Call

“For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED."” (Romans 10:12-13 NASB). Looking back to verse 9 and10, Paul tells us we are to believe in our heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, resulting in our righteousness, and that we are to confess with our mouth Jesus as Lord, resulting in our salvation. Paul then makes it clear that there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Jesus.

Paul emphasizes the importance of calling upon the Lord by going back to the prophet Joel, where he tells us that before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord, it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Joel 2:31, 32). Before the awful day of judgment comes, you will have opportunity to be saved from it by calling on the Lord for your salvation. To call on the name of the Lord is not a new concept. What is new in the New testament is that the Lord is now identified as the person of Jesus Christ. It is critically important that this be understood because there is no other name given among men other than the name of Jesus by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). Our salvation is found in and obtained from the person whose name is Jesus, the Son of God who came to earth and took on a body of flesh through a virgin birth.

These verses are also used by Armenians to support their position of salvation being free will. It is a view of salvation as seen from earth.

Prayer

Father, there should be no question that whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will receive salvation, but there is an underlining tension over who will or can call on the Lord. This leads to the question of those who never hear of the name of Jesus so they can call on his name. There are so many other questions that one might have, but one thing is certain; “whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” That is your promise to us, sealed in the blood of Jesus on the cross and then his victory over death through the resurrection. Father, thank you for the gift of salvation. 

Confess

“that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10 NASB). The word “that” at the beginning points back to what these verses are based on. Looking back, we see it is the word of faith that Paul is preaching; the word that is so near it is described as being in your mouth and in your heart.

The action words are “confess” and “believe” and are to be done by “you” and if you do them you have the promise that you will be saved. Confession is about Jesus being Lord, resulting in salvation and belief is about God raising Jesus from the dead, resulting in righteousness. These verses are very clear about the importance of a believing heart and a confessing mouth, yet I see so many trying to convince someone to ask Jesus into their heart. You don't determine the time of being born again; the Father does. In Convincing a person to pray, you may win an argument, but you risk the chance of creating false belief in the person who just responded.

These verses are also used by Armenians to support their position of salvation being free will. It is a view of salvation as seen from earth.

Prayer

Father, it is clear from these verses that we are to share the word of faith and allow time for the Spirit to properly prepare the heart. When the heart is ready then the new birth will take place. The Scriptures seem quite clear that salvation is according to the will of God not according to the work of man. We need to be active in sharing the gospel with love and patience and leave the born again part in your hands. 

Receive

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,” (John 1:12 ESV). The context of this verse is about the Son of God coming into the world in a body of flesh as Jesus. He is the true light, which gives light to our souls. He enters into the world he created and came to his own people he grew up with, but they would not receive him for who he claimed to be.

As you look at this verse pick out the action word and note who performs the action. The action word is “receive” and is performed by “all” who believe. The “all” defines the group of people who receive or accept the gift of salvation; those who believe in his name. To those who receive Jesus and believe that he is God in the flesh of man, God gives the right to become the children of God. Those excluded from this group through unbelief are not adopted as children into the family of God, but remain children of the devil.

This is a verse chosen by Armenians to support their position of salvation being free will. It is a view of salvation as seen from earth.

Prayer

Father, I find it interesting that the next verse provides balance as well as tension. It provides balance because it involves God, but it provides tension because it suggests that maybe being born again was not according to our will, but the will of God. Father, thank you for the gift of salvation that is available to everyone who comes to Jesus Christ in belief. 

Repent

Repent

“From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”” (Matthew 4:17 NKJV). According to this verse, repent or repentance has some relationship to the kingdom of heaven. To repent is to turn from evil and return to God. When we sin we turn away from God to our idols or detestable practices (Ezekiel 14:6); to do offenses (Ezekiel 18:30). Isaiah says to “Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do good” (Isaiah 1:16-17 NKJV). We are to turn from our evil wicked ways (Jeremiah 26:3) and return to God (Amos 4:6).

John the Baptist, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, picks up this theme and says: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore, bear fruits worthy of repentance,”

Matthew 3:7-8 NKJV). Repentance not only seeks forgiveness for our wrong, but is to show evidence of a right heart by doing what is right.

We are to repent of our sin, come to Jesus to receive eternal life and then when we sin as a child of God, we are to turn back to our Father and confess our sin, for he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleans us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). In this way, through Jesus, we enter the kingdom of heaven and maintain a walk worthy of our calling.

Prayer

Father, thank you for providing, through the sacrifice of your Son, access to you with provision to repent of our sin. Jesus can command us to repent of our sin because he shed his blood to cover our sin. No matter how hard we try, in our body of flesh we will continue to sin. You confirm that in your word, but one day, in heaven, we will never again sin. But for now, in obedience, we must continue to repent.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.

