Paul left off chapter three explaining that we are heirs of the promise of God. He picks up on the concept of heirs again in chapter four, but this time uses them to compare their coming of age to the redemption of the believer. He reasons that heirs, when they are young are like slaves because they must still obey the rules of those who care for them, but once they reach the age their father set to inherit his possessions, they are free. In…Continue Reading “Galatians 4”
(Affiliate disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Please read my full disclosure for more information.) In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul states that God comforts us in all our troubles, so that we may be able to comfort others who are hurting, in the same way He has comforted us. I have always loved the sentiment of that verse especially because I know it’s backed by God’s truth. He has always been there for me through troubled times, comforting me and pushing me on. In many of those…Continue Reading “To comfort others who are hurting”
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. I remember teaching both of my children this verse when they were in kindergarten. They had to memorize it for their Bible class. It was one of the longer verses for K5, but obviously came around the Thanksgiving holiday. It was pretty easy for them to memorize too, I think because the words paint such a vivid picture. I also taught them a little chorus…Continue Reading “Two little words that mean so much”
1-10 Chapter one ended with Paul affirming that his apostleship was ordained by God. Chapter two begins with him showing that the other apostles were also in agreement with Paul’s ministry and message. Fourteen years after he visited Peter, Paul says he returned to Jerusalem with Barnabas, who had accompanied him on his first missionary journey, and Titus, whom he had led to Christ. (Titus 1:4) He makes a point of telling them that he returned due to a revelation of the Holy Spirit. While…Continue Reading “Galatians 2”
1-5 Paul begins his letter by affirming his status as an apostle ordained, not by men, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father. From his beginning greeting, Paul stresses God’s gift of grace to us through Jesus death which frees us from sin. It is a foreshadowing of the key theme of his letter – salvation by grace, freedom from sin and the law. 6-10 Here he states the main purpose for his writing. Paul is amazed, “astonished” is the word he uses, that…Continue Reading “Galatians 1”
There is one quality that is present in every healthy relationship. Whether it’s a marriage, a friendship or even the bond forged between humans and their pets, if this quality is missing, or lost, the relationship is doomed to fail. It is this same quality that, if missing in our relationship with Christ, can lead to worry, fear and anxiety. What is this quality? Trust The dictionary defines it as a firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something. No…Continue Reading “The one ingredient every healthy relationship needs: Trust”
The next book we will study is Galatians. Galatians is thought to have been written after the Jerusalem Council of Acts 15, which would date it sometime after AD 49. It was written by the Apostle Paul to the churches he had founded in the region of southern Galatia: Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe. His main concern in writing this letter was to counter the teaching of the Judaizers who were undermining the central tenet of NT doctrine that salvation is by faith alone. These…Continue Reading “Galatians: An Introduction”
It is true, that anyone who has grown up in church, or been a Christian for very long is familiar with God’s promise that He will never leave us or forsake us. However, it is also true that if you have lived long enough on this earth, you have probably endured at least one circumstance that caused you to ask the question, “Where is God?” Even though we have experienced the wonders of his great love for us, and benefited from a multitude of his…Continue Reading “Where is God when I’m hurting?”
As a preface to this chapter, I think it’s important to understand who specifically James is speaking of in the first several verses. Otherwise, it may seem as though he is saying that being wealthy is evil. To the contrary, he is referring to a specific group of people. In his study notes on this chapter, John MacArthur explains, “Unlike the believing rich in Timothy’s congregation (1 Tim. 6:17-19), these are the wicked wealthy who profess Christian faith and have associated themselves with the church,…Continue Reading “James Chapter 5”
‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matt. 22:37-40 God really does both know us so well and love us so much. He not only made salvation a free gift that is ours for the taking, but He simplified the Christian life to just two commands. If only…Continue Reading “Love your neighbor as yourself: A little kindness goes a long way”