Monthly Archives: December 2023

December 28, 2023 · 7:00 pm

Repent

The word repent appears over 65 times in Holy Scripture.  Repentance is a biblical concept that is imbedded deeply in the pages of the Bible. Today, let us take a brief survey of the New Testament teaching on this subject.

First, let’s define the term. Repentance means “to change the mind.”1 When the word appears, especially in the New Testament, this meaning is applied and understood from the text. We change our direction, our thoughts, and our beliefs when we repent. Once we were faithless. Now we accept the truth and believe the truth by faith. It is a total reordering of the life and mind.

Repentance is required for salvation. Jesus told His followers that “unless you repent, you will all perish.” (Luke 13:3) Salvation demands that we abandon our old way of life and our sin and place our complete trust in Christ. While we may state this concept differently depending on the context, the message is clear. There is no eternal life without repentance.

We will continue to struggle with sin as long as we are on this planet. Repentance that leads to salvation does not lead to automatic sinlessness in this life.  However, the truly repentant Believer will not continue in sin and will seek cleansing from the God. (1 John 1) The Christian cannot be happy in sin as their desires have been changed and reoriented towards the thing of God.

Repentance redirects the way we live and treat others. A repentant person will seek to act righteously and think Godly thoughts. Simply put, if there is no change in thought or behavior, there is no repentance and no salvation.

What about you? Have you turned from your sin? Have you repented and trusted Christ for the forgiveness of your sin? Turn away from your sin and self and trust in Christ today!

Tony French

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December 21, 2023 · 9:00 am

Merry Christmas

As 2023 draws to a close, I would like to thank you all for being faithful readers of this blog. Thank you for your encouragement, your comments, and your prayers. I hope and pray that these weekly articles are a good source of help and edification for you as you live for Christ each day.

I certainly would wish each of you a very merry Christmas and a joyful and prosperous 2023. May your Christmas season be meaningful and worshipful, and may God richly bless you in the year ahead.  

Tony French

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December 18, 2023 · 9:00 am

Honoring Others

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer. 

Romans 12:11-12

Romans 12 is filled with practical instruction for Believers. The above referenced verses contain several key points about relationships among Christians. Let us briefly peruse them during this article. 

How are we to treat one another?

**We are to be devoted to one another. Loyalty is a lost concept in our world today.  Loyalty needs to be recovered and practiced within the church.

**We should honor one another. Selfishness has no place within the body of Christ. Honoring one another reveals the depth of our love for those in the Church.

**We ought to be diligent, fervent, and service-oriented towards those whom God has called in the body. Our service should not be lackadaisical and half-hearted. The Christian should serve heartily and faithfully in the Church.

**We need to be a rejoicing people. We have much to be joyful about even though life is difficult. A happy people will attract others to the faith.

**We strive to persevere through all things. True Christians stay the course and keep the faith. We may stumble, but, we do not abandon the Truth.

**We are devoted to prayer. We may struggle at it, nonetheless, we pray. We pray believing that God hears and God knows that is best for us.

I pray God’s richest blessings upon us all as we seek to obey these truths each day.

Tony French

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December 14, 2023 · 9:00 pm

Christian Character

If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

James 1:26-27

This chapter ends with a clear call to pursue three traits that ought to mark every Believer. Let us think about these three commands this week. After all, James’ teaching is so practical and easy to follow here.

The first characteristic of a biblical Christian is a controlled tongue. In verse 26, we are told that a Christian who cannot control his/her tongue is deceived and has a vain, useless religion. Wow, James, tell us what you really think. The warning could not be clearer. Our Christianity will never be what it needs to be if we cannot control our words.

Another characteristic of a biblical Christians is helping the helpless. The specific word is to help the widow and the orphan. Why? The widowed woman and the parent-less child were vulnerable and had little (if any) means of support in the first century.  They could be easily taken advantage of due to their humble estate. Therefore, James implores the true Christian to support and help those who are disadvantaged.  Helping those who can’t help themselves is an identifying mark of a true Christian.

The last characteristic is keeping oneself pure in an evil world. The world system desires that we focus on ourselves and our desires to the exclusion of everything else. James declares that we are to be unpolluted by this thinking. We are to think of others and their needs. We should seek to help and serve wherever we can.

