So, what exactly is Eternal Life?

Posted on February 14, 2026 by Tennyson

Eternal life…. Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it? Did you know that Ecclesiastes 3:11 says God has set eternity in our hearts? If God put it there, then it must be important. 

Before I dive into the actual meaning of eternal life. Let me explain what it does NOT mean. 

  • Eternal Life is not a place 
  • Eternal Life is not what happens to us when we die
  • Eternal Life is not a reward for living a good life
  • Eternal Life is not restricted to time

Jesus said in John 17:3

And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.

Knowing someone speaks of a relationship, and as I’ve said before, Christianity at its core is about a relationship. It starts with having the right perspective of God. Too often, God has been misunderstood, mischaracterized, and falsely spoken about. 

Image by sciencefreak by Pixabay

What I’m about to say is very crucial! How you see God will determine your relationship with Him. If your understanding of Him is some big meany waiting to strike you down. Then trust me, your relationship with him will not go very far. 

Fortunately, we have the Bible to help us better understand Him. Before we start, please understand that the relationship I’m talking about goes far beyond anything we can imagine. It would be unrealistic to put it all into this writing, but here are a few passages to help you get started. 

This first one is one of the most famously quoted verses. John 3:16, I’m going to paraphrase it a bit in hopes that you will better understand it.

For God so loved mankind, whom He had created, that he gave us Jesus, the most expensive possession he has, that whoever believes in Jesus will have everlasting life. 

So let’s break this down by starting with the Love of God. Contrary to popular teaching, the New Testament starts with how much God loves us, NOT how much we love God. Too often, we hear sermons about how much we are to love God, which is true, but, truth be told, the primary focus is on how much God loves us. James said it this way: “We love Him because He first loved us.”

Knowing God is based on His love for us. Any other teaching or sermon that is not built on the foundation of God’s love is faulty. Now, knowing about God and knowing God are two different things. I’ve spent a lot of time studying about God, but nothing compares to knowing Him on a day-to-day basis. That, my friends, is where eternal life happens, not in the distant future, but now in this life. 

Romans 5:5b says 

For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

This is what happens to us when we start believing in Jesus Christ. Many people describe it as a born again experence. However you wish to explain it, the truth is, the very first thing the Holy Spirit fills us with is God’s love. Why? Because God’s love is the cornerstone for everything! He just doesn’t have or give love; he is love itself. Your life is not and will never be the same. Again, contrary to popular teaching, this is permanent. God’s love within you is not here today and gone tomorrow. Despite our failures, issues, shortcomings [fill in the blank], God’s love will NEVER be removed from you.

Still not convinced? Look what Isaiah has to say in Chapter 54:9-10

“Just as I swore in the time of Noah

that I would never again let a flood cover the earth,

so now I swear

that I will never again be angry and punish you.

For the mountains may move

and the hills disappear,

but even then my faithful love for you will remain.

My covenant of blessing will never be broken,”

says the LORD, who has mercy on you.

Now this is a great foundation to start a relationship on. When you understand God in this way, the Bible takes on a whole new meaning. Scripture is absolutely filled with passages about God’s love. For example, the Apostle Paul says this 

And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Ephesians 3:18-19

Even though we may not completely understand His love, Paul exhorts us to pursue the experience of it. Why? Because it completes us. The more you experience it, the more you will come to a place where you just abandon yourself in His love. We were designed for this. Nothing else in this world will matter when you live in the love relationship of our Creator.

It’s taken me more than fifty years to finally grasp this, and I’m not exaggerating. I’ve been part of churches and gatherings that emphasized so many different things, yet overlooked the one truth that actually transforms our lives: the eternal life that comes from knowing God and Jesus Christ. That kind of knowing is all about relationship — and that relationship begins with, and is anchored in, God’s love for us.

Eternity starts now by getting to know your creator and Jesus Christ!

Some other Blog posts you may be interested in:

Disciple vs Christian
Becoming a Student of Grace 
Posted in Christian Living, God's Love and Mercy, Grace | Leave a comment

Disciple vs Christian

Posted on January 24, 2026 by Tennyson

Lately, I have been studying and meditating on identity. Come to find out, our identity or how we see ourselves hits at the core of Salvation. Growing up, most of the Churches I’ve attended spent too much time focusing on Sin or Heaven and Hell, which was never meant to be the central theme of the Gospel.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ, at its core, is about a relationship that has been restored to its original design. In fact, I would say it has been restored far better than it was for Adam and Eve. The more I learn about the Gospel of Grace, the more I understand who I am and what I was created for. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to look at the culture and realize Mankind has lost their true identity. Mankind was made in the image and likeness of God, meaning we possess certain qualities and characteristics that are not found in the creation of this world, including the angelic host. 

So what does this have to do with Disciple vs Christian? Aren’t these two terms the same? Not necessarily; both are Christian terms but carry different meanings. 

Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay

For years, I was taught that we, as believers, should be Disciples, which is fine, but again, as I learn more about our identity in Jesus, it doesn’t really fit who we are. Now hold on, give me a chance to explain! Discipleship, in its simplest definition, is being a student, nothing more. Jesus is our Teacher, and we are his students. Throughout the Gospels, being a disciple is mentioned many times, but here is something I find interesting. After the book of Acts, the word disciple is never mentioned in almost all translations of the Bible, hmmmm.

