Thinking On Scripture With Steven Cook

     The Bible reveals God as the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, that “God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen 1:1), that He “made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth” (Acts 17:24), for “By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible” (Heb 11:3). The creation account in Genesis 1-2 describes how God created the world and everything in it over six literal days (cf., Ex 20:8-11).      The Bible reveals that God made mankind in His image, as Scripture states, “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Gen 1:27). People are not the product of evolutionary processes over millions of years, but a special creation by God Himself. Even after the historic fall of Adam and Eve, all people are said to be “in the image of God” (Gen 9:6), and “in the likeness of God” (Jam 3:9). Despite the fall of humanity into sin, the image

     Sometime in eternity past, God the Father sent God the Son into the world to fulfill a divine mission. God’s Word tells us, “The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14). This was the great mission: to bring salvation to everyone. This act of God was done in love, as it is written, “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” (John 3:16), and “He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:10). The Son agreed with the Father, saying, “I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 6:38), and “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). When God the Son came into the world and took upon Himself humanity, He executed His mission flawlessly.  @ThinkingonScripture  Click here for full article: https://thinkingonscripture.com/2024/07/03/god-the-son-came-down/  Dr. Steven R. Cook

     As Christians, our spiritual growth happens as we feed on God’s Word and benefit from its nourishment. Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matt 4:4; cf. Deut 8:3). Job said, “I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12b). Jeremiah said, “Your words were found and I ate them, and Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart” (Jer 15:16a). Paul encouraged Timothy to be “constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound teaching” (1 Tim 4:6). Peter said, “like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation” (1 Pet 2:2). Pure milk means it has not been watered down. According to Arnold Fruchtenbaum, “The milk is the basics of the Word of God, and it is necessary for young believers. They need this milk in order to grow spiritually…Essentially, the purpose of partaking of spiritual milk is to grow toward maturity so that b

     At the moment of faith in Christ, believers know very little about God, His will, or the many blessings He has provided. Spiritually, they are ignorant babies. This is not a negative, but the reality of the situation. Prior to salvation, the soul is filled with human viewpoint, which is often contrary to God and His Word. This is why Christians are directed to renew their minds (Rom 12:1-2). Living spiritually involves expunging human viewpoint and replacing it with divine viewpoint. A soul devoid of God’s Word lacks the capacity to love and serve the Lord, to love and serve others (according to His standards), and has no defense against Satan’s world system or the sin nature within the Christian. The infusion of God’s Word makes possible the advance to spiritual maturity and the fulfillment of His will, and this is accomplished by faith.      God wants us to mature spiritually, but He is not in a hurry, and He wants us to mature on the food He provides, not junk food that poisons our souls. God works on

     A New Testament person who exemplifies living in submission to God is the Apostle Paul. Despite his weaknesses and failures, Paul’s life demonstrates steady submission to God’s will. His transformation from a persecutor of Christians to a devoted apostle of Christ illustrates this submission. Unlike most Christians, Paul surrendered to the Lord very shortly after his conversion on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-19). Paul dedicated his life to preaching the gospel and establishing churches throughout the Roman Empire.      Later in his life, Paul said, “I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). Paul’s dedication to spreading the Gospel, despite facing numerous hardships, exemplifies submission to God’s mission. His letters to early Christian communities reveal his deep commitment to God’s mission. Paul traveled, preached, and endured h

     For Christians, there is blessing through submission to God. This blessing comes from operating within the sphere of God’s love and laws, which establish boundaries for us to thrive and survive.[1] This is because “a man’s way is not in himself, nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps” (Jer 10:23); rather, “The steps of a man are established by the LORD, and He delights in his way” (Psa 37:23). As God’s children, we are instructed, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Prov 3:5-6).      Living in submission to God means putting His will above our own, trusting in His plan, and following His directives. It entails aligning our thoughts, words, and actions with God’s will and commandments. This submission is characterized by humility, trust, and obedience to follow God’s directives over personal desires.      In the Old Testament, Abraham exemplified submission when God called him t

