The Scriptures Explained!

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Romans 10:13 - For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

(Explained) Whosoever means anyone, this includes you and me. The Name of the Lord is Jesus and He will save us from suffering in hell after we die. Through Jesus, we are saved from such a fate and receive eternal life with Him. 

John 14:6 - Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

(Explained) It is in our nature to want to go to heaven and be with God the Father after we die. We often think that if we are good people then we can make it to heaven. But Jesus himself is saying that the only way to get to heaven is through him. Through a close personal relationship with Jesus we learn what Truth is and we gain a new life in Christ here on earth, and in heaven. 

Matt. 7: 13,14 - “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. 

(Explained) There are only two paths of life to choose from, the right one or the wrong one. The right path is described as narrow and straight and the wrong path is the broad road. The broad path is wide because of the many ways a person can be tempted. It is sad to say many people choose this path because the wide range of options are there for seeking various pleasures or pursuits. Those who choose to follow this path will end in destruction. But, the narrow gate is straight forward. It is simplistic in the way to eternal life. God is all knowing, he knows everything there is to know. He knows that there are a lot of people who will choose the wide path and he knows only a few will chose the narrow path. Which path will you choose?

Romans 10: 9 - If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

(Explained) The things we say are often reflections of what we believe in our hearts. In declaring that Jesus is Lord, you are taking a stand, such as the Declaration of Independence, to let others know where you stand in relation to God. And as you make this declaration believing in your heart that Jesus died for your sins and God did raise him from the dead, you will receive eternal life in heaven and be saved from going to hell. 

Romans 10:10 - For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

(Explained) There must first be faith in the heart before a declaration by mouth to be valid. If someone says a thing, yet does not believe what he says, then how can he be taken seriously? God knows what is in the heart of any person. He knows when a person is serious or not. By faith and profession, a person is justified to enter into a relationship with God through Jesus and enter heaven at the end of life. To be justified means that since we do not deserve to enter heaven on our own because of our sins, as we believe that Jesus died for our sins, then we are justified and receive grace and enter heaven. 

John 3:36 - Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on them.

(Explained) Whoever means anybody, any person on this earth. That means you and me. If we believe in the Son of God, that is Jesus, then we have eternal life. This eternal life starts now for a new believer in Christ Jesus. So even if our bodies get old and die, we will still live with Jesus in heaven. The day we die is like a graduation day for believers, they enter heaven. Yet there is a warning here, those who reject Christ, choose not to believe in their hearts, then they will suffer God's wrath. That is not to receive His blessings while living on earth, nor enter heaven.

Matthew 10:32-33 - “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. “But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. 

(Explained) It is important to acknowledge Jesus in front of others because this is how others will know where one stands. Jesus is not calling for secret followers, but for us to shine His glory for others to see and come to Him. As we work in our relationship with Christ, we are rewarded when Jesus acknowledges us before God. There is also a warning here, if we do not acknowledge Christ before others, that means we are not obeying His Word and in such, carry unrepentant sin in our hearts that prevents us from being acknowledged before God. 

Hebrews 11:6 - And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

(Explained) Faith is basically the belief in the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Faith is where we place our complete trust in what God says. Without it, belief is empty, lacking in hope. When one earnestly seeks to know Jesus is rewarded with peace that defies explanation. God is asking us to completely believe that he is for real and exists. When we place our faith and trust in God, this makes God very happy because this is what He desires. Those who truthfully seek God, through reading the Bible, going to church, and praying, are rewarded with many blessings from God. 

Acts 4:12 - Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved."

(Explained) There is only one God, and only one Son of God who is Jesus. Jesus is the only one who sacrificed himself to cover our sins and rose from the dead three days later. Only the name of Jesus carries the authority to save mankind from sins. 

Hebrews 9:27 - And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

(Explained) It's inevitable, we all are going to die once and after death enter the courts of God who will judge us according to our decision to follow Christ or not. Jesus came to earth in the flesh and died once and for all for our sins. Jesus rose from the dead three days later, so we could have a new life in Him. When we come to Him, we die once from our old life and live in a new life through Jesus. 

2 Corinthians 5:8 - Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.

(Explained) With such faith and confidence in our relationship with God through Jesus, Christians want to be in the presence of God. This is the goal of Christians, as this relationship completes us. Therefore, Christians go to church and be around other Christians as the Bible says that where there are two or more meeting in the name of Jesus, His presence is there. And Christians know that when we die, we go into the glorious presence of God Himself. We long to be in His presence here in our bodies, and when we leave our bodies at death, we will experience the glory of God's love and be with Him forever.

