Thought from today’s Bible reading from John 14-17.
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15).
There are many people who claim to love Jesus. But how many are diligent to obey Him? Many in the religious world reject the necessity of obedience. They might say that obeying His commandments is good, but not something that the Lord requires. But notice what Jesus later said:
“You are My friends if you do what I command you” (John 15:14).
Thought from today’s Bible reading from Matthew 17; Mark 9; Luke 9:28-62.
Even though His disciples did not completely understand what He meant, Jesus told them beforehand what was going to happen to Him.
“For He was teaching His disciples and telling them, ‘The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise three days later’” (Mark 9:31).
Jesus was going to be killed. He knew this would happen. Peter would later say that this was part of the “predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23). This was the reason why Jesus came to the earth in the first place – to die on the cross.
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In the Scriptures, the term walk is often used to describe the way in which we conduct our lives. God expects His people to conduct their lives in a certain way. Paul wrote to the brethren in Colossae about this: “So that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects” (Colossians 1:10). How do we walk in a worthy manner?
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Shortly before His death, Jesus spoke to His disciples about love – the love He had for them and the love they were to have for Him.
“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you” (John 15:13-14).
It seems almost unfathomable for the people of God to question His love for man, but this is what we see the people of Israel doing at the beginning of the book of Malachi. God told the people, “I have loved you.” Yet the people questioned God: “How have You loved us?” (Malachi 1:2). Let us notice a few ways in which we can fail to see the love of God so that we do not make the same mistake as the Israelites of Malachi’s day.
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Many people struggle with the above question. We know that God, by His very nature, is love (1 John 4:8), and that hell is a place of eternal torments (Matthew 25:41, 46). How then could God condemn anyone to such a place? This does not fit with the concept many people have of a loving God. Therefore, many start to doubt the existence of hell or even the existence of God.
The Scriptures teach that God will send certain individuals to eternal punishment in hell. Not only that, but His doing so will not be inconsistent with His nature, but instead will be consistent with the way He is described in the Bible.
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As one year quickly draws to a close and we look forward to a new year, we usually take some time for self-evaluation and making resolutions to improve our lives. Many resolutions that are made have to do with our lives here on this earth: improving our finances and health, eliminating bad habits, etc. These are all good, but we must remember that improving our spiritual lives is far more important.
“For bodily exercise is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8).
In the new year, you may get in shape, eat healthier, quit a bad habit, and get out of debt. Those are all great goals, but none of them will matter if your spiritual life is not in order. So as you make your resolutions for the new year, here are six suggestions for improving your spiritual life.
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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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