LIVE GODLY, DON’T GIVE UP Galatians 6:9 We can’t allow ourselves to get tired of living the right way. Certainly, each of us will receive ⸤everlasting life⸥ at the proper time, if we don’t give up. Hebrews 12:1 Since we are surrounded by so many examples ⸤of faith⸥, we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially sin that distracts us. We must run the race that lies ahead of us and never give up. 1 Corinthians 16:13 “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” Ephesians 6:10 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” LIVE GODLY, STAY STRONG IN THE LORD. DON’T ALLOW THIS WORLD TO CAUSE YOU TO BECOME TIRED AND GIVE UP. Everlastingsalvationchurchofgod.com PASTOR ANDRA HIGGINBOTHAM
What’s so special about sex? Paul advises Christians to flee from wrong sex. ‘Just run!’—as Joseph did when Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him (Genesis 39:12). The sex act is unique. It unites our whole self—body, mind and spirit—with the body, mind and spirit of another person. The Bible describes this as becoming ‘one flesh’—that is, two persons becoming one ‘self’ (Genesis 2:24). Sex is a beautiful and complete commitment. For human beings, it’s the ultimate one-anotherness. For Christians, it’s a glimpse of the Trinity of God—the continual self-giving of Father, Son and Spirit. For these reasons, the proper use of sex is expressed in marriage—the total togetherness and ongoing commitment of husband and wife.
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The good-sex guide 1 Corinthians 6:12–20 Someone may say, “I’m allowed to do anything,” but not everything is helpful. I’m allowed to do anything, but I won’t allow anything to gain control over my life. Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food, but God will put an end to both of them. However, the body is not for sexual sin but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. God brought the Lord back to life, and by his power God will also bring us back to life. Don’t you realize that your bodies are parts of Christ’s body? Should I take the parts of Christ’s body and make them parts of a prostitute’s body? That’s unthinkable! Don’t you realize that the person who unites himself with a prostitute becomes one body with her? God says, “The two will be one.” However, the person who unites himself with the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Stay away from sexual sins. Other sins that people commit don’t affect their bodies the same way sexual sins do. People who sin sexually sin against their own bodies. Don’t you know that your body is a temple that belongs to the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit, whom you received from God, lives in you. You don’t belong to yourselves. You were bought for a price. So bring glory to God in the way you use your body. Paul says that the kingdom of God is for those who have been made pure by Jesus Christ. Sex outside marriage, male prostitution, sodomy and indecent acts all make us impure. Paul knows that the Corinthians used to behave in those ways, but now they are clean. Paul is being challenged by Christians who say it doesn’t matter what they do. They are ‘free’. Their bodies don’t matter any more, because their souls are safe with God. And anyway, anything they do can be forgiven … Paul agrees that it is a wonderful thing to be free. Because Jesus died for us we are forgiven our sins and released from guilt. But our freedom isn’t a permission to do whatever we like. Paul sees our freedom as a liberty to do what’s right. We’re not owned, obsessed or driven by any habit or passion, except the power of the new life of Jesus within us. Paul teaches that our bodies are not just bins for food and tools for sex. Our bodies belong to the Lord. They are part of his own body now. It is unthinkable to use a Christian body, which is part of Jesus, for sex with a prostitute. Does Paul think our bodies don’t matter? Quite the opposite. He believes they matter very much. God made us with bodies and Jesus had one when he shared our life on earth. Our resurrection bodies will be part of our identity in heaven. For now, our bodies are the place in which we meet with God and from which we serve him—in other words, they are temples of God’s Holy Spirit.