In Acts 11:26b, you will find a short verse that says “And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch”. Most of us pass over this verse and think nothing of it, but why would Luke (the writer of Acts) inject this seemingly harmless verse? Up until that time, several writings referred to believers as followers of the way, Saints, and, of course, disciples.  The term Christians refers to followers of Christ or to being Christ-like. 

So what is the point? My point is that being Christ-like provides a more accurate description of our identity. Perhaps the early Church struggled to determine how best to describe a person after conversion. But here is something to consider: 1 John 4:17 has this phenomenal phrase, “as He is, so are we in this world,” meaning that as Jesus is, so are we. Think about that… Whatever Jesus is, that is what we are. This speaks of identity. 

Let’s take righteousness, for example. If Jesus is righteous, then we are righteous! Our righteousness is based on Jesus, not on what we do. We are not becoming righteous; we were made righteous. The only way we could become unrighteous is if something were to happen to Jesus, and we know that will never happen. 

Consider this:

  • If Jesus is holy, then so are we
  • If Jesus is without Sin, then so are we
  • If Jesus is beloved by God, then so are we 
  • If Jesus walks in divine healing, then so do we
  • If Jesus has all his needs met, then so do we

Consider these scriptures

  • 2 Corinthians 3:18 – We are being transformed into His image
  • Romans 8:29 – We are being conformed to His Likeness
  • Philippians 2:5 – We have the same mindset as Christ
  • 1 John 3:2 – Seeing Him as He is, we shall be like Him

I’ve heard it said this way: when God looks at you, He sees Jesus. When Jesus looks at you, he sees Himself. When we start believing in Jesus, the Holy Spirit goes to work in us, making us more like Jesus, notice I didn’t say it starts with you! Philippians 1:6 states that God, who started a good work in us, will faithfully complete it until the return of Jesus Christ. 

Being a student, aka disciple, is important, but truth be told, we are much more than that. It is God’s intention for us to be transformed into the image of His Son by the work of the Holy Spirit. So, using the term ‘Christian’ better fits our identity. 

Here is a good prayer I use to remind myself during my times of fellowship with the Father. 

Father

I thank you that I’m not just your son, but I’m your beloved son. You have made me righteous, you have made me Holy and I stand before you without a single fault. Work in me that which is pleasing and good in your sight. Continue to change my desires and grant me the ability to do what pleases you. 

More could be added, but this helps keep my focus. It also helps me understand just how God sees me. I’ve heard it said that Jesus is what God thinks about you! Even when we have a bad day or don’t always do what’s right. God will never change His mind about how he sees you. 

Jesus is what God thinks about you!

Some other Blog posts you may be interested in:

Becoming a Student of Grace 
Performance Based Christianity
Posted in Christian Living, Grace | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

To Attend Church or not?

Posted on August 8, 2025 by Tennyson

I would ask that you please read this blog in its entirety before drawing any conclusions or making any judgements. 

So, with that said, I would like to discuss this topic, which seems to stir up lots of passion, mixed emotions, and personal opinions among believers: whether to attend a local church or not.

Let me start by saying, I Love Church, especially the local church. My wife and I have devoted the best years of our lives to building the church, developing deep relationships, leading the church, and teaching God’s people. Being a part of a local Church has left an indelible mark on our lives. There’s something about building relationships among brothers and sisters in Christ that is a beautiful thing; it touches something of eternity within us. So I don’t want you thinking I’m against being a part of a local church, but there are some things that disturb me. More on that later. 

My Wife and I have been through a continual process in the last ten years. After decades of living church life, a troubling unrest started growing within me. I couldn’t explain it; I knew the devil wasn’t trying to throw me off track, but something kept gnawing at me. It was so bad that one Sunday morning, while driving to church, all I kept thinking about was the trip home and how I hated being there. After the service, I told my wife, I can’t do this anymore, something isn’t right, I need a break to hear from God. So with that, we stopped attending a local church. Now, keep in mind, I’m not some newbie off the street. I gave my life to Jesus when I was just twelve years old, and I’m no stranger to the dealings of God. I knew my closest friends and the congregation wouldn’t understand, but there comes a time in everyone’s life when you have to hear God for yourself. 

Since then, the Holy Spirit began peeling off bad layers of my thinking. One thing I’ve realized is that although I’ve gained a lot of understanding about being a Christian through my involvement in a local church, I’ve also been exposed to a lot of incorrect theology and just wrong thinking. So here are a few things I’ve learned. 

Our salvation is not wrapped up in being a part of a church

Very early in the process, the Holy Spirit confronted me with this question: “Do you believe you have lost your salvation because you are not a part of a church?” I didn’t answer right away. He wanted me to think about it. After a day, I finally concluded that the answer is no. Salvation is based on believing in Jesus Christ! Yes, it’s true we become members of Christ’s body, but just because you attend church does not mean you are going to heaven. Over the centuries, we have set this precedent to both believers and non-believers, and it simply isn’t true. 

I’ll say it again, Salvation is based on believing/faith in Jesus Christ, and there is a plethora of scriptures to back this up.

