Forgive them, for they know not what they do.Luke 23:34 Jesus was in the greatest imaginable anguish. He does not respond with a passionate complaint, but a passionate concern. Jesus was praying for the soldiers who were nailing him to the cross. The soldiers were bound by duty. How can we hold people accountable for a standard they do not…
Just as I have loved you, you are to love another. John 13:34 We either deflect or reflect the love of God. Those with a closed heart towards God deflect the love. Deflected love is directed at ourselves. We love because we get something out of it. “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have”…
He appeared to take away sins.1 John 3:5 The invisible God was made visible in the person of His Son. Jesus came to satisfy the price of sin and set us free from the power of sin. Are you willing to die to self and follow Jesus? “For one who has died has been set free from sin” (Romans 6:7).…
Whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk as He walked.1 John 2:6 Your salvation assurance is found in where you follow. We are either following Jesus or the world. Are you attempting to accumulate things in the world or do you keep His Word? If you truly treasure his Word, your love for God is true. You may…
Whoever says, “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar.1 John 2:4 If you walk in the light and embrace Christ as your advocate and atonement, you fall under His authority. “You were bought with a price. So glorify God” (1 Corinthians 6:20). John’s litmus test of genuine Christian faith is not a common perception or…
He is the propitiation for our sins.1 John 2:2 If you have sinned, you cannot stand in the presence of God. God offered Christ as the sacrifice to remove the barrier which sin creates. Jesus is the propitiation or the substitute for our sin. Christ sacrificed Himself for our sins in order to secure God’s mercy. The value of Christ’s…
If anyone does sin, we have an advocate, Jesus Christ the righteous.1 John 2:1b We cannot condone even a single act of sin. John does not want his audience to sin. Sin is so heinous that is should not be indulged in even one time. God has a perfect standard for His people, but a gracious provision in the event of…
Pay careful attention to what you have heard so you do not drift away.Hebrews 2:1 Drifting occurs when we take our focus from Jesus. Are you simply interested in Christ or invested in His purpose? Interested Christians start drifting because they follow Jesus out of convenience. Invested Christians stay devoted because they see following Jesus as a commitment. Every decision…
He is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us.1 John 1:9 A commitment to Christ is an automatic focus forward. When we are washed clean by Jesus it is complete. The sin of your past is forgiven and forgotten. The moment you trust in Jesus you belong to Jesus and become an inheritor of the Kingdom. This does not mean…
Forgive as the Lord forgave you.Colossians 3:13 The response from Jesus on the cross was truly a remarkable expression of unbounded forgiveness. Jesus was blindfolded, slapped, beaten with fists, flogged, scourged, and ultimately crucified on a cross. To say that being crucified on a cross was excruciatingly slow and humiliating would be an understatement. Despite the cruelty of mankind, Jesus…