The Fury of God’s Fire

April 2, 2024

I am so very thankful that we serve a God who is full of love, mercy, and patience for mankind.  I am very thankful that we have a God who invites us to come near to Him and who has made it possible for us to call Him “Father.”  What joy, what comfort we can take from these truths! 

But in our reflections upon God’s love and mercy, we must never lose sight of the totality of His nature that He has revealed to us.  God is love, and God is also holy.  God is full of mercy, and He is also a God who rains down His judgement and wrath when He sees fit.

We must never forget the fear of God.  Many of the problems that we see in the church collectively, and in the individual lives of Christians are due to the fact that we have forgotten the fear of God.  When we do not have the reverence and awe for Him that He deserves, we can quickly get off track.  A lack of fear of the Lord leads to taking His word lightly and disregarding what He has said.  A lack of the fear of God leads to carelessly fooling around with sin.  It leads to treating our worship assembly as common and unimportant.  Afterall, if we see God as harmless and safe—as sort of a kindly old grandfather—why would we take Him all that seriously?

God is not “harmless.”  He is not “safe.”  He is a terrifying God who takes vengeance on His adversaries.  He is a God of judgment.  He is a God who consumes His enemies with a furious fire.  He will not be trifled with, ignored, scoffed at, or taken lightly.

We must have a healthy fear of God!  As the Hebrews writer states, “For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES.” (Hebrews 10:26-27 NAS95) And it is said in the same passage, “For we know Him who said, ‘VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY.’ And again, ‘THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.’ It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:30-31 NAS95)

Let us maintain a healthy fear of God.  And let us forever be thankful for Jesus Christ who saves us from the wrath to come. 

—Scott Colvin

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Encourage One Another

March 21, 2024

The Christian life can be compared to a journey with obstacles and trials. The goal is to finish the journey in faith. The danger is always present that we will stop along the way and maybe even choose a different direction for life – a direction that leads away from God. That means the Christian needs encouragement to persevere and live a life worthy of his calling. It is in the context of our need to persevere that Hebrews gives its command to encourage one another.

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet 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, ESV)

Translators attempting to give us a smooth English sentence can on occasion loose an important idea. The above translation of verse 24 is all too common.

 …and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,…Hebrews 10:24, NASB

 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Hebrews 10:24, NIV

 The problem with the above translations is that the actual object of “let us consider” in Greek is “one another” as in the NKJV.

 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works… Hebrews 10:24, NKJV

The command to encourage then has one another as its focus. It is first of all selfless, and it is at this point also countercultural. We live in an age of the consumer mentality: what do I get out of it? We never get the worship assembly right if we begin with ourselves. We must always begin with God and the need of others.

A Korean parable about a visit to heaven and hell gives insight to this difference of perspective.

The visitor peeped in at the door of hell and saw an enormous banquet hall. In it were a number of long tables with bowls of rice and delicacies on them, well-flavored, smelling delicious, and inviting. The guests were sitting hungrily, opposite one another, each with a plate of food.

The guests all had chopsticks to use, but these were so long that, however hard they tried, not a grain of rice could they get into their mouths. This was their torment; this was their hell. “I’ve seen it, that’s more than enough for me,” said the visitor. Departing hell, he entered into heaven.

Inside, he saw the same banquet hall, the same tables, the same food, and the same long chopsticks. But the guests were joyful. All were smiling and laughing. Each one, having put the food onto his chopsticks, held it out to the mouth of his companion opposite, and so they managed to eat their fill. Joy, love, and fulfillment were found in heaven.

Following Jesus often involves paradoxes: losing our life to save it, the last shall be first, and greatness comes by humility. This is but one more. To be encouraged, we must encourage one another.

—Russ Holden

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The Holy Spirit: Power for Your Life

March 12, 2024

I wonder if you realize that there is tremendous power available to you for your life.  God has made His power available to us to overcome sin in our lives, to bear up under difficult situations, to serve and not grow weary, to comprehend the deep things of God, and to grow in wisdom and in love. 

The apostle Paul prays for the church in Ephesus that they would know “what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.  These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might…” (Ephesians 1:19 NASB95) God has directed his immeasurable, boundless power toward us who believe in Him.  If only we could more fully realize the power that is available!

Paul continues in chapter 3, “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us…” (Ephesians 3:20 NASB95) There is power that works within us! Through that power, God is able to do far more within us than we could ever ask or even comprehend. 

