Gospel Articles
Nowhere does the Bible say the gospel is that Jesus Christ came to die for our sins! Instead, the true gospel tells us why He did so. More than that, it reveals the momentous purpose that God is accomplishing, what it means to be born again, how to receive eternal life, what salvation is, and the reason reconciliation through the blood of the Lamb is necessary.
'Before the Foundation of the World' (Part Two)
Summary: In Ephesians 2:20, the apostle Paul writes that God’s chosen people, the Body of Christ, have been built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. Most of us are not ministers or deacons or occupy some ...
'Behold, He is Coming with Clouds'
Summary: Jesus Himself instructs us to live by every word of God (Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4), advice that is also useful when we study the Bible. Most of the passages that describe Christ's return to earth in power and glory at the end of the age contain the same detail: that He will come in, on, or with clouds. David Grabbe provides biblical background to help us understand why this detail is significant.
Amazing Grace
Summary: The old song speaks of "Amazing Grace" but do we really understand just how amazing it is? John Ritenbaugh fills in some details on this vital topic.
An Unpayable Debt and Obligation
Summary: When God calls us and redeems us through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ, we suddenly come under obligation, an immense debt we cannot pay. Were we to somehow pay it ourselves - which we could do only by dying - we would have no hope of eternal life, just the finality of death. John Ritenbaugh illustrates the magnanimity of God's gracious redemption and the response it compels the redeemed to give Him in turn.
Baptism and the Last Day of Unleavened Bread
Summary: Before Jesus Christ’s ministry began, John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness about repentance from sin and baptism. In Matthew 3:11, he speaks of three different types of baptism: ...
Basic Doctrines: Faith Toward God
Summary: What is faith? Is it something we work up or does God give it to us? Do we have the faith to be saved? Do we really trust God?
Basic Doctrines: Salvation
Summary: Are you saved already or are you being saved? What is salvation anyway? What part do we play in our own salvation? These are important questions that we must answer from God's Word.
Belief and the Firstfruits (Part Three)
Summary: In John 6:35-40, Jesus expands on His earlier saying that believing in Him is the work of God: "And Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me ...'"
Born Again or Begotten? (Part One)
Summary: Throughout its recent history, the "born again" or "begotten again" doctrine has time and again been a point of controversy in the church of God. Clearly an important principle, it is the subject of Jesus' first discourse in the book of John, a gospel made up of our Savior's expansions on vital, spiritual subjects. John Ritenbaugh explains that "born again" is entirely a spiritual matter, a fact that Nicodemus misunderstood and one that continues to elude many even today.
Called To Be Saints (Part One)
Summary: One of the greatest blessings we have been given as Christians is our calling by God. When God calls us, He performs a miracle in our minds that results in our becoming more aware of spiritual truth, of our sinfulness, and of God and His claim on our lives. ...
Called To Be Saints (Part Two)
Summary: In modern parlance, the term "calling" has a synonym that takes this principle even further: "vocation." It means "purpose in life," not in the sense of something that is accomplished at the end of a life, but rather what a person devotes his life to on an ongoing basis. Our calling by God to perfect holiness is our true vocation. ...
Christ, Our Passover
Summary: Many people, even in the church of God, believe that Passover focuses on our sins—but they are wrong! We are certainly to examine ourselves to take it worthily, but the Passover's central figure is Christ, the Lamb of God. John Ritenbaugh explores His awesome, gracious sacrifice that enables forgiveness of sin and opens a relationship with God. How well do we know Him?
Christian Obedience
Summary: It is commonly thought—if not commonly taught—that obedience plays little part in New Testament Christianity. People are urged, “Believe in Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.” ...
Creator, Sustainer, Head (Part Two)
Summary: Despite being perhaps the oldest text in the canon, the book of Job contains many detailed, even scientific, insights into the extraordinary creative and sustaining power of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Many of these are things humanity did not really understand until recent centuries. ...
Devil in the Details?
Summary: In II Timothy 3:16, Paul tells the young pastor that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. ...
Did God Know You Before Your Birth?
Summary: Notice this remarkable statement from the apostle Paul in Ephesians 1:4: "Even as [in His love] He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy" ...
Dying—Once in a Lifetime (Part One)
Summary: Atheists and God-haters in general are always trying to find discrepancies in the Bible. One they pull out every now and then is the alleged contradiction between I Corinthians 15:51 and Hebrews 9:27: Will some people never die - or will they die once like everyone else? Charles Whitaker parses the two verses to show that they are not contradictory at all because they speak about different, though related, subjects.
Dying—Once in a Lifetime (Part Two)
Summary: To some students of Scripture, Hebrews 9:27 - "it is appointed for men to die once" - seems to contradict I Corinthians 15:51: "We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed." Charles Whitaker analyzes these two verses to show that no contradiction exists, and in fact, the former verse has a dual application that expands our understanding of death, both physical and spiritual.
Ecclesiastes and Christian Living (Part Eight): Death
Summary: It is amazing to consider that, despite the fact that every human being will face death, so very few take the time to contemplate it, much less prepare for it. In covering the comparisons in Ecclesiastes 7:1-4, John Ritenbaugh surveys the Bible's attitude toward death, particularly its insistence that we should allow the reality of death to change our approach to life.
Entrance Exam
Summary: The popular belief is “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). While this is true enough in its own right, it leaves out a great deal of biblical instruction about what God ...
Evaluating the Price of Redemption
Summary: Of all of God's appointed times, the Passover is one that we should not just rush into without thought and preparation. If we do so, we will miss the awesome depth of its meaning, placing ourselves in danger of taking the Passover unworthily. ...
Faith—What Is It?
Summary: How important is faith? What is the faith God requires us to have? Pat Higgins explains that faith is simple in concept, but difficult to display in our lives. Nevertheless, we must exercise this gift of God to pass the tests that are sure to precede the return of Christ.
Fear and Faith (Part One)
Summary: The story of the children of Israel fleeing from Egypt never gets old even though we return to it routinely every spring. There seem to be endless lessons we can learn from it, and in that vein, the . . .
Five Teachings of Grace
Summary: The Protestant world presents grace as "free," but nothing could be more costly. It cost our Savior His life! While God bestows grace on those He chooses of His own volition, John Ritenbaugh shows from Scripture that God expects a great deal of effort - such things as continued repentance, spiritual growth, and godly fruit - from His people once they receive it.
Forgiveness and Forgiving
Summary: Just before Jesus gives the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant in Matthew 18:21-35, Peter comes to Him and asks how often he should forgive a sinning brother. ...
God's Goodness and Severity
Summary: Near the end of his doctrinal exposition to the Christians in Rome, the apostle Paul writes about God’s mercy in calling Gentiles into His church while at the same time rejecting His own people Israel—for a while ...
God's Plan and the False Immortal Soul Doctrine
Summary: Most nominal Christians and their denominations believe in the Doctrine of the Immortal Soul, but it is a weak reed on which to lean. The Bible does not support it; instead, it teaches the exact opposite, contradicting Satan's argument to Eve that she will not surely die. Craig Sablich explains that it also fails to mesh with God's revealed Plan for humanity, based on God's perfect judgment and His gift of eternal life.
God's Power: Our Shield Against Apostasy
Summary: As Christians, we realize that God is not only powerful, but He is also the source of all power. How do we translate this understanding into practical action? John Ritenbaugh explains how we can tap into God's power to avoid slipping into apostasy.
Heirs of the Kingdom
Summary: In my studies, I happened across Matthew 8:5-13, the story of Jesus’ conversation with a centurion whose servant had become paralyzed and was in great pain: "Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, ... "
How Much Longer Do We Have?
Summary: How often have we heard—or cried ourselves—"How long, O Lord?" Our great hope is in Christ's return, but despite His assurances that He is coming quickly, it seems as if that time is delayed. David Grabbe, keying in on II Peter 3, cautions us not to be distracted by scoffers or cunning arguments, but trust that Christ will return at exactly the best time.
I Am Barabbas
Summary: Many, reading the accounts of Jesus Christ's trial and crucifixion, note the story of Barabbas, the criminal Pilate freed that Passover instead of Jesus. Some realize a few of the parallels between the two men and see Barabbas as an anti-Jesus, a sinner whom the people chose rather than the Savior. But the lesson of Barabbas goes much deeper, affecting us personally as sinners who received unmerited pardon through Christ.
Is Heaven the Reward of the Saved?
Summary: Most of Christianity believes humans go to heaven or hell after death, but is this so? This belief does not originate in the Bible—and in fact, the Bible reveals a very different Christian destiny.
Is It Salvational? (Part Two)
Summary: As we saw in Part One, Adam and Eve fell for Satan’s temptation by weighing only the penalties and the benefits of the fruit that appeared so pleasant to their eyes. They overlooked what their choice would do ...
