“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
Paul has in various other places had some pretty tough words for folks in the church who fall into sin and refuse to get unstuck. They range from giving them tough love to kicking them out of the community entirely until they are truly interested in getting themselves back together. Read the rest…
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. (ESV – Read the chapter)
Paul’s focus here is on our words which is pretty important. Most of us have a tough time staying out of trouble there. James makes a convincing case for this in his letter (read it here). We are able in most cases to whip up a mean batch of foot stew at a moment’s notice. Read the rest…
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (ESV – Read the chapter)
We are not God. That should be basic, but it’s not. A reversal of that fact is the fundamental deceit of the fall. We forget it all the time, in fact. We regularly are guilty of thinking we know better than God how to run His world. Things happen a certain way and we almost immediately start Monday-morning-quarterbacking the creator and sustainer of the whole cosmos. When was the last time you consciously processed a thought which began with, “Well, if I were God…”? Read the rest…
“Be not silent, O God of my praise!” (ESV – Read the chapter)
Psalm 109 here falls into the category of imprecatory psalms. There aren’t very many of these, but they are without fail uncomfortable to read. At least, they are uncomfortable in a culture like ours where being a follower of Jesus is still a pretty safe thing to be, and where we are taught to be tolerant of other people. It is uncomfortable when read through the lens of Jesus’ call to love our enemies. And this one isn’t even the most egregious of the category. There are other imprecatory psalms that are even more violent in their language, in the kinds of things they ask God to do to the enemies of His people. Read the rest…
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
This is one of the great verses in Galatians, and really in the whole of the Scriptures, establishing the absolute equality of value of all people before God. Before the throne of God everyone is on an equal footing. No one has more of a claim to be there than anyone else. No one has any advantage over anyone else because of who they are or what their particular heritage is. The ground at the foot of the cross is level. Read the rest…
The Nexus 