Hebrews 9:27

“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,” (Hebrews 9:27 ESV). The context of this verse is about obtaining redemption from sin through blood from a sacrifice. During Old Testament times there was a specific ritual involving animal sacrifices to cover our sin, and once a year the high priest would take blood and go into the holy place to sprinkle it on the ark. But then Jesus appeared as a high priest to enter the holy place in heaven, “not by means of the blood of goats and calves, but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.” (9:12). On the cross Jesus gave his blood as the perfect sacrifice and then rose from the dead to enter the holy place as the high priest on our behalf. With this in view we come to our verse.

Because of our sin it has been determined by God that we would die once physically, but that would be followed by judgment. Since Jesus Christ was offered to bear the sins of those who believe, we will not face judgment at the Great White Throne and then sent to hell, but we will “appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Corinthians 5:10). The place of judgment will depend on whether our sin has been covered by the blood of Jesus, but there will be judgment. While there is still time, be sure your sin is covered by his blood through belief in Jesus Christ.

Prayer

Father, thank you for the gift of salvation. Thank you Jesus for your willingness to become our perfect sacrifice as payment for our salvation. Thank you Holy Spirit for coming to dwell within our hearts as our assurance of eternal life.

Isaiah 53:6

“All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6 NKJV). Chapter 53 is about God’s suffering servant, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Messiah, who came to earth to die on the cross, securing our salvation. The verse in focus describes our condition and thus our need for a savior. We are described as sheep, wondering around from here to there to satisfy the desires of our heart, unaware of the dangers around us. Going off on our own, we have done things that we shouldn't have, estranging us from God. Those whom God has chosen, he has taken our iniquity and placed them on him, setting us free from the bondage of sin, to enjoy an eternal relationship with him.

Prayer

Father, thank you for salvation, setting us free from sin and death, to enjoy your love and kindness of your grace forever. Because of our sin we deserved justice, but through Jesus Christ you have shown us mercy and grace. How can we ever thank you enough, but by faithfully serving you out of love and gratitude. God, (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) thank you for the gift of salvation and its result in our lives.

Romans 6:23

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 ESV). This verse ends the section in which Paul is struggling with sin in his life. We are not to allow sin to reign over us or even allow our bodies to become instruments of unrighteousness. We must make a choice to either be slaves of sin or slaves of righteousness, as we cannot serve two masters. That choice also determines whether we live or die spiritually.

The payment we receive for being engaged in sin is death; a fair wage determined by God. Therefore, one little tiny sin and you are condemned to an eternity in hell, unless God chooses to extend mercy to you and offer you the free gift of eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. Acceptance of the gift of eternal life releases us from the bondage of sin, but does not remove us from the struggle we will have with sin during our physical life. God knows we will still sin, but our goal is to sin less as we grow in Christ-likeness.

Prayer

Father, thank you for providing us with a single verse with which we can share the gospel. If we choose to remain in our sin, we will remain condemned to death. If we choose to come to Jesus in faith, he will provide us with the free gift of eternal life. Thank you for the way of salvation that has been provided through Jesus Christ.

Philippians 4:6 - 7

“do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7 ESV). Looking back to the end of chapter 3 we find the context of our verse, which is, straining toward the goal of becoming like Jesus Christ. As we push forward to what lies ahead, pressing on toward the goal for prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus we, may become anxious over our progress. In this context our anxiety is in relationship to our progress in spiritual growth. When was the last time you were anxious over your spiritual growth? Today we are more concerned about worldliness than we are spirituality and as a result we are anxious about different kinds of things than we would be if we were truly living for Christ.

When we experience anxiety and look to these verses for help you will find the context to be important. If you are striving for spiritual growth it would be natural to come to the Lord in prayer and supplication, sharing with him some difficulty or trouble you are experiencing along the way. However, if you are better friends with the world than you are with the Lord, you will probably not find these verses very effective and will tend to look for an alternate solution like medication or a set of counseling steps to help you overcome your discomfort.

If we are perusing righteousness we are probably experiencing some opposition causing us to be anxious. Part of that righteous living is prayer and supplication with thanksgiving to replace any anxiety, that tries to derail us, with the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, which will guard our hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. These verses are a beautiful fit in their context, but seem a bit out of place in our worldly lifestyle.

