I loved my grandmother. I knew her only for a short time when I was a young boy growing up in southern California, but she left a lasting impact on my life. Though she had her flaws, she was to me a model of godliness. My grandmother was financially poor, yet she was rich in her daily walk with the Lord. She delighted in the study of God’s Word, worshiped the Lord, fellowshipped with growing Christians, loved others genuinely, shared the gospel, gave of herself so others might be edified, and practiced the discipline of living simply. She was not burdened by what she lacked but was content with what the Lord had provided. Though her means were modest, her spirit was abundant, for her walk with God shaped her outlook far more than her circumstances ever did. Her life demonstrated that happiness flows not from possessions but from a heart that rests in the Lord.
Tag: Christian living
Walk in Truth and Wait for Justice
As Christians, we live in a fallen world filled with hostility and injustice, and God calls us to a higher standard—one grounded in His persistent grace and governed by His perfect justice. We are never to repay evil for evil, nor allow hatred to fester in our hearts. Instead, we are commanded to love, bless, and pray for our enemies, trusting the Lord to settle all accounts in His time (Luke 6:27-28; Rom 12:17-21). However, biblical love is not synonymous with passivity or gullibility. Like Jesus and Paul, we must walk wisely, discerning when to avoid conflict (John 8:59; 12:36; Acts 9:23-25), and when to take lawful, prudent steps to protect ourselves (Matt 22:15-45; Acts 22:25-29). Love does not erase common sense; it refines it.
Eternal Life Is Free, but Eternal Rewards Are Earned
Eternal life is a free gift. Rewards are earned. We can’t lose our salvation—ever, because it’s an irrevocable free gift, by grace alone, through faith in Christ alone (John 10:28; Eph 2:8-9). It’s the gift of God (Rom 6:23), not of works (Rom 4:4-5). But while eternal life is secure, rewards are not. We can forfeit eternal rewards through failure in the spiritual life. Rewards are tied to faithfulness, obedience, and production under the filling of the Spirit. They’re not about keeping salvation. They’re about honor, authority, privilege, and commendation before Jesus Christ at the Judgment Seat of Christ (Rom 14:10; 2 Cor 5:10).
Spiritual Health in a Sick World
As Christians living in a fallen world, we should not be surprised when adversity comes. It is the natural consequence of living in a creation under the curse of sin (Gen 3:17-19), where “the whole creation groans” (Rom 8:22), and where spiritual warfare rages invisibly behind visible circumstances (Eph 6:12). Adversity takes many forms—physical illness, relational conflict, financial strain, social or political hostility, or simply the grind of daily pressures. Often, these difficulties are part of God’s training ground for spiritual growth (Rom 5:3-5; Jam 1:2-4). And we know that God is always in control of life, and when He turns up the heat, He never takes His hand off the thermostat. And it in this fallen world that we live, work, raise our families, and engage in Christian service.
Faith from Beginning to End
The Christian life begins with faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, recognizing that He alone has the power to save and grant eternal life. It continues as believers trust in God’s Word for spiritual growth, walking by faith through trials and challenges, knowing that their perseverance will be rewarded both in this life and in eternity.
Guilty Before God
The Bible reveals God is “the Judge of all the earth” (Gen 18:25), and He “is a righteous judge” (Psa 7:11), and He “judges righteously” (Jer 11:20), and “will by no means leave the guilty unpunished” (Ex 34:7). Yet, the Bible also reveals God is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth” (Psa 86:15), and One “Who pardons all your iniquities” (Psa 103:3), when we come to Him in honesty and humility.
The Spirit’s Convicting Ministry to the World
There is a special work that God the Holy Spirit is doing in the hearts of unbelievers to help prepare them to turn to Christ as Savior. Concerning this special work, Jesus said, “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8). Jesus’ statement about the Holy Spirit is in the future tense (He will convict), which implies the Spirit’s special ministry was not active at the time Jesus uttered His statement. This special convicting ministry would be inaugurated on the day of Pentecost.
Jesus’ Ascension and Session
After Jesus’ resurrection, he appeared to many on several occasions. His final appearance was to His apostles. Luke wrote, “And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven” (Luke 24:50-51). And in Acts we’re told, “He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight” (Acts 1:9). It’s important to note that Jesus ascended bodily into heaven, and that He will return the same way. Jesus’ ascension into heaven was the beginning of His session at the right hand of God.
Theological Implications of Jesus’ Resurrection for Salvation
Jesus’ resurrection is an essential element in soteriology. In fact, every writer of the NT assumes that Jesus was resurrected from the grave and treat it as an event that took place in time and space. Paul wrote that Jesus “was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:4), that He was “the first fruits of those who are asleep” (1 Cor 15:20), and that “having been raised from the dead, is never to die again” (Rom 6:9).
Twelve Ways to Deal with a Bad Boss
A good boss has integrity, studies God’s Word, listens to wise counsel, and respects his employees. A bad boss seeks self-interest, oppresses, and lacks self-awareness. Christian employees can cope using faith, excellence, and wisdom.
Walking with God
Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. (Gen. 5:22-24) The genealogical record of Genesis … Continue reading Walking with God