The BIG Picture (Q&A)

Emotions are part of our humanity. God created us with the capacity to feel joy, sorrow, fear, compassion, and even disappointment. These are not sinful in themselves, for they belong to the soul—the realm of mind, will, and emotions. Yet Scripture warns us that the motions of sins, which are by the law, work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death (Romans 7:5). This shows that emotions, though natural, can be stirred by the flesh and lead to sinful outcomes when not governed by the Spirit. Faith, however, is of another order. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). It is not emotion, nor is it feeling—it is trust in what God has spoken. Faith rests on the certainty of His Word, while emotions fluctuate with circumstance. Without faith it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6), which means that God is not pleased with our emotions in themselves, but with our trust in His truth. Yet emotions, when submitted to the Spirit, can reflect His own hea...

QUESTION: According to Ephesians 2v8-9, is faith a gift from God or is it self-generated? If I believed and made it to heaven and you didn't did I save myself by my faith? ANSWER: Great question. Ephesians 2:8-9 makes it clear that salvation is by grace through faith , and not of ourselves —it’s the gift of God , not of works , lest anyone should boast. But what does that mean for faith itself? Some believe faith is part of the gift , that God gives it directly and irresistibly. That’s the Reformed view . But from a dispensational perspective , which I hold to, grace is the gift , and faith is the means by which we receive it. Faith isn’t meritorious —it doesn’t earn salvation—but it is the God-ordained condition for receiving it. Romans 4:5 backs this up: “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” So no, you didn’t save yourself by believing. God saved you—through faith . You responded to the gospel,...

The Natural Man: Spiritually Blind and Incapable “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” — 1 Corinthians 2:14 This verse is not a passing remark—it is a doctrinal pillar. It tells us plainly that the unsaved man—the “natural man”—is spiritually blind. He cannot receive the things of God. He cannot understand them. To him, spiritual truth is not merely confusing—it is foolish. This is not a matter of education or intelligence. It is a matter of spiritual incapacity. The natural man is dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1), and dead men do not see, hear, or respond. If the Gospel Is Hid, Who Then Can Be Saved? This raises a serious and necessary question: If the natural man cannot receive spiritual truth, how then can he be saved? If the gospel is hid to those who are lost, as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, then what hope is there for the unregenera...

As we navigate the complexities of Christian living, we often find ourselves at crossroads, unsure of how to navigate the nuances of faith and practice. In Romans 14, the Apostle Paul addresses a crucial aspect of Christian relationships, urging believers to walk in love and unity amidst differing convictions. As we explore this chapter, we're reminded that our faith is not only a personal matter but also one that requires consideration for others. In this lesson, we'll dive into the heart of Paul's teaching, culminating in the profound statements in verses 22-23, which serve as a guiding principle for navigating disputable matters. The context of Romans 14 is centered around the issue of "weaker brethren" (Romans 14:1), those whose faith is not as mature or robust as others. Paul exhorts believers not to "despise" or "judge" these weaker brethren (Romans 14:3, 10), but rather to receive them with open arms, just as Christ has received us (Roma...

Even after justification, the soul of the believer continues to indwell a body of sin and death. Sin and death continue to be a functional law within our mortal body. The issue moving forward now is not your justification; that is a done deal. Nothing can change our justification and peace with God through Jesus Christ. The issue moving forward is whether you're going to live under God or under sin. Paul draws attention to this choice by saying, Rom 6:11-13  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.  (12)  Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.  (13)  Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. Notice that Paul is not yet even talking about law. At this point in Rom.6, it's not ...

Hello friend, In Hebrews 11:1 it tells us that faith is the substance of things hoped for. If you want to be SURE of salvation, which you hope for, you need faith. Thus, the actual question one must ask is, “How do I get faith”, which will give one surety of salvation. Fortunately, the bible gives us the answer to this question. We find it here: Rom 10:14-17 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? (15) And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! … (17) So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. If you want faith, you need to hear the word of God. To hear the word of God is to receive it into your understanding. This can be by means of hearing or reading the words of God and then processing what you have recei...

Social Media Statement: Paul told us there is no division in 1 Corinthians 3. We are to submit to Christ above all teachers, including Paul himself. I have an issue with the claim that we are not expected to follow the commands Jesus himself spoke in Matthew. Are you saying we can ignore the law because Paul said we are free from the law. If I am not accurately reflecting your post, please elaborate. My Reply: The Bible clearly tells us that the earthly ministry of Jesus was to Israel only, as mentioned in Matt.15:24 and Rom.15:8. Jesus, a minister of the circumcision (Jews), promoted and taught according to the Mosaic law, which is a doctrine and dispensation we are not under today. Consider that we do not sacrifice animals. We do not have to do ritual washings. We are not under the Sabbath law/covenant. We do not have Kosher dietary limitations. All these and more are what Jesus taught during His earthly ministry. On the other hand, Paul was called and separated by God to be the apos...

