God’s sovereign purposes and grace, not people’s works or character, are the basis for all of His elections. For example, God chose Jacob over his twin brother Esau to be the recipient of the patriarchal blessing before they were even born. Every action of God arises...

When evangelizing, Christians have the duty to speak the truth about Christ in love. If we have a genuine love for the lost, then we should say, as did Paul, “Woe is me if I preach not the Gospel.” As we do our part, God, according to His divine sovereignty and...

God is sovereign. He reveals Himself to whomever He chooses, and He shows mercy to whomever He wills. However, we still have the responsibility to preach the Gospel to everyone, and to pray for lost souls. Paul had a heavy burden for the lost Jewish people, his...

Apart from those who are alive when the Lord returns, all other Christians will experience physical death. However, even physical death itself will not separate us from the love of Christ: It will be the very means of ushering us into His holy presence! Please open...

God’s foreknowledge and the fact that He has predestinated His called or elect saints to be justified and glorified are not just links in a chain of debate fodder for theologians. Paul intended these Gospel truths to assure all Christians that if God is for us, then...

Adversity is an undesirable, but necessary part of walking with Christ. It has been said that God draws men into deep waters, not to drown them, but to cleanse them. Therefore, whatever God allows into a person’s life, it is for their ultimate benefit and for the good...

Who are God’s children? If you by grace, through faith, belong to Jesus Christ, you are a son or daughter of God, and you have His Spirit dwelling within you. As adopted children, our pre-adoption lives (including all debts) have been erased, and we can now walk in...

The Bible likens the Christian life to being at war, wrestling, or fighting the good fight of faith. Not only are we living in the enemy’s territory until the Lord returns, we are also walking civil wars in which we have to mortify fleshly deeds in our own bodies....

Only that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. This happens when a person is born again. The flesh can never be converted into spirit. Water baptism, communion, nor any other religious ritual can turn a son of Adam into a son of God. Thus, Scripture divides all of...

Because of sin, every person on earth was born on death row. However, according to what we will see in today’s passage, everyone that has faith in Christ Jesus not only gets a pardon from their death sentence, God actually pronounces them Not Guilty! Please open your...

In our flesh, a Christian is no more holy or sinless than he was before salvation. Sin deceives into thinking that there is some good within us, but the Bible tells us something altogether different. Our flesh is an ever-present enemy, and we should not make any...

When a person is born again, they are freed from The Mosiac Law and united with Christ. This does not leave us in a moral vacuum, however. This union with the living Christ is akin to being married to Him, and the purpose of this marriage is to bear fruit for God....

Jesus said that we can tell a tree by its fruit. Our lifestyle reveals whether we are serving God or serving sin. A profession of faith that lacks evidence of righteousness and living for God’s kingdom is a false profession. Walking according to God’s moral laws and...

People are either ruled by sin or righteousness. By the power of the Holy Spirit and God’s grace, Christians can defeat sin’s rule by refusing to yield our bodies to its commands and fleshly lusts. We are to yield every part of our body to the service of the Lord as...

Santification is an on-going process. When God’s grace brings a person to salvation or justification, they will start living differently. Things that once gave them pleasure will lose their appeal, though they will occasionally find themselves slipping back into their...

In the first five chapters of Romans, the Apostle Paul described in great detail what God has accomplished for us through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, namely justification. Paul then proceeds to describe what God can accomplish in us through the Gospel, if we yield...

Because God is holy, He could not accept sinful man by simply disregarding or ignoring his sins. To satisfy God’s justice, those sins had to be dealt with. When Jesus shed His blood on the cross, He accepted the punishment for our sins, thereby satisfying God’s...

Sin separates people from God; however, after we are born again, our standing before God changes. Through Jesus Christ, God imputes righteousness to us, and we become justified by God’s grace. To be born again, a person must repent of their sin, trust that Jesus has...

On the basis of His foreknowledge, God predestined us to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. The implications of this truth are staggering. Though we often falter and flail, the Father does not see us in our cruddy humanity but in our glorified state. When...

Genuine saving faith marks the end of trusting in oneself or one’s good works, and it is the beginning of trusting in Jesus Christ for one’s salvation. One must stop trusting in what you do to be justified in God’s eyes. One must trust that God is just, and that He is...

