In Weakness, Strength

October 10, 2024

The last shall be first. The hungry shall be filled. The meek shall inherit. The weak shall be strong. The Christian walking by faith faces many paradoxes. God often chooses to use us in our brokenness and weakness.

Paul certainly recognized this paradox in his own life. He first preached to the Galatians because of an illness (Galatians 4:13-14). To the Corinthians, he admitted his lack of eloquence and fear (1 Corinthians 2:1-3). He also reminded them that they were not the most influential of people by human standards, although they were God’s chosen (1 Corinthians 1:26-31). Paul struggled with his thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7-10), and he gave this beautiful word picture that describes the paradox:

But we have this treasure [i.e., the gospel] in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 2 Corinthians 4:7, NIV

Walking by faith isn’t easy. We grow through trials. We are like metal tools tempered by the fire. Finding our own strength insufficient, we must turn to the source of strength. Like Paul we cry, “When I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10, NIV). Listen to the following prayer by an unknown Confederate soldier. I suspect he knew something of the struggle of walking by faith.

I asked God for strength that I might achieve; I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey.

I asked for health that I might do great things; I was given infirmity that I might do better things.

I asked for riches that I might be happy; I was given poverty that I might be wise.

I asked for power that I might have the praise of men; I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God.

I asked for all things that I might enjoy life; I was given life that I might enjoy all things.

I got nothing that I asked for – but everything I had hoped for. Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.

I am among men most richly blessed.

–Russ Holden


The Curious Case of the Samaritans

September 10, 2024

There is an unexpected, thought-provoking passage in Acts chapter eight that has caused much debate and confusion for Bible students of all generations.  In a monumental moment in history, Philip brought the gospel of Christ to Samaria.  Speaking of the Samaritan response, the text says, “But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike.” (Acts 8:12 NASB95)

The Samaritans heard and believed the good news about Christ and were baptized in His name.  What then can we say about these people?  According to the promise of God, we know that at the moment of their baptism they were forgiven of their sins, they received the gift of the Holy Spirit, and they were added to the church (Acts 2:38-41).  These blessings that are attached to being baptized into Jesus are for all people, for all time.  As Peter said, “The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” (Acts 2:39 NASB95) We could look at other passages that also tell us that baptism, the reception of the Holy Spirit, and becoming a child of God occur together (Romans 8:9; Galatians 3:26-27; Galatians 4:6).

And yet, in the case of the Samaritans who believed and were baptized, we read this: “Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 8:14-17 NASB95) Isn’t that interesting?  It appears that these people believed and were baptized, but did not receive the Spirit at that time!  What is happening here?  Was God not faithful to His promise in the case of the Samaritans?  If the Samaritans did not receive the Spirit when they believed and were baptized, then they did not become children of God at that moment, for Paul wrote, “However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.”  (Romans 8:9 NASB95)

So, what is going on here?  First of all, we know that God would never be unfaithful to a promise.  Baptism, as a response of faith in His name, is the moment at which God gives His Spirit.  Then what happened in the case of the Samaritans?  I believe they received the indwelling of the Spirit at the moment of their baptism, just like all believers do according to the promise of God, but that the two apostles came down to additionally bestow on these believers the miraculous gifts of the Spirit.  This was done through the laying on of the apostle’s hands.  Why did they do this?  We can reason that they did so to empower the spread of the gospel in Samaria, and to show in a very visible way to everyone that God accepted the Samaritan believers, a fact that would have been quite shocking to many Jews.

You and I can rest in His promise that when we were baptized into Jesus, we received the gift of His Spirit.  Thank God for His wonderful gift!

—Scott Colvin


Sweet Fellowship

August 30, 2024

Is fellowship with your brothers and sisters in Christ important to you? On the day of Pentecost, when 3,000 souls were added to the church, we are told that “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42 NASB95) These souls were devoted to fellowship. It was important to them. But what is fellowship, exactly?

Fellowship in this verse is defined as a close association arising from mutual interests. Fellowship is about mutual involvement in one another’s lives. It is about close relationships. In one sense, we are automatically in fellowship with one another in the church because we are all in fellowship with God and with Jesus. Because we are in fellowship with God, we are automatically tied together as the family of God. In another sense, fellowship is something that must be nurtured and developed. Close relationships don’t happen automatically—they grow over time.