The Bible defines faith with the following statement, Hebrews 11:1  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. In the physical realm, faith means placing your trust in something that belongs, or operates, in this realm, whether it be an object or a person, and hoping that your belief or trust will be validated through physical evidence or manifestation. For example, to sit on a chair, you need to believe that the chair will support you. Your faith in the chair, the substance of your hope in it, will become evident when you sit down, and the chair supports you. Faith that operates in the natural realm is limited to the constraints of this realm. But what about spiritual (or biblical) faith; which is the specific focus of this article? Well, spiritual faith means placing your trust in something that belongs, or operates in the spiritual realm, and hoping that your trust in it will be validated through evidence, or manifestation, of biblical truth...

There are only two things that God wants us to do today: (1) to be saved, and (2) to come to a knowledge of the truth, [which is the written Word of God]. We are informed of this in 1Tim.2:4. Although various afflictions and sufferings can come at any time as a believer stands up for their faith in a faith-hostile environment, the predominant form of affliction and suffering we learn of in scripture is concerning a mature believer who has grown up in the faith and doctrine. It is not common for young believers to have matured in the faith to readily suffer for the Lord, and even more so to give thanks to God and count it joy to suffer for His name. The point I’m attempting to make is that suffering for the Lord is something that comes not by one’s willpower or choice, but more by circumstance or happenstance. Suffering comes to you if your faith is strong and is evident in the world. The world hated Christ, and it will do the same to you if Christ is evident in you. It is this very suf...

QUESTION: Do you teach that the Jews of the Old Testament were saved by works of a combination of faith and works, and if so, do you argue that from James 2? ANSWER: I’m glad that you say Old Testament Jew and distinguish their salvation as different from today. It is important to clarify that in this grace dispensation today, under the grace gospel, there is no Jew or Gentile, Gal.3:28. We are all the same and people of all nations have access to God and salvation though the gospel of Christ. Now, concerning Old Testament, from Moses to Jesus, I can answer your question by referring to this verse: Rom.3:30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision BY faith, and uncircumcision THROUGH faith. As the verse identifies, today, Gentiles obtain righteousness THROUGH having trusting in what Christ has done for them, or in other words, NOT BY THEIR OWN FAITH but through the faith of Jesus Christ, Gal.2:16; Phil.3:9. It is the righteousness of Christ that is imputed to Gentiles...

This post is not a lesson, but simply an indication of the level of ignorance or disregard of Bible truth. The intention for posting it is not to smear the person or their comment, but to highlight the need for sound doctrine and proper instruction in God's Word. There is a great need out there on social media for sound, rightly divided truth. Every bit of truth out there helps those who are truly seeking it. INITIAL POST: … but when God converted Paul on the Damascus Road, God gave him a completely new gospel and doctrine for the Gentiles. The above quote comes from this source post . COMMENT ON THE SOURCE POST: God gives a complete stranger who was taught by GAMALIEL a new Gospel and doctrine, whilst the disciple of Jesus who were blessed with the holy spirit where deprived of this message. Hmmm, makes you think who the antichrist actually is. Who was it that Paul claims to have seen; the one who came to him in the form of light. Then Paul goes to the Jews to preach the new Gospe...

I received a comment on one of my posts where the person was stating that in all dispensations, only faith was necessary for salvation. Now this is true of the current Grace dispensation, but from what I read in the Bible, I cannot agree with this comment. Works played an important part to prove that believer's  faith. You see, the difference between our dispensation and all others is that we, today, are freely imputed the faith and works of Christ. This is the very foundation of God's 'grace' towards us through Christ. Other dispensations did not have the cross, and thus, their gospels required additional works to prove their faith. Below is the comment and my reply with reasons why I disagree with this. COMMENT: The Jews were saved by faith alone just like we are. The OT believers looked forward to the fulfillment of God’s promises. Their faith was based on this. Those promises were fulfilled in Christ. Anyone in the OT or the NT who depends on works of any kind will ...

How does it work for believers in the Kingdom program? The Kingdom gospel in Jesus’ day was a works-based gospel. In other words, the Jews would believe in Jesus as his Messiah, but then he would have to add works to his faith by repentance, water baptism, Spirit baptism, obeying the commandments, forgiving his brother, selling all his possessions, and enduring to the end. These ‘works’ would prove his faith and commitment to his Messiah and he would qualify for the Kingdom. Matthew 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Luke 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. Hebrews 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 28 He that despised Moses' law died w...