In Romans chapter three, Paul made his great claim of justification by faith in Christ alone. To make his case to his Jewish readers, he then calls forward two witnesses to support his claim that no man-made set of rituals or rules can take away our sins. His two...

The last time someone accused you of wrongdoing, what was your reaction? Denial, argument, or defensiveness? Scripture says that, at the final judgment, the entire world will be silent before God. No excuses or arguments will remain. Have you reached the point with...

Today, we are going to visit the Great Physician’s office, and Paul is going to give us the results of our spiritual exam. Contrary to the Humanist Manifesto and the New Age movement, people are not inherently good. Whether you are a Jew or a Gentile, we are all born...

In Romans chapter two, Paul said some things that probably shocked his Jewish readers. Therefore, in anticipation of their objections, Paul then set out to address and answer their concerns. Please open your Bible to Romans chapter three, and listen as Pastor Ray...

Self-righteousness is thinking that one can be found accpetable in God’s eyes by being a good person, even trying to obey God’s laws. Such an attitude is, in fact, idolatry, because only God can make us acceptable in His eyes through the blood of Jesus, His only...

The Gospel is literally good news, and it is God’s goodness that draws people to repentance. However, people that repeatedly reject the Gospel message are storing up wrath against themselves in the day of judgment. That is, God will hold people accountable for their...

In chapter one of Romans, Paul described the abominable characteristics of lives lived by pagans. He then shocked his Jewish readers that condemned their pagan neighbors for doing such things by telling them that that they were without excuse, because they were guilty...

If people do not worship the living God, inevitably, they will end up worshiping something else. Often these idols will resemble bird’s, beasts, or people. People will also worship power, wealth, sensual pleasures, or some combination of the above. If someone persists...

God’s wrath is something to be feared. To avoid His wrath, we must be in right standing with Him, that is, we must be righteous. The good news is, that God is willing to impute His righteousness to anyone that is willing to receive this gift by repenting of their sins...

At the time that Paul wrote the letter to the Roman Christians, he had not been to Rome yet, because Satan had hindered him. Satan is our enemy, so we should anticipate opposition when we are doing the Lord’s work. Like Paul, we must pray and ask the Lord to help us...

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is literally good news, and it is the power of God that Paul described for the Christians that were living in Rome in about 57 A.D. Amazingly, our Sovereign Lord had His plan of Salvation in place even before He created the earth. It was not...

Today, we begin our study of Paul’s epistle to the Romans. Theologically, Romans is probably the most important book of the New Testament. Yet, it also contains some very practical passages. Please open your Bible to Romans chapter one, and listen as Pastor Ray Viola...

Why did our heavenly Father send His Son to earth? The short anser is this: He loves the people that He created. Please open your Bible to John chapter three, verse sixteen, and listen as Pastor Ray Viola discusses eleven aspects of God's redeeming love.  

Why did our heavenly Father send His Son to earth? The short anser is this: He loves the people that He created. Please open your Bible to John chapter three, verse sixteen, and listen as Pastor Ray Viola begins his discussion of eleven aspects of God's redeeming...

Why would a person---who loves Jesus and seeks to live a life that pleases Him---be reproached or even suffer for His Name's sake? The answer is simple: The Master's message is not one that the world wants to hear! The Gospel narrows the idea that all roads lead to...

How can a high and holy God inhabit contrition? Those are two contrasting images. Jesus accomplished this when He went to the cross, and He became sin, Who knew no sin so that, in Him, we might become the righteousness of God. He became what He wants us to become . ....

Though God is high and holy, He chose to come and live among ordinary, sinful people when Jesus was born of Mary. Even more remarkable is that, through Jesus, contrite and lowly people can be lifted up to dwell with God in His eternal kingdom. Please open your Bible...

The bad news is that fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, abusers of themselves with mankind, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, and extortioners shall not inherit the kingdom of God. The good news is that such people can be transformed by the Gospel...

By grace through faith in Jesus Christ, people can become sons of God. Remarkably, the Lord makes it possible for people like you and me to become joint heirs with Christ through the Spirit of adoption. If you have not done so already, call upon the name of the Lord...

God says that the fearful, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, whoremongers, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. Becasue of this, people cry, “How can a God of love or a good God send people to...

