'Life in Christ' Tagged Posts
A Common but Misguided Perception
It is misguided and a dangerous misconception to base God’s acceptance of you on your worthiness, or attempt to comfort others with the concept that, “underneath it all, you are actually beautiful in character, and therefore truly deserving of God’s love.” Why? 1. You aren’t, and the Bible makes that very clear. Though all people are created in the image of God, all of us are sinful, abusing our status, both by nature and behavior and are therefore deserving of…
What Did Jesus Mean by “The Broad Way?”
In the Sermon on the Mount, the broad way that leads to destruction is the external religious way. The narrow way is the way Jesus taught. This is seen particularly in the “antitheses” section in Mt. 5. For instance, the broad way is fulfilling the command, “You shall not murder,” but the narrow way is found in Jesus’ statement: “but I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother is guilty . . .” Or again, “You shall not…
Memories of Apartheid
Years ago in what was then called a “Colored Township” in Capetown, South Africa, I wondered at the hatred that caused that circular black burn mark on the street close to the front door of the gentle believers who had opened their hearts and home to me. What causes a person to “necklace” another with a flaming tire? In those days of both Apartheid and tribal strife, nerves were strained. Many mornings in that enchanting country we awoke to read…
What About Untimely Death?
If God works all things according to the good of those who love Him (Rom 8:28), why do some believers suffer and die? It is helpful to remember when answering hard questions like this that it is always gain for a Christian to die (Phil 1:21). God will sometimes override the good thing of temporal provision to bring the better thing of going to be with him (Phil 1:23). This is not a surprise, even for the Christian, because no…
Is Healing in the Atonement?
It is a valid question to ask, “Is physical healing in the atonement?” The answer is, without equivocation, “Yes.” But maybe not as is commonly perceived. All good things come to the believer through Christ’s death for us. “By his stripes you are healed” in every way possible! It is judicially right that mercy is yours forever due to his death in your place. When merciful actions come to unbelievers, however, (God “sends the rain on the just and the…
Heaven to Earth
What did it mean for the eternal Son to descend and enter into the history of men? The human brain cannot completely conceive the nature of His humility. Glory to dust, eternal to earth, all the while retaining His worth. Infinitely valuable, beauty beyond words, bowed down to be cursed, leaving heaven for dirt. A Savior for all without capability, crying out of dark futility to the One with all ability to tread down their impossible with grace that is unstoppable.…
From Fear to Trust
When I first heard the account of George Muller’s life a few years ago, I was intrigued and frightened. By faith and through prayer Muller declared to a watching world and thousands of orphan children how God could provide for his own. Muller did not take a salary or ask for money to feed the orphans in his care, but trusted God to provide all their needs through prayer. My intrigue with Muller’s life of trust was compounded when I…
Christian Brothers Taking Care of Us
The “innards” are being redone. We had a problem in our home with a fireplace. The repair costs close to the same price as the purchase of a new direct gas unit, so we opted for that, and planned to do some of the work to save money. It was also time to check our furnace for the year, something we don’t do that often but seemed right at this time due to some “issues.” The furnace check revealed that…