The Attributes of God:

The Purpose of Salvation: A Call to a Holy Life 1 Peter 1:13-16 “But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior.”                   Of all the attributes of God, holiness is the one quality that encompasses the totality of the character of God. While other attributes, such as His love and mercy,  describe aspects of His character, holiness describes who he is in all his multifaceted glory.  In the throne room of heaven, the angels continually sing an anthem of praise to the holiness of God. In Isaiah 6, we find the prophet Isaiah transported into the throne room of heaven where God is sitting on the throne, and the seraphim continually encircles God, proclaiming the praise of His holiness (Isaiah 6:1-13).  In the Book of Revelation, John likewise is given a vision of the throne room in which the same message is continually proclaimed...

The Past, Present, and Future 1 Peter 1:1-9 “In this, you greatly rejoice, even though now, for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials.”                   As we spend time with family and friends celebrating Thanksgiving this week, we think about the positive events and circumstances that give us a reason to be thankful.  We rightfully focus on our family and health and the blessings we enjoy. While we give thanks for these during this week, for the rest of the year, we wrestle with discouragement and dissatisfaction as we deal with the struggles and realities of life.  How do we find joy and satisfaction in the present when experiencing life's trials and problems?                   In verse 6, Peter commends and encourages his readers to “greatly rejoice” ...

Discovering True Wisdom James 3:11-18 But the wisdom from above is pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.  And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”                   Wisdom is a central theme in the Bible, and six books in the bible are explicitly devoted to this theme.  The most commonly recognized book on wisdom is the book of Proverbs and some of the Psalms, which set forth the wisdom from God and woven throughout all his creative works.  While the law gives specific commands and guidelines for moral decisions, wisdom refers to applying God’s moral law correctly in every aspect of life. Wisdom moves us from knowledge about God to living in line with God. God established moral order within all creation.  He communicated His moral law and wove His mor...

Becoming a Doer not a Listener James 1:19-25 “But prove yourselves doers of the word and not merely hearers who delude themselves.”                   The greatest threat to our Christian faith is not ignorance but complacency.  It is easy to know about the Bible; the challenge is to be transformed by the Bible so we are living in obedience, daily growing in our faith.  However, this challenge is not new but has plagued all who have verbally consented to the Bible.                   In verses 12-18, James warns his readers of the danger of temptation. Our sinful nature is always present, ready to distort the message and character of God to manipulate God according to our wishes. When we sin, we seek to justify our actions. Instead of accepting responsibility, we blame others and God (vs 12-1...

Joy amid Trials James 1:1-8 “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.”                   Trials and adversity are never enjoyable.  It is easy to become discouraged and disheartened when facing life struggles, especially when it seems endless.  We can endure adversity when it is temporary and short-lived, but despair sets in when it drags on with no end in sight.  We begin to doubt God and his plan for us.  We wrestle with how a good God can allow bad things to happen to good people.  Throughout the history of the Bible, we find that those most undeserving often faced the most significant amount of adversity.  Job suffered the loss of all his wealth.  However, wealth can be replaced, but the ultimate tragedy was the death of his children. ...

A New Way of Life Hebrews 10:19-25 “Therefore, brethren, since we have the confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus…let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”                   The book of Hebrews is centered on the redemptive work of Christ and how His sacrifice is sufficient for paying the penalty of our sins so that we now have free access to God.   By comparing the Old Testament sacrificial system and the sacrifice on the day of atonement with the sacrifice of Christ, the writer points out that the Old Testament sacrificial system and the Day of the Atonement provided only temporary and partial forgiveness for our sins.  Every year, the High Priest would take the blood of the sacrifice on the Day of Atonement and enter into the Holy of...

Dying and Growth (Pt. 2) Hebrews 6:9-20 “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil.”                   The phrase, “one which enters within the veil,”  has profound implications for the Jewish reader.  It speaks of the hope and desire of all the followers of God.  The veil refers to the barrier that separates the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple and separates the people from the presence of God.  To enter within the veil was to enter God's presence and enjoy his company. This was the desire of all people.  To enter the inner sanctuary behind the veil was to realize God’s promise of rest from our efforts to gain salvation (see Hebrews 3:11,18,19; 4:1-11).  To be able to go into the presence of God was to fully receive our salvation.  Having warned of t...

