July 20, 2016

How Can People Know We Are Christians?

Cross Tattoo

I recently read an article that talked about a group using tattoos as a fundraiser for a church project. Those who were participating were getting tattoos that were meant to convey the message that they were Christians. On one hand, it is tempting to see this as commendable. With tattoos being (relatively) permanent, one could argue that they can be a good expression of our commitment to following Jesus.

However, the Bible never says that Christians are to indicate their identity as disciples of Jesus by some markings on their skin. In fact, the concept is just like the practice of the Pharisees who would “broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments” (Matthew 23:5). The Pharisees wanted people to see, based upon the accessories that they wore, that they were zealously religious. Those who get tattoos (or wear certain jewelry or clothing) that are designed to convey a religious message and identify them as Christians are doing the same thing.

Jesus said there is another way that people should recognize us as being His followers – it is by the fruit that is produced in our lives.
Continue Reading

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: , , , ,
June 1, 2016

The Need for Godly Women

Woman by the lake

This is a follow-up to a recent article: The Need for Godly Men. While it is true that many of our society’s problems are related to the fact that men are not fulfilling their God-given roles in the home and in society, the same is also true of women. For a long time, feminism has attacked the concepts and instructions contained in the Scriptures regarding the roles of women in general and of wives and mothers specifically.
Continue Reading

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
March 9, 2016

Marriage, Jesus, and the Church

Wedding

“Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does for the church, because we are members of His body. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.

“This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband” (Ephesians 5:22-33).

The passage above is often used to discuss the roles of husbands and wives. This is certainly taught in the passage. However, there is much more to being husbands and wives than just what is discussed in those verses. But what is there is for the purpose of illustrating the main point – the relationship between Christ and the church. Notice again what Paul said, “This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church” (Ephesians 5:32).

In this article, we are going to consider what the passage says about the roles of husbands and wives. From there, we will see how this explains the relationship between Christ and the church. After we understand that, we will circle back around and make some applications for our lives – particularly as it relates to marriage.
Continue Reading

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: , , , , ,
February 2, 2016

This World Is Not My Home

Old House

“For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Corinthians 5:1).

As Paul wrote to the brethren in Corinth, he described the fact that our lives on earth are temporary, yet we have an eternal home in heaven. It is important that we understand this – this world is not our home. Our real home is in heaven. In this article, we are going to contrast these two homes and consider how an understanding of the difference between them should cause us to live here.
Continue Reading

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
January 19, 2016

Church Membership

Church Attendance Board

The term “church membership” is not used in the New Testament. However, it is certainly a Scriptural concept. Paul clearly taught the concept of church membership in his letter to Corinth (1 Corinthians 12:14-30). Notice the following verses in particular:

“For the body is not one member, but many” (1 Corinthians 12:14).

“But now there are many members, but one body” (1 Corinthians 12:20).

“Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it” (1 Corinthians 12:27).

In this article, let us consider the topic of church membership. As we do, we will ask three questions: (1) What is church membership? (2) How do we become members? (3) What are members to do?
Continue Reading

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
September 15, 2015

Lacking Sense

Man in dark

The book of Proverbs focuses on wisdom that comes from above. It contains many contrasts between wisdom and foolishness. Several passages describe one who lacks sense, which means he is void of understanding or wisdom. Paul said we are to “walk, not as unwise men but as wise” (Ephesians 5:15). So let us consider some of the passages from Proverbs about those who lack sense and see what we can learn from them.
Continue Reading

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
July 29, 2015

Ten Years

Deep in Thought

“So, remove grief and anger from your heart and put away pain from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting” (Ecclesiastes 11:10).

Every hour, day, and year that passes is forever lost. Once time has passed, we can never get it back. Jesus said it is impossible to “add a single hour” to our lives (Matthew 6:27).

Within the last year, I have hit three different ten-year milestones in my personal life – the tenth birthday of my oldest son; ten years working with the church in Morgantown; and, with this article, closing out the first ten years of Plain Bible Teaching. This has led me to reflect upon how much can happen in a decade. So in this article, we are going to focus on five different ten-year periods in the Bible and see what lessons we can learn.
Continue Reading

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,