Category Archives: Belief

Mother pointing finger and speaking to upset boy with arms crossed
Belief, Bible, Disobedience, Gospel, Isaiah, Obedience, Romans, Scripture

REFUSING TO OBEY

ROMANS 10:16

“However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, ‘LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?’”

As a I child, I was told things by my parents to help keep me out of trouble. And like most kids, I ignored their advice. I chose to not listen and do my own thing. As a result, I paid the price for not obeying. As a parent, I did the same with my children with the same result. Some things my children listened to and other things they ignored. Listening does not imply hearing. That’s plain in today’s text.

Paul uses a Greek word that is translated here as “heed.” It’s the Greek word hupakouó, which the HELPS Word-studies says, “is acting under the authority of the one speaking, i.e. really listening to the one giving the charge (order). Hypakoúō (‘to hearken, obey’) suggests attentively listening, i.e. fully compliant (responsive).” Paul is telling us that not all who hear the good news will respond. This is still true today.

APPLICATION

Once again, Paul goes to the prophet Isaiah. Here he quotes from Isaiah 53:1, “Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?” About this verse, Barnes says, “The form of expression, ‘Who hath believed?’ is a mode of saying emphatically that few or none had done it. The great mass of his countrymen had rejected it. This was an example to the purpose of the apostle.” Isn’t this exactly what Jesus dealt with Himself? Few followed Him although thousands heard Him preach and teach.

Hypakoúō is used in Ephesians 6:1 and Colossians 3:20 where it says for children to “be obedient” to their parents. Hearing with the intent to obey is the idea here. We are God’s children, aren’t we? So, aren’t we supposed to hear Him and obey Him? Of course, we are. It’s not that hard. But we still turn a deaf ear to Him when we want to have our own way. We think we know better. We may not say that, but our actions speak louder than words.

What is the result of someone refusing to “heed” the gospel? Paul tells us in 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9. “7 …when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God, and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 These people will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,…” Let’s do all we can to give the good news to those who need it and pray they will “heed” the call of the Master.

Lord, it burdens my heart to know that millions who have heard Your message will turn away into an eternal destruction.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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The word 'How?' in bold, orange retro typography with purple and blue outlines and surrounding stars.
Answers, Belief, Bible, Hearing, Preaching, Questions, Romans, Scripture

HOW?

ROMANS 10:14

“How then are they to call on Him in whom they have not believed? How are they to believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher?”

If you’ve been around preschoolers enough, you have probably been riddled with the “Why?” questions. Am I right? I have mentioned before that I spent a large part of my ministry working with children before I “grew up” and started working with men, lol. So, I’ve been hammered by the best of the preschoolers’ questions. Why did God make the sky blue? Why are fish smelly? Why do frogs croak? Believe me, I’ve heard them all.

It almost seems that way in today’s verse when Paul starts his series of “How” questions. Let’s take a look at the first three. The Greek word for “how” is pos and can be translated also as “in what way.” I kind of like that. Don’t you? Paul poses these indirect questions without really expecting anyone to answer him. He will be giving us the answer a little later.

APPLICATION

The first question is a follow up to the previous verse we saw in yesterday’s blog post. “for ‘EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.’” A person cannot be expected to call on someone they have not believed in, can they? The Greek word for “call” is epikaleó which means to invoke, to appeal to. The prefix epi intensifies kaleo (to call). In other words, it means to really call. I heard that the rescued Weapons Service Officer’s first reply when they received radio contact from him was “God is good.” I bet he was calling on someone he believed in, don’t you?

The next question follows this one. How can someone believe if they have not heard? Heard what? The Gospel message of faith in Jesus. Isn’t that what they needed to hear? The Jews had heard the message and had rejected it. The Gentiles could care less about this Jewish rabbi who proclaimed to be the Messiah. Someone’s ignorance of Jesus does not exclude them from judgment. Just look back at Romans 1:19-20.

