Trey Talley-Author Page

Is baptism the equivalent entry point to the New Covenant as circumcision was to the Abrahamic Covenant? In this article we will examine Paul's writings to see what he believes to be the entry point into the New Covenant.

(7th article of Baptizing Babies is not Biblical)

Did Paul Teach Baby Baptism as the Entrance Into the New Covenant? (7th article of Baptizing Babies is not Biblical)Baby baptizers believe that just as believing and unbelieving Israelites bore the sign of the Abrahamic Covenant (circumcision) from infancy, then the same should be true of baptism, babies, and the New Covenant that was made by Christ. As stated by o...

Christ Was Cursed so That You Could be Blessed.

Jesus drank the cup of God’s wrath as one who is cursed by God (Jn. 18:10; Rev. 14:10). Jesus was lifted up on the cross like the bronze serpent, representing the curse that had come upon Israel and mankind. (Jn. 3:14-16; Num. 21:9). He shed His blood on the cross as the greater Passover Lamb so that the wrath of God would pass over us (1 Cor. 5:7; Ex. 12). The thorns upon His head take our mind back to the thorns as a symbol of the curse that came upon creation due to sin (Jn. 19:2; Gen. 3:17-18). Jesus hung on a tree, representing one cursed by God (Gal. 3:13; Deut. 21:23). The final three hours upon the cross were marked by darkness, another symbol of God's wrath (Luke 23:44; Is. 8:22).

Question: What does this all mean?

Answer: Jesus became the culminating focal point of the curse for sin. Jesus saves by taking on the curse, the wrath, and the punishment for sin. You are by nature an object of God’s wrath because of sin (Eph. 2:3). This means that you will face the full wrath of God for all eternity, or you can trust in the righteous Savior who was sent to save by taking the wrath and fully exhausting its’ due punishment for all who believe in Him. As Paul writes, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21).

Are You a Hypocrite?
Hypocrisy is the act of pretending to be one kind of a person when a completely different individual is underneath. In theater days of old, it had to do with wearing a mask to cover up the person beneath so that a different character could be played. The religious leaders of Jesus' day were experts at this theatrical charade.

“Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover.” (John 18:28)

Comment: This is a perfect example of the hypocrisy of the religious leaders who would not enter Pilate’s home. The Jews had strict rules about doing anything that would make them ceremonially unclean. However, these same men had no trouble asking Pilate to kill an innocent man. They had lied, bribed, practiced injustice, and were committing premeditated murder. What was most important to the religious leaders was clearly not true holiness but the appearance of holiness. Look how Jesus described them previously in Matthew:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (Matthew 23:27-28)

Application: Hypocrisy is something that even Christians must fight against. We should not focus on appearing holy but on being holy. Even Christians can be guilty of focusing on the outward appearance of holiness while neglecting to deal with sin on the inside. Don’t be like the religious hypocrites who cared more about what other people thought of them than what God thought.

Jesus even warned: “Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (Matt. 16:5). Once hypocrisy is allowed in, like yeast in the bread-making process, it spreads and takes over. Be on the watch for hypocrisy in your life. Just because you are a Christian, it does not mean that you are immune to this sin. Analyze your life from the inside out, and pray for God to reveal any hypocrisy. If found, kill it quickly by confessing and repenting of it.

Trey Talley-Author Page

Did Jesus Know What He Was Getting Into?

Yes, He did. Jesus had perfect knowledge of His pending crucifixion, and the Bible clearly conveys that point. For example, as the soldiers and Judas come to arrest Jesus, John records, “Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward” (Jn. 18:4). Jesus did not run or hide but stepped toward the pain and torment that awaited Him. Though the crucifixion seemed to many that Jesus had lost control, everything was going precisely according to the sovereign plan of God.

App.: Jesus, knowing everything about to happen to Him, stepped forward to take your place. Was there a time in your life when you thought that Jesus made a tactical mistake or was a helpless victim in the crucifixion? How does understanding that Jesus intentionally died for your sins affect your understanding of Christ’s love for you?

Trey Talley-Author Page

Preaching through John 18 this month, I see many parallels with the Genesis narrative of Adam and Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. What do you think? Do you find this interesting?

Adam sinned. God came looking for him. Adam hid. When found, he tried to cause judgment to come upon Eve instead of himself. Adam was removed from the garden by God. God judged and gave Adam mercy by killing an animal instead.

Jesus did not sin. Man came looking for Him. He did not hide. When found, He caused judgment to come only on Himself to save others. Jesus was removed from the garden by man. Man judged and gave Jesus no mercy, killing Him.

Trey Talley-Author Page

Do You Divide or Unify?

Jesus prayed for the unity of believers and said that our being “one” will be a powerful witness to the world about Him (John 17:21-23). As an expression of being made one, believers are called to behave in peace and unity, bearing with one another, forgiving, and loving one another as Christ loved us.

However, division among believers defames the One they claim to represent. Division is the opposite of unity, the opposite of what Christ prayed for, and divisiveness can even reveal that a person has not been made one in Christ. The Apostle Paul warns believers in most of his letters about division and lists it as a desire of the flesh that is opposed to the Spirit (Gal. 5:17-21). Paul gives directions to Christians about what to do with a divisive person, and his command might surprise you.

