Archive for 'The Law'

SBC – Dealing with Doctrinal Differences – Acts 15:1

Pastor Tim talks about how to deal with doctrinal differences when we are confronted with false teachers like Harold Camping or Rob Bell who make non doctrinal predictions that are not of God and His Word. Why do people continually follow false teachers like this?

Tim compares the doctrinal differences in today’s society with an issue which challenged the Christian church soon after its inception and would continue to be debated among believers for years to come. But where did this controversy originate? Why was it such a crucial matter for the early church? How did the apostles deal with this challenge to the gospel of Jesus Christ, and what were the repercussions of their decision?

Is a sinner saved by the sheer grace of God in and through Christ crucified, when he or she simply believes?
Has Jesus Christ by his death and resurrection done everything necessary for salvation?
Or are we saved partly through the grace of Christ and partly through our own good works and religious performance?
Is justification sola fide, ‘by faith alone’, or through a mixture of faith and Works, grace and law, Jesus and Moses?

The question of what place the Law plays in the lives of Gentile believers is apt to arise even in today’s society. The testimony and ministry of many churches has been shipwrecked as its leaders fell prey to doctrinal differences and human pride which would justify itself by the works of the Law instead of depending fully on Christ and glorifying Him as the Author of salvation.

Listen in as Tim answers these important questions about works of the law versus just simple grace.

“But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” 2 Cor 11:3

Series: Acts 15:1
Speaker: Pastor Tim
Type: Sunday Sermon

Dealing with Doctrinal Differences [ 35:37 ] Play Now
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22
MAY

Categories: Acts, The Law, Tim Miles

Tags: grace, Law, works

SBC – How to be Righteous in God’s Eyes – Romans 10:1

Pastor Tim talks about living in a World that is drowning in a sea of our own sin and how that sin is drawing us ever closer to an eternity separated from God in Hell, but God sent us a Savior for no other reason that we could not save ourselves and that was the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul keeps reminding us in Romans that righteousness is possible through the Law, but only if a person could keep every precept perfectly and not break even the smallest. Because to break one means a person is guilty of the whole thing, (James 2:10). Of course, even if a person were able to perfectly keep the Law, he would still have to deal with the problem of his sinful nature. Man isn’t a sinner because he sins, man sins because he is a sinner, (Romans 3:23, Gal 3:22). We are born in sin, we just prove the reality of our sinful nature by the things we do. Tim explains that when he got caught shoplifting and told the judge he was a good guy and had never murdered anyone, never raped any girls and that those good things should balance out his first shoplifting conviction. Just like an earthly judge must be a just judge in order to punish the guilty, so must our mighty God be a righteous and just judge and He will punish all sinners. God hates sin and His Law says that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). This means that all sin must be punished by death. But because of His love for us, God sent His Son to die in our place. God put the sins of the world on Jesus and punished Him as though He was guilty (1 Cor 15:1-4). The Bible says that if anyone will repent and believe in Jesus then they will be forgiven (Luke 5:32-34). However, if anyone refuses to accept God’s free offer of forgiveness then they will have to take their own punishment in hell (John 3:36, Rev 16:9-10). Steve’s weekly cartoon below paints us a perfect picture of what people are constantly telling us about hell, that it’s a myth… But we need to quit listening to the sinfulness and flesh of Man and listen to what God’s Word tells about us about the reality of hell (Psalm 9:17, Proverbs 15:24, 2 Peter 2:4, Luke 12:5, Rev 1:18, Rev 20:14, etc…) so you don’t end up in a place that you once thought was a myth. Which way will you choose?

May we learn the truth that God only has one plan of salvation. It is not a Jewish plan, nor any other religious plan. If we expect to miss the condemnation of Hell and to go to Heaven when we depart from this world, then we must come to God on His terms. We must reject every work of the flesh and every attempt to get there on our own (2 Peter 1:10).

“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

Series: Romans 10:1
Speaker: Tim Miles
Type: Sunday Sermon

HowTo Be Righteous In Gods Eyes [ 37:25 ] Play Now
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19
APR

Categories: Hell, Romans, The Law, Tim Miles

Tags: Hell, Romans, Sin

SBC – The Value of the Law – Romans 7:7-13

Pastor Tim, explains the value and purpose of the Mosaic Law and how it’s good at revealing the fact that we’re all sinners and that our sin must be paid for. Tim gives the Good Person Test to see if you have made God’s perfect standard. How will you fare, Guilty or Not Guilty? Paul says in V.7 that “I would not have come to know sin [my sinful condition] except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting [which is what this sinful condition produces]” Once Paul realized that Coveting was a sin he became a where of the number of times he was actually committing the sin. This is what Tim describes as the law being something wonderful for sinners. Even though it will be a painful blessing to be exposed by the law as a sinner, just like surgeries and biopsies are painful at first, they are better for us in the hand of a skilled physician. And God is the most skilled physician and has the cure (the Gospel) to heal our broken heart. However, we must first realize that we have a disease called Sin before we can be healed. This is why God left His law for us…

Click here, if you think you’re a Good Person and would like to take the Good Person Test to see how you measure up to God’s perfect standard.