Are you devoted to fellowship? Are you building up your relationships with your spiritual family? If not, what is hindering you? Don’t we have many reasons to do so? Being devoted to fellowship will give you a real sense of community and of belonging. Isn’t that something that most everyone is searching for? It is something we can have among the Lord’s people! Being devoted to fellowship will allow you to be surrounded by people who love you, who care about you, and who have your best interest at heart. It will allow you to have people in your life on whom you can lean when times are hard. It will allow you to be a person on whom others can lean, too. Wouldn’t that give much purpose to your life?

We can have all of these blessings, but we have to work at it! Relationships are built over time by being together. One of the best and most obvious ways to grow in fellowship is to be devoted to assembling for worship. Adoration of our great God is the mutual interest that binds us together. Remembering the death of our Lord in the Supper, singing, praying, giving, and hearing the word of God are all things that bind us together. Sharing meals with one another (whether at church functions or in our homes) is another great way to build close relationships (see Acts 2:46).

These newly saved people in Acts 2 were not coerced into being devoted to fellowship. No, the desire for fellowship flowed freely from their hearts as they realized the great things that God had done, not only for themselves, but also for the other precious souls who responded to the gospel on that day. The truth of the gospel bound them together as one body, and they nurtured that fellowship. May we strive to do the same!

—Scott Colvin


Baptism and Faith

August 23, 2024

There is much confusion in the religious world about baptism.  This should not be the case.  The scriptures are very clear about the nature and purpose of baptism.  We only need to listen carefully to God and trust His word over our own preconceived ideas and systematic theologies. 

The word of God is clear that baptism is intimately tied to one’s salvation.  In Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost, when the people were pierced to the heart and asked, “What shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” (Acts 2:38-39 NASB95) What is the purpose of baptism?  It is for the forgiveness of sins.  Can anyone be saved before their sins are forgiven?  No, for our sins separate us from God.  The wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23)

Are there other passages that teach that baptism is for the forgiveness of sins?  There certainly are.  When Paul was converted, He was told by Ananias, “Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.” (Acts 22:16 NASB95) In this statement we see once again the connection between baptism and cleansing from sin, and there is no salvation without that cleansing.  Jesus also connected baptism with salvation before He ascended back to the Father when He said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.  He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.” (Mark 16:15-16 NASB95) It is clear; the one who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved! There are multiple passages which plainly state the same thing.  Baptism is for the forgiveness of sins and is therefore a necessary part of our salvation. 

So, why all the confusion?  Why all of the confident assertions—despite the plain witness of scripture—that baptism has nothing to do with salvation?  In my estimation it is because many have failed to realize that baptism is an act of faith and is not a work (in the sense of earning something from God).  Many reject the plain teaching of scripture about baptism because they believe that baptism is “a work” and salvation is by faith, not works.  It is true, we are saved by grace through faith, as a gift of God and not by works. (Ephesians 2:8-9) But baptism is an act of faith, not a work!  Just as repentance is an act of faith in response to the message preached, and just as confession of Christ as Lord is an act of faith in response to the message preached, so also baptism is an act of faith in response to the message preached.  It is nearly universally recognized that repentance and confession of Jesus as Lord are acts of faith necessary for salvation.  Baptism is no different.  It is a part of faith!  In fact, to separate baptism from faith—to make it simply an empty religious ritual—would render baptism meaningless and powerless.  We are saved by faith in the work of Christ.  Baptism is an expression of faith in His work and the moment in time at which God, in seeing our faith in Christ, grants us forgiveness and salvation! 

—Scott Colvin


Thoughts on Speaking in Tongues

August 16, 2024

What is the gift of tongue speaking?  In Acts chapter two we first see this gift given by the Spirit.  We read, “And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.  And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. (Acts 2:2-4 NASB95) The Holy Spirit gave the apostles this miraculous ability to speak in other tongues. 