God’s holiness simultaneously breeds within our hearts deep attractiveness and trembling horror. Amazingly, His holiness dwelt within a human baby in such a humble form, that He not only could identify with sinful man, but He could also even identify with the animals...

One day, God’s throne and His heavenly city will move from heaven to rest on a new earth. Then, and for all eternity, God will dwell with and among men, whom Jesus has redeemed by His blood. An important prelude to this event happened about two thousand years ago: God...

Today’s passage foretold the birth of a child, given by God, Who would be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. These titles point to the divine nature and eternal reign of Jesus Christ, Who brings wisdom, strength, fatherly...

The incarnation, or human birth of Jesus Christ, was not His beginning. He is our ever-present wonderful Counselor and mighty God that created us! God was first manifest in the flesh as a baby in a manger when He added humanity to His deity. He then grew to become...

Why was Jesus born? According to Scripture, the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, often celebrated as Christmas, is the proclamation of the Gospel, which is the good news that God the Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins. Through God’s grace, sinners who...

Jesus often spoke of the reason for His first coming for our sin, but He actually said much more about His second coming to usher in a new kingdom, wherein dwells righteousness. Our prayer for you this year is that the real meaning of Christmas would be much more than...

The ancient city of Philadelphia was originally intended to be a city that would spread Hellenism to the surrounding region. However, Christ used a small church congregation in that city as a missionary outpost to spread to the Gospel to a lost and dying world. The...

Jesus gave the Holy Spirit to the Church. Jesus wants His churches---and the people in them---to be Spirit-filled and Spirit-led, not driven by the desires of men or guided by worldly precepts. In His letter to the church at Sardis, Jesus had to rebuke them for their...

The victorious Christian life is not a passive one. Every message that Jesus gave to the church exhorted, commanded, and, in some cases, called to repentance. At the end of the day, however, we have the power to overcome only because of the One---that overcame on the...

In His letters to seven Asian churches, Jesus made different promises to those whom He called overcomers within each church. In an inspired epistle, the Apostle John defined an overcomer as someone that believes that Jesus is the Son of God---Meaning that they believe...

Jesus sent a message to a church in Smyrna. He had high praise for them, because, though they were financially destitute, they were spiritually rich. Saints in Smyrna were persecuted---and even martyred---for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Accordingly, Jesus promised...

In the book of Revelation, Jesus sent seven messages to seven different churches in Asia. In these messages, He revealed certain things about Himslef to them, and He also gave them several promises. Please open your Bible to Revelation chapter two, verse one, and...

Today's passage contains John's vision of Jesus. Imagine His glistening hair, His face shining brighter than the sun. Christ's eyes as a flame of fire, His feet glowing as if in a furnace, and His thundering voice. What would you do if you had such an encounter with...

Today's passage is one of the most profound statements of the deity of Jesus Christ in all of Scripture. It is a description of our Lord that fills our hearts with wonder, awe, and amazement. It is a description of our coming King. Please open your Bible to Revelation...

Jesus brought ultimate truth into this world—the truth that God offers eternal life. Not only did He declare this truth, but He also made it possible for us to partake of it by faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection. Please open your Bible to John chapter eighteen,...

When Pontius Pilate stood face to face with Jesus, the Roman governor’s cynicism collided with eternal purpose. As Jesus declared His mission to bear witness to the truth, Pilate scoffed with the haunting question: “What is truth?” Please open your Bible to John...

Forty days after His resurrection from the dead, Jesus ascended into heaven. Angels told witnesses to His ascension, that Jesus would one day come again from heaven to earth. Are you ready for His return, which will be with power and great glory? Reach out to Him...

Spirit-filled saints of the early Church, personally and congregationally carried out their faith with a holy boldness that could not be stopped. Remarkably, a vast majority of them (including the apostles) were considered by the religious “elite” of the day as being...

Luke, the author of Acts, gave us an eyewitness account of how the Gospel of Jesus Christ spread across the then-known world—through ordinary people like you and me. What made this possible? The power of the Holy Spirit came upon them, enabling them to do what they...

How do you stand when life doesn’t make sense? First, worship your Creator and Redeemer simply for Who He is—not for what He gives or what He takes away. Next, surrender yourself to Him without reservation, especially in times of trial and tragedy. Finally, anchor...

