In Romans 3, Paul brings us to a crushing realization of the failure of human effort under the Old Covenant. At the same time he reveals the breathtaking prospect of the New Testament that the "righteousness of God" is a gift, not a wage. At the heart of this transition lies a powerful, often misunderstood verse.
For centuries, religious traditions interpreted this as a threat—a warning that through insufficient effort, sin, or "backsliding," one might lose their "saltiness" and be discarded by God.
We have traced the "Line of Confusion" from the Garden of Eden (the lie of lack), through the Plains of Shinar (the bricks of effort), and through the Exile (the blindness of legalism). Now, we see how the "Deadly Concoction" meets its final end. In Revelation, the "mixture" is finally exposed and estranged, the "mystery" is denounced, and the "Finished Work" is fully exhibited so that the blind are no longer blind.
“For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” (Revelation 22:18-19 KJV)
So, why can’t you add to or take away?
The narrative of Simon Bar-Jona, whom our beloved Yah’shua called Peter, is one of the New Testament’s most vivid demonstrations of the finished work of Christ. It is a story that brilliantly captures the essence of God’s lavish grace—a grace that triumphs beyond human comprehension over human nature, that elevates the weak, and is the sole foundation for walking in the miraculous. The Holy Spirit daily reminds us of this goodness, love, and truth, transforming our understanding from performance based theology to an awakening for receiving the fullness of the New Testament provision. The whole of the Bible is about Yah’shua, and all of Yah’shua is about His beloved.
Simon’s original name was changed
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Have you ever read a familiar Bible verse and had its meaning completely transformed by a new understanding? The book of Jeremiah offers one of these moments. When we connect Jeremiah 1:12 with the New Testament revelation that Jesus Christ is the living Word of God from the very beginning, a simple promise becomes a profound, personal declaration of God's love and absolute grace. The focus shifts from a generic promise to the person of Jesus Himself.
The verse in question reads: "Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it." (Jeremiah 1:12, KJV).
Have you ever considered the sheer magnitude of what Christ accomplished for us? It's not merely a "get out of hell free" card, but an invitation into a life of profound partnership with the Divine, marked by dominion and infused with divine virtue. Peter's opening words in his second epistle are a stunning declaration of this reality, anchored firmly in the finished work of Jesus.
Have you ever been told that sin is a non-issue and there is no need for a saviour because? It's a common challenge in the secular world, and it highlights a fundamental misunderstanding of what the Bible teaches about sin and salvation. To truly grasp the Gospel message, we may need to delve into the most profound declaration ever made by the greatest prophet that ever lived, John the Baptist (Luke 7:28). And perhaps it's time to accept that our part is all about receiving (lambano), that comes with the afforded righteousness and gloriousness of the absolute Grace extended onto us, shed abroad from before the foundation of the earth.
So, imagine the scene on the dusty banks of the Jordan River, a crowd gathered around John the Baptist, a wild-looking prophet whose life's mission was to prepare the way for the Messiah. People from all walks of life came to him, confessing their sins and seeking a cleansing baptism. John's ministry was powerful, yet he consistently pointed beyond himself to the One who was to come.
"But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." (James 1:25, KJV). This profound declaration from the Apostle James introduces a concept that, at first glance, might seem paradoxical: one "perfect law" that brings "liberty." How can the very idea of 'law,' which often conjures images of restriction, rules, and bondage, be synonymous with 'perfect' and 'liberty'?
"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4:17). This profound declaration from the Apostle John stands as one of the boldest statements in the entire New Testament. It is not a hopeful wish or a distant aspiration; it is a radical, present-tense reality. But how can mere mortals, prone to struggle and imperfection, be genuinely likened to the glorified Son of God, even now and here, and what does this have to do with boldness in the face of judgment? The answer lies wholly within the majestic truth of
Jesus uses a phrase that often causes confusion, if not condemnation, in the hearts of believers. In Matthew 20:16 and Matthew 22:14, He says, "...for many be called, but few chosen."