Prayer

Father, there are so few churches or even Bible studies that preach or teach verse by verse through books of the Bible. When we add to this the use of devotionals, which usually list a verse or two and then write a thought that is somewhat related, we lose any sense of context in which the verses being used are found in. Father, as a result, I find that most Christians don't have a very good understanding of the Bible. They have little knowledge of its overall unity. What Scripture they do know has been interpreted to fit into our western culture, providing in many cases an interpretation that does not express the context in which it was written. When I write these short verse studies and consider the context in which the verses were written, I am amazed at how far our interpretation and thus application has gotten off track. Father, the western church needs to invest in some serious Bible preaching and teaching.

Romans 1:16

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” (Romans 1:16 NKJV). The context in which this verse is found finds Paul longing to visit believers located in Rome. He is thankful for their effective witness and prays for them without ceasing. He desires to come to them to help them reach more of the lost. He then makes it clear that he is not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation and in it the righteousness of God is revealed.

Paul says he is not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. Google defines shame as a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior. To be ashamed of the gospel implies that one does embrace it with their whole being. Feeling shame reveals that we are more concerned about how we appear to the unbeliever that we are about their lost condition. It shows that we have not yet embraced the idea of “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21 NKJV). When our life becomes all about Jesus Christ then our witness will not be hindered because we will not be ashamed.

The gospel is the power of God for salvation. This is not very well understood in the western church because we are guilty of trying to argue a person into a position of belief. This is a dangerous practice because if we can convince a person to pray a prayer of salvation they may go away thinking they are saved and when they see no change in their life they think Christianity is of little value. It is God who saves and he uses his great power to change the hearts, even of hardened terrorist. It is God that changes the heart and makes room for one to have faith to believe and since God shows no partiality, salvation is available to all.

Prayer

Father, I am so thankful that Jesus was willing to endure the shame of the cross to purchase our salvation. Help us overcome any feeling of shame we might have concerning Jesus Christ and burden our hearts for the lost. Father, help us understand what you saved us from and have given to us. Convict us of our need to live for Christ and not for self.

2 Timothy 2:15

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15 NASB). We find this verse nestled between two verses about the words we speak. In verse 14, we are solemnly charged “not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of heaters.” In verse 16, we are told to “avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness.” Between these two verses is the command to know the word of truth so like a skilled workman using his tools, we can accurately apply it to our lives and the lives of others thus gaining the approval of God. Without gaining this skill with God’s word we risk the chance of standing before God in shame.

Two important areas of application of the word of truth are found in the following verses: "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12-13 ESV) and “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20 ESV). The first application relates to our salvation and should be taken seriously. With fear and trembling we are to work with God in our spiritual growth with the purpose in mind of becoming conformed into the image of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29). The second application relates to others in the search for and spiritual growth of lost sheep. The word of truth is to be proclaimed to the lost to find those who would become part of the body of Christ and as they do we are to encourage their spiritual growth, to help them work out their salvation. When our time on earth is done and we stand before God, will we hear well done faithful servant or will we experience shame?

Prayer

Father, since the day I was born again I have had a love for your word and a growing desire to study and proclaim it. That is why I love to write these blog entries. Since I no longer travel to China to teach Bible, you have given me the opportunity to share these studies with readers around the world. I pray that I will be diligent to present myself approved to you as a workman who does not need to be ashamed because I can accurately handle the word of truth. I pray the Holy Spirit will protect me from ever deviating from the truth and being guilty of misleading someone.

Romans 3:23

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23 ESV). The general context in which our verse is found is about the righteousness of God coming through faith in Jesus Christ. Even though the Prophets bear witness of it, it is set apart from the Law. It is a righteousness we all need to receive because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. It is by grace that we are justified (declared or made righteous in the sight of God) through the redemption (the action of saving or being saved from sin) that is in Jesus Christ, whom God put forward as a propitiation (the removal of wrath by the offering of a gift) by his blood, to be received by faith.

There is not a single one of us that can measure up to the glory of God. Every one of us falls short because each one of us has and will continue to sin. “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (1 John 1:8-10 ESV). “As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.”” (Romans 3:10-12 NKJV). Without God there is no hope because there is no one who seeks after God; no one who does good. Without God choosing us and adopting us into his family, we would forever be bound by sin in the domain of darkness.

