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Devotionals

Absolute Truth

Truth is always true. Even so, it is amazing how many people seem to think it’s up for grabs. While we can reasonably reach an impasse as to which restaurant has “the best” Mexican food, when it comes to what you had for lunch yesterday there is a right and wrong answer. That’s the thing about “truth”...

Defending Truth

First Peter 3:15 commands all Christians to stand up for the truth and defend the hope of the gospel. It also commands that this be done with “gentleness and respect.” Unfortunately, there is something about defending the truth that can

Truth

Truth is not always popular. Depending on the environment, statements that reflect absolute truth can be downright offensive to many. That is one reason the Bible instructs us to make sure our hearts are centered on pleasing God even before we open our mouths. We need to keep in mind the ultimate goal of our conversation so we don’t get entangled in personal...

Stand for Truth

God warned of a great apostasy as the end of human history draws near (2Th.2:3; 1Tim.4:1-3; 2Tim.3:1-5; 4:3-4; et al.). This is not a promise of a religion-less world. On the contrary, the end times events are filled with references to popular and influential religious organizations (Rev.17:1-18). What God’s word predicts

Truthfulness

In Psalm 15 David recounts key virtues of a godly character – a kind of character that he says will experience intimacy with God. At the top of the inspired list we find the attribute of truthfulness, as we might expect. How can one claim to

Truth & Tolerance

The Bible, unlike some religious texts, calls its individual adherents to battle for truth with theology, not swords. In our daily lives Christians are called to fight ideas, not people. This proper understanding of New Testament Christianity has historically allowed...

Hard Truth

We all work to make our lives as comfortable and pain-free as possible. We buy all sorts of appliances and gadgets to make hard jobs easy, and seek out any available remedy to alleviate our bodily aches and pains. And this makes perfect sense. Only a masochist would...

God’s Truth

The Bible is full of severe and hard realities. Its propositions aren’t fuzzy or soft; they’re strong, stern and unambiguous. Its heroes aren’t hailed for being sensitive and emotional; they’re lauded for being principled...

Wishing vs Truth

Whenever we study the Bible we have to do our best to let the text speak for itself. The goal is to excavate God’s message, ascertain God’s values, and comprehend God’s perspective. We may have many ideas and expectations about what we hope to uncover and what we wish to find, but the Bible has to be approached with...

True Truth

As many faithful defenders of the Christian faith have pointed out, the truths we speak of as Christians, are claims we assert to be “true truth”. We do not presume to be proffering religious preferences or personal values. We are boldly claiming...

Bible Truth

As C. S. Lewis said about Jesus’ claims (i.e. he is either a lunatic, a liar or Lord), something similar could be said about the choices we face when we consider the book in which those claims are recorded. Either the Bible is a collection of error-laced letters penned by delusional authors...

Historic Truth

Some chide us for “checking our brains in at the door” when we come to a place of trusting in Christ for forgiveness and new life. But that is not how Christianity is presented to us in Scripture. The New Testament evangelists never asked anyone to stop thinking, stop inquiring or stop analyzing the claims of Christ and the Apostles. No one was asked to just...

Spiritual Humility

Real spiritual growth requires humility. An accurate understanding of truth and its appropriate application takes place in those who humbly recognize their need for truth and change. These are the Christians who have learned to...

Relativism

After recently preaching on the problem of relativism, I am reminded of just how pervasive, yet inconsistent, this way of thinking actually is. Many loudly insist that it doesn’t matter what you believe regarding religion, because, after all, “God is loving” and he wouldn’t conclude that anyone’s views about him are wrong. It doesn’t matter, they insist, if your beliefs don’t

Biblical Tension

It has been rightly said that we should never use biblical truths in unbiblical ways. We make this costly error at times without knowing it. We may be hailing some aspect of God’s word with a resolute focus while unwittingly beginning to utilize that affirmation to deny some other forthright teaching of Scripture. Take for instance our confidence in the sovereignty of God, which is of course a...

Subtle Lies

It is not difficult for Christians to admit that deception is morally wrong, and that because he is a God of truth, “lying lips are an abomination to the Lord” (Proverbs 12:22). But unfortunately we are not always quick to recognize all the subtle forms lying takes in our everyday conversations. Consider the way we can toss around insincere compliments and words of praise, which, if pressed

Scripture

One big challenge of the Christian life is to courageously stand our ground regarding the veracity of God’s word, while living in a world which makes a sport of mocking, maligning and ridiculing it. It is helpful to regularly study and frequently recall how the Bible stands apart from all other

Unbiblical Thoughts

To grow in our understanding of God and the Christian life requires that we leave behind wrong ideas about God and the Christian life...

Self Apologetics

The Apostle Paul actively engaged the people of his generation, logically and persuasively “destroying arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and taking every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). Such is the work of apologetics, evangelism, and discipleship. But this is not only the work we should seek to do in the minds and hearts of others, it is a job that starts

Your Conscience

As we seek to proclaim the gospel and uphold, defend and establish the truth of God’s word, it is helpful to remember that God has implanted a witness to the truth within each person’s heart. While those who don’t want to hear our message may protest, the reality is that...

If It Feels Good

Countless Christians have warned of the folly contained in the well-worn phrase, “If it feels good, do it!” But this warning should be applied to more than just the indulgent physical pleasures that would transgress the bounds of righteous and godly behavior. We ought also to be cautious...

Imaginary God

Often we struggle with a variety of verses in our Bible reading because they grate against our preconceived ideas about who we believe God to be. That would never happen if...

Thinking Christians

One of the great things about real Christianity is that it calls us to sincerely engage our minds and always check out the facts. Unlike those who say that “faith is something that is to be embraced in spite of the truthfulness of the particulars,” the Bible tells us

Biblical Standard

Christians are often accused of defying logic and reason to become superstitious mystics when we run to quote our Bibles as the authority on what is true and how we should live. The problem with this accusation is that thoughtful Christians contend (perhaps not loudly or cogently enough) that it is supremely logical and reasonable to understand the Bible as God’s authoritative voice on life and reality. Christians are not asserting

Light

Jesus said that people prefer darkness rather than light because people don’t want their sinful deeds exposed (Jn.3:19-20). Of course this is an analogy. Your willingness to sit in the sun or your desire to dim the lights in the family room has nothing to do with...

Sola Scriptura

Just before one of the strongest statements regarding the uniqueness and sufficiency of Scripture, the Bible warns us that as time marches on “evil people and imposters will go on from bad to worse” (2Tim.3:13). The threat of “evil people” opposing the truth has...

Intellectually Engaged

Jesus told us that we are to love God “with all of our mind” (Mt.22:37). Of course, he listed other aspects of our humanity with which we are to love God, but this one (our mind) may seem odd, especially in a day when...

Fickle Feelings

Our feelings are fickle but God’s word is unchanging. There may be several factors, righteous and otherwise, which will influence our emotions, yet the Bible stands as our unalterable source of divine information providing eternal clarity regarding God’s values and priorities. This is why the Bible must...

The Sting of God’s Word

Some naively presume that good preaching should leave the congregation feeling good. But most seasoned Christians have come to realize that the best, most meaningful and effectual sermons usually sting, if not wound. God warned that the Scriptures are...

Bible Reading

When God is at the center of our theology and Christ is at the head of our lives we begin to understand the Bible as it was intended to be understood. Approaching Scripture as God’s self-disclosure instead of our tool for self-improvement will undoubtedly open up an entirely new experience of Bible study. It is not hard to see the extreme difference

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