September 30, 2025
Is it the case that God chose some individuals, before time began, to be saved, but chose that others to be eternally lost? Are some people “elect” and others not? This is a doctrine that is taught by many well-meaning people in Christendom. But does it line up with the scriptures? Is it in line with the nature of God as revealed in the scriptures? This is a dangerous doctrine that leads to some very serious errors. Let’s take a closer look.
Jesus said, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NAS95)Did Jesus die only for the elect, or for the entire world? Is His offer of salvation only for some, or for whoever will believe? Jesus said in John chapter 5, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life…” (John 5:24a NAS95) Again, is Jesus offering eternal life to anyone who will hear and believe? Or is He only offering life to the elect?
Someone may say, “Ah, but what about John chapter 6?” Jesus said, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me…” (John 6:37a NASB95). And also, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him…” (John 6:44a NASB95) Don’t these statements prove that some are elect, and some are not? That some can come to God and some cannot?
Yes, Jesus says that no one can come to Him unless the Father draws him—but how does the Father draw people? The very next verse explains: God draws people through His word. Jesus said, “… Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me.” (John 6:45b NASB95). God invites all people, through the word, to come to Jesus, but only those who have heard and learned from the Father will come to the Son. Those who do not know the Father will reject Jesus. A second way in which the Father draws all people to Himself is through the cross. Jesus says in chapter 12, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself. But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die.” (John 12:32-33). All are invited, but many will reject Jesus and His sacrificial death.
This rejection of the word and the cross is not what God desires. Remember these words of Paul, that God “…desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4 NAS95) Or consider what Peter wrote that the Lord is “not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 NAS95) What is God’s desire? It is for all people to be saved! He does not wish for any to perish, but for all to repent! Is this really God’s desire? If so, are we to believe that He would condemn most of mankind to the fires of hell before they were even born? Are we to believe that God truly desires all to repent, but created most people with the complete inability to repent? Do these ideas line up with the plain statements of the word of God?
I am so thankful that God does indeed desire all people to be saved. He gives all people the opportunity to hear and respond to the gospel. This is the plain testimony of the scripture. Praise God for sending His Son to rescue us from eternal condemnation!
—Scott Colvin
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Posted by Scott Colvin
September 23, 2025
In John chapter five, Jesus healed a lame man who was lying by the pool of Bethesda. This man had been ill for 38 years and Jesus healed him by simply telling him to get up, pick up his pallet and walk. (John 5:8) While one might expect that this great miracle and blessing bestowed on this man would induce great rejoicing in those who heard of it, quite the opposite occurred. Jesus healed the man on the Sabbath day, and because of that, the Jewish leaders persecuted Him. They even sought to kill Him. Why? Because Jesus said these words: “… ‘My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.’” (John 5:17 NASB95)
Why did this statement so enrage the Jews? The next verse explains: “…because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.” (John 5:18 NASB95) They were not wrong. Jesus was indeed claiming equality with God, and in His teaching in the following verses, He reinforced this claim very clearly in multiple ways. But how is Jesus’ claim to be working on the Sabbath a claim of equality with God?
The creation account in Genesis tells us that on the seventh day (the Sabbath) God rested from His work which He had done (Genesis 2:2-3). God made the Sabbath for man as a day of rest, but does God work on the Sabbath? He certainly does. People are born and people die on the Sabbath. The sun shines, the rain falls, and the crops grow on the Sabbath day. People can be healed from disease on the Sabbath. We could multiply examples. Aren’t all of these things the work of God? In fact, if God stopped working on the Sabbath day, the entire universe and everything in it would cease to exist!
So, when Jesus said that He works on the Sabbath just as God does, He was clearly claiming to be more than a mere human. Man was to rest on the Sabbath, as commanded. But just as God has the divine prerogative to continue His work on the Sabbath, Jesus, too has that divine prerogative! Thus, He made Himself equal to God!
What is the takeaway for us? If Jesus is God (and He is!) we had better listen very carefully to His word! Because Jesus is God, He also has the right and the ability to judge, to raise the dead and to give eternal life to whomever He wishes (see John 5:19-29). Jesus said to the Jews of that day, and His words remain true today, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” (John 5:24 NASB95). Are you listening to the words of Jesus and believing in Him? Jesus is God the Son! Let us listen to His almighty voice!
—Scott Colvin
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Posted by Scott Colvin
August 19, 2025
In John chapter 4, Jesus spoke these profound words to the Samaritan woman after asking her for a drink of water from the well: “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” (John 4:10 NASB95) The woman is initially confused and perhaps a bit resistant, but Jesus continues, “… Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14 NASB95) What does this mean? Let’s take a closer look.
We learn more about this living water in chapter 7, when Jesus stands up at the feast and cries out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’ But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive…” (John 7:37-39a) So, we see that the living water Jesus is offering is a reference to the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God is like a fountain or a river of water that flows from our inner being.
There is a thirst within all people, modern and ancient, for something that will satisfy the soul. There is a yearning for meaning and wholeness. Man tries to fulfill this desire with earthly things—worldly pleasures, wealth, career, substances, and the like—but these things will never take away the inner longing. The thirst will always return. But what Jesus is offering is a never-ending source of life that will truly satisfy. The Spirit of God, dwelling within us, brings satisfaction. He brings joy and peace! He brings true life! With the Spirit dwelling within us, our souls become like well-watered, fruitful gardens which bring forth His beautiful fruit. The water is a blessing not only to our own souls, but as it flows forth, it brings refreshment to those around us.
But notice that we have to come to Jesus for this living water. We have to ask Him. We have to believe in Him (and continue to believe). If we spend our lives living with one foot in Jesus and one foot in the world, we will deprive ourselves of the living water. But if we will continue to trust in Jesus and follow His voice, He will grant life and peace through His Spirit. The living water will spring up to eternal life.
