There are two parts of God’s plan of salvation—God’s part and man’s part. God’s part never changes because it is already complete. It involved the death, burial, and resurrection of His one and only Son (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Man’s part involves the instructions that God gives through the gospel. These instructions will be applicable until […]
In Matthew 16:18, Jesus promised to build His church. This promise began to be fulfilled on the first Pentecost after the resurrection of Christ, recorded for us in Acts 2. Acts 2:47 (NKJV) 47 Praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being […]
In a constantly changing world, it is comforting to know that some things always remain the same. This is especially true when it comes to our relationship with God and the blessings that come from Him. This week I want to consider with you some things that will never change. Let’s think about these things […]
There is a common misconception in our society that says the end justifies the means. This concept has been glorified over the years by the popular movie “Robin Hood.” Robin Hood is a story in which a man and his companions steal from the rich and give to the poor. The message is that stealing […]
One of the most impressive characteristics that early Christians demonstrated in their lives was a strong conviction for their new faith in Christ. This first surfaced when they began to be persecuted by a man named Saul who had his own convictions concerning the law of Moses. Since Christians were promoting Christ as the Messiah […]
Why is courage such a critical characteristic for a Christian? It is because we live in a world with a standard of living that is diametrically opposed to the ways of Christ—a world where we are in the minority wherever we go. Whether at school, on the job, or just out in the community, we […]
Joy comes by realizing how blessed we are in Christ. The Spirit-led Christian rejoices in the Lord always because he understands the true benefits of being a child of God. In Galatians 5:18, Paul reveals one of those benefits. Galatians 5:18 (ESV) 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under […]
A characteristic that all Christians possess (remember a true Christian is a follower of Christ) is the willingness to forgive those who sin against them. This is critical to local churches that are made up of people who are far from perfect. We have all sinned against a brother or sister in Christ before, and […]
We spent last week looking at some of the critical characteristics that Christians must have. In our last blog, I emphasized the importance of having faith. Tonight I want you to think about the importance of faithfulness. These two characteristics are obviously closely related. We might even say that they are intertwined because if one […]
Faith is a characteristic that all Christians possess. I know this because it is impossible to be a Christian without faith. The Hebrews writer tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), and there is no such thing as a Christian who does not please God. While we all have […]