Ephesians 3:20 - Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,

(Explained) There is nothing impossible to God. We cannot measure or imagine what or how God works in our lives. Christians experience the power of God working within them for their good. As the Christian grows and matures in Christ, we see the big and small things God does for us in our lives and in turn we give glory to God. 

Matthew 25:46 - "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

(Explained) This is a description of the final judgment, in that all who reject Jesus will essentially be punished forever in hell, yet here is also a promise. The righteous are those who accept and follow Jesus and will be rewarded with eternal life. Life of our souls’ results from the union with God through Jesus, heaven is life, it is all happiness. With eternal life there is no death, no sorrow, no growing old. There are two paths open when we depart our bodies, eternal judgment in hell or eternal life in heaven in God's gracious presence. 

Luke 16:22-23 -“Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. “In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.

(Explained) This is part of a parable or story Jesus was telling to describe heaven and hell. The story is about a beggar names Lazarus and a rich man, who refused to help the beggar. The beggar had died and went to heaven then the rich man died and went to hell. Jesus describes the rich man, and this would be true of any going to hell, being constantly tortured. This story is to warn us of the dangers of living in sin, rejecting Jesus, and the consequences of such a choice. This is also a lesson that the pursuits of riches will not get you into heaven. The rich man may have had a good reputation, but that is not what enters heaven. 

John 11:25 - Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;

(Explained) Jesus is talking to a woman named Martha whose brother, just died. He tells her that he is the resurrection and life. He is saying that anyone who believes in Him will never die. He is speaking of eternal spiritual life and stating that in the end of time we who believe in him and have died will be raised from the dead and never suffer death again. When Jesus says he is the resurrection, he is stating that he has the sovereign power and is the creator of the resurrection. This is a promise for all who believe in him, and the hope of eternal life. Then he asks, “Do you believe...?”

Luke 19:10 - For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."

(Explained) The Son of Man is Jesus. He came from heaven to earth to seek out the people who are lost in sin. Sin separates us from being in a relationship with God. Without God, we all are lost. He loves us so much that he came to earth to sacrifice himself for the forgiveness of our sins. 

Romans 3:10 - As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one;

(Explained) The phrase, “No one is perfect” likely comes from this scripture. Not a single person is perfect since we all have sinned. We are all doomed to be imperfect and can never earn our way into heaven with the Lord. Yet, Jesus paved a way for us to get there, so there is hope. 

Romans 3:23 - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

(Explained) Every person has sinned. Falling short of the glory of God is basically failing a test, or not completing a race, and from that failure we cannot enter the glory of God, heaven. There is nothing, no matter how many good deeds we do, that can get us into heaven. However, there is redemption in Jesus and only in Him can we enter the gates of heaven. 

Romans 5:8 - But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

(Explained) God did not wait for us to clean up our acts to save us. God sent His Son to die in our place to save us from our sins while we were still in sin. It's like you are drowning in the flood waters of sin. He doesn't wait for you to swim and get out of the water, no, he dives in and saves you, giving his life so you may live. 

Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(Explained) Wages are a payment for an employee when he works, so is death a payment for the sinner. There are no small sins or big bad sins, they all are sin which carries a death penalty. But there is always hope for the sinner, and we are all sinners, the free-gift of God is eternal life for those who choose to believe in Jesus. 

James 4:13-17 - Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin. 

(Explained) Many of us plan things. Plans, vacations, retirements, jobs, etc. Planning is not wrong and can be a wise thing to do, yet, the point here is that our lives on earth is short. We are not guaranteed tomorrow, we may die tonight or tomorrow. We often focus our attention on earthly pursuits to succeed at something. When we do make plans, we should focus our plans according to God's will and make him a part of those plans. If we brag about our accomplishments, we are being prideful and in doing so we sin against God. We should give God the glory of our successes since it is He who is control of our lives when we give it to Him. Knowing to do the right thing and not doing it is wrong, we should always seek God's will in our plans and do the right thing the way God sees it. 

Ephesians 2:8-9 - For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

(Explained) Salvation is a free-gift from God. We cannot earn our way into heaven. When we believe in Jesus, we are saved by his grace. Grace is essentially receiving something you don't deserve. Mercy is not being punished for what we do deserve. If we could earn our way into heaven, then we would brag about our accomplishment and this is contrary to what God expects of us, to be humble in our lives with Him. God is the one who should get the credit for our salvation, as he offers it as a gift to all who seek him. 

