Romans – Salisbury Baptist Church

Evangelicalism: The Gospel and the Holy Spirit

31st August 2025

There is one true foundation for Christian life: the Gospel that brings both forgiveness and transformation. The same message that saves also sanctifies, for the Holy Spirit received through faith in Christ continues the work begun at conversion. Evangelical faith centres on the Gospel as the power of God unto salvation, shaping believers into obedient disciples who surrender wholly to Him. True spirituality is never a second experience apart from the cross but the ongoing renewal of the mind, as the Spirit deepens our walk with Christ and displays His life within us.

The New Covenant

6th July 2025

The Old Covenant Law does not on its own make anyone righteous; rather, its primary purpose is to reveal the universal nature of sin, holding every person accountable to God. The Old Testament itself, however, points forward to a New Covenant. This new promise is not based on external rules but on an internal change, where God writes His law on our hearts and all may know Him personally. This covenant is made possible by the one, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice of Jesus Christ, whose death provides a complete atonement for sin, offering total forgiveness to all who come to Him in faith.

Ruth

A Worthy Life

25th May 2025

The Old Testament concept of worthiness, seen in Ruth and Boaz, is updated and clarified in the New Covenant. To find God's will, especially in relationships, requires three things. First, we must be equally yoked with fellow believers, as true worthiness is found in Christ. Second, we must offer a total commitment to the Lord, a full surrender like that of Ruth to Naomi. Finally, we must be transformed by the renewing of our minds, learning to listen to the Holy Spirit's leading from within rather than conforming to the pressures of the world.

The Blood that Atones

30th March 2025

The atonement is not achieved by our actions but entirely through Christ's blood. Many people misunderstand atonement, thinking it involves their own efforts to get right with God, but Scripture reveals it is completely God's work. Jesus' sacrifice has already paid for our sins in full, requiring nothing from us except belief. His blood changes everything: it propitiates God's wrath, reverses our fallen position, and silences Satan's accusations against us. When we trust in Christ's finished work rather than our "dead works," our conscience is purified, and we serve God not to earn salvation but out of grateful love.

The Spirit’s Work in bringing us all that we have in Christ

26th January 2025

The fullness of God dwells bodily in Christ, and through Him, believers receive everything needed for salvation and spiritual life. When we come to Christ, we receive not just a portion of God's presence, but the complete indwelling of His Spirit. Just as Jesus experienced being born of the Spirit, anointed by the Spirit, filled with the Spirit, and raised by the Spirit, these same happenings are granted to all who trust in Him. Our journey is not about acquiring additional blessings beyond Christ, but rather discovering the depths of what we already possess in Him.

More of the Same, Please

1st December 2024

The strengthening of disciples does not come through new teachings or different teachings, but through a deeper understanding of the same Gospel that first brought them to faith. When Paul returned to strengthen the souls of new believers, he reinforced the original message of God's grace and loving-kindness. This pattern continues today - the way to help Christians grow stronger and more obedient is not by moving beyond the Gospel, but by helping them understand it more deeply. The book of Romans serves as a prime example of how teaching the Gospel at depth produces spiritual stability and growth in the lives of believers.

The Knock at the Door: Lessons from Laodicea

3rd November 2024

True Christianity requires more than correct doctrine—it produces a burning heart for Christ. The Lord's letter to Laodicea speaks against spiritual complacency, where believers are neither cold nor hot in their devotion. When we grow lukewarm, Jesus stands at the door of His own Church, knocking and seeking renewed fellowship. Although Christ owns the Church, He pictures Himself outside of it and knocking to come in. The path to spiritual fervency comes through an individual hearing His voice and responding to let Him come in to His own Church. When an individual responds to the call of Christ, the Lord answers by coming up to that one and creating fellowship with him or her and deepening their relationship with Himself, allowing His presence to rekindle their first love.

Judgment in the Now and Judgment in the Future

27th October 2024

God's judgment operates in two distinct ways: His interventions in present history and His final Judgment at the end of time. While He sometimes brings immediate judgment upon nations and churches in this life, as seen in the Flood and Sodom and Gomorrah, He also has a formal Judgment moment! At the end of the age. Christians will face the Judgment Seat (Bema) of Christ where their works will be tested by fire and non-Christians similarly face final Judgment in the Lake of Fire of the Book of Revelation. Those who reject God's free offer of righteousness given through the Gospel face an eternal judgment, precisely because they have left themselves "in their sins". Christ's forgiveness through Christ's sacrifice offers complete cleansing from all unrighteousness for those who come by faith to Christ, confessing their sins. The severity of both God's judgment and His forgiveness are both the outworking of His perfect righteousness and justice.

From Divine Election to Eternal Security in Christ

4th August 2024

The love of God, demonstrated through Christ's sacrifice, forms the unshakeable foundation of our salvation. This love, initiated before the world began through God's election, is made tangible in history through Christ's death and resurrection. When we respond in faith, we are justified and brought into an eternal relationship with God. No external force—be it tribulation, distress, or even death itself—can separate us from this love. Christ's ongoing intercession for believers at the Father's right hand ensures our continued security in God's grace. This assurance is not based on our feelings or performance, but on the unchanging character of God and the finished work of Christ.

The Three Steps of Salvation

28th July 2024

There are three stages in God's plan of salvation: justification (initial acceptance by God), sanctification (ongoing growth in holiness), and glorification (final perfection in Heaven). While all Christians are equal at the foot of the cross, not all progress equally in their spiritual journey. The story of Caleb in Numbers 13-14 illustrates the importance of fully surrendering to God, following Him throughout one's entire life, and living by the power of the Holy Spirit. These qualities set Caleb apart and enabled him to enter the Promised Land when others could not. As Christians, we are called to this same level of commitment and reliance on God's Spirit to fulfil His purpose for our lives.