Do not take a truth of Scripture and make it THE truth

I once heard a true story about two friends who, at one time, attended the same church. Months later, one of the friends made it very clear that they could no longer be friends or in a relationship because they were not part of the same church. Oh, dear Jesus, help us! Seriously? Our Christ-centered relationships are built on whether or not we attend the same church? This kind of thinking stems from an unhealthy or over-exaggerated view of the Church. 

Attending church is a truth of Scripture, but it’s not the truth. There are many aspects to being a Christian, and I dare say the most important one that really matters to God is how we treat one another. Jesus said the world will know you are mine by the love you have for one another.  If Churches are not built on the foundation of God’s love, then the foundation will have flaws in it.

The Red Herring effect 

The Red Herring effect is a distraction or misdirection used to lead someone away from the main issue. The term originated from a practice of using strongly cured or smoked herring, which turns reddish and pungent, to train hunting dogs by diverting their attention from the real scent trail.

In Galatians, Paul makes a very strong statement: If anyone preaches a different Gospel than the one I’ve preached to you, let him be a curse. This implies that there are different (manmade) versions of the Gospel. In the book of Acts, Paul references his version as the Gospel of Grace, which he received by revelation from the Lord himself (Gal. 1:12).

The whole book of Galatians goes into great detail about how new believers found their freedom in Christ, but then others came in and persuaded them that they must keep the Law of Moses as well. This is not only a different Gospel, but it also frustrates the Holy Spirit, because it takes us back to a performance-based Christianity. Unfortunately, this continues to this day—a Red Herring meant to draw us off the trail. 

Jesus gave his life to establish a new Covenant with mankind (Heb. 10), yet Churches continue to preach a Gospel that mixes law and Grace. This has to stop! Looking back on it now, this had a lot to do with my unrest and gnawing in my Spirit. 

The Online Church

Ever since COVID, the Church has been confronted with the online Church. As far as I’m concerned, it’s better than not going to Church altogether. Whether you agree or not, it’s not going away. Church Leaders can embrace it or reject reaching a whole host of Christians and non-Christians. I, for one, thank God for it. These past three years, through an online Church, my Wife and I have had our eyes opened to the Gospel of Grace, which has completely transformed our thinking, and taught us how to truly live a Christian life, this time correctly. 

So, am I against attending a local church? Absolutely not! If you can find a church that will teach you how to live life from the Gospel of Grace, then by all means, check it out. However, if you are in some weird stage of life, be it work schedule, physical condition, or you are not comfortable being around people, please, I’ll say it again, please find an online Church. The goal of the Church (local or online) is to help you renew your mind. Just make sure you ask, and then listen to the Holy Spirit as to what to watch, because you do not want to fall into the issues I’ve outlined. 

Some other Blog posts you may be interested in:

Becoming a Student of Grace 
Performance Based Christianity
Posted in Bible Topics, Christian Living | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Nasty Habit of Being Judgmental

Posted on March 26, 2024 by Tennyson

Several years ago, I was visiting a good friend of mine. During the conversation, I told them how blessed I was to have heard some of the sermons from a high-profile preacher. I’m not going to mention names here because I don’t want you to adopt the same attitude my friend did. 

You see, this preacher has been in ministry for over 40 years. A lot can change in 40 years, and as with many of us, our understanding and perspectives change, which is the case with this preacher. Hopefully, as we grow older, we will become wiser. I know it has been the same with my life. There have been many things in my beliefs that I’ve had to go back and reevaluate and change; this is just part of life. Unfortunately, my friend knew this high-profile preacher in their early days and immediately threw up a wall in our conversation. 

What is with us humans and being judgmental of others? I’ve been in conversations where Christians have been accused of being too judgmental, and in most cases rightly so; however, I also know of non-Christians who are equally and, in some cases, worse when it comes to being judgmental. 

Let me clearly state upfront that I am not a model Christian when it comes to this nasty habit of being judgmental of others. However, over the course of my life, I have learned a few things and gained a better perspective in this area. So, from a Christian perspective, here are four things I’ve learned to keep in mind before opening my big mouth. 

First, 

John 3:17 Says that God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be saved. Jesus didn’t come to condemn people, so what gives us the right to condemn? Many times, our bad judgment of others will lead to condemnation.

Secondly, 

Matthew 7:1 Says, “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. I like to say it this way: The measuring stick you use to measure others will be the same measuring stick to measure you. Hmmm. I wonder how tall our measuring stick is. 

Thirdly, 

This one is the most damaging. We tend to hold people to their past. Ask yourself this question: For as long as you have been a Christian, let’s say 10 years, do you sin more now or less than 10 years ago? Hopefully, if you are a true follower of Christ, the answer is less. Why? Because the Holy Spirit has been working in your life, giving you the power and the desire to please God. However, most people do not take this into account and continue to judge and condemn individuals because of their past, which is the case with my friend. We need to stop being so judgmental of people based on who they were years ago because, most likely, they are not in the same place. Most people learn from their mistakes. 

Lastly, 

We all have issues; none of us is exempt. Jesus said in Matthew 7 to first take the beam out of your own eye before trying to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye. There was a teaching going around about holding people accountable. It never quite agreed with me because how can I hold others accountable when I have issues of my own? Learn to deal with your own issues and let the Holy Spirit deal with others. Many times, we try to take the place of the Holy Spirit, but I’ve found He is much more qualified to change people than I am.

