All One in Christ

"Ye are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28)

Diana and I were married in an old country church in the backwoods of Georgia. The church has stood since the late 1700's and is practically impossible to find unless you know somebody who goes there. Several years after we were married we went back and visited the church again. This time the pastor gave me a book of lost church records they had found in an box in the attic. The records dated all the way back to the early days of the church and into the common age. I believe the last entry was in the 1960's.

When I began reading the records I grew more and more surprised at what I had found. Over and over again there were documented accounts of slave owners and slaves, members of the same church, and their interactions. I had never come across this kind of history, especially not so close to home. But the book was very revealing.

In it were recorded instances of slaves disrespecting their owners and being excommunicated from the church for a season, that is, until they repented and were brought back into fellowship with the church. It was very evident that slaves could attend the church, and even be members (to some extent of the meaning), but their role was one of complete submission. There was no equality in the sense of human rights. But I often wonder how the church viewed them in Christ? Did they see their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ as spiritually equal? Unfortunately  I do not have an answer to this question. But Paul does address this issue very pointedly.

"For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." (Galatians 3:26-29)

Paul contends that if we are in Jesus Christ by faith, then we are all brothers and sisters of the same faith, and therefore, equal in spiritual standing. There is no hierarchy of spirituality. Unfortunately, many Christians fail to realize this. It's quite easy to see pastors, deacons, and elders as being spiritually superior to us common folk of the faith. It's even easier to fall into this lie if our culture teaches us that we must fall into our respective rung on the social ladder.

But Paul says all believers have been baptized into the same Jesus Christ. No one has attained a greater spiritual standing by right or sacrament, but we are all equal by faith. He tells us, there is no such thing as Jew or Greek in Christ. Slaves and free men are a thing of the past. Even the perception that men are superior to women is destroyed by faith in Christ.

In Jesus Christ we are all made brothers and sisters by the same blood. We are called out of our respective nations to be made into one holy nation, the nation of God. We have new identity in Jesus Christ and new citizenship in the kingdom of heaven. And though we are temporarily bound by the constraints of this world (our nationality, language, ethnicity, gender, class), in Jesus Christ, all that is done away with.

You are saved by grace through faith just as your pastor is saved by grace through faith; just as parents and children are saved by grace through faith; just as Chinese believers are saved by grace through faith; just as Iranians are saved by grace through faith; just as Koreans are saved by grace through faith; just as Americans are saved by grace through faith; and so on, and so on, and so on...

And being equals in Christ we have an equal inheritance in him. Jews will not receive a better inheritance, neither will the apostles, nor your pastor, nor your brother or sister. We will all inherit eternal life in Jesus Christ to the praise of his glory.

So, if you are in Christ, would you let me call you my brother and my sister? Would you be my brother and my sister?

With love in Jesus Christ,

Jay Silvas

Law or Grace

Nothing has caused more argument in Christianity and Judaism than the continuous debate over law (what is required of us) and grace (Liberty in Christ). Even today we find in many churches this idea that we must keep some moral obligation if we are going to be in "right standing" with God and man. But have you ever wondered why we have the law? What is it's purpose in our life?

Many generations of Christians and Jews have memorized the decalogue. Even the Westminster Shorter Catechism dedicates 40 questions to the ten commandments alone (q. 42-81).

If you turn to the world you will also see it has an innate sense of morality: They know certain things are wrong even if they don't believe in God or his Son Jesus. Ask anyone on the street what they believe people should never do and they might list these: Murder, stealing, lying, cheating, and so on.

Like it or not, we are inherently moral people. We have an innate sense that we should always do what is right, or at least, never get caught doing what is wrong. And this is really the problem with our moralism: We know what we should do, but we don't. We ignore that voice in our head and do what we want rather than what we should do.

So Paul addresses the point of the law in Galatians. He says:

"Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator." (Galatians 3:19)

He tells us that the law was given to us because of sin and that it should remain with us until the promise is fulfilled in the seed who is to come. Paul makes a big deal out of the promise, which was made to Abraham and Jesus Christ. He makes it abundantly clear that the promise came first and then the law... 430 years later to be exact. It's kind of like that old philosophical question, "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?" Paul says, the promise came first and can never be annulled by moral law. But why should the law come because of sin? He tells us that too:

"Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster." (Galatians 3:24-25)

The law was given to us to drive us toward perfection. But the problem is, the more I try to be perfect, the more I fail at being perfect. This is the essence of the law. It reveals our weakness, our inability, to be perfect as God is perfect. It proves to us that we are incapable of doing what is right. Just retrieve your keys from your purse or pocket for a moment. Why do you have all those keys? I would suggest it's because you don't trust people to not steal your things.

The Bible teaches us that we must be perfect, without any sin at all. This is the only way to be in relationship with God. But who can really do this? It is impossible. This is why we need Jesus. In Jesus we can be made perfect because he is perfect. He is the only one to fulfill all the requirements of perfection in the Bible. He became one of us (human flesh) so that he could live a perfect life and we could inherit his reward.