This phrase follows two of His most powerful parables: the parable of the workers in the vineyard who are all paid the same wage regardless of when they started, and the parable of the wedding feast where one guest is cast out for not wearing the proper garment.
Is this phrase a warning of exclusion, a looming threat that implies our salvation is conditional upon our performance? Or is it a profound revelation of God's unchanging nature and His redemptive plan?
Legalistic preachers often use this text to condemn their audience, preaching, "Get right with God or get left behind!" or "Repent, or you won't be chosen!" This mindset forces people into a law-abiding, Pharisee-like way of thinking. In doing so, they miss the very heart of the Gospel and risk causing believers to fall from grace by returning to a works-based system (Galatians 5:4).
So, what is the true meaning behind Jesus's words?
It’s the same with us. If we are not taught (by the Holy Spirit), we are without understanding, like a horse or a mule running wild and without purpose.
The question is: How do we bridle ourselves?
Many believers live in a quiet state of paranoia—always second-guessing their standing with God, questioning whether they've done enough, or if their faith is strong enough. This mindset reflects an underlying fear, one that religion often feeds but Grace destroys.
God never intended us to live beside the mind (the literal meaning of paranoia) but to live from a transformed mind—the mind of Christ, rooted in the truth of His finished work. That transformation is called metanoia—a complete change of thinking.
Within the vast tapestry of Christian faith, few practices evoke as much discussion and varied interpretation as baptism. From the earliest days of the so-called church to our modern era, believers have grappled with its meaning, its mode, and its proper recipients. At its heart, however, all forms of Christian baptism should point to a foundational truth: the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. This post aims to explore the origins and practices of both infant and adult baptism, comparing them through the lens of biblical covenants and, most importantly, the finished work of Christ, while investigating the diverse theological understandings that underpinned religious doctrine and tradition.
Before we go into all of this, I thought it well to provide some wider perspective from an anthropological point of view.
I love how Jesus just cuts to the point.
At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them (Matthew 18:1-2).
Just that?
This riddle, given by Samson, isn't just a clever puzzle; like many ancient parables and prophetic utterances (e.g., in Proverbs 1:6 or Psalm 78:2), it carries a deeper, veiled truth. From a New Covenant, grace perspective, it becomes a powerful metaphor for the triumph of Christ and the lavish blessings that flow from His completed victory.
Sometimes it is difficult to see the forest for the trees … or the trees for the forest being bogged down in minutiae and losing sight of what's truly important or how everything fits together. On the other hand our over-generalization may cause us to lose touch with the practical realities because we get too absorbed in our doctrines, our theology and church traditions (Mark 7:13).
So, I had to balance it out with the truth.
“It Is Finished": The Grace-Powered Outworking of Our Salvation
Philippians 2:12, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling," often stands as a stark challenge. Yet, when we view it through the liberating lens of Jesus's triumphant declaration on the cross, "It is finished" (John 19:30), a profound shift in understanding occurs. Suddenly, the daunting task becomes a grace-filled journey.
When it is finished, it is finished!
In the IT world we define “logic” as a system of reasoning used to design, develop, understand and maintain a system of intelligence and operations. It's the foundation for processing information and making decisions based on underlying principles.
I asked AI for some English language expressions where the word "logic" is used to get some sort of understanding of how we humans see "logic". Here is the result:
A sound mind in a sound body.
Logic is the gatekeeper of reason.
Logic is the foundation of truth.
Logic is the bridge between the known and the unknown.
Logic is the tool that allows us to understand the world around us.
Logic is the key to solving problems and making sound decisions.
Logic is the antidote to irrationality and prejudice.
Logic is the light that guides us through the darkness of uncertainty.
Logic is the compass that points us in the right direction.
Logic is the foundation of all human progression.
In this post we’ll focus more on the genealogy and the meaning of names of the ancestral human lineage of Yah’shua (Jesus). We’ll look at the prophetic meaning of these names, how history is really His-story and how Matthew 1 was cleverly constructed.