So, is there ever a time when it’s necessary to judge? Of course, there is. It’s unrealistic to think we go through life without making some sort of judgment in areas. I’ve done it in this article with regard to Christians and non-Christians. But I think the most important thing to keep in mind is our motives and attitude. Why are we being so judgemental towards someone? For example, I’ve noticed that many people tend to judge and criticize wealthy or successful individuals, which often stems from feelings of jealousy or envy. So again, I have to ask, what is our motivation and attitude? Are we doing it because we think we are better? Are we being judgemental out of hate or spitefulness? I’m reminded of the old saying, “If you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all”

In closing, I just want to say that humility goes a long way, especially when it comes to judging and keeping these four things in mind will help avoid the pitfalls of the nasty habit of being judgemental. 

Some other Blog posts you may be interested in:

From The Inside Out
Dependence or Independence? 
Posted in Life Insights, Opinion | Leave a comment

Faith is not a bad word! – Part 1

Posted on March 22, 2024 by Tennyson

My Wife and I grew up in the Faith movement. There, I said it! 😊

My Grandmother was from a Pentecostal background, so naturally, she began to teach me about having faith for healing. I remember the days, fresh out of High School and after working the night shift, I would visit my Grandmother on Sunday mornings, and we watched a Faith teacher from the West Coast. I would be absolutely amazed at the teaching about topics such as the Holy Spirit, Faith, God’s provision, and healing. Little did I know that those days would instill in me a foundation that has had a lasting impact on my life. 

Not long after my Wife and I were married, we attended a church where the Pastor was from West Texas and had graduated from Rama Bible College in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We were like “fresh out of the box” Christians, with very little influence from churches steeped in religion. Back in those days, I was barely working an above-minimum-wage job; we had children, and we barely had anything of value except we knew how to put our faith and trust in God, believing God would take care of us.

Needless to say, God took care of us and more! No, we didn’t have all the finer things in life, but we never went hungry, the kids had clothes to wear, we always had a home to live in and good steady employment. 

Image by Claire Diaz from Pixabay

I can remember when we were running low on food, and one of my wife’s sisters would show up and say their freezer quit working and wanted to know if we wanted the meat before it was thawed. This happened twice. One day, my Wife was going through the kids’ wardrobe and realized we didn’t have winter coats for them to wear. Within the following month, someone stopped with a box of clothes that contained some used coats. Keep in mind that my wife never told anyone, not even me.  I remember the time our son had come down with a fever. My Wife and I laid our hand on him and rebuked the fever. The fever left him almost immediately. Our last child was born at home; the labor was so quick we didn’t have time to leave the house. In the midst of the chaos, my Wife wanted to scream, but when she did, it came out in her heavenly prayer language. At that moment, we felt a warm, gentle breeze in the room, and instantly, there was peace. My Wife heard the word “push,” and when she did, out came the baby’s head. Without exaggeration, there are so many more examples I could use, but I hope you get the point. 

I worked as a manager for a fast-growing company. The time came when I was offered a job promotion to work at the corporate office in the Midwest. We felt like God was moving us towards it, so we moved. We found a really awesome Non-Denominational church with a focus on building relationships, something we had never experienced before. We spent about 20 years building the church, but in those years, I don’t recall too many messages on faith or how to exercise our faith. In fact, I remember times when the faith movement was joked about. Word of Faith churches and para churches were not really considered churches; only the local church was supreme. 

In time, something began to gnaw from within me. I couldn’t explain it, but something didn’t feel quite right, and I needed to know what it was. We ended up leaving that church because I needed to get out of that environment and find out what was gnawing from within. It took a little over five years (there were other things that needed to be dealt with), but I began to figure some things out. Through a series of events, we found ourselves in a Word of Faith conference. During those days, it was like reconnecting with our roots from earlier days. It was then I realized our faith had been lying dormant, and we had forgotten the principles of faith.  

Hebrews 11:6 says it’s impossible to please God without faith. God wants us to depend on him in everything because this pleases Him. In my 30-plus years of living the Christian life, I have come to the conclusion that faith, or learning how to exercise our faith, or let me say it this way, learning how to depend on God and trust in Him, should be central to the development of Christian living. 

In my last blog, I discussed Grace, God’s provision for the believer. In this new covenant of grace, God has provided EVERYTHING we need for Life and godliness. Grace supplies, but it is our faith that causes us to obtain it. 

As with every past move of God, there have always been those who take it to the extreme or out of context, and the Faith movement is no exception. But as I’ve been studying God’s grace, I have come to realize that there must be a balance between grace and faith. If you lean too far to one or the other, errors in your thinking will occur. For example, I remember the so-called “name it and claim it” days when we would lay our hands on things and claim it in the name of Jesus. Here is the problem with that kind of thinking: if Grace didn’t provide it, your faith will not receive it. Another example of the misuse of faith is thinking you can use faith apart from Jesus and that is simply not going to work. Everything is connected through Jesus!

As you can tell by the title, this is just part 1 of the discussion of faith. Next time I’ll dive more deeply into this awesome gift God has given us.