John 3:16-17 - “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 

(Explained) God loves each one of us, so much that he sent his only son, Jesus, to die in our place for our sins. Any person living on this earth who believes in Jesus will not die and go to hell but will enter heaven and enjoy eternal life in God's presence. Although God is the ultimate judge, he did not send his son to condemn us, but to rescue all who have sinned. That is every person for we all are sinners. 

John 8:32 - Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

(Explained) For those who believe in Jesus they will know the Truth. Jesus said He is the way and the Truth, so when you know the Truth, you know Jesus. This Truth sets the Christian free from the entanglements of sin. Someone once said the person who is enslaved to the compass, enjoys the freedom of the seas. The compass is like the Word of God or Bible, the Truth; it helps you find your way, so you are not wondering aimlessly, lost. There is freedom in knowing where you are going. Any believer who studies the Bible learns who the Truth is and continues to learn more about Jesus. 

Luke 19:10 - For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."

(Explained) Jesus came to earth seeking those who were lost in sin. That means all of us. Not a single person is sinless. When Adam first sinned, this made all of us lost to God because sin and God cannot exist together. Jesus is searching for you, wanting to have a close, personal relationship with you. 

1 Thessalonians 1:10 - And they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God's Son from heaven--Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment.

(Explained) As believers in the Old Testament days looked forward to the coming of the Messiah, Jesus, believers now look forward the second coming of Christ. We wait for that day. We have confidence in His coming because God raised Jesus from the dead over 2000 years ago. When Jesus returns, he will rescue us from a horrible judgment of those who reject Jesus during the last days. 

2 Peter 2:9 - if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.

(Explained) God knows how to rescue those who follow Him with all their hearts, minds, and souls and keep them safe while going through temptations or trials. There will be a day in which God will judge those who rejected His Son. 

John 16:13 - But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

(Explained) After Jesus ascended back to heaven, the Holy Spirit came and filled His followers. The Holy Spirit guides us in the way of truth and speaks to us the things God tells Him to say. The Spirit teaches us nothing but the truth. What He says agrees with everything Jesus said. He guided all the writers of the Bible in what to say and what to write. It is this same Spirit that guided the prophets of the Old Testament to write about the things in the future, and it is the same Spirit that showed John what was to happen which he wrote in the book of Revelation. For future things, the Spirit shows us enough that is profitable to us in our relationship with Jesus. 

Romans 10:17 - Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

(Explained) Scriptures back in the times of Jesus were read aloud to the people in the church, so the reference to hearing often applies to actual hearing. Not everybody had a copy of the scriptures. Now days we do. But hearing with our spiritual ears is just, if not more important. Hearing and believing the Word in our hearts brings us faith. All scriptures as a whole point to Jesus. The more we read and listen to the Word of God (Bible), the greater our faith becomes, the more we learn about Jesus,

Titus 2:11-12 - For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,

(Explained) The grace of God is offered to all of mankind as a free-gift of salvation. No one deserves this gift, yet God in His kindness and love for us offers it willingly and graciously. This gift teaches us to say “No” to earthly pursuits and sin that leads to death. In the present age there are many things that entice us away from God and He teaches us how to live godly lives going against the flow of earthly lusts.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 - ‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. ‘Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 'You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

(Explained) God has great plans and promises for us who choose to follow Him. When you call on Him, come to Him, and pray to Him, he promises to listen. Imagine, the creator of the universe listening to you. He knows you by name and to all those who truly follow Him, He calls them friend. He is a personal God, one who loves you very much. The key here is to seek Him with all your heart. A 100% commitment, no riding the fence. As you follow Him with all your heart, He will fulfill His promises to you.

1 John 5:13-15 - These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him. 

(Explained) The Apostle John is writing to Christians to confirm that because they believe in Jesus, they have eternal life. Some Christians may be tempted to sin and draw away from God. By keeping faith and persevering they may maintain their relationship with Jesus. A privilege Christians have in keeping faith is that God listens to their prayers. If we ask anything within God's will, He will grant it. It must be asked according to His will. God is not a Santa Clause in which he would grant us something to satisfy our greed. For the Christian who asks within the will of God, He listens. The answer may be a yes, no, or wait; the answer comes in God's timing. But the great thing is that he hears us.

