Sanctify Us

Repentance is central to the gospel call. Jesus attested that His purpose was to “call sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32). If we want to avoid perishing, we must repent of our sins (Luke 13:3,5). Yet, repentance is frequently misunderstood. It is sometimes mistakenly thought of as simply feeling sorrow or regret. Godly sorrow is good but is only the first step. Only when it leads to earnest, eager effort to change and live differently can it lead to salvation (2 Cor. 7:10-11). When people find out what they have to give up to be pleasing to God, they often balk and claim that it is too hard and that God wouldn’t ask them to do something so dramatic. This is true of those who are interested in being baptized and even sometimes of Christians who have sin that needs to be resolved. Would God ever really ask us to give up something important to us? Would He require me to get rid of something that makes me happy? This is inconceivable to many, yet Scripture is clear. The stakes are high. Le...

In the last two articles we considered the factionalism that was present in the church in Corinth as well as the dangers facing our congregations when we allow factions to develop. What can we do to remain united as a church? Let’s use Colossians 3:12-17 to exhort us to perfect harmony: Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of...

In the last article we considered the factions that had developed in the church in Corinth and how Paul admonished them to be united in Christ in the first chapter of 1 Corinthians. Now let’s consider what is so bad about factionalism. Factionalism makes us “merely human”.  A little later in the letter, Paul says, “But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? For when one says, ‘I follow Paul,’ and another, ‘I follow Apollos,’ are you not being  merely human  (1 Corinthians 3:1-4, emphasis mine)?”   Paul had just spent time before this explaining how worldly people believe God to be foolish and weak and read the Scriptures the same way. They cannot experience the...

The church in Corinth was troubled by many sins that kept them from functioning the way that God desired for them. The apostle Paul wrote two letters to them to address these concerns (and there is some indication that there were some extrabiblical ones from him as well). One of the problems in the church was factionalism. Corinthian factions.  After the greetings and opening niceties of his first letter, Paul immediately jumps into an admonition against factionalism (1 Corinthians 1:10-17). A trusted source has reported to him that the Corinthian brethren are quarreling with each other. What is the reason for the quarrel? They had divided themselves into factions based on the preacher they followed. Some wore the name of Paul, others of Apollos, others of Peter, and still others the name of Christ.   It’s possible that these factions went beyond the specific examples given here. Corinth was a city of extreme wealth and an attitude of upward mobility that was unusual in the an...

According to a 2021 poll by the Pew Research Center [1] , most Americans still believe in heaven and hell. However, there is a great deal of confusion over what those places are, who will be in each one, and how long they last. For example, more people believe in heaven (73%) than hell (62%) and only half of people think that people experience suffering in hell (psychological suffering, 53%; awareness of suffering they created in the world, 53%; physical suffering, 51%; cannot have a relationship with God, 49%). Shockingly, about 40% of people report that you don’t even need to believe in God to go to heaven! Many people’s understanding of the afterlife is clearly warped by personal biases and false teaching. The Bible affirms that heaven and hell are real and describes them in detail for us. It will do us no good to be deceived about something with eternal consequences, so let’s examine some Scriptures. Since we have focused on the book of Revelation in the last few weeks, we’ll do th...

If I only had one chapter of Revelation to represent the theme of the whole book, I would probably pick chapter 12. It depicts a war in heaven with far-reaching implications. The ultimate point of the chapter, like Revelation as a whole, is that Jesus attains the ultimate victory. The combatants in the war are a radiant woman (the servants of God), a great red dragon (Satan), and a male child (Jesus). How will the war play out? The radiant woman (12:1-2).  A “great sign” appears in heaven—something that stands out to John as especially noteworthy and glorious. There is a resplendent woman wrapped in the glow of celestial bodies who wears a crown of twelve stars and is crying out in birth pains. Putting these symbols together, she represents purity, righteousness, and victory, and can be associated with the remnant of God’s people who are faithful to Him.     The great red dragon (12:3-4).  Standing against the radiant woman is a fearsome red dragon who is described i...

In Revelation 5:1-7, John sees a vision of God upon His throne holding a scroll in His hand. Scrolls were usually written on one side for ease of reading while being unrolled, but this one was filled with writing on both sides. This scroll is marked with seven seals to indicate God’s authority and ownership of what is written on it. Whatever the scroll reads, it must represent God’s will and plan for all things. Who is worthy?  John must have been curious what was contained in the scroll, but it could not be read while it remained sealed. Suddenly a mighty angel cried out, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” Only one who is able to carry out God’s will in its fullness could open the scroll. Even the mighty angel did not step forward to do so himself! Even though that angel must have been particularly powerful to be distinguished in that way, he still falls short of what is needed. Perfect power and holiness are required to open the scroll.   The mighty ange...