obedience Archives - Page 13 of 49 - Plain Bible Teaching

Andy Sochor August 10, 2016

Grace, Faith, and Works

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Ephesians 2:8-10).

Even though the topic of salvation is shown to be of fundamental importance in the Scriptures, there is sharp disagreement between brethren and the religious world about it – particularly about the role that grace, faith, and works play in our salvation. Many in the religious world believe that we are saved by grace through faith without any works on our part. In other words, they believe salvation is unconditional (unless they count faith as a condition, but that would be the only one). The passage above is often cited to defend this idea. Yet as we will see from the Scriptures, all three of these – grace, faith, and works – are necessary for our salvation.
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Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: faith, good works, grace, obedience, salvation, works

Andy Sochor August 3, 2016

Studying the Bible

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

Learning how to accurately handle God’s word is necessary for one to be approved to God. However, this process requires diligence. If we are to learn God’s will, we must be diligent in our efforts to study the word that He has revealed to us.

In this article, we will discuss how to study God’s word in such a way that will lead us to enjoy His approval. This involves preparations to study, developing a habit of studying, and also applying our studies to our daily lives.
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Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Bible study, habit, listen, obedience, salvation, study, word of God

Andy Sochor July 20, 2016

How Can People Know We Are Christians?

I recently read an article that talked about a group using tattoos as a fundraiser for a church project. Those who were participating were getting tattoos that were meant to convey the message that they were Christians. On one hand, it is tempting to see this as commendable. With tattoos being (relatively) permanent, one could argue that they can be a good expression of our commitment to following Jesus.

However, the Bible never says that Christians are to indicate their identity as disciples of Jesus by some markings on their skin. In fact, the concept is just like the practice of the Pharisees who would “broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments” (Matthew 23:5). The Pharisees wanted people to see, based upon the accessories that they wore, that they were zealously religious. Those who get tattoos (or wear certain jewelry or clothing) that are designed to convey a religious message and identify them as Christians are doing the same thing.

Jesus said there is another way that people should recognize us as being His followers – it is by the fruit that is produced in our lives.
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Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: good works, love, obedience, sin, speech

Andy Sochor July 13, 2016

God Remembered

“But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things which accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way. For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints” (Hebrews 6:9-10).

The Hebrew writer reminded the Christians to whom he wrote that God would not forget their work. The same promise applies to us today as well.

On an intellectual level, Christians may know this. We know that God is omniscient and, therefore, knows what we are doing and what we have done. However, during difficult times, it can sometimes feel as though God has forgotten us, even though we know He has not.
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Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: faith, jealousy, judgment, obedience, patience, prayer, promises, sin

Andy Sochor June 8, 2016

You Have Need of Endurance

Oxford Dictionary defines endurance as the fact or power of enduring an unpleasant or difficult process or situation without giving way. Thayer defines the Greek word that is translated endurance in our English Bibles this way: “not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings.”

Endurance is a characteristic we must have as Christians. But why is it so important? In this article, we are going to consider a few passages that explain why we need endurance as Christians. In these verses, we will notice a few English words (endurance, patience, perseverance), yet these are all from the same Greek word. So let us consider the reasons why we need endurance.
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Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: character, endurance, faith, hope, obedience, promises, race, trials

Andy Sochor May 31, 2016

Is Everything We Do Considered “Worship”? (Season 2, Episode 6)

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Is Everything We Do Considered "Worship"? (Season 2, Episode 6)

Jesus said in John 4:24 – “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” Here, Jesus emphasized the need to worship God in spirit and truth (right attitude and right actions). However, while we might think of “worship” as a basic concept, some have attempted to redefine it. Some consider all of our lives as worship. If we are to worship God acceptably, we must understand what worship is. So in this episode, we will seek to answer this question: Is everything we do considered “worship”?

If you found this episode to be useful, please share it with others. Also, if you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a rating on iTunes or Stitcher. This also helps others hear about the podcast. Thanks.

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Andy Sochor April 25, 2016