1Cor.15:1-4  Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;  2  By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.  3  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;  4  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: Eph.2:13  But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

Faith is not emotions or feelings. Faith is knowledge of the truth. In other words, if the Bible says, "God is near you" (Eph.2:13) , then faith believes that, irrespective of emotions and feelings. If your emotions rule you, then your life will be like a roller coaster, constantly tossed between the highs and the lows. Emotions cannot provide you any stability in your relationship with God. However, if you stand on faith, then no matter what your emotional state, you have a firm grounding, and God will be near, because truth says so, not because you think you feel Him. How do you learn to have faith? Well, remember that your whole being, your flesh (or human reasoning), defaults to emotions and feelings. Your default response to everything is feelings since you are conditioned on these since you were born. But faith comes by the Word. You grow in faith by learning the Word, studying the Word, gaining knowledge in the Word. As the Word starts to fill your thoughts, you will s...

Question: According to the Bible, if you know what to do and you refuse it’s a sin . So, I’m asking if you know you have to study and you don’t study is it a sin? Answer: The Bible has a lot to say about what is wrong and what is right. These are typically connected to being moral in the eyes of God and/or man. For instance, the Bible says it is wrong to lie, or steal, or commit adultery. Nobody has debates and arguments about these sins as they are clearly defined in the scriptures. But what about not studying? What about smoking? What about not stowing the shopping cart in the parking lot because you don’t have time? The Bible says nothing about these, yet we might feel bad if we do, or do not, do these. Are these sins if I feel bad afterwards? This is what the Bible says in times like this, Rom.14:5 Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. … 22 Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. 23 But he who doubts is...

QUESTION: I struggle with the fact that God forgives.  How can I have faith to know I’m forgiven? ANSWER: EVERYTHING ABOUT GOD IS BY FAITH . Why? Simply because we cannot see God, or touch Him, or feel Him. The only thing we have that makes God real is the Bible. If we believe that the words in the Bible are real, then God becomes real. It’s as simple as that! The key is to believe that the Bible is REALLY the words of God spoken to you. When you believe this, then God becomes real, and what He said becomes real. So then, why do I say everything about God is by faith . It is because you have to believe what He says in His Word . Faith is easy if you truly trust the words in the Bible. You will personally experience your faith grow stronger when you get deeper and deeper into the Word. This is because the Word generates faith. In Romans 10:17 it says, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God”. Notice, faith comes (automatically), or is generated within you (au...

The 66 books of the Bible were written by about 40 different writers, who lived in different countries, spoke different languages and came from different backgrounds. The writers included a king, a doctor, a herdsman, a tax collector, a theologian, a scribe, a fisherman, etc., and their writings spread over a period of 1500 years, so there could be no collusion or communication. Think of it, 40 different writers, spread over 55 generations, producing 66 books; and yet when these books are placed together there is a perfect unity and harmony about them, and they all fit together like a jigsaw. There is not one single proved inaccuracy in the whole Bible (KJV). The Bible is accurate historically, geographically, genealogically, scientifically, psychologically, typologically, and verbally. The revelation of truth we have in the Bible is progressively given, and by the time we get to the Book of Revelation we have a perfect and complete body of truth. In the 66 books there is everything we...

Answer Request: When Jesus asked the disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit and power, what were they supposed to use the power for? The role of the Holy Spirit over Israel is far more than just to empower them for miracles and signs, but, in the context of your question, this is the case . Since the days of Moses, when Israel was in Egypt and then in the wilderness, they followed after the signs that God provided. In actual fact, God made a covenant with Israel to let them know that He would do signs before them to prove His Word. Exodus 34:10 And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels , such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the Lord: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee. It is because of this that we read later in the Bible that Jews require a sign. 1 Cor.1:22 For the Jews require a sign , and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 23 But we p...

1 Corinthians 1:22 "For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:". Today there is much discussion in Christendom about signs, miracles, and wonders. Charismatic preachers filled with the supposed "Holy Ghost" claim they cast out devils, handle snakes, speak in tongues, heal the sick, and, yes, allegedly raise the dead! The Bible does teach these practices, but they are NOT the way God is working today. The grace dispensation in operation today focuses on faith and trusting Gods Word, not by relying on signs and wonders. Unquestionably, the Lord Jesus Christ told His apostles to "heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils" (Matthew 10:8). He instructed them to "cast out devils," "speak with new tongues," "take up serpents," drink poison, and "lay hands on the sick [so] they shall recover" (Mark 16:17,18). But, notice the context—...