Many people of ancient Israel believed that keeping the ceremonial laws of Moses was the highest expression of their love for God. But Jesus taught his disciples that to God there are more important things than ceremonies and temple sacrifices: to keep short accounts and “settle matters quickly” with both the people in our lives and with God.
Believers in Christ are adopted into God’s family and are heirs of a rich eternal inheritance. What is this inheritance, how and when do we receive it, and how is it preserved for us?
What is the New Covenant the Bible speaks of? And what is the difference between it and the Old Covenant? There is much confusion in the Christian church regarding this, so the goal of this article is to provide simple understandable descriptions for the non-scholar.
What is the Sinai Covenant in the Bible? Who was involved and what was its purpose? Is it the same as the Old Covenant that the Christian apostles allude to? And what is the difference between it and the New Covenant? In this article I provide a simple explanation for the non-scholar.
During the 8th century B.C. God sent the prophet Hosea to the house of Israel. Hosea’s mission was to call the people to repent of their idolatry, cruelty, and injustice, and to return to God. His impassioned pleas to this wayward people reflected his own tragic relationship with his wife, who he was trying to bring back from a life of adultery and prostitution.
Is your name written in God’s book of life? If so, you are blessed beyond measure. You will live forever. How do you know if your name is there? Jesus tells us.
Many of us, when we consider our lives, the problems we have, and the pain we suffer, wonder: “Where is God?” and “Does God care for me?” We may just be disoriented from the chaos of life, or have anxiety and fear building up from all of the uncertainties we face. Some of us may have intentionally taken wrong and destructive paths, and are suffering from it. Whatever our condition, we are all in need of a shepherd—one who cares for us, leads us, and protects us from danger. And not just any shepherd, but Jesus the good shepherd.
Faith is widely used word, and most people use it without even thinking. But it’s a very important word, so how should we define it? More importantly, what does it mean as it is used in the Bible? And why is this important to our relationship with God? Surprisingly, the biblical meaning is no different than how we most use it in everyday life.
The gospel is the good news to the condemned and sinful. Those who believe it are acquitted of their guilt before God and set free! But how can God set free those who are clearly guilty of sin? There must be a fair and just basis for the acquittal. We learn the answer from the gospel story itself—that Jesus Christ was our substitute.
Jesus once told a parable about two men who were at the temple praying. At the end of his story, one man went away justified, while the other did not. What does it mean to be justified by God? Though the meaning is profound, it’s actually quite understandable: getting right with God.