And the final question Paul raises is how can someone hear unless someone tells them. They need a preacher, a prophet or a voice from God, right? Look again at the Romans 1:19-20 passage and answer that question. This, of course, does not exempt us from our responsibility to be a truth teller. We need to be spreading the message for and wide. Help answer some of those “how” questions for people. Show them the One Who has all the answers.

O Lord, You are the answer to every question anyone could ever ask. Draw them to Yourself.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Belief, Bible, Justification, Justified, Scripture, Works

DON’T WORK, JUST BELIEVE

ROMANS 4:5

“But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,”

Sentence structure is important for a writer. Jumble up your words and thoughts and the reader has a hard time understanding what you are trying to tell them. I have had some tough English teachers in my lifetime. I won’t call any names, but one that I had in college was the worst ever. She threatened to fail any student that had a comma splice in their final essay. I found out later that she was known as the toughest English professor there. Wish I had known that before.

Paul uses three different verbs in today’s verse. Actually, two are participles that are tied to the main verb which is “is credited.” We saw that verb in the previous verse. If there was any doubt as to what Paul has been saying about works and faith, he makes it clear here. It is not our works that justify us and bring righteousness. It is belief in Him – plain and simple.

APPLICATION

Take a look at what God does for us. I love that Paul writes that He “justifies the ungodly.” Can you raise your hand on that one? I sure can. When I think back to my position before Christ, that is exactly what I was – ungodly. That word “ungodly” is the negative of “respect.” It means to show a lack of reverence or a failure to honor what is sacred. Boy, that was me. I knew all about God but failed to live for Him. But He justified me anyway when I turned to Him.

We are not required to clean ourselves up, to do some kind of hard labor before our belief kicks in. We simply believe. We recognize Him for Who He is – Lord. And we are given that gift of faith that will lead us to a righteous lifestyle. We don’t get there overnight. It takes time for us to learn how to live godly. But through prayer and His Word, we learn what He expects from us.

Do you believe? Do you really believe? Have you accepted this gift of grace and received your justification? God loves you with an everlasting love. He reached down from heaven and has chosen you to be His child. He called your name and, if you have answered, you are forever His. He will never leave you or forsake you. Now, stop trying to work for your salvation. Trust in Him and believe. Follow Him and obey.

Father, I thank You that since I did nothing to get saved, there is nothing I can do to “unsave” myself.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Belief, Bible, Existence, God's Will, Power, Scripture

DO YOU BELIEVE?

ROMANS 3:3

“What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it?”

One great response to someone who says, “I don’t believe in God” is “Well, He believes in you.” You see, our belief in the Creator of the universe does not change the fact of His existence. God is God – period. He wants us to believe in Him, but He doesn’t need us to believe in Him to accomplish what He wants to do here on earth. If our unbelief could thwart God’s Will, He would not be a very powerful God, would He?

Paul points out in today’s verse the fact that some do not believe in God, but that their unbelief doesn’t “nullify” God’s faithfulness to us. That word “nullify” is the Greek word katargeó. It means to render entirely idle or useless. Paul is saying that what we believe or don’t believe about God does not make Him any less powerful.

APPLICATION

The Topical Lexicon says, “The verb carries the sense of causing something to lose its operative power: to render idle, inoperative, useless, or to bring to nothing.” What kind of God would He be if our belief or unbelief determined His power? I am reminded of God’s discourse with Job at the end of that book. In Job 38 God begins to question Job. You can read chapters 38-41 to get the full discourse. Look at 38:2-4 and see just a little. “2 ‘Who is this who darkens the divine plan by words without knowledge? 3 Now tighten the belt on your waist like a man, and I shall ask you, and you inform Me! 4 Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding,’”

We have no right to question God’s existence. We may not understand a lot about God, but all we have to do to fix that is ask Him. Do you think God is playing with us? Do you think He wants to keep us in the dark about Who He is? Of course, not. He wants us to know Him fully. Our doubts and unbelief limit our knowledge of Him.

