Jesus said: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (Jn 14:15) You may want to hang these words on your refrigerator – Obey right away, Obey all the Way, Obey in a happy Way. These are good family rules meant to teach the children obedience as they grow up. They are also good
“Peter came to Jesus and asked, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” This shows Peter had made progress beyond the rabbis who taught forgiveness three times (see Amos 1:4). Forgiveness had been taught by Noah, Jonah, Jeremiah and many others in the Old Testament.
Repentance was preached by Noah, Jonah, Jeremiah and many others in the Old Testament. This was also the theme of preaching by John, Jesus, Peter and Paul. It is a message that applies to all, both saint (Christian) and alien sinner (I John 1:8-10). Repentance is a requirement for any who would consider becoming a
Jesus told Nicodemus, a teacher of the Jews, that to enter the kingdom of God he “must be born again!” How could this be possible? He asked how could he being old enter the second time into his mother’s womb to be born? Jesus explained the mystery: “Unless a man be born of the water
A reader asks: “What is BSF?” BSF stands for Bible Study Fellowship, an interdenominational Bible study organization founded in 1959 in association with Billy Graham Crusades. It is “highly organized and disciplined” with headquarters in San Antonio, Texas. The annual budget is $22+ million. It is increasingly popular among those who have an interdenominational concept
What is the “sin that leads to death?” The Bible promises clearly, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I Jn 1:9). “Confess” here is obviously comprehensive for repent and forsake sin as we continue to “walk in the light.”
A person who had been saved by grace can fall from grace. The apostle Paul told some Christians in Galatia: “You have fallen away from grace” (Gal 5:4). Jesus said the believer has (present tense) eternal life (Jn 5:24); however, the believer can become an unbeliever. “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any one
We all become angry at times. It does not easily or quickly go away but rather can smolder inside and sometimes may burst out and result in sin. “In your anger do not sin” is a reminder that one can often be led from anger into sin. The apostle goes on to say, “Do not
“The Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed be the man that trusteth in thee.” (Psalm 84:11-12 KJV) If you are in the midst of suffering, you might be compared to a
When sinful man comes back to God, God grants His favor anew. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). The pay man gets for his sin is eternal punishment and separation from God: “The wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23). When we were born, our pure spirit came
