There are several statements in James’ epistle that are contrary to popularly held religious beliefs. Let us briefly consider these passages in light of what many churches teach today.
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November 10, 2015
Was James a Heretic?
October 1, 2014
“Do Not Be Conformed”
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).
Paul warned the saints in Rome that they were not to be conformed to the world. Why was such a warning necessary? What is it that makes conformity to the world such a temptation for Christians? And why does the world want Christians to conform? We will consider these questions in this article.
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November 1, 2012
“We Have No King But Caesar”
Pilate knew that the trial of Jesus was unique. Jesus explained to him that His kingdom was “not of this world” (John 18:36). Pilate then recognized that Jesus claimed to be a king (John 18:37), even though the Jews rejected Him as their king (John 18:33, 35). But the Jews’ rejection of Jesus was more than just a refusal to support Him as a king; they wanted to kill Him (John 18:31) even though Pilate was able to find “no guilt in Him” (John 18:38; 19:4, 6).
Then Pilate became “even more afraid” when the Jews told him that Jesus “made Himself out to be the Son of God” (John 19:7-8). How much of this Pilate believed is immaterial. The fact is that the events transpiring with the claims and charges being made were producing a volatile situation. So Pilate “made efforts to release Him” (John 19:12), but the Jews would not let him do it. Pilate then made one final effort to defuse the situation and allow the innocent Jesus to be released.
“Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth house. And he said to the Jews, ‘Behold, your King!’ So they cried out, ‘Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!’ Pilate said to them, ‘Shall I crucify your King?’ The chief priests answered, ‘We have no king but Caesar.’ So he then handed Him over to them to be crucified” (John 19:14-16).
This case was not about some random insurrectionist. There was much more to this than Pilate could have imagined at the start. But in the end, the Jews – influenced by their leaders (Matthew 27:20) – very clearly and boldly repudiated Jesus and demanded His crucifixion. Why was this so significant? It has to do with what they rejected, and what they chose to focus on instead.
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April 9, 2012
That We May Be Like All the Nations (4/9)
Thought from today’s Bible reading from 1 Samuel 4-8.
When the people demanded Samuel appoint a king over them (1 Samuel 8:5), thereby rejecting God as their king (1 Samuel 8:7), one of their reasons was so that they might be “like all the nations” (1 Samuel 8:5).
After consulting with the Lord, Samuel proceeded to tell them what it would be like to be ruled by a king (1 Samuel 8:10-17). He warned them that living under a king would not be like what they envisioned; but once they realized that, it would be too late to change their condition (1 Samuel 8:18). Yet the people would not listen.
“Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, ‘No, but there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles’” (1 Samuel 8:19-20).
Despite the warnings and the fact that a human king was wholly unnecessary as long as they were wholly committed to following the Lord, these people wanted a king. They could not see past the fact that “all the nations” had kings to realize that they were better off submitting to the Lord rather than a human ruler.
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May 12, 2011
Failing to See God’s Love
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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February 28, 2011
Christians In Name Only
If you listen to certain conservative political commentators, you will likely hear the term “RINO” used to describe a particular kind of politician. If you are unfamiliar with the term, it is an acronym that means “Republican In Name Only.” These individuals are often criticized for claiming to be Republicans, while often siding with the Democrats, thus giving the Republican party as a whole a bad name.
I bring up this example because there are too many who are like these RINO Republicans, but in a matter that is far more important than politics. The ones I am referring to are “Christians In Name Only.” These individuals not only jeopardize their own soul, but also have a negative impact upon the cause of Christ.
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