Introduction

• Luke 8:15

We’re frustrated by the challenge.

• Hebrews 5:11-14 – The Bible is a deep book! Some truth is deeper and takes more effort to understand.
• II Thessalonians 2
• Romans 8:26
• I Corinthians 11
• Luke 19:1-10 – There are many simple truths in the Bible that are valuable to understand.
• Galatians 5:22-23
• Ephesians 1:7
• If you don’t understand a passage, make a note and pigeonhole it for further study later.

We’re just plain biased.

• Jeremiah 42:5-6, 17; 43:1-4 – They did what they wanted to, regardless of God’s word.
• Galatians 5:21 – Drunkenness is a sin!
• Ephesians 4:32 – Forgive each other.
• What’s the point of reading and studying if we don’t obey?
• I Peter 3:21 – Baptism saves! Bias can cause us to overlook the simple meaning of a passage.
• Romans 4:10 – Abraham was counted as righteous before he was circumcised.
• Acts 15:15-19 – Amos talked about how to deal with Gentiles. The Jews had overlooked this for 800 years! We can have the same problem because of our own bias.

We’re reluctant to admit, “I don’t know.”

• Mark 12:18-25 – The Sadducees did not understand the scriptures regarding marriage or resurrection.
• There are certain things we just don’t know!
• Deuteronomy 29:29
• Acts 4:12 – Jesus is the only way to salvation. What about the tribe isolated in the jungle? We don’t know, but God is fair and righteous, and He can work it out.

We’re afraid of the application.

• John 9:16, 20-23 – The parents of the formerly blind man were afraid to say anything about Jesus because of the Jews.
• John 12:37, 42-43 – Many believed, but were afraid to act on their belief.
• I Corinthians 6:9-10 – We can’t be scared of applying these verses.
• Galatians 2:12 – Even an apostle (Peter) succumbed to fear!
• Acts 2:38
• John 16:33

James 4:7 – If we don’t submit to God, the rest of it doesn’t matter!

• Notes from an article about abuse:

  • Psalms 40:1-4

  • Abuse can be a horrible pit that few escape from.

  • Psalms 59:1-4

  • Psalms 55:12-14

  • Who inflicts the wounds when abuse occurs? Often it is the ones closest to you.

  • How wounds torment victims

  • “There are truths that I know. My father taught them to me.”

    • Proverbs 11:29, 17; 20:1

  • On alcohol:

    • Proverbs 23:29-35; 19:19; 10:7; 15:13

• If you are being abused, GET HELP. Do not wait and allow the situation to get worse. Find a trusted family member, friend, or fellow church member. If necessary, involve the authorities.

My soul

• Genesis 1:26-28; 2:7 – We were made in God’s image.
• John 4:24
• Hebrews 12:9 – We inherit physical characteristics from earthly parents, but spiritual characteristics from God.
• Genesis 9:3, 6 – The difference between humans and animals.
• Acts 7:59 – Stephen prayed for his spirit to be received by God.
• Psalms 90:1-4, 10 – The body lasts for a while, but the spirit flies away.
• I Timothy 4:7-8
• Luke 12:19-20 – Lay up spiritual treasures!
• Mark 12:25 – Nothing can compare to the value of my soul!
• Matthew 16:26 – One soul is worth more than the world!

God’s love

• I Peter 1:3-5, 9, 6 – God is interested in saving our most valuable possession.
• I Thessalonians 4:16-17 – God offers an eternal solution.
• Matthew 25:46 – The righteous will receive eternal life. God wants us to come home forever.
• Romans 8:35-39
• Galatians 5:1-4

Take-aways

• Do the smart thing – save your soul.
• Accept God’s love.

Christ (Romans 3:21-5:21), continued:

Adam vs. Jesus (Romans 5:12-19), continued:

• Romans 5:18-19 – Adam performed his transgression, and it introduced condemnation to all men. Christ performed His act of righteousness (His sacrifice) and it introduced justification to all men. Neither of these happen automatically! See Romans 6:12. Compare Hebrews 5:9.

Grace reigns (Romans 5:20-21)

• When God reveals a law, such as the Law of Moses, it shows people what they are doing wrong. They may not have realized they were sinning, but now they do. See Romans 3:20; 7:7.

Choice (Romans 6-8)

Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound (Romans 6:1-14)?

• No! We repented and decided to die to sin. How could we go back to it?
• Romans 6:3-4:

• Hebrews 9:26-28; Romans 8:34
• Romans 6:11 – We must consider ourselves dead to sin!
• Romans 6:13 – Don’t go back in the mud and get dirty again!

Tongues were…

Real languages

• Acts 1:6; 2:1-11
• Acts 10:44-48
• Glossa “tongue” (Acts 2:4, 11) vs. dialektos “language” (Acts 2:6,8)
• I Corinthians 13:1 – Some argue they are speaking the tongues of angels, and thus, not to be understood. That is not the point Paul is making here.

To edify through understandable communication

• I Corinthians 14:1-26 – If you speak in a tongue no one understands, you are not edifying others. Tongues were for a sing to unbelievers. Prophecy was a sign to believers.

Able to be controlled

• I Corinthians 14:27-33 – Things were to be done in an orderly manner. “The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.”

Limited to the first century

• I Corinthians 13:8-10 – The spiritual gifts would cease, but love never fails. The “perfect” in I Corinthians 13:10 is teleos, meaning “complete.” When the full revelation of God was available (i.e., the full New Testament), spiritual gifts would go away. Spiritual gifts were like the scaffolding around the New Testament.

Compare Biblical teaching with modern-day practice

• Is it a real language?
• It is edifying others in the assembly because it is understandable communication?
• Is it controlled?
• No modern-day tongue-speaking is in the first century.