Category Archives: Salvation

Bible, Death, Eternity, Freedom, Salvation, Scripture, Sin

TRUE FREEDOM

ROMANS 6:7

“for the one who has died is freed from sin.”

Why do we, as followers of Christ, get so sad and upset at the passing of another believer? Yes, there are emotions involved. Yes, we will miss that family member or friend. But if we stop and think about it, that fellow believer is now in the presence of our Savior and is truly free from sin. Wow! That is really something to celebrate. I don’t want my family and friends to grieve when I’m gone. Have a party! Celebrate my homegoing. I will not want to return here, I promise. Neither would you.

Paul states very clearly and unequivocably the truth of our salvation. There’s not a hidden truth here. It’s right there in plain sight. Paul isn’t talking about our physical death. He’s referring to our spiritual death to sin. Our old master no longer has power over us. We who were slaves to sin are now free. Hallelujah! Praise Jesus! The shackles have fallen off.

APPLICATION

In 2000 Mary Mary recorded a song entitled “Shackles (Praise You). I love the chorus of this song which says:

Take the shackles off my feet so I can dance
I just wanna praise You (what’cha wanna do?)
I just wanna praise You (yeah, yeah)
You broke the chains, now I can lift my hands (uh, feel me?)
And I’m gonna praise You (what’cha gon’ do?)
I’m gonna praise You

When we become freed from the sins that so easily entangle us, we do want to dance. Am I right? The power of sin is gone. Sure, we are still in its presence. We see that every day. But the control it had on our lives is finished. 1 Peter 4:1 comes to mind. “Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because the one who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,” Isn’t that awesome?

What is holding you down right now spiritually? Cast it aside in Jesus’ name. Claim victory right now over the temptations that bombard you. It may be greed, gluttony, immorality, anger… You know your poison, don’t you? Do not let it have mastery over you anymore. You are indeed free because you have died with Christ and were buried with Him. But don’t forget that you were also resurrected through Him to walk in newness of life. Now, go do that.

Father God, I praise You for breaking the shackles of sin in my life and allowing me to walk in victory!

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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Baptism, Bible, Christ, Death, Eternity, Jesus, Salvation, Scripture

BAPTIZED

ROMANS 6:3

“Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?”

I was baptized at the age of 8, and it didn’t mean a thing spiritually. Let me explain. I did not know Christ then. I knew about Christ. I had grown up in church. So, when my older sister went down one Sunday to talk to the preacher, I went too. That’s just what kids did, right? Then at the age of 16, I truly gave my life to Christ and was rebaptized as a believer. I will never forget that day. I truly knew Christ then. Was I sinless? Far from it, but I had a hunger to know Christ and His fullness.

Paul continues to use the Aorist tense in today’s verse to explain our baptism into Christ and His death. That means it happened back at a certain point (when we surrender to His will and became a follower of Christ). Paul is not talking about the physical act of baptism with water, even though it is the perfect picture of our salvation. Paul is referring to the spiritual realm and what happens at salvation. We enter into Christ’s family and are free from the sin that had us in its grip.

APPLICATION

But let’s think about baptism for a minute. I love baptizing people. I usually say when I dunk someone and bring them out of the water. “I baptize you, my brother (or sister) in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Buried with Him and His death, raised to walk in newness of life.” There’s nothing magical about those words. It just gives a context to the physical act.

If you are believer, you should be baptized. There’s literally no reason why you shouldn’t be. I’ve heard all kinds of excuses like I am afraid of water or I’m too shy to do that in front of people. Listen, nothing should stop you. The late Dr. Charles Stanley said once, “You don’t have to be baptized to get to heaven, but you’ll get there as a disobedient one.” That’s kind of harsh, but you get the picture. It’s an obedience thing.

If you have been baptized into Christ and His death, make that known by the way you live. Every act should represent Christ in your life. Sin should flee from you as you submit daily to the Holy Spirit’s leading. He will never direct you toward sin, but instead always away. So, if you feel you are being tempted in some way, know that has nothing to do with Christ but has everything to do with your flesh. Die to that and live in Christ.