Because of our sin we all fall short of the glory of God. We are like the archer who misses the mark or the runner who fails to place in a race, we fail to meet God’s perfect standard. God made us for his glory that we would live for his glory by loving, trusting, thanking and obeying him. Instead of loving him we dishonor him through neglect and instead love other things more. Instead of trusting him we dishonor him by trying to find hope in other things. Instead of thanking him we dishonor him by ignoring his generosity. Instead of obeying him we dishonor him by disregarding his instruction for godly and fruit bearing living.

Prayer

Father, I was spiritually dead with no desire to seek after God, bound by sin and serving the god of this world, but you came to me and chose to adopt me into your family as a son. Through Jesus Christ, you provided for everything that I needed to obtain eternal life. Our verse makes it clear that I have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, but thanks be to God I have been set free from the bondage of sin, having been forgiven, to live with peace and joy in my heart. Thank you for the gift of salvation.

Matthew 4:19

“And [Jesus] said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”” (Matthew 4:19 ESV). This verse finds Jesus at the beginning of his ministry when he is calling his disciples. As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, Jesus saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother who were casting a net into the sea. Jesus calls to them, asking them to come and follow him and if they would he would retrain them to become fishers of men. Surely they must have known Jesus; maybe they were friends because without hesitation they left their nets and followed him into three years of training for a new calling for their lives.

These two fisherman did not come to Jesus and ask to follow him, but Jesus chose them and asked them to follow him. It is clear that their hearts had been prepared for this invitation because without hesitation they were willing to make a lifestyle change and follow him. As we read through the gospels, we watch Jesus teach his disciples and we watch the disciples struggle to understand who Jesus really is, what he plans to accomplish through his death, and what this means for them.

This snapshot is a reminder of God the Father choosing us that we would obey him as our father. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10 ESV). Salvation was not our doing; it is a gift of God. We cannot say that we are better than someone else because we chose to believe while someone else didn't. God chose us because he deeply loves us, but he also chose us to spend some time here on earth in his service doing good works which he has prepared for us to do. To do those works we are to “Be diligent to present [ourself] approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15 NASB). We are to use the word of truth to search out lost sheep to bring to the Shepherd. We are to continue on with them in the process of spiritual growth. Do you understand the responsibility of being chosen by God, and do you also understand how much he loves you and how much he wants to help you accomplish the assigned work? “Come follow me” requires we carry a cross, a symbol of sacrifice and death, but it also points us to eternal glory.

Prayer

Father, as I think about this lesson, I am forced to think about how effective I am in being a fisher of men. As I think about my evaluation I next wonder what that says about my following Jesus. As I think about this I am reminded that Jesus told us to go and make disciples. I find this to be difficult to do here in the west. Among unbelievers, the world is way more attractive than the gospel of Christ and even among believers there is a dying interest in the word of God and in spiritual growth. The direction our country is going is a reflection of how closely we are following the Lord (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Hebrews 10:24 - 25

“and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25 NASB). This verse comes at the end of a section that was titled “A New and Living Way” in the NASB translation. Since the section begins with “Therefore,” it reminds us to look back and see what there is that relates to the section our verse is in. There we learn about the one sacrifice of Christ being sufficient as payment for our sin. Because of the finished work of Christ on the cross, we then have confidence as priest to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus. When Jesus died on the cross the veil guarding the Holy Place was torn from top to bottom and replaced by the veil of his flesh, limiting access to only believers in Jesus Christ. As a result, we can now draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Because of what Jesus has accomplished for us, we are to hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, because he who promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:20 – 23).

Considering what Jesus has accomplished for us through his death and resurrection, we are now able to better understand our two verses. In the face of persecution, which was present at the time this was written, and in view of the living hope we have through the finished work of Jesus on the cross, we are to encourage or stimulate one another to love and to show good deeds to those who may be making life difficult for us. We must surrender our desire for justice into the hands of God allowing us to experience his peace in our lives. We must not forsake our assembling together, whether from fear or from our desire to be engaged in some other activity. We must come together to teach one another, to have fellowship, to celebrate the breaking of bread, and having a time of prayer (Acts 2:42). As we see the day of the Lord drawing closer (Philippians 4:5), we are to awake from sleep and do the work assigned to us because our salvation is closer than ever (Romans 13:11).

