“For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
Here’s an important principle that radiates from the pages of the New Testament: If we do what Jesus did, we will experience what Jesus did. Put another way: If we walk the path Jesus did, we will receive what Jesus did. This is at one and the same time incredibly challenging and also incredibly encouraging. Read the rest…
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
Living the life of Christ day-in-and day-out is a tall order. It’s a huge task. If we let it, the thought that we are to live each day following after the pattern of Christ and doing what He said can be an overwhelming thought. If we think about it in the wrong way, it can leave us wondering whether it’s really all worth it. How are we supposed to do this on our own? Read the rest…
“And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
This is one of the great promises of God in the Old Testament. Apart from Christ, people lack both the will and the ability to pursue a relationship with God. It’s not just that we want to, but can’t, or even that we are able, but don’t really want it. We couldn’t do it even if our heart desired it. Read the rest…
“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you; sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
This is tough language here. Paul seems to soften a bit a couple of verses later, but that’s just an appearance. This is what Paul really means. When it comes to the fruits of sin in our lives–and they are manifold well beyond the list Paul offers here–it is not enough to put them aside or turn our backs to them or knock them off their perch or anything else like that. We must actively put them to death. We must kill them completely and not allow for even the slightest chance that they will get up again. Read the rest…
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
Two points here. The first is that you won’t find a more direct connection between the Father and the Spirit than this. While the connection between the Father and the Son is fairly easy to make in the Scriptures, for the sake of the Trinity, it is more difficult sometimes to connect the Spirit as the third person. What Paul says here makes it pretty plain. The Lord is the Spirit. There you have it. Read the rest…
The Nexus 