“Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12).
Being persecuted for living as a Christian is not something that might happen. It is something that will happen. The degree of persecution may vary by time and place, but it is something that each Christian will have to face.
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Paul told the saints in Corinth, “For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). Why did Paul place such an emphasis on teaching Jesus? He explained: “So that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:5).
The Corinthians had a problem of following after men. This resulted in division as some were saying, “‘I am of Paul,’ and ‘I of Apollos,’ and ‘I of Cephas,’ and ‘I of Christ’” (1 Corinthians 1:12). Paul later explained that when they claimed loyalty to these men, they were carnally minded and immature (1 Corinthians 3:1-4).
The inspired apostle sought to correct this thinking so that they would focus on following Christ and not men. This is the first problem he addressed in his letter (1 Corinthians 1:10-17). But notice how he subtly made this point before he explicitly stated it.
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The problem of divorce is one that is very obvious in our society. About half of all marriages end in divorce. Families are torn apart. Lives are ruined. We all know people who have been directly affected by this problem. As it has spread throughout our society, we have seen it more in the church as well.
However, this is not a new problem. In the days when Jesus walked on the earth, He was asked about this very topic. Some of the Pharisees asked him about the proper cause for putting away one’s mate. Of course, they asked him for the purpose of trapping Him in His answer. Their question was, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all” (Matthew 19:3)?
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As Christians, there are many things that we should not do; but we also read in the Bible of some things that Christians cannot do. In this article, we will notice four such things that Jesus mentioned in the Sermon on the Mount. In this sermon, Jesus showed the type of character one must have to be a part of His kingdom. As we go through these, keep in mind that these are things Jesus said we cannot do. Let us not think that we might be the exception or that there is a loophole. Paul said, “Let God be true, but every man a liar” (Romans 3:4).
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“Behold the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear” (Isaiah 59:1-2).
This passage shows that our sins cause us to be separated from God. While this is a terrible consequence of sin, there is another danger that is in addition to this separation. The Bible teaches that if we allow it, sin can control us. Paul warned the saints in Rome about this:
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Many people are fascinated by conspiracy theories. Some believe the attacks on the World Trade Centers on September 11, 2001 were a conspiracy by the U.S. government. There is the theory that we did not really land a spacecraft on the moon in 1969, but that it was staged in a secret location as part of a government conspiracy. While many of the conspiracy theories we may hear are probably not true, they are still a source of fascination for many.
What is a conspiracy? Generally, a conspiracy can be described as a secret plan by two or more persons intent on bringing harm to a person or group and/or causing the conspirators to gain power, wealth, or both. Conspirators have a goal, something they want to accomplish. This is not always apparent, of course, because it is secret. Conspirators have to hide the truth, both of their goal and their plan. But people generally will want answers or an explanation as to why certain things are happening. So they have to convince them of a lie or a partial truth. These things are generally true for conspiracies.
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“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others” (Matthew 23:23).
Jesus mentioned two ways in which one might serve God. One way is to take the larger principles (justice, mercy, faithfulness) and go through life trying to live by those principles. The other way is to pay close attention to the smallest details of the law (tithing of herbs), no matter how insignificant that might seem to others.
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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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