Memory Verses

Topical Memory System verses (from Navigators)

It was about 60 years ago when I walked from class to class at Michigan State University with little Navigator cards in my hand containing verses I was memorizing. I also worked on larger groups of verses, like the letter of 1 John. I am so thankful I did that because I still have them with me wherever I go.

The Topical Memory System from the Navigators contains 60 very basic and meaningful verses. When we memorize verses like these we often fail to consider the context from which they are found. I decided to do a write up of these verses and the context from which they were taken. Below is a table of the 60 verses, or verse sets, contained in the Navigators Topical Memory System and links to the descriptions.

Pack A: Live the New Life
Christ the Center	2 Corinthians 5:17	Galatians 2:20
Obedience to Christ	Romans 12:1	John 14:21
The Word	2 Timothy 3:16	Joshua 1:8
Prayer	John 15:7	Philippians 4:6, 7
Fellowship	Matthew 18:20	Hebrews 10:24, 25
Witnessing	Matthew 4:19	Romans 1:16
Pack B: Proclaim Christ
All Have Sinned	Romans 3:23	Isaiah 53:6
Sin’s Penalty	Romans 6:23	Hebrews 9:27
Christ Paid the Penalty	Romans 5:8	1 Peter 3:18
Salvation Not by Works	Ephesians 2:8,9	Titus 3:5
Must Receive Christ	John 1:12	Revelation 3:20
Assurance of Salvation	1 John 5:13	John 5:24
Pack C: Rely on God’s Resources
His Spirit	1 Corinthians 3:16	1 Corinthians 2:12  Link2
His Strength	Isaiah 41:10	Philippians 4:13
His Faithfulness	Lamentations 3:22, 23	Numbers 23:19
His Peace	Isaiah 26:3	1 Peter 5:7  Link2
His Provision	Romans 8:32	Philippians 4:19
His Help in Temptation	Hebrews 2:18	Psalms 119:9, 11
Pack D: Be Christ’s Disciple
Put Christ First	Matthew 6:33	Luke 9:23
Separate from the World	1 John 2:15, 16	Romans 12:2
Be Steadfast	1 Corinthians 15:58	Hebrews 12:3
Serve Others	Mark 10:45	2 Corinthians 4:5
Give Generously	Proverbs 3:9, 10	2 Corinthians 9:6, 7
Develop World Vision	Acts 1:8	Matthew 28:19, 20
Pack E: Grow in Christlikeness
Love	John 13:34, 35	1 John 3:18
Humility	Philippians 2:3, 4	1 Peter 5:5, 6
Purity	Ephesians 5:3	1 Peter 2:11
Honesty	Leviticus 19:11	Acts 24:16
Faith	Hebrews 11:6	Romans 4:20, 21
Good Works	Galatians 6:9. 10	Matthew 5:16

1 Peter 2:11

“Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.” (1 Peter 2:11 NASB). Peter is speaking to those chosen of God who have received mercy. We have been called out of darkness into his marvelous light, known as people of God, to be seen as aliens and strangers by the world. As his chosen people, his adopted children, our citizenship is not of this world, but is in heaven. As strangers we are passing through on our journey to our heavenly home. As aliens we are currently living here in the world.

While living here in this hostile environment, Peter instructs us to abstain from what is one of the most important issues in the world today, that of fleshly lusts. But by its priorities, values, commitments, standards, preoccupation, and pleasure, the world shows that fleshy lusts are not an important issue. For the Christian, fleshly lusts are of paramount importance because of its relationship to the destruction of the human soul.

Fleshly lust wages war with our soul and if successful, the soul is lost and if the soul is lost, the whole person is lost. It is a disaster if we lose this war because it will result in an eternity of suffering in hell. Throughout life we wage many wars; wars against drug addiction, poverty, drunk driving, mosquitoes, depression, rape and many other things, but where do we find instruction on how to fight this war over our soul? That instruction is from God through his word.

Prayer

Father, so few realize the threat of this war against the soul. For the unbeliever that will result in the soul spending an eternity in hell. For the believer it will destroy an effective loving relationship with the Lord. Father, help us reign in the lust of the flesh and allow Christ to live in and through us. 

Leviticus 19:11

“You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another.” (Leviticus 19:11 ESV). This verse is found in the section titled “Love Your Neighbor as Yourself” in the ESV translation and contains instructions on how to live with your neighbors. Of all the things listed, this verse is very reverent in view of what is happening in America today.

To steal is to take, without permission or legal right and without intending to return it, something that belongs to another person. That which is taken can include more just physical things. In Genesis 27 we read about Jacob stealing Esau’s blessing. In a way we can steal one’s character through demeaning that person.

To deal falsely with someone is to present to them something as being true when it is not. You do or say things that deceives someone into thinking what you did or said is true. For example, if a purchase was based on weight and the scales were adjusted to show more weight than there actually was you are dealing falsely with that person. Maybe you claim a quality of product that it isn't. To deal falsely seems to emphasize cheating over telling lies.

