Freedom from Guilt

May 9, 2025

Unresolved guilt can be a terrible force of destruction in our lives.  We have all had a guilty conscience at one time or another.  We have all felt that knot in our stomach or faced a restless night because we have done wrong.  These are not pleasant feelings, but generally speaking, the feeling of guilt is necessary.  Our conscience creates guilt within us when we know we have done wrong, and this is a blessing!  Guilt is a signal to us that we need to confess our sin to God, turn from the path we are on, and seek forgiveness.  Thank God for a good conscience that warns us and calls us back to the right path.

But sometimes, people who have long ago been forgiven by God are still living their lives being pressed down with a heavy weight of guilt and shame. If our conscience hasn’t been fully convicted of God’s forgiveness, many serious problems will result.  A Christian who has been forgiven but doesn’t know it or believe it, can struggle with anxiety and depression.  They can struggle with feeling distant from God because they believe He is continually disappointed in them and frowning at them. And so, they stay away from God.  They may stay away from God’s people, or feel very uncomfortable around them, thinking things like, “If these people really knew who I am, they wouldn’t accept me.”  These kinds of feelings are very harmful for spiritual health and growth.

How can we overcome these feelings of unwarranted guilt?  We have to understand the nature of God and learn to trust in His forgiveness.  Listen to these words of David,

“The LORD is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.

 He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever.

 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.

 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:8-12 NAS95)

Do you realize the nature of God?  He is compassionate!  He is gracious!  He abounds in love!  He will not stay angry forever.  He does not deal with us according to our sins.  No, He is gracious and forgiving.  Understanding these things about God will help us to trust in His forgiveness.

Do you realize the completeness of His forgiveness?  His love for His children is immeasurable, and as such, the completeness of His forgiveness is immeasurable.  He has removed our sins from us as far as the east is from the west.  When God forgives you, He will never remember your sins against you again!  They are gone forever.

You and I have found complete forgiveness in Jesus Christ.  Let’s not let the sins of our past haunt us and weigh us down anymore.  If God has forgiven them, they are forgiven and forgotten forever!  And when we sin, let us confess our sins, turn back to the light, and trust that the blood of Jesus keeps us continually cleansed in His sight! (1 John 1:9) 

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Posted by Scott Colvin

Do You Want to Really Live?

May 9, 2025

Everyone wants to live “the good life,” but what does that mean?  Many think the good life is being wealthy, living in comfort, or retiring early.  Some think the good life is one of partying and fun.  Some may think it is found in a very successful career.  How would you define the good life?  And how can you obtain it? 

Listen to these inspired words of David:

“Do you want to really live? Would you love to live a long, happy life?

 Then make sure you don’t speak evil words or use deceptive speech.

 Turn away from evil and do what is right. Strive for peace and promote it.” (Psalm 34:12-14 NET)

So, how can we really live?  First, we must control our speech.  We need to choose to not speak evil.  Evil words include things like gossip and slander.  It would include words that are spoken in a fit of anger that wound another person.  Things like these can make our lives miserable (by our own doing) and rob us of the good life.  We must also choose to not speak words that are deceitful.  Lying or misleading people with our words brings much trouble and sorrow.  On the other hand, using words that are filled with love, with truth, and encouragement will not only bless those around us, but will bring God’s blessings into our lives.

Second, to really live, we must turn away from evil.  We live in a world that is full of evil.  You and I must choose not to participate in deeds of darkness, and we must strive to not let it influence us or our families.  But it is not enough to turn away from evil.  We need to also do what is right.  We face the choice to do right or wrong on a daily basis.  If you want to really live, choose what is right!  Then the rich blessings of God will flow into your life.

Finally, to really live, we need to strive for peace and promote it.  How does one promote peace?  By being humble toward others, by speaking with gentleness and grace, by being patient with others, and by forgiving those who have wronged us—just as the Lord forgave us.  We promote peace by refusing to keep a record of wrongs and by choosing to not harbor resentment and bitterness toward others.  When we fail to pursue peace, we will bring a lot of sorrow into our own lives.  But if we will follow the way of peace, we will be richly blessed.  Those who sow peace will reap its beautiful fruit. 

