Posts from April 2024

“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” (James 4:17, ESV – emphasis mine, DR) The old statement that one can sin actively (by “commission”) OR passively (by “omission”) is accurate, but it is a mistake to think that sins of omission are somehow “not as serious” as sins of commission. An “active” sin might be committed “in the heat of passion” (and thus be a “once in a lifetime”…

When Jesus told of those who made excuses and so missed the blessing of the wedding banquet (Matthew 22:1-14), He concluded by observing that, “Many are called, but few are chosen.” What this parable makes obvious is that many who could receive His blessing of salvation do not! His invitation must be accepted for its blessings to be received! So “HOW” does God choose us? The first-century Jewish rulers supposed that God chose who to save based on who their…

The United Nations created the modern nation of “Israel” in 1948 as a homeland for Jews displaced during World War II. Many English and American politicians supported this because their religious beliefs rested on the belief that a political nation of Israel MUST always exist, as God’s “eternally-chosen” people. The idea that the church could replace “national” Israel as the focus of God’s affection completely disrupts their theology! The bible’s image of a “Jew” is very different from the modern,…

What does the word “married” bring to mind? For most folks, it means “a man plus a woman, committed for life” (this agrees with Jesus’ words in Matthew 19:5, quoting Genesis 2:24 – “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh”). The most significant part is what He then said in verse 6; “…what God has joined together, let not man separate.” This has been the basic…