To lie to one another is to present something as being true when it is not. I believe this includes what is referred to as white lies; a minor, polite, or harmless lie sometimes referred to as a fib. These white lies may be told in an attempt to be polite or kind. The problem with telling white lies is it trains you to accept lying as being ok to do. Sharing only part of a truth is not lying as long as you are not trying to deceive by creating a false picture.

Prayer

Father, how different the elections would have been this year if the candidates and others obeyed the commands of this verse. As I point to others I need to search my own heart and see if I am guilty of some misdemeanor. Is there any attempt to mislead or cover-up for my convenience? I confess some tension at times in this arena. Father, I ask your forgiveness. 

Hebrews 11:6

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV). Our verse is found in the faith chapter of Hebrews, in the paragraph about the faith of Enoch. He had a rather unique experience in that God took him from the earth while still alive. God did this to show his pleasure over the faith Enoch expressed through his testimony. It pleases God when our life is a demonstration of our faith.

Without faith it is impossible to please God, but that faith is not just in anything. It is faith in the existence of God; a God we can not see. If our faith is real it will result in us putting forth effort, with diligence, to draw near to him and as we do we will experience his presence and his benefits in our lives. To seek him is like searching for a hidden treasure and when found we have a reward. I am not implying that we seek God for the reward, but one would not seek if there was not a benefit. There are two categories of benefits: those the world has to offer and those God has to offer. Those of the world are external and temporary and require effort on our part, but those from God are primarily internal and are given as a gift to enjoy without end. Just think of the blessing of enjoying his presence and the fruit of the spirit at work in our lives.

Prayer

Father, coming to God in faith is a process of learning how to transfer living from being “of” the world to being “in” the world. Being in the world we live as aliens with our citizenship in heaven and are here on assignment. Being of the world, we allow information from the world to negatively impact our lives. Father, we are hearing two voices today; the world says come and enjoy many things, but God says go into the world and make a difference doing kingdom work. Father have mercy on us because it is clear that the voice of the world is the more appealing voice in the western church today. 

2 Corinthians 9:6 - 7

“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:6-7 ESV). “The point is this” at the beginning of our verse is similar to the verse beginning with therefore; we need to look back and see what was said and how it applies to our verses. The context found there is encouragement to give generously. Paul describes the churches in Macedonia as experiencing a severe test of affection, but yet in their extreme poverty they have an abundance of joy and were willing to give generously. They gave beyond their means and even begging to take part in the relief of the saints. Their approach was to first give themselves to the Lord and then by the will of the Lord they gave sacrificially. Using this example, Paul is now seeking a major gift from among the Corinthians. He has been boasting to other churches of how willing and able the Corinthians were to give a major gift and then gives a serious challenge to the Corinthians to have that gift ready when he arrives. This brings us to our verse about giving.

With this challenge before them to give, Paul gives an example of sowing and reaping: “whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” The more seeds of the gospel we sow, the more who will hear and the more who will believe. The more time and money we invest into the kingdom the more it will expand. The more effort we put forth the greater the benefit. How we give financially or invest our time is our choice, but that choice is to be made with the right attitude. God desires our investment, not begrudgingly, but with a cheerful heart desiring to have part in the work

Prayer

Father, I pray that my desire is to see the kingdom of God expand, not my kingdom. Encourage me to invest according to your will that I may experience the joy of involvement. 

1 Peter 2:22

“He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.” (1 Peter 2:22 ESV). The theme of 1 Peter is hope in the midst of suffering and those who are suffering are to be encouraged by looking to the cross and see Jesus who suffered and died for them. Jesus endured the shame of the cross for the joy that was set before him; the joy of an eternity with those the Father gave to him. Those who are suffering, suffer with joy in their hearts because they know Jesus and the inheritance that is theirs, reserved in heaven by the power of God. It is this Jesus that this verse is about.

Our verse is from verse 9 of a prophesy found in Isaiah 53, which foretold the coming of Jesus the Messiah and his death. Another verse that relates is 2 Corinthians 5:21: “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” The Son of God took on human flesh through a virgin birth and lived a sinless life to become our perfect sacrifice. Jesus claimed to be the truth and what he spoke was true and in no way contained any deception. Therefore, we need to listen to him and walk in obedience just as he listened to his Father and obeyed him, dying in our place for our sin.

Prayer

Father, thank you for giving us your Son and Lord, thank you for dying for us so that we can enjoy an eternity with you. 

Romans 4:20 - 21

“No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.” (Romans 4:20-21 ESV). The section that these verses are found in begins at verse 13. It is about the promise God made to Abraham and how his faith related to it. To a man nearly 100 years old, God promised Abraham that he would become the father of many nations. Our two verses describe how Abraham responded to that promise.

