Does Jesus Lower the Bar for Righteousness?
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (Matthew 5:17, NIV) We tend to think of God’s Old Testament law as a high standard of righteousness that the New Testament relaxes. Does that fit the facts? Let’s consider […]
Righteousness: Given to You and Grown Within You
From the time I was eight years old, some sixty years now, I have been going to church. I was one of those who went Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, whenever the church was meeting. Although I cannot say I went “every time the doors were opened” because I have missed a few times, […]
Sermon on the Mount: Hunger and Thirst
*Editor’s Note: This is the eighth article in a 13-part series on the Beatitudes. Here’s the complete list of articles in the series: Who Does Jesus Think He Is? Crowds or Disciples? The Sermon’s Most Important Word The Pursuit of Happiness Poor in Spirit God’s Answer to the Problem of Evil Meekness Hunger and Thirst […]
A New Year…in the Eyes of the Lord
I have had the same New Year’s resolution for the past several years: read through the Bible in the year. The first time I did this from start to finish was in 2011, when I read from cover to cover. In reading different translations, languages, and reading plans, it’s amazing to me how the Scriptures […]
4 Righteous Responses to Evil (and Which Ones Are in Our Job Description)
“If I try and bend that far . . .” Tevye is a Hebrew milkman in czarist Russia with a snappy wife, five daughters, and very little money. We meet him in the delightful musical Fiddler on the Roof, where he explains that being a Jew in Russia is as precarious as trying to fiddle […]
Jesus Never Lost at Rock, Paper, Scissor
As a kid, I was in line for the amusement park. Grandpa was taking us there. And he told me to lie about my age to get me in a lower cost bracket. That was a collision between respecting your elders and telling the truth. So do you flip a coin? Let’s say the bills […]