"But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned." (Titus 3:9-11)

“I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught avoid them." (Romans 16:17)

Question: According to these passages, what does being a divisive person seem to reveal?

Answer: Unbelief. Their desire to divide the church is greater than their desire for unity, which reveals that they are either not saved or, in the least, in need of repentance. A divisive “Christian” spoils their witness to the world about Christ. As Christian unity helps to reveal Christ to the world, division reveals that Christians are no different than the world. For this reason, a divisive person is to be warned once, warned twice, and if they do not repent, then removed from the church.

App.: What about you? Do you look for differences among the people of God more than you look at what you have in common? Do you have a history of division or unity? Do you find yourself wanting to disagree, quarrel, slander, recruit, and divide the body of Christ? Or do you find yourself patient, tenderhearted, forgiving, long-suffering, and loving? Be honest with yourself because your answer can reveal the actual state of your soul and the need to repent. Unity among believers and in the local church takes effort. We must put away divisiveness, a “work of the flesh," so that we may live in the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace, loving one another as Christ has loved us.

“Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called children of God” (Matthew 5:6).

Trey Talley-Author Page

Have you altered the gospel to "better" meet the needs of our culture?

Many Christians labor to reinvent the gospel wheel when there is just no need to do so. We are not allowed to fashion the gospel into a different message which we believe will work better than the gospel of God. The gospel should not be altered into a message that we think people might more easily receive. The gospel is God’s, and it is the message which God has purposed to bring salvation. However, Christians often, inadvertently, assume that they can put their own spin on the gospel, reinvent the wheel, and make their own version of the gospel work a little better than God’s.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally any reinventing of God’s gospel is ludicrous. The gospel is a message for believing and repeating, but not for amending and recreating. As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians, “Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, ‘I believed, and so I spoke,’ we also believe, and so we also speak.”

Summary: The message is set, and we must continue to present the authentic gospel with all of its components—omitting nothing and adding nothing—to a world that is perishing without it.

Trey Talley, Author of "The Missing Gospel of Modern Christianity."

The Missing Gospel of Modern Christianity: Know, believe, and share the true message of salvation. The Missing Gospel of Modern Christianity: Know, believe, and share the true message of salvation.

Have you left the party? In today’s passage, Peter commends the believers for not participating any longer with those who were still living sinful lives, but also warns the Christians of the repercussions.

“For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, or**es, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; 5but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.” (1 Peter 4:3-4)

Question: Why were the sinners surprised?

Answer: The sudden change of lifestyle of the Christians. The Christians were no longer participating in the sinful parties that they used to attend.

Question: What did their surprise quickly turn into?

Answer: Malignment (speaking evil) of the Christians. The people that used to be their friends, who loved to “party” with them, now hated the Christians and spoke about them in a way that was meant to cause them great harm.

Question: What did the Christians do to deserve such hatred from their former friends?

Answer: Nothing. In fact, they were doing everything right. They were living out their Christianity by not joining those around them in their sinfulness.

App.: What about you? Have you left the party? Are sinners shocked by your commitment to holy living? Sadly, many professing Christians blend in with the world so much that they have never shocked anyone. Don’t let this be you. As Peter said, you have sinned enough in the past, stop, live holy, and brace for the hatred as you live for the glory of God. Make it your goal to live a shockingly and malignment worthy, holy life. Sinners will judge you and speak evil of you for living for God, but don’t worry, for we know that God is the ultimate judge.

How do others know that you are a Christian?

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)

Comment: It is a huge, tremendous, monumental truth to Christianity that Christ here, in the upper room gives a new command that Christians are to obey, yet this new command is so often overlooked.

Question: So, what is the new command?
Answer: The command is not just to love, but to “love one another as I have loved you.”

Question: What does this new example of love look like?
Answer: It is a love that endures. It is a love that perseveres. It is a love that is not based on personal needs being met or unmet. It is a love that is selfless. It is a love that is forgiving. It is a love that enables one to sacrifice everything for another.

App.: The love that you are to have towards fellow Christians is to be so unique, that all people (Christians and non-Christians) will recognize you as a disciple (student) of Christ. What about you? Are you identified with Christ by the way you love? If not, admit it, repent, and pray that your love of others will give clear evidence that you are a disciple of Christ.

What do you do when a fellow Christian is difficult, test your patience, and even sins against you? Run, hide, abandon, seek revenge, hold a grudge? How you respond is important.

"Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. (Col. 3:12-13)

Comment: Christians are to bear with one another, which means that sometimes Christian fellowship will be difficult. Bearing "with" can only be fulfilled when we are in a situation where we had rather run away or avoid. We are also to be patient with one another. Patience can only be practiced when we are around believers, that test our patience. And we are to forgive as one another as Christ forgave us! Yikes, this means that fellow Christians are even going
to sin against us. Yet our standard of forgiveness is that of Christ's for our sins against Him. When these things are practiced true Christian fellowship is witnessed, and it is a beautiful thing to behold.

