Christ for the duration of its 2000-year history is the question that shall be answered in this teaching.  The oldest heresy in Christianity was not the denial of the deity of Christ. The oldest heresy can be traced to the fifteenth chapter of the Book of Acts, to a sect of men who came down from Judea to the Gentile congregations of Antioch and the surrounding regions, who began teaching the Christians that Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved (Acts 15:1).  Thank God that this question was not left open for proceeding generations to play guess-work.  The answer to the question; Is the Law of Moses binding upon Christians?, was answered conclusively 2000 years ago in the first council of Jerusalem, and its conclusions have been set out in that 15th chapter of Acts.  One would think that this evidence would be enough to turn any law-seeking believer away from such pursuit and to guide them back to safety.  The fact remains, some 2000 years on, the question: Is the Law of Moses binding upon Christians?  For some, it is a resounding yes!  Leading the way in this is the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which for more than 160 years has promoted the continuing binding nature of the Law upon all.      Download teaching notes (pdf) https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/bethesdashalom/4_Is_the_Law_Binding_Upon_Christians.pdf

Questions about whether the Christian liberty described in Romans 14 is the same thing as making up our own rules, weaker and stronger Christians in Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8, and the claim that once a person accepts Jesus as Savior, he is redeemed and no longer a sinner. How can we explain the idea of Christian liberty as found in Romans 14 to someone who claims it's just the same thing as making up our own rules? Regarding the “weaker” and “stronger” Christians Paul talks about in Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8, should weaker Christians eventually mature in their faith and understanding, and is it the stronger's job to help correct the weaker's theology? How should I respond to the claim that once a person accepts Jesus as Savior, he has been redeemed and is no longer a sinner?

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Philippians 1:27-30. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means. Topics covered: A meditation: What it means to “live in a manner worthy of the Gospel” -- Our dual citizenship -- The imagery of the Macedonian phalanx, applied to the unity of Christians -- Paul's words to the Philippians, to prepare them for the trials ahead -- The “granting” to us of suffering -- In what ways is our suffering a “granting” or gift of God to us. For more Bible studies, visit ScriptureStudies.com

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Philippians 1:21-26. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means. Topics covered: Meditations on the phrase “… to die is gain” -- Our natural instincts versus the ways we are called to live as Christians -- Paul's hypothetical choice: To “depart and be with Christ”; to “go on living in the body” -- The reason Paul believes he will continue in the body: God's not finished with him on earth -- Paul's “fruitful labor” in service to God, giving his life purpose -- A meditation on where those of the world seek to find “purpose”: fame, power, riches -- The history of the city of Philippi as a metaphor for this. For more Bible studies, visit ScriptureStudies.com

In this episode, we discuss the value of verbal testimony about strange things.

