Crucified with Christ

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (Galatians 2:20). All Christians have been “baptized into Christ” and “baptized into His death” (Romans 6:3). It is in baptism that we become “united with Him in the likeness of His death” (Romans 6:5). This is when we, like Paul, are “crucified with Christ.” Continue reading →

The Good Old Days

“Do not say, ‘Why is it that the former days were better than these?’ For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this” (Ecclesiastes 7:10). It is not uncommon to hear people speak fondly of the “good old days.” But there is a difference between reminiscing of days gone by and making unfair comparisons between the present and the past. The former is acceptable. The latter is “not from wisdom.” Continue reading →

"We Are Unworthy Slaves"

earn our salvation. Yet this is not the case. Jesus made it clear in the following passage that obedience is necessary, even though obedience will never result in one earning his salvation.

“Which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come immediately and sit down to eat’? But will he not say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat, and properly clothe yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you may eat and drink’? He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he? So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done’” (Luke 17:7-10).
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Educated, Yet Ignorant

accursed” because they did “not know the Law” (John 7:49). Earlier, when they heard Jesus teach, they were “astonished” because they knew he had “never been educated” (John 7:15), which means He had not received a formal education as they had. After Peter and John healed a lame man and preached the gospel to the crowd, they were arrested and brought before the council (Acts 3:1-4:6). The rulers perceived these two as being “uneducated and untrained men,” causing them to be “amazed” at the “confidence” they saw in the apostles. Ironically, while the rulers believed the common people to be in ignorance, they demonstrated that they were willfully ignorant. Continue reading →