by Jamie Pantastico | Mar 17, 2024 | Daily Encouragement |
In 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Paul outlines the gospel: Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again. Salvation comes through faith in this message.
Recognizing our sinfulness, we trust in Christ’s sacrifice for salvation (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Romans 10:9). It’s a free gift received by faith, not works (Ephesians 2:8-9). When we believe, we’re sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13) and baptized by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13).
As believers, we await Christ’s return (1 Thessalonians 4:16; Titus 2:13). Let’s share this gospel with others, inviting them to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation.
Full Bible Verses:
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 – “Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.”
Romans 10:9 – “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
Ephesians 1:13 – “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,”
1 Corinthians 12:13 – “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.”
1 Thessalonians 4:16 – “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.”
Titus 2:13 – “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,”
by Jamie Pantastico | Mar 10, 2024 | Daily Encouragement |
In Romans 3:22-24, we encounter a profound truth: “Even the righteousness of God which is by the faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
Understanding Justification
‘But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.’
Romans 5:8
Being justified is a divine act of God, a judicial declaration where He pronounces the believing sinner “just as if they never sinned.” But how does God justify the ungodly? Through His grace! Despite our sin, He justifies those who believe through the redemptive work of His Son, Jesus Christ, who paid the price for our sins with the finished work of the cross.
Justified Freely – No Strings (works) Attached
Our justification is not earned or deserved. God doesn’t justify us because we ticked off a checklist of righteous deeds. It’s not about baptism, repentance, church membership, financial contributions, or commandment-keeping. We are justified freely, without a cause! It’s all about God’s grace or nothing at all.
‘I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.’
Galatians 2:21
God justifies, or saves, those who recognize their sinfulness and hopelessness. Salvation is free for all mankind, but it is appropriated only to those who, by faith alone, believe that Jesus Christ died for their sins, was buried, and rose from the dead on the third day.”
In essence, our justification is a marvel of God’s grace—a gift freely given to those who trust in, put their faith in, believe the finished work of the cross.
by Jamie Pantastico | Jan 21, 2024 | Daily Encouragement |
‘I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. ‘
Romans 11:11
In Romans 11:11, the apostle Paul is clearly stating when salvation came to the Gentile world. Answer: When the nation of Israel fell.
So when did the nation of Israel fall? When they rejected their Messiah their promised King, when they cried out “crucify Him” (Mark 15:13,14), and let it be known that they will not have this Jesus of Nazareth rule over us (Luke 19:14). That was the beginning of their fall with last straw soon thereafter when they stoned Stephen in Acts 7 around 36 AD. But what did the nation of Israel’s fall bring about? The apostle Paul was chosen by God to be the apostle to the Gentiles with a new message of salvation by grace through faith alone in the finished work of the cross apart from the Mosaic law, circumcision, and temple worship.
Romans 11:11 (and all of Romans 11) establishes that salvation for the Gentile world occurred only after the fall of Israel and after God chose Paul as the apostle to the Gentiles. Which was sometime between 37 – 40 AD.
‘For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, ‘
Romans 11:13
Lastly, in Romans 11:32, Paul sums it all up in this amazing verse “For God has committed them all (the nation of Israel) to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all”
‘Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!’
Romans 11:33
by Jamie Pantastico | Jan 14, 2024 | Daily Encouragement |
The theological debate between God’s sovereignty and mankind’s free will has been a contentious topic since the apostle Paul came on the scene. Examining the truth and reality of God’s foreknowledge, we begin to uncover the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God in His “choosing” the elect.
…whosoever will… + …He has chosen us…
God’s Unwavering Sovereignty and Foreknowledge
The book of Romans illuminates the depth of God’s sovereignty and foreknowledge in Romans 8:29: “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
Here, the Apostle Paul emphasizes the direct connection between God’s foreknowledge and the predestination of those who respond to the gospel. God’s choice is not arbitrary but a purposeful selection rooted in His sovereignty, omniscience, and foreknowledge. In other words, God, in His foreknowledge, already knows who will believe the gospel and who will reject it.
Human Choice and Free Will
Even as God’s sovereignty stands unwavering, the Bible upholds the reality of human free will. Joshua 24:15 unequivocally declares, “And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the river or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
This verse underscores the inherent capacity for choice granted to humanity by God. God’s choosing aligns with the acknowledgment of personal responsibility and the significance of the individual’s faith in the gospel or rejection of the truth in “unbelief.” No one seeks after God, but all mankind has been given enough light to know God and escape condemnation (read Romans 1 and John 1:9; Romans 1:20).
Chosen by God Through Divine Foreknowledge
The divine choice, revealed in Ephesians 1:4-5, takes on a profound clarity: “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.”
God’s choosing is intentional and absolute, and it is made clear that He chooses those because of His foreknowledge. This “choosing” is not subject to chance or human merit but is a testament to God’s sovereignty, power, and omniscience—the already knowing of those who will respond to the gospel with authentic faith. On the other hand, those who choose to reject the gospel in unbelief seal their destination in the lake of fire.
A Definitive Conclusion
When studying the topic of God’s “choosing,” scripture reveals God’s foreknowledge aligns seamlessly with His sovereign will, and human free will exists within the bounds of His divine order. As we examine God’s foreknowledge, we do so with the assurance that God’s choice is not random but a purposeful, deliberate selection based on His foreknowledge of hearts that surrender to Him by believing the gospel alone by faith alone.
‘Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!’
Romans 11:33
by Jamie Pantastico | Jan 10, 2024 | Daily Encouragement |
Hebrews 11:28 recounts the faith of the Israelites during the Passover, applying the blood to their doorposts. In that moment, their faith, trust, believing in God’s instructions (His word) saved them from a certain death. Similarly, in this age of grace, our faith determines our salvation. When God sees our faith alone in the gospel— when we believe that Christ’s shed blood, death, burial, and resurrection saves us—He saves us.
Romans 3:24–25, Ephesians 1:7, and 1 Peter 1:18–19 highlight the significance of Christ’s blood, emphasizing that we are saved by grace through faith in His blood. Because without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins (Hebrews 9:22) Let this truth be a source of encouragement: we are saved by the blood of Christ.
Verses:
Hebrews 11:28
“By faith, he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them.”
Romans 3:24-25
“being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness.”
Ephesians 1:7
“In Him, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”
1 Peter 1:18-19
“knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”