![]() Paul teaches the full counsel of God, testifying to the Ephesian elders: Not the pulling out of a part of a verse and parts of others to fit one’s self-serving topic not a topic to make a pastor politically correct, famous, rich, etc. ![]() Now that is the Bible’s self-topic I mentioned earlier. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick who can understand it? Reading this entire passage, wherein the ESV heading is Warning Against Worldliness (yes sort of a topic), should cause us to search our hearts, that should bring a humbling look at the inner sinful desires of the heart. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You desire and do not have, so you murder. Even leaving out the other surrounding text and only the one following verse, James is quite blunt (emphasis added to show what he leaves out). All you need to do is ask and He will pour them out on you. He uses that as part of his sermon (?) and states that God is waiting for you to ask to give you the blessings that he has withheld from previous generations (sins of the fathers), that are so overflowing that He cannot hold them all. He quotes only part of James 4:2, carefully leaving out the first part, and of course, the preceding and following verses. I believe a perfect example I heard from a famous Health and Wealth Pastor is this illustration. ![]() Nor does it discuss previous verses, that show Isaiah to be a humble man, recognizing his sinfulness before the Lord. However, that same Pastor, not wanting to discourage missions, may neglect the following passages, that point out the much suffering that will follow. We find one such verse among many in Isaiah.Īnd I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” As such, a Pastor (not ours), may be inclined to drive home a point of God’s calling, using verses that are calling a person to missions. Lighthouse Bible Church is a mission-oriented church. decrease his numbers, or decrease the number of tithes, etc. He is likely to skip passages, and/or topics that prove difficult or have the opposite effect, i.e. Scripture offers no such bias.Ī Pastor, or Bible Study teacher, who focuses on such topics as above, is likely to choose topics that due to his/her own personal bias, may leave out certain topics, or chose topics to increase numbers, or increase tithes, etc. Do not get me wrong but get me right on this – commentators vary in their understandings of Scriptures and (sorry) have biases in their opinions. Through this following God Bible study, you will see how the ageless message of Romans should be lived out today.Topical preaching is often dangerous, especially when the Pastor uses various commentaries. Aside from the teachings of Jesus Christ, Paul's epistle to the Romans contains the clearest foundational truths pertaining to salvation and Christian living found anywhere in Scripture. No matter where you are in your Christian walk, you will receive new insights into age-old foundational doctrines regarding sin, repentance, justification and just how all-encompassing God's grace truly is. As you walk verse by verse through its chapters and become intimately acquainted with all its wealth, you will learn how God's plan of salvation, once reserved for the Jews, was now, at long last, open to Gentiles in Rome and upon every corner of the globe. The impact this letter has has upon Eddie Rasnake prompted him to write The Book of Romans, a twelve week interactive Bible study that covers every single verse of Paul's epistle.Įach week's lesson digs deeply into this treasure trove of spiritual jewels called "Romans". Its central message of justification by faith is needed just as much, as its impact has not faded over the generations. The truth is that Paul's letter to the church member of Rome is just a relevant today as the day it was written. How can the contents of a letter written nearly two thousands years ago have anything to do with me?" some might ask.
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