—Scott Colvin
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Posted by Scott Colvin
August 12, 2025
In John chapter 3, Jesus said to Nicodemus, “…Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5 NASB95) What does it mean to be born of water and the Spirit?
First, let us notice the absolute need to be born again—from above. No one will be able to enter God’s kingdom without this radical change, this complete transformation from above. But how can a person be born again? That was exactly the question that Nicodemus asked. Jesus’ answer: One is born again of water and the Spirit. But what does that mean?
To understand Jesus’ words, we need to consider the historical context. What would have come to Nicodemus’ mind when he heard “water and the Spirit”? At that time, John the Baptist was going around the region baptizing multitudes of people in water—an event that would have been the talk of all of Israel. Jesus Himself was baptized by John. When He came up out of the water, the heavens were torn open, and the Spirit of God came down upon Jesus as God announced to all that Jesus is His beloved Son. These things created quite a stir among the religious leaders and all of the people. Water and Spirit would have been on the minds of everyone, including Nicodemus.
Furthermore, we have other scriptures that show us what being born of water and the Spirit means. Water and Spirit show up together in other passages. For example, think of Acts 2:38, which says, “Peter said to them, ‘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.’” (Acts 2:38 NASB95) Baptism and the Spirit appear together here. Or how about Paul’s words to Titus: “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,” (Titus 3:5 NASB95) Here we have washing and the Holy Spirit appearing together. Or what about these words, where the Spirit and baptism occur together again: “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:13 NASB95)
So, what do we learn? One is born again of water and the Spirit when they are baptized into Christ. That is the time at which the new birth happens, by the power and working of God. We come up out of the water as a new person, born again from above. Fundamentally changed by God. Of course, all of this is made possible by Jesus, the One who was lifted up on the cross for all to look to in faith for salvation. Baptism is an expression of that faith in Jesus, and the time at which, by God’s grace, we are made new by the Holy Spirit. Have you been born again? If so, are you still walking in the new life God has granted you?
—Scott Colvin
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Posted by Scott Colvin
August 7, 2025
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” (John 1:1-2 NASB95)
These opening words of the gospel of John have been thought of by many as an overture that beautifully introduces the coming symphony. These words frame how we are to see and understand the rest of John’s gospel. With the phrase, “In the beginning,” John calls to mind the opening words of Genesis which tells us about God’s creation of the universe. Here in John’s gospel, we will be told of a new creation which God is bringing about through the Word. “In the beginning was the Word.” The Word already existed in the beginning. John wants us to know that the Word is not a created being but existed from all eternity.
“The Word was with God.” Not only did the word exist from the beginning, but He existed in the closest possible fellowship with God, so much so that it can be said, “The Word was God.” John is not saying that the Word had some divine qualities, but that the Word “is fully God.” (NET) The Word, in His essence, was fully deity, just as God the Father is. Or we might say, what God is, the Word is.
Who is the Word that John speaks of? We find that answer in verse fourteen which says, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14 NASB95) As this sentence indicates, and the rest of the gospel shows us, the Word is Jesus Christ. And so, we learn this profound truth: Jesus is God. He is God the Son. Everything that God is, Jesus is. As the author of Hebrews says of Jesus, “And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power…” (Hebrews 1:3 NASB95)
God has expressed Himself to mankind through the Word. God has revealed to us who He is by sending His Son Jesus to “tabernacle” among us. Jesus is the exact representation of God’s nature. When we look at the glory of Jesus, we see the glory of God. And Jesus, as I write, is upholding all things by the word of His power.
Given all of this, what an amazing thought it is that God in the flesh came down to die for us. Through the death of God the Son, those of us who have received Him have received eternal life. We have become children of God. We have been born again as a new creation. Let us praise God for this amazing truth.
—Scott Colvin
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Posted by Scott Colvin
June 10, 2025
In this dry and weary land in which we live, in this world of noise and stress, we often need renewal in our inner being. Where do you turn when your soul needs to be refreshed? I like how the old hymn we sing puts it: “But when my soul needs manna from above, where could I go but to the Lord?”1 There is a great truth here. Only the Lord can renew and restore our souls. There is no other true source of inner renewal.
David knew this truth. Listen to his words in Psalm 23: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul.” (Psalm 23:1-3 NASB95) The word “restore” here can mean that God brings our soul back when we stray from Him, as a shepherd brings back a wandering sheep. It can also mean that God brings back liveliness and vitality to our inner being2. Biblically speaking, both senses are true and certainly needed.
Listen to the words of David in Psalm 63: “O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” (Psalm 63:1 NASB95) David found himself in a dry and weary land, both literally and figuratively speaking. I’m sure we have felt the same at times. The world we live in can be harsh and dry and can sap the vitality right out of us. But we, like David, can find refreshment from God. As David ponders the power, the glory, and the love of God in this Psalm, and as he turns to worship God, he exclaims, “My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.” (Psalm 63:5 NASB95) David found deep, inner satisfaction from contemplating God and His goodness.
In Psalm 19:7, David writes, “The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul…” (Psalm 19:7 NASB95) The word of God can restore our soul. It can bring us back to the right path when we stray. It can reach into our hearts and give us an inner liveliness again.
Where do you turn when your soul needs renewal? Where could we go but to the Lord? As we worship God today and hear His word, may He grant renewal for our souls!
—Scott Colvin
- “Where Could I Go?” Lyrics by J.B. Coats
- Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (HALOT)
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Posted by Scott Colvin
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
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
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
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
Leave a Comment » | 1 John 2:3-4, 1 John 3:6, 1 John 4:7-8, knowledge of God, love, obedience | Tagged: Bible, faith, God is love, How can I know God?, Knowing God | Permalink
Posted by Scott Colvin
while today 