From where does this tremendous power come?  How does God deliver it into our lives?  It comes through the Spirit of God who dwells in our hearts.  Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian brethren is “that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man…” (Ephesians 3:16 NASB95) You see, power flows from God into our inner being through the Holy Spirit.  As you continue reading in Ephesians 3:17 and following, you can see God’s intended purpose for this flow of power:  that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith (verse 17); that we would be rooted and grounded in love (verse 17); that we would be able to comprehend the love of Christ, which surpasses knowledge (verse 19); and that we would be filled with all the fullness of God (verse 19)!

All of this power is only available to us through the Holy Spirit.  A “natural man” (one who does not have the Spirit) can read and understand some things about the word of God, such as what Christ did for them, and how to be saved, but it is only when the Spirit comes into the heart at the moment of salvation that the power of God in the inner being is made available.  Thank God for His power that He has directed toward us, and which works within us!

—Scott Colvin

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The Spirit vs. the Law

March 5, 2024

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between the old and new covenants?  There are many similarities between the two.  They both came from God, they are both glorious, they both show us how God wants us to live, they both require obedience.  But what are the differences between them? 

Something radically changed when God instituted the new covenant, and in the third chapter of 2 Corinthians, Paul highlights the sharp contrast between the two.  He writes, “…our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills but the Spirit gives life.” (2 Corinthians 3:5b-6 NASB95)   The first difference we see is that the old covenant was “of the letter,” but the new is “of the Spirit.”  This is a major distinction, for the letter of the Law brought death, but the Spirit of God is able to make us alive.

Paul continues, “But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was, how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory?  For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory.” (2 Corinthians 3:7-9 NASB95) The old covenant was “the ministry of death.”  It was very glorious, but it killed those who were under it.  The old covenant was “the ministry of condemnation.” The people under it were condemned because, under a system of law, only those who keep the letter of the law flawlessly will be deemed righteous by God.  In sharp contrast, the new covenant—the ministry of the Spirit—is much more glorious than the old and is actually able to impart righteousness to those who are under it.

Finally, while the old covenant was written on stone tablets, in the new covenant, God writes His laws in our minds and hearts by His Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:3, Hebrews 8:10) Because of this, under the new covenant there can be a real, inward transformation of our hearts and lives.  It is not simply external obedience to a written code (as was the view of many Israelites under the Law), but obedience from a heart that has been cleansed and renewed by God.  As we see at the end of chapter three, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18 NASB95) What a wonderful thought!  What hope this verse gives us!  In the new covenant, you and I are being transformed by the Spirit who dwells within us.  God is working on our hearts to transform us into the image of His Son, as we behold His glory.

Thanks be to God for His new covenant in which we can find true life, righteousness, and inner transformation.

—Scott Colvin

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The Work of the Spirit: Sanctification

February 27, 2024

Why does the Holy Spirit dwell within each one of us who are in Christ?  When you were baptized into Jesus, you received the gift of the Spirit within your heart.  Why is He dwelling there?  What is His function?  Generally speaking, there has been a lack of teaching in the church on the role of the Spirit in our lives.  Because of this, some of our brethren would say, “I don’t know why the Spirit lives within me.”  This is an acceptable answer.  There are many things I myself do not know and we’re all trying to learn.  But sadly, some brethren have become convinced that the answer to this question is, “The Holy Spirit does nothing at all today.”  They would argue that the Spirit gave us the word of God (which is certainly true), but if pressed, they would suggest that the Spirit does nothing in the lives of Christians today.

But the Spirit of God is still at work!  The scriptures are filled with this vital truth, and to not understand this is very detrimental to our spiritual health and growth. 

One of the major functions of the Spirit today is to help us with sanctification.  Sanctification is the idea of holiness, of being set apart for God.  It is about living a life of purity and of dedication to the ways of God and abstaining from sin.  It is very important to God that we live a sanctified life.  God has said, “You shall be holy for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16b NASB95) God has said, “Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14 NASB95) Without sanctification we will not see God! But are we alone in our pursuit of holiness?  Is it by our own strength and ability that we will overcome sin?  Has God left us alone in our struggles?

Thanks be to God that He has given us His Spirit to help us live sanctified lives.  Sanctification is the work of the Spirit!  As Peter wrote, we have been chosen “… by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ…” (1 Peter 1:2 NASB95) Or as Paul wrote to the saints in Thessalonica, “… God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.” (2 Thessalonians 2:13b NASB95)Sanctification is an ongoing process in our lives, a process that God is empowering in us through His Spirit.  Listen to these words of Paul which carry great encouragement and hope for us in our struggle to live holy lives: “For if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Romans 8:13 NASB95) Putting sin to death is something we must choose to do continually, but notice carefully that it is by the Spirit that we can put to death the deeds of the body.  It is not by our own power, but by the Spirit’s power.  This should give us great encouragement in our struggle against sin!  God dwells within us to help us!  We are not alone!  May God help us realize the Spirit is at work within us, and may we learn to draw from the Spirit’s power in our pursuit of sanctification.

