Sermons and Biblical Studies

GENESIS 4:1–14 On Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast (Genesis 4:5). Today we return to our survey of the Old Testament. After Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden, they lived in the land of Eden and began … Continue reading “THE ACCELERATION OF SIN”

REVELATION 7 “For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 7:17). As we come to the end of our study in the Doctrine of Man, we will review the four … Continue reading “THE FINAL ESTATE OF MAN”

MATTHEW 5:17–20 “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). We are justified by faith alone, but not by faith that is alone. Good works are absolutely necessary to the Christian life, not … Continue reading “THE BIBLICAL YARDSTICK”

ROMANS 4 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification (Romans 4:25). Today we will consider two aspects of the doctrine of justification. The first is whether our justification is due exclusively to the work of Christ or to His work together with our individual efforts. … Continue reading “JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH”

JOB 25 “How then can a man be justified before God? How can one born of woman be pure?” (Job 25:4). The doctrine of justification by faith was restated in its original form during the Protestant Reformation. To understand the timing of this doctrine, we will today briefly review the overall history of Christian doctrine. … Continue reading “AN OVERVIEW OF DOCTRINE”

JOHN 3:1–21 “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!” (John 3:4). When Jesus told Nicodemus that he had to be born again to see the kingdom, Nicodemus realized that Jesus was saying something radical. He asked … Continue reading “A RADICAL EXPERIENCE”

PROVERBS 8 Whoever fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death (Proverbs 8:36). The Bible commands us to love ourselves when it says, “Love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 19:19). The command says as much about self-love as it says about loving others. We might assume that all people … Continue reading “HUMANITY HATES ITSELF”

MATTHEW 5:21–26 “I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell” (Matthew 5:22). One would think that since humanity hates … Continue reading “HUMANS HATE EACH OTHER”

MATTHEW 21:23–46 “When the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance’ ” (Matthew 21:38). When Adam sinned in the garden, it was far more than just disobeying some abstract moral principle. Adam personally rebelled against a personal God, whose Word was delivered … Continue reading “HUMANITY HATES GOD”

MATTHEW 7:15–23 “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit” (Matthew 7:18). Jesus said that good trees are not able to bear bad fruit. If Adam and Eve were created righteous, how could they fall into sin? Ultimately the answer is a mystery. St. Augustine, however, provides some … Continue reading “HOW COULD MAN FALL?”