If we are to put away sin from our lives, we would do well to remember what Jesus describes as the greatest commandment.
“And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38).
It is essential that we love God. But it must be a real love – something that goes beyond mere emotion or appreciation. Loving God should lead us to obedience.
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One obstacle to overcoming sin is the failure to develop the love that we are to have for our fellow man. Many sins we commit are against others. When we do such things, we are demonstrating a lack of love for those whom we sin against. Paul tells the saints in Rome that if we start with loving others, many sins will be avoided.
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What would Jesus do? This is a question that many religious people ask themselves when they attempt to decide if a particular decision or activity is right. Their intentions might be good – trying to focus on Jesus and please Him. However, this question is the wrong question!
Why is this the wrong question? It is too subjective. It turns our responsibility into nothing more than what we think Jesus would do in a given situation. Instead of asking a subjective question like this (What would Jesus do?), let us consider some other questions to ask – questions for which we can find objective and definitive answers from the Scriptures.
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“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
This verse is popular among religious people. It is often used to refer to a wide range things – finding a spouse, obtaining a job, recovering from an illness, receiving some unexpected financial benefit, etc. Are all of these types of things under consideration in this verse or was Paul discussing something specific?
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“But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8).
The inspired apostle Paul delivered some harsh condemnation for those who refuse to provide for their own. But why is it that God likens this to one denying the faith? It is because the refusal to provide for one’s own is contrary to several fundamental characteristics that one must have in order to be a disciple of Christ.
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One of the themes emphasized in John’s first epistle is love. In particular, the inspired apostle stressed the importance of loving our brethren in Christ: “Beloved, let us love one another” (1 John 4:7). In this short letter, John provided at least nine reasons why we should love one another. Let us briefly notice each of these.
Why should we love our brethren?
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As one year quickly draws to a close, it is customary for us to look back at the changes that have taken place in our lives and look ahead to changes that may be coming in the future. While our lives are filled with change, it is important for us to remember that there are some things that never change. In this brief article, I want us to be reminded of a few of these.
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Peter issued this challenge to all Christians: “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). However, many Christians feel unprepared to do this; therefore, many conversations that could potentially lead people to the truth never get started.
This book will help equip all Christians to start engaging in spiritual conversations with those around them by providing simple answers to some basic Bible questions. Being ready to give an answer does not mean having an answer to every possible question at the drop of a hat. Instead, it means being able to give a ready answer to questions that are fundamental to our faith that can open the door to further discussions and studies with those who are interested. By studying the material in this book and becoming familiar with the Scriptures cited in each answer, Christians will be better prepared and have more confidence when they discuss their faith with others.
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