In the Bible the concept of hope does not involve a self-produced feeling of encouragement that is imaginary. Nor is it “wishful thinking” of the “hope-so” variety. A Christian’s hope is built on the solid foundation of the character of God and the Word of God. It is this term...
The Christian is simply a “jar of clay”; it is the treasure within the vessel that gives the vessel its value. God has made us the way we are so that we can do the work He wants us to do. God said of Paul, “He is a chosen vessel...
Every Christian who lives a godly life experiences a certain amount of persecution. On the job, in school, in the neighborhood, perhaps even in the family, there are people who resist the truth and oppose the Gospel of Christ. No matter what a believer says or does, these people find...
Because He is the sinless, eternal Son of God, and because His was the perfect, or “complete,” sacrifice, Jesus Christ is the “author of eternal salvation” (Hebrews 5:9). No Old Testament priest could offer eternal salvation to anyone, but that is exactly what we have in Jesus Christ. Through His...
Today the cross is an accepted symbol of love and sacrifice. But in Jesus’ day the cross was a horrible means of capital punishment. The Romans would not mention the cross in polite society. In fact, no Roman citizen could be crucified; this terrible death was reserved for Rome’s enemies....
Paul had written the Corinthians a stern message (2 Corinthians 7:8-9), and then had regretted it. But the letter achieved its purpose and the Corinthians repented, and this made Paul rejoice. Their repentance was not merely a passing regret; it was a true, godly sorrow for sin. The difference is...
When my wife and I visited the Tower of London and saw the royal jewels, we noticed that the crowd was kept moving—and the guards stood still. They were constantly watching the visitors; nothing could move them from their appointed places. Similarly, you and I are helping to guard the...
A man should “prove his own work,” Paul wrote in Galatians 6:4, and it should be proved in the light of God’s will and not in the shadows of somebody else’s achievements. There is no place for competition in the work of God, unless we are competing against sin and...
The Canaan rest for Israel is a picture of the spiritual rest we find in Christ when we surrender to Him. When we come to Christ by faith, we find salvation rest. When we yield and learn of Him and obey Him by faith, we enjoy submission rest. The first...
Walking in the light involves honesty, obedience, and love. That means following the example of Christ, walking as He walked when here on earth— and as He does right now in Heaven. This has extremely practical applications in our daily lives. For example, what should a believer do when another...