Learning to draw lines. To fathom, even to a limited degree, the depths of God’s wisdom and savor the beauty of His ways, the Bible student must “rightly divide” the Word. If we fail to do so, our view will be distorted, our position unbalanced, and our interpretation faulty. What do we mean by the […]
Roots in the Bible bring fruit in the saints. And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the Word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.” Such were Paul’s parting words to the elders at Ephesus (Ac. 20:32). […]
We have received “grace upon grace,” “manifold” and “unsearchable riches” of His grace. We may ransack every dictionary in the world only to discover that there are no adjectives that adequately describe the grace of God. It is so multifaceted, versatile, all-inclusive, and all-embracing. By this we dare to mean that there is no circumstance […]
The fledgling saints at Thessalonica show us the way. What makes a local church a model to be admired or even emulated? Most would look at the visible signs of growth. For many Christians, the number of people meeting would be proof that the right things are happening. They would conclude that the programs would […]
Armies call being prepared “a state of readiness.” Here’s our checklist. My dictionary gives the following meaning of “ready”: “in a suitable state for an activity, action or situation; fully prepared.” When I was a little fellow playing Hide and Seek in the fading light between supper and bedtime, I couldn’t have given you the […]
Principle Number Three: The Good Shepherd volunteers to shepherd (Jn. 10:16-18). This third principle is first suggested in John 10:16: “And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring…” The word for “must” (dei) carries the idea of an unavoidable and urgent necessity based on the very nature […]
Not long after I was saved, several of us were at the home of an older believer when another brother and I were invited into the office—the sanctum sanctorum. This was never a good sign. That is to say, in the light of eternity it was beneficial, but at the moment it instilled panic. For […]
Having taught the great doctrines of salvation—universal sin (Rom. 1-3a), justification by faith (Rom. 3b-5:), sanctification in love (Rom. 6-8), and glorification in hope (Rom. 9-11)—Paul now goes on to teach how to live this new life. Chapter 12 focuses on the church and chapter 13 focuses on society. We must submit to God’s plan […]
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree (Gal. 3:13). In his epistle to the Galatian Christians, Paul was concerned to steer them away from any temptation to accept second-class status because of their […]