Why are we here? What are we to be doing? Where are we going? People search for answers to those questions because they want their lives to have meaning, yet many do not know where to look. The fact that this is so common is why we are addressing it early in our series. The Bible – especially the book of Ecclesiastes – helps us with the answers we are seeking.
But what is the meaning of life? Let us consider four points to help us address that question.Continue Reading
In the last recorded conversation in the gospel of John, Jesus warned Peter about what was in store for him in the future. Jesus said, “‘Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.’ Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, ‘Follow Me!’” (John 21:18-19).
If we were in Peter’s position, it might have been a little shocking or scary to hear this from Jesus. We are not told exactly what Peter’s emotional state was at this time; however, we are told of his verbal response to Jesus. When he saw his fellow apostle John, he asked Jesus, “Lord, and what about this man?” (John 21:21).
When facing particularly trying situations, it is often tempting to look at others who do not seem to be facing the same degree of difficulty that we are and then complain that our situation is not fair. Perhaps this was Peter’s intent when he asked about John. Regardless of his motive, Jesus explained that he was not to be concerned about anyone else: “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!” (John 21:22).Continue Reading
The Bible is the most well-known and well-preserved book of all time – no other book of antiquity comes close to having the manuscript evidence that the Bible has. Believers in God recognize the Bible as His word and those who reject God still cannot ignore it. It is truly a unique book.
But what is the Bible? Let us consider four points that will help us begin to answer that question.Continue Reading
J.D. Tant (1861-1941) worked tirelessly to preach the gospel throughout his life and was never one to back down or compromise his convictions. However, he eventually began to realize that his brethren were not nearly as willing to stand as firmly as he was. Almost a century ago, he wrote the following observations in the Gospel Advocate, January 5, 1928:
“I find that there are three stages in all religious movements: The first is the fighting stage, when people are few and humble, and lean on God for support. At that stage they all fight and try to overthrow the teachings of men, as the Jews did as recorded in Deut. 7.
“The second stage is the stage of greatness; we become strong and respected and want fine houses and big schools like the sects around us. The Jews reached that stage when they rejected God and wanted a king, to be like other people.
“The third stage is the age of compromise, when we don’t want the differences between the church of Christ and the denominations debated, for fear we will hurt somebody’s feelings. I fear the church of Christ is in the third stage today, and will be followed by spiritual death if some change does not come.” (J.D. Tant: Texas Preacher, p. 413)
When we study the history of the Restoration Movement, we can see what Tant described in these paragraphs. As people started to leave the churches of men in order to simply follow the New Testament, they were very zealous in their efforts to preach the gospel and defend the truth.
Eventually as their numbers (and resources) grew, they began to build bigger and fancier buildings for their churches and put more emphasis and investments into their institutions (missionary societies, schools, etc.). Whenever this happens, aside from questions about whether such things are Scriptural or not, there is a temptation to do almost anything to maintain and grow these institutions. This naturally requires people to be involved and money to be invested. Because brethren value the institutions they have created, they tend to do whatever they need to do to keep the most people happy in order to secure the personnel and finances needed to continue. This inevitably leads to compromise.Continue Reading
The natural world around us with its order, complexity, and continuous systems is proof of the existence of a higher power. Our universe could not have come about by mere chance, nor could it have arisen from nothingness – it came from God.
But who is God? Let us consider four points that will help us begin to answer that question.Continue Reading
“But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence” (1 Peter 3:15).
In the verse above, Peter explained that each Christian needs to be ready to give an answer for what he believes. In order for us to be ready to give an answer, we need two things:
The book of Judges covers the period between the conquest of Canaan under Joshua to the time just before the kings. It was a time of wickedness, oppression, and anarchy (cf. Judges 2:11-15; 21:25). Toward the end of the book, we read about a man named Micah whose story typifies the culture as a whole. Notice the text:
“Now there was a man of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Micah. He said to his mother, ‘The eleven hundred pieces of silver which were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse in my hearing, behold, the silver is with me; I took it.’ And his mother said, ‘Blessed be my son by the Lord.’ He then returned the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother, and his mother said, ‘I wholly dedicate the silver from my hand to the Lord for my son to make a graven image and a molten image; now therefore, I will return them to you.’
“So when he returned the silver to his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces of silver and gave them to the silversmith who made them into a graven image and a molten image, and they were in the house of Micah. And the man Micah had a shrine and he made an ephod and household idols and consecrated one of his sons, that he might become his priest.
“In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:1-6).
We do not know much about this man, but there are some important lessons from this account. His example serves as an illustration of what happens when “every man [does] what is right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6). Since this same attitude is prevalent in our day and age, it will be beneficial to consider some lessons from the text.
So what happens when “every man [does] what is right in his own eyes”?Continue Reading
What does “propitiation” mean? How is “justification” connected to salvation? What does “sanctification” look like in our day-to-day lives? The Bible uses some powerful words to describe God’s plan to save mankind. However, these words are not always easy to understand, especially when they are not part of our everyday vocabulary. This book explores key Bible terms that unlock the message of the gospel.
Big Words in the Bible examines five important words – Propitiation, Reconciliation, Sanctification, Justification, and Resurrection – using plain language to see how the Scriptures describe these concepts and how the apostle Paul employs them in his letter to the Romans. This book also contains an appendix with eleven additional articles to explore these topics further.
Whether you are new to the Bible and want to grow in your understanding or want a simple way to explain these core gospel doctrines to others, this book will be helpful. With a focus on the Scriptures, Big Words in the Bible helps break down these fundamental topics to shed light on the life-changing message of the gospel and the salvation found in it.
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