Summit Valley Grace Bible Study

11/19/2022

The gospel.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4

10/27/2022

I’m thankful for the reminder to wait on the Lord.

10/13/2022

Thank you Lord for David Jeremiah. I have been struggling with storms in my life, and would encourage you to watch this if you’re struggling as well.

Dr. David Jeremiah explains how you can experience the blessings of God, even in deep waters. Wherever you are, whatever the crisis may be, you’ve become el...

07/25/2021

This is an article my grandpa Gary posted 9 years ago. I would like to encourage you to read it if you have the time!

04/26/2019

11/19/2016

The Body’s Bodily Resurrection
Posted By Pastor Kevin Sadler.
“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept” (I Cor. 15:20).

To carry the news of the Battle of Waterloo to England, a ship signaled to a man on shore, who relayed the word to another on a hill, and so on across Britain. The first word, “Wellington,” was signaled. The next word was “defeated.” Then a fog closed in, and the message was interrupted. Across England, people wept over the message: “Wellington defeated.” Then the fog lifted. The communication continued with two additional words: “the enemy.” And Englishmen celebrated the victory.

There was great sorrow when the body of Jesus was carried from the cross to the tomb. The signal seemed to say, “Jesus Christ defeated.” But three days later the fog lifted and it was announced, “Jesus Christ defeated the enemy!” Through Christ we have complete victory over our enemies of sin, death, and Satan, and we have new life, a glorious hope, and the certainty of our own resurrection one day. But the subject of resurrection in God’s Word is one that needs to be rightly divided.

“But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming” (I Cor. 15:23).

In the fifteenth chapter of I Corinthians, Paul speaks of the resurrections, both prophetic and according to the revelation of the mystery. In verses 23-28, Paul outlines the prophetic “order” of resurrections, and he begins with Christ’s. As Paul spoke of the gospel of salvation in verses 1-4, he made it clear that Christ’s resurrection was prophesied: “He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (I Cor. 15:4 cf. Psa. 16:10). In verses 20 and 23, Paul refers to Christ’s resurrection as being the “firstfruits,” meaning that His resurrection is a foretaste of what is to come. Christ’s bodily resurrection guarantees the great harvest of bodily resurrections yet to come for both the kingdom saints and the Body of Christ.

Notice though how Paul says “they [not “we”] that are Christ’s at His Coming” (I Cor. 15:23), speaking of the resurrection of the prophetic saints after Christ’s second coming. These saints will be raised and ushered into the earthly, millennial reign of Christ. This is the “first resurrection,” and it includes all the saved from the prophetic program, or in other words, all the saved from the past, prior to this dispensation of grace, and all the future martyred Tribulation saints. As Revelation 20:6 states,

“Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.”

Following the thousand-year Kingdom, when Christ “must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet” (I Cor. 15:25), comes the time when “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death” (I Cor. 15:26). After the Great White Throne, “death and hell” will be “cast into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:14) and “there shall be no more death” (Rev. 21:4). The second resurrection, or “resurrection of damnation” (John 5:29), of all the unsaved of all ages will take place at this time, when they will be fitted with bodies to endure everlasting punishment.

After Paul gives this prophetic sequence of events regarding resurrection, in verse 51 he brings up a secret coming and a secret resurrection that wasn’t ever before revealed.

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (I Cor. 15:51,52).

The “first resurrection” and this secret resurrection are two different resurrections. The prophesied “first resurrection” will take place after Christ’s prophesied second coming. The secret resurrection will take place at Christ’s secret coming, the Rapture (I Thes. 4:13-18). This coming of Christ and its resurrection is part of the “revelation of the mystery” (Rom. 16:25), the message which had been hid in the mind of God and revealed first to the Apostle Paul (Eph. 3:1-9). All the previous resurrections, such as Christ’s resurrection, the first resurrection, and the resurrection of damnation were all revealed in the Old Testament (Isa. 53:10; Dan. 12:2), but not the resurrection of the Body of Christ.

Notice how the personal pronouns change from “they” to “we” here as Paul applies this coming of Christ and resurrection to the Church, the Body of Christ: “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed” (I Cor. 15:51). The Rapture is the bodily resurrection day for the Body of Christ only, which is not referred to or revealed outside of Paul’s letters. The Rapture and its secret resurrection is part of the mystery program while the second coming and its first resurrection belong to the prophetic program.

“For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body” (Phil. 3:20,21).

To the Reader:
Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.

09/03/2016

This mornings two minute devotional by C.R.Stam, contains some facts about grace that most churches today seem to be totally ignorant of. Enjoy.

Grace From Calvary

By Pastor Cornelius R. Stam.

If you want to enjoy a real spiritual feast, take a concordance to the Bible and look up the word “grace.” First notice how often this word is found in the four Gospels: only four times and only once in a doctrinal sense. Then notice how often it is used in Paul’s epistles (less than half the size of the four Gospels). Here it is found well over one hundred times and practically always in a doctrinal sense, about the love and mercy of God toward sinners and toward His own. Think of it: only once is grace referred to doctrinally in the four Gospels, yet in Paul’s epistles, less than half as large in volume, it is used more than one hundred times.

This is because St. Paul was God’s chosen apostle to make known His grace to sinners. In Acts 20:24 he speaks of “the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”

But on what basis could God, through Paul, proclaim salvation by free grace to sinners? Ah, now take your Bible and begin looking up those passages which refer to the cross, the death and the blood of Christ, again noticing that while Paul does not actually relate the story of Christ’s death, he has more, far more, to say about that death, and what it accomplished, than any other Bible writer. It would thrill the heart of any sincere Christian to go through the Epistles of Paul and see how much good news Paul proclaims on the basis of the death of Christ. This is why his message is called “the preaching of the cross” — God’s good news about what Calvary has accomplished for us (1 Cor. 1:17-23).

In Paul’s epistles we learn that through Christ’s death for us at Calvary believers are “justified,” “accepted” by God, and pronounced “complete in Christ.” By His death they are reconciled to God in one body, given a position at God’s right hand in the highest heavens and assured “the exceeding riches of His grace” in “the ages to come” — this and more! Riches of grace flowing from Calvary; this is the very essence of the glorious message which Paul was raised up to proclaim. Read his epistles and see. On October 13, 2011 @ 4:00 am In Two Minutes With the Bible | Comments Disabled
If you want to enjoy a real spiritual feast, take a concordance to the Bible and look up the word “grace.” First notice how often this word is found in the four Gospels: only four times and only once in a doctrinal sense. Then notice how often it is used in Paul’s epistles (less than half the size of the four Gospels). Here it is found well over one hundred times and practically always in a doctrinal sense, about the love and mercy of God toward sinners and toward His own. Think of it: only once is grace referred to doctrinally in the four Gospels, yet in Paul’s epistles, less than half as large in volume, it is used more than one hundred times.

This is because St. Paul was God’s chosen apostle to make known His grace to sinners. In Acts 20:24 he speaks of “the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”

But on what basis could God, through Paul, proclaim salvation by free grace to sinners? Ah, now take your Bible and begin looking up those passages which refer to the cross, the death and the blood of Christ, again noticing that while Paul does not actually relate the story of Christ’s death, he has more, far more, to say about that death, and what it accomplished, than any other Bible writer. It would thrill the heart of any sincere Christian to go through the Epistles of Paul and see how much good news Paul proclaims on the basis of the death of Christ. This is why his message is called “the preaching of the cross” — God’s good news about what Calvary has accomplished for us (1 Cor. 1:17-23).

In Paul’s epistles we learn that through Christ’s death for us at Calvary believers are “justified,” “accepted” by God, and pronounced “complete in Christ.” By His death they are reconciled to God in one body, given a position at God’s right hand in the highest heavens and assured “the exceeding riches of His grace” in “the ages to come” — this and more! Riches of grace flowing from Calvary; this is the very essence of the glorious message which Paul was raised up to proclaim. Read his epistles and see.

08/08/2016

8/8/16 The Rapture: From an article by Don Samdahl.

The Rapture is the believer's "blessed hope"(titus 2:13), the resurrection of the Church, the body of Christ.
This truth was unknown by the Old Testament prophets.
Jesus did not reveal it in his earthly ministry and Peter and the Eleven knew nothing of it.

The ascended, glorified Lord disclosed it to the apostle Paul alone.
This doctrine was the main subject Paul taught the Thessalonians after they had responded to the gospel.
Evidently, God desired the Rapture to be revealed in Christianity's earliest writings.
If we are to learn from Paul and follow his example towards the Thessalonians, this foundational truth should taught to all believers soon after they have believed his gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

Believing the Pre-Tribulational Rapture is not essential for salvation. However, its acceptance is necessary for Christian obedience: God commanded believers to encourage one another with this truth. Thus, one cannot obey Christ without obeying this command.

