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The trouble in the Corinthian church didn’t just come from the outside world—it was rising up from the inside. Yes, the culture around them was pressing in, but the flesh within them was giving way. Worldly pressure met human weakness, and the result was a church wrestling with its own carnality.

Paul says these believers were no longer “natural,” but they weren’t truly “spiritual” either. They weren’t walking under the full control of the Holy Spirit. Instead, they were carnal—still driven, pulled, and persuaded by the old, fallen flesh. Every believer has the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:9), but every believer also has a battle on their hands (Rom. 7:14–25).

And Paul calls them babes in Christ. Their carnality exposed their immaturity. They should have been further along. They should have been stronger. They should have been able to digest the deeper things of God. Paul had poured into them, taught them, labored among them—yet they were still stuck on milk when they should’ve been chewing meat (1 Cor. 3:2; Heb. 5:12–14; 1 Pet. 2:1–2).

In other words, the problem wasn’t just the world around them—it was the world still alive within them. And Paul is calling them, and calling us, to grow up, to stand up, and to let the Spirit of God take full control.

Each month, Elder Tolliver offers a spiritually encouraging book to help you in your walk with Christ for any size donation. Please go to biblicaltalks.com website to take advantage of this opportunity. 

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This is a Spotlight on the Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 

This is the glorious exchange! Not a bargain. Not a deal. Not a compromise. But a divine transaction sealed by grace and signed in blood. In exchange for our sin, Jesus gives us His righteousness. We bring guilt—He gives glory. We bring shame—He gives sonship. We bring debt—He gives deliverance.

   And how does it happen? Through imputation. That’s the theological term, but don’t let the size of the word scare you—just let the truth of it bless you. It means that when you place your faith in Christ alone—not Christ plus works, not Christ plus religion, not Christ plus tradition—but Christ alone… God credits your spiritual account with the perfection of Jesus.  Your sin? Transferred to Him. His righteousness? Transferred to you. It’s the greatest exchange in history—your mess for His majesty, your decay for His righteousness.

And it’s not earned. It’s not bought. It’s not deserved. It’s received—by faith.

So don’t miss it. Don’t delay it. Don’t dilute it. This gospel is not just good news—it’s glorious news. It’s not just a message—it’s a miracle. And it’s offered to everyone who will receive it.

So, come. Come with your sin. Come with your shame. Come with your empty account—and let Jesus fill it with His perfection. Because when you’re in Christ, you’re not just forgiven—you’re declared righteous. And that, my friend, is the power of the gospel.

This is a Spotlight on the Scriptures 

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This text explores the sovereignty of God through the lens of divine election and providence, specifically examining the theological arguments found in Romans 9. The author asserts that salvation is entirely a work of God’s grace, where He exercises His divine prerogative to choose individuals according to His eternal purpose rather than human merit. By referencing historical figures like John Calvin and Charles Spurgeon, the source argues that God’s choice to show mercy to some while hardening others is a just exercise of His authority as Creator. The discussion emphasizes that physical lineage or religious privilege cannot guarantee salvation, as the Holy Spirit acts independently of human effort or ancestry. Ultimately, the source presents a God-centered view of history where every aspect of redemption, from its beginning to its end, serves to manifest God’s glory and unstoppable will.

Each month, Elder Tolliver offers a spiritually encouraging book to help you in your walk with Christ for any size donation. Please go to biblicaltalks.com website to take advantage of this opportunity. 

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Welcome to Biblical Talks Encouraging Word for the Week, I am Rachel Tolliver, Beloved, don’t you ever forget—what separates you from the vilest soul that walks this earth, or from the darkest demon chained in hell, is not your goodness, not your wisdom, not your strength. It’s the free grace of God! That grace snatched you from the pit, washed you in the blood, and set your feet on solid ground.  Saints if it had not been for the Lord on your side… you’d be lost like the rest!

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Beloved, Jesus lays it out with no hesitation and no confusion. He says there are two gates, two roads, two destinations, and two kinds of people walking them (Matt. 7:13–14). There are two trees bearing two kinds of fruit (Matt. 7:17–20). There are two groups standing before Him in judgment (Matt. 7:21–23). And there are two builders, raising houses on two very different foundations (Matt. 7:24–28).

In other words, Christ draws a line so bold, so bright, so unmistakable that nobody can claim they didn’t see it. He shows us the difference between the road that ends in destruction and the road that leads to life.

But here’s the tragedy: many folks think both gates lead into the kingdom. They think the narrow way and the wide way both end up in God’s house. Yes, these gates represent the choices people make and the lives they live—but only one of them is God’s way. Only the narrow gate—tight, specific, exclusive, salvation through Christ alone—opens into eternal life.

The wide gate welcomes every religion of works, every attempt at self-righteousness, every path that says, “Choose your own way.” But Scripture is clear: that road doesn’t lead upward. It doesn’t lead home. It leads to hell, not heaven (cf. Acts 4:12).

Each month, Elder Tolliver offers a spiritually encouraging book to help you in your walk with Christ for any size donation. Please go to biblicaltalks.com website to take advantage of this opportunity. 

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This is a Spotlight on the Scriptures: John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 

Abide in Christ. Stay close. Stay connected. Stay rooted. This ain’t just about religion—it’s about relationship. Jesus is not a weekend appointment—He’s your lifeline. Your source. Your sustainer.  He said, “I am the vine, you are the branches.” That means if you’re not plugged in, you’re drying out. You can’t ghost Jesus Monday through Saturday and expect revival on Sunday. You can’t binge the world all week and expect to bear fruit in worship.

