We began this series of blogs this week by emphasizing that we should not be ashamed of the gospel of Christ, which is sometimes referred to as “the faith.” Well, if we truly are not ashamed of the gospel, we will not be ashamed to contend for it either. Jude 1:3 (KJV) 3 Beloved, when […]
Jesus said that we must let our light shine before men (Matthew 5:16). We do that, at least in part, by living a morally upright life, something of which we should never be ashamed. In our last blog, I wrote about not being ashamed to live a pure life, refraining from the sin of sexual […]
There is a great chasm between the moral standard of Christ and the morality that is practiced by the world. Just like local churches of Christ are in the minority among religious bodies, individual Christians are in the minority among people. We must fight the urge to be like everyone else, and not be ashamed […]
In Acts 2, Luke tells us that the Lord added to the church those who were being saved (Acts 2:47). The church is made up of those who obey the gospel of Christ (Romans 1:16; 2 Thessalonians 2:14). If you are saved, you are a Christian and a member of the Lord’s church because being […]
Romans 1:16 (ESV) 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. The gospel’s core message is that the just shall live by faith (Romans 1:17). It was not a popular message among […]
Some people talk too much. They enjoy hearing their own voice so they are always blabbing about something. It is easy to grow weary of them. Even God does. “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” (James 1:19). Being a “loud mouth” is not a […]
Pride is one of the most destructive characteristics anyone can have. Solomon sums it up for us. Proverbs 16:18 (ESV) 18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. No wonder we are encouraged in scripture to be humble. Humility is a core characteristic of Christianity. I say that because being Christians […]
One day Jesus was heading toward Jerusalem when He was met by ten lepers (Luke 17:11-12). As one might expect, these ten men were desperate for help so they begged Jesus to have mercy on them. Jesus had compassion and healed them (ver.14), but sadly only one of them turned back to Him and gave […]
When the Israelites returned from seventy years of captivity, they made some needed changes. They no longer served other gods as they had before their captivity. Sadly, they replaced one sin for another, violating the will of God by marrying foreign women. Fortunately, due to the influence of Ezra, the people determined to repent and […]
It is easy to look at the life of others. What is more difficult is taking an honest look at ourselves. One of the best ways to stay on track spiritually is to engage in a consistent examination of ourselves. 2 Corinthians 13:5 (ESV) 5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. […]