     There are four basic views concerning who saves. First is autosoterism (auto = self + soter = savior) which is a belief that entrance into heaven is entirely by good works. Autosoterists don't feel they need salvation from an outside source. Their good works are enough. Second is syntheosoterism (syn = with + theo = God + soter = savior) which is a belief that people partner with God and contribute to their initial salvation by good works, or a promise to perform them. These frontload the gospel with some human requirement in addition to faith in Jesus (i.e., turn from all their sin, keep the Sabbath, water baptism, etc.). Third is posttheosoterism (post – after + theo = God + soter = savior) which is the belief that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, but later, after being saved, the Christians are persuaded they must perform good works to keep themselves saved (like the Christians in Galatia). Last is solatheosoterism (sola = alone + theo = God + soter = savior), which is the belief that salvation is entirely a work of God through Christ and is provided by grace alone, though faith alone, in christ alone, plus nothing more. In this view, salvation is a gift from God, freely given and freely received with no requirement of good works before, during, or after receiving salvation. These understand that good works should follow salvation (Eph 2:10), but they are never the condition of it.      The autosoterists believe that, from beginning to end, they save themselves by adhering to a moral code that will secure their entrance into heaven. In this system of thought, the Bible becomes a moral guide to one's path to heaven (perhaps among other guides). I've personally heard people say, “I'll keep the Ten Commandments and hope God lets me into heaven”, or “I'll love God and my neighbor and trust that He will let me into His kingdom when I die.” Historically, this would be similar to Pelagianism, a teaching derived from a British monk named Pelagius who lived and preached in Rome circa A.D. 400. According to Ryrie, Pelagius “believed that since God would not command anything that was not possible, and that since He has commanded men to be holy, everyone therefore can live a life that is free from sin.”[1] In this teaching, a person needs only follow God's laws to be saved from hell and accepted into heaven. From beginning to end, this is a works-salvation.      The problem with autosoterism—among several—is that those who think they can save themselves by works fail to grasp God's absolute standard of righteousness to gain entrance into heaven. The Bible reveals God is holy (Psa 99:9; Isa 6:3), which means He is perfectly righteous and completely set apart from sin (Psa 99:9; 1 Pet 1:14-16). Because God is holy, He cannot have anything to do with sin except to condemn it. The Scripture states, “Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, and You cannot look on wickedness with favor” (Hab 1:13), and “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). Autosoterists also fail to understand the biblical teaching about sin and total depravity, in which sin permeates every aspect of our being—intellect, body, will, and sensibilities—and that we are helpless to correct our fallen position. The biblical teaching is that all mankind is sinful and separated from God (Rom 3:10-23). We are sinners in Adam (Rom 5:12; 1 Cor 15:21-22), sinners by nature (Rom 7:14-25; 13:12-14), sinners by choice (Isa 59:2; Jam 1:14-15), and completely helpless to solve the sin problem and save ourselves (Rom 5:6-10; Eph 2:1-3). Good works have no saving merit before God (Isa 64:6; Rom 4:4-5; Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5). Paul wrote, “we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law” (Rom 3:28), and “a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified” (Gal 2:16).      Furthermore, autosoterists are trapped in a vague system of rules-for-salvation that can never provide assurance of their salvation. No matter how much good they do, there is always that nagging question, “have I done enough?” The reason they can never have assurance of their salvation is because the Bible does not teach that salvation is by human works, either in total or in part. Those who approach God by their works are in want of any passage of Scripture that can provide them assurance they've done enough to secure their place in heaven. For if one performs a hundred good works during a lifetime, how do  they know that God doesn't require a hundred and one, or a hundred and two? They don't, because the Bible does not teach salvation by works. Autosoterists are not saved, as they trust entirely in their good works to save them.      The syntheosoterists are those who think good works are required in addition to their initial act of faith in Jesus. These teach faith in Christ, but then muddy the gospel by adding something we do, such as turning from sins, keeping the Sabbath, water baptism, promising to live a moral life, joining a church, receiving sacraments, etc. I don't believe these persons are saved, as human activity is added to the gospel message from the beginning. We observe an example of this in the early church in which “Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved'” (Acts 15:1). This teaching caused a huge reaction in Paul and Barnabas, who had “great dissension and debate with them” (Acts 15:2). The simple gospel message was: “we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 15:11). But some Judaizers from Judea were presenting a false gospel which frontloaded the message with a requirement to follow to the Law of Moses; specifically, circumcision. Concerning Acts 15:1, Arnold Fruchtenbaum states: "Verse 1 describes the issue that led to the debate: Gentile circumcision. After their first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas gave a report to the church of Antioch and spent some time with the Believers there. Eventually, certain men came down from Judea. They were members of the “circumcision party,” mentioned earlier, in Acts 11:2, who had challenged Peter about going into the home of an uncircumcised Gentile. Acts 15:24 makes it clear that these men had not been sent by the church of Jerusalem, but that they simply came down to Antioch of their own accord. In Galatians 2:4, Paul made reference to this same Jerusalem Council and describe these men as false brethren. They came to Antioch to teach. The Greek tense of the verb “teach” means they began to teach, and they kept at it with determination. The false teachers picked on the brethren, meaning the Gentile believers, because they were not circumcised. To these Gentile believers, they said: except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. This was the Judaizers dictum: Believing Gentiles are not saved until they are circumcised. Today certain groups teach another heresy, namely, that believers are not saved until they have been baptized. Both statements are equally wrong. Both involve salvation by works and salvation through ritual."[2]      If any human works or religious rituals are added to the simple gospel message, it is rendered null and void. A gospel message that includes human works is no gospel at all. Such a message saves no one. Warren Wiersbe states: "God pronounces a solemn anathema on anyone who preaches any other Gospel than the Gospel of the grace of God found in Jesus Christ His Son (Gal 1:1–9). When any religious leader says, “Unless you belong to our group, you cannot be saved!” or, “Unless you participate in our ceremonies and keep our rules, you cannot be saved!” he is adding to the Gospel and denying the finished work of Jesus Christ. Paul wrote his Epistle to the Galatians to make it clear that salvation is wholly by God's grace, through faith in Christ, plus nothing!"[3]      The posttheosoterists are those who believe they are saved initially by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, but then later adopt a works-system to continue to be saved. I think many in this camp were saved when they heard and responded positively to the simple gospel message (perhaps as a child), placing their faith in Christ alone for salvation, but then later were persuaded to accept a system of legalistic teaching that told them they must do good works to continue to be saved. These would be similar to the Christians Paul wrote to in Galatia, who said, “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel” (Gal 1:6). These were believers whom Paul called brethren (Gal 1:11; 2:4; 3:15; 4:12, 28, 31; 5:11, 13; 6:1, 18), declaring they were “sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:26). The Christians in Galatia had trusted in Christ as their Savior; however, some “false brethren” (Gal 2:4) came among them and taught they must adhere to the Law of Moses to be saved. These were false teachers. According to Fruchtenbaum, “The problem that Paul was dealing with in his epistle to the Galatians concerns a group that has come to be known as ‘the Judaizers.' These people felt that the Gentiles must obey the Law of Moses in order to be saved (Acts 15:1 and 5).”[4]Paul, in an effort to correct the false teaching, posed a few simple questions to the Galatian Christians, saying, “This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (Gal 3:2-3). The Christians in Galatia had trusted in Christ as their Savior and had received the Holy Spirit. They were saved. Yet, the legalism of the Judaizers had corrupted the concept of faith alone in Christ alone. Fruchtenbaum notes, “Too many believers think they can and need to add to their salvation. By grace through faith alone does not seem to satisfy. People add the keeping of some of the laws of Moses to their salvation. Others believe their baptism plays a role in it. Again others throw what is commonly known as Lordship salvation into the mix.”[5] I think posttheosoterism describes many Christians today, who truly trusted Christ as their Savior, but then later were led to believe they needed good works to keep themselves saved. Chafer states, “True salvation is wholly a work of God. It is said to be both a finished work and a gift, and, therefore, it lays no obligation upon the saved one to complete it himself, or to make after payments of service for it.”[6]      I personally trusted Christ as my Savior at age eight; however, shortly afterwards I was taught I needed to keep myself saved by ceasing to sin and also by doing good works. Though I did not lose my salvation (which is impossible), the joy I had when I trusted Christ as my Savior was lost, as I became trapped in a vicious system of trying to keep my salvation by good works. Subsequently, I believed I lost my salvation every time I sinned (which  was daily), and felt I needed to come groveling back to God as a failure, and trusting Christ over and over again in order to be saved. Eventually, exhaustion took its toll, and after several years I walked away from God, thinking the Christian life was impossible. It was not until roughly fifteen years later that my assurance of salvation rested in Christ alone, and the joy of my salvation was restored.      Because pride is the default setting of the human heart; it's our natural proclivity to think we can fix the problem of sin and righteousness and either earn God's approval by our own efforts, or at least participate in the effort. Pride must die for salvation to occur, as we come to God with the empty hands of faith, offering nothing, but only receiving the salvation which He offers to us by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Human efforts to save are useless. Lewis Chafer notes, “No one under any circumstances could forgive his own sin, impart eternal life to himself, clothe himself in the righteousness of God, or write his name in heaven.”[7]      Solatheosoterism is the correct biblical view. This teaches that our spiritual salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, plus nothing more. No good works are required for our salvation before, during, or after we trust in Christ. As stated before, good works should follow salvation (Eph 2:10), but they are never the condition of it. This is the record of Scripture in the OT, as “Salvation belongs to the LORD” (Psa 3:8), and “Our God is a God of salvation” (Psa 68:20 CSB), and “Salvation is from the LORD” (Jon 2:9). In the NT we read about Jesus, and that “He will save His people from their sins” (Matt 1:21), and “He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Col 1:13a), and “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit” (Tit 3:5), and it is “God who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity” (2 Tim 1:8b-9). In these verses, salvation is always in one direction, from God to us.      Scripture reveals we are helpless, ungodly, sinners, and enemies of God (Rom 5:6-10), and prior to our salvation, we were dead in our trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1). Salvation is never what we do for God; rather, it's what He's done for us through the death of His Son, who paid the full penalty for all our sins on the cross at Calvary. Having paid the full price for our sins, there is nothing that remains for us to pay. Christ paid it all, and our spiritual salvation was completed at the cross, where Jesus said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). According to Francis Schaeffer, “Salvation is the whole process that results from the finished work of Jesus Christ as He died in space and time upon the cross.”[8]And Lewis Chafer notes, “As for revelation, it is the testimony of the Scriptures, without exception, that every feature of man's salvation from its inception to the final perfection in heaven is a work of God for man and not a work of man for God.”[9]      No one has the means to redeem his own soul, nor the soul of another. Jesus asked, “what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matt 16:26). The answer is nothing! If Jesus had not paid our sin-debt to God, there would be no hope of ever being liberated from spiritual slavery, for “no man can by any means redeem his brother or give to God a ransom for him—for the redemption of his soul is costly, and he should cease trying forever” (Psa 49:7-8). However, Paul writes of the “redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (Rom 3:24b), and this speaks to the payment He made on behalf of sinners. The word redemption translates the Greek apolutrosis which means to “release from a captive condition.”[10] Redemption refers to the payment of a debt that one gives in order to liberate another from slavery. Jesus declared “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45), and the apostle Paul tells us that Jesus “gave Himself as a ransom for all” (1 Tim 2:6). When we turn to Christ as our only Savior “we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses” (Eph 1:7; cf. Col 1:13-14). Because Jesus died in our place, He is able to set us free from our spiritual bondage and give us eternal life, but it is only because of His shed blood on the cross that He can do this, for we “were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold…but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ” (1 Pet 1:18-19). The blood of Christ is necessary, for “without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Heb 9:22). And the blood of Christ is the coin of the heavenly realm that paid our sin debt. He paid it all, and there's nothing more for us to pay. Salvation is a gift from God. If we have to pay for it, it ceases to be a gift. Dr. Steven R. Cook   [1] Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1999), 254. [2] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, The Book of Acts (San Antonio, TX, Published by Ariel Ministries, 2022), 316. [3] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 461. [4] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Faith Alone: The Condition of Our Salvation: An Exposition of the Book of Galatians and Other Relevant Topics, ed. Christiane Jurik, Second Edition. (San Antonio, TX: Ariel Ministries, 2016), 9. [5] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Faith Alone: The Condition of Our Salvation: An Exposition of the Book of Galatians and Other Relevant Topics, ed. Christiane Jurik, Second Edition. (San Antonio, TX: Ariel Ministries, 2016), 1. [6] Lewis Sperry Chafer, Satan (New York: Gospel Publishing House, 1909), 111. [7] Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, vol. 3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1993), 7. [8] Francis A. Schaeffer, Death in the City (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2002), 100. [9] Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, vol. 3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1993), 6. [10] Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, rev. and ed. Frederick W. Danker, 3rd ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 117.

