The Apostle Paul labored in prayer to the point of exhaustion for the Christians at Colosse. So much of our praying is calm and comfortable, yet Paul exerted his spiritual muscles the way a Greek runner would exert himself in the Olympic games. This does not mean that our prayers...
When he was a Jewish rabbi, Paul Was separated as a Pharisee to the laws and traditions of the Jews. But when he yielded to Christ, he was separated to the Gospel and its ministry. Gospel means “the Good News.” It is the message that Christ died for our sins,...
The truly humble person helps build others up, not tear them down. He is a stepping-stone, not a stumbling block. Therefore, anything that makes me stumble must be removed from my life; if it is not, I cause others to stumble. Paul used the eye, hand, and foot to illustrate...
The ingredients that make up the familiar story of the Good Samaritan are found on the pages of daily newspapers. There is really nothing new under the sun. In this story, Christ talked about violence—and we certainly have plenty of that today. He talked about crime, racial discrimination, and hatred....
A seminary professor once told me, “Try to explain election, and you may lose your mind. But explain it away—and you may lose your soul!” We will never on earth understand the total concept of divine election, but let’s notice some obvious facts about it: 1. Salvation begins with God....
Believers are complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10). We have a perfect standing before God because of the finished work of Jesus Christ. We know personally that we have this perfect standing before God because of the witness of the Holy Spirit through the Word. The witness of the Spirit is...
Peter used two different words for love: Philadelphia, which is "brotherly love,” and agape (1 Peter 1:22), which is Godlike sacrificial love. It is important that we share both kinds of love. We share brotherly love because we have the common ground of being brothers and sisters in Christ; we...
“Let us draw near … Let us hold fast … Let us consider one another.” This threefold invitation from Hebrews 10:19-25 hinges on our boldness to enter into the holiest. And this boldness (“freedom of speech”) rests on the finished work of the Saviour. On the Day of Atonement, the...
When congregations at Christmastime sing “Peace on earth and mercy mild,” they are expressing only one aspect of the Christmas story. Our Lord’s birth at Bethlehem involved war as well as peace. It was part of an agelong conflict between God and Satan, a war that was declared in Genesis...
In a Christian home, we must minister to each other. A Christian husband must minister to his wife and help “beautify her” in the Lord. A Christian wife must encourage her husband and help him grow strong in the Lord. Spouses must take time to be with each other. Christian...