The Purpose of Parables

December 3, 2024

Why did Jesus speak in parables?  This is a good question and one that the disciples of Jesus also pondered.  “The disciples came and said to Him, ‘Why do you speak to them in parables?” (Matthew 13:10 NASB95) Jesus’ answer is very interesting.  “Jesus answered them, ‘To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.  For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.’” (Matthew 13:11-12 NASB95)  Luke reports Jesus’ answer in this way: “…To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.” (Luke 8:10 NASB95)

Most people think that Jesus spoke in parables in order to make things clearer for the listeners.  This is only part of the reason.  It is true that the parables help us, as disciples of Jesus, to more clearly understand and retain His teaching.  When we think about the parable of the sower, or the parable of the talents, or the parable of the prodigal son, we immediately remember the deep spiritual meaning that lies beneath the simple stories.

But there is another important reason that Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables.  It wasn’t so that the message would be clarified but obscured!  Read the passages above again.  Jesus said that some have been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom, and some have not.  Therefore, He spoke in parables so that while seeing and hearing, they will not be able to understand.  This leads us to another important question:  To whom does God grant understanding, and from whom does He withhold it?  And why? 

There is a warning here from Jesus that we all need to heed today.  Jesus goes on in Luke 8 to say this: “So take care how you listen; for whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away.” (Luke 8:18 NASB95) Take care how you listen!  Some will encounter the word of God and care little about it.  They will hear the words of God, but they do not care to really listen carefully.  These will not progress any farther in their spiritual journey.  In fact, it is these who will go backwards spiritually, for whatever he thinks he has shall be taken away.  But to those who love the word of God, who want to know more, who want to apply it to their lives—to them God will grant more spiritual understanding.  They will move forward with God because they take care how they listen!  May each of us approach God today with a heart to hear His word.

—Scott Colvin

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Posted by Scott Colvin

Giving Thanks in All Things

November 26, 2024

“In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NASB95)

Are you able to give thanks in everything?  I’m sure this is something we can all grow in.  We need to learn to be thankful in all circumstances—whether life is good or life is hard, because this is God’s will for us.  The truth is, no matter what is going on in our lives there are always many reasons to be thankful.

I suppose it is easier to give thanks when times are good, but we need to be intentional about it.  When life is rolling along gently and easily, we can tend to take our blessings for granted.  We somehow still find reasons to complain.  We sometimes lose perspective on how easy our lives are compared to what so many others face in this world.  And sometimes, when God brings a tremendous blessing into our lives or graciously answers our prayers, we forget to thank Him.  We can so easily become like the nine leppers who forgot (or didn’t care to) thank Jesus for healing them.

What about when life is hard?  Are there still reasons to give thanks to God?  When we face difficulties, we tend to focus on our problems and forget that there are still blessings abounding in our lives.  We forget that there are still many things going right.  There are even reasons to be thankful for the trials themselves because God has promised, if we will keep looking to Him in trusting faith, that the trials will turn out for our benefit.  The trials of life purify and refine us.  They help us to grow in perseverance, character, and hope.  And so, even when things are very hard, we can give thanks to God. 

And it’s important to remember that no matter what happens, we can always give thanks to God for our salvation in Jesus Christ.  We can always give thanks for our eternal home reserved for us in heaven.  We can always give thanks that we can call God our Father and that He loves us as His children.  We can always give thanks that our sins are forgiven.  We can always give thanks that the Father and His Son dwell in our hearts through the Spirit who was given to us. 

Let’s give thanks in everything.  This is God’s will for us.

—Scott Colvin

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Posted by Scott Colvin

Time for Repentance

November 19, 2024

Repentance is an extremely important concept all throughout the scriptures.  To repent is to turn away from sin.  There can be no salvation without it.  Repentance leads to life (Acts 11:18).  Our God is rich in kindness, and His kindness leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4).  God does not wish for anyone to perish, but for all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).  Because God is rich in mercy and kindness, He gives all people, everywhere, time to repent.

But that time is not unlimited.  God has proven again and again that He is very longsuffering, but He has also proven again and again that eventually He will bring judgment on the unrepentant, even among His own people.  God punished His own people many times in the Old Testament because of their hardened, unrepentant hearts.  God punished people within the church in New Testament times as well.  The self-proclaimed prophetess in the church at Thyatira, Jezebel, comes to mind.  Jezebel was teaching and leading the servants of Christ into immorality and idolatry, and therefore Jesus says of her, “I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality.  Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds.” (Revelation 2:21-22 NASB95) Jesus gave her time! But time was up.  She made it clear that she did not want to repent, and so the judgment of Christ was coming.  Judgment was also imminent for those who joined her in sin, but Jesus, in His great patience and mercy, gave them a little more time for repentance.