On this Valentine's Day special, Sadie and Gavi discuss sex advice from notorious fundie sex influencers Paul & Morgan and Girl Defined. Later, they are joined by sex therapist Liat Fruman to get a qualified professional's take on this advice. TW: In general we talk about a lot of potentially triggering topics on this show, including but not limited to suicide and mental health, racism, misogyny, PTSD and PTSD symptoms, child abuse, mental, physical, and sexual abuse, and spiritual abuse including guilt, shame, and fear. In most episodes we'll mention at least a few of these topics, but we try very hard to avoid graphic detail unless it's relevant to the story we're telling, and we do our best to give the audience a heads-up before going into detail on any of these topics. In this episode, we are going to be going into a lot of detail about purity culture, modesty culture, which brings along a whole lot of homophobia and misogyny and some racism as well. We're going to talk about sex-shaming, body-shaming, purity rings, the whole nine yards. A special note for any listeners who may be asexual, sex-repulsed, minors, or just wanting a heads up on actual explicit content. We are going to be talking about specific bits of sex advice given by these Christian influencers, but we're going to keep it PG-13 at MOST on the streaming edition, although the Patreon edition might get slightly more blue. I want to give you an example at the top, just to level-set. The advice we're going to be talking about is like, “try new things”, “wear something sexy”, “don't be afraid to use lube” An extended, uncensored, and ad-free version of this podcast episode is available to subscribers at Patreon.com/LeavingEdenPodcastWE HAVE NEW MERCH AVAILABLE, AND A NEW MERCH SHOP, at https://leavingedenpodcast.threadless.comStream the Leaving Eden Podcast theme song, Rolling River of Time on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/artist/6lB7RwSQ9X5gnt1BDNugyS?si=jVhmqFfYRSiruRxekdLgKA.Join our Facebook Discussion group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/edenexodusJoin our subreddit! Reddit.com/r/EdenExodusInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/leavingedenpodcast/https://www.instagram.com/sadiecarpentermusic/https://www.instagram.com/gavrielhacohen/Twitter:https://twitter.com/LeavingEdenPodhttps://twitter.com/HellYeahSadiehttps://twitter.com/GavrielHacohenFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/LeavingEdenPodcasthttps://www.facebook.com/GavrielHaCohen - Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bible Study with Jairus - 1 Corinthians 15   What is Baptism For The Dead?   First Corinthians 15:29 is a verse we don't often study. In the midst of this popular chapter on resurrection, we read a puzzling sentence about baptism for the dead. Apparently, there were Corinthians believers who were baptized for the dead. Why did the Corinthian church baptize for the dead? Paul did not criticize this phenomenon, but simply said, “If there is no resurrection, why baptize for the dead?” What does Paul mean?   Let's look more closely at this puzzling verse. First Corinthians 15:29 says, "Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf?" (ESV)[1].   I believe that different people in the Corinthian church lived out the experience of resurrection in different ways. Paul fully lived in the reality of the resurrection, but other believers lived without any awareness of the resurrection. They were baptized for the dead, believing in some kind of intermediate state after death. Perhaps they mentally assented to the resurrection, but they lacked Paul's real experience of the resurrection.   In addition, I believe 1 Corinthians 15 is a continuation of the themes of chapter 14. Chapter fourteen encourages believers to have balance in the use of their spiritual gifts, and not to use them in excess. Here, Paul continued to talk about balance. Those who pursue knowledge and truth in excess often lack a personal experience of the Lord's resurrection. In this passage, Paul explained his own experience of the risen Lord and encouraged other believers to get to know the risen Lord through experience.   Does Paul's Mention of Baptism For The Dead Mean That He Agrees?   This passage is confusing. Personally, I do not know of any modern church that practices baptism for the dead. One website explains, "There is a lot of controversy among bible scholars about what 'baptism for the dead' is, possibly referring to vicarious baptisms. There may be some believers in the Corinthian church who were baptized on behalf of those who died before they could be baptized. But Paul's mention of this does not mean he agrees. The point was to use this to remind the Corinthians that if there is no resurrection, why do it?"[2]       After reading this passage over and over again, I have concluded that Paul was neutral on this subject. Although I don't see Paul supporting the practice of being baptized for the dead, I don't see him criticizing it either. He is just saying, “If people don't believe in the resurrection, why should they be baptized for the dead?” Let's look at what verse 15:29 says: "Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf?"   Personally, I believe that Paul's attitude is at least neutral. In the very next verse, Paul goes on, "Why are we in danger every hour?" The reason Paul was in danger every hour was because of his longing for the resurrection. We see this fact in Acts 23:6, when Paul affirmed to the Pharisees, “I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.” (Acts 23:6 NIV). From these verses, we see that Paul was in danger because of his hope in the resurrection. These verses place Paul's persecution and baptism for the dead side by side, as if they are equally valid. Both relate to ways we practically live out our faith in the resurrection. This is my personal understanding.   Who Didn't Believe in The Resurrection?   The Bible clearly tells us that the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection or in spirits, whereas the Pharisees did. Matthew 22 says that the Sadducees challenged the Lord Jesus about the resurrection. They told a story about seven brothers who had successively married the same woman and then passed away.   “Whose wife will she be when she is resurrected?” the Sadducees asked.   Jesus answered, “We will neither marry nor be given in marriage when we are resurrected. Instead, we will be just like angels.” Jesus even quoted the Bible and said, "‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' God is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living." His words are very interesting. God is the God of the living. Therefore, in His eyes, whether we live on earth or in heaven after we are resurrected, we are living people.   Now we know that the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection. But how did this belief spread to the Corinthian church? We have no way of knowing. Perhaps some Jewish Christians were influenced by the teachings of the Sadducees.   Judging from the passage in Matthew, the Sadducees not only disbelieved the resurrection, but they also failed to believe in the Living God, who is the God of the Living. If they had believed that God is the God of the Living, then they should have understood that people can be resurrected because God is not the God of the dead.   Perhaps the Sadducees lacked knowledge about the resurrection, just like some Christians today. Many people do not know and experience God as a Living God. They stick to dogmas, traditions, and even God's written words, yet refuse to follow His new, living leading. They don't know or understand that God is the Living God.   As I have explained in the past, some parts of God are unchanging. God's words in the Bible reveal aspects of His unchanging nature: love, light, holiness, and righteousness. Yet other parts of the Bible reveal God's circumstantial leading, which changes according to the environment and the wishes of the Living God. When we take these circumstance-dependent words of God and crystallize them into unchanging principles, we often miss His new leading. This has been the case throughout the ages. Not only Jews, but many Christian individuals and groups commit the same mistake.   Understanding the resurrection isn't limited to believing we will one day be raised from the dead. It also means believing that God is a living God today. We cannot dogmatize the Word of God because written words—even the words of the Bible—bring death, but the Spirit gives life (2 Corinthians 3:6). Knowing the Living God is knowing the Resurrection.   Which believers in the Corinthian church did not know about the resurrection? To whom is Paul speaking in 1 Corinthians 15? I believe 1 Corinthians 15 is a continuation of the train of thought Paul began in 1 Corinthians 14. Chapter 14 discusses those who pursue spiritual gifts. Paul exhorts believers to balance spiritual gifts and spiritual life. Chapter 15 seems to be targeting people who oppose spiritual gifts.   Why do I say that? At first, I didn't understand why the topic of the resurrection was suddenly introduced in chapter 15. One day, while listening to the dramatized audio Bible,[i] I played 1 Corinthians 15. While praying in tongues, I sought the help of the Holy Spirit. Suddenly I thought of a question that seemed to be inspired by the Holy Spirit. This question was, "Who in the Corinthian church did not understand the resurrection? Was it those who pursued spiritual gifts? Or those who were against them?"     Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 14 that the purpose of speaking in tongues was to utter mysteries to God (14:2), and that prophecies could disclose the secrets of people's hearts, causing them to fall on their faces and declare that God was truly among them (14:25). Those who pursued spiritual gifts often focused on their experiences, so they often had better knowledge and experience of the risen Lord. But their shortcoming was that they often neglected other people's feelings and put too much emphasis on spiritual gifts. Because of this, Paul gave them some truths to bring balance to their lives. He asked them to be mindful of others' feelings and to pursue love and life.   