Tried With Fire

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.  Romans 8:4 Pastor Ryan spoke yesterday on Romans 8:1-4.  The whole sermon was great, but this point stuck with me.  From my notes: In verse 2, God has set us free from the law of sin and death, and yet verse 4, implies a responsibility on our part to walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Is Paul making a contradiction between verse 2 between verse 4? No, because this is descriptive not prescriptive . Paul is describing what the believer look...

This morning Pastor Ryan spoke on Hebrews 6:4-12. This was a very difficult passage in it of itself and the message was very sobering. It is frightening to think of those who believe they are spiritually okay and yet in the end crucify afresh the Son of God. I am very thankful that God gave the pastor the grace and the boldness to preach from such a hard text. It was also very moving to hear him plead with any who were there who might be in that condition of being deceived as to their true state before God. So much hinges on our correct understanding of what it means to "be saved". That phrase has become so common place that it could mean anything and it does mean just about anything depending on who you talk to. We can be self deceived and deceive others if we don't know what it says in the Word regarding salvation. We can believe that we are fine with God and lead others to think likewise when we are still under the wrath of God. I know in the past that I thought it was...