Steven H Miller, Th.M.

  Justification by Faith — But Not in Jesus Christ?   The Fatal Misunderstanding of Generic Faith Few phrases are more cherished in Christian theology than justification by faith.  It is the heartbeat of the gospel and the dividing line of eternity. Yet in modern  spiritual language, the phrase has often been preserved while the Person has been removed. Many affirm justification by faith — but their faith is not in Jesus Christ.  Scripture makes an exclusive claim: justification is by faith, and that faith must be in Christ. What Justification Means Justification is a forensic term. It is courtroom language. It does not mean moral improvement  or gradual transformation. It means to declare righteous. Romans 3:23–24 (NKJV): “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace  through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” All are guilty. God justifies. The basis is redemption.  The redemption is in Christ ...

Teaching on Galatians 3 An Exposition of Justification by Faith Introduction Galatians 3 stands as one of the clearest doctrinal defenses of the gospel in all of Scripture. The Apostle Paul writes with urgency because the churches of Galatia were being influenced by teachers who insisted that faith in Christ was not enough—that obedience to the Law of Moses was necessary for full acceptance before God. Paul responds by reaffirming the foundational truth of Christianity: justification is by faith alone. I. The Folly of Abandoning Faith (Galatians 3:1-5) Paul begins with a sharp rebuke: "O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?" (3:1, NKJV). Their drift toward legalism was not intellectual growth—it was spiritual regression. He asks, "Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" (3:2). The implied answer is unmistakable...

                                                     The Parable of the Talents Matthew 25:14–30   I. Context: Living in Light of the King’s Return   Matthew 25 falls within Jesus’ Olivet Discourse ( Matthew 24–25 ), where He teaches about His return and the necessity of readiness. In chapter 25, Jesus gives three parables: The Ten Virgins (25:1–13) — Be ready. The Talents (25:14–30) — Be faithful. The Sheep and the Goats (25:31–46) — Be righteous in action. The Parable of the Talents focuses on stewardship . It answers the question: What should believers be doing while waiting for Christ’s return?   II. The Setting of the Parable (vv. 14–15)   “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.” The man traveling represents Christ. The servants represe...

  No Other Gospel Teaching on Galatians 1:6–24 (NKJV)   Introduction In Galatians 1:6–24, the Apostle Paul writes with unusual urgency and intensity. Unlike many of his letters, he offers no extended thanksgiving before addressing the crisis. The gospel itself is under attack. False teachers have infiltrated the churches of Galatia, distorting grace by adding legal requirements—particularly circumcision—to faith in Christ. This passage confronts us with three major truths: 1. There is only one true gospel. 2. The gospel comes by divine revelation, not human invention. 3. A true encounter with Christ transforms a life completely. I. The Danger of Deserting the True Gospel (Galatians 1:6–9) “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another…” (Galatians 1:6–7, NKJV) Paul is astonished. The phrase “turning away” carries the idea of desertion—like a soldier abandoning his post. But notice carefull...

  Teaching on Ephesians 4:17–24 “Putting Off the Old, Putting On the New” Introduction Ephesians 4:17–24 stands as one of the clearest descriptions of Christian transformation in the New Testament. Paul moves from doctrine to daily living, from belief to behavior. Salvation is not merely a change of destination but a change of nature, identity, and direction. Paul’s words echo the broader biblical theme of renewal: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) The Christian life is fundamentally a life of exchange — the old self for the new, darkness for light, deception for truth. The Futility of the Old Life (Ephesians 4:17–19) Paul urges believers to “no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind.” Futility speaks of emptiness, instability, and aimlessness. Scripture consistently describes life apart from God in similar terms: “T...