What does this mean?  If we read on in this text, we see that at the time of Pentecost there were Jews and proselytes there from every nation under heaven.  In verses 9-11 we see that there are fifteen nationalities listed, and the apostles were able to speak each language.  We learn from this that the tongue speaking of Acts 2 was the miraculous ability to speak a known human language that one had never studied or spoken before.  Those who heard this were amazed and astonished that they were able to understand these Galileans (verse 7).

The gift of tongue speaking is also addressed in the book of 1 Corinthians, especially in chapters 12 through 14.  What do we learn here?  In 13:8 we learn that the gift of tongues will one day cease (along with the gifts of prophecy and miraculous knowledge).  We learn that tongue speaking was indeed a good, useful spiritual gift in the church of the first century and that Paul wished they all spoke in tongues (which indicates that not all Christians in Corinth did!).  But we learn that Paul wished even more that they would have the gift of prophecy because prophecy edifies the church. We see once again that tongues were known languages spoken in the world (14:10-11).  And we see that in the first century assembly of the church, tongue speaking was only to be done in the assembly if there was an interpreter (14:27).  If there was no interpreter present, the tongue speaker was to remain silent in the assembly (14:28), since uninterpreted speech would not be understood by the congregation and would not edify them.

There are religious groups that put a lot of emphasis on tongues and claim that they speak in tongues today.  Some claim they speak a language unknown to humans—perhaps an “angelic language.”  But in the scripture, we see that the gift of tongues involved speaking a known human language.  Some point to 1 Corinthians 13:1, where Paul says, “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels…” as evidence that tongues can be an unknown, non-human language.  However, Paul is not saying that people did speak angelic language, but only that even if someone could, it would be meaningless without love.

Some today teach that all Christians must speak in tongues and that if one cannot, they are not a true Christian.  However, we see very clearly from scripture that not all Christians spoke in tongues in the first century.  Take another look at 1 Corinthians 14:5 where it is clear not all spoke in tongues.  Also look at 1 Corinthians 13:30 where Paul asks the church, “… all do not speak with tongues, do they?”  The implied answer is no, they did not.   

—Scott Colvin


When Jesus Comes Again

August 9, 2024

We go about our busy lives day after day.  The weeks, months, and years seem to run together.  We get in a rhythm of life and each day seems to carry on just like the days before it.  In all of the routine, it is easy for us to forget that one day, everything we know will change.  Every illusion we may have that life will always go on as usual will be shattered.

There is a Great Day coming!  It will be a day like no other.  On that day, the Lord Jesus will return from heaven in the clouds, and everything will change. Are you ready for that day to come?  What will that day be like? Let’s look at some of the things that will happen when Jesus returns. 

On that day, “… the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16 NASB95) Those who were faithful to Jesus (the dead in Christ) will be resurrected first.  What a day that will be!  Can you imagine the sound?  Can you imagine the sight of the dead being raised from their tombs? 

On that day, what will happen to the faithful who are still alive? “Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:17 NASB95)  

On that day, when the trumpet sounds, the faithful (whether living or dead at that time) will all be changed.  “Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.  For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-53 NASB95) On that day we will all receive a new body that is imperishable and fitted for eternity.  In the blink of an eye, when the trumpet sounds, God will give us all our new body.

On that day, all of the dead will be raised to a resurrection of life or a resurrection of judgment.  Jesus said, “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.” (John 5:28-29 NASB95)

Are you looking forward to these things?  Are you planning for that day?  Are you living your life with the end in mind?  Yes, I am thankful in many ways for the rhythm and routine of life, but let’s not get lulled into thinking that life will always go on just as it is now.  There is a great day coming!  Are you ready to meet the Lord?

—Scott Colvin


Quietness and Solitude

July 23, 2024

We live in a noisy, rushed world.  Doesn’t it seem like the pace of life is ever accelerating?  Doesn’t it seem like people are more busy and more rushed than ever before?  What is the cause of this?  Are technological advances the culprit?  Is it that many don’t cherish family time at home like they once did?  I don’t know the answer to these questions, but I ponder them often.

