“Father, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
As a father of three boys, this verse has always struck me with a particularly strong force. The first part of this little section important, to be sure. My children should obey me because that is right and life will go better for them if they do. But, am I being the kind of father who invites obedience? Read the rest…
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. (ESV – Read the chapter)
This is a verse that is often misunderstood and misapplied. For starters, Paul is not somehow outlawing anger here. Sometimes believers let themselves be convinced that negative emotions of any kind are not appropriate for believers to experience. This is far from the truth. A quick look at the Scriptures reveals this to be the case rather conclusively. Our God is a passionate God who experiences a full range of emotions. Jesus in particular experienced loss, hurt, anger, rejection, and so on. Read the rest…
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called. (ESV – Read the chapter)
For the previous three chapters Paul has been unpacking the incredibly high nature of the calling those who are in Christ have received from Him. It is not just a high calling, but a holy one. Read the rest…
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship; created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (ESV – Read the chapter)
For anyone who would argue that our salvation has in even the tiniest of ways to do with our good works, this verse puts the lie to their position. Any individual, church, or even whole faith tradition that says otherwise is mistaken. That’s a pretty strong way to put it, but there really isn’t any other way around what Paul says here. Salvation comes by grace through faith and not by works. Period. We didn’t have anything to do with it being given to us beyond receiving the gift by faith. Read the rest…
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us…” (ESV – Read the chapter)
Have you ever wondered how and why our God could be such a merciful God? Perhaps not. Perhaps you’ve wondered more often why God seems like such an angry God. If that’s the case, you haven’t been taught very well about the character of God. That’s not your fault. It’s a symptom of our culture. Read the rest…
The Nexus 