Abraham apparently knew God well enough to believe what he said to be true because without wavering he embraced the promise by faith and as he continued to walk with God, giving him glory, his faith continued to grow. Abraham was fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. Years later, God tested his conviction by commanding Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, the child of promise. This command would seem to prevent God from keeping his promise, but Abraham, in obedience with unwavering faith, went to sacrifice Isaac, leaving God with the responsibility of keeping his promise. It is God’s responsibility to keep his promise and man’s responsibility to obey his commands.

Prayer

Father, as I think about Abraham’s walk of faith I think about my walk of faith and how my faith grew as a result of my China adventures. Finding oneself in situations where trusting God appeared to be the only option, provides one with real opportunities to grow in faith. Father, I still rejoice over your provision during those times and I see how your provision then affects my life today. Without stepping out and taking some risks in our walk with you we have little opportunity to experience the results of faith at work. 

1 Peter 5:5 - 6

“Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,” (1 Peter 5:5-6 ESV). Likewise points us back to what we are to be like. In those previous verses, Peter instructs the elders to shepherd the flock of God in subjection to God and to do it eagerly and not for personal gain. They are to carry out their assignment in humility, not with a domineering attitude. Those who are younger are to likewise carry out their assignment in humility, in subjection to their ruling elders.

“Elders” in verse 5 does not refers to older men, but to those assigned the job of shepherding the flock of which the younger is part of. It is to those leaders the younger is to be subject to in humility. I believe Peter singles out young men with the instruction to submit because of their tendency to be independent and do things their way. Peter then instructs the flock to take effort, like putting on clothing, to be humble. In Romans 12:10 (ESV), Paul instructs us to “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” In additional to expressing humility in this way, we are to “[submit] to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:21 ESV).

Since God resists the proud, becoming his enemy, we need to repent and in humility receive his grace. Humility is an expression of a submissive spirit to one another and to God. Failure to do so will meet with resistance from God, but to the humble he will exalt in due time. Some think that due time is during this lifetime. That may be true to a very limited extent, but in the context of 1 Peter, that exaltation will come when we receive our inheritance in heaven.

Prayer

Father, with this lesson in mind, I think back to my college days and my pride, which to me was like an addiction that needed to be reined back. It has been a constant work of progress, believing that you will conform me into the image of your Son Jesus Christ. I continue to be reminded of this effort when my flesh reaches out for attention, only to be met by your resistance. I pray that my readers and I will put forth more effort to be clothed with humility. 

Galatians 6:9 - 10

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (Galatians 6:9-10 ESV). Since these verses begins with “And” it suggests that these verses give additional information to a previous thought. That thought is about sowing: “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” (Galatians 6:7-8 ESV). We are therefore encouraged to press on with the work of sowing good so as to reap a good harvest.

Because of the environment in which we live and how we feel at times, it is easy for our lives to get a bit edgy now and then. We need to be aware of this and take care not to grow weary of doing good and slip back into sowing to our flesh. As we continue to do good and yet seem to make little progress, especially during difficult times, we are encouraged to press on and not give up because eventually are efforts will bear results. As we press on we are to be alert for opportunities to do good to everyone where there is a need, especially to family members of the faith.

Prayer

Father, thank you for those who have shown kindness to me over the years and helped out in times of need with a word or hand of encouragement. Forgive me for those times when I didn't look out for the interest of others, but stayed focused on my own interests. I pray for a greater heart of compassion and expression of kindness toward those in need. 

Acts 24:16

“So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.” (Acts 24:16 ESV). As we begin thinking about this verse, notice that it begins with “So”, which points us back to why we must take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man. Reading through the verses previous to this one we find Paul on trial before Felix at Caesarea. Our verse is found in the defense Paul presented before Felix. In particular “so” points to the comment Paul makes about himself: “But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust.” (Acts 24:14-15). Because of the relationship Paul has with God, he stresses his care in maintaining a clear conscience before God and men. Clearly, this verse also applies to us in how we should live before God.

So how much effort do we put forth in maintaining a clear conscience and what do we mean by a clear conscience? To have a clear or clean conscience is to feel free of guilt or responsibility. Conscience is that part of our soul that is most like God in that it knows good and evil (Genesis 3:22). This human conscience was awakened when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, disobeying God’s command not to. To an extent, every human knows when doing wrong by a feeling within that is disturbing. As a believer, we need to nourish our conscience from the word of God and pay attention to it as a guide in our behavior. When the Holy Spirit communicates to us through it that we have sinned we are to come before God and confess that sin and ask for forgiveness to obtain a clear conscience.

Prayer

Father, it appears that today many believers are either ignoring the guidance of their conscience or they have allowed it to become dull or they are seeking ways to overcome the discomfort it gives them. Even though my conscience can cause great discomfort at times, I thank you for it because of the guidance it provides in godly living.