How might we summarize these instructions?  Live like Christ.  Reflect His love.  Those who do will find true life!

—Scott Colvin

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Posted by Scott Colvin

Living in Light of the Resurrection

May 2, 2025

Our faith and our salvation are built upon the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  The historical fact of His resurrection cannot be over emphasized.  There is no way in which we could speak of it too often, for it is the critical component to everything we believe.  As Paul writes to the church at Corinth (who were doubting the resurrection of the dead), “But if there is no resurrection from the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain… and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.  Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.  If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.” (1 Corinthians 15:13-14, 17-19 NASB95) Without the resurrection of Christ, our faith is meaningless, we are still in our sins, and we have no hope for the future.

But the fact is, “Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.” (1 Corinthians 15:20, NASB95) This is the glorious fact!  Jesus was raised!  There are many powerful and convincing proofs of this fact.  There are many eyewitness accounts of this fact.  We can be assured that His resurrection is real, and our faith can rest solidly in this reality.  And because He is alive, we too are alive!  Because He is risen, we have been raised with Him and seated with Him in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 2:6) Because He is risen, we are now dead to sin and alive to God.  Because He is risen, one day we too will be raised with a glorious new body.   Because He is risen, we have hope of seeing our loved ones who have died in the Lord again.

Jesus is alive!  And we have been made alive with Him!  Shouldn’t this truth have a major impact on our lives?  How should we now live?  As Paul writes, “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.  For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:1-3 NASB95).  We should now continue to seek the things above, setting our mind on heavenly things rather than earthly things. 

How should we now live?  We should continue to put to death our earthly ways. (Colossians 3:5) Immorality, greed, anger, slander, lying, and the like should all be rooted out of our lives with the help of God’s Spirit. 

How should we now live?  By putting on the qualities of the resurrected life: Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and love. (Colossians 3:12-14)

Let’s rejoice on this day!  Jesus is alive, and we live with Him!  Let us now walk as those who are alive from the dead!

—Scott Colvin

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Posted by Scott Colvin

Why Study the Old Testament?

April 22, 2025

People sometimes wonder, “If we are New Testament Christians, what is the purpose of studying the Old Testament?”  Many of you are currently reading the Old Testament as part of your regular Bible reading, and you may be wondering the same thing.  The truth is, there are many wonderful reasons to study the Old Testament today.  We will be blessed by it because it is the word of God and contains timeless truth that we need to know and remember.  As Paul wrote to the church in Rome, “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4 NASB95) Paul also wrote to Timothy about the value of all Scripture.  “… from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.  All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness…” (2 Timothy 3:15-16 NASB95)  The sacred writings that Paul refers to, that Timothy would have known since he was a boy, are the Old Testament Scriptures.

And so, we see that the Old Testament was written for our instruction.  It was written to give us perseverance and encouragement.  It was written to give us wisdom, to teach us, reprove us, correct us, and train us in righteousness.  As we read the Old Testament, we learn valuable lessons to help us in our daily lives—lessons about obedience to God, trust in God, and how to treat our fellow man.

When we read the Old Testament, we get a clear picture of the holiness of God.  We see His hatred of sin.  We can come away with a reverent fear of our God who is “a consuming fire.” We need to know these things about God!

When we read the Old Testament, we also get a clear picture of God’s patience, His grace, and His love for mankind.  We see God’s desire to bless His people and do good to them.  We see His patience as His people turn away from Him again and again with stiff necks and hard hearts.  And yet, God is patient.  God is kind.  He gives people opportunities to come back to Him, and even when He punishes His people, He gives them hope of a restored relationship with Him in the future.

The Old Testament leads us to Jesus.  It shows us the depth of our sinfulness and our need for God to rescue us.  It clearly shows us our inability to live up to God’s standard of holiness and righteousness.  Throughout the pages of the Old Testament, we see God working in the affairs of this world to bring about a Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Old Testament contains ancient words, ever true, that came from the mouth of God.  We will be blessed if we study it!       