Is the Kingdom of God Within You?
Summary: Luke 17:21 has tripped up Protestants for centuries. Using the context and the meaning of the Greek, Richard Ritenbaugh explains that this verse's meaning is very plain!
Jesus and 'the Spirits in Prison'
Summary: Peter's statement that Jesus 'preached to the spirits in prison' (I Peter 3:19) has for years baffled many a Bible student. Richard Ritenbaugh examines this verse in context, showing that the traditional interpretation is woefully off-base to the point of suggesting a totally unbiblical conclusion.
Jesus' Sufferings on Passover
Summary: The leaders of the Jews—the chief priests, elders, scribes, and Pharisees—had begun early in Jesus’ ministry trying to undermine Him and find a way to get rid of Him. ...
Jesus, Nathanael, and Jacob's Ladder
Summary: When they first met, Jesus was astounded by Nathanael's quick belief in His divinity and sovereignty, telling him he would see even greater things as His disciple. As an example of one of those more significant experiences, He reaches back to the beginning of Jacob's conversion and his dream of the ladder or stairway ascending to heaven. Richard Ritenbaugh considers the deep meaning of this often neglected type fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Knowing God
Summary: Jesus says in John 17:3 that eternal life is knowing the Father and the Son. But knowing God is much more than just knowing about Him. It is having an ongoing relationship and experiencing life with Him. John Reiss suggests that we can enhance our relationship with God by using well-known spiritual practices and engaging with Him on a regular basis to encourage growth in our character.
Leadership and Covenants (Part Eight)
Summary: Proverbs 14:12 reveals that, when men follow a way of life that they think is right, it ultimately ends in death. Only God's way of life results in more life. John Ritenbaugh expounds on the truth that humanity's failing to pursue godliness has repeatedly resulted in catastrophes like the Flood. But God provides deliverance and sanctification to those He chooses.
Leadership and Covenants (Part Eleven): Signs
Summary: After Noah and his family left the ark, God set the rainbow in the sky as a sign of His covenant with all living creatures not to flood the world again. Ever since, John Ritenbaugh explains, God has been providing additional signs, particularly those that promise that He will provide a Savior and Redeemer to free mankind from its bondage to sin and death.
Leadership and Covenants (Part Ten)
Summary: Christians living at the time of the end would do well to consider the character and behavior of Noah, a paragon of virtue and devotion to God. John Ritenbaugh explains that God and Noah worked side by side to deliver the small remnant of humanity through the waters of the Flood, God supplying the sanctification and grace and Noah obeying in faith. This is the kind of relationship God desires with us.
Light Affliction?
Summary: Affliction seems to be an integral part of Christianity. Our Savior Jesus Christ and His apostles suffered a great deal during their ministries, and though modern Christians' burdens cannot compare to theirs, they are still significant enough to cause great pain. Pat Higgins demonstrates the relative nature of Christian affliction, urging believers to take the Bible's long view of their suffering.
Making the Cut (Part One)
Summary: Golf is hard. It may seem easy enough to imagine hitting a little, white ball a few hundred yards down a fairway into a four-and-a-quarter-inch hole on a distant, manicured green, but ...
Many Are Called, Few Are Chosen
Summary: The subjects of God's calling and predestination can be confusing at times, especially the idea that many are called but few are chosen. Why does God not just choose everyone? John Reid explores the Parable of the Wedding Feast to discover some answers to these vital questions.
Passover, Obligation, and Love
Summary: In the Model Prayer, Jesus mentions the forgiveness of sin in terms of paying off debt. Anyone with an unpayable debt that was redeemed by another would feel an immense sense of gratitude and obligation to his benefactor. John Ritenbaugh discusses how Christ's redemption of us from our massive debt of sin obligates us to obey and serve Him by doing good in acts of love and service to others.
Remember Me (Part One)
Summary: In I Corinthians 11:23-30, the apostle Paul reiterates what took place the night our Savior was betrayed and His instruction regarding the proper observance of Passover: "For I received ...
Remember Me (Part Two)
Summary: The apostle Paul teaches Christians in I Corinthians 11:27-29 to appraise themselves carefully before partaking of the bread and the wine in the Passover service: "So if anyone eats ...
Rightly Defining the Word of Truth
Summary: One of the ways the “unlearned and unstable wrest” Scripture (II Peter 3:16) is to misapply the meaning of a word they find there. Wrongly understanding some word's denotation ...
