Nearly the whole Christian world believes that Jesus was crucified on Friday and rose from the dead Sunday morning. But if you have read the New Testament with any care at all, you may have a lingering question about this. Jesus said plainly that he would be in the grave for three days and three nights. How can we squeeze three days and three nights into the time between Friday, about sunset, and Sunday morning before daybreak?
Was the way to salvation different depending on nationality? Race? Circumcision? Works? Explanation of “middle wall of separation” and what ordinances Jesus abolished (from Ephesians 2). Explanation of the burden that neither us nor our fathers could bear (from Acts 15). Keeping the law with no faith is worthless. Having faith and not keeping the law is a contradiction. Explanation of John 1:1 “The Word was with God and the Word was God.” Jesus came to reveal the previously-hidden Father. Concludes with the one way to salvation, Old Testament and New Testament.
Most people, who claim to be religious, whether they are Jewish or Christian, believe in keeping the Ten Commandments. That is a given. The Fourth Commandment is the one commandment that is called into question consistently. Even the people who believe that the Ten Commandments were done away with, believe that nine of the Commandments were reinstated in the New Testament. They have some convoluted discussion or argument about how that actually works.
The unity Paul speaks of is inclusive (“How do we include everybody?”), not exclusive (“What people do we need to kick out?”). In Ephesians 2, what was the “law of commandment” and the “wall of separation”, and what was abolished by Jesus? How to work toward unity today. Roles of the leaders toward unity. Unity by coercion will not last; authoritarianism divides and is contrary to the Ephesian instruction. Every joint has its role – no exclusiveness.
Does your spiritual life need rejuvenation? The apostle Paul talks about being filled with the spirit. Listen to Ronald L. Dart on the Holy Spirit.
There has come some rather strange ideas that people have about ‘speaking in tongues’, what it is all about, what it is for. It is rather electrifying, as a matter of fact, to be sitting in a congregation, or listening to a speaker on the radio, and all of a sudden, hear him break out into some language you have never heard before, and as matter of fact, no one else listening to him has ever heard before. And you think that this is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit, and it can be a very exciting thing that can take place to someone who believes in their heart of hearts that that is of God.
When’s the last time you heard a sermon on the doctrine of holiness? It doesn’t sound terribly interesting. “Holy” is sort of apart from men; men are over here and things holy are over there. And it’s a word that’s synonymous with “divine,” it’s a spiritual sounding thing but I’m not all that sure what it means. But, if we understand Paul correctly, without holiness (whatever it is) we shall not see the Lord.
Are we to find a doctrine of grace within the Old Testament? Is it really Law vs Grace or has there always been a doctrine of grace? Learn how Grace has always been a part of the picture throughout the entire Bible, and how Law is not in contraction with Grace.
Many people ask, “Which Old Testament laws should we keep today?” For example, some may ask whether or not it is right to wear a wool and polyester suit; if this is a violation of the Old Testament law that forbids a garment of mixed fabric, such as wool and linen, to come upon our flesh (Deuteronomy 22:11). Some are concerned as to whether or not the elastic around the band at the top of socks would constitute the mixing of fabrics together; there are people that feel they need to take the elastics out of socks.
Why is it people play “hopscotch” through the Old Testament, keeping this law but not keeping that one right next to it? What is the criteria that we use to decide that we would do this but we would not do that? Others ask us, “Well, is this law (pointing to a passage from scripture) required for salvation?” Well, the answer is “No, that law is not required for salvation. But it is a sin if you do not do that law.”
We look at Psalm 119 to answer the following questions: Why was the law given? What is its purpose? What is the objective of the law? The law is intended to keep us from being reproached. It advises. It gives us liberty, provides good judgment, understanding and peace. It leads us to Jesus Christ. It endures forever, every jot and tittle. Unfortunately, it has often been used by men to control people. Grace is not the opposite of the law, it does not void the law; it gives exceptions to the law. The role of the Old Testament for the Christian. A discussion on legalism and salvation.
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