A polluted, dirty Christian will have little useful value in the Kingdom of God. It’s important that Christians confess their sin, receive cleansing, and seek to stay as close to God as possible. We are saved forevermore and we have a new identity in Christ. Let’s act like Christians by staying close to God and His Word!

Tony French

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December 11, 2023 · 9:00 am

Harvest

I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

1 Corinthians 3:6-9

Three points from Paul’s teaching stand out in this passage. They correspond to the thoughts, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.”

**We are to plant for harvest. Let us plant each day by sowing the seed of the gospel. We plant for harvest by sharing the good news of the forgiveness of sin that is available to all who believe. Also, we plant by loving people and by inviting them to Jesus.

**We are to prepare for harvest. We water as we continue to share the gospel and live out the implications of the gospel. Being a consistent witness is important and necessary for the harvest.

**We must pray for harvest. Only God can give the increase and cause growth. He uses our efforts and obedience. But, Jesus is the only one that can “build His church.”  (Matthew 16:18)

Dear Christian, commit yourself to these three principles each day. The harvest is ready and waiting. People need Jesus and we should be honored to be used by God to lead souls to salvation!

Tony French

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December 7, 2023 · 9:00 pm

Doing

But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

James 1:22-25

In this Scripture, James implores us to be doers of the Word and not just hearers. We do not learn the Bible simply to know facts. We learn it to grow in our faith and learn to become obedient. Great blessing accrues to those who are obedient. So be a doer and not merely a hearer. 

The description given for someone who merely hears but does not obey the Bible is stark. James says that person is like someone who looks into a mirror and forgets what they look like. That statement seems nonsensical on its face. What is James trying to say? 

As Christians, we need to be constantly exposed to the Word of God. We need to look deeply into it by reading it, studying it, and by hearing the Bible preached and taught regularly. If we don’t practice this, we begin to forget who we truly are in Christ. We forget our true identity and what it means to be a child of God.  

So, Christian, read God’s Word. Study it deeply. Learn what the Bible says and do it. 

Tony French 

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December 4, 2023 · 9:00 am

Savior

Who is Jesus? The opinions are varied and mixed. While almost everyone believes there was a historical Jesus, there is much division about who He truly is and what it all means.

What does the Bible say about this topic? How would Scripture answer that question? It would be impossible to tell of everything the Bible says about Jesus nature and work in one blog post. So let’s examine three truth claims about Jesus from the Word of God as we seek to elucidate this quandary.

**The Scriptures declare that Jesus is the Son of God. Peter declared Him to be the “Son of the Living God” (Matthew 16:14) in his declaration. Also, Jesus has the power to forgive the sinner (Matthew 9:1-6) and He pronounced Himself as “Lord of the Sabbath.” (Luke 6:1-5) John expressed Jesus’ deity by saying “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14) in his Gospel.

These statements make a compelling case for the deity of Jesus. The Holy Word of God thunders the truth of Jesus’ divinity from the lips of Savior and the pen of the apostles. When one examines the Bible, we must realize that the Scriptures declare that Jesus is indeed the Son of God!

**Jesus is the Savior of the world. Everyone who believes in Him and trusts Him for salvation shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16-17)  He lived for our justification, died to pay our sin debt, and rose again to prove that everything He said was true. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) 

He is the Savior, and He is the ONLY savior. We find this truth expressed in John 14:6, Acts 4:32, and 1 Timothy 2:5. One can choose to accept this precept or reject it. However, this truth is objective and eternal and cannot be changed.

**Jesus is the judge.  He is the long promised Messiah (Matthew 16:14) and He is the one who will judge the nations. (John 5:22)  All Believers will answer to Christ for the way they have lived one day. (2 Corinthians 5:10) People may choose to reject His salvation and His mercy. But, no one will escape His judgment.

Are you ready to stand before Christ? Have you trusted Him for your salvation believing He died, was buried, and rose again for you? Trust in Him today. He is the Son of God, He is the Savior of the world, and He will judge everyone at the appointed time. Trust Him today while you still can!

Tony French

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