From the beginning, God has spoken to the human race using actual words that can be understood rationally. This is remarkable when we stop to think about it, but it is nevertheless true that God has used human language to convey His will to us.
God is presented to us in the Scriptures as a transcendent God: He is radically “other” than His creation. And if that is the truth, then it is a serious mistake to give to the creation the reverence that ought to go to the Creator alone.
Christ did not die for the mere betterment of our feelings, and seeking God through Him is not mostly about pain relief. It is about character transformation. And even more than character transformation, it is about the glorification of God.
God did not show Himself to be dependable just so that we might sleep better at night. The demonstration of God’s perfect power and love leads us to trust Him, but we are led to trust Him so that we might once again obey Him!
Without any doubt, the single greatest thing that can stabilize our attitude toward God is meditation on the constancy with which He loves us. His faithfulness to us does not wax and wane. He continues to love us faithfully even on our worst days.
The love to which we should aspire is one that loves God for His own sake, worships Him without compensation, and serves Him without self-interest. These things aren’t easy in a world where most of us listen to station WIFM (What’s In It For Me?).
It is often true that things appear to get worse before they get better. Frankly, it is hard to keep from getting impatient. But here is where faith comes in. The principal part of faith is its ability to bear a heavy burden and still keep going.
If we worship something other than God as He is, we are worshiping an idol, a creature that we have made. And nothing is more disastrous spiritually than to worship a creature (whether one of God’s or one of our own) rather than the Creator Himself.
Much of the happiness and joy that are available to us can only be ours if we know we’re making progress in godly character and conduct. When we give in to the forces of evil “inertia,” we fail to move ahead, and the result is that we stagnate.
If we’ve caught any glimpse of the joy that fellowship with God would bring to us, then no price will be too great to pay to learn that love. We’ll not even balk at the requirement of repentance. Our hearts and our minds will be open to Him.
Rebellion may be a temptation sometimes, but it’s not the only way we may depart from Christ. In a dangerous world, our confidence needs to be balanced with carefulness — ...
The idea that God has the right to govern everything about us is hard for us to swallow. But if God is indeed our Creator, we are not free to ...
The “teaching of Christ” is a teaching we must “abide in” if we hope to be saved from our sins (2 John 9). And whatever else the teaching of Christ ...
The entire gospel depends on the Incarnation. God could not have died an atoning death for our sins if He had not become a human being who was capable of ...
Hatred comes straight out of hell. Sexual sin is an abomination that will damn your soul, but if things like pride, anger, and selfishness are in your heart, you are ...
In Christ, we are assured of being protected from the wrath that will be poured out on the rebellious and disobedient. But even in Christ, we must not fail to ...
The gospel’s value does not lie in its power to remove the difficulties of this life; its power is the promise of resurrection to eternal life (1 Peter 1). May ...
As you consider obeying the gospel, many of the “what ifs” will be frightful. I won’t insult you by saying that your path will be easy. But this much I ...
Heaven is the reason why people become Christians. At least, that’s what life in Christ was about in the apostolic age. Its “end” or intended goal was not a better ...
Yes, by all means investigate the “churches of Christ.” But when you visit, you’ll need to look deeper than the name and ask lots of questions. That designation expresses a ...
As you look for a faithful congregation, don’t be misled by the attractions of entertainment masquerading as religion. You’re searching for the Lord’s people, so “examine everything carefully; hold fast ...
You can’t read what happened in Antioch in Acts 11:19-26 and imagine those people downplaying their duties to the Lord’s church in their locality. The entire New Testament assumes that ...