Jesus urged us to “count the cost” of discipleship (Luke 14:25-33). If we won’t throw the doors open and give God access to EVERY room in our hearts (even the “secret” ones), it’s doubtful that our intentions are as serious as they should be.
God must be TREATED as holy, with respect for His commandments, but He will also DISPLAY His holiness in His dealings with those who come near — even by punishing those who play fast and loose with His instructions and “worship” Him presumptuously.
There is a link between the CHARACTER of God and the COMMANDS of God. When God has given any instruction to regulate our behavior, we cannot disrespect His WORD without disrespecting HIM. There is no such thing as “reverent disobedience.”
The first thing necessary was for the people to repent of the sins for which they sought God’s forgiveness. So the only preaching that could have prepared them for the Messiah was the message that John the Baptist (and before him, Elijah) preached.
In practical terms, a person’s burial and resurrection in baptism marks the beginning of a new life, so much so that it can be said that a new person has come into existence, one whose allegiance is now to Christ and not the world (Romans 6:3-5).
We can deplore Israel’s lack of trust when they backed away from God’s command, but do we do any better? When it comes to obeying the gospel of Christ, do we trust God enough to do what He has told us, confident that His wisdom is always best?
If Jesus’ tomb was empty, we must decide whether its emptiness means He was resurrected. And most importantly, we have to decide whether, if Jesus was resurrected, that means “God has made him both Lord and Christ.” Reason is required at each step.
Psalm 110 is a powerful prophecy of the Messiah — every part of it meshes seamlessly with Jesus Christ. No wonder the New Testament writers saw in David’s words clear references to Jesus, the Lord who is now seated at the right hand of God.
The apostles played a pivotal role in the NT period. No one since then has possessed Christ’s authority as they did, and their teaching will always be the benchmark against which everything must be measured. We are not free to modify their teaching.
If it is our pride that is the root of our sin, there can be no deliverance for us if we won’t humble ourselves before our King. But are we not beautifully moved to do so when we see the humility of the King Himself, even in the place of His birth?
If our present position is that we have said no to Christ, we’re on the side of the enemy. But Christ invites us to change our minds and obey the ...
Fervent and faithful, at least to the best of his understanding, Apollos needed to be shown “the way of God more accurately” (Acts 18:26). And to his credit, when Priscilla ...
As Paul reminded Timothy, the Scriptures are able to make us “wise for salvation” (2 Timothy 3:15). Whatever may seem right to us, we would do well to listen humbly ...
“There are two freedoms: the false, where man is free to do what he likes; the true, where a man is free to do what he ought.” Freedom is not ...
Paul described the Christian’s new life in Colossians 3:1-17. We have new goals, thoughts, and habits. With Christ as our Lord, we live under a new authority. And having been ...
The stability of the promised kingdom would be such that it “shall stand forever.” The ups and downs of history would not faze it, and no enemy could conquer it. ...
God said to David, “Your throne shall be established forever.” The kingdom of which God spoke would not be geographical but spiritual (John 18:36) — and this is the very ...
The path to heaven passes through the territory of repentance, and that is a painful place to be. But the horror of our sins has to become real to us. ...
It is in the gospel that God has revealed His plan. The righteousness He is willing to provide is based on faith in His Son. We might have preferred some ...
Real faith involves more than accepting the facts of the gospel intellectually. As it grows to maturity, faith turns into confidence and trust — a trust that will risk everything ...
Whether in the operation of his intellect, emotions, or will, Abraham’s point of departure was always this: what has God said? And he continues to be the spiritual forefather of ...
The gospel does not deal in superficial solutions. According to Jesus, the problem is not just our dysfunctional behavior — it is us. It is in the deepest depths of ...