Words for the Wise, Doctrine and Discipleship,

Acts 20:17-36New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Farewell to Ephesus

17 From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church. 18 And when they had come to him, he said to them,

“You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in [a]Asia, how I was with you the whole time, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me [b]through the plots of the Jews; 20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and [c]from house to house, 21 solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 22 And now, behold, bound by the [d]Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me. 24 But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.

25 “And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face. 26 Therefore, I [e]testify to you this day that I am [f]innocent of the blood of all men. 27 For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. 28 Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you [g]overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He [h]purchased [i]with His own blood.

29 I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears. 32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothes. 34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me. 35 In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

36 When he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.

“I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.” From The Gospel Coalition

—The Apostle Paul to the Ephesian elders, Acts 20:27

D. A. Carson explains what he meant:

When Paul attests that this is what he proclaimed to the believers in Ephesus, the Ephesian elders to whom he makes this bold asseveration know full well that he had managed this remarkable feat in only two and a half years.

In other words, whatever else Paul did, he certainly did not manage to go through every verse of the Old Testament, line by line, with full-bore explanation. He simply did not have time.

What he must mean is that he taught the burden of the whole of God’s revelation, the balance of things, leaving nothing out that was of primary importance, never ducking the hard bits, helping believers to grasp the whole counsel of God that they themselves would become better equipped to read their Bibles intelligently, comprehensively.

It embraced

• God’s purposes in the history of redemption (truths to be believed and a God to be worshiped),
• an unpacking of human origin, fall, redemption, and destiny (a worldview that shapes all human understanding and a Savior without whom there is no hope),
• the conduct expected of God’s people (commandments to be obeyed and wisdom to be pursued, both in our individual existence and in the community of the people of God), and
• the pledges of transforming power both in this life and in the life to come (promises to be trusted and hope to be anticipated).

—D. A. Carson, “Challenges for the Twenty-first-century Pulpit,” in Preach the Word: Essays on Expository Preaching: In Honor of R. Kent Hughes, ed. Leland Ryken and Todd Wilson [Crossway, 2007], pp. 177-178; bullets and italics added.

“I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.”

The Whole Counsel of God from the Christian Post

BY GREG LAURIE,

For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.

- Acts 20:27

When I speak I try to keep it interesting. I try to keep it real. I try to keep it understandable. But I am not there to entertain an audience or to make people feel good. My job, if you will, is to exposit the Word of God. Because it really doesn't matter what Greg Laurie thinks about anything. My opinion isn't any better than anyone else's opinion.

For me as a pastor, I have a responsibility to declare the whole counsel of God and feed the flock of God. That is the advantage of expository preaching and teaching. By expository, I mean taking the text and letting it unfold. We don't impose our views on the text; we let the text impose its views on us. It is not for us to add things to the text.

Sometimes pastors use a text as a point of departure for their messages. A verse will be read, and then whoever is speaking will just tell stories. They might be good stories. They might be good jokes. They might be very entertaining. And as you leave, you might say, "That was so good. I loved that. It was really good." You have no idea what he said, but you know it was fun.

The apostle Paul told the Ephesian elders, "For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27). I think that is the most important thing. We need to get our minds oriented toward what the Bible says.

Too often we build our opinions on our feelings. But it doesn't matter what we feel. What does the Bible say? Do what the Bible says, because feelings can mislead you. Don't base decisions in life on mere feelings. Base them on the Word of God.

We build our Christian Life and Witness not on the latest fads or fashions, the opinions or perspectives of others however appealing or relevant they seem, we don’t build on what the non-Christian or anti-Christian demands of our Society are.  We build on God’s Word the Bible that has been and still is God’s Inspired Word; there is nothing more relevant to us today than God’s Word

The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3: 15-17 NLT, “15 You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

To develop and progress in our Christian walk and witness, to be more effective disciples of our Lord and Saviour we must read and study God’s Written Word daily.  When I was in Sunday school, I remember singing this song “Read your Bible, Pray every day, if you want to Grow “If that was important for me as a child how much more important is for me as a more mature Christian today?