Lord, I am so glad my life is buried under the blood of Christ and I am now alive in Him.

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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Bible, Grace, Jesus, Law, Salvation, Scripture, Sin

BAD NEWS AND GOOD NEWS

ROMANS 5:20

“The Law came in so that the offense would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,”

Have you gone into an old house that has been closed up for a while and turned on the lights in the kitchen? What is that scurrying all around on the counters and floors? It’s none other than those nasty cockroaches that can survive forever and wherever. The light exposes them, and they run for cover. They were there all the time, but you couldn’t see them until the light was turned on.

Paul describes a similar situation today in our verse when he says, “The Law came in so that the offense would increase;…” This does not mean that the law caused sin to become more. It means the law showed us our sinful state. We were already sinning before the law (just like the cockroaches were already in that kitchen). It just showed our filthiness and ungodliness. Light exposes things.

APPLICATION

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges says this about today’s verse. The phrase “[that the offence might abound] Q. d., ‘that the disease might be brought to the surface.’” That’s exactly what our sin is – a disease. It has been passed down to every generation from Adam and Eve. There is no cure besides Jesus and His shed blood on Calvary. All other attempts (religions) fall short of giving us freedom from these sins.

But… Don’t you just love that word in Scripture? Paul goes on to write in today’s verse, “but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.” Look at what Albert Barnes says about this. “Did much more abound – Superabounded. The word is used nowhere else in the New Testament, except in 2 Corinthians 7:4. It means that the pardoning mercy of the gospel greatly triumphed over sin, even over the sins of the Jews, though those sins were greatly aggravated by the light which they enjoyed under the advantages of divine revelation.”

Isn’t that great news? In 2 Corinthians 7:4 Paul uses this same word to say, “…I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction.” Shouldn’t that be the same for us? Because of the good news of the abundance of grace in our lives, we should be overflowing with joy even if our life circumstances say different. Choose the good news today, not the bad. Sin is still present in this world, and we must deal with it. But grace is bigger and better.

Father God, I praise You for the gift of grace that superabounds over sin.

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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Bible, Condemnation, Gifts, Justification, Justified, Salvation, Scripture

ONE TO MANY, MANY TO ONE

ROMANS 5:16

“The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one offense, resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the gracious gift arose from many offenses, resulting in justification.”

“All for one and one for all.” If you have ever been part of a sports team, you probably chanted that before a big game. The idea is that the strength of many is stronger than the strength of each individual by itself. They call it synergy. We get stronger the more we work together. I’ve seen that happen in sports and in work. Many equals more.

Well, put that all aside for a minute because today we have a verse that goes against that thought. At first glance this verse seems a little hard to understand, but after some deep dives it becomes clear. Paul is saying that the sin of one man (Adam) led to condemnation for all. On the other hand, the sins of the many led to the sacrifice of one God-Man (Jesus) which gave us justification. One to many and many to One.

APPLICATION

We are not God and never will be. Our future glorification will not make us God or even god-like. Don’t believe that hogwash. However, God does justify us and expects us to share that gift we have received with others. There are two different Greek words translated “gift” in today’s verse. The first one is dóréma and means a gift that is freely given. It’s only used here and in James 1:17 which says, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”

The second Greek word for gift is charisma which is really a grace gift. It implies deliverance from danger or passion. It is used 17 times in the New Testament. So, you may be asking yourself why do we need two words for gift in the same verse. One source I looked at described it this way. “Charisma emphasizes the ‘graciousness’ or supernatural nature of the gift, while dorea highlights its ‘free’ and unmerited aspect from the giver.”

Christ’s gift of salvation and His gifts of grace are not meant to be repaid by us. We could never payback what He paid. We read in Deuteronomy 13:4, “You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him and cling to Him.” That still applies today. That’s what the Lord expects in return. Can you do that today?