The study of Paul's earliest letters is required to learn what God would have us know and do regarding this remarkable subject.

God bless you.

06/28/2016

6/28/16 It does not seem to matter what denomination or, what religious sect, they are,Catholic, Protestant, Adventist, even the groups described as "cults" when it comes to "rightly defining the Word of God, they ALL claim they are the ones who are correctly dividing the Word of God. Some claim they are the only ones that are correct and all the others are false teachers.

Pastor C.R.Stam asks the question: Puzzle Or Picture?

Where "rightly dividing the Word of truth" (2 Tim 2:15) is concerned, our spiritual leaders are like a group of people, each one of whom holds a part or several parts of a jig saw puzzle, but who fail to put them together and so never get to see the picture.

One sees clearly that the so-called "Great Commission" was a Kingdom commission and not ours. Another sees that the "one baptism" of Ephesians 4:5 MUST be the DIVINE baptism which makes believers one in Christ. Another sees Paul's apostleship was wholly distinct from that of the Twelve. Another sees that Romans 6:3,4 does not contain one drop of water.
Another sees that the Christians position is spiritual and heavenly in character. Another sees that the Body of Christ, the Church of today, was never prophesied--even, that it did not begin at Pentecost with Peter and the eleven, but later, with Paul.

But while each sees some component part of 'the Mystery", Satan has used tradition to blind him to the rest. The result is that confusion continues to prevail and they still have a puzzle instead of a picture.

If only they would put the pieces together! What a clear picture they would see of "the Dispension of the Grace of God", and how eagerly they would join us in "THE PREACHING OF JESUS CHRIST ACCORDING TO THE REVELATION OF THE MYSTERY" (ROM.16:25)!

06/27/2016

6/27/16 "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16).

The twelve apostles preached and practiced exactly this. When Peter's hearers at Pentecost were convicted of their sins and asked: "Men and brethren, what shall we do" Peter did not tell them that Christ had died for their sins and and that they could receive salvation as the gift of God's grace, apart from religion or works. Rather he said:

"Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38).

Years ago, in a series of debates on dispensationalism, C.R. Stam asked his opponent: "Suppose, after a Sunday evening service, some of your hearers were convicted of their sins and asked you and your co-workers: 'Men and brethren, what shall we do?' Would you tell them what Peter told his convicted sinners at Pentecost?"

"Why, of course" he exclaimed.

"In those words?" I persisted.

He thought for a moment and then replied: "Well, I guess not exactly in those words."

The fact is that this pastor would not at all have said to his hearers what Peter said to his. Even though a Baptist, he would not have said: "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins," for he believed that subjection to water baptism should be left to each persons conscience, and he did not believe that it had anything to do with salvation. He would have doubtless said to any inquirers what Paul said when the convicted Gentile jailor asked: "What must I do to be saved?" Like Paul, he would have replied: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved..." (Acts 16:31).

Peter at Pentecost preached what he was commanded to preach under his commission: "He that believeth and is baptized" shall be saved" (Mark 16:16), but when God raised up Paul, that other apostle, He sent him to proclaim "the gospel of the grace of God" and the finished work of Christ.

Two dispensations. two gospels. One dispensation and kingdom that will come as a promise to Israel here on the earth and another that is promised to Gentile and Jewish believers that will take place as a heavenly promise.

The promise of our hope lies ahead. (compare Acts 2:38 with Titus 3:5-3).

06/03/2016

6/3/16 This mornings two minute devotional by Pastor Ricky Kurth is a beautiful picture of one of the ways in which we can share the truth of the Gospel of the Body of Christ with others.

The Rest of the Story
By Pastor Ricky Kurth.
During the Second World War, radio personality Paul Harvey began ending his daily newscast with a feature he called, “The Rest of the Story.” These factual narratives always concluded with an interesting twist that made for a surprise ending. Listeners were often fascinated to learn that even when it came to stories with which they were familiar, there was always more to the story than what they had previously heard.