Matthew 22:14 — Many Called, Few Chosen Matthew 22:14 in Full Context “For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:14, NKJV) This statement concludes the Parable of the Wedding Feast in Matthew 22:1–14. Jesus is not offering a detached proverb; He is summarizing the meaning of the entire parable. 1. The Invitation Rejected (Israel’s Privilege and Refusal) The king’s initial invitation represents God’s covenant call to Israel. Matthew 22:3 (NKJV) “And sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding, and they were not willing to come.” This echoes Israel’s long history of resisting God’s messengers. John 1:11 (NKJV) “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” Isaiah 65:2 (NKJV) “I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people…” The refusal is not ignorance — it is resistance. 2. The Invitation Expanded (Grace Beyond Expectation) The king then opens the invitation broadly. Matthew 22:9–10 (NKJV) “Go i...

  From Death to Life: The Miracle of Grace A Teaching on Ephesians 2:1–10   Introduction Ephesians 2:1–10 is one of the most powerful theological passages in the New Testament. In these verses, the Apostle Paul explains the human condition apart from Christ, the intervention of God, the nature of salvation, and the purpose of the redeemed life. This text dismantles self-righteousness, strengthens assurance, and magnifies the glory of grace. 1. The Human Condition: Dead in Sin (Ephesians 2:1–3) Paul begins with a sobering declaration: “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” The word dead is central to understanding the gospel. Paul is not describing weakness or spiritual fatigue, but total inability. Spiritual death means separation from the life of God, blindness to spiritual truth, and incapacity to produce righteousness. A dead person cannot respond, initiate, or cooperate. This imagery destroys any illusion that salvation is the result of ...

  Teaching on Proverbs 6:12–19 “The Anatomy of a Corrupt Heart” Proverbs 6:12–19 (NKJV) “A worthless person, a wicked man, walks with a perverse mouth; He winks with his eyes, He shuffles his feet, He points with his fingers; Perversity is in his heart, He devises evil continually, He sows discord. Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly; Suddenly he shall be broken without remedy. These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.” The Portrait of a “Worthless Person” Solomon begins with a striking description: “A worthless person, a wicked man.” The emphasis is not merely on behavior but on character shaped by corruption. This person is marked by deceit, manipulation, and destructive intent. Sin is rarely accidental or isolated. It ...

  Teaching on 1 Corinthians 1:26–31 “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.” Introduction: Seeing Your Calling Paul begins with an invitation that is both simple and deeply revealing: “For you see your calling.” He asks believers to pause and honestly examine themselves. The Corinthian church was not composed primarily of society’s elite. Most...

  Teaching on 2 Corinthians 12:1–10 Strength Perfected in Weakness Introduction Second Corinthians 12:1–10 stands as one of the most paradoxical and comforting passages in the New Testament. In it, Paul dismantles the human obsession with strength, prestige, and spiritual performance, replacing it with a radically different framework: divine power revealed through human weakness. The Reluctant Boast (Verses 1–6) Paul begins with what he himself calls boasting, though it is clearly reluctant. Throughout the letter, Paul has been defending his apostleship against critics who measured authority through outward impressiveness. His opponents valued eloquence, charisma, and visible power. Paul, however, exposes the emptiness of such standards. He recounts an extraordinary experience of being caught up into the third heaven, yet he refuses to anchor his identity in mystical encounters. Spiritual experiences, no matter how profound, are gifts rather than credentials. Authen...

  Reflection on Matthew 7:15–20 “You Will Know Them by Their Fruits”   Jesus’ warning in this passage carries a quiet weight that deepens the longer one sits with it: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits…” Christ does not portray deception as aggressive, obvious, or easily dismissed. Instead, He describes something far more unsettling — danger disguised as safety, corruption hidden beneath familiarity, harm clothed in gentleness. Wolves, by definition, do not resemble wolves when deception is their strategy. This is not merely a warning about false teaching. It is a warning about false appearances. There is something deeply realistic about Jesus’ words. He assumes that not everything that looks spiritual is trustworthy. Not everyone who speaks confidently about God actually represents God. The greatest spiritual threats are often not those that oppose truth openly...