Bible commentators often point out the similarities between Jude’s and Peter’s epistles. Like Jude, Peter often spoke about our common salvation. First Peter 1:3-5 points out that God has given us “new birth” into His family through the person and work of Jesus Christ. Amazingly, by the grace and power of God, our spiritual DNA has changed because we...

Unless your conscience is particularly insensitive, you’ve probably felt guilt and shame at least once or twice since you woke up this morning. But what are guilt and shame telling us, and what does the Bible say about them? Guilt and shame are related but not identical consequences of sin, and honestly, they have a great deal of difficulty...

Understanding the depth and breadth of the gospel cannot happen until we have received Jesus Christ’s death on the cross as payment for our sin. It is the result of a lifelong journey that starts with God’s love and begins because of God’s initiative. The apostle John was able to speak about God’s love on a simple level, in...

We often use words like sin and temptation as if they are synonymous. But is there a difference between the two? Let’s find out. Temptation is not the equivalent of sin. Where sin is the act of disobeying God in thought, word, or deed, temptation is different. In one sense, temptation is what happens when we feel the pull...

The Letter to Philemon is a short letter. Paul was succinct and direct in his brotherly exhortation to Philemon. Paul opened by identifying himself as a prisoner for Christ, and he identified Philemon as a fellow worker in the Lord, one who provided space in his home for the gathering of the church in his city. Paul’s purpose in...

Unless you travel in very specific social circles, it’s entirely possible that you’ve never had a conversation about worldviews. Actually, that’s not true. If you’ve talked about politics, religion, parenting, education, or any kind of social issue, you’ve had a worldview conversation. What is a Worldview? But what exactly is a worldview? The simplest way to understand it is...