Sometimes those who correct us may err in the way they go about it. Even so, we should profit from the feedback. The source of the feedback shouldn’t matter very much. In fact, our enemies will often tell us more of the truth than our friends will.
Let’s think about our relationship to the local church. Our relationship to Christ involves relating ourselves rightly to others who have the same tie to Him that we do, especially those near enough locally that we can work and worship with them.
Instituted by God, marriage should be governed by His wisdom. No matter what the laws of the land or the customs of society may be, it is the abiding will of the Creator that determines the true quality of any marriage. His will should be respected.
Whatever obstacles block our path to God, God is greater than those. Jesus assured His disciples: “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
There’s nothing wrong with nostalgia, and it’s helpful to remember the mistakes we’ve made in the past. But life doesn’t move backward, and if we’re Christians, it’s important that we give most of our attention to what is ahead of us.
Let’s be mindful of God’s forgiving nature. He is not a reluctant forgiver who must be begged to pardon us against His will, but rather a Father who finds joy in the restoration of His children. Let’s be encouraged by the thought of His forgiveness.
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!
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. ...
In the world, obedience is often based on personal feelings or legal obligation, but in the gospel, it’s based on trust in God. Confident that His way is always the ...
Forgiven of past sins, the Christian can rejoice in the present grace and future hope of the gospel. The relationship we can now have with God is rich — and ...
When we obey the gospel and are justified with God, the result is that “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” This is not the subjective FEELING ...
The term “Christian” was first used in Antioch in Syria. Here, for the first time, a congregation was made up of both Jews and Gentiles, and it was clear that ...
Apart from Jesus Christ, there is no way back to God, no certainty of truth about God, and no life other than the desperate yearning of our earthly existence. Jesus ...
On Pentecost following Jesus’ resurrection, a large crowd in Jerusalem heard Peter preach the gospel of Christ. Many were “cut to the heart,” and no one in the history of ...
What is the meaning of the titles associated with the name of Jesus in the New Testament? Over sixty times He is called the “Lord Jesus Christ”? To see fully ...
God is at the center of both our problem and its solution. The gospel is not primarily about our broken social relationships. These are but symptoms of the real problem: ...
We were created for perfect joy with God, a joy not subject to change and decay. By our sin, the human race broke that perfection, but we still yearn for ...