27 April 2025

Paul's Desire for People's Maturity, Part 1 (TMF:2605)

Friday, May 02, 2025

Peace to Live By: Paul's Desire for People's Maturity, Part 1 (TMF:2605) - Daniel Litton
(Tap to play feature or right-click to download)

Finishing up verse 28: ““Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ” (ESV). The ultimate goal is then twofold. First, to bring people into relationship with God. For the Jewish person, that’s back into relationship with God. For the Gentile person, that’s into relationship with the real God. And second, to make people mature who have believed. To make the Christians mature. How are folks to become mature? Paul says it is through wise teaching. Wise teaching. That’s what the pastor does. That’s what all the ministers and Bible teachers on the radio, or in the podcasts, do. There's no question about it, in our day and age, here in twenty-first century America, we have more Christian teaching available to us than any Christian population has ever had. It is wide and far. Though we know, that we can hear everything that there is, but at the end of the day we have to put what we hear into practice, right?

God's Kindness in Hopes of Repentance (TMF:2604)

Thursday, May 01, 2025

Peace to Live By: God's Kindness in Hopes of Repentance (TMF:2604) - Daniel Litton
(Tap to play feature or right-click to download)

“But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed” (Romans 2:5, ESV). Notice how Paul addresses the lack of judgment that is often visible in our current world. Notice this; this is important. A lot of people miss this. Often times the reason we don’t see instant judgment from God for sin is because God is wishing for people to change. Hence, obviously God doesn’t control people and make them sin. If that were the case, then why would God show kindness in hopes of leading people to repentance? Individuals have the choice whether to keep their hardened and unrepentant heart, or whether not to. And how long one has—that is uncertain. And note also that “God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.” Again, it’s often not apparent right now—it’s not very clear to those walking this earth that that’s what God’s going to do, that he’s going to call individuals to account for their sin.

Warning as Regards the Great Need, Part 3 (TMF:2603)

Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Peace to Live By: Warning as Regards the Great Need, Part 3 (TMF:2603) - Daniel Litton
(Tap to play feature or right-click to download)

A lot of individuals believe that’s the way it works. As a matter of fact, that’s what most of us were taught growing up. You do something bad as a child, and then you make it good by doing something good. It seemingly, in most cases, erases the previous bad that was done. That’s not how dealing with our sin works. It’s an all-or-nothing proposition. We are either covered by Christ’s blood and made clean, or we are not. We can’t be partially clean and sort of get into Heaven with a lesser experience as a result. We are either in or we are out. Each person needs to contemplate on this today. In understanding God’s wisdom in this, it is as Paul told the Romans: “Do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed” (Romans 2:4, 5, ESV).

Warning as Regards the Great Need, Part 2 (TMF:2602)

Tuesday, April 29, 2025

Peace to Live By: Warning as Regards the Great Need, Part 2 (TMF:2602) - Daniel Litton
(Tap to play feature or right-click to download)

People sin out of their own choice. God isn’t causing anyone to sin. So, the sin that individuals have—it is their responsibility to rectify. And the only way of rectification is through Christ. That’s what Paul is warning people. Anyone can be a good person. Anyone can do good things, good deeds if you will. People can be givers of their time, givers of wealth, help the homeless, help the sick, whatever you want to name. At the end of the day, though, good deeds don’t make up for the bad deeds. That’s the warning. It’s not a weight scale where bad is outweighed with good. A lot of individuals believe that’s the way it works. As a matter of fact, that’s what most of us were taught growing up. You do something bad as a child, and then you make it good by doing something good. It seemingly, in most cases, erases the previous bad that was done. That’s not how dealing with our sin works. It’s an all-or-nothing proposition. We are either covered by Christ’s blood and made clean, or we are not.

Warning as Regards the Great Need, Part 1 (TMF:2601)

Monday, April 28, 2025

Peace to Live By: Warning as Regards the Great Need, Part 1 (TMF:2601) - Daniel Litton
(Tap to play feature or right-click to download)

The “everyone” Paul is referring to appears to be the collective group of unbelievers and believers alike. The way he says it in the verse seems to make that connotation. He says first, in the proclamation of Christ, that he goes about “warning.” Warning of what? What is Paul and Timothy warning people about? The need for a Savior, right? The need to be delivered from one’s sins through trust in Christ’s sacrifice of himself on the cross and rising from the dead. The need to trust in that provision of salvation or else. Or else what? Is it that God is going to ‘get’ people if they don’t? Is it trying to come into compliance with an angry God that is out to ‘get’ people. No, really, it is just the stark reality of the situation for everyone. Everyone has rebelled against God in some way, shape, or form, and is therefore separated from God. No real connection to him; no indwelling from the Holy Spirit. That issue needs to be resolved.