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THE WORD OF GOD SPEAKS TO US ABOUT: Scandal, legal action and sex Scandal! 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 Corinth is a very sexy place. To be a ‘Corinthian’ means living to satisfy all your appetites for food and drink and sex. In Corinth everything can be done to excess, because nobody knows you and nobody cares. But the church should be different. Paul has heard that one of the Christian men at Corinth is having sex with his father’s wife. This probably means he is living with his stepmother while his father is still alive. This is forbidden several times by the laws of Moses (in Leviticus 18:8; Deuteronomy 22:30; 27:20). It is a situation which would be offensive even to pagans. To Paul, this is outrageous. It is a blatant and continuing breach of Christian holiness. But the Corinthians are proud of it! They’re not hung up on all the old ‘don’ts’. They can do what they like because Christ has set them free! Paul tells the Christians at Corinth that they should have reacted to this man’s behaviour with united grief. It should have upset them deeply that a Christian brother could shame his Lord in this way. They should have expelled him, for his own sake. Much better for him to be punished in this life and come to his senses, than lose his eternal salvation. Paul reminds the Corinthian Christians that they are pure. They are living in the sunlight of Christ. They are an Easter people. At Passover, the spring-cleaning sweeps all the old yeast from a house. Yeast is a symbol of wickedness, because it spreads so completely. Now Christians are to have a new kind of yeast—they must be filled with sincerity and truth. Paul doesn’t expect Christians to be perfect—but he urges them to be open and honest. Paul has written to them before about all this. In a previous letter he told them not to have anything to do with people who are sexually immoral. Some of the Corinthians thought he meant that they shouldn’t mix with the rest of society. But Paul now explains that he didn’t mean that at all. Christians must mix with unbelievers. That’s what Jesus came to do. He had a reputation for sharing meals with tax collectors and other outcasts, and for being a friend of sinners. He told his disciples that they must do the same—like light shining in darkness and yeast mixing with dough. This is how the people of the world will see the gospel lived and hear it explained. But it is a different matter to mix with evil in the church. The church is a holy people, and its standard of living must express the holiness of God. Paul says that Christians must have nothing to do with church members who are flouting the standards of holiness. It isn’t only in matters of sex that Christians must be pure. The same applies to greed for money and possessions, lying, being judgmental about people, drunkenness and robbery. Paul says that people who call themselves Christians but persistently behave in these ways must be expelled. They must be excluded from the church’s fellowship meal. Today we call this ‘excommunication’—being banned from attending Holy Communion. Paul says this discipline is the task of the whole church. It is not just the responsibility of an apostle or leader to take action against an immoral member. Everyone must be involved, acting together as a body. I HOPE YOU ENJOYED AND RECEIVED FROM THIS DEEP STUDY. Everlastingsalvationchurchofgod.com PASTOR ANDRA HIGGINBOTHAM
Our Never-Failing Passport John 14:13–14 I will do anything you ask ⸤the Father⸥ in my name so that the Father will be given glory because of the Son. If you ask me to do something, I will do it. Hebrews 4:16 So we can go confidently to the throne of God’s kindness to receive mercy and find kindness, which will help us at the right time. The name of Jesus is a never-failing passport to our prayers. In that name a man may draw near to God with boldness and ask with confidence. God has engaged to hear him. Think of this. Is not this encouragement?
LET US NEVE FORGET HOW IMPORTANT JESUS IS TO US. LET US THANK GOD FOR JESUS.
LIFE AND DEATH Only in the Bible can any satisfying light be found on the mysterious and baffling subjects of life and death, Deut. 30:19. In the beginning God breathed life into the nostrils of the man He had created, Gen. 2:7. That breath was the spirit of man. “The body without the spirit is dead,” Jas. 2:26. The normal life span is 70 years, Psa. 90:10. Those who keep God’s precepts ordinarily live longer than those who do not, Prov. 3:1, 2. Life is likened to a shadow, Psa. 144:4, and a vapor, Jas. 4:14. “A sound heart is the life of the flesh,” Prov. 14:30. “The life of the flesh is in the blood,” Lev. 17:11. By one man came death through disobedience, Gen. 2:17; Rom. 5:12. Under the permissive will of God, Satan has the power of death, Job 2:6. The fear of it brings men into bondage, Heb. 2:14, 15. Death is an enemy which will finally be destroyed, 1 Cor 15:26. Christ has the keys to it, Rev. 1:18. It will be banished from God’s new order, Rev. 21:4. For believers, “to die is gain,” Phil. 1:21. For all others, after death there is judgment, Heb. 9:27. Like Enoch and Elijah, believers who are living at the time of the translation of the church will never die, 1 Cor. 15:51, 52; 1 Thess. 4:14–18. All unbelievers will ultimately experience the second death, Rev. 20:14, 15. THERE IS A LOT OF FOOD IN THIS QUICK REFRESHER. I HOPE YOU ENJOY AND RECEIVE FROM THIS QUICK REFRESHER. Everlastingsalvationchurchofgod.com PASTOR ANDRA HIGGINBOTHAM