You and I need to take the lesson to heart.  Let us never think lightly of God’s kindness, patience, and tolerance.  Let us not test God, nor harden our hearts and stiffen our necks toward His word.  Rather, let us be thankful for His mercy, listen to His word, and turn away from sin.  God desires for all people to come to repentance.  Thanks be to God for providing the way to complete forgiveness and abundant life through His beloved Son.  Let us not delay in coming to Him!

—Scott Colvin

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Posted by Scott Colvin

Aspiring to be an Elder

November 12, 2024

This article is a call for our younger men to begin preparing themselves to serve as elders in the church.  Elders (also referred to as shepherds, pastors, bishops, or overseers) have a very critical role to play in the life and health of the church.  And since becoming an elder takes years of spiritual preparation, the church should always be looking ahead and thinking about how to prepare faithful men for this role.

We can read about the qualifications of elders in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1.  Let’s take a look at some of the qualifications and consider how a man might prepare himself to fulfill them.  First, it is important to note that aspiring to be an elder is a good thing.  Paul wrote, “It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.” (1 Timothy 3:1 NASB95) The work of an overseer is often difficult and comes with very weighty responsibilities.  In light of this, it is important that there is a desire to take on this work.  Elders need to serve willingly and eagerly, not under compulsion. (1 Peter 5:2)

Second, an elder must be able to teach (1 Timothy 3:2). He must hold fast to the faithful word and be able to encourage sound teaching and refute false teaching (Titus 1:9).  An elder, then, must be a man who is deeply rooted in the truth.  An aspiring elder must prepare himself through serious, ongoing study of the word of God.  People’s souls will depend on you faithfully holding fast to the teaching.

An elder must be one who “manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?) (1 Timothy 3:4-5 NASB95) The training ground for an elder is the family.  The one who aspires to be an elder must aspire to lead his family in the ways of God.

Finally, an elder must be a man who is himself walking with God.  Looking through the lists of qualities in 1 Timothy and Titus we see many descriptors of the kind of man he should be:  temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, gentle, peaceable, a lover of what is good, free from the love of money, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not a bully (pugnacious).  In short, he must be a man who is being led by the Spirit of God.  He should be a man who has been walking with the Lord for many years; a man whose character has been transformed by the Lord.

It is a good thing for our men to aspire to this work.  If you feel the desire to serve as an elder one day, I encourage you to begin preparing now.  And if you do not desire this work, I still encourage you to strive for these qualities, for they are wonderful qualities for each of us to pursue.  May God raise up godly men among us to serve our congregation in this way.      

—Scott Colvin

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Posted by Scott Colvin

Seeking God

November 12, 2024

In his sermon in Acts chapter 17, Paul reveals some magnificent things about the true God of heaven to a group of Athenian philosophers who did not know God.  Paul tells them that God made the world and all things in it.  He tells them that God does not need to be served by humans as if He needed anything.  No, God is the one who serves mankind by giving us everything we need—life and breath and all things.  He tells them that it is God who made all mankind and determined where they would live.

But why has God been so kind and generous to all people in these ways?  This brings Paul to his central point.  He said it was so “that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us…” (Acts 17:27 NASB95) God has poured out His blessings on all so that we would seek Him!  What a profound truth it is that God wants all to search for Him, and He wants all to find Him!

And what a profound truth it is that God does require that we search, that we grope for Him, feeling our way toward Him to discover who He is.  God does not reveal the wonders of Himself to just anyone.  He only reveals Himself to those who will seek Him.  God has been very clear about this throughout scripture.  Take this verse, for example: “How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, Who seek Him with all their heart.” (Psalm 119:2 NASB95) Or take the words of Jesus as another example: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7 NASB95) Or consider this verse, where Paul explains that in Jesus “… are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians 2:3 NASB95) You see, the treasures of God’s wisdom and knowledge are not available to just anyone.  They are hidden in Christ.  God desires that we do some digging before He will allow access to these blessings. 

But the beautiful thing is that God will allow us to find Him.  He wants to be found.  He wants a relationship with you and me.  The question for us is, are we still searching for Him?  Even if we have already found Him, there is still more to be found.  We must continue to dig deeper to explore even more of the beauty and the delight that is found in God and in His beloved Son.  May God lead us ever deeper into Himself!    

—Scott Colvin

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Posted by Scott Colvin

Spiritual Surgery

October 22, 2024

There was a massive controversy in the first century church over this question:  Do the gentiles who have come to faith in Christ need to be circumcised?  There was a faction within the church that said, yes, they must be circumcised in order to be saved (Acts 15:1) and it is easy to see why they believed this.  Circumcision had been around since the time of Abraham.  It was a sign and seal of the covenant God made with Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 17:11-12, Romans 4:11).  Circumcision was also required under the law of Moses.  Whether under the Abrahamic covenant or the Mosaic covenant, anyone who was not circumcised would be cut off from the people (Genesis 17:14).  So, wouldn’t the same apply to the people of the new covenant, the church?