Some other Blog posts you may be interested in:

Becoming a Student of Grace 
Love, Grace, and Faith

If you have found this blog to be helpful in any way, we kindly request that you consider sharing it on your preferred social media platform. Thank you.

Posted in Bible Topics, Faith | Leave a comment

Becoming a Student of Grace 

Posted on March 15, 2024 by Tennyson

Recently, I was talking with a good friend of mine, and I made some references to what Grace provides. I could tell by the look on their face that there was some confusion, probably due to our definition of the word Grace. When hearing the term God’s grace, most Christians have heard the saying God’s unmerited favor, which is true, but there is much more depth to the understanding of God’s Grace. The Apostle Paul mentions the Gospel of Grace in Acts 20:24, and the bible speaks of the Covenant of Grace. 

What I’m about to share is not some new teaching but more of an in-depth look at what a believer in Jesus Christ has regarding Grace. Firstly, It’s important to understand that Grace is a person, and that person is Jesus Christ. 

John 1:14

And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

John 1:17

For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

The Word made flesh is speaking about Jesus. Jesus is full of grace and truth. Grace and truth are not separate ideals; you cannot have one without the other. If you understand grace, you will understand truth. “You can easily replace the word ‘Jesus’ with ‘grace’, and vice versa, as they are interchangeable.”

By Grace/Jesus, God has provided everything we will ever need, and He did it before you existed. 2 Peter 1:3 says God has given us everything pertaining to life and godliness. He does it through grace. 

Hebrews 13:9 (NKJ) says For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace. The grace of God is not something that will go away with time. Grace is God’s response to those of us who have responded to the Gospel by believing in Jesus. Grace is not just in this life but throughout eternity. So, with this in mind, it is extremely important for us to become Students of Grace. This would require us to study the Bible, renew our minds, and discover what is available to us for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).

Here are just a few examples of areas covered by Grace

  • Ephesians 1:7-8 – We are forgiven of our sins always and forever
  • Romans 5:1 – We are made righteous and holy in his sight
  • John 3:36 – We HAVE eternal life. Not someday, but now
  • Romans 8:1 – We are free from the condemnation of sin
  • Isaiah 53:5  – We have access to complete healing of our bodies
  • Philippians 4:19 – Our daily needs, such as food, clothing, and shelter, are provided
  • John 14:27 – Jesus gave us His peace to walk in
  • Galatians 2:20 (KJV) – We live by the faith of Jesus
  • James 1:5-8 – We can access His Wisdom
  • Romans 15:13 – Hope for the future

These areas are just a few provided by this Gospel of Grace.  

There are a couple of things I want to point out. 

First, none of these areas require participation on our part; God has provided this through His grace. I recently heard this quote: “Grace cannot be grace if there is a condition on it”. This may come as a surprise, but the Old Testament was centered on what we must do, but the New Testament is about what God has done for us through Jesus/Grace.

Secondly, Many Christians waste vast amounts of time trying to reproduce what is already been provided. For example, being righteous and holy is not achieved through our own efforts. Because of Jesus, God has already declared us righteous and holy in His sight. By trying to obtain righteousness yourself, you frustrate the grace of God (Galatians 2:21). 

So, how do we access the provisions of what Grace has made available? Just like salvation, we access the provision of grace through Faith. “It’s truly incredible how God has provided everything we need for our lives and spiritual growth through His grace. And what’s even more amazing is that He has given us the ability to access these blessings. As it says in Romans 12:3, God has given each of us a measure of faith.”

Understanding the balance between grace and faith is the key. Grace provides, but it is our faith that enables us to receive. The New Covenant speaks volumes regarding our Faith. In Hebrews 11:6, scriptures go so far as to say without faith, it is impossible to please God. 

This topic of Faith is for another time, but I look forward to sharing it with you. 

Some other Blog posts you may be interested in:

Love, Grace, and Faith
Three aspects of the Law changed by Grace

If you have found this blog helpful in any way, we kindly request that you consider sharing it on your preferred social media platform. Thank you.

Posted in Bible Topics, Grace | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Are You In The Envelope?

Posted on September 27, 2023 by Tennyson

I recently heard this most profound object lesson. You take an envelope and write the word Jesus on the front of it. Next, take a piece of paper and write your name on it, or if you really want to get crazy, write the names of everyone you know who is Christian on it. Fold up the paper and put it in the envelope. The next step is very important: seal up the envelope! This is our stance before God. Colossians chapter 3 describes it this way. 

Colossians 3:3

For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.

Now, think about this for a moment. Whatever happens and wherever the envelope is, that is what we are from now and throughout eternity. We cannot be separated from the envelope because it’s been sealed. If the envelope is shipped around the world, then we go with it. Since the envelope represents Jesus, consider the following: 

  • Since Jesus is righteous, then so are we
  • Since Jesus is Holy, then so are we
  • Since Jesus is sinless, then so are we!
  • Since Jesus walks in perfect peace, then so do we
  • Since Jesus possesses the wealth of Heaven, then so do we
  • Since Jesus possesses healing, then so do we
  • Since Jesus walks in perfect obedience, then so do we
  • Since Jesus has authority over the demonic realm, then so do we
  • Since Jesus possesses all wisdom and knowledge, then so do we
Image by GraphicsSC from Pixabay

The list could go on and on, but I hope you get the point. Whatever Jesus is, so are we, not someday in the future, but now! For example, we are not trying to be righteous and holy; we are righteous and holy because of Jesus. 

