Something Greater

It's Not Okay to Lie How would you respond to someone who casually says, "It's okay to lie because all I have to do is ask God for forgiveness and He will forgive me?" Paul expected a similar question from his Roman readers: "If our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us?...If through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? And why not do evil that good may come?" Romans 3:5,8 (ESV) Paul's answer: God is Judge of the world! A judge rewards right and administers punishment for wrong . Were God to forgive sin simply because one asked for forgiveness, God would cease to be a righteous Judge. God does not forgive because people ask Him for forgiveness... He cannot unconditionally forgive sin and still remain the righteous Judge of the world. The entire world is held accountable to God for violating His Law (Romans 3...

Sainthood "To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 1:7 (ESV) There are many religions which recognize individuals as "saints" or "enlightened ones". One church reserves the term "saints" only for a member of their church regarded as "holy" who has died. The "saint" must have demonstrated "heroic virtue" or suffered martyrdom. After approval by an investigative panel, the candidate is proclaimed to be "venerable", the first step toward sainthood . The second stage is called "beatification" . It requires the candidate perform a miracle after their death and as a result of specific prayer to the candidate. This miracle proves that the person is in heaven and is able to intercede for the living. The final stage of sainthood requires one more miracle, allowing the religious leaders to ...

Doing Good Works versus Undeserved Grace How would you communicate the concept of undeserving grace to someone who is hung up with doing good works to get into heaven? How could you relate this truth from your own application in life? There are hundreds of laws, commands and parables in both the Old and New Testaments that require obedience. They can be summed up in just two: "Which is the great commandment in the Law? You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." Matthew 22:36-40 (ESV) There is absolutely no doubt that the Bible teaches that people are to obey God's commands by living a life of good works. We are to treat God, and other people, with love . LOVE: agapao (to love in a social or moral sense, to have a strong personal atta...

The Point of Circumcision How did the Jews miss the point of what circumcision was all about? "But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth - you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. For, as it is written, The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you. For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. So, if a man who is uncircumcised k...

Only Human "Why do people try to gain salvation through their own merit, rather than accept God's righteousness through Jesus Christ? How strong a role does guilt play in this?" This was the question posed to me. Here is my response. From the beginning, angels and humans have inclined toward rejection of God as their ultimate Authority. God told Adam and Eve that they had for their food every plant in all the earth and every tree of the garden, except one. The serpent deceived Eve, pretending, without actually lying, to believe that God had forbade them any tree in the garden. The serpent's argument was that God's authority over them was arbitrary and unfair. The serpent opened a door into rebellion, making it appear good and delightful and wise, and Eve walked through that door. (Genesis 3:1-6) Adam was beside Eve all this time. He knew that the serpent was pretending. Adam knew that the serpent was usurping authority over God, but he also knew that t...

The Holy and Righteous One The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. Acts 3:13-15 (ESV) To this point in Luke's book of Acts of the Apostles, Jesus has been named Lord and Christ. In his second great instance of preaching, Peter is speaking to Jews at the temple. They've all gathered in amazement, responding to the miraculous healing of a lame man. Peter is even more descriptive of the glory of Jesus . Peter begins by calling upon the Almighty God, using references that are most meaningful to devout Jews: " The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers ." Then, Peter describes Jesus as the Servant o...

Five Philosophies "How to Bring Back Young Adults Who Have Left the Faith", an article by Whitney Hopler, Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer, posted by www.crosswalk.com , Tuesday, May 17, 2011. Interesting article that classifies people into five philosophies , depending upon how they incorporate faith and ethics: Postmoderns Recoilers Moderns Neopagans Rebels I'm not completely sure this list is comprehensive, but it is definitely thought-provoking . I reject manipulative tactics that attempt to sell Christianity to different markets, or put a spin on the Gospel in order to proselytize to different mindsets. This article does not try to do that . Instead, this article is aimed at trying to help us understand other people, with compassion and humility. I can easily put myself into at least one of these categories, and the descriptions help me see a bit more of life from perspectives that I've not experienced . Christianity, genuine love and tru...

Religion or Relationship? Someone asked me yesterday at work if I was "a religious person" . I prefer not to use that term, but yes, that's a popular label used to describe something that's important to me. That began a discussion about "religion" versus "relationship". 1. Does the Bible say that God wants us to have a relationship with Him, rather than follow a religion? 2. Does the Bible say that Jesus considered Himself to be the same as God? Good questions! "Religion" is used only a few times in the Bible. It's translated from a Greek word that means a ceremonial observance . Two of the most revealing verses about religion are in the Book of Acts and Paul's letter to the Colossians: They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion I have lived as a Pharisee. (Acts 26:5) These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religi...