John 14:1-3 - “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

(Explained) When anxiety, fear, and bad things happen, Jesus is saying essentially, “Don't worry.” Don't worry because He has a great promise for us who follow and trust Him. He will give you strength to get through the troubles. He is preparing a new home for us, a mansion for us to live in with Jesus, where there will be no more pain, troubles, heartaches, etc. He is stating this truthfully as He cannot lie. He promises to come back to earth and take us there to be with Him for eternity.

1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

(Explained) It is said that the first step in any kind of recovery is admittance. Confessing is essentially that, admitting your sins. Confession purges the sin of guilt from our hearts. God promises to forgive your sins if you admit them and believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior. We are not perfect, no one is completely pure, yet through the forgiveness of our sins, God promises to purify, to make pure those who confess their sins.

Revelation 3:20 - Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

(Explained) Our hearts are empty, we sit there trying to fill the vacancy in our heart with a lot of different things. Yet, all along, Jesus is standing outside your heart and knocking on its door. He is calling your name. If we listen with our hearts and let Him in, He comes into our lives and has a meal with us. All around the world people sit down together and eat, a party so to speak. There is a long-standing custom that people who are invited to a meal or party bring some food or drink to it. Jesus brings food and drink to you to feed your heart with spiritual nourishment for the new person you become. This food and drink are found in the words of His love letter to you, the Bible.

James 1:5 - If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

(Explained) Although we who choose to follow Jesus have a new life in Jesus, we still live in the world where there are many temptations. There are so many things clamoring for your attention, Satan wants to confuse you and lead you away from God. We need wisdom to see what is right in God's sight. God is saying here that He is more than willing to give you a lot of wisdom, all you must do is ask.

John 1:14 - The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

(Explained) The Word is Jesus, the only Son of God. He left the glorious realm of heaven to become a little baby in the flesh here on earth. By doing so, He was identifying Himself with His creation, us, you and me. Jesus is full of grace and truth to offer us eternal life, and a better way to live. John is writing here saying that he and the other followers saw Jesus with their own eyes, saw and heard His Words, saw Him crucified then rose from the dead and ascend into heaven. They are eye witness to the glory of God in Jesus.

Romans 12:1-2 - Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. 

(Explained) Back in the Old Testament days an animal sacrifice was required to receive forgiveness of sins. Yet, when Jesus died on the cross for our sins, those sacrifices were no longer needed. Here, essentially God is strongly suggesting for us to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice. No need to die for our own sins. Yet, we are to live a life pleasing to God, and not a life like others in the world do, seeking after their own pleasures. Renewing our mind helps to think like Christ, and act like Jesus. By doing this, our worship of God is pleasing to Him. With your mind thinking like Jesus, you'll understand what God's will is.

Mark 8:34-38 - And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? “For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” 

(Explained) Jesus is giving instructions on how to follow Him. We need to deny ourselves, that is not to live life as “looking out for number one” as the world says we are to live. Don't be selfish. Consider others over yourselves as you follow Jesus. As Jesus took up His cross to die for our sins, we are to symbolically take up our cross and die to our sinful nature, thus identifying with Jesus. Those who loses their old sinful lives will find a new life and it will be saved. But if one tries on his own to save his life, he will lose it. Our soul is very important, it is the one part of our being that will go on after our bodies die. Life on earth is short, but eternity goes on, after death it is heaven or hell, no other options. It is extremely important to you and me that we follow Jesus with all our hearts, mind, and soul so we can spend forever with Him and have life. 

John 10:10 - The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

(Explained) The thief is Satan, the devil who wants to destroy everything God created, especially mankind. But Jesus came to give us life, to rescue us from the devil and give us a more abundant life, a better life than we could have before receiving Christ and that He will provide for our needs.

1 Peter 5:8 - Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

(Explained) We are warned to be balanced and alert. Balanced in the truth of God's Word and alert because the devil wants to destroy you and me. The devil is the enemy of our souls and life. Like a lion, he sneaks around looking for a victim, you and me, to destroy. He is tricky, and often uses subtle ways to lure us from God. We need to resist any temptation the devil throws at us.

Ephesians 6:10-12 - Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

(Explained) We are in a spiritual war. Being strong in the Lord is not relying on your own strength, but the power of God who is in us. When we put on the spiritual armor of God, we can stand firmly against the tricky schemes of the devil. When people do us wrong we need to recognize that the devil is very likely using someone to attack us so it is not a physical fight we are in, but a spiritual one. Satan has many strategies to trick and lure us from God, that is why we need to ask God for wisdom and discernment, so we will not be tricked.

