Articles from 1 Corinthians

“I need to meet with you and the guys from our Bible study today” my friend urgently said on the phone. Tears streamed down his cheeks as my friend told the four of us how he started using cocaine, again. After six months in a rehab facility and more than a year of sobriety after that, he was back on drugs.

            The tears continued to drip as he told us how it all happened. It started with stress as he approached his wedding day. He started drinking alcohol to help him relax. Then a coworker offered him marijuana and he accepted. He progressed to stealing and selling his wife’s beloved family heirlooms in order to get money needed for cocaine highs. Eventually his wife noticed items missing in their house and confronted him.

            All of this was occurring while the four of us met for Bible study each Wednesday. If there was one safe group for him to have shared his struggles, it would have been with us. But he didn’t. He hid his struggles from his family and from the guys he was supposed to share his struggles with when he needed.

            Shame, embarrassment, and guilt were already there. He didn’t need any more of that from us. He knew he messed up. He needed assurance we were there for him and he needed a reminder that we are all fighting our own battles.

            Paul told the believers living in Corinth, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58, NASB).[1]

            In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul has been talking about the resurrection of believers and our hope for the future. That’s the source of hope for the future and incentive for service in the present. As Paul approaches the end of this glorious chapter on the resurrection he reminds the believers to keep strong in their daily walk with God.

            There will be setbacks in our Christian life. We will have times when we struggle with temptation, say the wrong things at the worst time, and fail to follow through on commitments we make to others. But it’s important not to get bogged down with the struggles, but to strive to live faithfully to God and continue in ministry. We can’t earn God’s gift of salvation. But once we accept that gift we don’t sit on it. We actively serve God in ministry.

---

[1] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

In a recent trip to Barnes and Noble bookstore I was reminded how large the “mystery” section of bookstores normally is. Several bookcases with five shelves per case were packed with eye-catching art and edgy titles designed to elicit wonder and draw me into the content.

            While our culture is intrigued with the “mystery” genre of books, the Bible contains mystery as well. Mystery is defined as “a religious truth that one can know only by revelation and cannot fully understand.”[1]

            Two parts of that definition relate to the passage I’m about to share with you from 1 Corinthians. First, religious truth is only revealed by God. The Bible is God’s inspired Word to us. It reveals God’s character, truth about our world, and principles for Christian living. Second, we cannot fully understand it. There are some parts of Scripture and doctrine that are not as clear as we would hope.

            The apostle Paul describes some of the “mystery” of the end times when describing the rapture and resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52:

            “Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable and we will be changed.”[2]

            The mystery that Paul is describing is the resurrection of believers when Jesus Christ returns to the earth. What Paul was telling the believers in Corinth was that when Christ returns all the dead believers will have resurrected bodies.

            But what about the believers alive when Christ returns? Those alive when Christ returns will be transformed and changed. This is called the rapture. Our new body at the resurrection and rapture will be unlike the one we have now. It will be “a Spiritual Body partaking of the nature of God’s own Heavenly Glory.”[3]

            When Christ returns we will be raptured (if still alive) or resurrected (if dead) and taken away to spend eternity with God. We should look forward to the rapture and resurrection with hope and positive anticipation. Our physical pain will go away. Our emotional strain will disappear. And our spiritual sufferings will be gone!

---

[1] Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (Springfield, MA: 2020). 11th edition.

[2] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[3] Henry H. Halley, Halley’s Bible Handbook (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1965). 24^th edition, p. 600.

In a recent interview NASCAR driver Jimmy Johnson revealed his “secret sauce” for his racing success. In his career when he won five straight NASCAR championships and later won two more which tied him with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Sr. But Jimmy had a “secret sauce” that him and his crew chief followed that led to their success.

            It was testing. Jimmy and his team would drive to racetracks during the week and test their cars for hours at a time. They’d try different shocks in the car springs, different air pressures in the tires, or adjust the suspension higher or lower. He describes those testing trips to different race tracks as the “secret sauce” that led to his success.