—Scott Colvin

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What is Faith?

February 27, 2024

Since the wages of sin is death, it is very important to know how to receive the free gift which is eternal life. Paul begins Romans with this great statement of his theme: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16, ESV). The gospel is clearly offered to all, but faith is a condition for receiving the gift. If the gospel was not offered to all, Paul could not claim, “For God shows no partiality” (Romans 2:11, ESV).

So what is faith? In English, we speak of belief, faith, and trust. Greek had one word group that covered that range of meaning. Belief or faith includes intellectual assent. Intellectual assent can especially be seen in phrases like “believe that”.

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6, ESV)

“You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe- and shudder!” (James 2:19, ESV)

The last quote clearly indicates that intellectual assent is not enough. The Bible also speaks of faith in the sense of trust. This can be seen in phrases that say believing in or on someone (e.g., “the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe” Romans 3:22, ESV).

Paul is also clear about how we acquire faith. “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17, ESV). Faith is a response to testimony (see also John 20:30-31). Those who would argue from Ephesians 2:8 that faith is a gift have missed the point. The “this” in the passage points back to the whole process of salvation by grace conditioned by faith as clearly seen in the Greek grammar of the passage.

In Romans, Paul contrasts faith/trust with works/merit. We are either going to earn salvation by perfect law keeping, or we are going to have to trust in the saving work done for us by Christ. But perfect law keeping is only hypothetically possible since we can’t live it perfectly. “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20, ESV). We must trust what Jesus has done for us.

As Paul explains this faith/trust, it does not exclude but includes repentance (Romans 2:4). It does not exclude but includes baptism (Romans 6:3). It does not exclude but includes confession (Romans 10:9). Given the argument of the letter, these things that Paul includes cannot be meritorious works but must be expressions of trust/faith. Finally, also note that for Paul faith/trust leads to obedience (Romans 1:5, 6:17, 16:26). Obedience is produced by faith. The person who trusts God will want to obey God.

—Russ Holden

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Are You a Worker or a Believer?

February 13, 2024

Romans chapter four is a sometimes misunderstood and sometimes neglected passage of scripture in the brotherhood.  This is very unfortunate, because the truths found in this passage help us to get a better grasp of the grace of God and how we can stand in a righteous state before Him. 

The chapter begins in this way, “What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.’ Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness…” (Romans 4:1-5 NASB95)

By looking at the life of Abraham, you and I can see how we can be justified (declared righteous) by God.  Abraham was not declared righteous by his works, but by his belief.  Because he believed God, God placed his own righteousness onto Abraham’s account.  “It was credited to him as righteousness.”  What sometimes troubles us is that Paul is contrasting “the one who works” with the one who “believes.”  This causes questions to arise in our minds.  Is Paul saying that believers don’t have to do good works?  Is he saying that obedience is not necessary to please God?  Is Paul contradicting what James said?  These are good questions that should indeed be asked.

A key to understanding this passage is to realize that Paul is not equating works with obedience.  In this passage, the one who works is the one who is attempting to earn their right standing before God.  The worker is not relying on grace but is attempting to earn God’s justification by living up to everything God has commanded.  For the one who works, justification is a matter of wages, not grace (favor).  A wage is what we earn for our work.  But to earn righteousness in the eyes of our holy and sinless God, the one who works must be flawless!  There cannot be even one sin on their account.

Standing in contrast to the worker is the one “who believes in Him who justifies the ungodly.”  The believer is one who is relying on God’s grace—not their own performance—for their justification.  The believer is not asking for wages from God, because the only thing we have earned from God is death (Romans 6:23).  The believer is “one who does not work,” but this does not mean that the believer is not obedient to God.  The believer is obedient, for true belief (faith) always strives for obedience.  This is what James tells us in James chapter two.  But the “believer”—in contrast to “the worker”—trusts in God who justifies the ungodly by His grace, rather than trusting in his own ability to earn righteousness from God as wages.

—Scott Colvin

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Rest for Our Souls

February 6, 2024

One of my favorite hymns is “Home of the Soul.”  Besides the beautiful alto lead in the chorus, there are the encouraging lyrics reminding us of what awaits us as children of God.  “If for the prize we have striven, after our labors are o’er, rest to our souls will be given, on the eternal shore1.”  Are you looking forward to finding rest for your soul?