—Scott Colvin  

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Posted by Scott Colvin

The Work of the Spirit: A Changed Heart

April 22, 2025

In Ezekiel chapter 36, God reminds His people how they had strayed very far from Him.  The house of Israel had defiled the land by their ways (36:17).  They had shed blood in the land and worshiped idols (36:18).  They had profaned the name of God (36:20).  In short, the nation of Israel was rebellious and disobedient to God, and He punished them severely (36:18-19).

But despite all of their disobedience, we also see the grace and mercy of God toward His people.  Later in the same chapter we read, “For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.” (Ezekiel 36:24–27 NASB95)

What a wonderful promise that there was coming a time when God would cleanse His people, give them a new heart, and put His Spirit within them.  They had hearts of stone—hearts that were stubborn, unresponsive, and unrepentant.  But He would give them a heart of flesh—hearts that were tender, humble, and open to hearing His voice.  God promised to put His Spirit within them.  While the Holy Spirit was always around in Old Testament times (and from all eternity), this was something new!  This was something powerful!  For through His Spirit, God would cause His people to walk in His ways.  He was going to change their hearts and empower their obedience!

Of course, you and I live in that promised time.  God has placed His Spirit within us.  God has given us new hearts.  God is molding and shaping us within our inner being.  That means you and I can obey God from the heart.  Our obedience to Him goes far beyond a mere code of rules and regulations.  Our obedience comes from a changed heart and is empowered by the Spirit of God.

And this means that there is hope for you and me if we are struggling with sin.  We must be diligent to hear and obey the voice of God, but as we do so, let’s realize that we have divine help!  Let us trust in God’s promise to change our hearts, and let us rely on God’s power that works within us through His Spirit.   

—Scott Colvin

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Posted by Scott Colvin

Knowing God

April 17, 2025

Do you know God?  I don’t mean do you know about God.  Knowing about Him is certainly important, but I am asking, do you know God in a personal way?  Do you have a relationship with Him?

One might wonder whether it is even possible to know God personally, but the scriptures assure us that yes, we can know Him.  Not only that, but the scriptures tell us that God wants us to know Him in this way.  A personal knowledge of God is the greatest thing any of us can pursue.

How do we know that we know God?  Is it merely a feeling or a wish that we have, or is there more to it?  Thankfully, the scriptures are very clear on this question.  Listen to these indicators about who knows God from the letter of 1 John.

The one who knows God is the one who keeps His commandments.  “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.  The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;” (1 John 2:3-4 NASB95) When we walk in God’s ways, according to His commandments, we come to know Him in greater ways.

The one who knows God does not walk in sin. “No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.” (1 John 3:6 NASB95).  We cannot say we know God if we are practicing sin in our lives.  Ongoing sin will destroy our relationship with Him.

The one who knows God is the one who walks in love. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.  The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:7-8 NASB95) If we want to truly know God, we have to walk in His nature and character.  God is love, and so if we want to know Him, we must live a life of love.  Those who practice the love of God will truly come to know Him in a profound and personal way. 

May God help each one of us to come to know Him in greater ways.  Let’s keep His commandments.  Let’s not practice sin.  Let’s walk in His love.

—Scott Colvin

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Posted by Scott Colvin

Why Do We Struggle to Pray?

March 13, 2025

“Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16 NASB95)

How would your life change if you prayed without ceasing?  How would your family’s life change?  If you prayed without ceasing, how would it impact your brothers and sisters in Christ?  How would your prayers impact the world? 

We all know that prayer is vital to a healthy relationship with God, and I’m sure that we all would like to be more devoted to it, and yet we often fall short of the prayer life we desire.  Why do we sometimes struggle to pray?  Perhaps it is because we have some doubts about the effectiveness of prayer.  It may be that you prayed your heart out over something or someone in the past, and you didn’t see that it made a difference.  Perhaps it is because we don’t feel like we’re “doing” anything when we pray and that our time would be better spent with other pursuits.  Perhaps it is because we feel that we are saying the same thing over and over again to God.  Let’s briefly examine some of these difficulties.