So why did Paul suddenly start talking about the resurrection in chapter 15? This section was probably targeted toward those who opposed tongues and spiritual gifts. Paul clearly stated that speaking in tongues should not be forbidden (14:39), so apparently there were people in the Corinthian church who wanted to do just that. Why? When believers oppose spiritual gifts and the pursuit of experience, they easily begin to place too much emphasis on knowledge. But when believers overemphasize knowledge, they often lack experiences with the living, risen Lord. So chapter 15 continued to add balance. Those who pursued spiritual gifts in excess needed to balance it with love, and those who pursued knowledge in excess needed to balance it with an experience of the living Lord.   The Word “Testimony” In Hebrew Means "Do It Again"     The word "testimony" in Hebrew means "do it again." In other words, when we share our testimony about God's healing and resurrection, God is very willing to "do it again" in the lives of those who hear us. In other words, Jesus Christ will not only appear to the apostles but will also appear to everyone who desires to know His resurrection. When the Lord Jesus appeared to the disciples after His resurrection, Thomas was not there, so he did not believe. He said that he would not believe unless Jesus appeared to him personally. Later, when the Lord Jesus appeared again, Thomas believed. The Lord Jesus said, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29). But this does not mean that God is unwilling to appear to us. On the contrary, although Thomas did not believe at first, he longed for the risen Jesus to appear to him. And Jesus was more than happy to do so.   Paul's testimony about the risen Lord (1-11) served this very purpose. He hoped his testimony would inspire the believers in the Corinthian church so that they too could know and experience the risen Christ. We are blessed if we believe without seeing; but if we have doubts, we can ask the Lord, and the risen Christ will surely appear to us as well. The Bible shares a basic principle: we do not have because we do not ask (James 4:2). God also tells us, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7). Why don't some people ask? Because they pay too much attention to absolute knowledge and truth and don't accept the idea that they can experience Jesus personally.   I spent my first thirteen years as a Christian at an evangelical church that valued Bible study, and I gained a good foundation in Bible study. But this church did not focus on spiritual gifts such as healing and prophecy. Neither did it pursue dreams and visions. Therefore, though the Lord did speak to me during the first thirteen years of my Christian life, I never had the experience of being transported to heaven in a vision. Later, I left this church and went to a charismatic church to study spiritual gifts. I was very envious of the people who shared testimonies about being taken to heaven. I often prayed that God would take me to heaven and allow me a glimpse of heaven.   On the last day of 2017, the Lord Jesus appeared to me and took me to heaven. After that, I still hungered for more. I continued to pray that He would give me more experiences of heaven. I was working in Washington DC at the time. I often went out for a walk over my lunch break to pray. As I walked, I prayed in tongues, sang, clapped my hands, praised God, meditated on the words of Scripture, and sang the words of the Bible. I wanted to be in constant prayer and continual fellowship with Him.   One day at noon, as I was walking near the Potomac River, I sincerely prayed, “Lord, please take me to heaven again today.” I prayed this same prayer often, so once I was done praying, I forgot about it. But that night, I found myself in a dream, waiting in line to see the Lord in heaven. I was asked to put on a robe while I waited. My heart was pounding with excitement. Before I got to the door, a huge force knocked me to the ground. I couldn't stand up. Then I heard the powerful voice of the Lord saying, "Get up.” I instantly had the power to stand up. After I got in, I saw the Lord sitting there. He called my name, "Sean.” I heard the Lord of the universe calling my name, and my heart melted. Then Jesus pinched my chin and humorously asked, "No beard?" My meeting with the Lord was short, but it was the nearest I had ever seen Him. I saw His face and His strong muscles. Afterward, a Chinese woman (I guess she was the Holy Spirit in disguise) led me to visit other places in heaven. The whole experience got me so excited I got completely carried away.   Why did I not have the experience of being taken to heaven during the first thirteen years of my Christian life? Why have I been taken to heaven so many times in recent years? How much impact did my encounter with the Lord have on my understanding of the resurrection? Why do evangelical Christians who hyperfocus on knowledge of the Bible lack similar experiences? Why do many believers in the Pentecostal Movement have similar experiences? The differences in teaching bring different expectations to different believers. When we testify of the Lord's resurrection through sharing our experiences, we plant seeds in the hearts of those who hear us. They will begin to long for such an experience. When they ask God, He will give them this type of experience. Such experiences will play a very important role in their understanding of resurrection.   Some believers in the Corinthian church focused too much on knowledge. They were opposed to spiritual experiences such as tongues and spiritual gifts, so gradually they stopped experiencing the Living Lord. This, in turn, affected their understanding of the truth of the resurrection, and they eventually stopped believing in the resurrection altogether.   In the same way, today's liberal churches pursue science and knowledge. They don't even believe in the miracles in the Bible. Yet those who pursue spiritual gifts often pray in tongues and seek the gift of prophecy. They constantly utter mysteries to God and hear Him talk, so naturally, they have more opportunities to encounter the risen Lord. Our spiritual experiences are no substitute for our love for the Lord and our study of biblical truths, and Paul dealt with the tendency to hyperfocus on spiritual gifts in chapter 14. But it's important to realize that the pursuit of knowledge and truth (even science), combined with the denial of spiritual gifts and experiences, will eventually lead to the loss of the truth. That's why Paul reminded the Corinthian believers in chapter 15 to take spiritual experiences seriously.   Biblical truth and spiritual experience are two sides of the same coin. They are the two wings we Christians need in order to take flight. Both are indispensable; neither can be neglected. Today's traditional evangelical churches tend towards a dead spirituality; liberal churches deny the authority of the Bible and God; and charismatic churches that over-pursue spiritual gifts often fail to balance truth and Christian experience. Doesn't that sound a lot like the Corinthian church?   The Truth About the Resurrection of Christ and the Resurrection of Christians   Paul shared his experience of the resurrected Christ first, before he shared the truth about the resurrection. He did this because the power of testimony is so enormous. Paul mentioned that after the Lord Jesus was resurrected, He "appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.” (15:5-8)   Then Paul elaborated on the truth about the resurrection. His words about the resurrection are often quoted at funerals. Since the focus of today's devotional is not on the truth of the resurrection, we will not spend too much time talking about these truths here.   In short, resurrection is like sowing a seed. The seed we sow exists in one form, but the resurrected plant exists in another form. Therefore, we must experience the resurrection in order to know the risen Christ and break the limits of our imagination. There was a Chinese Christian who didn't believe in the resurrection. A preacher pointed to the wheat field outside the door and said to him, "The wheat you sowed is a single grain, but the wheat after the resurrection will be heads of grain.” This Christian suddenly understood the truth of the resurrection.   Perhaps the people who were baptized for the dead in the Corinthian church believed in God's resurrection to a certain extent! They buried themselves in water for others, hoping that they would be resurrected in glory. Although they may not have had the same profound knowledge and experience of resurrection as Paul had, they may have understood the resurrection better than those who did not believe in it at all!   Knowing Resurrection Makes Us Steadfast And Abounding In The Work Of The Lord   The last verse of this chapter says, "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:58) We who serve the Lord are often discouraged, so we need to understand the resurrection and be empowered by the risen Lord. Many people who serve the Lord become exhausted from time to time. But when the Risen Lord appears to them, they will regain their strength. When we truly understand the truth of the resurrection and have experienced the risen Christ, we will abound in the work of the Lord, regardless of our circumstances.   Much of the work we do is sowing. After the seed is sown, someone else will water it; but it is God who makes it grow. As long as we do not become discouraged, we will surely reap a good harvest in the resurrection.     [1] All Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.   [2] "Comprehensive Bible Reading" (https://cmcbiblereading.com/)   [i] (https://bible.prsi.org/zh-hans/Player)