Growing or Dying (Pt 1) Hebrews 5:11-6:8 “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food…Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity.”                   When a baby is first born, it depends on the mother to provide the necessary nutrition for life. For a baby, life begins with a single need: milk. However, as the body grows and the demands for nourishment increase, the child will eventually need to move from milk to solid food. If a baby stops growing and maturing, we become concerned and call the doctor. If the child continues not to grow, it may lead to hospitalization and even death.                     Paul ...

Our Interceding High Priest Hebrews 4:1-16 “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of god…let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”                   The tragedy of sin is that it not only brings guilt and punishment, it separates us from a holy and just God who is untainted by sin.  Because God is sacred, to stand before God as a sinner is to face the certainty of judgment.  In the Old Testament temple, a veil separated the people from the Holy of Holies, where the presence of God was manifested.  This veil served as a continual reminder that sin and its subsequent guilt separate us from God.  Therefore, for humanity to have a relationship with God, they needed a representative who would serve as the liaison between God...

Walking in God’s Presence Hebrews 1:1-14 “And he is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature and upholds all things by the word of His power.  When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”                   The question that has plagued all people of all generations is the question of God.  Who is he? How do we know him? What does He expect of us, and how do we connect with Him?                     In the opening statement of Hebrews, we discover that God has spoken to us.  God has not remained silent and distant, so we are left to try and find him.  He has taken the initiative in our relationship. When God created humanity, His purpose was to have a relationship with us in wh...

Godly Living in a Politically Divided World Titus 3:1-2 “Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.”                   After a hotly divided election, it is easy for politics to become divisive. But how are we to respond as Christians?  How do we model Christ in a politically divided country?  As Paul writes Titus, he instructs Titus regarding how we should react to leaders, regardless of who they are or their political affiliation.  Our first response is to submit to rulers and authorities by obeying them.  Throughout the Bible, we are reminded that God exercises His sovereign authority over the governments, and He is the one who determines who will rule.  Even in a society that is democratic, God’s unseen h...

God’s Purpose for Us Titus 2:11-15 “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age.”                   We often struggle to understand and know God’s will. It is estimated that the average adult makes 33,000 to 35,000 decisions every day regarding what to do, what we will say, where we will go, and the list goes on. Often our life changes on the decisions we make that at the time seem unimportant. Yet these decisions set in motion a chain of events that radically shift the direction of our lives.  While we carefully consider a few of the significant decisions we make, most decisions are just a reaction rather than a carefully thought-out response.  This confronts us with the question, how do we live in light of God’s will when we do not know wh...

The Qualities of a Leader Titus 1:5-9 “For this reason I left you in Crete, that you might set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you.”                   What do we look for today in our leaders? We look for leaders who possess specific qualifications.  These qualifications are usually centered upon certain skill sets they have to get things accomplished, run the organization successfully, and organize programs.  We judge our leaders by their performance. Are they successful in growing the church?  The larger the church, the more we admire them.  We want leaders who are dynamic speakers and can hold our attention with their eloquence and preach positive messages that make us feel good.                    As Paul writes to Titus, Pau...

The Basis of Our Hope Titus 1:1-4 “In the hope of eternal life, which   God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago, but at the proper time manifested, even His words, in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior.”                   In his introduction, Paul reminds us of several important truths that serve to determine our identity and destiny and provide the foundation for our hope in Christ.  Paul begins by describing himself as a bondservant of God.  Throughout his letters, the designation of a bond-servant of God was Paul’s most common description of himself.  The word “bond-servant” refers to one who was a slave who was owned by someone else and whose entire livelihood and purpose was determined by their master.  For Paul, being a follower of Christ meant that we belonged to God, for “we ar...

The Inspiration and Sufficiency of Scripture. 2 Timothy3:16-17 “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”                   How do we determine what is true in a world of confusion and spiritual ambiguity?  Today, there are many conflicting beliefs, not just about public policy but about truth itself.  When it comes to morality and ethics, from abortion to sexuality to social issues, there are many different views held by people. As a result, we are in the midst of a civil war.  It is not a war of bullets and weapons but a conflict of our understanding of right and wrong and the basis by which we determine what is morally true. The differences in our country go far beyond political ideology but go to the very foundation ...