If prayer is powerful, why is it that sometimes our prayers seem to have no effect?  The truth is that our prayers may have had profound effects that we cannot immediately see.  We will not always know the impact our prayers had on the heart of a person.  We will not always know how our prayers impacted a situation.  Some of these things we may not see until we are on the other side of eternity.  Ask yourself this: How would the situation have turned out if you had not prayed?  We will never know the answer to that question with certainty.  We often pray for people to change their hearts or actions, or to come to know the Lord (and these are wonderful prayers!).  When praying for people, we must remember that God will never override someone’s free will and force them to change their ways.  But we can always pray that God will soften their hearts or provide opportunities for the truth to reach them.

What about the feeling that our time would be better spent “doing” rather than “praying?” It is true that there is a time for prayer and a time for action, but let’s remember that prayer is a great source of power behind our actions.  Our Lord knew this to be true.  He was always very busy teaching, preaching, and healing, yet He always prioritized prayer.  He even prioritized prayer over sleep as He would rise very early in the morning to pray, or even pray all night long.  It is clear that Jesus saw prayer as an absolute essential part of His life and ministry.  How much more do we need to rely upon it?

Finally, what about this feeling that you are saying the same things over and over to God?  First of all, let’s realize that this is not a bad thing at all, as long as those prayers are sincere.  There are many things that we need to say to God every single day, and they can be said in a heartfelt way.  Let me also suggest a practice that has been helpful to me over the years: praying the scriptures.  What I mean by that is to merge your Bible study with your prayers.  When you hear the word of God, pray about the things you have heard.  Let the words of scripture sink into your heart, and speak to God about what He has said, asking Him to help you live out His words.  In this way you will have an inexhaustible treasury of things to speak to the Lord about that come right from the scriptures. 

Let us always pray!  God works powerfully through prayer!

—Scott Colvin

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Posted by Scott Colvin

The Work of Elders

March 11, 2025

We tend to use the word “elders” in referring to our congregation’s leaders. This term (presbuteros in Greek) was used in both Jewish and Gentile environments for religious and civic leaders in the ancient world. Jack P. Lewis notes, “The term ‘elder’ suggests a leadership built on respect and reverence (cf. Lev. 19:32), a reverence that recognizes ability, service, knowledge, example, and seniority.”1

The New Testament uses “elders” interchangeably with two other words: overseer (episkopos) and shepherd (poimēn). Bishop is another word used in English for overseer. Unfortunately, it now has some historical baggage and has come to mean something different from its New Testament usage. Pastor comes into English from Latin and is simply a word meaning shepherd. The nouns “overseer” and “shepherd” also have corresponding verbs that are used in leadership contexts: to oversee (episkopeo) and to shepherd (poimainō).2 The following New Testament passages confirm the idea that these words were used interchangeably to refer to the same group of leaders within the congregation: Acts 20:17, 28, Titus 1:5-7, and 1 Peter 5:1-2.

Oversight. So what do elders do? Both the words “overseers” and “elders” suggest oversight, leadership, and decision making. In 1Timothy 5:17, Paul notes elders “who rule well” (ESV). The Greek verb in this verse (proistēmi) can be defined as “to exercise a position of leadership, rule, direct, be at the head (of).”3 The same verb is used in 1 Timothy 3:5 to speak of a elders’s leadership in his family.

Teaching. One of the qualifications of overseers in 1 Timothy 3 is “able to teach” (3:2). Some may “especially” give attention to “preaching and teaching” (1 Timothy 5:17). “Especially” lets us know that the work goes beyond these things, but may include them. In the qualifications given in Titus, there is the need “to give instruction” (Titus 1:9). And shepherds are linked with others in Ephesians 4:11 as equipping the saints for service.

Guarding. The word “overseers” includes the idea of guardians. The image of shepherds also includes the thought of guardians of a flock of sheep. Paul warns the Ephesian elders of dangers coming to the church and urges them to “pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock” and “be alert” (Acts 20:28, 31).

Shepherding. Shepherd is a very personal image. The figure of speech evokes the role of shepherd with his sheep: feeding, protecting, caring for wounds, and searching for the lost sheep.