1 Peter 1:13 - Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.

(Explained) We need to be ready because we do not know when we will die or when the Lord returns to earth. By renewing our minds to think like Christ, we can take the correct actions to ward off the temptations of the devil. We need to place all of our hope in Jesus, not just some of it and place some hope in other things, but all of it. God's grace will shine on us in the last days when He is revealed to the whole world.

John 8:44 - You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

(Explained) We are all born into sin and are sinners, and as such, we follow the devil. We either follow God or Satan. The devil can trick us into thinking we are following ourselves or even God, but not him. Satan may lie to us and convince us that if we are good and live a good life that will get us to heaven. But that is not what gets us into heaven. If we are just being good, and not repented of our sins, then we are still following the devil.

1 John 3:8-10 - the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.

(Explained) Satan wants to destroy the work of God in this world. Therefore, God sent His Son, Jesus to destroy what Satan wants to do. Those who do not follow God are of the devil and follow him. The Word of God is often referred to as a seed. When this seed enters our hearts and we believe in it, we are born again. This seed begins to grow the more we read the Bible. At first, we are like baby Christians, and like any baby or toddler we make mistakes, fall down. But, we get up and continue to grow. As we grow and desire to follow Christ, we can't sin because we don't want to sin. We want to please God. By observing the behavior of God's children and those who follow Satan, whether knowingly or unknowingly, we can tell the difference of who really follows God or not.

Hebrews 11:1-2 - Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval. 

(Explained) Not just believing, but strongly believing with a strong confidence in what the Bible says. Faith and hope go hand in hand. This creates in us a persuasion so strong that unexplainable joy possesses our soul, even in times of trouble. Faith demonstrates to the eye of our minds the reality of things we can't see with the eyes of our bodies. Faith is not a new concept made by the first Christians, but it has been around since the earliest of time and those who lived then and had this faith were honored for it.

James 2:26 - As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

(Explained) The spirit in the body is like a root that keeps the body alive. When our spirit leaves our body the body dies. Good works is the root of our minds and hearts that produces the fruits of faith. A dead root of a plant produces nothing green or any fruit, but a live root will produce the green of good vegetation. 

John 6:16-24 - Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea to Capernaum. It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea began to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing. Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened. But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going. 

The next day the crowd that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other small boat there, except one, and that Jesus had not entered with His disciples into the boat, but that His disciples had gone away alone. There came other small boats from Tiberias near to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks. So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they themselves got into the small boats, and came to Capernaum seeking Jesus.

(Explained) The disciples have been sent by Jesus to cross the lake and go to Capernaum, which was like their home base. It was the end of the day and were in effect, going home after a day’s work. Yet, Jesus stayed behind and prayed for His disciples. While they were some three or four miles out a storm blew in and they were in distress. A storm at night on the open seas is dangerous and scary. The storm can represent any distress that comes into our lives. Stress, loss of a job or loved one, divorce, bills, etc., can blow in and really cause havoc in our lives. Not only does Jesus pray for us as we go through a storm, He comes to us as He did in this case by walking on the water to join the disciples. Not even the laws of nature can hold Him back from us. And the disciples were eager to get Him on board, and so we should be eager to get Jesus on board with us during our times of troubles. As soon as we let Jesus on board, we arrive immediately at our destination, the shores of peace. In verses 22-24 we find that many people were seeking Jesus. They had seen Him the night before staying on a mountain to pray while His disciples left by boat to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. The next day they were looking for Jesus but could not find him. They eventually crossed the lake and found Him there. They were eager to find Jesus and we should also be eager to seek Jesus, for the right reasons.

Luke 8:43-48 - And a woman who had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and could not be healed by anyone, came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped. And Jesus said, “Who is the one who touched Me?” And while they were all denying it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing in on You.” But Jesus said, “Someone did touch Me, for I was aware that power had gone out of Me.” When the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came trembling and fell down before Him, and declared in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed. And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

(Explained) Wherever Jesus went there were crowds pressing in on Him. He was like a rock star and the paparazzi was trying to get close. Jesus was going to another place at a request to heal someone else. Yet, when a woman who had a chronic medical condition in need of healing touched the edge of his cloak, she was instantly healed. She believed and had faith that if she could touch just the edge of His cloak she would be healed. She did it in secret, humbly trying to receive healing. Jesus knew she would be in the crowd and needed healing. Yet Jesus did not seek her out. He wanted her to exercise her faith to receive healing. She believed, acted on that belief in humility, and received her healing. When Jesus asked who touched Him, she eventually knew she could not hide, and came to Him and essentially owned what she did and why.