Salvation: The Path to God's Kingdom (Part One)
Summary: We sometimes take for granted what a precious honor it is to have been included in God’s plan of salvation. To think that God chose us from the billions of people who have ever lived and opened our minds ...
Salvation: The Path to God's Kingdom (Part Two)
Summary: In Philippians 2:12, the apostle Paul encourages us to work out our “salvation with fear and trembling,” and Peter tells us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (II Peter 3:18). ...
Sanctified by Truth
Summary: In His John 17 prayer before His arrest, Jesus asked His Father to sanctify His disciples by His truth, His Word. Indeed, believing and observing the revealed truth of God not only makes the elect holy but also separates them from those of the world around them! John Reiss reviews five fundamental truths that distinguish the church of God from other religious organizations.
Saved By Faith Alone?
Summary: Protestantism is based on Luther's insistence that Christians are saved by faith alone. But is the really true? Earl Henn explains that the Bible says this of justification, not salvation.
Snapshots (Part Three)
Summary: As the book of Hebrews ends, the author—likely Paul—pens this benediction: "Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, ..."
Snapshots (Part Two)
Summary: Time-lapse cinematography—such as a five-minute video clip composed of 100,000 slightly different pictures—is a useful way of understanding how each moment of our lives relates to the overall progression. So even though a present "snapshot" of our lives looks dismal, it cannot reveal what happens next. ...
The 'Open Door' of Philadelphia
Summary: The modern church of God, particularly a few of its splinter organizations, have made a big deal out of Revelation's letters to the seven churches. Often highlighted is the "open door" promised in the letter to Philadelphia. David Grabbe provides proof from Isaiah 22 that our understanding of this image should be revised to reflect the insight given in this neglected Old Testament prophecy.
The Awesome Cost of Love
Summary: We assess costs and values all the time in our daily lives: Is it better to buy used or new? Should we prefer traditional or contemporary? Paper or plastic? John Ritenbaugh employs the same process to God's love for us in giving His Son as the sacrifice for sin. What costs have been paid for our redemption?
The Branch of God's Planting
Summary: God's Word often employs the metaphor of grafting a branch into a rootstock, the best known of which is Paul's use of it in Romans 11. Bill Onisick describes the process of grafting and the measures that must be taken to ensure a healthy plant, comparing them to what God does to graft His elect into His spiritual Family, to the rootstock of Jesus Christ our Savior.
The Clock Stopped and the Whole World Changed
Summary: Sometimes, while out and about, you hear something that grabs your attention. I recently heard an elderly lady remembering a certain event in her life. ...
The Crowns of Success (Part Two)
Summary: In Part One, we began examining the biblical idea of five heavenly crowns and what these rewards mean for Christians. We will continue our examination by considering the fourth of these, the ...
The Lamb of Revelation (Part One)
Summary: Nothing is as cute and innocent as a little lamb. When people think of Christ as a lamb, these attributes bleed over into their conception of the Son of God. Yet, in Revelation, we see a far different the Lamb of God, one of wrath and judgment. David Grabbe focuses on an overlooked aspect of the lamb as a biblical symbol: as playing a significant role in redemption.
The Lamb of Revelation (Part Two)
Summary: The book of Revelation frequently uses "the Lamb" to refer to Jesus Christ, and the reason for this title becomes clear as the book unfolds. Revelation speaks of a long-awaited redemption that will occur at Christ's return - a redemption, not from sin's penalty, but one that returns ownership of all things to the rightful Heir, our Savior and King. David Grabbe explains.
The Price of Atonement
Summary: The Day of Atonement stands out among God's holy days because it is the only one that requires those who observe it to fast. This solemn appointed time, however, means far more than just afflicting our souls! It focuses on the work of the Savior in cleansing His people of their sins and completely removing their iniquities. Richard Ritenbaugh considers the incalculable value of the Sacrifice made for our atonement.
The Signs of God (Part Three)
Summary: As we have seen in Parts One and Two, God is serious about the signs He has given to His people (Numbers 14:11, 22-23). Obedience to His instructions is a general sign ...
Was God's Law Nailed to the Cross?
Summary: Many point to Colossians 2:14 to "prove" that it is no longer necessary to keep God's law, but is this really what the apostle Paul means? Was the law nailed to Christ's cross? What is the "handwriting of requirements" he writes of? Using the immediate context and supporting scriptures, Earl Henn untangles the apostle's intent in this verse.
What Does It Mean to Take Up the Cross?