            For believers, we too have a secret sauce. Ours does not deal with practice in race cars. Ours is about love for others. Paul describes that love in the thirteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians:

            “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7, NASB)[1]

            When someone says something mean, we respond in love by being kind (even when we want to say something mean back at them). When someone fails to follow through on a commitment, we respond in love by offering them another chance (even when we want to explain how much the person disappointed us).

            Last week I arrived at a coffee shop in which I had prearranged (and prepaid) for a large batch of coffee to be prepared for me to take to the public school staff next to our church. As I arrived at the coffee shop the coffee was not ready, I waited fifteen minutes for them to gather the coffee, cups, lids, stir sticks, creamer, and sugar together. All that stuff was supposed to happen before I arrived. When the young barista handed me the coffee fifteen minutes later I smiled and handed her a five dollar bill as a personal tip. Love!

            Love is our secret sauce that leads to our success as believers when we interact with the world and our community of believers.

---

[1] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

There are two kinds of people that serve in a church. There is the person that knows what her spiritual gift is and actively uses it. And there is the person that doesn’t know what her spiritual gift is yet still serves in the church.

            How is a spiritual gift different than human ability? Human ability is given from our physical parents while spiritual gifts are given from our spiritual father. Human ability is received at physical birth while spiritual gifts are received at spiritual birth when we become a Christian. Human ability is for the benefit of mankind while spiritual gifts are for the benefit of the church.

            The Bible describes spiritual gifts in four separate passages. Each time the author is hoping to teach his readers what the gifts are and how to employ them.  The apostle Paul writes to the believers in the church at Corinth hoping they’ll become people that know what their spiritual gift is and who actively use it.

            Paul tells the believers in Corinth that spiritual gifts are given so that we can help each other, “But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” (1 Corinthians 12:7, NASB) Paul then lists several different gifts: word of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, distinguishing of spirits, tongues, and interpretation of tongues (1 Corinthians 12:10). It’s clear that the Spirit gives these different gives to different people, “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.” (1 Corinthians 12:11)

            After these important truths about the gifts of the Spirit, Paul reminds them that the gifts are used in the church in the same way our body uses different body parts. Each body part relies on others and needs each other. He sums up his metaphor about the gifts of the spirit being like body parts saying the goal of the gifts are “that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.” (1 Corinthians 12:25-26)

            Scripture teaches us that spiritual gifts are meant to be used now (Eph 4:12-13). Scripture doesn’t say a believer loses his or her spiritual gift.

            But how do we discover and deploy our spiritual gift? First, read about the gifts described in the Bible (Romans 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-31; Ephesians 4:7-14; 1 Peter 4:10-11). Second, pray for God to reveal to us which gift He has given to us. Third, say “yes” when our pastor or church leaders ask us to help serve in a church ministry.

            After spending some time in God’s Word, praying to God, and experimenting with different areas of service, I hope we all can be part of the group of people in the church that knows their spiritual gift and actively serves.

In the Left Behind fictional book series there’s a statement that has always stood out to me. Cameron “Buck” Williams is the protagonist throughout the books (played by Kirk Cameron and Nicholas Cage in the films). Among Buck’s travels he meets Ken Ritz, a private pilot that ends up flying Buck in and out of some difficult situations. While Buck is a Christian; Ken Ritz is not.

            But Ken’s commitment to help Buck with his Christian ministry is unwavering. At one point the non-believing pilot Ken tells Buck, “I’ve seen the way you people take care of each other.” Ken had seen how the Christians during the tribulation were desperately working hard to take care of each other and meet needs.

            What a testimony we can have as believers to the non-Christian world when we love and care for each other sacrificially.

            There was in issue in the city of Corinth that required the Christians to sacrifice and accommodate each other. Paul wrote, “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God; just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may be saved. Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1, NASB)[1]

            Just before this Paul describes how there were issues among the Christians regarding eating meat. There was meat that had been sacrificed to idols and served at pagan feasts. There also was meat sacrificed to idols that eventually was brought to the meat market, purchased by individuals, and taken home and served at private dinners.