Romans 8:31-39 - What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all-how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died-more than that, who was raised to life-is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our LORD.

(Explained) “Bring it on.” This is a common phrase some use when they are met with a challenge and they are confident in meeting that challenge. It's like a small child who is threatened by someone. Yet, the child knows standing next to him is his big brother who can protect them. Who would dare attack when their big brother is there? Jesus is our big brother who defeated Satan by dying on the cross for our sins. Satan is the accuser of the brethren, he accuses us to God, to ourselves, and others. When Satan attacks through the trials of life, our big brother does the fighting for us. God did not spare His Son for us, instead sent Him to battle for us. Although Satan accuses us with our sins and shortcomings, it is God who justifies us before those accusations. In is our relationship with Christ we are secure. This is a great comfort when bad things happen to us.  With Satan the accuser acting like a prosecuting attorney, Jesus acts as our advocate or defense attorney. By His death and resurrection, our sins are erased, and we can stand before God confidently acquitted of those accusations. There is no one, not a thing, not even Satan, can that take away the love that God has for us. Because Christ conquered sin, we are joined with Him as conquers. Even during a bad time and we feel as if we are losing, we are conquering through Christ Jesus. 

Romans 3:23-28 - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. 

(Explained) We've all sinned. The law finds the guilty person and condemns him. We are all guilty. Many people look to doing good, loving others, and other good deeds to be justified under the law. Yet, doing good will not erase sin. It is by faith only. God placed Jesus on the cross for all to see and demonstrated His love for us in washing our sins away by this act. When we confess ours sins, believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins, we are justified in the eyes of the God's law. The principle of simple faith has great power to save us from sin. We don't need to work for it.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 - For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 

(Explained) This is a description of what some call the rapture where Jesus comes back to take us to be with Him. This is a promise that gives us tremendous hope. With all the trials of life, the hard times, bad things, evil in the world going on, we are assured that Jesus will one day remove us from this world and we will meet Him face to face. From that time on, we'll be with Him forever.

Proverbs 24:11-12 - Deliver those who are being taken away to death and those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back. 

If you say, “See, we did not know this,” Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work? 

(Explained) If a house were on fire and a child was inside, wouldn't we go in to rescue the child? If a person was walking down the sidewalk texting on their phone and is about to walk into an open manhole and fall in, wouldn't we warn them? Yes, we would. Yet, there are those who may not, and their excuse would be to say they didn't know. But God knows the inner secrets of our hearts and knows if our excuse is true or not. God will judge us accordingly. If we see someone who is sinning and headed for destruction, should we who are in Christ set out to rescue them? Yes, we should.

Ezekiel 3:17-19 - “Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me. “When I say to the wicked, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. “Yet if you have warned the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered yourself.

(Explained) God is not willing that any should perish but come to everlasting life in Jesus. He loves all of us very much. We who are followers of Christ are commissioned with the task of telling others about Jesus. To God, it is extremely important that those who are lost in sin be warned and rescued from death in hell. It is to save their lives, earthly and eternally. This is a warning for those who don't believe in Jesus that they will be punished for their sins, and a warning for those who do believe and don't warn those who are walking towards that punishment will be held responsible.

Matthew 10:28 - Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

(Explained) There is a saying that states, “It is better to be judged by God than by man.” For those who place their faith and trust in God through Jesus, who protects us, then whom shall we fear. Those who hate us and want to do us harm, even Satan, cannot kill our soul. They may be able to hurt or kill our body, yet they can't touch our soul. The remedy for escaping the fear of man or Satan is to have a fear of God. God is the only one who can destroy both body and soul. Yet, He wants to save us from His own wrath. The fear of God is not some crippling mass of anxiety, it is a freedom of joy and love in a relationship with Him.

Matthew 24:37-39 - “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

(Explained) Back in the days of Noah sin was everywhere, everyone was doing what they choose to do and not follow God. This is a description of those days long ago, it will be the same just before Jesus returns to earth. Our present time is very much like the days of Noah, evilness is rampant everywhere. Just like the people who were doing their own thing were swept away in the flood of sin, so will it be when Jesus returns, and they find it is too late to receive forgiveness of their sins.

Rescue 3:16 Bible Verses Explained; by David Huckabay Jr.