One thing I do know is that our souls have a great need for quietness and solitude.  Forgetting this fact can take a toll on us.  The constant drone of noise and distraction can negatively affect our family life and our spiritual lives.  But in our world today, many people feel guilty if they don’t pack every minute of the day with activities for themselves and their families.

Don’t get me wrong, being busy and working hard is indeed a good thing.  I certainly don’t want anyone to feel guilty for being busy.  Working hard to support your family is a right and godly thing to do.  Working hard to raise your children and to provide for their physical, mental, and social needs is a right and godly thing to do.  Working hard for the Lord, in whatever form that takes for you, is right and good.  The Lord wants us to be busy serving Him as we go about meeting our many day-to-day obligations.

But in the midst of all the busyness, we also need times of stillness.  Our Lord recognized His own need for this.  Throughout His ministry, Jesus would often go off to a secluded place to commune with His Father.  Jesus also recognized that His followers needed quietness and rest at times.  In the sixth chapter of Mark, Jesus began to send out the twelve in pairs to do His work.  They went out preaching, casting out demons, and anointing the sick with oil and healing them. (Mark 6:12-13) This would have been hard work!  And it was good work! When all of their hard work was done, “The apostles gathered together with Jesus; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught.  And He said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.’ (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.)  They went away in the boat to a secluded place by themselves.” (Mark 6:30-32 NASB95) They didn’t even have time to eat!  I’m guessing that many of you can relate to that.  Jesus recognized His apostle’s need for seclusion and rest after their work was done.  What a joy to go away to a secluded place with Jesus!

Why not do the same?  Why not go away to a secluded place with Jesus?  In times of stillness with Him we can find rest and renewal for our souls.  It doesn’t have to be a complicated thing.  We don’t have to make a trek out into the wilderness to spend time alone with Him—although that would be great, too!  We can do it sitting on our front porch, or while having a cup of coffee in the morning.  I encourage you to take some time, on a regular basis, to go away to a secluded place with the Lord.  It will be good for your soul!

—Scott Colvin


The Inner Life and Prayer

July 18, 2024

Do you ever feel like you’re running on empty?  I don’t mean in a physical sense but in a spiritual one.  And I don’t mean that you don’t love the Lord, or that you’re not being obedient to Him, or that you’re not thankful to Him.  No, I’m speaking of a spiritual dryness.  I’m speaking of a sense of going through the motions outwardly while feeling depleted and lacking passion for God inwardly.  I suppose it happens to all of us from time to time.  How can we regain a true, inner passion and feeling of nearness to God?

One mistake we can make in our spiritual lives is to place too much emphasis on the outer person, and not enough emphasis on our inner person.  We can be busy serving others, going to worship, attending church functions, reading our Bibles, and praying—all wonderful things—but if these are merely outward displays and are not driven by genuine spirituality, something is wrong.  We have become unbalanced.  Over time, the lack of a glowing inner life will manifest itself.  Eventually we will have nothing left to give if we are not allowing God to build up and renew our inner person.  Taken to an extreme, we can end up like the Pharisees who did all the right outward religious things but had hearts that were very far from God.

So, what can we do if we find that our inner being doesn’t seem to be glowing like it once was?  I’m reminded of the song we sing which says, “But when my soul needs manna from above, where could I go but to the Lord?”  Only God can give us manna from heaven to nourish and sustain our souls.  Only He can give inner renewal.  As Paul wrote, “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.” (2 Corinthians 4:16 NASB95) We need inner renewal every day.  The inner renewal we receive from God (which He gives through the Holy Spirit) will then overflow into our outer actions.  We will be able to serve, to worship, to give, and to obey with greater zeal and greater joy.  And we will be doing these things not by our own strength (which will leave us depleted), but by the strength that God supplies.

One powerful way in which we can receive God’s inner renewal is through prayer.  We need quiet time alone with God in prayer to recharge.  Jesus Himself needed this while He was on the earth, so how much more do you and I need it?  When our prayer life is lacking, our inner vitality will also be lacking.  But when we devote ourselves to prayer, God can renew and recharge us inwardly.  I encourage you this week, and always, to set aside time to commune with God in prayer.  It is one of the most important things we can do, for inner renewal comes in times of quietness and nearness to God.