When someone builds a foundation for a building, if they decide to use cheap or substandard building materials wouldn’t that building look strange or be dangerous and likely to collapse, yet if we don’t as Christians build using the correct building materials wouldn’t our lives and our Christian Witness look equally strange, look dangerous or likely to collapse see 1 Corinthians 3:

1 Corinthians 3 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Foundations for Living

3 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, 3 for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking [a]like mere men? 4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not mere men?

5 What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. 7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own [b]reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s [c]field, God’s building.

10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, [d]precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test [e]the quality of each man’s work. 14 If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

16 Do you not know that you are a [f]temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If any man destroys the [g]temple of God, God will destroy him, for the [h]temple of God is holy, and [i]that is what you are.

18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is the one who catches the wise in their craftiness”; 20 and again, “The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless.” 21 So then let no one boast in men. For all things belong to you, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, 23 and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.

The Bible Panorama

Acts 20

V 1–6: TRAVELS TO TROAS After going to Macedonia and Greece, where his travel plans are changed because of Jewish opposition, Paul and his party travel to Troas. They meet other Christians there who have gone ahead of them. 

V 7–12: PREACHING TO PEOPLE Paul speaks on the Lord’s day, until midnight, to the people who are there. He has to depart early the next day. He restores to life a young man, Eutychus, who falls asleep during Paul’s preaching and drops from the third storey to his death. After that, Paul continues preaching to the people until daybreak. His passion is preaching the word to people, notwithstanding personal tiredness and effort. 

V 13–16: JOURNEYING TO JERUSALEM Paul’s extensive travel plans are based on his desire to be at Jerusalem for Pentecost. He meets up with the rest of his party who went ahead of him to Assos. 

V 17–35: FAREWELL TO FAITHFUL Paul exhorts the Ephesian elders who come to him at Miletus. He reminds them how his life has been completely focused on the need to testify to Jews and Greeks about repentance towards God and faith towards Christ. Everything has been put into that priority task. He knows that opposition awaits him, and he is willing to die for the gospel. They will see him no more. He has declared to them ‘the whole counsel of God’. He warns them about error from outside and being drawn away by false disciples from within. He commends them to God’s grace and reminds them that the important thing is to give to the Lord and to others, and not to seek personal gain. He shares the words of the Lord Jesus that ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’.

 V 36–38: GRIEVED TO GO They pray together, weep, and embrace Paul. They are grieving most of all because he will go and they will see him no more. They then go with him to the ship.

Dictionary of Bible Themes

7756 preaching, content of

Preaching is centred on the nature and will of God and his claims on all people. Expressed in prophecy, declaration or teaching, it includes the proclamation of the way of salvation to unbelievers and instruction about the faith to believers.

Preaching and the revelation of God’s character, word and will

Ac 20:26-27 See also Ex 8:1; 1Ki 12:21-24; Jer 7:1-11; Eze 2:3-3:4

Preaching and the declaration of the gospel

Declaring the kingdom Mk 1:14-15 pp Mt 4:17 See also Mt 4:23 pp Lk 8:1; Ac 19:8; Ac 20:25

Declaring the person of Jesus Christ and his life Ac 2:22 See also Ac 10:36-38; Ac 28:31; 2Co 1:19

Declaring the facts of the cross and the resurrection Ac 2:23-24 See also Ac 5:30; Ac 10:39-42; Ac 13:28-31; 1Co 1:22-24; 1Co 15:12-17

Declaring the victory and exaltation of Jesus Christ Ac 2:33-35 See also Ac 5:31; 1Pe 3:18-22

Declaring that Jesus is both Messiah (Christ) and Lord Ac 2:36 See also Ac 5:42; Ac 8:5; Ac 9:20-22; Ac 10:36; Ac 18:5

Declaring the call to repent Ac 17:30 See also Mk 1:15 pp Mt 4:17; Ac 2:38; Ac 3:19; Ac 26:20

Declaring the promise of forgiveness Ac 13:38 See also Lk 24:46-47; Ac 2:38; Ac 5:31; Ac 10:43