God is not saving people because they are perfect. He is saving them because Jesus is perfect, and those who believe in his perfection will be saved.

So the life which we now live, we live by faith in Christ, not our selves. We do not follow after the lusts of the flesh nor do we seek to be made perfect by our good works or our excellent moralism. If we have any hint of goodness in us it can only be because God is radically transforming us into the image of his dear Son, and that transformation spills out of us into our hands, our feet, our good works, and into our neighbors.

Here is the encouragement: Stop trying to please God and simply trust Jesus. Then your life will be full of genuine spiritual fruit cultivated by God himself.

In Christ,

Jay Silvas

Inherited Faith?

Is it enough for our parents to believe in Jesus? Will our children be blessed with salvation in Christ because our parents believe in Jesus?

Some think so. The Jews certainly thought that their heritage and genealogy was of some great benefit to them; that God would remember the promises spoken to Abraham because they were Abraham's descendants. But did God promise to bless Abraham's descendants carte blanche? Paul said will all certainty that this indeed was a false and foolish assumption. Consider the following:

"Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ." (Galatians 3:16; cf. v. 7)

Now notice Paul is making a great deal out of something small. He is specifically targeting the word "seed" as it is used in Genesis 12:7. He claims that the word is in the singular form, which can only refer to a single person. Yet he uses the plural form of "promise", which is "promises". His conclusion is quite bold: The promises God spoke to Abraham were spoken to Jesus Christ. Do you remember the promises spoken to Abraham? For the sake of time, lets just recall the one given in Genesis 12. 

"Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." (Genesis 12:1-3)

Now stop and consider the implication of this for a moment. If this is true then it means God spoke to his Son Jesus and told him to 1) leave his home land, 2) leave his Father's house, 3) go to a strange land, 4) God will bless his Son making his name great, 5) Jesus will be a blessing, 6) all those who believe in him will be blessed, but 7) all those who curse him will be cursed. If Paul is correct in his interpretation then it makes Abraham a type of Christ and the promise spoken to him a prophecy to be fulfilled in Christ.

Well, as it turns out that is what Jesus did. He indeed left his home in heaven, even leaving the home of his Father and the holy angels. Jesus came to a strange land, which is this Earth, and walked among us (cf. John 1:14). God the Father did make the name of his Son Jesus Christ great among all the nations of Earth. He is surely a blessing to those who believe on his name and a curse to those who believe not.

So what do you think? Did Paul miss the mark with this interpretation? or was he correct in saying, "to Abraham and his seed [Jesus Christ] were the promises made."

You are not blessed in Abraham; you are blessed being in Christ. Abraham was blessed and we share with him in blessing, but we are not blessed because we are in or from Abraham. Only those who are in Christ and of Christ will receive the inheritance of the promise. It was Jesus Christ that God was speaking to through Abraham in Genesis chapter twelve.

We can not inherit faith or the blessings of faith from our fathers or our mothers. Our faith in Jesus Christ must be our own. It must be genuine, meaning, we must believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. If you are a parent, then it is your role to teach your children about Jesus so that they will grow in faith in him. They cannot inherit your faith; they must believe in him as well.

I would like to leave you with this encouraging thought:

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." (Deuteronomy 6:4-7)

With love for you all,

Jay Silvas

One of the Family

"Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham." (Galatians 3:7)

I, being an American, can never become a Korean. Even the notion of such a possibility would be considered ridiculous by many people. No matter how hard I tried or how badly I wanted to be Korean, it simply would never happen. I can become fluent in the language, live in Korea for my whole life, adopt Korean children, and completely immerse myself in Korean culture, but still, I will never become Korean. To be Korean is not simply a national honor; it is ethnic as well.

When the Jews made claims to be heirs of Abraham they were citing the ethnic and national promises made to them by God through Abraham. They understood God's blessings to be an exclusive deal for their people only. The door for foreigners to enter into covenant blessing with God was very narrow and difficult. After all, they believed they had an exclusive corner on the salvation market. So can you imagine how radical Paul's message is when he declares that even those of faith in Jesus Christ are the children of Abraham!

Imagine if I could simply become Korean by faith in King Sejong the Great. Now imagine if that door was open to the world! How would Korean's react to that? It would be shocking and possibly considered blasphemous. Certainly there would be great objection.

Of course the Jewish community objected to this notion. How can a man, woman, or child simply be Abrahams heir by faith in Jesus Christ? But this is the beauty of the gospel! It teaches us that we have entered into a special covenant with God. We are now his very own special people; a prized possession; a holy nation. We are no longer outsiders, but rather, we have become the very people God chases after, cares for, and loves above all others. We have not simply been allowed to live among the "true children". We are the "true children" and we receive all the blessings of faithful Abraham in full.

This is not something we have made application for, nor is it something we earned. God has adopted us into his family. We are "reborn" in spirit as God's dear children.

Does this comfort your heart? It should. Knowing this you have full confidence to believe that every promise and blessing ever spoken to God's people in the Bible is spoken to you. Not one will fail. But this also means that nothing is required of us to confirm or maintain our adoption. We do not need to be circumcised nor is there a citizenship test to pass. There is no waiting list, no green card, and no naturalization.

