In his subsequent letters, John makes reference to deceivers who enter the church – people who teach wrong doctrines. The problem is that, as much as true doctrines and life go together, wrong doctrines and wrong living also go together. Our beliefs and our behavior are dependent on one another. People can behave themselves away from God, and they can ... [Continue Reading]
Assurance (1 John)
How do you know if God has begun a new work in you? How can you be certain that the Holy Spirit is alive and working in your heart? Is there any way you can have assurance that you are a Christian? Jesus’ beloved apostle, John, helps us to answer some of those questions. The truth is that we can have assurance of these things. Two litmus ... [Continue Reading]
Forward Motion (Jude)
The life of the follower of Christ must be one that constantly moves forward. If you are in the same place today as you were ten years ago, then something isn’t right. One of my favorite movie lines comes from The Shawshank Redemption where Red says, “Get busy livin’, or get busy dyin’.” Isn’t there a lot of truth to that? We understand it in ... [Continue Reading]
When? (2 Peter)
Much speculation has been made regarding when Jesus might return to the earth. For his apostles, the expectation was that he would be coming back soon, and yet, here we are nearly 2000 years later with no sign of him. Some point to this as a reason why he’s not truly God (i.e. it supports the idea that the apostles made the story up about his resurrection), ... [Continue Reading]
Your Most Important Work (2 Timothy)
I’ll never forget the faith of my Grandma Herrmann. She was an incredibly godly woman who made her relationship with the Lord the biggest priority in her life. When we went to visit her it usually involved attending her church for Vacation Bible School or for Sunday morning worship. She wasn’t a Sunday Christian by any means: she knew Jesus as one ... [Continue Reading]
Learning to Trust (Hebrews 11-13)
Faith* is kind of a funny thing that takes time to build, and the way one goes about building it is somewhat nebulous. I spent a semester in Ireland when I was in college, and one of my biggest frustrations during my time away from the US was trying to figure out how to have more faith. I wanted to trust God more, and it’s evident through Hebrews 11 that God ... [Continue Reading]
When Bulls and Goats Fall Short (Hebrews 8-10)
The real problem with the Old Testament sacrificial system was that it held no permanence. Yes, it allowed a person to address the sins of the moment, but that’s where its value ended. One could not rely on old sacrifices for the forgiveness of new sins, and so the sacrifices had to keep coming on a continual basis. When the writer of Hebrews said, ... [Continue Reading]
Moving to Maturity (Hebrews 5-7)
The author of Hebrews speaks of the importance of growing being immaturity in the Christian faith and simply drinking “milk” (5:11-14). How does one partake of food rather than milk as he or she grows in faith? Contrary to the opinion of some, I believe it has to do more with what one studies on his own than what is taught in a worship service ... [Continue Reading]
A New Way (Hebrews 2-4)
In the Old Testament system of making oneself right before God, a priest was appointed who sought the appeasement of God by bringing the people’s sacrifices. Even the, the high priest was only allowed into the Holy of Holies, the Most Holy Place, once per year and with proper precautions. A rope was tied to his back so that, if he faced sudden death, the ... [Continue Reading]
Young and Old (1 Peter 4-5; Hebrews 1)
There’s a tension that exists in the church between the young people and the old people. They both have stylistic preferences, they both have ideas of how things should operate, and they both think they’re right. It’s ironic that Peter addressed this in his letter as he challenged those who were older in the churches to use their age and their authority as an ... [Continue Reading]
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