Trey Talley

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Comment: It is interesting that Jesus gives the disciples the key to peace, yet also tells them that at the same time they will have tribulation. Modern Christians have a tough time of seeing how both peace and persecution can coexist, but Jesus presents these two as simultaneous realities.

App.: We have to be careful that we do not deceive ourselves into believing that when Jesus says, “you will have tribulation,” that He was just kidding, or that such a message was only for the Disciples.

Trey Talley
(Sermon excerpt from 7-7-24)

God’s love for his children coexist through our suffering and even death. No matter what you are facing, as a believer, you can know that God loves you. Don’t allow difficulties in your life cause you to question God’s love for you.

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?”(Rom.8:35)

“Let everyone who names the name of the Lord
depart from iniquity.”
(2 Tim. 2:18)

Does NOT Baptizing Babies Keep Them From Jesus? (6th article of Baptizing Babies is not Biblical)It is common for baby baptizers to believe that baptism is how babies are brought to Jesus and that to not baptize them would be to keep them from Jesus.[1] If this is true, then what parent would not immediately baptize their baby to get them to Jesu...

Does NOT Baptizing Babies Keep Them From Jesus?
(6th article of Baptizing Babies is not Biblical)

It is common for baby baptizers to believe that baptism is how babies are brought to Jesus and that to not baptize them would be to keep them from Jesus.

Does NOT Baptizing Babies Keep Them From Jesus? (6th article of Baptizing Babies is not Biblical)It is common for baby baptizers to believe that baptism is how babies are brought to Jesus and that to not baptize them would be to keep them from Jesus.[1] If this is true, then what parent would not immediately baptize their baby to get them to Jesu...

I have written several blogs on believer's baptism vs. infant baptism and am trying to write an additional one each month this year. I hope that the blogs will aid those who are seeking to understand the difference. This is the 5th blog of the series:

Baby Baptism: The Ineffective Seal. (5th article of Baptizing Babies is not Biblical)For those unaware of the argument of baby baptizers, they claim that baptism is a seal of the Covenant of Grace. Well, that certainly sounds important or even necessary for salvation. Any new parent hearing that the baptism of their newborn would seal...

I have written several blogs on believer's baptism vs. infant baptism and am trying to write an additional one each month this year. I hope that the blogs will aid those who are seeking to understand the difference. This article covers 1 Corinthians 7:14 and "holy" babies.

“Holy” Baby Baptism: A look at 1st Corinthians 7:14. (4th article of Baptizing Babies is not Biblical)A common argument heard by baby baptizers is that because a parent has been saved, their children are holy, members of the Covenant of Grace, and should, therefore, be baptized as members of the Church. Where do we find such a doctrine espoused in Scr...

Do New Testament Household Baptisms include Babies? (1st article of Baptizing Babies is not Biblical) Baby baptizers often argue that the household baptisms in the Book of Acts can justify the practice. Do such clear examples of baby baptism exist in Scripture? Are such passages meant to teach us that if an adult is saved and baptized, everyone in th...

Does This Verse Prove That Baby Circumcision Was Replaced by Baby Baptism? Let’s see.

Does This Verse Prove That Baby Circumcision Was Replaced by Baby Baptism? (3rd article of Baptizing Babies is not Biblical) Baby baptizers base their practice on the belief that baby baptism has replaced baby circumcision as the sign of the covenant. But what passages is this replacement theory based upon? For there to be so many baby baptizers, there must surely be a mul...

It sounds simple enough, but upon closer examination of the God-given regulations regarding circumcision, we find that baby baptizers’ supposed continuity of covenant practice is confusing, inconsistent, and contrary to the laws of God.

The Confusion of Replacing Baby Circumcision with Baby Baptism (2nd article of baptizing babies is not biblical) Baby baptizers argue that the sign of the covenant with God changed from circumcision to water baptism; therefore, if babies were circumcised to be placed in the Old Covenant, then now babies must be baptized to be placed in the New Covenant. It soun...

Baby baptizers often argue that the household baptisms in the Book of Acts can justify the practice. Do such clear examples of baby baptism exist in Scripture? Are such passages meant to teach us that if an adult is saved and baptized, everyone in the home must also be baptized? Can a mother or father put their babies into the New Covenant through baptism? Let's look at these "household" baptism passages and see if they give any support to the baptism of babies.

Do New Testament Household Baptisms include Babies? Baby baptizers often argue that the household baptisms in the Book of Acts can justify the practice. Do such clear examples of baby baptism exist in Scripture? Are such passages meant to teach us that if an adult is saved and baptized, everyone in the home must also be baptized? Can a mother or fath...

Churches that are seeker friendly, doctrinally light, scripturally deficient, theologically ambiguous, entertainment based, and lacking in gospel clarity will leave the sheep malnourished and the goats satisfied. Over time, such a church may find itself more of a pen of goats than it is a green pasture for feeding the sheep.

“Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. (John 21:17)

The Missing Gospel of Modern Christianity: Know, believe, and share the true message of salvation. The Missing Gospel of Modern Christianity: Know, believe, and share the true message of salvation.

Other Questions Answered. (Chapter 14) There have been varying views regarding the Sabbath throughout church history. Augustine, Luther, and Calvin had different opinions than what was later popul...