Filter by Categories
Sin and Overcoming, (Part 2): What Is Sin Like?
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsContinuing in sin is a grave spiritual condition that binds individuals in a form of tyranny and bondage. Sin wraps the sinner with strong cords and easily entangles its victim, rendering them unable to move forward or escape its grasp. It acts as a merciless taskmaster, enslaving those who yield to it, making them experience abject servitude. As warned in Scripture, everyone who sins becomes a slave to sin, trapped in a relationship of dominance and submission where sin dictates their actions. Moreover, continuing in sin is akin to stumbling or straying from the narrow path that leads to life. It involves wandering off the righteous way, ignoring the narrow gate, and following a broad path that leads to destruction. This straying is not accidental but a deliberate choice to go beyond the lines and break the limits, resulting in a lack of true direction and spiritual faltering. Sin also resembles a bad debt that enslaves and must be paid. It holds individuals in economic and spiritual bondage, dictating their present and future, much like perpetual debt governs one's life. This form of servitude prevents freedom to serve God fully, as it mortgages one's mind and body to sin's demands. Furthermore, sin is like an indelible stain, deeply fixed in the heart and humanly impossible to wash away. No effort, rite, or prayer can remove this discoloration that marks the sinner, distinguishing itself as a permanent blemish that only a pure and holy power can cleanse. Continuing in sin ultimately leads to a sense of utter hopelessness. It creates a downward spiral of loss after loss, leaving individuals without peace or hope unless divine intervention occurs. This habitual sinning fosters a defeatist attitude, where individuals feel unable to conquer their sins, resulting in spiritual devastation and despair. There are compelling reasons to avoid continuing in sin. It is condemned and hated by God, being absolutely opposed to His holy nature. Sin is wrong in its own essence, producing misery, wretchedness, and chaos. It caused immense suffering to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, bringing Him from heaven to earth to endure humiliation and agony. Sin dishonors the word of God, denying the power and life it offers. It breaks fellowship with God, separating individuals from Him the moment it is committed. Sin is inconsistent with the Christian calling and professed hatred of it, marking one as a hypocrite if persisted in. It leads to an evil conscience, robbing long-term happiness and instilling condemnation. Sin fosters doubts about one's relationship with God, hindering prayer and access to Him in times of crisis. Finally, it culminates in hopelessness, leaving individuals in a state of despair, feeling forsaken and unable to overcome.
The Manifold Grace of God
Sermon/Bible Study by Martin G. CollinsGod's calling us is just our initial taste of His grace. Grace is unmerited, but it is not unconditional. We have an obligation to respond to God.
Truly Unleavened
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughGod has imputed righteousness to us as His Children because we are in Christ. Our state before God is unleavened provided we maintain this relationship.
The Traditions of Men
Sermonette by Craig SablichChrist did not end the law, but fulfilled the law, providing a lasting pattern for His saints to follow. We have a responsibility to seek biblical proof.

How Does Faith Establish the Law? (Part Two)
'Ready Answer' by David C. GrabbeThe meaning of Romans 3:31 is plain unless one believes that grace abolishes God's law. Justification by faith is based on the law's true purpose.
How Does Faith Establish the Law?
Sermonette by David C. GrabbeThe book of Romans is like a song in which some lyrics are popular but others are unfamiliar and hummed through, obscuring the overall message.

Psalm 51 (Part Four): Psalm 51:13-19
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughRepentance is far more than feeling guilt or apologizing but instead is a spirit-empowered reorientation of heart, mind, and behavior.
Baptized in the Sea
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughIsrael experienced a type of baptism in passing through the Red Sea on the last day of Unleavened Bread. Baptism symbolizes death, burial, and resurrection.
Hebrews: Its Background (Part One)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Although God never intended the Old Covenant to endure eternally, the spiritual law (shared by both the old and new covenants) lasts forever.