Jesus sat before the people and uttered what must have been to them shocking words: Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:20, NKJV). Few were more scrupulous in the observance of the letter of the law than were the … Continue reading –>
True repentance goes hand in hand with faith in Jesus as our only Savior. Jesus frequently talked about the need to believe in Him in order to receive His blessings. If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes (Mark 9:23, NKJV). Faith is essential if we are to be saved. Satan … Continue reading –>
Recognizing our sins is not enough; it must be accompanied by repentance. The biblical meaning of repentance includes three aspects: acknowledgment of one’s sin, sorrow for having sinned, and the desire not to sin any more. If one is lacking, there is no true repentance. For example, Judas admitted his sin, but he lacked grief … Continue reading –>
Read Luke 5:27-32. How can you know which group you are in? Many people are physically healthy and have no need of a physician. Who, though, is truly spiritually healthy? Of all human beings there is none who does good, no, not one (Ps. 14:3, NKJV); nobody is righteous by themselves (Rom. 3:10). We may … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Luke 5:27-32; Luke 13:1-5; Matt. 22:2-14; Zech. 3:1-5; John 8:30-31; Luke 14:25-27. Memory Text: And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:14-15, NKJV). As the … Continue reading –>
God sent Allen and Kelley Fowler a dream to minister among the Navajo people of northern Arizona, U.S.A. They went as volunteers, praying that God would use them to reach the people they loved. They ministered to the Navajos living on the reservation and in the nearby town of Page in any way they could. … Continue reading –>
Further Study: Ellen G. White, The Sinner’s Need of Christ, p. 17-22, in Steps to Christ; The Subject Presented in 1883, p. 350-354, in Selected Messages, book 1. Looking upon the crucified Redeemer, we more fully comprehend the magnitude and meaning of the sacrifice made by the Majesty of heaven. The plan of salvation is … Continue reading –>
Because of our sins, we deserve to die. But Christ took our place on the cross and paid the death penalty that, otherwise, rested on us. He, being innocent, took on our guilt and received our punishment so that we, being sinful, could be declared innocent. Through Him, instead of perishing we receive eternal life. … Continue reading –>
Without Christ, we were slaves of sin, slaves to the evil impulses of our fallen human nature. We lived in a self-centered way, pleasing ourselves instead of living to the glory of God. The unavoidable result of this spiritual slavery was death, because the wages of sin is death. But Jesus came to proclaim liberty … Continue reading –>
John the Baptist described Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29, NKJV). This image was easy for any Israelite familiar with the sacrifices offered in the temple and the sacred history recorded in the Old Testament to understand. Abraham had revealed his faith that God will … Continue reading –>