Let no one rob you of this joy and pleasure in the Lord.

Jay

Christ: The Minister of Sin?

"I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)

Christian liberty has long been a topic of great debate even reaching back as far as the first century church. The new testament authors spent a lot of time dealing with this topic of "liberty" and "freedom" in Christ. It was a radical concept that one could really be "free" from any religious obligations and simply be saved by grace through faith. It was so radical that it led many people to conclude that they could live anyway they wanted. Some even believed that salvation in Christ was a blank check to dive even deeper into sin. Their logic goes something like this:

God is glorified by shedding grace on sinners,

Therefore, I will sin even more than before and...

God will be even more glorified by forgiving all my sin!

They actually thought they were causing God to receive greater glory because they were receiving greater grace. But this idea is simply ridiculous.

Freedom in Christ is not a license to sin so that we will receive deeper and greater grace. Paul addresses this idea in his epistle to the Galatian believers:

"But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid." (v. 2:17)

In fact, he teaches us what life in Christ really is in v. 2:20. If we live in Christ Jesus, then we have died to the law in Christ Jesus - We are crucified with him; and yet we live. Even though we have died we are yet still alive in the flesh. But the radical teaching we receive is this: We are not living to follow the desires of our flesh. The flesh is no longer the driving force in our life, but rather, we are living by faith in the Son of God. So it is faith which animates us; it is the motives of the gospel of grace in Jesus Christ which animate us and cause us to live worthy lives of obedience before God and men.

So Christian, please do not confuse your liberty and freedom with a license to do whatever your flesh desires. You have not been saved to become the servants of wickedness, but rather, that righteousness may be accomplished in you. 

This does not mean that you "try harder" and "do better" to be more righteous. It means that if you are alive in Christ, the Trinity will work within you to accomplish works of righteousness. Then that good which you do will be the authentic produce (fruit) of the Spirit of God.

Free Indeed

The gospel of Jesus Christ frees us from the bondage of religious requirements.

Who knew religious requirements better than Paul? He was a Jew of the Jews. He exceeded all his peers in his pursuit of religious zeal. He willingly placed himself under the requirements of the law and followed them very strictly. But all that changed when he met Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus.

Paul, like so many of us, understood that to be loved and accepted by God, we must bring something of worth to God that he will find pleasing. So often the things we believe are most pleasing to God are religious ceremony, rights, and passages. Paul really believed in his mind and heart that his service toward God earned him favor with God. But this is not the gospel at all. In fact, it teaches us the complete opposite.

The gospel teaches us that we can do nothing to please God, nor can we offer anything to earn favor with God. We cannot earn God's love and we cannot buy God's mercy. Forgiveness can only be acquired by the will and mercy of God the Father alone. But why is this true?

If you read the old testament you will clearly see why Paul believed he must do so much for God: In it we find that God has placed a tremendous burden on mankind. We learn in the old testament that God will only accept us and love us if we are perfect and remain perfect. If we ever stop being perfect even for a moment then he will not love us anymore. In fact, he will cast us away like garbage. This is indeed an impossible task, and yet, we naively believe that we can live up to that expectation.

This is the beauty of the new testament, or new covenant. In it, we learn that Jesus Christ has fulfilled every single requirement laid out in the old testament. He has not done away with it, he has fulfilled it: The old law is complete in Jesus Christ. But the best news comes next. Not only did Jesus Christ completely fulfill all the requirements of perfection found in the old testament, but he now invites us to share the benefits of his achievement! And guess what the cost of entry is... Nothing! Jesus paid that too with his own blood.

The new testament teaches us that all the God pleasing religious requirements have been accomplished in Jesus Christ. There is nothing left for us to do. So when God says that we are saved by grace through faith, you can take that to the bank. And that's exactly what Paul did.

When Paul became a Christian he was immediately released from the chains of religious bondage. He understood the freedom he had been granted in Jesus Christ. He believed in Jesus by the grace of God and nothing else was required of him. So when false brethren came to spy out his freedom in Christ he paid them no attention, not even for an hour.

"And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you." (Galatians 2:4-5)

You see, there were fakers among the true believers. The fakers were insisting that the true believers still needed to do something before they would actually be acceptable by God. Specifically, the fakers taught that they must be circumcised. But Paul and Titus weren't buying it. They weren't going to be fooled by these people who obviously didn't believe in the grace of Jesus Christ.

Even today we still receive counsel from false brethren around the world who spy out our freedom and then try to make us bondage to their form of worship and religious rights. The Bible is clear: Do not fall prey to their trickery. Unfortunately  that is more easily said than done.

Peter, who was an apostle and perceived pillar of the early church, could not keep himself completely pure from false teachers either. In fact, when Peter withdrew himself from fellowship with the Gentiles, he also carried away other disciples into his error with him. It wasn't until Paul withstood him to his face to confront his error that things were resolved.

