Opened Scriptures Bible Studies

  Below is the link to Pastor Alvis' Sunday sermon titled 'The Hour is Now Come" from John 12:23. This was a powerful sermon showing us how Jesus Christ worked and moved according to the Divine Timetable established by His Father in heaven. I know you will be blessed by Pastor's sermon. Bob

Good morning to you. Thank you for coming to study the Word of God with us today. In our last post we learned that God initiated a process of sanctifying our body, soul and spirit. His goal is to set all believers apart for Himself, as a peculiar people loving and serving the One, True God of Creation. Only those who are born again receive this gracious working of God. Ongoing Transformation Philippians 1:6  Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:  The word "gospel " means "good news" and all good news begins with God. The work of sanctification and holiness that is being worked into us, begins with God. Romans 5:8-11  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  9) Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.  10) For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by t...

Each born again Christian has been given great blessings because we are "in Christ." Perhaps  the greatest of these is the fact that God is no longer a Holy Judge who is ready to condemn us for our sins. When God saved us He imputed the righteousness of Jesus Christ to each believer. Practically, what does this mean? It means that you and I can can call God our Father. He is no longer our Judge because Jesus paid all of our sin debt and He removed the guilt from us. There is no need for feeling ashamed  and no need to cover up because Christ's righteousness covers us.  Therefore, the Father is going to keep working in us, transforming us and changing us into the likeness of His Son, Jesus Christ. This is a great work of salvation that God is presently doing in our lives.  The word "sanctification" is the action God performs in us to make us holy and to change the way that we think so that our focus is on the things of God and not the things of this wo...

The apostles Peter and Paul show us what the believer's life is like. When God saved them, both men were changed forever, yet they also had spiritual struggles. We can learn the answer to the question "Why are Christians changed by God?" as we look at what Peter and Paul teach us. Believers don't belong to this world. 1 Peter 1:1-2  Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,  2) Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. Notice the term that Peter used to address believers. He used the term "strangers" and in 1 Peter 2:11 he used "strangers and pilgrims" together. A "stranger" is a person who travels from his home country to a foreign land. The "stranger" does not belong in the land that he traveled t...

  Good evening Below is the link t Pastor Alvis's mid week sermon titles "Things are Different Now." It was a powerful sermon that teaches us about holiness  and sanctification. I hope you will listen to it. Bob

There are some good things regarding sanctification that each born again believer should periodically meditate on. I find that spending some time reflecting on Biblical principles like the ones presented below, helps  me stay on track with God's agenda rather than trying to do what I think I should do.  Belief impacts behavior. As we begin learning and growing in our knowledge of the things of God, our mind and soul is going to be changed. God's intention is to show us what we believe to be true coming straight from His Word shaping the thoughts, words and actions that we undertake. Thus, what we believe impacts what we do.  Doctrine is followed by duty. Learning about sound doctrine is something we are exhorted to do many times in scripture. The apostle Paul followed a clear pattern when he wrote to the churches and by extension, wrote to us. He typically gave clear doctrinal instructions in the first part of his letters and this was always followed by what w...

  Good evening Here is the link to Pastor Alvis' Sunday Sermon titled "The Son of Man Should be Glorified" May hearts be changed through the preaching of His Word. Bob

  Good evening Here is the link to Pastor Mike's Wednesday sermon titled "Holiness: Fundamental to saving Grace". May God bless all those who listen to this sermon. Bob  

I am sharing a personal prayer request with all of you. Please pray for our Bible Study blog ministry.  Satan does not like the word of God going out on this platform and your prayers for God's Word to triumph over the ancient enemy are urgently needed at this time. Satan also hates it when people understand what God is saying and what it means to how they live. Mark it down, the devil is not happy when the people of God determine that they will live for His glory! I do not monetize the blog because this violates many Bible principles.  2 Peter 2:1-3  But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.  2  And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.  3  A nd through covetousness shall they with feigned words make ...

  If you are born again you are well aware that God did not save us with the intent to let us continue to live the same old life as before. He began a process of inward transformation that is called sanctification . This is a process that will continue until the day that He calls us home to Himself.  I have a quote from one of my study resources that defines what sanctification is. This is followed by a quote from the Webster's 1828 Dictionary definition.  " Sanctification " means “to be set apart” from common use, “to be made holy.” The nature of sanctification is twofold in that Christians have been made holy through Christ and are called to continue to grow into and strive for holiness by cooperating with the indwelling Holy Spirit until they enjoy complete conformity to Christ (glorification)."  Grenz, S., Guretzki, D., & Nordling, C. F. (1999). In Pocket dictionary of theological terms (p. 105). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. Webster's 1828 Dic...

  Salvation   is the  present possession  of all born again believers. The idea here is that when you are born again you possess your salvation each moment that you still have life. Some have put it this way: Once you are saved (born again and r egenerated by the Spirit of God) you are always saved. The  present tense  of salvation is when we are being set free from the power of sin. This aspect of salvation involves what God is doing in our lives each day to make us more like His son, Jesus Christ.  We are safe in our Father's hand! John 10:27-30  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:  28) And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.  29) My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.  30) I and my Father are one.  Jesus' words are very clear in this text. Salvation belongs ...