Ask the Lord today to show you more of Himself, if you’re ready for that. God desires to reveal more and more of Himself to you. All you have to do is come to Him and seek Him. Matthew 7:7 tells us, “‘Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.’” Jesus meant that when He said it, and it still holds true today. Believe and see!

Lord, show me more of You so that I show others.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Access, Atonement, Belief, Eternity, Faith, Forgiveness, Gifts, Grace, Scripture

SAVED BY GRACE

EPHESIANS 2:8

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;” 

One of my memory passages is Ephesians 2:8-9. It is basic to our beliefs. In fact, it is fundamental. You are saved in no other way (we will see more on this tomorrow). It is through the grace of God that any of us can claim salvation and a hope for eternal life. In today’s verse, we see part one of this truth. God’s grace is sufficient for our salvation.

What exactly does Paul mean by this statement, “by grace you have been saved through faith”? HELPS Word-studies defines it this way. “Xáris is preeminently used of the Lord’s favor – freely extended to give Himself away to people (because He is “always leaning toward them”).” Paul knew, better than most, the magnitude of God’s grace. It had been given to him, a murderer of Christians, to give him access to the Father.

APPLICATION

But we can’t stop with just this one statement about being saved by grace through faith. Look at the last part of this verse – “it is the gift of God;…” Theologians have wrestled with this verse for centuries. Is grace the gift or is faith the gift? I believe if we look at the construction of the Greek, the answer is there.

Paul says “by grace you have been saved.” We saw this same phrase back in verse 5 of this chapter, but I wanted to wait for today’s verse to explain it. The Greek for this phrase reads, “by grace you are being saved through faith.” The verb is in the Present Indicative Active. It is an ongoing event. It is through your faith that God continues to save you because He is always leaning towards us.

I believe, as many others, that the real gift here is not grace, but faith. We are told in Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen.” Isn’t that just like a gift? We hope for it, but we know it’s coming. God’s gifts to us are sure. Faith is one of them. He gives it freely to all who believe. Do you believe? Have you accepted this gift of faith which yields God’s grace to us?

O Lord, thank You for the gift of faith which allows me to tap into Your grace and my salvation.

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Abiding, Belief, Bible, Eyes, Heart, Scripture, Understanding

THE EYES OF YOUR HEART

EPHESIANS 1:18

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,”

Understanding things is essential. Let me give you an example. I love to watch Do It Yourself (DIY) videos for home repairs. I was watching a video this week of a guy insulating his garage door. He seemed so confident and sure, even professional. Then, about midway through the video, he pauses the project and says he messed up. He had not fully understood all the details of the project. He had assumed each panel of the door was the same and cut his insulation appropriately. They weren’t, and he had about eight panels with the wrong size cut. He had not fully understood his project.

Paul is praying, in today’s verse, that the Ephesians will fully understand some things. Paul says, “that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened.” Albert Barnes says of this phrase, “The idea here is, that Paul not only wished their “hearts” to be right, but he wished their ‘understanding’ to be right also.” He wants them to understand two things – “the hope of His calling” and “the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.” Paul wants them to know what they believe, not just believe. He wants them to be able to defend what they believe.

APPLICATION

Jesus said something similar in Matthew 6:22. “‘The eye is the lamp of the body; so then, if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.’” Our eyes are for seeing. Our understanding is for perceiving – especially perceiving truth. Too many Christians get saved and just stop right there. They truly believe Jesus died for them and have asked Him to forgive their sins and come and live within them. They are saved, but they are ignorant of God’s truths. That makes them susceptible to the enemy.

1 Peter 3:15 tell us, “but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, but with gentleness and respect;” We need to understand truth in order to be able to give a defense. The Greek word for “defense” is apologia, which is where we get “apology.” Think about apologetics. Apologia is defined as “a well-reasoned reply; a thought-out response to adequately address the issue(s) that is raised.” (HELPS Word-studies)

Are you prepared? Do you understand the truths of God’s Word? I don’t mean you have to have a seminary degree or be a theologian. But do you study to prepare to give a defense, to give a well-reasoned reply to someone who asks you about Jesus? That’s what Paul wanted for the Ephesians. That’s what God wants for you.

