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Be Single-minded
John 21:21 'Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?'
Jesus had just told Peter to follow Him. However, Peter wanted to know what the Lord had planned for John. Instead of Jesus answering Peter's question, the Lord told him that what He had in store for John was none of his business.
Satan diverts many people by getting them preoccupied with what others are doing for the Lord. Comparing ourselves with others, whether we come out better or worse, is unwise (2 Cor. 10:12). We need to be so single-minded following the Lord, that we don't look to the right or to the left to see what others are doing. It doesn't matter if we are doing as much to serve the Lord as someone else. The question is, are we doing all that the...
Water Baptism Is A Sign
Mark 16:16 'He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.'
Water baptism is a command of Jesus and is the initial action taken upon believing. Mark's statement could be rendered, 'He who believes with saving faith (i.e. faith that produces actions) will be saved.' In this sense, water baptism is very important. It is an opportunity to act on your new profession of faith. Anyone who refuses to follow Jesus' command to receive water baptism, may be suspected of not really believing.
However, there are scriptural examples of people being born again before they were baptized in water. Cornelius and his friends were filled with the Holy Ghost and spoke in tongues before they were baptized in...
We Are Only Complete In Christ
John 20:31 'But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.'
Recognition of our completeness in Christ is a tremendous safeguard against deception. Prior to salvation we are incomplete and constantly strive to satisfy our hunger. But through the new birth, we are complete in Christ and our hunger should only be for more revelation of what we already have in Christ. Total satisfaction with Christ disarms Satan's lies. A big part of all temptation is dissatisfaction.
Adam and Eve would not have eaten of the forbidden fruit if they hadn't been made dissatisfied with what they had. Through Satan's lie they were led to believe that they...
OUR GREATEST TREASURE IS JESUS
Supernatural Faith
John 20:25 'The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.'
Thomas refused to believe what He couldn't see or feel. Our five senses were given to us by God and are necessary to help us function in this life. But if we do not renew our minds to acknowledge the limits of our five senses, they will keep us from believing. Faith can perceive things that the senses cannot (Heb. 11:1).
There is a human faith and a supernatural, God-kind of faith. Human faith is based on physical things that we can see, taste, hear, smell, or feel. God's kind of...
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The Effects Of Sin
John 20:23 'Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.'
The meaning of this verse has been hotly debated for centuries. One thing is certain, it does not mean we have the power to justify a person from his sins so he can be born again; only God can do that.
Many people have taught that Jesus is saying, that if we fail to witness to others, we are retaining their sins unto them, and if we do share His love with others, then we are remitting their sins. Although there is truth in this statement, it is not what this verse is teaching. Rather, this verse deals with the temporal effects that sin has on a person's life. Not only is there a future death penalty for sin, but sin...