Maturing as Christians

Paul teaches, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:13). I have made many mistakes in my life, and I have had times when my faithfulness to God suffered. Yet in those times, I can see where God was faithful even when I was not.  That’s who God is! His faithfulness to me doesn’t go away because of my lack of faithfulness. God’s faithfulness means He is truthful, reliable, and steadfast in His character and promises. His faithfulne

Mortality and the brevity of life are themes found throughout the Bible. Scripture consistently reminds believers of the fleeting nature of life on earth, urging them to live with an eternal perspective.  Here today, gone tomorrow speaks to the mortality and the brevity of life. The idea of mortality is introduced early in the Scriptures. After the fall of man, God declares, “By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were

When I talk about the “practice” of anything, I mean, the actual application or use of an idea, belief, or method, as opposed to theories relating to it. With that in mind, to live in God's presence means to live in a constant awareness of God's nearness and to seek a close, intimate relationship with Him!  Living in the presence of God involves developing and cultivating a mindset of conscious, ongoing fellowship with God through practices like prayer, Scripture, and living

Putting on the armor of God points to living by and keeping in step with the Holy Spirit!  The “armor” is a spiritual metaphor for the protection and strength Christians can receive through faith, which is enabled by the Holy Spirit to help them overcome spiritual battles. The strength to put on the armor comes from the Holy Spirit, allowing believers to withstand temptation and the schemes of the devil, as described in the biblical passage in Ephesians 6:10-18. Paul instruct

Paul teaches, “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17).  The “helmet of salvation”  relates to Jesus as the assurance of eternal life and victory over sin and doubt, which is a gift received through faith in Him. It protects the believer's mind from spiritual attacks by grounding them in the truth of Jesus' sacrifice and the promise of God's protection. Wearing the helmet is a continuous act of trusting in what

We read, “And having strapped on your feet with the readiness of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:15-16).  The “gospel of peace”  relates to Jesus as He is the embodiment of peace. In other words, Jesus is not just a source of peace, but is peace itself, reconciling humanity with God through His life, death, and resurrection. The “gospel of pea

We read, “Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness” (Ephesians 6:14).  The belt of truth relates to Jesus by being the foundation of the Christian faith. Jesus, Himself said these words, “Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6).  Truth is not just an abstract concept, but a person—Jesus Christ himself. He is seen as the ultimate a

We read, “ Put on  the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).  Apostle Paul means that Christians should equip themselves with spiritual virtues and divine protection to stand your ground against the schemes of evil forces. The armor is metaphorical for a person's inherent qualities of mind and character. The armor points to habitual qualities of character that guide us!  They’re developed through intentio

John teaches us, “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:3-4).  In the biblical Greek, there are two words for “to know.” One is the word which means “to have knowledge of.”  The danger of that word is we can think that when we’ve come to know in the mind and know the facts, that will be enough for us. However,

In the biblical Greek, there are two words for “to know.” One is the word which means “to have knowledge of.”  The danger of that word is we can think that when we’ve come to know in the mind and know the facts, that will be enough for us. However, there is another Greek word for “to know.” It means “to know by experience.”   It basically says that we have no right to say that we’ve come to know something until we’ve experienced it. Let’s examine John 14:7-9. After announcing