And finally, we note that elders are “examples to the flock,” the church (1 Peter 5:3).

–Russ Holden

____________________

1Lewis, Leadership Questions, p. 21

2I’ve given the first person singular form rather than the infinitive, because it is the dictionary form.

3BDAG, p. 870

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Posted by Russell Holden

Having a Sober Mind

March 11, 2025

The New Testament speaks often of the need to be “sober.”  Being sober certainly means that Christians should never be intoxicated by alcohol or other substances, but the word goes beyond prohibiting physical drunkenness.  Being sober is to be free from mental and spiritual intoxication.  It is to be self-controlled and to avoid the passions and lusts that will cloud our minds and souls.

There are many things in this world that can cause spiritual intoxication.  And just as with physical intoxication, those who are spiritually intoxicated make bad choices, can’t see the consequences of their actions, and are unresponsive to any help or correction.  Those who are spiritually intoxicated can have a false sense that everything is great, when in reality they may be in very serious danger.  What can cause spiritual drunkenness?  Following our own sinful lusts and pleasures will certainly do it.  But pursuing anything (even if it is not inherently sinful) in an excessive, uncontrolled manner can make us numb to spiritual realities and keep us from seeing spiritual dangers. Career, money, pleasure, and entertainment have always been potential sources of intoxication.  And in our day, we have the added threats of our devices and social media.  While not wrong to use in and of themselves, it is easy to see how these things can dull our spiritual senses. 

What do the scriptures say about sobriety?  Why is it so important?  Let’s look at a couple uses of this word.  Peter writes, “The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.” (1 Peter 4:7 NASB95) We must be sober so that we will be people of prayer.  We are in a spiritual battle, and we need to be alert and aware so that we can see spiritual needs and pray for ourselves and others.  Peter again says, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert.  Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) A lack of sobriety will cause us to be unaware of the spiritual dangers that surround us.  Those who are not keeping themselves sober may not hear the lion’s roar, and they can easily be devoured.  But those who are sober can see the dangers, and they have the spiritual presence of mind to take quick, sensible action.

Let us heed the Lord’s warnings and be sober in mind and spirit.    

—Scott Colvin

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Posted by Scott Colvin

What Happens to a Christian when They Die?

January 22, 2025

What will happen to us when we die?  It’s an important question that many Christians are unsure about.  I myself have questions about death, the resurrection, the second coming, the judgment, what our eternal state will be like, and exactly how and when all of the scriptures on these topics will be fulfilled.  Despite these questions, one thing I have become convicted of is this:  When a Christian dies, they will go to be with the Lord.  Our bodies will be in the ground until the return of Christ, but our souls will go to be with Jesus.  Let’s examine some scriptures about this.

“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13–14 NASB95) Here we see that those who have died as Christians will be coming with Jesus at His return.  This strongly implies that they have been with Jesus since their death.  Paul goes on to say that Christians who are alive when Jesus returns will be caught up together with those who have died, and we will meet the Lord in the air (verse 17).

In another passage, we learn what Paul expected to happen when he died.  Listen to his words, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better…” (Philippians 1:21–23 NASB95) Paul wrote these words as a prisoner.  He didn’t know whether he would live or die. But he saw death as “gain.”  Why?  Because he knew that when he died, he would be with Christ. Being with Christ was something he expected and was longing for.

Yet another verse that shows us that Christians go to be with the Lord when they die is found in the fifth chapter of 2 Corinthians.  As Paul encourages the saints he says, “Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord—for we walk by faith, not by sight—we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8 NASB95) For the Christian, being absent from the body means being at home with the Lord.  When we die, our bodies will return to dust, but our soul will be with Jesus.  It seems that we will continue in this state until the last trumpet sounds at the return of Christ.  At that time, our bodies will be raised, and they will be changed, in the twinkling of an eye, from perishable to imperishable (see 1 Corinthians 15:50-58).

We have so much to look forward to!  Are you ready to be with Jesus?  Let’s remain faithful to Him, and look forward to being with Him forever.

—Scott Colvin

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Posted by Scott Colvin

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