Grace in Focus – March/April 2018
Longing for the Pure Milk of the Word — 1 Peter 2:1-3
By Bob Wilkin Introduction How does growth occur in the Christian life? Is it by having an accountability partner? Prayer? Being in a small group? Attending church? Memorizing Scripture? Reading Christian books? A one-time commitment to serve God? Daily commitments to serve God? The answer, as we shall see, is that God’s Word, if gladly
The Capable Shepherd
By Charlie McCall What are the seven “I Am” statements of Jesus? Our new Bible school students knew all of them when I asked the other day. Frankly, I was surprised…and glad! But, so what? What is their significance for life today? Jesus Christ is essentially only an ideal or principle to most Christians. Most
The Prayer God Always Answers
By Bud Brown I felt like I failed them when I went away to Bible college—“them” being the men I had been ministering to and witnessing to for several years. They were American citizens imprisoned in Mexico for drug crimes. The pastor of a small Baptist church on the border got me started in this
Be Strong — 2 Timothy 2:1–13
By Zane C. Hodges Find Faithful Men 2:1. The Apostle commences with an emphatic you (su) and an inferential therefore (oun). In the light of the weakness and defection of others, “you, therefore, be strong.” Paul derives a challenge both from the weakness of the many and the courage of one (Onesiphorus). Consequently, Timothy is
Giving Away the Free Gift!
By Allen Rea The Importance of Evangelism Evangelism. So many give lip service to it, but fewer and fewer do the work. Evangelism is giving the gift of the gospel to the unsaved. Evangelism, like love, is something commanded of all Christians. What is evangelism? It has been defined in many ways. Some define it
Believe to Live: Luther, Paul, and Habakkuk 2:4
By John H. Niemelä The-just-by-faith shall live (Hab 2:4, Author’s Translation). A Controversy Paul’s use of Hab 2:4 in Rom 1:17 is controversial today. What did Paul mean? What did Habakkuk mean? Did Paul quote Habakkuk out of context? Traditionally, many Evangelicals have followed Martin Luther’s interpretation. Luther argued that Paul was right to quote
When Christians Walk in Darkness
By Lewis Sperry Chafer Rewards may be forfeited, or lost, but this cannot be said of salvation First Corinthians 9:27: “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” (disapproved). The context is only of rewards
Q&A
By Staff According to the Scriptures Q: Paul says that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. What Scriptures was he referring to? Isaiah 53? ~TP, email. A: Quite a few, though Paul does not indicate which he has in mind. Here are just some of the OT texts which I believe prophesy
Is Jesus Prominent or Preeminent?
By Shawn Lazar I love mountains. Given a choice between a mountain cabin, a beach resort, or an ocean cruise, I’ll take the cabin. Sadly, Texas has few mountains. The highest is Guadalupe Peak at 8,749 ft. Guadalupe might be prominent here in Texas, but not compared to the rest of the world. Mount McKinley
Bible Heroes Had Messy Lives
By Marcia Hornok God highlighted certain men and women by name in Hebrews 11 because they lived by faith in His promises, not by what they saw, felt, or experienced. The chapter repeatedly says they focused on eternity, not earth (vv 10, 13-16, 24-27, 35). And yet most of them were seriously flawed. Noah got