            What Paul was telling the people here is that they are okay to eat that meat unless they are questioned by people. If  someone was unsure and asked if it should be eaten or not, a Christian was obligated to abstain from eating the meat as a way to accommodate the conscious of his or her fellow believer.

            In other words, Christians restricted their liberty at the request of others. Even if they were hungry!

            As Christians now we show our love for others carefully evaluating our actions and how they might affect others. If a Christian brother is on a diet, we should choose to eat healthy food in front of him. If a Christian sister is trying to manage her money well, we should not invite her out to eat at expensive restaurants with us.

            One of the ways that people can identify us as Christians is how we care for each other and make accommodations for each other.

---

[1] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

“Put it in your pocket and when you feel tempted, touch it and rub it.” That was the common advice our addiction recovery small group leader would give people when he gave out the sobriety tokens.

            Recovery is a life-long battle. And as a pastor I can verify that some folks who get off drugs, stop drinking alcohol, or shed a gambling addiction are never “free” of the temptations of their addictions. Many times I’ve seen folks clean and sober for years, sometimes decades, only to relapse into addiction. Usually it happens, from my observations, when someone is going through an extreme trial in life or that person is placed in an extremely tempting situation. (Sometimes it involves both.)

            But Paul’s words to the Corinthian church gives us hope when we battle temptations. This verse is a tool we can have in our toolbelt. It equips us for the battle against our struggles and trials that appear often in the form of temptations. Paul tells the Corinthians:

            “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NASB) [1]

            What a great source of hope this verse provides us! God will not let us be challenged beyond what we can handle. He will not let us get in over our head. Charles Ryrie says when this verse describes a “way of escape” it means “power to be able to bear testing” (Ryrie Study Bible, p. 1423).

            How do we do this? It will look different for everyone. We need to have a friend we can rely on that we can call at any time to say, “Hey, I’m struggling right now. Can we talk?” We need a small group that we can send a text message to and ask them to pray. We need a Scripture to memorize that we can quote in our mind when we feel tempted. We need a pastor we know we can call and organize a coffee or lunch with to discuss our struggles.

            While facing temptation will look different for each person, the outcome is always the same when we rely on God. We will be able to endure them! 

---

[1] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

Last year our church had its first ever “Harvest Party” event on October 31. After announcing the event a few times during our church service, a couple people expressed concern that we were doing a church event on October 31^st. They were afraid we were endorsing Halloween and celebrating that holiday.

            I appreciated people sharing their concern with me because it meant I had poorly communicated the purpose of us starting that annual event. As a result I started telling those people and our church that we were doing a Harvest Party on October 31^st as a way to engage our community. It was a way to have families come to our church so we could get to know those living nearby our church. While it often is hard to invite people to attend our church, doing an event on October 31^st where we organize games and giveaway candy to kids was a way to have people come to our church.

            The apostle Paul modeled this “engagement” of the community around him as described in 1 Corinthians 9:19-22, “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.” (NASB)[1]

            The apostle Paul traveled more than 3,000 miles by foot and boat to share the gospel with anyone he could get an audience with. He went to Jewish synagogues, he went out to people on the river (Acts 16), and he discussed religion with the philosophers (Acts 17).

            Paul used people’s cultures and backgrounds as an entry point to talk with them about the gospel. He used their history and culture to draw those people into a relationship with God. And that same principle that Paul used for ministry can be used by us today. We can take national holidays or local events and use them as entry points to draw people close to God.

---

[1] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

Myself and three other pastors were at an airport leaving a conference. We were going to a restaurant together while waiting for our flights. One guy in our group walked up to me, placed his hand on my shoulder and asked: “Would you mind if I drink a beer at the restaurant while we wait for our flights?”

            That interaction with my pastor friend was a good reminder that our love for others guides our actions in front of them. His love for me guided whether or not he should drink a beer in front of me. (I’m confident that if it would have been an issue for me to watch him drink, he would have decided not to drink a beer.)

