Posts by jjohnson
Reconciliation in Matthew 18:15-18
Matthew 18:15-18 provides a process for reconciliation when: there is sin to which there has been no repentance the sin was witnessed by others, Deuteronomy 19:15, Numbers 35:30, 1 Timothy 5:19, 2 Corinthians 13:1, Matthew 18:16 The spirit of reconciliation is meek and gentle. Consider Galatians 6:1 and 2 Timothy 2:24-25: Galatians 6:1 Brothers, if anyone is…
Read MoreYou in Christ: A New Person for Good
Remember the promises of the “Body for Life” program? O the long list of exercise programs and personal makeovers that indicate that they have the solution for creating a new, permanent you. The good news is that in Christ, you already possess a new you. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he…
Read MoreProtected: Citations in WordPress
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Read MorePresupposing Jesus
“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elementary principles of the world, and not according to Christ.” (Colossians 2:8) Day-to-day conversations with unbelievers and believers alike often turn “philosophical” – that is, they examine our purpose and existence. Colossians 2:8 sets…
Read MoreTrue Freedom
Generally, people tend to define freedom as “being free to do whatever I want”. This sounds quite plausible on its face. However, even God is not completely free under this definition. For example, it is impossible for God to lie (Hebrews 6:18), so this is an invalid definition. The accurate definition of freedom is “being…
Read MoreAn answer to the question, “Is a believer in Jesus Christ ‘saved’ or ‘being saved’?”
“Is a believer in Jesus Christ ‘saved’ or ‘being saved’?” Romans 5:9 (KJV) says, “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved (σωθησόμεθα-this verb is in the future tense) from wrath through him.” If a believer who has received undeserved grace from God through Jesus Christ is “sealed unto the…
Read MoreExercising Yourself to Praise Others
While Scripture consistently teaches people to humble themselves (2 Chronicles 7:14, Luke 14:11, James 4:6, James 4:10, etc.), we also find God lifting up and praising people in His Word. For example, God’s Word takes an entire chapter to praise the woman of Proverbs 31:1-31, culminating in this phrase: “Honor her for all that her…
Read MoreThe Clarity of Scripture
God’s Word is “sufficiently perspicuous [clear] to be understood by the people, in the use of ordinary means and by the aid of the Holy Spirit in all things necessary to faith or practice, without the need of any infallible interpreter.” (clarification mine) The clarity of Scripture has also been referred to as the “perspicuity”…
Read MoreWisdom, Part 1: The Source
Defining Wisdom The following is a good definition of wisdom: “the soundness of an action or decision with regard to the application of experience, knowledge, and good judgment” (Oxford Dictionaries) That said, the following definition adds deeper insight: wisdom is “knowing the end of a thing from the beginning” While it is impossible (for humans)…
Read MoreThe Significance of Election
Election is the foundation of the gospel. Election is good news because sinful man is incapable of reaching God through the power of his parents, the power of his own will, or the power of his ethnicity. God does not choose to save everyone, because the devil real, and Adam’s decision to sin against and…
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