As alien as the context and content of this passage may seem to contemporary hearers - even Christians - Paul is referring to a very familiar universal trait: the human proneness to self-reliance. Explain it in any which way you will (sin, instinct, evolutionary behaviour, etc.) but human beings seem inherently self-focused and will do anything they need to do to survive and work for their own self-interest. We must come empty-handed to Christ, and the more we have in life the more we might be tempted to trust in it instead of trusting in Christ.

A Sermon for the Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity Galatians 6:11-18 & St. Matthew 6:24-34 by William Klock In what do you glory?  What is it that you want people to remember you for?  What is your passion?  Or let me put it this way: In what do you trust?  Would people remember you mainly as a person of generosity?  Of good works?  Of graciousness and mercy?  Or in a different vein: For your passion for the environment?  Your patriotism?  Your devotion to your work and your career?  Would they remember you for a hobby you were devoted to?  Maybe an old classic car?  Or a bunch of old camping lanterns?  A sports team?  What about a lifetime of delicious baking or handicrafts?  Would people remember you for your devotion to your money or the earthly possessions you worked so hard to accumulate?  On exactly what do you stake your reputation?  What is your heart passionate about?  And in what do you trust for your security? I'm sure all sorts of answers have been running through your heads as I've asked these questions.  Now compare the things that came to mind with what St. Paul says in Galatians 6:14.  This is the verse that sums up today's theme.  Paul writes, “But far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”  Brothers and Sisters, the cross of Christ changed everything for Paul.  It was his devotion to Jesus and, more importantly, his complete trust in Jesus that he wanted to be known for.  When Paul died, no one was talking about what a big Canucks fan he was.  They were talking about what a big fan of Jesus he was.  He spent his life making tents for a living.  Considering his work ethic, I bet he made a really great tent.  But when Paul died, no one was talking about his tents or how he'd made such a secure future for himself financially because of his superior product line.  No.  Paul died for the sake of Christ—in the line of gospel duty—and people remember him for his devotion to Jesus—for the fact that he trusted in his Lord so much that he was willing to follow him to death. In our Epistle we see Paul closing his letter to the Christians in the Galatian churches.  In fact, half-way through this last chapter—Chapter Six—Paul brings his argument to a climax and to make his point even stronger he takes the paper away from his secretary and writes the words himself.  In verse 11 he writes, “See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand.”  What he has to say here was incredibly important and it was important because it was on what he writes here that the Gospel stands or falls—and more importantly, it's what he writes here on which their hope stands or falls. As I explained last week, the letter to the Galatians was written to a group of churches that were under the influence of some people we call the “Judaisers”.  They were people who insisted that in order to be a true Christian, you first had to be a good Jew.  You had to be circumcised, eat only clean foods, follow the Jewish calendar, and ultimately live according to the Old Testament law.  The problem is that this wasn't the Gospel that Paul had taught them.  It wasn't the Gospel at all, in fact.  If what you trust in is flesh the only works you'll ever produce are the works of the flesh—those things like sexual immorality and drunkenness and fits of anger and strife that Paul listed in last week's Epistle.  The flesh is in bondage to sin and it's dead.  Jesus gives life.  He's the one who plunges us into the Holy Spirit when we reach out to him in faith through the waters of Baptism.  Only Jesus gives life.  Only the Spirit unites us with him and causes us to bear good fruit.  And so Paul reminds us that we need to trust in Jesus and Jesus alone.  This is what it means to repent.  And so in verses 12 and 13 Paul warns them: It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.  For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.   Remember that the first Christians were Jews.  Christianity wasn't a new religion so much as it was a new way of being Jewish—of being the people of God.  They struggled with incorporating Gentiles.  Did they have to become Jews first?  Circumcision was important.  In many ways it was the Old Testament equivalent of Baptism.  It's what marked you out as a Jew.  It's also worth noting that Jerome and Augustine both thought that the Judaisers really got a foothold in the Galatian churches during one of the times of persecution.  In the Roman Empire Jews had a special status.  Normally the Romans required that conquered peoples submit to their gods and to the lordship of Caesar.  Over the centuries the Jews had caused enough trouble and put up a loud enough fuss that the Romans granted them an exemption.  The Jews promised to pray for Caesar in exchange for not having to acknowledge him as divine.  In the first years after Jesus' ascension, Christians continued to worship in the Jewish synagogues and as far as the Romans were concerned, Christians were just another Jewish sect and they left them alone.  It took a while before Christianity reached the Gentile world and a few decades longer before people started seeing Christianity as something independent from Judaism.  And so when the Romans started persecuting Christians, it became very tempting for Christians to sort of deny Jesus and claim they were Jews.  Maybe they didn't deny him outright.  They still claimed they were Christians, but when the Roman soldiers came, instead of clearly proclaiming Jesus as their Lord, they'd hedge around the issue and claim they were Jews—they could even show the soldiers they were circumcised—and of course everyone knew that Jews didn't worship Jesus.  Not only was it an utterly terrible witness, it demonstrated very plainly that these people really did not trust in God.  In contrast, Paul, who was a Jew and could have made the same kind of claims, consistently claimed Jesus as his Lord even though it meant his own martyrdom. The end result was that these Judaisers were pushing their brothers and sisters into a life of religious legalism that undermined the gospel.  They were trusting in the flesh, not in Jesus and the Spirit.  From what Paul describes here, we can almost envision them clapping the gentile men on the back after they were circumcised, as if they were now somehow real Christians.  They revelled in the law and yet, Paul rebukes them, they didn't really keep the law.  For all their law-keeping—circumcision, diet, and Sabbath keeping—they were biting and devouring each other.  But that's so often how legalism works.  We keep the parts of the law we want, but ignore the others.  That's what it means to live by the flesh.  But we do it because it makes us feel good if we can keep score—if we can find some way to feel like we're doing well and earning God's favour.  Fallen men and women are prideful by nature.  Turning to Jesus requires humility—it requires we admit our sins, it requires repentance, it requires letting go of everything, and putting all of our trust in Jesus and Jesus alone.  And so Christians are always finding new ways to say they trust in Jesus, while still trusting in themselves—even if only just a little bit—so that they don't have to completely give up their pride.  We glory in our good works, we glory in our right doctrine, we glory in our financial contributions to the kingdom, we glory in our ministries or our church buildings.  There are all sorts of things we take pride in, as if we did it on our own.  Or maybe we know better than to trust in the things we do, but we compromise the faith to make it easier for ourselves—or more palatable to the unbelievers around us.  But Brothers and Sisters, that's not what true repentance looks like.  And so Paul steps in and reminds us that there's only one thing we should glory in.  Look at verses 14 to 16: But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.  For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.  And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.   The word Paul uses when he talks about “boasting” is a word that refers to the thing or things that we put our confidence in.  The Judaisers were putting their confidence in their circumcision and in their living by the law.  Paul had been there.  He was a Hebrew of Hebrews.  He had been a member of the Sanhedrin—the governing religious body of the Jews.  He had been a rabbi and more specifically a Pharisee.  And yet on the road to Damascus to persecute more Christians Paul had been met by the risen Jesus and realised that not one of all those things he valued, boasted about, and put his confidence in would see him into the age to come.  The life of God, the life of the kingdom comes only through faith in Jesus, God's Messiah, Creation's Lord, who died to conquer sin and rose to life again, putting death itself to death.  There is nothing else; only Jesus.  God doesn't care if you're circumcised in the flesh; he cares if you're circumcised in your heart and if you've been made a new creation in Jesus and by the work of the Spirit.  Paul says, “Peace and mercy” be on you if you walk by this rule of the Spirit.  