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Turn Back To God
Luke 22:32 'But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.'
The concept of 'conversion' is mentioned in the Holy Scriptures at least 14 times. The basic meaning of the term is a turning or returning to God. This implies a turning away from sin and a turning to God. Repentance and putting faith in God are corresponding synonyms to conversion.
The theological basis for conversion lies in the truth of the 'atonement.'
Although man lapses into sin, the truth of the atonement remains. When men turn to God in repentance and faith, the effects of the atonement - reconciliation and forgiveness - avail.
The apostle Paul expresses the act of conversion in this way:...
MERCY, THE REAL MEANING
Our Success Is In God
Matthew 26:33 'Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.'
Just like Peter, we are often more confident of ourselves than God is. Many Christians are devastated when they fail in some area that they thought they had long since grown past. We need to realize that as long as we are in this mortal body, we cannot fall asleep at our battle station against the works of the flesh. If we do, our flesh is just as capable of sin as anyone else's. If we fall, it should concern us but not surprise us. We should simply realize with Paul, that 'in my flesh dwelleth no good thing,' get back into the spirit through confession and forgiveness, and go on with Jesus.
The Lord...
Love Comes First
John 13:35 'By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.'
Jesus didn't say that all men would know we are His disciples by our doctrine, our rituals, our hatred for sin, or even by the way we express our love for God. He said very clearly, that the one characteristic that would cause the world to identify us as His followers, is our love, one for another.
This same night, the Lord prayed to His Father using this same thought saying, 'That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me' (Jn. 17:21). The only way that Christ's body will be one as the Father and Jesus are One, is through God's kind of...
A New Revelation Of Love
John 13:34 'A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.'
Jesus previously stated that all the law and the prophets were dependent on loving God first, and then loving your neighbor as yourself. These truths were already in the law but people missed them. So, this commandment was not new in the sense that it had never been given before, but it was brought to the forefront and given new meaning through the example of Jesus. Jesus not only loved His neighbor as Himself, He loved us more than Himself.
John, the apostle who wrote this gospel, later wrote about the new commandment of love. No doubt, he received his inspiration from this teaching of Jesus. John...
JESUS IS THINKING ABOUT YOU
NEVER COMPROMISE YOUR LOVE FOR JESUS
We Are Complete, Only In Him
Matthew 26:28 'For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.'
MATTHEW 26:27-29
The principle of the Old Covenant was 'do' and you shall live. The principle of the New Covenant is 'it is done,' and includes redemption, reconciliation, righteousness, and sanctification. The work is finished! We are complete in Him!
If the Old Covenant had no defects, there would have been no attempt to institute another (Heb. 8:7). In the Old Covenant, men found themselves unable to abide in its agreement, for it was based upon a man's performance.
The new agreement, however, is based totally upon God's grace. Under the Old Covenant, men approached God through a...
Let God Minister To You
John 13:8 'Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.'
JOHN 13:5-8
Peter's refusal to let Jesus wash his feet came from a knowledge that he was totally unworthy to have the sinless Son of God serve him as a common servant would. Peter was correct in his assessment of his relative worth, but what he missed was that God doesn't minister to us because of our worth but because of His love.
Even though Peter's attitude looked holy and humble, he was actually resisting God's will and committing an act of pride. Pride is not only exalting yourself above what is proper, but also, it can be debasing yourself below what is proper....