Because of the lack of persecution here in the west, we often try to make application that makes sense in our culture, not from the culture in which the Scripture was written. Without having the context in mind, it is easy to create a false understanding of Scripture. In one of my Bible studies we were studying several verses that had 18 different interpretations. Most of these interpretations could be easily dismissed because the context disproved them. With care, the remaining interpretations were finally reduced to just one that fit the context.

Prayer

Father, as I think about a closing prayer, I see in my mind a cross section of something that is made up of layers that relate to the four things listed under Acts 2:42. The top layer, the frosting, is fellowship, which the western church is big on. Coffee and donuts or other food and drink is a must when we gather together. But I am afraid our teaching is not very extensive, and we spend so little time remembering all that Jesus has done for us and is willing to do for us now if we would only walk with him in a manner worthy of our calling, and when we come to prayer we really are not on very good terms with it. Father, preparing this lesson has shown me how far we have strayed from living as you would have us live. The average believer does not understand the context of our verses and is not doing a very good job living out these verses. 

Matthew 18:20

"For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst." (Matthew 18:20 NASB). Reading this verse by itself it seems natural to apply it to the fellowship of believers, but is that supported by the context from which the verse is taken? It is clear, from the verse, that the two or three who have gathered together are believers or are assumed to be believes and when they meet together, Jesus will be there with them. That is a great mystery Paul speaks of in Colossians 1:27: "Christ in you, the hope of glory." Since Christ is in us as a believer, then when we meet with other believers, Jesus Christ will be in our midst.

A question that comes to mind that needs to be asked, is why these two or three have gathered together? The general context from which this verse is found is about the brother who sins against you. If after you have confronted that brother and he does not listen to you, then you are to take one or two others, that can establish evidence of his wrong doing, and confront him again. It is you and the one or two others that make up the two or three of our verse. We are not meeting together for fellowship, but to determine what we will do if our brother will not repent even if his sin is told before the church. As we discuss what this discipline should be, our verse tells us that Jesus is in our midst to help us make a decision about that discipline for our brother, which will be carried out by our heavenly Father.

Looking at our verse by itself you would have no idea that it was related to discipline and not fellowship. I am not saying that two or three who come together for fellowship won’t experience Jesus in their midst, they will. That, however, is not the context of this verse. I found it interesting to see this and I also see this as a warning that some verses taken out of context could lead to unfavorable results; even the formation of false doctrine.

Prayer

Father, devotionals have a definite place in the life of believers, but in many cases the verse the devotional references is taken out of context and may result in a wrong interpretation or application to be remembered for that verse. Father, I fear that some of our devotionals and topical Bible studies are eroding the context of Scripture and weakening the value of the Bible as a handbook for godly living. Father, help us see the importance of verse by verse Bible study to maintain context.

2 Timothy 3:16

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16 ESV). It is important that our children be acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make one wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ (V15). These sacred writings, all of Scripture, written down by men, have come from God for our benefit and therefore need to be studied and understood so we can teach it to others. Scripture is important as a standard for establishing boundaries for ones’ conduct. The fear of reproof encourages one to do what is right. Scripture is also important as a means of correcting ones’ behavior in the process of our maturing. Scripture is our training manual, our guide for how to live in righteousness. As we study the Scriptures we grow in our understanding of God and moral living and become more complete as a person and with this understanding we are equipped for doing good work for God, touching the lives of others in their areas of need. If Scripture is not an integral part of our lives, then how can we expect to know God or how to live fulfilled meaningful lives and would we not then expect the growth of evil and the breakdown of society? As God breathed out Scripture for us, maybe we need to be more intentional about breathing it in. (The context from which verse 16 is taken.)

Prayer

Father, there is so much more one can write about this verse; the importance of Scripture in the face of persecution; the possibility of suffering if we live according to the Scriptures; and our level of desire for the Scriptures. Father, as I study the lives of those who suffer and even die for their faith, I better understand the setting of this verse we are studying and I see the importance of knowing Scripture from which to draw strength through a living hope that is ours through Jesus Christ and for the importance of our proper character when being persecuted. Lord, thank you for the benefits that are ours if we know and live by the Scriptures you breathed out for us.