Believers wholeheartedly committed to the Lord Jesus Christ realize the importance of dying to self in aspects of everyday life. For example, even when traveling from one place to another, a believer’s interaction with others should be characterized by dying to self in order to glorify God and demonstrate Christ’s love. In daily life, one…
Theoretical beliefs can be stated in “what you say,” but true beliefs are revealed in “what you do.” If you desire to grow in Christ, then an honest evaluation of what you truly believe can be made in the context of “words” and “actions.” See What Do You Believe … No, Really If you are a…
Whether one is a believer in Christ or not, there is no way to avoid problems (challenges) of life. God’s Word, however, provides ample guidance for followers of Christ to be overwhelming conquerors whenever they face and deal with problems, no matter what the outcomes may be. Whenever any challenge of life surfaces for a…
Grace, basically, means “gift.” With regard to God’s grace, this gift is beyond anyone’s expectations since it is the unmerited favor of God toward those who do not deserve it. Webster’s Dictionary (1975) defines grace as “unmerited divine assistance given to man for his regeneration and sanctification.” Divine grace is a gift provided by God…
Philippians 4:4-9 One of the benefits of life is joy, and one of life’s cripplers is worry. With these two polar opposites in mind, how would you rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 meaning “consumed by worry” and 10 meaning “abounding with joy”? If you consistently score in the lower range of that scale, your source for…
Is lying common in today’s world? Is untruthfulness a predictable aspect of human nature? Can believers in Christ always be truthful? God’s Word is the basis for answering these questions since it is the totally sufficient authority to deal with all challenges of life and relationships. THE PINNACLE OF TRUTH Truth should be understood in…
The REAL Christmas Story How long have you been making plans for your funeral? As far as your life on this earth is concerned, your birth started the countdown to your death. Yet, if you are like most people with good health, you don’t think about the physical end of your life. Hardly anyone plans…
The greatest personal challenge a Christian will face is to become a Christ-like servant. It is the low road to a believer’s high calling. It is a challenge because it goes against our natural desire for popularity, power, and prominence. Not surprisingly, Jesus was the perfect example of a servant when He lived on the…
It is safe to say that hundreds of millions of people around the world know of someone who has either committed adultery or has experienced the trauma caused by a spouse’s marital unfaithfulness. Sadly, adultery has become part of the fabric of life in countries and cultures across the globe. In spite of its prevalence,…
By Daniel B. Wallace, Th.M, Ph.D Matthew 22:39 This is one of several occasional essays on “Scripture Twisting.” The purpose of these very brief essays is to challenge certain popular interpretations of the Bible that really have little or no basis. Matthew 22:39 reads simply, A second [command] is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” In…