Taught by Grace

Christians do not give by coercion, force, or guilt, rather, they give because they recognize the abundance of the grace that has been displayed to them in Jesus Christ.  There must be a heart of generosity within every believer because we understand what Christ has done for us. 

The Christian is to be steadfast through difficult circumstances. There is no reason for the believer to be tossed to and fro when difficulties arise. The hope we have in Christ helps us persevere in tribulation while remaining constant in prayer.

The display of true Christianity is revealed in a few ways throughout Romans 12.  Christians are to love genuinely (9a)  Christians are to pursue holiness relentlessly (9b)  Christians are to enjoy familial affection for one another (10a)  In this episode, we see that is also displayed in service. True Christian service is marked by passion, not apathy. It is marked by diligence, not laziness. Why...

The love that Christians display to one another should be the result of the love that believers have for one another because of their faith in Jesus Christ. Each believer is brought into a familial relationship with other believers, therefore, we must love one another in that manner. 

This week, we're going to take a brief break from our study in Romans 12 to look at Psalm 8.  This Psalm communicates two key truths to us: God is great and God is good. May our hearts be turned to praise as we consider how our God is transcendent above the universe while still involved in our lives. 

The Christian's response to both evil and goodness is not one of indifference or apathy, but a passion. We are to respond to sinfulness with a godly hatred and we are to embrace righteousness. There is no middle ground, but the believer is to be on the Lord's side in the matter of righteousness and sinfulness. 

How are believers to love one another? Paul gives us an answer for how we are to love one another by showing us how not to love each other. Love is to be without hypocrisy. It is not to be a mere show, but it is to be genuine.  This love was perfectly displayed for us in Jesus Christ. Meditate on His love to know what true, genuine love is. 

Spiritual gifts. They are often misunderstood, underemphasized, or just plain neglected. There are many disagreements regarding what spiritual gifts are and are not in activity today. That will not be the focus of this episode. Rather, we are going to explore these verses to come away with the main truth being emphasized. Your spiritual gift is not for you, but to help others. If you preach or tea...

There are no insignificant spiritual gifts because there are no insignificant Christians. Every believer is essential to the body, therefore, every believer’s spiritual gift matters. Join me as we examine the definition, reality, and purpose of spiritual gifts in part one of two episodes on this subject.

Christ has formed His body so that the members are reliant upon one another. Every believer has been gifted with a spiritual gift, but no believers have been gifted with all spiritual gifts. Every believer must rely upon other believers. In other words, the Christian life is one of interdependence. You need other believers.

What does true Christian living look like? Foundationally, true Christian living involves complete surrender, radical transformation, and a satisfied will. Simply, it is a life of being all in.  This week, we begin our study through Romans 12 by examining the truths detailed in verses one and two. This passage is one of the greatest transitions from doctrine to practice in God's Word. The truths o...

The chief purpose of the Christian life is to glorify God. Romans 12 is the bridge between the doctrinal truths of the Gospel and the practical implications of the Gospel.  Romans 11:36 describes how God does everything for His glory. The saving work that Paul described in Romans 1-11 is for the glory of God. Now, the Christian's response to everything that He has done is to bring Him glory in the...

The Taught by Grace Podcast is back for a second season! This season we will continue exploring God's Word as we seek to live by His grace and for His glory. 

The theme of the Christian's life is the gospel of Jesus Christ. It details the beginning, middle, and ending. In episodes 48 and 49, we looked at the doctrinal truths of justification and sanctification. We are justified in Christ before God at justification. We are being conformed to the image of Christ in sanctification. We were justified in the past and we are being sanctified in the present,...

The Christian life is the progressive work of God to conform you to the likeness of Jesus Christ. You are under construction, but God will finish the work. During this work, however, we have a responsibility to take our role and engage with God in the sanctification process. 

The Christian's life occurs in three stages: justification, sanctification, and glorification. This week, we examine justification. It is the act of God whereby He declares a sinner to be righteous based upon the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. He is not merely pardoned or paroled, but he is set free without any chance of the charges being brought up against him again. His sin debt has been...

A follower of Jesus never graduates from the gospel. The truths of Christ's finished work encompass the entirety of your life as a Christian. You need it for justification, sanctification, and glorification. Throughout the New Testament, we are given the commands of God concerning how we live as Christians, but these commands are always rooted in the grace of God and what He has done for us.  In t...

The gospel of Jesus is the message that radically transforms our past, present, and future. Its facts are that He died, was buried, and rose again, however, we must not stop at these facts. What difference do these facts make? These lead us to the ramifications of the gospel. Since Jesus died, was buried, and rose again our justification, sanctification, and glorification are secured. His finished...

There are only two paths. The way of the godly and the way of the ungodly.  In recent weeks, we have seen that the godly separate from the influence of the world by delighting and dwelling in the Word of God. Now, we see what the result of that lifestyle is. His life is greatly contrasted to the life of the ungodly. They are headed for destruction because they are not righteous in God. They may pr...

The godly person walks in happiness when they separate from the ungodly influence of the world by filling their mind with the truth of God's Word. They delight in God's Word. They meditate upon God's Word. Reading the Bible will not be the only thing we do, but it should fill our hearts and minds in everything we do! The Word of God must be our delight and meditation throughout the entire day.  Th...

The inaugural Psalm declares the happiness of the godly man. He is blessed because he has separated from the influence of the world and set his heart upon God's Word. Biblical happiness is not found in joyous circumstances, but contentment in God and His path.  This first episode deals with the godly man's separation from the ungodly's influence.  He avoids the advice of those who live without car...

In the final episode of our journey through First John, we see some more certainties of the Christian life. The Christian will live differently because of the new nature we have received in Christ. 

The Christian should not live in uncertainty but in certainty. The letter of First John was written with emphatic periods instead of uncertain question marks. In this week's episode, we embark upon a two-part journey through the final section of verses in First John. We will see five certainties about the Christian's life. Certain about Assurance of Salvation Certain about Answered Prayer Certain...

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a historical, factual event, but it is more than that. It has a very practical impact upon our lives today. There are three implications from First Corinthians 15 upon our lives, because Jesus is alive.  We have a Faith that is True (1-20). We have a Future that is Triumphant (20-57). We must be Faithful in the Task (58).  If Christ was not alive, we would be ab...

The death of Jesus on the cross was not an accident. He died as the substitutionary sacrifice for the ungodly. He died for those who had wronged Him so that they might have life! This is the glorious truth of what Jesus did for us on the cross.