Father, thank You for sending the One (Jesus) to die for the many (including me). I accept His gift of grace and salvation. 
 

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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Accountability, Bible, Forgiveness, Jesus, Law, Reconciled, Salvation, Scripture

HELD ACCOUNTABLE

ROMANS 5:13

“for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not counted against anyone when there is no law.”

Wouldn’t it be awful to be arrested, charged and imprisoned for breaking a law you never knew existed? I have heard it said, though, that ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking it. Laws exist to keep people safe and, hopefully, allow for an efficient government (that’s not always the case). There have been laws on the books for centuries, some good and some bad. We are told to respect those in authority and submit to them. That’s hard to do

Paul continues to lay out the necessity for our reconciliation with God by showing us that sin has existed since the fall of Adam. There was no written law for people before God gave it to Moses, but there was still an unwritten law which God had given all mankind. It would indeed be cruel for God to hold people accountable for sins if they did not know they were sins. Paul tells us that was not the case in today’s verse.

APPLICATION

Look at what Poole says about this. “It appears there was a law before the law of Moses, for if there had been no law all that while, then sin would not have been imputed to men, so as to make them liable to punishment or death; but sin was imputed or charged upon men before the law of Moses, and death passed upon all. Therefore, there must have been a law, by the transgression of which men were sinners, before that time. And that was either the law of nature, or the positive law which God gave to Adam,…” (Matthew Poole’s Commentary)

Paul has already covered this back in Romans 1:20. “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” No one can claim they did not know any better. They cannot claim God just made me this way. Boy, I’ve heard that a lot. Sorry, it doesn’t work.

How does this apply to us? I think it’s pretty clear. We have no excuse for our sins. We cannot claim ignorance. Christ came to die to cleanse us of all sin. Nothing prevents anyone from receiving that free gift. It doesn’t matter where you live, what you do for a living, who your family is or any other excuse you want to throw out there. Christ died for YOU! Never deny that. And if you have accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, give Him praise right now. Bless His holy name.

Bless the Lord, o my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name.

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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Bible, Blood, Gifts, Promises, Salvation, Scripture

SAVED FROM WRATH

ROMANS 5:9

“Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.”

Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing pow’r?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Refrain:
Are you washed in the blood,
In the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb?
Are your garments spotless?
Are they white as snow?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

I bet you know that old hymn written back in 1878. That’s what Paul is saying to us today in verse 9 of Romans 5. It is only because of the blood shed by God’s Son, Jesus, that we have been justified and saved from His wrath. You see, our sins demanded death from us. We were doomed to an eternal sentence of the fires of hell. But…Christ came and died for us, satisfying the wrath of God towards our sins. Isn’t that the best news ever?

APPLICATION

Because God paid such a high price for our salvation (the gift of His only Son), He values us. We are precious to Him. He cares for us. If I bought an expensive gun, do you think I would take care of it? You had better believe it. I would regularly clean and inspect it. I would be so careful when I used it to make sure I didn’t scratch or harm it. As much as I might do all those things for a gun, can you imagine how much God will take care of you who were paid for by the blood of His Son?

God’s wrath sounds horrible, doesn’t it? HELPS Word-studies gives us a good picture of this Greek word. “[‘Orgē comes from the verb oragō meaning, “to teem, to swell”; and thus implies that it is not a sudden outburst, but rather (referring to God’s) fixed, controlled, passionate feeling against sin – a settled indignation (so Hendriksen)’ (D. E. Hiebert, at 1 Thes 1:10).]” God cannot stomach sin. He will not tolerate it.

My wife and I like to watch a reality police show. It’s a live three hour show that follows several law enforcement departments during a three hour period of their night shift. I am amazed each time I see the officers letting people go after catching them with drugs. They are guilty, but they don’t charge them. Similarly, we are guilty. We have been caught red-handed in our sins, but because of Jesus’ blood, we have been declared justified (if we have accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord). Can you give God praise today for that gift?

