Columbus Bible Church - Sunday Studies

This sermon, drawn from John and Lori Verstegen's "The Bible: The Big Picture," examines the origins and nature of Lucifer's rebellion against God and the cosmic conflict that has shaped all of human history. Beginning with Lucifer's exalted position as the anointed cherub and his five-fold declaration of rebellion in Isaiah 14, the sermon traces Satan's ambition to possess both heaven and earth, mirroring the title of the Most High God. The sermon then explores how God, who knew of this rebellion before creation, devised a hidden plan -- the mystery -- to reclaim both realms. Critically, God concealed His plan for the heavens from Satan entirely, revealing only His purposes for the earth through the Old Testament prophets. The cross, which Satan eagerly orchestrated, unknowingly sealed his own defeat, as it purchased not only Israel's redemption but also the body of Christ, who will one day replace the fallen angels in their heavenly positions.

This sermon continues a study through "The Bible: The Big Picture," focusing on the essential principle of rightly dividing the word of Truth as instructed in 2 Timothy 2:15. We establish that while all of Scripture is for every believer's benefit, not all of it is addressed to every believer in every age. God's revelation has unfolded progressively across time, and faith has always been required for salvation, but the content of that faith has differed according to what God revealed at each point in history. The sermon emphasizes that salvation has always been by grace through faith, never by works, and that in the current dispensation of grace, salvation is entirely apart from any human effort or merit. Works-based additions to the gospel -- whether water baptism, law-keeping, or any other requirement -- corrupt the pure grace of the gospel. The sermon also introduces the theme of Christ as the creator over all creation, both in heaven and on earth, with the expectation that all things will one day be gathered together under His authority.

This is a rebroadcasting of a previous Bible study due to a schedule conflict. We hope this message will be an encouragement and blessing as we continue to search the Scriptures and grow in the knowledge of God's truth.

Join us as we take a journey through The Bible: The Big Picture!

Written by John and Lori Verstegen, this 78-page booklet offers a fascinating overview of how the Bible progressively reveals God’s plan to reconcile all things—both in heaven and on earth—under the headship of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Discover the unfolding story of Scripture and see how God’s purpose and plan come together throughout the Bible.

The world is a sea of deception, and Satan is steering the currents. As the "god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4), he floods culture with false doctrine, fables, and information designed to keep people spiritually adrift -- tossed to and fro like a small vessel in a storm (Ephesians 4:14).

But there is an anchor. Romans 16:25 tells us that God is able to establish us -- rooted, grounded, and settled -- through Paul's gospel and the preaching of Christ according to the revelation of the mystery. That foundation is not optional. It is the difference between shipwreck and stability.

The local church, grounded in sound doctrine, stands as "the pillar and ground of the truth" (1 Timothy 3:15). Are you established, or are you still drifting? Come grow with us in the word of God.

What if the most liberating truth in all of Scripture is one that most of us have never fully grasped? This message cuts straight to the heart of what it means to be in Christ, and the answer is far more radical and complete than we might expect. Drawing from Ephesians 1:3, we are reminded that every spiritual blessing has already been given to us, not as something we are striving toward, but as a present reality we already possess. The message walks us through a stunning array of positional truths: we are justified, washed, sanctified, sealed, accepted, and declared righteous the very moment we place faith in the gospel. These are not future hopes contingent on our performance. They are settled facts. The distinction between being in Adam and being in Christ, drawn from 1 Corinthians 15:22, frames the entire message around the most consequential question any person can face. Understanding which side of that line we stand on, and what it means to stand in Christ, changes everything about how we see ourselves, how we relate to God, and how we face the inevitable storms of life.

Peter told the crowd at Pentecost to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins, yet a dying thief entered paradise having never been baptized at all. This teaching works through Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16, Acts 22:16, and 1 Peter 3:18-21 to explain exactly what role water baptism played in the kingdom program preached to Israel, and why it was required without being the actual means of washing away sin.

Rightly dividing these passages shows that under the kingdom program, water baptism was the outward expression of a faith that God counted for righteousness, not a ritual that cleansed the inner filth of sin. Peter's own words in 1 Peter 3:21 make the distinction explicit: baptism saves "not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God." What actually washes away sin, according to Revelation 1:5, is the blood of Christ.