January 15, 2024

The Seven Churches (Part 5): Sardis

The Seven Churches (Part 5): Sardis

Sardis was the fifth church addressed by the Lord at the beginning of the book of Revelation. There is no other mention of this church or the city elsewhere in the New Testament. Like the previous church (Thyatira), nothing is said about them experiencing persecution. However, this may have been because they were not living up to their reputation as a faithful church.

“To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches’” (Revelation 3:1-6).

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July 26, 2023

The Peace of Depending on God

Joseph and Esther

In this article, we will examine the lives of two young people we can read about in the Bible – Joseph and Esther. Their lives were separated by about 1,400 years, and they are both much further separated from us today. Yet their examples teach us some important lessons.

Many young people are tempted to sin in various ways (using bad language, dressing immodestly, using drugs or alcohol, identifying themselves with the LGBTQ ideology, etc.) because they feel the need to have the approval of others. Of course, this problem is not limited to those who are young – everyone can face these same pressures. What makes them especially challenging for young people is that they have not yet learned how to deal with these pressures. Because of this, they feel as if they are, in a sense, dependent upon the approval of those around them. This can be difficult and stressful because other people are constantly changing their values, priorities, morals, etc. What they want from us can differ from one day to the next.

However, there is a peace that comes by being dependent upon God. This will make us, in a sense, independent of the approval of others. In other words, gaining the favor of the world for our opinions and behaviors will not seem nearly as important when we focus on God and gaining His approval. Yet in order for this to work correctly, we must never see ourselves as independent from God.

So let us consider what we can learn from Joseph and Esther – how they demonstrated their dependence upon God and how we can do the same today.Continue Reading

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September 12, 2022

Answering Basic Questions: Introduction

Answering Basic Questions

“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:

  1. A firm understanding of what we believe. This necessarily requires study on our part.
  2. An idea of what kinds of questions may be asked. This enables us to prepare as best we can.

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June 1, 2022

Love Perfected

Love

“No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us” (1 John 4:12).

John spent much of his first epistle writing on the topic of love. One of the ideas he discussed was about love being perfected. To be perfected means to be completed, accomplished, or fulfilled (Strong’s).

What does perfect love look like? Let us notice four points made by John in his epistle.Continue Reading

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May 11, 2022

A New and Living Way

Garden path

Throughout the book of Hebrews, a comparison is made between the new covenant and the old covenant. In every way, the new covenant in Christ is far superior to the old covenant. Because the new way is better, we should respond to it in a certain way. Notice what the author of Hebrews wrote:

“Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us…” (Hebrews 10:19-22).

Following that statement, the Hebrew said, “Let us” do certain things. In the subsequent verses, we find three things we are to do now that we are a part of the “new and living way” in Christ. In this article, we will consider each of these.Continue Reading

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February 16, 2022

How to Prepare for Spiritual Battle

Throughout the New Testament, various passages describe a spiritual battle in which we are engaged. In writing to the church in Corinth, Paul said, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). Timothy was told, “Fight the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12). Jude admonished Christians to “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints” (Jude 3).

This war is going on all around us. It is not something we can ignore or escape. So how do we prepare for battle? Notice what Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus:Continue Reading

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January 19, 2022

Jacob Creath, Jr.: Willing to Be Ruined

Jacob Creath, Jr. (1799-1886) was one of many preachers in the nineteenth century who began to question the commonly held doctrines among the denominations of which they were a part. Creath had been associated with the Baptists. In 1826, he received a letter of commendation from the Baptist Church in Great Crossings, Scott County, Kentucky in which he was called a “beloved brother,” a “faithful minister,” and one who “earnestly and zealously contends for ‘the faith once delivered to the saints’” (Memoir of Jacob Creath, Jr., p. 24-25). However, in 1829, Creath received another letter from this same congregation, requesting that he address reports of the “heresy” that he was preaching.

“DEAR BROTHER — I send you the request of the greatest portion of the Crossing Church. Their desire is, that you will give your views of man as a sinner, and how the change takes place, so as to constitute him born again. Or, in our familiar way, as Baptists, we want your views of experimental religion; how a sinner is brought from a state of enmity against the Saviour to be a lover and worshiper of Him.

“This request has grown partly from reports, and partly from a number of brethren, who have heard you preach since your return from the South, conceiving that you had abandoned your old mode and views of preaching, under which their hearts were many times gladdened, and have sat under your ministry with great delight; and we would ask our divine Master to grant you his Spirit, that you may rightly divide the word of truth, giving saint and sinner ‘his portion in due season.’” (Ibid., p. 29)

When Creath’s uncle, Jacob Creath, Sr., heard of the letter, he paid a visit to discuss it and see how the younger Creath intended to respond. Both men were connected to the Baptist Association at that time; and while Creath’s uncle agreed with him on this matter, he wanted to be more cautious in dealing with the issue. When he heard what his nephew planned to reply, the elder Creath said “it would ruin our cause.” The younger Creath answered, “What I had said was true; and if truth ruined us, I was willing to be ruined” (Ibid., p. 30).Continue Reading

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