Preaching finds expression in the teaching of believers

The central place of teaching in the lives of the first Christians Ac 2:42 See also Ac 6:2; Ac 11:25-26; Ac 15:35; Ac 18:24-26; Ac 20:20

Teaching from the Scriptures Ac 18:11 See also 2Ch 17:7-9; Ne 8:2-8

Teaching on how to live Mt 28:19-20 See also Eph 4:20-24; 1Th 4:1-2; Tit 2:1-15

Preaching and the edification of believers

2Ti 4:2 See also Ac 13:42-43; Ac 14:21-22; Ac 20:2; 1Co 14:26-31

Preaching and the continuation of apostolic doctrine

Preaching should be rooted in apostolic doctrine, which is to be faithfully handed on 2Ti 2:2 See also 1Co 11:2; 2Th 2:15; 2Ti 1:13-14

Preaching that does not conform to apostolic doctrine is to be rejected 1Ti 1:3-4 See also Gal 1:6-9; 1Ti 4:1-7; Tit 1:9-14

Preaching and the rejection of merely human wisdom

1Co 2:1-5 See also 1Co 1:18-25

^{2 Tim 3 16} All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God^[a] may be competent, equipped for every good work.

Acts 2:42-47New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

The fellowship of the believers

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Ephesians 4:11-16New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Colossians 3:16-17New American Standard Bible (NASB)

16 Let the word of [a]Christ richly dwell within you, [b]with all wisdom teaching and admonishing [c]one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing [d]with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father

Yours by His Grace and for the sake of His Church and Kingdom

Blair Humphreys

Southport,  Merseyside

This is what I believe, Christian Creed's

I’m part of  the Audio-visual team at Lakeside Church (Elim)  Southport, and being part of being a member of the AV Team, (not the A-team) is that I get the opportunity to attend the worship team practice on a Thursday night, this means I can set up the words for the songs that we will sing on a Sunday, we use a system called EasyWorship 6, which is very user friendly.

One of the songs we sing is   This I believe (The Creed) from the No other name album,  like many of you who read this blog, I have listened to and have been blessed by a number of Hillsong’s songs for the best part of 20 plus years, although recently because of the rise of Bethel and Jesus Culture,  I listen to less Hillsong’s albums that I would have listened to in the past,  with Worship and Praise music, there tend to be both fad’s and fashions, and yesterday’s greatest worship songs,  tend to lie in the land of forgotten hits today,  like many you I can recall many of those worship golden oldies.

Being Welsh and coming from a musical background, although I don’t play a musical instrument and sing off key,  I enjoy both singing to (although like a lot of Welsh men, think I sound like a cross between Tom Jones and Bryn Terfel!) and listening to music. In my heart, I’m a worshipper. When I listened to the words, I thought what great theology.

Here are the words:

“VERSE

 Our Father everlasting

 The all creating One

 God Almighty

 Through Your Holy Spirit

 Conceiving Christ the Son

 Jesus our Saviour

 CHORUS

 I believe in God our Father

 I believe in Christ the Son

 I believe in the Holy Spirit

 Our God is three in one

 I believe in the resurrection

 That we will rise again

 For I believe in the Name of Jesus

 VERSE

 Our Judge and our Defender

 Suffered and crucified

 Forgiveness is in You

 Descended into darkness

 You rose in glorious life

 Forever seated high

 BRIDGE

 I believe in You

 I believe You rose again

 I believe that Jesus Christ is Lord

 CHORUS

 I believe in life eternal

 I believe in the virgin birth

 I believe in the saints' communion

 And in Your holy Church

 I believe in the resurrection

 When Jesus comes again

 For I believe in the Name of Jesus”

Hillsongs

When I read through the words for this wonderful worship song,  I was trying to find which of the early Church creeds,  it was based upon,  I found elements of both the Apostles’ Creed, read more on the Apostles' Creed here and the Nicene Creed, read more on the Nicene Creed here

The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead .On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead .I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints,the forgiveness of sins ,the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

Amen.

The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God,

the Father, the Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,

of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,

the only Son of God,

eternally begotten of the Father,

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God,

begotten, not made,

of one Being with the Father.

Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation

he came down from heaven:

 by the power of the Holy Spirit

he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,

and was made man.

 For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;

he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again

in accordance with the Scriptures;

he ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

 He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,

and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,

who proceeds from the Father and the Son.

With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.

He has spoken through the Prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead,

and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Both are taken from the Book of Common Prayer.

Further Reading:

The Athanasian Creed

The Creed of Chalcedon

I’m a member of Lakeside Christian Centre, Southport which is part of the Elim Pentecostal Church, and we like many Churches and Denominations here in the UK and other countries have a statement of belief, and this is ours

Elim, What we believe

Jesus is the Saviour, the Healer, the Baptiser in the Holy Spirit and the Coming King.

Yours by His Grace, for the sake of His Commission, Church and Kingdom

Blair Humphreys,  Southport, Merseyside,  England,  UK.

Yet for this reason I found mercy The Justification of The Believer

1 Timothy 1:15-16

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

15 It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. 16 Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those [a]who would believe in Him for eternal life.

The 19th Century American Hymn Writer, Fanny J Crosby wrote these wonderful words

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!

O what a foretaste of glory divine!

Heir of salvation, purchase of God,

Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

Refrain:

This is my story, this is my song,

praising my Saviour all the day long;

this is my story, this is my song,

praising my Saviour all the day long.

Perfect submission, perfect delight!

Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;

Angels descending bring from above

Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

Perfect submission, all is at rest!

I in my Saviour am happy and blest,

Watching and waiting, looking above,

Filled with his goodness, lost in His love

We have  looked at the phrase,  in 1 Tim 1:16, For this reason I found Mercy, today  we will start to look at the phrase The Justification and sanctification of believers through the finished work of Christ and  we will start to look at the doctrine of Justification and then next week we will follow on by looking at the doctrine of Sanctification. But what do we mean by Justification ?

Simply put, to justify is to declare righteous, to make one right with God. Justification is God’s declaring those who receive Christ to be righteous, based on Christ’s righteousness being imputed to the accounts of those who receive Christ

We are justified, declared righteous, at the moment of our salvation. Justification does not make us righteous, but rather pronounces us righteous. Our righteousness comes from placing our faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. His sacrifice covers our sin, allowing God to see us as perfect and unblemished. Because as believers we are in Christ, God sees Christ's own righteousness when He looks at us. This meets God's demands for perfection; thus, He declares us righteous—He justifies us.

Justification is an instantaneous legal act of God in which he a) thinks of our sins as forgiven and Christ’s righteousness as belonging to us and b) declares us to be righteous in his sight

Westminister Confession of Faith,

Chapter XI

Of Justification

I. Those whom God effectually calls, He also freely justifies;[1] not by infusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning their sins, and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous; not for any thing wrought in them, or done by them, but for Christ's sake alone; nor by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness; but by imputing the obedience and satisfaction of Christ unto them,[2] they receiving and resting on Him and His righteousness by faith; which faith they have not of themselves, it is the gift of God.[3]

II. Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and His righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification:[4] yet is it not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but works by love.[5]

III. Christ, by His obedience and death, did fully discharge the debt of all those that are thus justified, and did make a proper, real and full satisfaction to His Father's justice in their behalf.[6] Yet, in as much as He was given by the Father for them;[7] and His obedience and satisfaction accepted in their stead;[8] and both, freely, not for any thing in them; their justification is only of free grace;[9] that both the exact justice, and rich grace of God might be glorified in the justification of sinners.[10]

IV. God did, from all eternity, decree to justify all the elect,[11] and Christ did, in the fullness of time, die for their sins, and rise again for their justification:[12] nevertheless, they are not justified, until the Holy Spirit does, in due time, actually apply Christ unto them.[13]

V. God does continue to forgive the sins of those that are justified;[14] and although they can never fall from the state of justification,[15] yet they may, by their sins, fall under God's fatherly displeasure, and not have the light of His countenance restored unto them, until they humble themselves, confess their sins, beg pardon, and renew their faith and repentance.[16]

VI. The justification of believers under the Old Testament was, in all these respects, one and the same with the justification of believers under the New Testament.[17]

Now let us examine the Scriptures in regards to Justification

1.   Romans 3:21-26 21 But now apart [k]from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those [l]who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all [m]have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a [n]propitiation [o]in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, [p]because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who [q]has faith in Jesus.