The answer given throughout the New Testament is, no, gentiles do not need to be circumcised in order to be saved.  In fact, Paul wrote to the church in Galatia that, “if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you,” and every man that receives circumcision “is under obligation to keep the whole Law.”  Paul continues to explain that those who were being circumcised were seeking to be justified by law, and therefore “have been severed from Christ.” (Galatians 5:2-4 NASB95) So not only is circumcision unnecessary, but it is also spiritually deadly (if it is received in order to be saved).  Anyone who does so will cut themselves off from salvation in Jesus!

And yet, all of us in Christ have undergone circumcision.  We have been circumcised in our spirit, through the Spirit of God, by the hand of Jesus Himself.  As Paul says, “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh.  But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter…” (Romans 2:28-29 NASB95).  When were you and I circumcised in heart?  “And in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.” (Colossians 2:11-12 NASB95) When we were baptized into Christ, Jesus circumcised (cut away) our fleshly nature.  He circumcised our hearts by His Spirit at that moment.

All of this is extremely important for our daily lives.  Because of God’s spiritual surgery, we have hope of overcoming our flesh and living lives of obedience from the heart.  Thanks be to God for operating on our hearts in this way!     

—Scott Colvin

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Posted by Scott Colvin

Words that Will Save

October 15, 2024

“I would rather see a sermon than hear one.”

I have heard this statement many times in various forms.  I can agree with the sentiment expressed.  It is very important that we live out the gospel—not just saying the right things but living in a right way.  A life lived for God shows the beauty of Jesus to those around us.

But we must remember that being a “living sermon” is not the entirety of the church’s responsibility.  The word must also be spoken.  As the angel said to Cornelius in Acts chapter 11, “Send to Joppa and have Simon, who is also called Peter, brought here; and he will speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household.” (Acts 11:13b-14 NASB95) Peter was going to speak words that would save Cornelius and his household.  If anyone is going to be saved, they must hear the words of the gospel of Christ.  They must hear who Jesus is.  They must hear the words about Jesus dying and being raised for us.  They must hear what to do to accept His gracious offer of forgiveness of sin.

I do encourage you to continue to be a living sermon.  I encourage you to continue living a life that adorns the doctrine of God (Titus 2:10).  I encourage you to continue walking in wisdom toward outsiders, letting your speech around them be with grace (Colossians 4:5-6), and while you do these things, be looking for open doors to also speak the word of God. 

It’s very interesting to me that God, if He wanted, could announce the saving message to the lost through angels or through personal visions or dreams, but He has not seen fit to do so.  We see over and over again in the scriptures that God sends people (like you and me) to speak the words that lead to salvation. 

Are there people in your life that need to hear the message?  Perhaps they have seen your way of life and felt your love and concern for them.  And perhaps because of that, their heart is ready to hear.  May God prepare you and direct you to those who need to hear the words by which they can be saved. 

—Scott Colvin

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Posted by Scott Colvin

The Ways of God

October 10, 2024

Herod does violence to the church. He kills James, the Apostle. He imprisons Peter desiring to execute him. Reading it again (Acts 12:1-19) reminds me of my questions:

  • Why, Lord, did you allow Herod Agrippa I to do violence to some of the church? Why those particular people and not others? 12:1
  • Why did you allow James, the Apostle, to be killed by Herod?12:2
  • Why did you allow Peter to be arrested? 12:3
  • Why did you wait to rescue Peter until the night before he was to be executed? Why not sooner, and why didn’t you rescue James? 12:6
  • Why, Lord, did you allow the sentries to be executed by Herod for their failure to keep an angel from rescuing Peter? (This one reminds me that even when God intervenes, bad things can follow from evil people.) 12:19

My questions do not arise from doubt. I understand the broad answers to the questions of evil and suffering. Evil occurs because in order for God to create beings with free will, sin has to be a possible choice. God didn’t immediately bring an end to sin and evil in order to mount a rescue – a plan of redemption. Sin’s entrance into the world brought about a curse that includes hardship and suffering as possibilities. Those are the broad brush strokes of an answer.

Yet, I can relate to Job asking, “Why me?” It seems that the answer Job received is the basic answer we receive for many of our whys. Knowledge of such things is beyond our pay grade. We don’t have the wisdom and power to run the universe. (See Job 38-41.)

But my whys go beyond the text of Acts 12. Rereading Acts 12 just reminds me of these unanswered questions. I ask why for cases in the lives of people I know and my own life. I’ve reached some conclusions. Good people suffer. Faith tested grows stronger. I believe God loves us enough to hear our whys and our faithful laments. Even when I don’t totally understand, I am convinced of God’s power and love and await the world to come when God will wipe away all tears.

The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. (Deuteronomy 29:29, ESV)

I don’t have an answer for all my whys, but I trust God even when I don’t completely understand all the ways of God.

–Russ Holden

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Posted by Russell Holden

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

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Posted by Russell 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

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Posted by Scott Colvin

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