Jesus was clear when He said, “If you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Mt. 6:15). It’s only fair that we should not expect God to forgive us if we’ve been unwilling to forgive others.
Those in Christ are those “who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” We have a glorious hope of victory over the devil, but it is only in God. May we learn to trust Him more completely!
This week, let’s study the Lord’s authority over His churches — and the dire consequences if we disregard His will. Let’s make sure that being “of Christ” (both individually and collectively) is more than a matter of mere words.
Young people are not “second-class citizens” in the kingdom of God. When they set for us an example “in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity,” let’s express our appreciation for their godliness. We are fortunate to have them!
For most people, the more important an activity is, the more powerfully they would like to be motivated. Now think: if obedience to Christ is the most important activity in life, what would be the most powerful motivation to engage in that activity?
When we let the “light” we’ve learned from God’s word shine into our heart and illuminate what is really there, we gain insight into how God sees us. With that insight, we can then make changes for the better. This is what “repentance” is all about.
When our hearts possess the quality of modesty, we will dress modestly, assuming our consciences are not misinformed on the subject. But while the condition of the heart is the primary consideration, both inner and outer modesty are important.
The outward “fruit” of our lifestyle is borne by a tree that has “roots” in our inmost being. Since nothing makes better changes in a person’s heart than obedient faith in Jesus Christ, no one can have a better lifestyle than the faithful Christian.
Each day, let’s lift our thoughts out of our own troubles, and ponder how we might help some fellow Christian, even if it is only by an encouraging word. The truth is, we all carry a heavy load. Let’s help one another to bear our burdens well.
Not even the most powerful evidence for God can convict us if we don’t give it a chance to sink in. So let’s allow ourselves to be impressed with the beauty and majesty of what God has made. It truly is an amazing habitat in which God has placed us.
The thing that is wrong when we sin is not merely that we do something that gives us subjective feelings of guilt — it is that we transgress an actual ...
It is encouraging that God is always at the door of our hearts, wanting us to open up and accept His gift of life. But it should sober us to ...
How should we respond to the truth that God gave His Son to save us? If we are to do more than just admire the beauty of the gospel, we ...
Material prosperity breeds a false confidence in ourselves and deludes us into thinking that we are self-sufficient. Like candy which makes us think we don’t need any food, physical comfort ...
None of us can figure this world out and control it. That’s the message of Ecclesiastes, and it prepares us for the gospel. It denies that we are the masters ...
What we lost in sin was not just biological life, but the life we would have had as “sons of God.” Jesus taught that this “eternal” kind of life can ...
What had to happen for us to enter God’s kingdom was the forgiveness of our sins. The means whereby God was able to do that was the death of His ...
The gospel is “the power of God,” but it is salvation that this power is for. Whatever secondary blessings may flow from Christ, His mission was to save us from ...
In baptism, the physical water itself does not wash away our sins. Our new lives are created “through faith in the powerful working of God” (Colossians 2:12). Baptism, then, is ...
Mankind never would have sinned if it had not believed the devil’s lie; so the only path out of sin is the one that leads back toward truth. The problem ...
John wrote about Jesus’ miracles “so that you may believe.” The miracles authenticated the truth of what Jesus claimed about Himself. Called “signs” by the gospel writers, they “signified” the ...
May we never underestimate the seriousness of what must happen to us in Christ. “Crucifixion” not too strong a word for it. It was distrust that drove us to sin. ...