Thank You, Lord, for a good mind and the ability and freedom to study Your Word.

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Access, Belief, Bible, Following, Gifts, Knowledge, Scripture, Wisdom

WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE

EPHESIANS 1:17

“that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.”

Who doesn’t want to be wise and have knowledge? I guarantee you every student who is about to sit down and take an exam in school is praying for it. Who says there can’t be prayer in school, lol? But wisdom and knowledge are more than just knowing stuff and understanding things. The Bible says so much about wisdom and knowledge. In fact, we have whole sections of the Bible that are called the Wisdom section.

Paul says in his prayer (that he mentioned in yesterday’s verse) that he is praying that God will give the Ephesians “wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.”But what exactly is he asking for? The Greeks loved acquiring wisdom and knowledge, but Paul is speaking more about them knowing how to use it. Notice he said, “a spirit of…” This wisdom and knowledge needed to make an inner change in them. That’s his prayer for them.

APPLICATION

We are probably all familiar with Solomon’s famous prayer to God when asked by God what he wanted now that he was king of Israel. Solomon said in 1 Kings 3:9, “‘So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, to discern between good and evil. For who is capable of judging this great people of Yours?’” 1 Kings 4:29-30 tells us of God’s blessing on Solomon. “29 Now God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment and breadth of  mind, like the sand that is on the seashore. 30 Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt.”

Unfortunately, Solomon ceased using that wisdom and knowledge when he intermarried and starting worshipping other gods. We find this sad end of Solomon’s life in 1 Kings 11:9-10. “9 Now the LORD was angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, 10 and had commanded him regarding this thing, that he was not to follow other gods; but he did not comply with what the LORD had commanded.”

My point? It’s not just the attaining of wisdom and knowledge. It’s how you use it and how you continue walking in it. We are all fallible, errant believers. We will never be perfect. But God, Who gives us this wisdom and knowledge, is able to carry us through, if we will allow Him. Will you be a lifelong seeker of wisdom and knowledge?

Father, I know any wisdom and knowledge I have is a gift from You.

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Abundance, Belief, Bible, Blessing, Eternal Life, Eternity, Pledge, Promises, Scripture, Trustworthy

FIRST INSTALLMENT

EPHESIANS 1:14

“who is a first installment of our inheritance, in regard to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”

I currently have one installment loan that I am responsible for. When I moved to Knoxville, TN back in March, my wife and I had to borrow money to buy our home. That loan is an installment loan. Any type of loan you borrow all at once and repay in smaller increments is an installment loan. I will be paying on this house until I go to heaven or Jesus returns (whichever comes first, lol).

Paul uses this word three times in his letters – here, 2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5. Only he uses it in the New Testament. I love how Albert Barnes explains this Greek Word, arrabón. “God thus gives to his people the assurance that they shall be saved; and by this “pledge” makes their title to eternal life sure.” The installment payment God made was His Holy Spirit. We have a little taste of heaven by being indwelt with His Spirit.

APPLICATION

Let’s look at the other two occurrences of that word. 2 Corinthians 1:22 says, “who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.” In the same letter, Paul says this in 5:5, “Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a pledge.” This word was a common term used in business transactions. It was a promise of future payment. This pledge or first payment was meant to show you were good for the rest.

Aren’t you glad we know our God is good for the rest? His promises are sure. He will never fail us. He has promised us so much, but the best is an eternity with Him. Can you imagine? No more alarm clocks waking you up to go to work. No more bills to pay. No more aches and pains. No more…you fill in the blank. We will have a lot of “no mores,” but we will also have a lot of “so much mores.”

Take a minute and thank God for His gift of the Holy Spirit in your life as a believer. Thank Him for convicting you of sin.  Thank Him for uttering our deepest pains when we can’t find the words. Thank Him for His guidance through difficult situations. Thank for this pledge of our inheritance.