He crushes the Judaisers.  They were trying to mark themselves out as God's people by keeping the Old Testament law.  Paul says, “You won't find peace or mercy there.  Relying on the flesh won't get your there.  It comes only by faith in Jesus.  Forget the rule of the law; all that does is make you look like Israel.  Follow the rule of grace, the rule of the Spirit, the law of love, and Jesus will bind you into his body and make you part of the true Israel.  And, as we read last week, in Jesus and the Spirit, you'll end up keeping the law—loving God and loving neighbour—better than the old Israel ever did. In verse 17 Paul appeals to his own example when he writes: From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.   Paul's sort of calling them spiritual wimps.  When it came to persecution they had found a way to get around declaring Jesus to be their Lord.  They should have been shamed in that, but instead they took pride.  In contrast, Paul points to the scars he had received for the sake of the Gospel—scars and injuries from the times he'd been whipped and beaten, and from the rocks that had been thrown at him when he was stoned and left for dead.  He wasn't afraid to call Jesus Lord.  He didn't look for a way out of it or a way to save his skin—even years later when it meant that he was martyred for that faith.  Do you know what a martyr is?  It's from a Greek word that means to be a witness.  The Church has always honoured martyrs because they're the ones who stick to their guns and refuse to deny Jesus as Lord even when it means torture and death.  It was that kind of a witness along with the ordinary witness of faithful men and women that gradually turned the Roman empire away from paganism and to the Gospel. Think of that now in terms of the time and place we live in.  Every few months I read about a new survey on religious trends in North America.  More and more people are turning away from the Church.  It's not really that people are less “spiritual”, but that they're looking for salvation—or really they're looking for affirmation—in false religions and idolatry of their own making.  A few years ago I was with some other pastors and we got to wondering what percentage of our community attends church.  We ran through all the churches in town and how many each seats and figured that if every church had one service on Sunday and filled every seat, there would only be room for a couple per cent of the Comox Valley's population.  Brothers and sisters, we truly live in a pagan world.  It's a mission field not that unlike the one the early Christian martyrs lived in and we need to see it that way.  We need to have a heart to see people come to Jesus and that means that we need to by martyrs—we need to be witnesses—for the gospel. We don't witness the faith as well as we should.  But compromising the faith, as the Galatians did, isn't the only way that we compromise our witness.  Think back to those questions I asked when we started.  What do you think you'll be known for after you're gone?  Will people remember you for your devotion to Jesus or for your devotion to other things in life?  Will they remember that you served God with your whole being and trusted him wholly to provide for you?  Or will they remember someone who was always stressed out about how to make ends meet or maybe someone who worked hard so that he could have all sorts of really nice “stuff” and go on expensive holidays?  Paul worked for a living, but ask yourself: Do we remember him for his trust in God and his devotion to the Gospel or do we remember him for the tents he made?  In our Gospel lesson Jesus tells us: No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and [mammon].  (Matthew 6:24) Mammon is an Aramaic word that describes earthly goods—all of our “stuff”—and always in a derogatory sense.  “Stuff” is necessary to live, but mammon has connotations of materialism, of “stuff” that displaces God.  Devotion to mammon is the exact opposite of what Jesus refers to when he talks about laying up treasures in heaven.  Jesus' point is that the heart can only have one master and that our heart's master needs to be God.  It's not that there aren't other things that we need to take care of in this life.  Again, Paul spent plenty of time making tents so that he could earn money to buy food and shelter and to pay for all his travel expenses.  The thing to remember is that Paul didn't let his work—or even his need for food and shelter—become his master. Our problem is that we too often let anxiety rule our hearts.  As Christians that doesn't make sense.  We say we trust God for our salvation—something huge and with eternal ramifications—but then when it comes to the things of today—food, clothing, shelter—we get anxious and we trust in our own ability to meet them instead of God's ability to take care of us.  Do we really think that our Creator—the God who made heaven and earth, who made each of us, who tells us how much he loves us, who has promised us life in his new creation, isn't capable of taking care of us here and now—and even when we're faced with death?  And yet what does it communicate to the unbelievers around us when they hear us talk about trusting Jesus, but see us going through life fretting over our daily bread? This is why Jesus tells us: “Don't be anxious about your life or about what you're going to eat or drink or wear.  There's more to life than that.”  He points to the birds and reminds us that they don't have jobs, but God takes care of them.  He points to the flowers in the field.  They don't work, but God clothes them in beauty.  He reminds those of you from Saskatchewan of the fields of wheat and how beautiful God has made them and then asks, “If God makes something so beautiful that's only going to be cut down and ground into bread flower, what makes you think that he won't take care of you, the child that he loves?” Jesus reminds us, “Gentiles get stressed out over things like this.”  They don't know God.  They haven't experienced his love and provision.  They don't have the Scriptures to give them example after example after example of how God takes care of his people.  But you!  You're his people, his children, why do you trust him with eternity and then act like the Gentiles do when it comes to the things you need today?”  Jesus gives us that reminder that I'm sure we've all memorised even if we haven't done very well living it out: But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Seek first the kingdom of God and be a living witness to God's goodness.  Devote yourself to him and he will take care of you.  Show the people around you your faith and the power of the Gospel by truly living it—by trusting in God for everything in life even when life is hard and even when it doesn't make any worldly sense to trust him. Brothers and Sisters let me close by saying that our Lord calls us to be witnesses—to be martyrs for the faith.  We live in a world that is in desperate need of the Good News.  We aren't being put to death for our faith like those early Christians were.  Our problem isn't necessarily that of the Galatian Judaisers who were compromising their faith in Jesus in order to save their skins from the arena.  But, Brothers and Sisters, how often do we comprise our witness in other ways?  Do we find ways to avoid a clear witness to our faith in Jesus in order to avoid the world's ridicule or to avoid controversy with friends or family or co-workers?  And how often does the world look at us and see only divided loyalties?  They know we go to church on Sunday and that we profess Jesus to be Lord, but they see us devoted to and serving other things.  When we die they'll say, “So-and-so was a devoted Canucks fan, or he was a workaholic, or she spent every waking hour on her hobbies and handicrafts…oh, yeah, and he went to church too—as if that last bit was only an afterthought.  That's not really much of a witness. Our lives may not be on the line, but consider that if our witness is weak, we're putting the lives of unbelievers on the line.  If we don't witness Jesus to them in word and in action, who will?  God asked Isaiah, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for me?”  God asks the same thing of us and I think our tendency is to duck and cover.  “Who, me?  No, not me!  I don't know how.  I'm not equipped.  I'm not a radical.  I don't want people to think I'm a crazy religious zealot!”  Friends, we need to be like Isaiah.  He had seen the holiness of God.  He knew his own sinfulness and the sinfulness of his people and because of that he knew what the eternal consequences would be if no one went and he cried out, “Here am I!  Send me!”  Friends, that doesn't necessarily mean travelling a half-world away from home.  More often than not we can answer God's call—we can say, “Here I am!  Send me!”—by simply devoting ourselves to Jesus, by being unwilling to compromise our faith, and by consciously and whole-heartedly trusting in the promises of our heavenly Father in such a way that everyone around us sees.  In Christ we have been crucified to the world and the world to us, like St. Paul, let us then glory, boast, and trust in the cross and only in the cross. Let us pray:  Heavenly Father, thank you for your saving grace and for your promise of care.  Forgive us for the times when we put other things in life first.  Forgive for the many times that we compromise our witness to your Gospel.  Teach us, we pray, to trust you in every area of life that the people around us might see our witness and be drawn to you.  We ask this in the name of Jesus our Saviour.  Amen.