RELATIONSHIP THE POWER TO BECOME CHILDREN OF GOD John 1:12 is a powerful verse that speaks to the heart of Christian faith. It states: “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” This verse emphasizes that those who accept Jesus and believe in Him are granted the privilege of becoming children of God. It highlights the personal relationship believers can have with God—not just as followers, but as members of His family. The phrase “believed in his name” signifies trust in Jesus’ identity, authority, and mission. In biblical times, a name represented a person’s character and essence, so believing in Jesus’ name means placing faith in who He is and what He stands for. The verse also underscores the idea that this relationship is not earned through good deeds but is a gift received through faith. It offers hope and inclusion, assuring that anyone who accepts Christ can experience the love, guidance, and protection of being part of God’s family. Biblical adoption is a profound metaphor expressing how God welcomes believers into His family, not through human effort but by His gracious initiative. This concept means that once a person accepts Jesus and embraces faith, they are no longer outsiders but are granted full rights as children of God—complete with the privileges, protection, and love that come with this new identity. In the Old Testament, the idea of being God’s child was expressed mainly through declarations of special status. For instance, God referred to Israel as His firstborn, emphasizing a unique, chosen relationship with His people. Although legal adoption in the contemporary sense isn’t explicitly detailed in Jewish law, the imagery of God as a caring father laying claim to His children provided a firm foundation for understanding the intimate bond between God and His people. The New Testament, however, puts this idea into a cultural context familiar to its readers. In a Roman world with very defined legal procedures for adoption, the Apostle Paul uses the term derived from the Greek word huiothesia—meaning “to place as a son”—to describe how believers are received into God’s family. This adoption isn’t earned through deeds or merit; rather, it’s a gift emanating from God’s eternal plan and grace. Verses such as John 1:12 highlight that faith in Christ transforms individuals into God’s children, setting them free from slavery to sin and inaugurating a new status as heirs of divine blessing . This adoption carries not just legal and social implications but a deeply personal transformation. It represents a shift in identity—from alienation and separation from God to a relationship characterized by love, acceptance, and belonging. Believers gain the rights of sonship, which includes not only a spiritual inheritance that is everlasting but also a profound assurance of God’s presence and guidance throughout their lives. Biblical adoption, therefore, encapsulates both a present reality and a future promise. Presently, believers experience a renewed identity and relationship with God as His children. Looking forward, it speaks of a future inheritance and eternal fellowship—a hope that motivates many in their walk of faith.
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OUR GOD IS GOOD TO US Romans 2:4 Do you have contempt for God, who is very kind to you, puts up with you, and deals patiently with you? Don’t you realize that it is God’s kindness that is trying to lead you to him and change the way you think and act? Psalm 31:19 Your kindness is so great! You reserve it for those who fear you. Adam’s descendants watch as you show it to those who take refuge in you. Lamentations 3:25 The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to anyone who seeks help from him. Acts 14:17 Yet, by doing good, he has given evidence of his existence. He gives you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons. He fills you with food and your lives with happiness.” Psalm 86:5 You, O Lord, are good and forgiving, full of mercy toward everyone who calls out to you.
Genesis 4:6 Then the LORD asked Cain, “Why are you angry, and why do you look disappointed? Nehemiah 2:1–2 In the month of Nisan, in Artaxerxes’ twentieth year as king, after some wine was brought for the king, I picked up the cup of wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad in his presence before. The king asked me, “Why do you look so sad? You aren’t sick, are you? You must be troubled about something.” (I was really afraid). A man’s face will often reveal that which his words try to conceal.
BE ALERT, RECOGNIZE, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN FACIAL EXPRESSIONS REVEAL MORE THAN WORDS FROM THEIR MOUTH. BE ALERT, RECOGNIZE THERE ARE TIMES WHEN FACIAL EXPRESSIONS WILL REVEAL THE TRUTH WHEN THERE MOUTH IS TELLING A LIE.
Genesis 6:5–6 The LORD saw how evil humans had become on the earth. All day long their deepest thoughts were nothing but evil. The LORD was sorry that he had made humans on the earth, and he was heartbroken. Isaiah 59:1–2 The LORD is not too weak to save or his ear too deaf to hear. But your wrongs have separated you from your God, and your sins have made him hide his face so that he doesn’t hear you. The very animals whose smell is most offensive to us have no idea that they are offensive, and are not offensive to one another. And man, fallen man, I believe, can have no just idea what a vile thing sin is in the sight of that God whose handiwork is absolutely perfect.
HOW DO YOU THINK GOD FEEL AS HE WATCHES YOU? DON’T LIVE YOUR LIFE IN A WAY THAT CAUSES GOD TO WISH HE NEVER MADE YOU.
OUR GOD IS GOOD TO US Romans 2:4 Do you have contempt for God, who is very kind to you, puts up with you, and deals patiently with you? Don’t you realize that it is God’s kindness that is trying to lead you to him and change the way you think and act? Psalm 31:19 Your kindness is so great! You reserve it for those who fear you. Adam’s descendants watch as you show it to those who take refuge in you. Lamentations 3:25 The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to anyone who seeks help from him. Acts 14:17 Yet, by doing good, he has given evidence of his existence. He gives you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons. He fills you with food and your lives with happiness.” Psalm 86:5 You, O Lord, are good and forgiving, full of mercy toward everyone who calls out to you.