Father, I am not worthy of the forgiveness You show me, but I am thankful.

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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Bible, Eternal Life, Eternity, Holy Spirit, Promises, Righteousness, Salvation, Scripture

JOIN THE CLUB

ROMANS 4:24

“but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, to us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,”

Most clubs you join require you to agree to a certain code of conduct and make a commitment to hold up the stated values of the club. I was part of a civic club years ago and was expected to attend weekly meetings and other events sponsored by the club. I dropped out because it took way too much time away from my family and ministry. They were good people doing good things, but it just wasn’t right for me.

By believing in Jesus and following Him, we are made part of God’s club, so to speak. Let me share some thoughts from Albert Barnes on this verse. “The main or leading truths that God has made known to us are, that he has given his Son to die; that he has raised him up; and that through him he is ready to pardon. To put confidence in these truths is to believe now. Doing this, we believe in the same God that Abraham did; we evince the same spirit; and thus, show that we are the friends of the same God and may be treated in the same manner. This is faith under the gospel and shows that the faith of Abraham and of all true believers is substantially the same and is varied only by the difference of the truths made known.”

APPLICATION

I know that was a lot to digest so go back and read it again. I’ll wait…ready? What Paul is saying and what Barnes is interpreting is we belong to God just like Abraham. Abraham believed to the extent to what God disclosed to him. We believe to the extent to what God discloses to us. We have one huge benefit over Abraham, though. We have the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, to speak in us through the Father.

Abraham’s promise of a nation was birthed through his son, Isaac. Our promise of a promised eternal home was birthed through God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son to prove his faith. God sacrificed His Son to give us faith. Abraham dwells now in heaven as one of the righteous dead before Christ. We will dwell in heaven one day because of the righteousness of Christ.

So many similarities between us and Abraham, between our faith and his. Yes, we share the same God. And yes, because the Father and the Son are One, we share the same Savior. His came through his faith in Jehovah. Ours comes from our faith in Jesus, His Son. I can’t wait to meet Abraham one day. I wonder if he knows that song about the seven sons of Abraham, lol.

Lord, I praise You for giving me full access to the heavenly club You have established through Jesus.

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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Bible, Eternal Life, Eternity, Promises, Righteousness, Salvation, Scripture, Therefore

THEREFORE

ROMANS 4:22

“Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

You have probably heard some preacher say, “When you see the word “therefore” in the Bible, always look to see what it is there for.” Well, in today’s verse we have a “therefore.” It is the little Greek conjunction dio which can be translated as “for this reason,” “therefore” or “wherefore.” A conjunction connects at least two thoughts. In our case today, it connects the thoughts of the preceding verses with this thought in verse 22. Because of all Paul just said, this is true.

Once again, Paul quotes from Genesis 15:6, “Then he believed in the LORD; and He credited it to him as righteousness.” We saw this quoted earlier back in 4:3 and 4:9. This is the third time Paul quotes Genesis 15:6. Do you think it is important? Paul is nailing home the point that Abraham didn’t do anything to earn that righteousness. It was given to him before circumcision. God simply chose him and cut covenant with him. God made him righteous and Abraham himself.

APPLICATION

The same holds true for us. If you want to see just how much “therefore” means to us, look at 2 Corinthians 4:16. Paul uses dio again here. “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer person is decaying, yet our inner person is being renewed day by day.” Let me tell you, that verse hit home with me. My old body is wearing down. I have a little pain in my lower back right now, which is new for me. But this verse says that is to be expected. However, my inner man is renewed daily. How sweet!

In our spiritual walk with Christ “therefore” makes a big difference. For instance, Christ died for my sins, and I have acknowledged that and have decided to follow Him. THEREFORE, I am His child and will live with Him in eternity. That’s a big “therefore,” isn’t it? Just like Abraham, I did nothing but step out in faith. Because of that I am reckoned as righteous in God’s eyes.