Life doesn’t always make sense—but how we respond when it doesn’t reveals the depth of our faith. Long before the Bible was penned, Job lived as a wealthy and godly man. In a stunning sequence of loss, Satan stripped him of his children, his fortune, and his health....

The last time someone accused you of wrongdoing, what was your reaction? Denial, argument, or defensiveness? Scripture says that, at the final judgment, the entire world will be silent before God. No excuses or arguments will remain. Have you reached the point with...

In the Bible, sin literally means missing the mark. What is that mark? Simply stated, it is perfection in thought, word, deed, and motive. Needless to say, everyone has sinned, and the wages of sin is death, which is eternal separation from God. However, there is good...

If we believe that Jesus is coming soon, then how should we be living? Whether you are a student, homemaker, employee, or employer, vocational evangelism is a key to spreading the Gospel to a lost and dying world. Please open your Bible to Second Thessalonians chapter...

Today’s passage calls us to spiritual diligence, steadfast faith, and the grace to finish well. In a world filled with distraction and disorder, Paul exhorted the Thessalonian believers to live responsibly and prayerfully. God is not calling us to wait passively on a...

Last time, we began exploring Paul’s sobering words about the events leading up to Christ’s return. Today, we will begin with a closer look at the mysterious figure Paul calls the son of perdition—a man of lawlessness destined for destruction. Please open your Bible...

Many believers hold different views about how the last days will unfold before Christ’s return. However, regardless of the timeline or interpretation, Scripture calls every believer to the same daily mission: Live a Gospel-centered, fruit-bearing, God-glorifying life!...

God is just—and all men are sinners. So how can God save sinners without compromising His justice? Because Jesus bore the full weight of eternal destruction on the cross, satisfying the Father’s righteous demand to punish all sin, all who accept this gift of salvation...

In a world obsessed with timelines and speculation, the early church faced a similar temptation—to get lost in esoteric minor details of prophecy and miss the important, indisputable truths of Christ’s return. Today’s passage reminds believers that the Second Coming...

In his closing words to the Thessalonian Christians, the Apostle Paul delivered a rapid-fire series of exhortations—calling believers to honor spiritual leadership, pursue peace, and walk in holiness as we await Christ’s return. God wants us to remember that...

God has spiritual overseers—pastors, elders, and deacons—within the Church so that the Body of Christ may function in an orderly and edifying way. In today’s passage, the Apostle Paul exhorted believers to recognize and respect those who labored among them and led...

In today’s passage, the Apostle Paul urges believers to live with spiritual alertness—putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of the hope of salvation. God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. These...

Jesus can come for His Bride, the Church, at any moment. That is why there is great personal and eternal danger in delaying the acknowledgment that Jesus Christ is God—and in repenting of your sin as you receive Him as your personal Lord and Savior. Right now is the...

In today’s passage, the Apostle Paul reminds us that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While believers may differ on the timing of the Rapture, one truth remains: Jesus will come suddenly—and we must be ready! That reality should shape how we...

Today’s passage centers on a truth that shaped the Apostles’ lives—and should shape ours: the imminent return of Jesus Christ. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians with urgency and hope, reminding them that whether believers have died or are still alive, we should all be...

Christ’s return is at hand. This does not mean that we should drop everything and wait on a hilltop. As a testimony to others, we are called to love others more and more, work with our own hands, and study to show ourselves to be approved, because Jesus wants us to...

Sanctification touches every corner of daily life. As we consider what it truly means to walk in step with the God who dwells within us, we must realize that rejecting this call is not a rejection of man—it is a rejection of God, Who gives us His Holy Spirit....

In a world that constantly blurs the lines of holiness and love, today’s passage cuts through the fog with clarity and urgency. God’s call to walk in a way that pleases Him is not just a suggestion—it is a command! Sanctification through sexual purity, brotherly love,...

In today’s passage, Paul shifted his focus from concern to intercession. He prayed that the Thessalonian believers would grow in love and be established in holiness before God. What sets the child of God apart from the world is not superiority, but a calling to walk...

After expressing his deep concern for the Thessalonian believers, Paul reminded them that trials and afflictions should not be a surprise—they are part of the Christian journey. In fact, he had warned them in advance that suffering would come. But rather than...