2.   Romans 5:1-11 Therefore, having been justified by faith, [a]we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and [b]we exult in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only this, but [c]we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

3.   6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; [d]though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified [e]by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved [f]by His life. 11 And not only this, [g]but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

4.   Romans 5:12-21 12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned— 13 for [h]until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a [i]type of Him who was to come15 But [j]the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. 16 The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression [k]resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions [l]resulting in justification. 17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.18 So then as through one transgression [m]there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness [n]there resulted justification of life to all men. 19 For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. 20 [o]The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

5.   Galatians 2:16-21”nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of [n]the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of [o]the Law; since by the works of [p]the Law no [q]flesh will be justified. 17 But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be! 18 For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor.19 For through [r]the Law I died to [s]the Law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and [t]the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through[u]the Law, then Christ died needlessly

6.   Romans 8:29-35 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was [l]raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of [m]Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

The Endurance of the Saints

The Endurance of the Saints

 2 Tim 2:11- 13 New International Version

11 Here is a trustworthy saying:

    If we died with him,

    We will also live with him;

12 if we endure,

    We will also reign with him.

    If we disown him,

    He will also disown us;

13 if we are faithless,

    He remains faithful,

    For he cannot disown himself

The 5 Faithful or Trustworthy Sayings found in 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy and Titus, and we have focused our attentions on 1 Tim 1:15-16  looking at the importance of Justification and Sanctification for us the Believer, now will follow on by looking at The Endurance of The Saints.

2 Timothy 2

New Living Translation (NLT)

A Good Soldier of Christ Jesus

2 Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus. 2 You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others 3 Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. 5 And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules. 6 And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor. 7 Think about what I am saying. The Lord will help you understand all these things.8 Always remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David, was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach. 9 And because I preach this Good News, I am suffering and have been chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained. 10 So I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen.

11 This is a trustworthy saying:

If we die with him,

    we will also live with him.

12 If we endure hardship,

    we will reign with him.

If we deny him,

    he will deny us.

13 If we are unfaithful,

    he remains faithful,

    for he cannot deny who he is.

14 Remind everyone about these things, and command them in God’s presence to stop fighting over words. Such arguments are useless, and they can ruin those who hear them.

An Approved Worker

15 Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth. 16 Avoid worthless, foolish talk that only leads to more godless behavior. 17 This kind of talk spreads like cancer,[a] as in the case of Hymenaeus and Philetus. 18 They have left the path of truth, claiming that the resurrection of the dead has already occurred; in this way, they have turned some people away from the faith.19 But God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,”[b] and “All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil.”[c]20 In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. 21 If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.22 Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.23 Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. 24 A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. 25 Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. 26 Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.

In the Christian Life, we have ups and downs and times when we feel we’re in the valley and at other times we feel we’re on top of the mountain, and at other times we feel all at 6’s and 7’s and neither up or down, all of us know that the Christian Life isn’t a rose garden! We face both challenges and opportunities every day, sometimes when live gets too difficult we wonder why and if we’re meant for the Christian Life?

The easiest thing in live is to give up or indeed hitting the pause button,  yes it’s important to reflect and relax but once we have done that it’s time to move forwards once more.

 Romans 5:1-4 ESV

5 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith[b] into this grace in which we stand, and we[c] rejoice[d] in hope of the glory of God. 3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

2 Peter 1:3-9 NIV

 3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is short-sighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins

Ephesians 3:16-21 Nasb

16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the [m]saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. 20 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, 21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations [n]forever and ever. Amen.

Hebrews 12:1-4 NLT

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.[a] Because of the joy[b] awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honour beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people;[c] then you won’t become weary and give up. 4 After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.

Yours because of His Mercy

Blair Humphreys

Southport, Merseyside,  UK