Paul’s epistle to the churches of Galatia (Galatians 1:2) is one of (if not his most) passionate letters. The believers there were being wooed to another gospel that was not the gospel of Christ that Paul had delivered unto them. The purity and simplicity of the true gospel was being jettisoned for a gospel notContinue reading “Another Gospel That Is Not Another”
Author Archives: randylivingston
Thankful for a Life Changed by Grace
Paul wrote to the Thessalonian believers “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers” (I Thessalonians 1:2). Thanksgiving to God for his grace in the life of others was a common practice of the Apostle Paul. He related this thanksgiving in his epistles to the Romans (1:8),Continue reading “Thankful for a Life Changed by Grace”
God Rules in the Affairs of Nations, Men, and Me
The Bible teaches us that God owns everything. “The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods” (Psalm 24:1). He created all things; consequently, he owns all things. This right of ownership extends toContinue reading “God Rules in the Affairs of Nations, Men, and Me”
Walking in Righteousness
Paul asks a question of the Corinthians as a platform to provoke them to right thinking. “Know ye not the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners,Continue reading “Walking in Righteousness”
The Father of Mercies
Paul, in writing to the Corinthian believers, referred to God as the “Father of mercies and the God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3). What a precious appellation for our God! It speaks to the very character and nature of God himself, not just an exercise of frequent goodness. The nature of God is toContinue reading “The Father of Mercies”
Peace in Our Times!
We live in uncertain times. But if we are honest with ourselves, we must acknowledge that uncertainty has characterized all of our times. What then makes these times seem different even to the point of fostering fear and anxiety? Current events cast an ominous shadow and threaten the stability of our daily lives. World peaceContinue reading “Peace in Our Times!”
We Shall All Be Changed!
Paul had instructed the Corinthian believers on both the reality (I Corinthians 15:4) and the necessity (I Corinthians 15:14) of Christ’s bodily resurrection from the dead. He also confirmed the inevitability of the believer’s resurrection (I Corinthians 15:20) and the nature of that resurrected body (I Corinthians 15:42-44). But what about those believers still aliveContinue reading “We Shall All Be Changed!”
Grace for Living
What a frustrating and disappointing life most Americans live and, sad to say, many believers as well. We are constantly seeking and pursuing ease, comfort, and convenience only to find that such a “quality of life” is fleeting and elusive at best. We deceive ourselves about the enduring nature of these longings. They prove timeContinue reading “Grace for Living”
Saving Our Souls
James teaches us in his epistle that God uses His word to impart spiritual life. We read that “of his [God’s] own will begat he us with the word of truth” (James 1:18). James goes on to say to these born-again ones that this same word “is able to save your souls” (James 1:21), i.e.Continue reading “Saving Our Souls”
Avoiding Sexual Sin
After reminding the Corinthian believers of their deliverance from the sins that previously characterized their lives and the lives of those among whom they now lived, Paul gave a stern warning to depart from sexual sin. He wrote to them, “Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he thatContinue reading “Avoiding Sexual Sin”
From the Chaplain 