When the apostle Paul was forced to leave Thessalonica under pressure after only a few weeks, his heart remained with the young believers he had to leave behind. Though separated by distance, he was deeply concerned for their spiritual well-being. In his first letter...

The Thessalonians endured fierce persecution for their faith in Jesus, but their eternal hope in Christ gave them the strength to stand firm with joy. That same hope should stir our hearts today—not only to persevere in trials, but to boldly share the Gospel with...

Paul was deeply moved that the Thessalonians received his message not as mere human words, but as the very word of God. That faith had a powerful, transforming effect—giving them strength to endure persecution with unwavering joy. Paul cherished them deeply, calling...

Just as a mother helps her young child to feel secure, the cross provides believers with security and comfort. Like a father, the cross challenges us, for Jesus told us to take up our crosses and follow Him. In other words, just as a mother provides security and a...

To the Apostle Paul, the Thessalonian Christians were more than just another church: He regarded them as his spiritual children. As such, he explained how he and his team nurtured them like a mother with a nursing child. However, in a fatherly way, they also...

In Paul’s day, the church at Thessalonica had a powerful witness that spread the Gospel to the entire province of Achaia in Macedonia. Even more astonishing, these young believers stood firm and spread the Gospel despite facing intense persecution. Our world is...

Paul, Silas, and Timothy wrote a letter to the church in Thessalonica, expressing gratitude for their faith, love, and steadfast hope in Jesus Christ. Paul commended the Thessalonians for their exemplary faith: Shortly after their conversion, these former idolaters...

Paul’s closing remarks to Christians at Colossae contained three key elements: companionship, specificity, and a personal touch. Part one concerned companionship in which Tychicus came to Colossae to update the brethren on how Paul was doing. Please open your Bible to...

Did you know that Paul’s final words to the Colossians were filled with personal messages? These weren’t just formal goodbyes—they were words of encouragement, gratitude, and unity. His specific and personal words helped to knit them together in Christ. By...

Though he was incarcerated for proclaiming the Gospel, Paul requested prayer for an open door and for boldness to speak the truth. An open door from God does not always mean smooth sailing or absence of opposition. Rather than keep quiet, which would have made life...

Today’s passage is an exhortation from the Apostle Paul that encourages believers to continue praying, to continue walking, and to continue proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ, even in the face of opposition. In other words, today’s teaching concerns the ordinary...

A healthy marriage requires mutual love and godly submission. God wants husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the Church. This requires personal sacrifice and submission to God as his ultimate authority, because stubborness and selfishness are like cancer to a...

Enduring relationships are becoming increasingly rare in today’s world. A key foundational element required to build or repair a marriage or family is personal commitment to Jesus and submission to His word. Today’s message explains God’s design for a healthy marriage...

Whatever we say and do should be in harmony with us setting our affections on things above. If our minds are set on things above, then it should be reflected in what we say and do every moment of every day. Our Christian life is always on display; whether we like it...

Having told his readers things that needed to be put off once they became new creatures in Christ (such as anger, covetousness, and fornication), Paul then admonished the people of Colosse to put on several things like mercy, humility, and agape love. Please open your...

The Lord wants born-again believers to mortify earthly behaviors such as immorality, greed, and anger, which are contrary to His will. Paul urged Christians to embrace the life of a new creature in Christ that reflects His image. Paul also emphasized the unity and...

Walking in holiness is an ongoing process of repentance and sanctification. Holiness is choosing to put on the new man in Christ and leave the old life behind. If we are truly raised with Jesus Christ, then it will be evident in our lives, our attitudes, and our...

When Jesus died on the cross, He blotted out our bill of debt that we owed because of our sins. That means that Christ not only paid our sin debt in full, He literally erased any record that our sin debt ever even existed! What a great and merciful God we serve!...

In Paul’s day, Judaizers tried to convince Gentile Christians that they needed to be circumcised to be saved. In other words, as many cults erroneously teach today, Christ’s work is insufficient in and of itself to save you. The gospel that saves is not faith in Jesus...

The Apostle Paul wanted the Christians at Colosse to be rooted and built up in Christ. We should be careful to also note that, besides having sound doctrine, he also wanted them to abound with thanksgiving, because thanklessness for what God has provided will hinder...