     Scripture tells us, as Christians, to “Submit to God” (Jam 4:7), and “present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God” (Rom 6:13), and “to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship” (Rom 12:1).[1] These directives are to Christians, calling us to a surrendered life to God. Concerning Romans 12:1, Earl Radmacher states: "Based on God’s mercy (Rom 9:11, 15, 16, 18, 23; 11:30–32), Paul entreats believers to present their bodies as a living sacrifice, meaning they should use their bodies to serve and obey God (Rom 6:13). Such giving of the body to God is more than a contrast with a dead animal sacrifice, it is “newness of life” (Rom 6:4). Holy means set apart for the Lord’s use; acceptable means pleasing to Him; and reasonable indicates that such a gift is the only rational reaction to all the good gifts God has showered on us. [bolding his]"[2]      That Paul instructs his Ch

     For Christians, dedication to God is the starting point for the spiritual life and the advance to Christian maturity. Dedication is a synonym for commitment, devotion, loyalty, and positive volition. According to Charles Ryrie, “There is perhaps no more important matter in relation to the spiritual life than dedication.”[1] In another place he states, “Dedication concerns the subjection of my life to Jesus Christ as long as I live.”[2] For the Christian, dedication starts at a moment in time, and continues, ideally, for the rest of one’s life, as the child of God walks in ongoing obedience to the Lord.[3] After being born again, some believers quickly dedicate themselves to the Lord and begin their journey of spiritual growth. For other Christians, this dedication may come later, perhaps even years later (as it did with me).      Dedication is not a requirement for salvation. That would add works to the gospel message (1 Cor 15:3-4), and that’s wrong. Salvation is a free gift (Rom 6:23), given by God as

     I define spirituality as: The life the Christian experiences when properly living in dependence upon the Holy Spirit and walking according to Scripture. Spirituality assumes regeneration, as one cannot be spiritual without being born again to new life through God the Holy Spirit (John 3:3; 1 Pet 1:3, 23). This new spiritual birth—or regeneration—occurs at the moment of faith in Christ, when one believes in Jesus as Savior (John 3:15-16; 6:40; 20:31; Acts 4:12; 16:31). Once they are born again, their spiritual life will advance in proportion to their intake of Scripture and their willingness to apply it as the Holy Spirit directs. Since we cannot live what we do not know, it’s necessary to learn God’s Word in order to live His will. A Christian who consistently studies and applies God’s Word will reach spiritual maturity more quickly than one who studies little. Christians who are ignorant of God’s Word, or unwilling to obey it, will default to human viewpoint thinking, emotion, or experience as the rule

     The word pneumatikos (πνευματικός) is used by NT writers to refer to divine revelation (Rom 7:14; 1 Cor 2:13-14; Col 1:9), demonic forces (Eph 6:12), blessings from God (Eph 1:3), a mental attitude of joy and worship (Eph 5:18-20; Col 3:16), our future glorified body (1 Cor 15:42-44), the church as a spiritual house (1 Pet 2:4-5), supernatural gifts from the Spirit (Rom 1:11; 1 Cor 12:1), spiritual sacrifices we offer to God (1 Pet 2:5b; cf., Rom 12:1-2; Eph 5:1-2; Phil 4:18; Heb 13:15-16), a mature believer who helps others (Gal 6:1), and is contrasted with immature carnal Christians (1 Cor 3:1-3).      Concerning a definition of the word spiritual, there is no single verse in the Bible that defines it. Perhaps the closest verse on this subject is found in 1 Corinthians 2, where Paul wrote, “The unbeliever does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. And he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The one who is spiritual discerns all things,

