2 Corinthians 13.5 challenges, test yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Examine yourselves. Or do
you yourselves not recognize that Jesus Christ is in you? — unless you fail the test.
What does it look like to see Jesus Christ in us? The simple answer seems to be that His character and His purpose would be demonstrated by us if He truly lived within us. So what did His character and purpose look like? (more…)
Luke 6.26 warns, woe to you when all people speak well of you, for this is the way their ancestors used
to treat the false prophets.
Most people would think God wants us to be the kind of people that others speak well about. Most Christians strive for this type of ‘witness.’ Indeed, no one should be able to say to those in Christ that we do things that Christ would not do. Those who claim to be Christians must live as Jesus did. (more…)
Romans 7.19-20 observes, I do not do the good that I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not
want to do. Now if I do what I do not want, I am no longer the one that does it, but it is the sin that lives in me.
There are some who claim that as Christians it is possible for us to no longer sin. I do not adhere to this belief. While I have been declared dead to sin and am recognized as such by God, it is not the presence of sin that is dead in me but the consequences of sin that is no longer condemning me and the power of sin over me has been broken. (more…)
Matthew 24.12 describes, because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold.
Disobedience to God leads to dishonor of men. It is only the One True God Who commands humanity to love our neighbor as ourselves. The false gods of the world’s numerous religions consistently allow certain groups of humans to justifiably kill other humans. (more…)
Acts 15.4 observes, when they arrived at Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, the apostles,
and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them.
There should be among Christians, an expectation, that the people of God accomplish something of the work of God. There certainly is such expectation by God Himself which will become clear to us on that day when we stand before Him, to be rewarded for the works we have accomplished for His purposes while we lived upon this earth. (more…)
Matthew 10.22 promises, you will be hated by everyone because of My name. But the one who endures
to the end will be saved.
This section contains one of God’s most stern warnings to us about His expectation from us to serve Him as witnesses of His work in the world through Jesus the Savior. He reminds us that we are to share Him with others but warns that in sharing Him we will suffer for Him, for even those in our own household will reject the Lordship of Jesus. (more…)
Matthew 2.16 remembers, Herod, when he realized that he had been outwitted by the wise men, flew
into a rage. He gave orders to massacre all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, in keeping with the time he had learned from the wise men.
The age old question of why bad things happen to good people is never answered satisfactorily to those suffering. The Bible has a clear explanation but men find it unpalatable for it makes men responsible for all the suffering in the world that has ever been. (more…)
Revelation 22.12-13 promises, I’m on my way! I’ll be there soon! I’m bringing my payroll with me.
I’ll pay all people in full for their life’s work. I’m A to Z, the First and the Final, Beginning and Conclusion.
What will God pay men for? What is the product or service of which He is interested? Is He not God, the Creator of all things and thus the owner of all things? (more…)
1 John 4.21 is clear, The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people.
You’ve got to love both.
It is absolutely amazing to me that the Creator has so completely intertwined His command to love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength, with the command to love our neighbor as our self. This command of God is entirely unique to Christianity among all religions in the world, now or ever. (more…)
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