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Forgiveness Without Repentance? Mike Johnson The Bible emphasizes the importance of forgiving those who sin against us. In fact, failing to do so is very frightening because, in Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus taught, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, […]
Work Out Your Own Salvation (Philippians 2:12) Mike Johnson Philippians 2:12 says, “ . . . work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” What is this passage saying? Is it saying there are many ways to be saved, and people can be saved by whatever method they choose? This is not the meaning […]
Restoring the Erring (Galatians 6:1) Mike Johnson The book of Galatians can be divided into three sections. Chapters 1-2 are autobiographical as Paul defends his apostleship, which is a foundation for what follows. Chapters 3-4 are doctrinal. Here, Paul defends his message about salvation through Christ without the works of the old law. Finally, chapters […]
The Thief on the Cross Mike Johnson The Bible teaches that baptism is for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38), washes away sins (Acts 22:16), saves (1 Pet. 3:21, Mk. 16:16), and puts people into Christ (Rom. 6:3, Gal. 3:27). After listening to this teaching, some may ask, “What about the thief on the cross?” […]
Acceptance by Our Rock and Redeemer (Psalm 19:14) Mike Johnson Psalm 19:14 says, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.” This verse is at the end of a magnificent Psalm. In verses 1-6, the writer spoke about the […]
The Parable of the Lost Son Mike Johnson There are three very well know parables recorded in Luke 15. They are the parables of the “Lost Sheep,” the “Lost Coin,” and the “Lost Son.” The setting in which Jesus presented these parables is in verses 1-2. The publicans and sinners had drawn near Christ, prompting the Pharisees and scribes […]
REMEMBERING AND FORGETTING (Psalm 25:6-7) Mike Johnson Psalm 25:6-7 says, “Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses, for they are from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; according to Your mercy remember me, for Your goodness’ sake, O Lord.” In these verses, David is asking God […]
LIFT UP YOUR SOUL TO GOD (Psalm 25:1) Mike Johnson Psalm 25:1 says, “To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.” The author of this Psalm, regarded as David, starts his prayer respectfully, humbly appealing to God’s mercy and desiring His pardon. This verse teaches a lot about the nature of prayer. First, we […]
A PRAYER FOR FORGIVENESS Mike Johnson Consider the following quote regarding Psalm 25. The sob of a great sorrow sounds throughout this psalm. The circumstances of its writing were those of desolation, affliction, distress, travail, as the latter part especially shows. Yet the main content is one full of help to all who are in […]
Seek God When He May Be Found (Psalm 32:6) Mike Johnson In Psalm 32, David describes what might be called the “blessedness of forgiveness.” In this Psalm, David speaks of the agony of sin and of the joy of receiving forgiveness from God. In the course of doing this (V. 6), he speaks of the […]
The Blessedness of Forgiveness (Psalm 32) Mike Johnson Psalm 32 describes the blessedness of forgiveness differently than in any other psalm. It describes the psychological, and perhaps physical, effects of unconfessed sins, and it speaks of the remedy for obtaining the forgiveness of sins and the happiness that follows. We often have to speculate regarding […]
“Blot Out My Transgressions” Mike Johnson In II Samuel 11 and 12, we can read the story where David committed adultery with Bathsheba. To cover up his sin, he had her husband, Uriah, murdered. Nathan, a prophet of God, eventually confronted him. At this point, David admitted he had sinned against the Lord. Most agree […]
Restore Unto Me the Joy of Your Salvation (Psalm 51:12) Mike Johnson According to the beginning notes of Psalm 51, David is its author, and he wrote the Psalm after his sin with Bathsheba. Engulfed with emotion, he is asking God to have mercy on him and extend His forgiveness. In the first part of […]
The Purpose of Baptism Mike Johnson Baptism has been a controversial subject in the religious world and also a neglected subject by many preachers and teachers. Baptism is not at all an obscure subject as the word “baptism,” or some form of it, occurs more than one hundred times in the New Testament. This subject […]