We Must Honor God with Our Bodies Paul tells us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). This confirms that the Holy Spirit lives in each one of us. It’s a joint cohabitation, a partnership with the Holy Spirit—with God. We are God’s temple. In this way, we don’t belong […]
When Paul writes to the church in the city of Colossi, he says he always gives God thanks when he prays for them. He doesn’t just give God thanks for them occasionally but always. This is because of their faith in Jesus and their love for all God’s people—not some of them or the ones […]
Discover What Paul Says about His Protege I earlier stated that Paul is the author of the letter to Philemon. This is correct, but not exclusively so. Timothy is also listed in the opening credits. While we don’t know Timothy’s degree of involvement, the letter does state that it is from Paul and Timothy. This […]
Discover the Power and Goodness of Almighty God One of the most intriguing—as well as comforting—phrases in Scripture is “but God.” It appears sixty times in the Bible. Genesis leads the way with eleven verses. Acts is a close second with nine. Here are some of the but God versus to consider: But God Raised […]
We Are One through Jesus Christ For those of us who follow Jesus, there is one body. This points to the universal church through Jesus Christ. Sadly, few people act as one. Instead, they divide the body of Christ into factions, sects, and denominations. It was important to Jesus that we would be one (John […]
Embrace Paul’s Closing Remarks to the Corinthian Church As Paul wraps up his first letter to the church in Corinth, he shares a quintet of instructions for them to aspire to. It’s his final remarks to them, giving them five God-honoring outcomes to pursue. He says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, […]
Forgive and be Forgiven As followers of Jesus, we shouldn’t judge others, but we do. Too often, we judge Christians for their theology. We must stop. When we evaluate others based on what they believe, we diminish them in the process. And we smugly elevate ourselves over them. When we do this, our egos show […]
The Depth of Love is Revealed by How Much We are Willing to Give Up It is easy to say we love others. It is harder to show it, to prove our words through action. Despite what I may profess, I fear I may be more selfish than I care to admit. I may not […]
Righteousness is Another Word for Integrity Someone once surprised me, catching me off guard by calling me a “man of integrity.” Though honored by their perception, I shook my head. Yes, I aspire to be a person of integrity, but I’m not there. I have a long way to go and will never fully arrive. […]
Understand How to Respond to This Perplexing Practice A perplexing verse in Paul’s letter to his friends in Corinth mentions being baptized for dead people. What in the world does this mean? It sounds heretical. Can we be baptized for dead people? Well, I suppose so, but we shouldn’t expect it to accomplish anything. Should […]