Pastor Chris Ansell of CityReach Church Swissvale continues our sermon series, "The Way of Jesus: The First Christians." This week we see Paul in the city of Athens, a city with a rich philosophical tradition. In order to communicate the gospel to the residents of the city, Paul changes his model. He utilizes the spiritual objects of worship revered by the Athenians in order to build bridges for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Passage: Acts 17:16-34

Several years ago, the show Extreme Makeover -- Home Edition captured me because of its beautiful picture of a family receiving a beautiful new home through a sheer gift. I think it is a fitting metaphor for the Christian story -- that through no doing of our own we receive a completely new and improved spiritual home. Ephesians 2:1-10 succinctly summarizes this transformation for a group of first-generation Christians Paul wrote to. These folks had a clear dividing line in their lives between the times before and after they encountered Christ. And the contrast between those two times couldn't have been any greater. Before Christ, they were spiritually dead, following the whims of the world, the cravings of their flesh, and the promptings of the devil -- under control of the unholy trinity. But now through a sheer gift of God's love, mercy, kindness, and grace, they have been made alive in Christ and in some mysterious way, are now raised and seated with him in the heavenly realms. Given our human proclivity towards religion and constantly evaluating our moral and spriritual performance, Paul repeated reminds them (and us!) that this gift is just that -- a gift, unearned and undeserved. Whatever "good works" they now do are simply a response to God's prior work in them. In fact, they themselves are living proof of this, since they are God's handiwork, his work of art, his masterpiece.

