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Bible Studies

Beginning the Journey (for new Christians).
en Español
1, 2, and 3 John
1
& 2 Thessalonians
1 & 2 Timothy
1 Peter
2 Peter, Jude
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
7 Last Words of Christ
Abraham
Acts 1-12:
The Early Church
Apostle Paul
Christmas Incarnation
Church
Christ Powered Life (Rom 5-8)
Colossians
Conquering Lamb of Revelation
Daniel
David, Life of
Galatians
Gideon
Grace
Great Prayers
Glorious Kingdom, The
Early Church: Acts1-12
Elijah
Ephesians
Hebrews
Holy Spirit, Disciple's Guide
Isaiah
James
Jacob
Jesus and the Kingdom
John's Gospel
John's Letters
Joshua
Lamb of God
Listening for God's Voice
Lord's Supper
Luke
Mark
Moses
Names of God
Names of Jesus
Philippians
Psalms
Rebuild & Renew: Post-Exilic Books
Resurrection
Revelation
Sermon on the Mount
Songs of Ascent
(Ps 120-135)
Christian Art
About Us
Speaking
Contact Us
Dr. Wilson's Books
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Preface
![]() Ralph F. Wilson |
Nearly every world religion teaches that you have to work for your salvation. If you work hard enough and are good enough, then you'll make it.
- Islam -- a Muslim's good works must outweigh the bad.
- Judaism -- righteousness comes from strict obedience to the Law.
- Buddhism -- Nirvana is achieved only by enlightenment and meticulous practice.
- Hinduism -- a multitude of gods must be appeased through some kind of ritual.
- American popular religion -- if you do more good than bad, you'll go to heaven.
Only in true, biblical Christianity are we taught that God sent Jesus Christ to die for our sins, so that if we believe in him, we'll be saved. It is all God's grace -- God's favor for the utterly undeserving. Our only part is to believe in our hearts that Christ is Lord. That is astonishing!
Grace is central to our understanding of God and Christ, a core theme of both Old and New Testaments. The Greek word charis ("grace") appears 152 times in the New Testament. And in the Gospels, the words "love," "mercy," and "compassion" teach the same wonderful truths about our Lord's giving nature.
In September 2014, I was privileged to bring 15 messages on grace to pastors gathered for the African Renewal Conference in Eldoret, Kenya. Here is a distillation of those messages. Together we will explore all the classic Bible passages on grace. Week by week, we'll examine and soak ourselves in their truths. Though there is some overlap, each lesson looks at a different aspect of God's grace. As you ponder these verses, you'll find your soul refreshed. In the final lessons we'll seek to learn how we Christians -- we who have received so much grace -- can live lives that deliberately dispense God's grace to others: gracious living and ministry.
![]() Available in paperback, PDF, and Kindle formats |
The message of grace is crystal clear in the Bible. Predestination and foreknowledge, on the other hand, are only vaguely understood. People argue about how much is God's part and how much is man's part in salvation. We learn from comparing contrasting positions. However, rather than enter deeply into the controversy in these lessons, I've decided to focus on the clear Scripture teachings on grace. The more controversial issues are not ignored, but probed in an appendix to help you understand the issues involved.
Over the next nine weeks, I invite you to explore grace with me as we delve deeply into the Scriptures, bathing in God's Word, and learning heart lessons from the Spirit. We will be richer for it.
Dr.
Ralph F. Wilson
Loomis, California
December 2022
Copyright © 2023, Ralph F. Wilson. <pastorjoyfulheart.com> All rights reserved. A single copy of this article is free. Do not put this on a website. See legal, copyright, and reprint information.
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In-depth Bible study books
You can purchase one of Dr. Wilson's complete Bible studies in PDF, Kindle, or paperback format.
- 28 Advent Scriptures
- 1, 2, and 3 John
- 1 Peter
- 2 Peter & Jude
- 1 & 2 Thessalonians
- 1 & 2 Timothy
- 1 Corinthians
- 2 Corinthians
- Apostle Paul
- Abraham, Faith of
- Christ Powered Life (Romans 5-8)
- Christmas Incarnation
- Colossians and Philemon
- Conquering Lamb of Revelation
- Daniel
- David, Life of
- Early Church: Acts 1-12
- Elijah
- Ephesians
- Galatians
- Gideon
- Glorious Kingdom, The
- Grace: Favor for the Undeserving
- Great Prayers of the Bible
- Hebrews
- Holy Spirit, Disciple's Guide
- Isaiah
- Jacob, Life of
- James
- Jesus and the Kingdom of God
- JesusWalk: Beginning the Journey
- John's Gospel
- Joshua
- Lamb of God
- Listening for God's Voice
- Lord's Supper
- Luke's Gospel
- Moses the Reluctant Leader
- Names and Titles of God
- Names and Titles of Jesus
- Philippians
- Rebuild & Renew: Post-Exilic Books
- Resurrection and Easter Faith
- Sermon on the Mount
- Psalms
- Seven Last Words of Christ
- Songs of Ascent (Ps 120-134)
- Revelation
My books are available in paperback and Kindle from Amazon.
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