            The believers in Corinth faced a similar situation but theirs involved meat, not beer. The Greeks and Romans would burn the less desirable parts of animals as religious sacrifices to their gods, but keep the best parts of the animals and eat those. Often those desirable parts of the animals were sold in the marketplace to normal everyday people like the Christians.

            This caused the Corinthians to have to consider two questions. Was it okay to eat this meat? Was it okay to eat this meat in front of other Christians that believed it was wrong to eat the meat?

            Paul describes the correct action for them to take in 1 Corinthians 8:8-13, “But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat. But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols? For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died. And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble” (NASB).[1]

            Paul tells them to eat what they want, but only eat it if it does not cause harm to others. Their freedom did not supersede their obligation to be considerate of others. If eating this meat in front of others offends them, then they should not eat it.

            And this impacts us today. If someone we know has struggled with drinking alcohol in the past, we should abstain from drinking alcohol in front of them. If our spouse is on a diet to lose weight, we should not eat the fatty foods in front of them. If we know someone is trying to quit smoking, we should not smoke in front of him or her.

            Paul’s message to the Corinthians is the same message to Christians: Our love for others should guide our actions in front of them.

---

[1] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

I used to lose my temper all the time when I was young. I remember throwing my cell phone once and breaking it because it wasn’t working right. I remember two times, I threw golf clubs and broke them. Along with losing my temper I also would lose control of my mouth. It embarrasses me to think of some of the words I would say in the midst of my rage.

            But when I became a Christian at twenty-three, my anger problems dissolved. That change of behavior is what Paul describes to believers in the city of Corinth.

            “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11, NASB).[1]

            Paul’s main point here is that faith in God must make the believers in Corinth different than non-believers. The “effeminate” and “homosexuals” were people common among the Romans and Greeks. In fact, fourteen of the first fifteen Roman emperors practiced homosexuality. Paul was making it clear that a Christian should not be confused with such things. Paul essentially tells us today that faith in God leads to a change in lifestyle.

            The change for me occurred with my temper. No longer did I “lose my temper” after becoming a Christian. Instead, I now have control over it. It does not control me. This shows the change that has occurred because of my faith in God.

            Do I still feel anger from time-to-time? Yes, of course. I feel that old temper start to flare up, like a volcano about to erupt, but I control it now. I’m no longer controlled by my anger because I am no longer a slave to my sin nature. “We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin” (Romans 6:6, NLT).

            Now I have the Holy Spirit that lives in me and helps me control that sinful anger. As Paul’s words remind us, “You were washed . . . you were sanctified . . . you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11, emphasis mine).

            Through Christ’s death on the Cross, our faith in Him for salvation, and the Holy Spirit that lives in us now, we have been set free from sin’s power and control over our lives.

---

[1] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

I spent the week thinking about how to make the Sunday church service an environment where we could praise God and enjoy fellowship together. This meant recruiting greeters to work outside to welcome people, printing a bulletin for each person to have along with teaching notes for the sermon, ensuring the air conditioning worked well, and having someone clean the church facility before everyone arrived on Sunday. The environment for people to come and worship God was prepared.

            But someone else had been working all week to destroy it. He probably didn’t intend to do this, but he was good at it. And he did it almost every week. Carl would arrive at church, enter the door, and immediately look for me. All week he had been thinking about an issue or problem with the church. When he arrived at church he wanted to talk with me, the associate pastor of our church in California, about what was wrong with our church and what I needed to do to fix it (or what I had already failed to do to fix it).

            A morning intended for praise for our Lord quickly became a morning focused on criticizing the associate pastor. The result was an awkward conflict that was publicly scene often in front of others.