This is sometimes true of the greatest story ever told, the gospel of Jesus Christ. There may be more to the story than what you have heard in the past, and the part you may not have heard just might be the very thing that is keeping you from believing what the Bible says about how to be saved from your sins. Let’s begin by reviewing the part you may have already heard, the part that maybe left you feeling skeptical about the Bible’s plan of salvation.

The Bible clearly teaches that you cannot work your way to heaven by doing good works:

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8,9).

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us…” (Titus 3:5).

Perhaps you’ve heard these verses before, and wondered, “Does that mean God does not want us to do good works?” Since this didn’t seem to make any sense to you, maybe you chose not to believe what you considered to be such an unbelievable gospel.

If that’s the case, it might comfort you to know that God knew in advance that people would wonder about this. That’s why right after that verse we quoted that says salvation is “not of works,” the next verse goes on to say that believers are “created in Christ Jesus unto good works” (Ephesians 2:9,10). If you are wondering what it means to be “created in Christ,” remember that God created a creature named Adam in the beginning. Today, when someone believes the gospel, God makes him “a new creature” (II Corinthians 5:17). And just as God’s first creature was created to do the good work of dressing and keeping the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:15), believers in Christ are likewise “created in Christ Jesus unto good works.” That is, while you cannot be saved from your sins by doing good works, once you are saved by grace, you’ll want to do good works because you are saved (not in order to get saved) to express your gratitude to God for saving you.

We see the same thing in that other gospel verse we quoted, where right after saying that salvation is “not by works of righteousness which we have done” (Titus 3:5), Paul adds “that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works” (v. 8). Here again we see that after we are saved by grace through faith, God then reminds us to do the good works that we were created to do.

So you see, just because God does not ask you to do good works in order to be saved doesn’t mean He doesn’t want you to do good works! He just wants you to understand that good works come after salvation, not before. Most people get the cart before the horse, and you just can’t get to heaven in a cart like that!

Does the gospel story seem a little more believable to you now? If so, you should know that while you can only be saved by believing, it is important to believe in the right thing! It is not enough just to believe in God, for “the devils also believe, and tremble” (James 2:19). It is not even enough to have faith in Christ; you must have “faith in His blood” (Romans 3:25). That is, you must believe that the blood He shed on the cross paid for all of your sins, and that you don’t have to add a single good work to what He has already done on your behalf. Romans 4:5 says:

“But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”

If you are still not sure how to be saved from the judgment of God on your sins, ask yourself this question. If you died today, and God asked, “Why should I let a sinner like you into My Heaven?” what would your answer be? If your answer is anything other than, “Christ died for my sins,” or if you try to add your own good works to what Christ did for you on Calvary, then you are not fully trusting in His blood. Why not rather follow the advice of the Apostle Paul? When a man asked him, “What must I do to be saved?,” Paul replied quite simply,

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:30,31).

And now you know the rest of the story!

05/30/2016

5/30/16:

By Pastor Cornelius R. Stam;

Religious people — even sincere Christian people — may divide themselves into various denominations or churches, but there is no indication in the Bible that God recognizes these divisions. Indeed, God makes it abundantly clear that in His sight there is but one Church, composed of all who truly trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. In I Cor. 12:12,13 the Apostle Paul declares by divine inspiration:

“For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ:

“FOR BY ONE SPIRIT ARE WE ALL BAPTIZED INTO ONE BODY….”

Again, in Rom. 12:5, he says:

“SO WE, BEING MANY, ARE ONE BODY IN CHRIST, AND EVERY ONE MEMBERS ONE OF ANOTHER.”

Indeed, it is on the basis of the fact that there is but “one body” in God’s sight that He exhorts us to seek to “keep the unity of the Spirit”:

“ENDEAVORING TO KEEP THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT IN THE BOND OF PEACE.

“THERE IS ONE BODY….” (Eph. 4:3,4).

How can we become members of that “one Body ,” the true Church? Ephesians 2 explains how Christ died for all, Jew and Gentile alike, “that He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross…” (Ver. 16). Indeed the Epistles of St. Paul show how God “hath concluded… all in unbelief that He might have mercy upon all” (Rom. 11:32), and offer to them reconciliation and salvation by grace through faith in Christ who died for our sins.

The question, then, is not: What church do you belong to? but, Do you belong to the Church, the Body of Christ, composed of all who have acknowledged themselves to be sinners in the sight of God and have trusted in Christ and His finished work for salvation?