So, how does one get into the envelope? Well, if you have been reading any of my blogs, you know what I’m about to say. It starts by believing in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. There is no other way! I didn’t say it; Jesus said it. 

John 10:9a

I (Jesus) am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved.

It sounds so simple, but that one word, “believing” has such a profound impact. I’ve mentioned this before, but it’s worth repeating. 

The most powerful force in this world is your belief or unbelief.

Both will influence how you live your life. 

So, getting back to the list. Some might ask the question, if we are all the things on the list, then why aren’t we, as Christians, walking these out? Very simply put, you don’t believe it, OR like most Christians (and I used to be one of them), you believe through your own obedience (right living, discipline, performance) you have to earn them. 

Let’s talk about Believing/Unbelieving versus Obey/Disobeying for a moment. We all have been taught from our early childhood the concept of obeying and disobeying. If we obey, then good will come our way, but if we disobey, then bad will happen to us. This is what it was like living under the Law of Moses. This mentality is so ingrained in our thinking. The major problem with this thinking is that we no longer live under the Law but under Grace. Listen to what the writer of Hebrews has to say as to why the people of Israel did not enter His rest:

Hebrews 3:18-19

And to whom was God speaking when he took an oath that they would never enter his rest? Wasn’t it the people who disobeyed him? So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter his rest.

He equates disobeying with unbelief. He is using disobeying and unbelief as synonyms. The same could be said of Obeying versus Believing. 

I’m going to make a radical statement here, but hear me out. Under the Mosaic Law, the focus is on your performance (Obeying/Disobeying); under the covenant of Grace, the focus is on your belief or Unbelief; in fact, starting with the book of Romans, replace the words obey/disobeying with belief/unbelief, and you will see what I’m talking about. You cannot have obedience without first believing something. Belief and Unbelief start in the mind, and Obeying/Disobeying starts with works of the flesh.

Proverbs 23:7a

For as he (man) thinks within himself, so he is.

If you start believing you are righteous and holy because you are in Christ, then you will start acting righteous and holy. 

If you start believing you walk in complete healing and wholeness because you are in Christ, then you will start walking in complete healing and wholeness. 

If you start believing you possess the wealth of Heaven because you are in Christ, then you will start walking in the wealth of Heaven. 

If you start believing your sins have been forgiven (past/present/future) because you are in Christ, then you will experience what the Apostle Paul says in Romans chapter 8 – So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

In my Christian experience, I have been repeatedly taught you have to do this and you have to do that. When in reality, God has been saying all along, just believe in my Son Jesus Christ, and let the Holy Spirit take care of the work of transforming your life because we are in the envelope together, a.k.a In Christ.

Some other Blog posts you may be interested in:

Performance Based Christianity
Agent of Change

If you have found this blog to be helpful in any way, we kindly request that you consider sharing it on your preferred social media platform. Thank you.

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The Right Approach

Posted on September 15, 2023 by Tennyson

There have been a few things stirring around in my mind lately. The first I have written about quite a few times, but I think it’s necessary to repeat.

A while back, I wrote down in my notes this quote. 

The most powerful force in this world is your belief or unbelief.

Both will influence how you live your life. 

I find this true in just about every area of our lives, especially in the area of Salvation and how we live the Christian life. Most of us have been taught that in order to be saved, you have to recite some long, drawn-out sinner prayer, and I’m not knocking that, but religion has a way of adding more rules and regulations to the definition of Salvation. From what I’ve studied of Scripture, salvation starts with the belief in Jesus Christ. 

Consider the following Scriptures: 

John 3:16

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Acts 16:31

They replied (Paul and Silas), “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will

be saved, along with everyone in your household.”

Romans 10:9 – Note: we will address the “Jesus is Lord” bit later

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that 

God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Ephesians 2:8

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.

The list could go on and on, but hopefully, I hope you get the point. There is really not much God can do for a person until they believe in his Son, Jesus Christ. I wrote a blog a while back entitled “Sin does not send you to Hell.” It’s your belief or unbelief in Jesus Christ that determines your eternal state. In fact, I go so far as to say your unbelief is the unpardonable sin.  

Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay

Once a person starts believing in Jesus, then God can do His work in them; the emphasis here I want to point out is God doing the work. 

Philippians 1:6

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

Here is another area where religion creeps in and twists things around, and that is defining the approach to living the Christian life.

Here is another quote I wrote down in my studies: 

Any doctrine or teaching that causes you to focus on performing or having to earn/maintain your salvation or gain God’s approval is false.  

Let’s take Discipleship and Lordship, for example. I have been taught in the past these teachings were to be the primary focus of the Christians’ development, but without the proper understanding that God is the one doing the work within us, these teachings can and will lead to works-based Christianity and we all know that Salvation does not come about by your good works. 

Ephesians 2:9

Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

Don’t misunderstand me; I’m not taking anything thing away from these teachings, Jesus IS Lord, and it is right to be a Disciple, but I’ve been in circles where these truces have been used to manipulate people into obedience, and I’m not convinced this is what God had in mind.