"For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation." (Galatians 2:12-13)

Christian, much of the new testament teaches us about these two things: 1) Our great liberty in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and 2) to be careful of false teachers. Even a large part of Peter's epistles were written to encourage us to know the salvation we have been called into so that we can avoid those who seek to take advantage of our freedom.

"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." (Galatians 2:9)

With love,

Jay Silvas

For Your Examination

I have known people who say they need no teacher to teach them God's word because they are taught directly by God. Usually these people cite Paul in one place or another, referring to the fact that he was no man's disciple either. While this sounds pretty pious, it was not Paul's attitude.

Paul was not a lone wolf running free from any and all forms of organized Christian teaching and worship. His point on being no man's disciple was issued to demonstrate that the gospel he preached was not the invention of men, but rather, by the revelation of God himself. In fact, he even submitted himself to an examination of his preaching.

"I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain." (Galatians 2:2)

The apostle Paul validated his message at the ears of the other apostles. When he had opportunity he went to them and had a private conference to share the message he had been preaching to the Gentiles. His motive: To make sure he had not preached error, or would continue to preach error.

So what have we learned in this? First, we see that the gospel was delivered by 

God to men; it is not an invention of men's religions. Second, the gospel was validated by others who had received the revelation from Jesus Christ too.

It takes a lot of courage to lay your faith out for examination. What will you find if you do? Have you been running in vain, or have you believed unto righteousness? 

The truth is, we need each other. We need the church and we need our teachers and pastors. We need to live our faith and have it examined. As the Bible says:

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:" (II Timothy 3:16) 

And in another place, 

"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:" (Ephesians 4:11-13)

With Love,

Jay Silvas

No Invention of Man

"He which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed." (Galatians 1:23)

Paul is credited with having a lot influence over the first century church. But his position as an apostle and noted author of 13 letters of the New Testament was not attained by prestige. Paul was formerly know as Saul, a Christ hating murderer who made it his life's ambition to hunt down professing Christians and kill them.

This really tells us two things. First, we learn that Paul was not appointed to an honorable position of power and influence by his own work and deeds.

We have it by Paul's own confession that he was previously a Jew of great honor. He was exceedingly zealous for the customs and traditions of his Jewish heritage. He had absolutely no intention of becoming Christian. But most of all, he actually believed that he was doing God a great service when persecuted the church, even punishing some to death.

"For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers." (vv. 13-14)

So if the gospel of grace in Jesus Christ did not come from Paul, where did it come from? He answers that question too...

"It pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen" (vv. 15-16)

God called Saul of Tarsus, saved him by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, changed his name to Paul, and ordained him to be an apostle and preacher of the faith to the unbelieving world. Jesus Christ was his teacher; he was no man's disciple. But have you ever wondered why God would use someone like Paul to be, what some would say, the greatest apostle? Why not Peter, James, or John? Again, the answer is quite simple: God wanted to demonstrate very unmistakably that the gospel, which we believe, is not an invention of man, nor does it follow after the traditions of men. How perfectly is this accomplished in Paul by using a man who had absolutely no love for Christ and no selfish-ambition to promote Christ!

Secondly, we learn that the grace of God in salvation far exceeds all of our sin and wickedness.

Several years ago I called my mother to share the good news of salvation and forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ. I had recently become a Christian and all I could think of is how desperately my mother needed Jesus. While we were talking she just started crying on the phone and after a few minutes she said this... "God couldn't possibly love me! You don't know what I've done."

Now I can't tell you in words how much that hurt. It still hurts to think about that conversation. But she was in a position that so many like her are in everyday - thinking your wickedness is greater than God's forgiveness. But there is one thing God has made abundantly clear: God saved Paul!

Paul was the chief of sinners; I can think of no one who hated Christ more than him. If he can be forgiven in Christ then certainly I can too. And that is what I told my mother. "He will forgive you mom," I said. "Jesus died for all your sin and all your wickedness." By the grace of God she believed that night and confessed her sin to God asking for forgiveness. Now today she is very active in church and she is even the president of the Gideons Woman's Auxiliary.

Christ died for the ungodly, not the righteous. Who needs Jesus more than the vilest of men and women? And he will save you too by his grace through faith. Do you believe in his Son Jesus Christ?

Jay

Another Gospel?

Well, I have begun my journaling goal to hand copy some portions of Scripture. I started with the book of Galatians and will continue on through both letters to the Thessalonians. I wanted to take a moment and share some of my thoughts while I was writing today.

Paul gives the purpose for writing to the churches of Galatia in the first eight verses. He points out in vv. 6-7 that there were some who were removing themselves from the grace of Jesus Christ to follow after another 'gospel'. 

The word gospel literally means good news. But the point Paul makes is that the good news of Jesus Christ is remarkably different from any other good news you can possibly receive. In the Galatians case, there were deceivers sneaking into the assembly of believing Christians with the intention of perverting the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They wanted to confuse and destroy their simple faith in the grace of God through Jesus Christ.

But Paul isn't going to allow that on his watch. He even reminds them of that true gospel which they had heard from the beginning:

"Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:" (vv. 3-4)

The Gospel truly is as simple as the statement Paul gives above. Don't let anyone deceive you or take away the joy you have in Jesus Christ. If you began in faith, you will end in faith. There is nothing you need to do or add to your faith to be accepted by God. He has done everything that was required. To those who seek to lead God's people astray, Paul says, "Let him be anathema!"

There are some people who are looking for you. They want to teach you lies. They come with the name of Jesus, but that is just to trick you. They will tell you things like the faith you have in Jesus Christ is not good enough... There is still yet more required of you. They will be persistent, even visiting you in your home trying desperately to take away your simple faith in Christ and place on your some burden that God never intended for you to bear. Paul says, let these people be accursed with no hope of redemption. Let these false teachers be cast furthest away from God's grace to suffer an eternal condemnation of suffering.

But to you who believe in Jesus Christ, enjoy your life of freedom in him! Be at peace and have joy in the God of your salvation!

Jay

What's Next?

Have you ever looked at a dollar bill? If you did you would probably recognize it as money. But have you ever taken a close look at the dollar bill? There are many tiny details on it that go unnoticed to the unobservant eye. 

If you look even closer you will notice what some have said is an owl in the upper right corner.

There are many other details on the dollar and certainly other currencies around the world. But if I just looked at the dollar from a distance I would miss all the tiny details that only a scrutinizing study of the dollar would reveal. The same is true of the Bible.

I really enjoy reading my Bible. I especially like to read it in the 90 day format. The main reason I like to read it this way is because I gain insight to the whole scope of Scripture. It's much like reading straight through a full length novel: When you do you can get a sense of the whole story. But if you only read a portion here and a portion there, it can be very difficult, or impossible even, to get a sense of what the story is about.

However, there are some cons to reading the Bible in the 90 day format too. The most obvious is that I don't get a chance to spend more time dwelling on a specific passage or portion of Scripture. I really enjoyed writing an email about my thoughts everyday, but I could not write about every single detail I noticed. I had to pick and choose what I wanted to write about and also dwell on in my mind. There is still so much more to be explored in the word of God than the few simple emails and posts I wrote.

So how can we get the best of both worlds? Well, I have tried to answer this by rotating through both methods. I usually read through the Bible in 90 days twice in a year: Once with a group of people and once by myself. When I read I always take notes and jot down thoughts. Then when I have finished my reading I can go back and explore those notes and thoughts more thoroughly. This has worked out very well for me.

More recently I have desired to take it up a notch. I want something richer, deeper, and more rewarding. As I was reading through the Bible this time I was even more impressed with what I had read in Deuteronomy 17:18-20. Here the future kings of Israel are given a special command: 

"And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites. And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel."

Now, I have read this before, but this time it stuck with me even more poignantly than before. Doing some simple research I found a publisher that also thought this was a special way to study the word of God.

Inspired by this passage and the publisher who thought it would be cool to print up some hardback notebooks for copying the word, I ordered a couple and have had them sitting on my desk waiting to be used. Now that time has come and I am really looking forward to it.

I purchased the notebooks for Romans and Galatians, Ephesians, Philipians, Colossians, I & II Thessalonians. It is my intention to begin copying these portions of Scripture into these notebooks by hand. Of course, this task is going to be much slower than the reading we just finished, but that is also the point. This is more of an interactive encounter with the Bible.

I would encourage you to keep reading your Bible. You don't have to copy it by hand, unless you want to... We are taught in Scripture to redeem our time as Godly and wise stewards, so stay diligent and keep exploring God's word. I would first suggest you review the things you have read. Go back and look at some of those more challenging portions; see if you can make sense of them with some careful study and reading. If you didn't take notes or need a place to start you can browse my blog where I kept a copy of all my thoughts for later use.

Going forward I would like to continue this journey with you. Please reply and let me know if you would still like to receive an email from me. I will share with you my experience journaling through the Scriptures.

With love for you all in Christ Jesus,

Jay Silvas

Day 88

"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen." (Revelation 22:21)

This is the final word we receive in the Scriptures and ultimately, it's what Christianity is all about: Receiving the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Congratulations to those of you who completed this journey of faith with us which started 88 days ago. I hope this adventure through the Scriptures has been a blessing to you and has caused your faith to increase. For others, I pray that Jesus has been sufficiently expounded to you that you may receive his salvation by grace through faith in God's only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. For he has said that in the day of his coming:

"He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still." (Revelation 22:11)

Of course it is my prayer that you would believe on the name of Jesus Christ unto salvation and be baptized. The Scriptures say:

"Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13)

"If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:9-10)

And one more thing to spark your mind... Here is a song written by Johnny Cash just before he died. By his own testimony he was, above all things, a gospel musician. This is how he understood the last days.

Grace and peace,

Jay

Day 87

"I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;" (Revelation 7:9)

John's Revelation is both dramatically breathtaking and yet intoxicating hopeful. Most people would classify this book of the Bible as a prophecy or vision, but I would call it time travel! Now, I am not talking about time travel in the sense of a gallifreyan time lord traveling through time and space in a TARDIS. I mean real time travel.

Why would I make such a claim about this book? Well, for a couple reasons. First, Revelation is a book about what God has done, not what he will do. It is the victory, the end. It demonstrates that God is successful in everything he has ever promised. It's not just a simple prediction of what might happen or a bunch of symbols describing events that may take place. It's about real people in real places. How do I know this? Because God transported John to where God was so that he could witness with his own eyes how the victory of God would unfold. They jumped to the end of time and John saw all the horror and beauty of the end days with his own eyes.

Secondly, recall Revelation 7:9. John saw with his own eyes "a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues" standing before the throne of God. He saw real people, not the similitude of people. He saw Koreans, Chinese, Canadians, Laotians, Russians, Filipinos, Japanese, Americans, British, Germans, North Koreans, Europeans, Asians, Arabs, Westerners, Easterners, Southerners, Northerners, South-west-northerners, West-north-southerners, and the list goes on and on and on. He saw people collected together from every language that has ever been spoken on Earth. But who were these people and where did they come from?

"These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." (v. 14)

He saw the faces of real people. People who are dead, now living, and yet to have been born. People with real lives, real love, real interest. All these people had one thing in common: They were redeemed by Jesus Christ our Savior.

This truth gives such a great hope and confidence in the Lord! The fact that real people are really saved in the end just like God promised is a great hope to us and a proof of God's faithfulness. Not only that, but it gives us courage to share our faith and tell others about the saving power of Jesus Christ. Why? Because God is building one holy nation of every nation, kindred, tribe, and tongue - the Israel of God.

How do we know Revelation is a record of what God has already done? Because he let John witness the real events unfold before his eyes and then sent him back to tell us about what he saw. He saw it happen and he is telling us, "Fear not, God wins in the end! Have courage and walk the Christian life with faith, love, and hope."

Christus Victor!

Jay Silvas

Day 86

"But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." (I Peter 4:7-11)

It's pretty clear - Love covers a multitude of sins. We receive these words of encouraging instruction from the Apostle Peter. They are words spoken that we may remain humble, receiving each other in love, and serving to each other as God has given us ability. But there are many who care not for these things. They are too selfish and have no interest in loving others, receiving, and serving. They only care about themselves  You know these kind of people, don't you? They walk through life seeking greedy gain even turning holy things into idolatry and corrupting the good that it becomes evil. This is exactly what we see in John's third letter.

There are two main characters in III John: Gaius and Diotrephes. John gives a lot of praise and honor to Gaius because of his unfeigned love and service toward his Christian brothers. But Diotrephes is contemned by the Apostle John for his selfish attitude and greedy gain.

Diotrephes was the pastor, who being in charge, sought after the "preeminence" of the position of power. He wanted the praise and worship of men. He wanted to be first. He wanted to be in charge. He wanted to command the believers. He even threw out those who opposed him and commanded the church to not receive the Apostles and ministers of God's word. Diotrephes had no love for men or Christ in his heart.

But then we have Gaius who loves his fellow Christians. He brings them into his home as his own personal expense. He tends to their needs and he loves them. Gaius does this because he loves God and is a fellow helper in the ministry. For these qualities and righteous character John says: "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth" (v. 2).

Now the thing that I find so wonderfully interesting is the fact that John never ever told Gaius that he should leave the church he was at and go look for a different church to serve in. He gives us no hint that this should be our desire. In fact, he advises him to do the opposite. John tells Gaius to continue in his good work and service to God; to endure Diotrephes. And here is why: It does not matter who appears to be in charge, God is in charge of all things. Diotrephes thought he was in charge and abused a holy position that God had gave for the benefit and stablishing of the church. But the truth is, God placed Gaius in that church to be the salt and light of the community of faith. Gaius ministry was much more effectual and so much more important than anything Diotrephes could have accomplished.

So suppose you were one of the two main characters of III John, would you be known for your loving hospitality or your selfish wickedness? 

I know I have been guilty of having the spirit of Diotrephes before in my life. I would be no different from this wicked man without the power of the gospel of Christ living in me. Jesus Christ is our hope, our strength, and even our reform. Do you want change, Christ, and only Christ has the power to change you.

With love and hospitality in Jesus Christ for you all,

Jay Silvas

Day 85

Can we really be saved by faith alone?

During the reformation, the reformation leaders had coined five phrases which ultimately became the battle cry protestant Christians rallied around. And one of these statements captures the necessity of faith so poignantly: Sola Fide! Which means, By Faith Alone! 

But can a man really be saved by faith alone? Isn't there anything else that is required for a man to be saved? This was a major point of contention between the reformers and the papists. It is also a question James asks in his epistle. So lets take a more careful look at the question and see if faith is indeed all we need. Consider the following scenario:

"If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." (James 2:15-17)

Here he calls to our attention a scenario in which a man dismisses a tired, naked, hungry man from his home without attending to any of his physical needs. All he has offered are a few words of blessing. James says, "What good are your words if your actions don't support what you say?" The man in James' scenario wishes the naked man well but does not follow up with him in any way to help him. James concludes that his words and his blessing are dead and fruitless because he has not backed them up with action.

Likewise, James is teaching us that if we claim the name of Christ in "faith" but demonstrate no Godly change or spiritual fruit in our life, then we are liars and our faith is dead. It is simply something we say but it has no real power in us because it has not changed us. James is leading us to the point of the radical transforming power of the gospel: True life change in Jesus Christ. 

As we have read, Jesus promised that when he left he would send the comforter to live within us, teach us, and guide us. Paul has expounded in many letters to the 1st century churches and us that God effectually works in us and through us to accomplish good works. Even examining Galatians chapter five reveals that a living God within us will produce living fruit: Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.

Ultimately, the Scriptures are teaching us that our good works are a product of a living faith within us. They are not something we do to gain faith and favor with God. The statement of the reformers, Sola Fide, opposes the idea that we need to "do good works" to earn God's favor.

So in summary, the Biblical position on good works is this: Real living faith will produce real loving works and obedience to the things of Jesus Christ. Good works will never merit you any special favor with God; they will only merit you favor with men. God will not love you less or love you more based on your good works. Therefore, our good works are for the benefit of others.

Sola Fide!

Jay Silvas

Day 84

What are the pillars of Christianity?

This is an excellent question to ask. If you enter this question into a search engine you will find many answers and many disagreements. But once, long ago, a man by the name of Laurence asked this same question to his spiritual father, Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD). Augustine responded with a short treatise on these three items: Faith, Hope, and Love.

We read about faith, hope, and love quite a bit in the new testament, but one of the greatest proclamations of these three great pillars is found in the first letter written to the Thessalonian church.

"We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God." (vv. 1:2-4)

"Let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ" (vv. 5:8-9)

Notice how they are praised who not only claim faith in Jesus Christ, but also hope quite earnestly for his return while labouring in the works of love. This instruction alone teaches us that salvation is not a passive gift; it is an active gift, working and flowing through us. It is not simply something we believe and then get on with life. It is life changing, even changing what we dwell on with our minds and the work we set before our hands to do.

But also notice the foundation of faith, hope, and love: "Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ." These three things are the product of our knowing the election we have in Jesus Christ and the salvation he has given us. Paul also equates them to spiritual armor, which we put on not only for protection, but to fight the good fight.

So think on these things and consider how faith, hope, and love work out in your Christian life.

In Christ,

Jay Silvas

Day 83

We receive so much excellent instruction in todays reading that it would be very impractical to go through it all in one sitting. However, there are a few common themes through these four letters: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. I would like to look at one of the common themes - Family.

Paul the apostle addresses relationships in the letters to the Ephesian and Colossian believers. But keep in mind that the family is an autonomous entity. We do not have a step-by-step guide on governing families. Every family will be different; no two families are alike. Nevertheless, we do have some excellent instruction about how our roles and relationships should look within the family.

First, lets examine the excerpts from the letter to the Ephesians:

"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;" (Ephesians 5:22-25)

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;" (Ephesians 6:1-5)

Now consider this excerpt from the letter to the Colossians:

"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God;" (Colossians 3:19-21)

You'll notice pretty quickly that Paul gives us instruction for wives, husbands, children, fathers, and servants. No one role is superior to the other as Jesus Christ is the head of all. Also notice that the goal of each role is the same: To honor and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Sincerely,

Jay

Day 82

"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" (2 Corinthians 13:5)

The greatest promise that we have in the gospel of Jesus Christ is that we will never be forsaken by God. If we be in Jesus Christ then he is in us. He has given us the Holy Spirit as an earnest, a down payment of our eternal salvation. But many people still struggle with this idea. It is very hard for us to wrap our minds around a God who demonstrates so much mercy and grace that we will always be acceptable in his sight regardless of our circumstances. This is where the authors of the new testament encourage us to 'know' our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

We are not comforted with salvation and comforted to sit hoping in Christ with blissful ignorance. Rather, we are instructed to search out the Scriptures and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Christ is in us, for us, and with us in all things.

Consider the passage above. We are told to examine our own selves on the basis of God's revealed word, whether we are in the faith of Jesus Christ or not. The basis of our faith in found in the Scriptures; they will reveal to us our true spiritual condition whether we be lost or saved, hell-bound or heaven-bound, a child of Satan or a child of God. 

The idea in the passage is to prove ourselves in the same likeness we would prove a coin or bill with monetary value. We know what characteristics validate a genuine piece of currency; likewise, the Scriptures reveal characteristics that validate a genuine believer. If we are found to be counterfeit in the faith we have hope that Jesus Christ will accept us on the grounds of true repentance and faith.

But sometimes people will come along and try to fool us into thinking that the currency we carry is really counterfeit. So what is our defense to such attacks? We should know how to identify genuine currency. Likewise, if we know what genuine faith in Jesus Christ looks like, and if we know that we have genuine faith in Jesus Christ, we cannot be deceived by the liars and cheats who wish to take away the confidence in that we have. This is exactly what some tried to do to the believers in Galatia.

"I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ." (Galatians 1:6-7)

"O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?" (Galatians 3:1)

The believers in Galatia had received Christ by faith, trusting in his person and work, yet there were some who set out to disrupt their faith with lies and counterfeits. I want to encourage you today with this: If you have begun in faith then you will continue on to the end in faith. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He does not change. The faith you have in Jesus Christ that is counted to you for righteousness is the same faith that will see you through this life and into eternity.

So 'know' your Savior Jesus Christ. Do not let someone bewitch you. Examine yourselves whether your faith is genuine. If it is, then let know one trick you. However, if you are found with counterfeit faith, turn to Jesus in repentance and call on him in faith. He will never leave you nor forsake you.

Trusting in Christ Alone,

Jay Silvas

Day 81

"Ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building." (I Corinthians 3:9)

The first letter to the Corinthian church is fascinating. In it, Paul teaches us more deeply about God's working within us and our relationship with each other and Christ. But notice how he tells us that we are his husbandry - his cultivated field. It is God who works in us and through us to change us, redeem us, and reform us. We are the product of his building.

Let's take a look at some of the ways he works through us. First, Paul teaches us that we are the temple of God.

"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." (I Corinthians 3:16-17)

In this we see some fulfillment of God's promise to restore and live within the temple for all eternity. We, as believers in Jesus Christ, have been built up in Christ as the very temple of God: The place where God dwells. Jesus was the first to make reference to his body being the temple of God when he said, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19). Everyone thought he was speaking of the temple located in Jerusalem, but that is not at all what he meant. This even became an important accusation at his trial and point of mocking at his crucifixion. But Paul teaches us that just as Jesus was raised from the dead to live forever with God, so are we raised that God may dwell with us. What a blessing!

Secondly, we learn that we are the Body of Christ.

"Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular." (I Corinthians 12:27; cf. vv. 12:12-27)

Now, we all know that body is made up of many parts: Hands, feet, eyes, ears, et al. Just as your body is made up of several interconnected parts and organs, so is the church. We are called the body of Christ. Some of us represent the feet of Christ while others of us represent the hands. The point of teaching here is that we all need each other to do the work of the ministry. You can not cut off your hand and expect it to continue functioning, neither can you remove yourself from the fellowship of saints (the church) and do the work of the ministry. But just as we learn that we are all different members of the same body, he also breathes life into us that we may function properly. Consider the next thing we learn...

Third, we see that God's Spirit empowers us to serve each other with spiritual gifts.

"Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal." (I Corinthians 12:4-7; cf. vv. 12:1-11 & 28-31)

Just as the body is dead with out life and cannot move, so is the body of Christ without the animating power of God's Spirit. And God's Spirit gives us each a unique gift so that we can operate as the hand, or the foot, or the eye, or the ear. Without the gift of the Spirit, we can not serve as a member of Christ's body.

So, what is the main point of teaching? It is simply this: "We do not do the Christian life. God does the doing through the work of the trinity in us and through us. It is God's work, not ours." But the most extraordinary thing is that God rewards us as if it is our own obedience and our own work!

We are God's husbandry, we are God's building,

Jay Silvas

Day 80

"Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another." (Romans 14:19)

The book of Romans is a favorite of many preachers. In this book the apostle Paul convinces us that we are all slaves to sin, chained up and imprisoned by our own selfish wickedness. He concludes that only by the mercy of God through faith in Jesus Christ can our chains be broken and we be made free from the bondage of sin and death. Then our life is made new in Christ; we are then made slaves of righteousness, doing good and glorifying God. And its this doing good and glorifying God that I would like to look at today.

You can see from the verse I began this email with that God wants us to make a path of peace and reconciliation with others in our life. The goal is to build up others in the faith, hope and love of Jesus Christ so that none of us is lacking any spiritual need. But the best part is that he actually teaches us how to do this.

He has already revealed to us that the Christian life is one of freedom, not law. Therefore all things are made pure (v. 20). But does this mean that we should indulge in everything, or should be abstain from some things, even though we are free to do so? He gives the answer in the following verse:

"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." (Romans 14:17)

You see, he is teaching us that God's kingdom, in which we live, is not a matter of what we do or what we eat or what we drink. Its about living an acceptable life of peace and joy with God and man. Therefore, he encourages to do no thing in this life that will offend another believer.

Now he is not talking about accidentally offending your brother or sister. He specifically means, "Do not do anything on purpose to offend your brother or sister." For if we do something by accident we may seek forgiveness with our brother and sister, but if we do it on purpose we have done evil in the sight of God. So he gives us some very practical advice:

"It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak." (Romans 14:21)

I pray that you will enjoy your Christian life of freedom, but please do not participate in those things which are pure if your goal is to purposely offend those whose conscience is weak. Esteem every man, woman, and child better than yourself and you will begin to love others as Jesus Christ has loved the world.

With love for God and man,

Jay Silvas