     The Christian’s salvation is seen in three phases. Because we have trusted Christ as our Savior, we have been saved from the penalty of sin (John 5:24; Rom 8:1, 33-34; Eph 2:8-9), are being saved from the power of sin that we might live righteously (Rom 6:11-13; Col 3:5), and will be saved from the presence of sin when we leave this world and enter heaven (Phil 3:20-21; 1 John 3:2, 5). These three aspects of our salvation are also referred to as justification (declared just before God once for all), sanctification (our progressive righteousness over time), and glorification (removal of the sin nature after we leave this world). Our justification and glorification are accomplished by God alone, as He does all the work. But our sanctification requires positive volition on our part, as we must adjust ourselves to God’s directives and provisions and learn to walk by faith. The following lessons will focus on phase two of our salvation, looking mainly at the biblical concept of spirituality and the steps the

     Our salvation is seen in three phases. Because we have trusted Christ as our Savior, we have been saved from the penalty of sin (John 5:24; Rom 8:1, 33-34; Eph 2:8-9), are being saved from the power of sin that we might live righteously (Rom 6:11-13; Col 3:5), and will be saved from the presence of sin when we leave this world and enter heaven (Phil 3:20-21; 1 John 3:2, 5). These three aspects of our salvation are also referred to as justification (declared just before God once for all), sanctification (our progressive righteousness over time), and glorification (removal of the sin nature after we leave this world). This section will focus on phase two of our salvation, looking mainly at the biblical concept of spirituality and the steps the Christian can take to advance to spiritual maturity.      After we heard the gospel message that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and raised again on the third day (1 Cor 15:3-4), and we trusted Jesus as our Savior (John 3:16; Acts 4:12; 16:31), we became childr

Exposition of James 2:14-26 (Full Notes Here)      James wrote, “What use is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?” (Jam 2:14). The question demands a negative answer. No. An inactive and useless faith cannot save the Christian. Here, salvation is deliverance from divine discipline (Heb 12:6), which can be severe (1 Cor 11:30), and eventuate in physical death (Jam 5:20; 1 John 5:16), and loss of reward at the bema seat of Christ (1 Cor 3:10-15). As Christians, “we will all appear before the judgment seat of God…and each one of us will give an account of himself to God” (Rom 14:10, 12), for “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive compensation for his deeds done through the body, in accordance with what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Cor 5:10). To be a Christian without good works is to have a useless faith, which will bring God’s discipline. Earl Radmacher states, “Saved (Gk. sōzō) is used five

Introduction (Full Notes Here)      The debate over James 2:14-26 revolves around how to reconcile faith and works in the context of salvation.[1] Catholics and Arminians traditionally see faith and works as both essential for eternal salvation. Reformed theologians see James as setting forth a litmus test for authentic faith, contending that true saving faith is evidenced by a life of obedience and good works. In other words, while salvation is by grace through faith, genuine faith results in a transformed life marked by obedience to Christ as Lord. According to John Frame, “James 2:24, which speaks of justification by works, tells us that a faith without works is not saving faith, not true faith. So, works are evidence of a true, saving faith.”[2] John MacArthur adds, “Good works are inevitable in the life of one who truly believes. These works have no part in bringing about salvation (Eph 2:9; Rom 3:20, 24; 4:5; Tit 3:5), but they show that salvation is indeed present (Eph 2:10; 5:9; 1 John 2:5).”[3] R. C.

     The gospel is the good news that addresses the bad news of human sinfulness and separation from a holy God. Despite our helplessness and deserving of eternal punishment, God’s solution is the gospel of grace, which reveals Jesus Christ took our sins upon Himself, died, was buried, and resurrected on the third day (1 Cor 15:3-4). At the cross, God judged our sin as His righteousness required, and pardons the sinner as His love desires. Salvation from eternal damnation is a free gift offered to all who trust in Christ alone, which emphasizes God’s infinite grace rather than our human effort. This ultimate gift, paid for by Jesus’s sacrifice, underscores the Bible’s message that “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 6:23), highlighting God’s generosity and the completeness of Christ’s work on the cross. God is Holy      The Bible reveals God is holy. God declares of Himself, “I am holy” (Lev 11:44), the psalmist says, “holy is the LORD our God” (Psa 99:9), and the Seraphim dec