So, what should be our motivation for living the Christian life? Let’s dive into this…..

First off, let me give two scenarios of motivation. The first is an Employer/Employee, or back in biblical times, we would call it a Master/Slave relationship.  Here is what it would look like.

  • Very rare, the relationship would be based on Love (this is key)
  • The Employee does what the Employer requires out of duty.
  • When the Employee makes a mistake, they may suffer the consequences.  
  • The Employee may live in fear of upsetting or disappointing their Employer.

Now let’s look at a Parent/Child relationship in a home where love is the focus. 

  • Parents will do whatever they can to give their children a good home and the guidance they need.
  • Because of the first point, children inherently want to please their parents.
  • The Children do not live in fear of being kicked out when they mess up, make a mistake, or misbehave. 
  • The Children will feel secure in their relationship with their parents.

Which scenario do you think God would like to have with His people? The most obvious would be the Parent/Child relationship.

I’ve repeatedly mentioned this before, but it cannot be said enough. It is vital for a Christian’s growth and development to understand and experience just how much God loves you. It is not in his nature to punish us, abandon us, or leave us to defend for ourselves. Now, He will correct us when needed, but that is for our good. It is out of His goodness, kindness, grace, and mercy that will lead us to a changed life (Romans 2:4).

Here is another example of how kindness can change a person. My Wife and I were at a restaurant, and the waitress did a good job at serving us, but this particular night, I was feeling quite generous and thinking she looked to be a college student; we left a very large tip. After she discovered the tip amount, she came back to our table with a completely different attitude, thanking us over and over and wanting to know if there was anything else she could do for us. This is EXACTLY what God does to us. We were just living life, not deserving anything, and then God showed up with His Grace and Mercy, and because of His love he showed towards us, it caused us to inherently want to please Him.

Sad to say, many sermons you hear today do not take this approach to living a changed life. Too often, the focus is on sin and condemnation, and you better get your life straight because that’s not the way of a disciple! That kind of environment is not conducive to changing an individual; in fact, it does nothing but drive people away from living a Christian life, but I believe in these last days, God is about to make some changes.

Some other Blog posts you may be interested in:

Sin Does NOT Send You To Hell
Love, Grace, and Faith

If you have found this blog to be helpful in any way, we kindly request that you consider sharing it on your preferred social media platform. Thank you.

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Performance Based Christianity

Posted on August 31, 2023 by Tennyson

I recently wrote about an aspect of the Mosaic Law, the laws written for the Jewish people, and how it was performance-based. Deuteronomy chapter 28 outlines the blessings and the curses of the law. In other words, your actions determine whether you are blessed or cursed. Many people today, including the Jewish leaders during the time of Jesus, associated being in right standing with God, a.k.a righteous, with keeping the law.

We found out through the Apostle Paul’s writings in Romans 3:20

For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. 

I want to expand upon this mentality of having to perform because it still exists today and wraps itself in different forms. 

This mentality I’m talking about is the ideal we have to perform, or you could say be a good person to be in right standing with God. Many people believe if you do good, behave yourself, don’t lie, cheat, cuss, help the poor, etc. God will welcome you into heaven. This is simply not the case. The Bible very clearly states that it is through Faith in Jesus Christ that we are saved and made righteous.  

Ephesians 2:8-9

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

So, we must dispel this notion that we can show up to heaven with our long list of good deeds and think we will be accepted. Trust me, it will not go well with you. Remember, Salvation is not a reward for our good deeds but a gift from God. 

Image by truthseeker08 from Pixabay

Another area where this performance-based mentality creeps in, similar to what we have previously mentioned, is the belief that we must clean up ourselves to come to God. If this were the case, then answer this question, 

Do you clean up before taking a shower, or do you take a shower to get cleaned up? 

Obviously, the answer is the latter. We come to God, and He cleans us up. Too many people put their faith and trust in themselves, thinking they must clean up their lives for God to accept them. This is absolutely false! For us to be in right standing with God, it is vital that we go to Him and allow Him to work and change ourselves. 

Philippians 2:13

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

I’ve written about this previously, and I’ll leave a link below, but a true change in our lives occurs when God starts working in you, changing your desires, and granting you the power to do what pleases him. 

Lastly, and this is a major one, is the notion that somehow we must maintain our salvation through our own performance. I want you to listen to me very closely: righteousness and holiness are not obtained through our human efforts! You’re probably thinking I am going off the deep end, but hear me out. Just because you don’t drink alcohol, cuss, smoke cigarettes, or, let’s say, you go to church, serve in many areas in the church, and give offerings; these acts don’t make you righteous or holy in God’s sight. 

Colossians 1:22

Yet now he (God) has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.  

By believing in Jesus Christ, God has reconciled you to himself, and because of this reconciliation, God has declared you holy and blameless, and you stand before God without a single fault! This will not happen in the future, but it is now by believing in Jesus Christ. You are not holy because you are a good and upstanding Christian. You are holy because God made you holy and blameless. This is what I call our stance before God. Some of you may be saying, I don’t feel holy and blameless, or I still sometimes fall into sin. First off, it is not based on our feelings, and secondly, God isn’t finished with us. This is what I call our status. As I mentioned in Philippians 2:13, God is working and will continue to work in us until our status meets our standing in Christ Jesus. Think of it this way. If you have been following Jesus for any length of time, your desires to live rightly should have changed in this time. Why do you think that is? And don’t you dare say it’s because of my good living.

