Characteristics of Sin #1
Someone once said, “Sin has four characteristics: self-sufficiency instead of faith, self-will instead of submission, self-seeking instead of benevolence and self-righteousness instead of humility.” Selfishness is the root and source of all sin. Since sin is an act of selfishness, let’s consider how to dismiss selfishness and put away sin. Self-Sufficiency Instead of Faith Many […]
Claim Victory!
There are no enemies to your growth in grace or to your righteous service that weren’t included in your Savior’s victory over sin and death. God looked at many people of the past and identified them as “mighty men of valor” (Joshua 1:14; 6:2; 8:3; 10:7). The Lord is with you and you are mighty […]
“But I Say to You”
In His Sermon on the Mount, King Jesus shows how radically different His kingdom citizens will be from citizens of the kingdoms of the world. Six times in one section, Christ uses the contrasting literary structure “you have heard … but I say”. As King, He isn’t simply raising the moral bar. It is superficial […]
Comfort in Hardship #2
Have you ever considered that your faith has a big spotlight placed on it every single time you as a Christian have to endure hardship in your life? It’s true. There are many who are watching Christians to see if we are living consistent lives. They want to know if we really trust the God […]
Comfort in Hardship #1
I believe there are two basic human needs that every individual has — forgiveness and comfort. I also believe that only God can completely meet both of those needs. We all sin (Romans 3:23), and so we all need God’s grace. We all suffer, and so we all need the peace that only God can […]
Meat in the Wilderness
In Numbers 11:23, God said, “Now you shall see whether what I say will happen to you or not”. God had made a promise to Moses that for one month’s time He would feed the Israelites in the wilderness with meat. Moses, overtaken by unbelief, looked to the outward means, and didn’t understand how the […]
“The Church is Full of Hypocrites” #2
No one likes being around a hypocrite, so who could blame a person for not wanting to go to a church that is “full of hypocrites”? Regardless of how true this charge may be, it makes a poor excuse for not to becoming a Christian and assembling with God’s people. We looked at three excuses […]
“The Church is Full of Hypocrites” #1
Chances are, we have all heard some critic use this complaint as an excuse for not attending worship services, or even for not becoming a Christian. “Hypocrite” is an ugly word. It refers to someone who is pretending to be something that he is not. In short, a hypocrite is someone who is lying. What […]
Joy in Christ: Introduction
The Philippian church was especially beloved to Paul. Some of his tenderest thoughts were penned in the epistle to them. Among some of the “jewels” in this letter is his statement in 1:25-26: “And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith; […]
The Names of Christians: “Soldier”
In 2 Timothy 2, Paul describes a child of God by using six different terms. The first term whereby we are known is “soldier.” The idea of spiritual warfare for Christians is developed a few times in the scriptures. For instance, Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:10-12, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and […]