 Growth doesn’t come from a glance—it comes from a gaze. Power doesn’t come from a visit—it comes from abiding. You want spiritual vitality? You want holy fire? You want to be useful in the kingdom? Then you’ve got to hang out with Jesus. Not just in the sanctuary—but in the secret place. Not just in the crowd—but in communion. Because abiding is intimacy. It’s walking with Him. Talking with Him. Leaning on Him. It’s letting His Word shape your thoughts, His Spirit guide your steps, and His love fuel your life. So don’t just show up—stay in Him. Don’t just check in—press in. Because only those who abide… abound.

This is a Spotlight on the Scriptures 

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Biblical forgiveness doesn’t play by the rules of modern psychology. No—Scripture isn’t first concerned with how you feel on the inside; it’s concerned with how we live with one another on the outside. Forgiveness, in the Bible, is a relational act—God’s holy work of mending what sin has broken. And real restoration always costs something. Real reconciliation always hurts somewhere.

Human forgiveness stands on a divine pattern. We forgive because God forgave us. We extend mercy because mercy found us. And Jesus makes it plain: the way we forgive each other is tied directly to how God forgives us. Your vertical standing with God is inseparable from your horizontal dealings with your neighbor.

And Scripture doesn’t lower the bar—it raises it. When Peter tried to put a limit on forgiveness, Jesus tore the limit off. Every time the offender comes seeking pardon, the believer must open the door again. Forgiveness without counting. Mercy without measure. Grace without a calculator. And this mercy stretches so far that it even reaches enemies. Jesus took the old world’s idea of permanent enemies and turned it upside down, calling His people to love, bless, and forgive those who stand against them.

But hear this: even when the offender refuses to repent, the burden on the believer does not disappear. The wronged one must still pursue peace, still show mercy, still stand ready to forgive—because that’s how God dealt with us. Forgiveness is not conditioned on the offender’s response; it is anchored in the forgiver’s obedience. It is the believer’s commitment to walk in the relational rhythm God Himself established.

Each month, Elder Tolliver offers a spiritually encouraging book to help you in your walk with Christ for any size donation. Please go to biblicaltalks.com website to take advantage of this opportunity. 

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Welcome to Biblical Talks Encouraging Word for the Week, I am Rachel Tolliver, John MacArthur once said, Human pride loathes the suggestion that God order everything, control everything, rules over everything. The carnal mind, burning with enmity against God, abhors the biblical teaching that nothing comes to pass except according to His eternal decrees. Beloved, human pride naturally resists the idea that God is in total control—not just of salvation, but of everything that happens in the universe. This includes events, outcomes, choices, and destinies.  The unregenerate, flesh-driven human mindset—is hostile to God and rejects the biblical truth that nothing happens outside of God's eternal plan. The fact the that nothing is happening outside of God's eternal plan, is good news for the believer. 

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Is there unrighteousness with God?” Paul raises the question before his critics can even open their mouths. He knows what they’re thinking. “Paul, if God chooses some for salvation and passes over others—without regard to their merit, their works, or their worth—doesn’t that make God unfair?”

But Paul reaches back into Exodus 33:19 and brings Moses to the witness stand. And the text thunders with authority: God is sovereign. God is free. God is righteous in all His ways. His election does not violate His character; it reveals it. He alone decides who receives mercy, because mercy—by definition—is never owed.

Paul presses the point further:

• “It is not of him who wills”—because salvation doesn’t start with human choice; even faith is a gift from God.
• “Nor of him who runs”—because salvation cannot be earned by human effort.

Then Paul calls Pharaoh to the stand. God “raised him up”—lifted him into prominence—not because Pharaoh was powerful, but because God had a purpose. Pharaoh thought he was writing his own story, but he was only a pen in the hand of Providence.

And why did God do it? “That My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” God’s name—His character, His glory, His holiness—was on display in both mercy and judgment. Moses and Pharaoh were both sinners, both guilty, both deserving wrath. Yet Moses received mercy, and Pharaoh received judgment—not because one was better than the other, but because God is sovereign in His will and perfect in His ways.

So Paul’s answer rings out like a preacher in full stride:
There is no unrighteousness with God. There is only sovereignty, mercy, justice, and glory—working together in perfect harmony.

Each month, Elder Tolliver offers a spiritually encouraging book to help you in your walk with Christ for any size donation. Please go to biblicaltalks.com website to take advantage of this opportunity. 

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This is a Spotlight on the Scriptures: Mark 8:38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” 

C.T. Studd wrote “Only one life, twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.” 

So don’t trade eternal purpose for temporary pleasure. Don’t let the glitter of this world blind you to the glory of the next. Don’t let the applause of men drown out the voice of God.  Don’t be ashamed of Christ. Don’t be silent when His name is mocked. Don’t be timid when His truth is twisted. Stand tall. Speak loudly. Shine bright.

Because when He comes back—and He is coming back—let it be joy, not shame. Let it be celebration, not regret. Let it be the sound of singing, not the silence of sorrow.  This world will pass. Its fame will fade. Its riches will rot. But what you do for Christ? That echoes into eternity. That’s the legacy that lasts. So live bold. Love deep. Preach loud. Because only one life—just one—and it’s slipping fast. Make it count. Make it holy. Make it His.

This is a Spotlight on the Scriptures 

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