Father, You have promised us so much and given us this pledge as a reminder.

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Belief, Bible, Holy Spirit, Promises, Scripture, Sealed

SEALED

EPHESIANS 1:13

“In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise,”

Marking something that belongs to you is pretty customary. Ranchers brand their livestock to identify them as belonging to them. Libraries stamp books. Notaries put their seal on a document signifying that they have legitimized it. There are all sorts of seals that we use today. None is more important than the seal we are going to see today in verse 13 of Ephesians 1.

Paul sets out an order of things in this verse. First you listen to the message of truth (the gospel), then you believe and then and only then are you sealed with the Holy Spirit (of promise). We could stay on this verse for a month and not teach everything in it. Don’t worry, we won’t do that. Let’s concentrate on the sealing that Paul talks about here.

APPLICATION

You are sealed when you accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. The Greek word used here is sphragizo. It means “to seal (affix) with a signet ring or other instrument to stamp (a roller or seal), i.e. to attest ownership, authorizing (validating) what is sealed.” (HELPS Word-studies). What is important about this word is how it is used. It is in the Aorist tense which implies a one-time act. It is in the Passive voice which means it was done to you by someone else. God sealed you with His Spirit. You did not seal yourself.

The same word is used over in 2 Corinthians 1:22. Let’s look at that verse in context. “21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, 22 who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.” The Holy Spirit is proof that we have been identified as belonging to God. Now, understand something. Why is a seal important? Because you want others to see it. Others should see the mark of God on us.

Are you showing God’s seal today? Do your lost friends see the Spirit’s influence in your life by how you live? They should. The seal of the Spirit should be very apparent. We should wear that seal proudly. Make your seal known. Let others be drawn to God through the Spirit of God that dwells within you. Let’s keep “branding” others for Jesus.

Father, I am proud to wear Your seal of the Holy Spirit on my heart.

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Abiding, Belief, Bible, Choices, Decisions, God's Will, Hope, Messiah, Promises, Scripture, Trust

FIRST TO HOPE

EPHESIANS 1:12

“to the end that we who were the first to hope in the Christ would be to the praise of His glory.”

Some people are eternal optimists. They have hope when all else fails. They seem to look at the world through rose-colored glasses, as the saying goes. It seems nothing gets them down. When things are at their lowest, they will say, “Well, it could be worse.” Don’t you just hate those people, lol? Seriously, we could use more people like that in the world, couldn’t we?

Paul uses a phrase in today’s verse which has many scholars disagreeing. “We who were the first to hope in the Christ” could refer to the Jews, who first hoped in a Messiah. It could refer to the first Christians, Jews and Gentiles. No one is sure who Paul was referring to here. We’ll have to ask him one day, won’t we? However he meant it, these people “would be to the praise of His glory.”

APPLICATION

The Greek word for “first to hope” is proelpizó, which comes from two Greek words, pro, meaning before, and elpizo, which means “actively waiting for God’s fulfillment about the faith He has inbirthed through the power of His love.” (HELPS Word-studies). Are you still with me? This word is only used right here in Ephesians 1:12. From the definition, I personally believe he is referring to the Jewish believers who had held a hope for the Messiah and then responded when He arrived.

But how does this apply to us today? Jesus has already come and gone. He came to give us access to the Father (John 14:6). Now we hope in His return. When will that be? Nobody knows. But we have been told how. Acts 1:9-11 says, “9 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were watching, and a cloud took Him up, out of their sight. 10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, then behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them, 11 and they said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.’”

Are you gazing intently? Are you watching for His return? It could be any day. Prophecies have been fulfilled. We are at the threshold of heaven. Are you ready? He is coming. We can hope in that. Give someone else that hope today. Share the good news of Jesus with a lost friend or family member. Then they too can hope in Christ.

Lord, You are returning. I stand today gazing at the sky hoping it is today.

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