There is one thing that will prevent this from becoming a reality in your life, and that is unbelief. You don’t believe God has made you holy and righteous even tho I just showed you in scripture. Most Christians would rather believe and put their faith in their performance to determine their standing before God. I’ve said this before, but it is worth repeating: Your beliefs influence your actions.  

In the Old Testament, under the Mosaic law, it was all about our ability to change, and as you can see, this mentality still exists today. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out our flesh is weak. You could be the most strong-willed person, full of discipline, but still fail in living a holy and blameless life. After the cross, God stepped in, and because of the sacrifice Jesus made, God made us holy, blameless, and righteous in His sight, and through the inner working of the Holy Spirit, God is changing our desires and giving us the power to what pleases Him. If only you would believe. 

Some other Blog posts you may be interested in:

From The Inside Out
Dependence or Independence? 

If you have found this blog to be helpful in any way, we kindly request that you consider sharing it on your preferred social media platform. Thank you.

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Three aspects of the Law changed by Grace

Posted on August 17, 2023 by Tennyson

There is a bit of confusion among Christians today regarding the old Mosaic Law. The Mosaic Law was instituted back in the days of Moses. I’ve never counted just how many laws were written, but I’m told there were over 600 of them. I cannot imagine having to keep over 600 laws just to be righteous in God’s sight! And then there is this:

James 2:10

 For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.

In other words, if you break just one law, James says you have broken all of them. 

So, let’s go over three aspects regarding this Mosaic Law, and hopefully, we can glean a better understanding of the differences between the Mosaic Law and the new covenant of Grace, which has replaced the Law.

The Mosaic Law was written for Jews, not for Christians. 

In the early Church, this was a hot topic (Acts 15) because many of the Jews wanted gentiles (Non-Jewish) converts to keep the Mosaic law. During the debate, the Apostle Peter stood up and said the following: 

Acts 15:9-11

He (God) made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts through faith. So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear? We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.”

In Paul’s writings, he repeatedly emphasizes that we Christians (Jews and Gentiles) are no longer under the law but under grace. Yet many Churches continue to this day to enforce many parts of the law, something which was never intended for Christians. 

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

The Mosaic Law was based on your performance. 

Deuteronomy chapter 28 outlines the blessings and the curses of the law. In other words, your actions determine whether you are blessed or cursed.  If you obey, then you are blessed, but if you disobey, you are cursed. It was strictly performance-based. This mentality still continues to this day. We continue to believe that in order for God to bless us, we must do good, but the fact is that God is not good to us because we are good. He is good to us because He is Good – regardless of our performance. 

Colossians 1:22

He (God) has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

Our salvation is something God himself initiated through our faith in Jesus Christ. It’s something you will NEVER earn because of your good performance. This scripture in Colossians is not something in the future, but it is how God sees us through our faith in Jesus Christ. We already stand holy, blameless, and we stand before him without a single fault. 

To be forgiven of your transgressions, a sacrifice had to be made.

Under the Mosaic Law, there were what is called sin and burnt offerings. These sacrifices could never take away sin but cover sin (Hebrews 10:4). Even tho these offerings were made, the guilt, shame, and condemnation of sin remained. 

The blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ absolutely and completely abolishes the sin issue. 

Hebrews 9:28

Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.

The Message translation says, “It was a sacrifice that took care of sins forever.” Notice it says Jesus will come again, NOT to deal with our sins.  Why? Because Jesus has already dealt with the sin of mankind, past, present and furture!

I’ve been in churches most of my life, and it seems like the central theme is always about sin. The problem with the focus being on sin is that the law causes sin to increase (Romans 5:20). So sin should not be the central theme of the church. 

There are many more aspects of the Mosaic Law that exist. I’ve talked about three, which I believe are important ones. It’s vital for us to understand the differences between Law and Grace.

In addition, I want to mention a few things to keep in mind regarding Jesus’ role while he lived on this earth. The first, Jesus was a Jew; secondly, He was born under the Mosaic Law. 

Galatians 4:4

But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law.

So, as we read the Gospels, it is imperative that we understand and keep this in mind! While Jesus lived on this earth, He fulfilled every aspect of the Law and also introduced grace. Remember how He handled the situation with the woman caught in adultery. And, of course, Jesus is going to talk about subjects such as tithing because He was under the Law.

Hebrews chapter 10 talks about a new covenant that Jesus instituted. The first covenant, a.k.a. the Law, has been fulfilled, and a new covenant, a covenant of grace, has been put into effect.  The understanding of the covenant of grace is something I feel is greatly lacking in Churches today. I have made it my mission to first of all, be establish in grace and to teach and talk about it to anyone who will listen, because I consider this to be the true Gospel we as Christians need to be spreading.

Some other Blog posts you may be interested in:

Love, Grace, and Faith
Sin Does NOT Send You To Hell

If you have found this blog to be helpful in any way, we kindly request that you consider sharing it on your preferred social media platform. Thank you.

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