Jesus was often criticized (by the self-righteous, self-seeking religious crowd) for eating with people who were known as notorious sinners. In once instance, Jesus responded to the criticism with a parable (i.e., a symbolic story that makes a powerful spiritual point). It is called the parable of the lost sheep. It is found in Luke 15:3–7:
The fear of the Lord is different than the fear of judgment. The fear of judgment is a sense of terror and dread because of the coming judgment of God against sin; believers in Jesus should not have the fear of judgment because the guilt of our sins has been washed away by the blood of Christ. The fear of the Lord is different....
Two important phrases in Scripture are, "the fear of the Lord," and, "fear of judgment." Are these the same thing or different? How do they relate to Christian living? Let's discuss what the fear of the Lord and fear of judgment are, and let's consider whether, as children of God through faith in Christ, we should have them or not....
Romans 6:9–10 is one of the greatest consolations in the Bible. If you want to grasp WHAT your salvation is and WHY you can be confident of your salvation, here it is:
"Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life'" (John 8:12). What does it mean that Jesus is the light of the world? It means that Jesus shines the light of God's salvation upon the whole world.
It is a time for Christians to feel, speak, and live with biblical conviction. Conviction, in a spiritual sense, is being convinced and confident about what we believe. Here is a reminder of our fundamental convictions as children of God. You can be sure. You can be certain. Through faith in Christ, and filled by the Spirit, you can...
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love..." (Galatians 5:22).
We know God is at work in the world by His Word and Spirit. But is the Word at work in you? Just how hungry am I for the Word of God? How deeply do I feel my daily need for the Word of God? Paul wrote:
This article is about the nature and necessity of Christian love according to God's Word.