We're talking to Jewish Christian Paul Cohen about a deeper meaning of the Passover that Christians sometimes miss. Help Vision to keep 'Connecting Faith to Life': https://vision.org.au/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paul Raybould Brings a message entitled Praying Christians in our Sunday Morning Gathering. Podcasts from our Sunday services

Fathers need to remember Paul’s exhortation: “Do not lose heart.” Do not grow weary in doing well. Don’t give up. Press on. Fight the fight of faith. And we see this especially in 2 Cor 4:1-2.In this passage, Paul tells us followers of Jesus do not lose heart. But how can they not lose heart even as they face incredible hardship as Christians? Paul tells us he does not lose heart because he, 1) Renounces the veneer of apparent piety (v. 2) and 2) Embraces God’s Word as truth to live by (v. 2). This is also why fathers should not lose heart as well, as they lead their children and follow Jesus.Text: 2 Corinthians 4:1-2Speaker: Sam ShinDate: 6/6/19 (Father's Day)

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Christians living an up and down Christian life may have fallen for the Judaizer trap. The Apostle Paul delivers a corrected perspective on the past, a short, sweet, and effective course of action for the present, to correct our perspective on the future. Bible teacher and truthforsaints.com author, Andrew Hamilton, discusses Philippians chapter 3 verses 7 through 14 underscoring Paul's attitude toward the past and his mindset for the future and what Paul does to "press on" despite his own successes and failures.

• Romans 3:21-31 • Pastor Peter Franz • As we study scripture we see Gods great love for us and how we come to salvation through the sacrificial work of Christ on the cross. In his letter to the Christians Paul writes in Romans, how we are saved by Faith alone. This scripture is central to our understanding of salvation in what Christ has done for us.

How do we discern the right thing to do in a specific situation as Christians? Paul prays that the Philippians will grow more and more in their love, so that they will know what is the right thing to do. This should be our prayer, as well, for ourselves, so that we will know the right thing to do.

Brian Credille • Romans 1:8-15 • What are the qualities of character and spirit that ought to stand out in the lives of Christians? Paul lays bare his own heart in these opening verses of Romans, and through him we see some qualities that God can and will produce in His people.

Chapter 8 – Part 1: The Trinity – Biblical Basis There is not an explicit reference in our Bible that states, “The LORD your God is one God who in His oneness exists as three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.’ It would be more accurate to say that the Bible reflects and expresses the Trinity doctrine and it does so in a variety of ways. We do see the Trinity reflected in three ways throughout the New Testament. In the devotion or worship of the first Christians: Paul wrote in numerous letters and specifically in Eph. 1:1-11: “…the Father chose us…in Christ we have redemption…and we are marked with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.” In salvation we are baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And the communion we share with God is through the spiritual relationship we have with the Trinity (1 Cor. 12:4-6). Key Words Trinity, Nicene Creed, the Shema, Three in One, ‘echad’, Creator and Sustainer, revelation, sui generis, devotion, grace (charis), ‘Trinitarian consciousness”, “The Three Personal God”, “Trinitarian Faith”

We live in a very litigious society. There are more lawyers per capita in the U.S. than any other country in the world. But what does the Bible have to say about Christians suing Christians? Paul takes the first half of 1 Corinthians 6 to discuss God's view on civil lawsuits between Christians. Pastor Gary Hamrick analyzes four wrong assumptions the Corinthian church made about God, the church, and the legal system, and he offers four questions that should be asked before considering a lawsuit.

We live in a very litigious society. There are more lawyers per capita in the U.S. than any other country in the world. But what does the Bible have to say about Christians suing Christians? Paul takes the first half of 1 Corinthians 6 to discuss God's view on civil lawsuits between Christians. Pastor Gary Hamrick analyzes four wrong assumptions the Corinthian church made about God, the church, and the legal system, and he offers four questions that should be asked before considering a lawsuit.