Posts from May 2025 (Page 2)

If you were to ask a Jew in Jesus’ day what the greatest command of the law was, you would likely receive a variety of answers. Some might say the most important thing is consistent tithing, others might think about the many feasts to remember, and some might consider the dietary restrictions the most important command of the law to keep. However, when a Jewish lawyer asked Jesus this question, He told this man, “‘You shall love the Lord your…

Many years ago I attended an area-wide meeting of preachers where a brother presented his beliefs about law and grace.  He contended that God’s law and His grace effectively cancel out one another; that we can be subject to law or grace, but not both.  This is a common doctrine in protestantism, with deep roots in John Calvin’s assertion that God’s grace is “irresistible” (that is, God chooses who receives His grace, and no person can “do” anything to affect…

The word “belief” or “faith” serves as a synecdoche; each stands as a part of the whole. “I believe in Jesus,” when said genuinely, is the most essential claim a person can ever make. To say that one is saved by faith means that at some point, he obeyed the gospel (Rom. 10:16; 2 Thess. 1:6-10; 1 Pet. 4:17). Having heard it (Rom. 10:17), he believed it (Rom. 1:16), repented of sin (Luke 13:3; Acts 17:30), and was baptized into…

When one continues reading James’ letter and comes to what we know as chapter two, he is confronted with three key words of the letter–brethren, faith, and judgment. The judgment words may be more subtle, depending on translation. In the NASB 95, one finds “made distinctions” (4), “judges” (4), and “court” (6). All are forms of κρινω (KRINO), meaning to pass judgment upon someone or something. That, by very definition, strikes at the heart of what prejudice involves. Some form…

Love your neighbor as yourself. The command is simple enough to understand but, as is evidenced so often by our failure to do it, sometimes difficult to obey. There are several reasons why this could be the case. Perhaps the culprit is laziness. Love requires action and we are sometimes too lazy to put forth the effort. Sometimes it’s selfishness. Love requires sacrifice but occasionally we are too selfish to give anything. But sometimes it’s prejudice. We may look at…