            Carl had a habit—and he was good at it—of destroying the atmosphere of love for one another and praise of God at church. This was one of the scenarios Paul warns the believers about in the city of Corinth: “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17, NASB)[1]

            These two verses describe how God’s people and the church are the temple of God. In 1 Corinthians 6:19 Paul describes the individual as being the temple of God, but that is not the intended meaning here in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17. This is because “you” in verse 16 is plural in the Greek and the passage starts in verse 10 describing the building of God’s church as a group of people not one person.

            But what does this mean for us? If we find ourselves being that man that causes trouble to God’s church we need to accept that things won’t always be the way they should be. Churches are not perfect even if we try our best to make them that way. This means we need to accept that our churches and the people working in them are flawed.

            If we find ourselves being troubled by someone, let go. Each Sunday we need to “let go.” Don’t fight. Don’t cause a scene. Just be kind and let it go.

---

[1] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

Life is messy. And as believers it’s a relief to say those words, and admit that is how the world is. (As a pastor I can admit that church work is messy too!)

            More people would visit our church services on Sundays or try out our Bible studies during the week, if we admitted that life is messy. If they knew that they could come as they are and not have to be perfect, they would more likely visit us. If they knew they didn’t have to present the perfect image or let everyone know they have it all together, then they would be more likely to become part of our faith communities.

            The apostle Paul had arrived in the city of Corinth after a discouraging experience in Athens (Acts 17:15-33). He was also probably anxious about the believers he had just left in the city of Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-14). When he arrived in the city of Corinth he saw sin, wickedness, prostitution, and drunkenness. Paul’s arrival to Corinth only added to his anxiety that started in Athens and Thessalonica.

            Paul wrote about this messy life to the believers in Corinth, “And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (NASB)[1]

            In these five verses I believe Paul gives us three principles we can follow that will help people (both inside and outside the church) understand that we don’t have everything figured out.

            First, share our story. Tell others about what we’ve been through; about the good and bad decisions we’ve made, as well as what we have learned through the process.

            Second, know Scripture. Through our story we see how God has worked in our lives and provided for us. Including Scripture shows others how God was working through us and our circumstances.

            Third, let God do His work. There is only so much that we can do and control in our lives. At some point can release control of our circumstances and our desired outcomes. Instead of trying to create what we want, we can let God work in our lives.

            For us to minister to others we don’t need to brag about “how clean our lives have become because of Christ.” We can instead show others how “God still accepts us when we are messed up” because life is messy.

---

[1] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

When I was 15 years-old I tried to spend as much time as possible at the golf course. I played golf with a lot of older men that shared their wisdom with me. I distinctly remember one man telling me to beware of two words: “free” and “guaranteed.” He told me: “Christopher, remember these two things in life: One, nothing in life is free. Two, nothing in life is guaranteed.”

            He continued on and said that when you hear someone say that something is “free” there will always be a price to pay later on. There might be a request for your contact information, time involved in order to get the free thing – or the free thing might only be part of what you want, so you have to pay for the other half.

            He also explained that if something is guaranteed there’s usually a catch. Often a guarantee is only good for a limited time, or you have to have the receipt, or the guarantee could be voided based on specific conditions.

            That advice came to my mind as I read Paul’s introduction to his letter to the believers in the city of Corinth, “I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:4-9, NASB).[1]

            In Paul’s introduction he starts with his expression of thanks. He gives thanks because God’s gift of salvation had been given to these believers in Corinth. “the grace of God was given to you in Christ” (1 Cor 1:4b). This was a guarantee for them, “our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end” (1 Cor 7:7b-8a). Notice that word “confirm” that Paul uses. It means guarantee. Paul told the Corinthians that they had God’s guarantee that they would be in Christ’s presence at His future return to the earth. The reason for this guarantee is stated in the next verse, “God is faithful” (1 Cor 1:9a).

            That man I was playing golf with gave me good advice. Nothing is free and there are no guarantees. With one exception: when we place our faith in God for salvation it is a free gift offered to us. “The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23b). This free gift of eternal life guarantees our place in heaven forever (Romans 8:31-39). We know that God is faithful. His offer of salvation is free and it’s guaranteed.

---

[1] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.