Posts filed under ‘eternity’
What Does John Mean by Knowing God in 1 John, Part 2
John notes that if a person says he/she has come to know God, but doesn’t keep God’s commands, then that person is clearly lying. To emphasize the point, John says that the person in question is devoid of truth. Truth does not reside in that person because they are living a lie.
Continue Reading January 10, 2016 at 8:57 PM Leave a comment
Jesus’ Life was Not Easy By Any Stretch
If we truly love the world, we will continue to speak the truth because the truth of the gospel is what saves people. If we are cowed into silence, then we will be guilty of loving ourselves more than we love the lost. That is something we must avoid at all costs, in spite of what the world might throw at us because of the conviction of our position.
All the World’s a Stage and So Much of It is Absolute Vanity
Because of the misplaced value of too many in society, things that have no real eternal value are lifted up and adored, while the things that have eternal value are denigrated or ignored. This is sadly true even among Christians. It’s all about what we “accomplish” for God whether it’s His will or not. It’s all based on how things look on the outside, things we can brag about or put our faith in.
Christ, Our Fellowship, Part 19
There has been tremendous confusion among believers (myself included), over this whole issue of eternal security. I believe, along with Kelley and many others, that salvation is absolutely something that we can never lose once we actually have it. Fellowship with God, on the other hand, is something that can be broken and even destroyed because it is conditioned, as Kelley notes, upon our behavior. Though God will never cast us out of His Kingdom, He will not continue to fellowship with us when we involve ourselves in sin. It’s that simple. Though all of our sin – past, present, and future – is forgiven by God, we still need to confess it as we are made aware of it because it is that sin that dampens and breaks our fellowship with God. Once we realize that we have sinned, confessing it restores that fellowship with God.
Speaking of the Groaning Creation…Part 2
You want to know where you will find sin? Follow the money. It’s also that simple. Money is such a useful tool of the devil because it promises fame, fortune, the high life, and most importantly, power. People like having power because power gives them control over others. Most people are suckers for that. Give them the opportunity to become wealthy and famous and they will grab at the chance as the many areas of TV’s “reality programming” can attest. Oh, and by the way, the original reality TV shows began because of greed.
A Groaning Creation Continues to Groan
Every time a loved one gets sick or dies, we are reminded of our sin. Every time we have to put a beloved pet down, we are reminded of our sin. Every time we see something terrible happen in the world, we are reminded of our sin. It is fully humanity’s fault that sin exists in this world and death because of it. We have only ourselves to blame, but fortunately, God has made the solution available. Yet, even with that perfect solution, people and animals will die in this life. Sin has its consequences and even salvation will not change that for the time being. Ultimately, even sin itself (along with death) will finally be eradicated but for now, we must live with the effects of our sin, whether we like it or not.
Christ, Our Righteousness, Part 19
Remember, this time of judgment is not regarding our salvation, which is safe and secure. That cannot be removed from us. We’re talking about our actions, words, and intentions, for which we are accountable. How would God be able to provide us with any rewards if He doesn’t judge those things? I guess what I can hope for when the time comes for me to stand before Him is that there will be a marked difference in my life as I grow toward Him. I’m hoping that as time progresses toward the end of my life, I will be a good student, a good soldier for Jesus, one who boasts in the Lord and willingly submits to Him in all things. I’m hoping my times of sin will be fewer and further between and my actual intentions for the actions and words that flow from me will stem from a heart that is more molded in His image and character. We can only hope this will be the case for all of us, but certainly, much of that is up to us and our desires for God in the first place.
Christ, Our Righteousness, Part 9
God’s Word – the Bible – is His final revelation to humanity (and this includes the revelation through His Son because the Bible represents that written record of Christ’s life, miracles, and redemptive work). It’s something He began writing through Moses and didn’t stop until all the “t’s” were crossed and “i’s” dotted by the apostle John. In that volume – the Bible – is what God wants us to know about Him. Is it all there is to know about God? Absolutely not, but it is all that God believes we need to know now, while we are in this life.
Christ, Our Righteousness, Part 7
Now, consider the couple that grows apart. This can happen to everyone. We marry under the delusion that those feelings of euphoria will always be there. Sleep? Who needs it. Food? Nah, I’ve got “love.” Those feelings fade and the hard work of life takes hold. For many couples, this hard work becomes intolerable and because it feels so much like actual work, one or both partners begins to chaff under it. Soon, they grow tired of the pressure created by the loss of feelings and start looking elsewhere to find them again. This means they might pour themselves into their work or have an affair. In either case, even though they haven’t argued, they have grown apart. The fellowship has stopped and one or both are looking elsewhere for “fellowship” that they should only be looking for and expecting with their lawfully wedded spouse.
Continue Reading December 7, 2015 at 11:52 AM Leave a comment
Christ, Our Righteousness, Part 8
In short, unlike human beings with whom we are in relationship, we are in relationship with an invisible God who, though He has a human form (in God the Son), remains invisible to us because He does not physically live in this dimension. The only possible way we can get to know God and fellowship with Him is through His revelation we call the Bible. That’s it. Certainly, the Holy Spirit who indwells us, teaches us God’s truth from that source and does many other things as well, but chiefly, the Bible is our guide to our fellowship with God Almighty.
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