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

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

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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Posted by Scott Colvin

The Dangers of Dismissing the Holy Spirit

December 1, 2023

There is a lot of confusion in the church about the Holy Spirit.  Many questions arise, such as:  Is the Spirit a personal being or just some impersonal force?  Is the Spirit divine?  Does the Spirit help us in some way today?  What is His function, exactly?  What about miraculous gifts?  Does the Spirit actually dwell within us?  These are all important questions that should be asked, and answers should be sought. 

The scriptures make it clear that a reliance on the Spirit is critical to the spiritual health of both the church as a whole and of each individual Christian.  Despite this fact, there are some in the church today who downplay the role of the Spirit.  Some have claimed that the Spirit is not really doing anything today.  Some have claimed that the Spirit of God does not actually dwell in us today in any real sense.  We must carefully search the word of God to form our understanding of the Spirit.  Some are not forming their views of the Spirit on a careful study of the word, but on a counterreaction to certain misguided views held by the Pentecostal/charismatic movements.  Forming our views of scripture on a reaction to what others are teaching is no way to go about finding truth!   We must let the word of God speak for itself and let it shape our thinking.  Some who downplay the role of the Spirit do so because of their desire for simple, black and white teachings that can be easily understood.  But the fact is, there are some things in scripture that are difficult to understand (2 Peter 3:15-16), and there are many, many things in the scriptures that will far exceed our ability to fully comprehend.  Afterall, we are dealing with God.  His ways are far above our ways.  Why should we think that we could ever fully understand nature of God and His Spirit?  And yet, we sometimes try to put God in a box of our own making.

The effects of downplaying the role of the Holy Spirit are devastating.  Some minimize the work of the Spirit and then wonder why there is so much spiritual weakness in the church.  But it is the Spirit who brings power into our lives (Ephesians 3:16).  It is the Spirit who brings transformation (2 Corinthians 3:18).  Some minimize the work of the Spirit and then wonder why we’re not reaching the lost like we should.  But it is the Spirit who will convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgement (John 16:8).  Some have done their best to remove the Spirit’s presence from the church and then wonder why so many congregations are dying out and closing their doors.  But when the Spirit is pushed out of the temple of God (the church), what should we expect to happen?

May we always strive to hold fast to a biblical view of the Holy Spirit.  May the Lord continue to bless us, transform us, and impart life to us through the Spirit whom He has given.

—Scott Colvin

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Posted by Scott Colvin

Faith is the Answer

October 3, 2023

Four times in the gospel of Matthew Jesus says these words: “You of little faith!”  A lack of faith is the root cause of many of our problems in this life.  What help, what joy we could find if we would learn to trust our Heavenly Father and rest in His promises.

Faith is the answer to worry and anxiety.  Jesus tells us that we can stop worrying about our lives—even the necessities of life—because our Father will take care of us.  Listen to these words of Jesus: “But if God so clothes the grass of the field… will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!” (Matthew 6:30 NAS95) We all struggle with worry at times.  What is the cause? Jesus goes right to the heart of the problem.  It is a matter of faith.  When we let worry overcome us it is because we do not believe that God knows about our needs, or that God does not care, or that God is unable to help.  If we would turn to Him in faith, knowing that He does know, He does care, and He is able, it would help us to overcome our worries.

Faith is the answer to fear.  When a great storm arose on the sea so that the boat the disciples were in was about to sink, they came to Jesus and said, “‘Save us, Lord; we are perishing!’ He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?’” (Matthew 8:25-26 NAS95) We see a similar scenario when Peter asked Jesus to command him to walk to Him on the water.  Peter saw the wind, became frightened, and began to sink.  “Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31 NAS95) All of us have been overcome with fear at times.  It can hit us hard.  Jesus again pinpoints the root cause.  It is because we have little faith.  We fail to remember that Jesus is not only the Master of the sea, but of all things.  And He has promised that He will never leave us or forsake us.  Why do we fear?  Why do we doubt?  Do we trust Him? 

Faith is the answer to spiritual forgetfulness.  Sometimes we forget how God has worked in our lives in the past, and this clouds our view of the future.  Jesus said to His disciples, who had witnessed His great power, “You men of little faith, why do you discuss among yourselves that you have no bread?  Do you not yet understand or remember the five loaves of the five thousand… or the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many large baskets full you picked up?” (Matthew 16:8-10 NAS95)

We all struggle with these things from time to time.  That is why we need to be growing in our faith.  May God help us to listen carefully to His voice and take His promises to heart.  Let us trust in our loving Father.

—Scott Colvin

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Posted by Scott Colvin

You of Little Faith

December 16, 2021

In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus teaches us how to deal with anxiety.  He reminds us not to worry about our lives and says this: “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!” (Matthew 6:30, NASB)

In Matthew chapter 8, we see Jesus and His disciples in a boat as a great storm arose on the sea.  The disciples were terrified and cried out to Jesus, “Save us, Lord!”  Jesus responded, “…Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?’ Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea and it became perfectly calm.” (Matthew 8:26, NASB)

Some time later, the disciples were again on a boat, and once again, the wind and waves were battering them.  The disciples looked and saw Jesus walking toward them on the water.  At Jesus’ invitation, Peter got out of the boat and began to walk toward Him.  “But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’  Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’” (Matthew 14:31, NASB)

Like Jesus’ disciples, we sometimes struggle mightily with the terrible trio of worry, fear, and doubt.  These emotions can rule over our lives.  What is the root cause of chronic worry, fear, and doubt?  In each of the above passages, Jesus pinpoints the cause—lack of faith!  This can be hard to hear, but they are the words of Jesus.  “You of little faith!”  But by understanding the root cause, by God’s grace we can find help to overcome.  We need to be growing our faith. When “doubts arise and fears dismay” in life, we might ask ourselves 3 questions to refocus our faith:  1) Is God aware of my problems in life?  2) Does God care about me and have my best interest at heart? 3) Does God have the power to help?  The answer to each of these questions is a resounding yes! Having this assurance in our heart, we can come in renewed faith to search His word for answers and to lay our anxieties at His feet in prayer.  As we look to Him in faith, He will grant His divine help and comfort!  He will grant us His peace!  Lord, teach us to increase our faith!

— Scott Colvin

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Posted by Scott Colvin

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