—Scott Colvin


The Secret of Contentment

July 9, 2024

Would you say that you are a content person?  I suppose most of us would say that being content is something we are always working on.  We live in a very discontented world.  We have a relative abundance of wealth and possessions, and yet many are continually dissatisfied.  The Lord blesses with much abundance and yet the temptation is to always want more.  For us in Christ Jesus, it shouldn’t be this way.  The Lord wants his children to be content, as Paul wrote, “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.  I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.  I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:11-13 NASB95)

What can we learn about contentment from Paul’s inspired words?

First, note that contentment is something that must be learned.  It does not come naturally.  How do we learn contentment?  One way we learn it is to learn to reflect on our blessings.  We often focus on the negative aspects of life.  Focusing on the negative will cause us to grumble and complain and will blind us to the many amazing blessings God has given us. If we would learn to focus on His blessings, we will find much contentment.  Another way that we can learn contentment is through practice.  When we go through difficulties in life, we need to begin to see those moments as opportunities to learn. These are times in which God can teach us to be content in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in.  This is something that Paul learned.  We need to do the same.

Secondly, note that Paul had to learn contentment in times of scarcity, but also in times of abundance; in times of going hungry, but also in times of being filled.  Isn’t it interesting that he had to learn contentment in times of abundance?  Sometimes we are the most discontented when everything is going well; when we have all we need, and more.  What do we learn from this strange phenomenon?  Abundance is not what satisfies!  We often think that we would finally be happy if we just had a little more than we have now.  If we just had a little more money, a better job, a better home, we would finally be content.  This simply isn’t true.  Contentment isn’t about how much we have or do not have.

Finally, note that there is a secret to contentment.  What is the secret that Paul discovered?  “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” This is the secret!  Contentment doesn’t come from experiencing ideal circumstances, nor does it come from our own self-sufficiency, nor our own strength.  Contentment only comes from Christ and the strength He supplies!  Jesus can give us the strength in our hearts to be content in whatever situation we may face.  But we must learn to rely on Him and to draw from the strength He abundantly supplies.  May God help us, in whatever we are facing, to learn to be content!

—Scott Colvin


The Holy Spirit: Revealing the Mind of God

July 9, 2024

Who can know the depths of God’s mind?  Paul answers this question in 1 Corinthians chapter two.  “For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?  Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:11 NASB95) To understand who can know the thoughts of God we can first ask this question: Who can know your thoughts? The only one (other than God) who knows your thoughts is you!  Your own spirit which is in you knows your thoughts.  Who then knows the thoughts of God?  The Spirit of God is the only one who can know the thoughts of God.

Unless you reveal your thoughts, no one can know what you are thinking.  It is the same with God.  Thankfully, God has revealed His thoughts through His Spirit.  “…but just as it is written, things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.  For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:9-10 NASB95) There is amazing wisdom available to us; wisdom that is so great, it never entered into the heart of man before; wisdom that comes from the depths of God’s mind!  This breathtaking wisdom has been revealed through the Holy Spirit who then revealed them to the apostles and prophets.  These things were then handed down to us through their writing.  God has revealed His thoughts!  We can begin to know His mind!  Isn’t that good news?

But we can only delve into the depths of God’s mind if He allows it. God has revealed His thoughts, but not everyone will be able to take them in.  Only a spiritual person can accept the things revealed by the Spirit.  As Paul continues, “But a natural man does not accept the things of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.” (1 Corinthians 2:14 NASB95) A natural person cannot accept or understand the things of God.  Why?  Because they are spiritually discerned (appraised).  What is a “natural man?”  It is a person who is not walking by the Spirit.  Natural people cannot understand spiritual things!  Only those led by the Spirit can understand the things of the Spirit.  This is a very important truth that we must take to heart.  The depths of God can only be mined by those who are walking by the Spirit.  The Spirit of God gave us the word of God, and the Spirit helps us to understand and accept the word of God!  But the natural person will be cut off from God’s wisdom.

What amazing opportunities lie before us.  Let’s walk by the Spirit so that we can go ever deeper into the mind of God!

—Scott Colvin