The fact of God’s presence with us is ensured by His promise, but the experience of His presence depends on how we relate to Him in faith, love, obedience, and desire. There is a difference in the Christian life between “union” (belonging to Christ) and “communion” (enjoying fellowship with Christ)....
The New Covenant Christian has reality! We are not depending on a high priest on earth who annually visits the holy of holies in a temporary sanctuary. We depend on the heavenly High Priest who has entered once and for all into the eternal sanctuary. There He represents us before...
The hope of seeing Christ and going to heaven is not only a motivation for faith and love, but also for holy living. When I was a young Christian, an older friend warned me, “Don’t be caught doing anything that would embarrass you if Jesus returned!” That is a rather...
The work of Christ is a completed work, final and eternal. On the basis of this completed work, He is ministering now in heaven on our behalf. The Lord has appeared to put away sin by dying on the cross. He is appearing now in heaven for us. One...
We must never minimize the importance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It declares that He is God, that the work of salvation is completed and accepted by the Father, and that death has been conquered. The Gospel message includes the Resurrection, for a dead Saviour can save nobody. It...
What happens when we who have become members of God’s family through Jesus Christ are tempted to sin? Jesus stands ready to help us! He was tempted when He was on earth, but no temptation ever conquered Him. Because He has defeated every enemy, He is able to give us...
The general will of God for all His children is given clearly in the Bible. The specific will of God for any given situation must always agree with what He has already revealed in His Word. The better we know God’s general will, the easier it will be to determine...
Just as the whole of the Law is summed up in love, so the whole of human relationships is fulfilled in love. This applies to every Christian and to every area of life. This love is evidenced by a unity of mind. Unity does not mean uniformity; it means...
Paul devoted a great deal of space to the theme of sexual purity because it was a critical problem in the church of his day. It is also a critical problem in the church today. For many people, marriage vows are no longer considered sacred; divorce, even among believers, is...
The sober-minded believer has a calm, sane outlook on life. He is not complacent, but neither is he frustrated and afraid. He hears the tragic news of the day, yet he does not lose heart. He experiences the difficulties of life, but he does not give up. He knows his...