Those who die in the Lord will find that rest in heaven.  As we read in Revelation, “Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’ ” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.”” (Revelation 14:12-13 NAS95)

The life of a Christian should be one of hard work.  The Christian life takes perseverance—steadfast endurance for the Lord.  The life of a Christian is one of diligently keeping the commands of God and holding to our faith in Jesus.  The life of a Christian is at times filled with trouble and sorrow, temptation and trial.  In all of this, we can grow weary.  What is it that can keep us going strong?

One thing we must do is to keep our sights focused on heaven.  We need to remind ourselves often that there is coming a day of great blessing for those who die in the Lord.  There is coming a day of great rejoicing, a day of glory, and a day when we will finally lay all our burdens down and rest from our labors. 

But while we are here on this earth, “Let us be diligent to enter that rest…” (Hebrews 4:11a NAS95) Let us be eager to respond to His voice.  Let us be eager to work for the Lord.  Let us be eager to serve others.  “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.” (Galatians 4:9 NAS95).  It is a wonderful thing to spend your life being busy with the work of the Lord, knowing that He has provided us with a glorious place of rest in the future.   

—Scott Colvin

1 “Home of the Soul,” Lyrics by James Rowe

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The Springs of Life

January 31, 2024

Did you know that there is a common source from which flows everything you think, every attitude you have, everything you say, every plan you make, and everything you do?  The common source of all of these things is the spiritual heart.  The heart is the innermost part of our being, and the condition of our heart will determine everything about us.  Your heart defines who you really are on the inside, and therefore determines the actions that you will take in daily life.  Therefore, it is of utmost importance that we give careful and constant consideration to the condition of our hearts.

Listen to these words of wisdom from Proverbs: “Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.” (Proverbs 4:23 NAS95) The heart is pictured here as a bubbling spring, the source of all things that flow out from your life. If the “streams” that flow out from your life (the thoughts, the attitudes, the words, the actions) are evil, it is because the source of those streams—the heart—is defiled.  This is why we must be diligent to guard our heart and not let anything pollute it. 

How can we guard our hearts?  Let’s look at the previous verses to see what we must do. “My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them And health to all their body.” (Proverbs 4:20-22 NAS95) We must continue to pay close attention to words of wisdom. When we don’t, our heart is in great danger.  I have seen it happen many times; people stop taking the word of God to heart, and bad things always follow.  Why?  Because in the absence of the wisdom of God, the spring of life becomes polluted, and that pollution will flow downstream.

But just as the heart can be polluted, it can also be purified and cleansed.  God can bring continual renewal to our defiled hearts.  And when God cleanses our hearts, it is a certainty that beautiful, wonderful things will flow from our lives. If we will be diligent to let His word in, to respond in faith to it, to be led by His Spirit, then life and health will flow from our innermost being.  And not only will we find blessings in our own lives, but we will be a blessing to those around us.

—Scott Colvin

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Jesus is Not Ashamed

January 23, 2024

How does Jesus feel about you?  You and I are not always everything that we would like to be.  We’re not always living up to everything we should be, or could be, in Christ.  We are often afflicted with troubles and sorrow, even though we want to rise above it all.  We are sometimes overcome with fears and anxieties, even though we know we shouldn’t be.  We grow weary, even though we want to be strong.  We struggle with temptation, and sometimes fall into sin, even though we truly want to be pleasing to the Lord.  In all of this, how does Jesus feel about us?  Is He ashamed of us?

Listen to these words from Hebrews chapter 2: “For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.  For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren…”(Hebrews 2:10-11 NAS95)

Not only is Jesus not ashamed of us, He is not ashamed to call us brethren!  He is not ashamed to claim us as His brothers and sisters!  Yes, even in all of our struggling and weakness, even though we sin, He still claims us.  This is because Jesus, as the One who sanctifies (makes us holy), and we who are being sanctified are all from one Father.  Note that this wonderful truth is for those who are being sanctified by Jesus.  It is not for those who stubbornly pursue the way of sin; it’s for those who are cooperating with Jesus in His sanctifying work within us.

Isn’t it wonderful to know that Jesus gladly associates with you?  Isn’t it wonderful to know that He calls you “brother” or “sister”?  And isn’t there something here that we can learn from Jesus about how we should view one another?  If Jesus is not ashamed to call us brethren, then neither should we be ashamed of any brother or sister who is struggling with trials or temptation. 

—Scott Colvin

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