Summary: Beyond the fact that our Savior Jesus Christ was crucified on a cross of some sort, He used its imagery to instruct His followers: He bids us take up our cross and follow Him. David Grabbe analyzes what Jesus' command would have meant to those who heard Him, showing that our Savior is asking us to follow His example of sacrifice in our own Christian lives.
What Happened to the Thief on the Cross? (Part Four)
Summary: Even though interpreting Luke 23:43 as saying that Jesus Christ and the criminal would both be in Paradise that very day contradicts many clear scriptures, some still hold onto this idea because of the unique construction of the sentence. ...
What Is Propitiation? (Part One)
Summary: God and humankind are very different. God is spiritual, immortal, righteous, holy, and pure. Human beings, on the other hand, have the opposite attributes: physical, mortal, sinful, profane, and corrupt. Martin Collins begins a short series on the subject of propitiation to explain how God and man can be reconciled and experience a profitable relationship.
What Is Propitiation? (Part Two)
Summary: The subject of propitiation can be deeply complex. However, understanding three related Greek terms will help to frame propitiation properly, as the expression of God's mercy and grace. Martin Collins explains that Christ's propitiatory sacrifice satisfied both the law and God's holiness, allowing Him to extend mercy to believing, repentant sinners.
Where Is God's True Church Today?
Summary: This world presents us with a disordered array of religions of all kinds—from atheism to animism, ancestor worship, polytheism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and many more besides. Where can we find the true religion, the true church, in all this confusion? John Ritenbaugh reveals that only one religion with its one true church has the answers to salvation and eternal life—the church Christ founded and heads today.
Who Fulfills the Azazel Goat— Satan or Christ? (Part Five)
Summary: While the church of God has long taught that the azazel goat of Leviticus 16 represents Satan bearing part of the blame for man's sins, the present series has shown that this view has no biblical support. David Grabbe concludes the series with several common questions posed by those who have desired additional clarification of some of the issues involved in the subject.
Who Fulfills the Azazel Goat— Satan or Christ? (Part Four)
Summary: Many in God's church have believed that humanity cannot be "at one" with God until Satan has been bound at the beginning of the Millennium. This misunderstanding, David Grabbe contends, has come about due to a general failure to grasp significant truths about the completed atoning work of Jesus Christ, something that Satan has no part in.
Who Fulfills the Azazel Goat— Satan or Christ? (Part Three)
Summary: The offering on the Day of Atonement is unique in that it is a singular offering in two parts, each goat representing a separate aspect of Christ's sacrifice. In Part Three, David Grabbe explains why the goat of departure cannot be connected to the binding of Satan (Revelation 20:1-3), as well as how Hebrews 9 and 10 clarify the Atonement ritual's meaning through the complete—and completed—sacrifice of Christ.
Why 153 Fish? (Part Three)
Summary: The eighth sign of Christ’s Messiahship in John’s gospel contains the curious feature of 153 fish, which Jesus miraculously provided. As a symbol, fish typically represent people, such as when Jesus initially ...
Why Did Jesus Have to Die by Crucifixion?
Summary: Crucifixion is man's most cruel, inhumane form of capital punishment. Why did our Savior need to die this way? What does it teach us? This article also includes an inset, "Was Jesus Stabbed Before or After He Died?"
Why Preach the Gospel to the World?
Summary: On a street corner of a crowded city, a young man in threadbare clothes stands on a pine box, a worn Bible clutched in one hand. He shouts at the hustling passersby, "God is not mocked! We will reap what we have sown!" ...
Works of Faith (Part One)
Summary: Many think works and faith are incompatible, but the Bible instructs us to do works of faith. What are they? These are things we MUST do during the process of salvation.
Works of Faith (Part Two)
Summary: Christians are saved by God's grace through faith. We cannot deny it. But a Christian's faith is one that wants to keep God's law - not the ritual law, but the law of faith that trusts God and aims to please Him in everything. God's spiritual law, encapsulated in the Ten Commandments and demonstrated in the life of Jesus Christ, reveals His way of life, which Christians should endeavor to emulate.
Worthy to Take the Scroll
Summary: When reading the book of Revelation, we often pass quickly through chapters 4 and 5, perhaps because very little of significance seems to happen in them. To many, they contain just a fantastic description of God's throne room. David Grabbe, however, explains that chapter 5, especially, narrates an event of tremendous magnitude for those whom God has chosen.
For more on the true gospel, God's plan, mankind's destiny, and the coming Kingdom of God, see the Gospel Sermons page.