God’s Sovereignty and Human Volition at the Cross      One can see God’s sovereignty and human volition working simultaneously at the crucifixion of Jesus. In the sovereignty and wisdom of God, without overruling human volition, the Lord accomplished His will by means of the wills of wicked men who sought to oppose Him. Luke tells us, “this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death” (Acts 2:23). Here, wicked men did their worst against God and His Messiah, and yet, what was done to the Messiah, was done “by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God.” Luke states something similar when he recorded Peter’s prayer to God, saying, “For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur” (Acts 4:27-28). These wicked me

Election      Election derives from the Greek verb eklegō (ἐκλέγω) which, according to BDAG, means “to make a choice in accordance with significant preference, select someone or something for oneself.”[1] According to Norman Geisler, “The word election (or elect) occurs fourteen times in the New Testament. An elect person is a chosen one; election (or elect) is used of Israel (Rom 9:11; 11:28), of angels (1 Tim 5:21), and of believers. In relation to believers, election is the decision of God from all eternity whereby He chose those who would be saved.”[2] Geisler further states, “The words chosen and chose are used numerous times. The terms are employed of Christ (Luke 23:35; 1 Pet 1:20; 2:4, 6), of a disciple (Acts 1:2, 24; 10:41; 22:14; John 15:10), and even of Judas (John 6:70; 13:18), who was chosen to be an apostle. Soteriologically, a chosen one is a person elected to salvation by God.”[3]      Election is that free choice of God from eternity past in which He chose to save and bless some (Eph 1:4-5).

Divine Election Dr. Steven R. Cook (https://thinkingonscripture.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Divine-Election.pdf) Introduction      Election is a biblical teaching that every serious student of the Bible must consider at some point. It addresses issues related to God’s sovereignty and human volition, sin and salvation, justice and mercy, love and faith. Given that election touches upon the infinite and eternal nature of God, it’s not surprising that certain aspects of this doctrine transcend human understanding, similar to the biblical doctrines of the Trinity and the Hypostatic Union.[1] God’s revelation must be our guide. Though we reason through Scripture, our reasoning ability is limited, and we must learn to live with certain unresolvable theological tensions. According to Norman Geisler, “The mystery of the relationship between divine sovereignty and human free will has challenged the greatest Christian thinkers down through the centuries.”[2] Lewis Chafer states, “The doctrine of Election is a cardi

     For those living in the church age, the content of faith is the good news that Jesus—the Messiah—died for our sins, was buried, and resurrected on the third day (1 Cor 15:3-4). When people accept this as historically true, and then place their faith in Jesus, they experience salvation. According to Fruchtenbaum, “we must believe that Yeshua died for our sins as our substitute, that He was buried and rose again, and that He therefore has provided salvation. Thus, one trusts Yeshua for one’s salvation.”[1] According to Robert B. Thieme Jr., “First Corinthians 15:3-4 defines the boundaries of the Gospel, beginning with the work of Christ and ending with His resurrection…Any Gospel message that strays from the cross or denies Jesus Christ’s resurrection from physical death is inaccurate and out of bounds.”[2] Today we understand the saving gospel message as, “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 C

     During the time of Jesus’ life and ministry—but prior to His death on the cross—people were directed to believe the gospel of the kingdom (Matt 3:1-2; 4:17; Mark 1:14-15). The gospel of the kingdom directed Israelites to look to Jesus as the promised Messiah. This meant looking to Jesus as the “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29; cf. Isa 53:4-11). Faith in Jesus would result in their spiritual and eternal salvation. The object of their faith is Christ alone. John wrote, “whoever believes in Him will have eternal life” (John 3:15), and “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16), and “He who believes in the Son has eternal life” (John 3:36). And Jesus pointed others to Himself, saying, “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:40), and “Truly, truly, I