Posts by Christian Worker

The training provided through SWSBS is comprehensive but by no means exhaustive. We only have two years to introduce the fundamentals of study and practice. With limited time, not everything can be covered. Our instructors often leave more “on the table” of their studies than they put into their lectures. (The same is true of faithful preachers everywhere!) However, we never leave out of classes or curriculum the reality of sin, and we are sure that our graduates are prepared…

In Galatians 5:19-21, the apostle Paul lists the various works of the flesh. Of the seventeen sinful works, the final two listed by the apostle are drunkenness and revelries (carousing, NASB) (v. 21). What is drunkenness, or more importantly, how does the Bible define the term? What does God’s word say about social drinking? God’s expectation of His people is very clear – Christians are to be sober. This article will examine Paul’s and Peter’s instructions to the church regarding…

Can’t we all just get along? Well, that certainly is how it ought to be, especially in God’s family. Long ago the Psalmist said, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” If Jesus brought peace to this earth (Lk. 2:14) and Jesus instructs His followers to be peacemakers (Mt. 5:8), why do Christians sometimes struggle getting along? This article will explore a practical understanding of this matter especially through considering three words in Galatians 5:20.…

I t started with something small—a teasing remark at a Sunday potluck that struck the wrong chord. Within a week, two friends who once laughed together were avoiding each other. What began as a lighthearted moment turned into bitterness and silence. Moments like this show how quickly small offenses can snowball when left unchecked. Paul warned against the “works of the flesh”— “hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, [and] envy” (Gal. 5:20–21). These are more than attitudes; they are heart diseases…

Paul’s warning in Galatians 5:19-21 lists idolatry and sorcery among “the works of the flesh,” placing them beside sins such as sexual immorality, hatred, and drunkenness. Yet many Christians assume these sins belong solely to the ancient world—of golden calves and pagan temples – overlooking their relevance in our lives today. As we work to understand what Scripture means by idolatry and sorcery, and how they appear in our modern world, it will bring us to a deeper question: Who…

Do you worship God or idols? Most idolaters in our society do not bow before carved images, yet they practice idolatry all the same— by choosing the desires of the flesh over the will of God. Both Scripture and common sense teach that God’s prohibitions against the carnal sins listed in Galatians 5:19–21 are for our good and protect us from devastating consequences. Adultery Adultery is a specific form of sexual immorality (fornication). It is also used figuratively in Scripture…

The concept of sin is based squarely upon the understanding of the holiness of God. This holy God based both promises and commands given to man on His divine attributes. As the Sovereign, God possesses all authority. Any violation of that will on the part of man results in separation from Him (Isa. 59:1- 2). The same God, however, is also one of love, mercy, and grace. Through His mercy, He extends grace in the form of “repentance.” The Greek…

It happens every morning across the world. A rooster crows in the early morning as the sun rises—this is as normal and natural as God created it to be. However, there was a morning 2,000 years ago where a rooster’s crow was a miraculous fulfillment of prophecy. It was the morning of Jesus’ crucifixion. Remember, Jesus had spoken to His disciples in the upper room about who would be the greatest in the Kingdom and told them each one would…

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split. (Matt 27:50-51). When one thinks of the miraculous events surrounding Jesus’ crucifixion, perhaps the veil of the temple being torn is not the first one that comes to mind. That said, this event is highly significant in that it symbolizes some very…

The crucifixion of Christ is the central event of the Gospel, and of world history. Yet, it is also one of the most adamantly denied events in all of history. Some religions teach that Christ was never crucified, others that His crucifixion was a mistake, or that it was a surprise to God, who then had to come up with a “plan B” until Jesus could come back and try again to establish His Kingdom on earth. Yet, Scripture is…

I magine a sun that refuses to shine at high noon. From the sixth hour to the ninth—twelve o’clock to three—the sky over Jerusalem turned midnight black while the Son of God hung bleeding on a Roman cross. This was no eclipse, no storm; it was the Creator pulling a curtain across the heavens so the world might glimpse the weight of its own guilt. God has always spoken through the heavens. He once draped Egypt in a darkness “that…

God is a declarer. When God created all things, He was declaring (Ps. 19:1). When He flooded the world, He was making a statement (2 Pet. 3:5-7). And God’s loudest statement is the cross (Jn. 3:16). As Jesus yielded up His spirit on that cross (Matt. 27:50), God made several loud statements (Matt. 27:51b-53). “The earth quaked.” God was declaring a change of kingdom (Hag. 2:21-23, Heb. 12:26-27). Jesus’ death began the transition from the physical kingdom of the Jews…