The First Commandment of Culture: “Thou shalt not judge.” Matthew 7:1-2 is probably one of the most misquoted passages in all of Scripture. In this cultural moment, in which moral relativists use this passage to silence Christians, it is important to understand what Jesus means…
If only thieves sent Save-the-Dates. If we knew exactly when someone was going to try to break in, wouldn’t we be ready for them? Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone was. Jesus says His Second Coming will come like a thief in the night. No one knows the day or the hour. (Mk 13:32; Mt 24:36; Ac 1:6-7). The church in Thessalonica, which had endured harsh persecution, asked Paul: when is Jesus coming back? What is going to happen to our brothers and sisters who have died/have been killed? Paul addresses their inquiry in this passage (1 Th 5:1-11).
“A Prophet Is Not Without Honor Except In His Hometown.” Jesus makes this point at the beginning of His ministry. When the people in His hometown realized that He claimed to be much more than their homeboy, they rejected Him. Will we reject Him, too?
What is love? What does love look like? True, crucial love looks like the Cross (Latin: crux). It consists of a vertical component (obedience to God in Christ) as well as horizontal component (self-sacrificially striving for another’s ultimate good). We should love Jesus and love like Jesus because He first loved us…
Did Jesus just want to keep the (wedding) party going? More importantly, His first “sign” signifies how, in His ministry, the Old (water) will be fulfilled and replaced by the New (wine) as the Old Testament prophets predicted…
All of the tests were intended to disrupt Jesus’ faithful, obedient, submissive relationship to the Father. We too, led by the Holy Spirit, can rely on Scripture when tested…
If “faith” without works is dead (Jas 2:17, 26), did the “thief” on the cross have true faith if he had little time for works? I argue that — perhaps in response to the gracious intercession of Christ — the criminal has a change of heart and responds with a request — an appeal of (true) faith. Thus, Jesus responds accordingly
“Faith” that does not produce works — acts of godly obedience and mercy — is not true faith at all. There is a difference between believing *that* Jesus is Lord and believing *in* Jesus as Lord
The only kind of faith that works, is faith that works. “Faith” that does not produce godly works of mercy and obedience is dead. True, saving faith is active faith. Faith: it’s what we do.
Caesar Augustus was thought to be a divine god, Son of God, and “savior of the world” whose birth meant peace, hope, and good news [euangelion (think evangelize, evangelism)] for all people. But Jesus is the true…
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