The next time you are reading through the Word and run across a little conjunction like dio (therefore, for this reason, wherefore), pause and really look what it is pointing you back to. Context is key in any study of Scripture. God’s Word is truth from the first word to the last. Therefore – you can trust it. You can place your faith in that.

Father God, I am grateful Your Word is so rich and so powerful. It gives me the “therefore” I need at the right time.

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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Bible, Death, Eternal Life, Life, Salvation, Scripture

LIFE TO THE DEAD

ROMANS 4:17

“(as it is written: ‘I HAVE MADE YOU A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS’) in the presence of Him whom he believed, that is, God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that do not exist.”

Some people have a super green thumb. What do I mean by that? They can take a plant that looks completely dead and can bring it back to life again. They feed it and water it and nurture it back to life. Those are plants that I toss in the garbage can, but to the eye of the trained green thumb, they see life where there is no life. They don’t give up on it.

Today’s verse has a phrase that we need to look at. It’s towards the end of the verse. It says, “who gives life to the dead.” What in the world was Paul referring to? We will see more about this in verse 4:19, but to put it bluntly, there was no way Abraham and Sarah were going to have a child at their age. You may know someone who got pregnant in their 40’s or even 50’s. Pretty amazing, isn’t it? But nothing is too difficult for God.

APPLICATION

And we were dead before Christ. Ephesians 2:1 and 5 tell us that pretty clearly, “1 And you were dead in your offenses and sins,…5 even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),” God took us off of death row when we gave our lives to Christ. We were doomed, damned to an eternal hell (and yes, it is real).

We are told in John 14:6 that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. It goes on to say that no one will get to heaven unless they believe in Him and follow His commands. Death to life! It’s hard for our finite minds to comprehend. How can He do that? Because He created us in the first place. He knows every single molecule of our bodies. He can refire us into brand new creatures in Christ.

In John 5:24 Christ says, “‘Truly, truly, I say to you, the one who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.’” From the very mouth of God the Son. We have to hear. We have to believe, and we have to follow. Where are you right now? Are you still dead to Christ? Turn to Him today and gain new life in Him.

Father, I am so thankful for my new life in Jesus. Praise Your name.

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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Bible, Eternal Life, Eternity, Promises, Salvation, Scripture, Testimony

PROMISES

ROMANS 4:13

“For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.”

We should never make promises we cannot keep. A promise is a vow to carry through on something. Have you broken a promise to someone? I have. I didn’t plan to break that promise when I made it. I had all the right intentions when I made it. But life can throw us curve balls sometimes, can’t it? I have been very careful since then to only make promises that I can keep.

God made some promises to Abraham. Paul alludes to one in today’s verse. Albert Barnes adds this to his commentary on this verse. “Those promises were that God would make of him a great nation (Genesis 12:2); that in him all the families of the earth should be blessed (Genesis 12:3); that his posterity should be as the stars for multitude (Genesis 15:5); and that he should be a father of many nations (Genesis 17:5). As this latter promise is one to which the apostle particularly refers (see Romans 4:17), it is probable that he had this in his eye.” God made and kept His promises to Abraham.

APPLICATION

When Jesus appeared to the disciples after the Resurrection, He said this in Luke 24:49, “‘And behold, I am sending the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.’” What was that promise? The Holy Spirit! He promised us a Comforter, and we received that at our salvation.

In Galatians 3:14 Paul writes, “in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” Don’t you know Paul knew the power of this promise? He received it when he was saved. He had been a very religious man before, according to the law, but he had never experienced the power of the promise of the Holy Spirit until he met Jesus face to face.

There’s another promise God has made to us which John spells out clearly in 1 John 2:25. “This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.” Not only do we receive the Holy Spirit to guide us down here on earth, but we also have been given a promise of eternity with our Lord. Wow! Try to top that one. Can’t be done! Thank You, Lord! Give Him praise today.

Father God, You are so faithful to keep every promise You ever made to us.

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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