death to sin

“Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his...

On June 4, 2011, one of my granddaughters was at our house, and she was about to get her fingernails painted. While this was happening, my husband was watching the neighbors across the street from us get a new roof put on their house, and so there were lots of nails being discussed...

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life...

“And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits...

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20 ESV) In Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia, he was dealing with two...

The Bible teaches us that “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Jesus Christ is God’s gift to us. He is the Gift of God. All else flows from Him. God the Father sent him to die on a...

“Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread...

Ephesians 1:2 ESV “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 1. Who is this written to specifically? And more broadly? 2. What is the meaning of this word grace? Grace from God? 3. What is the meaning of this word peace? Peace from God/Christ? 4. How...

Mark 8:34-38 ESV “And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For...

Colossians 3:1-4 ESV “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ...

It was the time of the Passover. Satan had now entered into Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus’ 12 disciples, and he went out and betrayed Jesus to the death. But Judas Iscariot was still with Jesus and the other disciples for the Passover meal. And during the meal… Luke 22:19-20 ESV “And he took...

John 12:20-26 ESV “Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’ Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. And Jesus answered them, ‘The hour...

Romans 6:1-6 ESV “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism...

Luke 14:25-27 ESV “Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, ‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and...

Video Talk Galatians 2:20 ESV “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” When we believe in Jesus Christ with God-given faith, which...

Video Talk 1 Peter 4:1-2 ESV “Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.” I...

The Lord Jesus gave me this open letter to pastors to write on February 19, 2005, so 18 years ago this month. I posted it again a year ago, and today the Lord Jesus led me to post it again. And I believe I am to share it with you today, Monday, February 6, 2023. Open Letter to Pastors “’At...

Colossians 3:1-4 ESV “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ...