Blog
Welcome to the footnote¹ blog. Our goal each day is to examine a verse and give a short summary in commentary form or simply an encouraging note to help you remain faithful to God throughout the week. Either way we hope that the footnote¹ blog will comfort you through God's word and give you a better understanding of His will.
Salvation
Today Is the Day of Your Salvation
Wednesday, July 26, 2017“For he says, ‘In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.’ Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Cor. 6.2, ESV)
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Have you ever put off completing a ten-page paper for English class? Have you ever put off completing your assignments for work or finishing that important project for the boss? Have you ever put off applying for something important like a job, college application, loan, etc.?
In some way or another, we have all put something off. Consequently, have we ever regretted putting something important off? Together, we can say, “Absolutely!” Why, then, is it that we put things off that we know affect our lives or the outcome to a situation? Two reasons come to mind: It is because we falsely believed we had plenty of time to do accomplish our goals at a different time and/or it is because we chose less important things, namely distractions, to fill our time.
God teaches us not to put off obeying Him. In fact, just as the examples used above, we can falsely believe we have enough time to obey God. In doing so, we fill our lives with other things of lesser importance and subsequently run out of time because of these distractions.
If you are planning to become a Christian tomorrow, next week, or next year, you falsely believe you have time to do it and/or you believe you have other things more important to accomplish before you can make such a commitment to God. Be warned, your time may run out! Do not believe that just because God has been longsuffering with you up until this point, that He will beyond this day.
Why is it so important to obey God today?
- James 4.13-15; Luke 12.16-21: Because with each day that goes by we are in danger of running out of time.
- Eph. 1.3; Rom. 8.1; 1 Peter 5.7, etc.: Because with each day that goes by that we are not obeying God we are not enjoying spiritual blessings in Christ.
- Heb. 3.7-11: Because with each day that goes by that we are not loving God, we are hardening our hearts against Him.
Can we help you in your search for truth and salvation? Please contact us today! E-mail | Message us on Facebook | Call/text 903.308.4905
Let Jesus Set You Free!
Tuesday, July 11, 2017“Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.’” (John 8.34-36, ESV)
Someone once said, “So long as a person is convinced He has no problem, He will seek no solution.” Therefore, people do not come to Jesus for forgiveness (the solution) because they do not believe they have a sin-problem.
However, the Bible teaches, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3.23, ESV). If you’re reading this, more than likely you have sinned (transgressed God’s law) and need salvation. Sin is the problem. Jesus’ cleansing blood is the answer. Since life is in the blood (Lev. 17.11) and death is because of sin (Rom. 6.23), choose life today! Choose to obey Jesus to be washed in His precious blood that saves (1 Peter 1.18-19, 22-23).
Obey Jesus today by being baptized upon your faith, repentance of sins, and confession of faith: “And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.” (Acts 22.16)
Contact us today if we can help you: evangelist@txkchurch.com | call/text 903.308.4905 | message us on Facebook
Do You Want Grace, Mercy, and Peace?
Monday, July 10, 2017“Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father's Son, in truth and love.” (2 John 3, ESV)
- Grace: God’s favor toward sinners; giving us what we don’t deserve (salvation).
- Mercy: God’s compassion for sinners; not giving us what we deserve (death).
- Peace: When we are in fellowship with God because of His grace and mercy and our faith.
We can have all these spiritual blessings and more that are given from the Father and His Son when we obey God in faith. Express your faith in Him today by repenting of the sins in your life (a change of mind and will – no longer practicing sin) (Acts 17.30-31), confessing your faith (that Christ is the Son of God) (Rom. 10.9-10), and being baptized for the forgiveness of your sins (Acts 22.16). Only then will Grace, mercy, and peace be upon you!
Contact Bryan Garlock today. E-mail: evangelist@txkchurch.com | Call/text: 903.308.4905 | Message us on Facebook
Are You a Child of God Through Faith?
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
“for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.” (Galatians 3.26, ESV)
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Much of the religious world believes we are saved by faith only. In fact, many will appeal to Galatians 3.26 to prove this very point. However, sadly, verse 27 is always overlooked. Paul continued, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal. 3.27, ESV).
It is true that we are children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. However, our faith in Christ demands our obedience to Him and this is demonstrated by verse 27. Therefore, Paul’s point is that those who believed in Christ were baptized in His name. Jesus said it this way, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16.16). We would do well not to stop at verse 26!
If you’re interested in learning more about baptism and salvation, e-mail Bryan Garlock, message us on Facebook, or text 903.308.4905.
Have You Become Obedient to the Faith?
Tuesday, June 06, 2017
“And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.” (Acts 6.7, ESV)¹
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¹The apostle Paul’s purpose in preaching the gospel was to bring people to the obedience of the truth. We read in Romans, “through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations” (Rom. 1.5, ESV) and “But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness” (Rom. 6.17-18, ESV), and “Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith…” (Rom. 16.25-26, ESV).
Peter taught, “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God...” (1 Peter 1.22, ESV).
It is often said that all one has to do to be saved is to believe in Jesus. However, we learn from these verses that one must obey. Since “the faith” and “the truth” are “the gospel,” then what Luke records in Acts about the priest is that they were obeying the gospel. While there are facts of the gospel (Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, etc.), there are also commands of the gospel. These commands involve not only believing in Jesus (Acts 16.31), but loving God (Matt. 22.37), having a godly sorrow for the sins committed against Him (2 Cor. 7.10), repentance (Acts 2.38), confession of Christ (Matt. 10.32), baptism in His name for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2.38), and faithfulness unto death (Rev. 2.10). If you've done these things and continue to remain faithul then you are like the Priest who became obedient to the faith!
Do you need assistance in obeying the faith? Let us help you! We will study with you whenever it is convenient for you! E-mail Bryan Garlock, message us on Facebook, or text 903.308.4905.