Not Everyone Who Calls Jesus “Lord” Will Enter the Kingdom of Heaven As you read through the New Testament, you’ll soon come across this chilling statement by Jesus in Matthew: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who […]
Does Jesus Know You? Matthew 7:21-23 Read More »
This is a warning from a pastor to the church: THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THE CHURCH TO AVOID. You may think that this contradicts the second most important command to love your neighbor as yourself. But it doesn’t. Sometimes service to others demands that we avoid certain people. In Romans 16:17, Paul writes, “I appeal
How to Identify & Deal with Divisive People – Romans 16:17-20 Read More »
Romans 13:11-14 Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the
Jesus’ Return and Our Living Read More »
God has been teaching us what to believe and what to do. In this verse, he teaches us how to be. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Romans 12:11 Note the underlying assumption that one can change the way they are. We are expected to respond obediently to
Spiritual Fervency Read More »
Romans 10:5-13 Here’s the big idea: For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes (Romans 10:4). Paul has been arguing that many Jews rejected Jesus because they didn’t understand God’s absolute righteousness. They thought they could be righteous enough by their own attempt to obey the law, so they
Jesus, the End of the Law Read More »
Romans 10:1-4 There are two reasons many Jews rejected Jesus: ignorant zeal and DIY righteousness. 1. Ignorant Zeal For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. (v.2) They had a rich lifestyle of God-ward zeal. They had daily, weekly, monthly, annual religious customs. But their zeal was based
Ignorant Zeal and DIY Righteousness Read More »