Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.
Summary: There are four types of righteousness and two of them will get you to heaven. The only problem is that the third type is impossible to achieve and the fourth requires that somebody else achieve it and offers you a free pass. Fortunately for us, Jesus does both.
Continue reading “1 Peter 3:18 (a) — The Flavors of Righteousness”
… so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness …
Today’s passage speaks to a theme that has been on my heart quite strongly for the past year or so. What does it mean to “die to sins and live for righteousness?” If we want to follow Peter’s guidance, what do we do? Moreover, if we want our church body to follow Peter’s teaching here, what do we do?
If we are to die to our sin, we have to be aware that we are sinning. If we are to live for righteousness, we need to have some concept of what that means. Is it possible for us to do either without being in God’s Word every day?
Continue reading “1 Peter 2:24 (b) — Signpost”
—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.
As we continue to parse Jude’s closing thoughts, we run into this interesting phrase, “ — hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.” Whose clothing is Jude talking about? Yours? Mine? His?
The answer, it seems, is “all the above.” Peter references this idea in his second letter when he writes, “This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority.” (2 Peter 2: 10)
Continue reading “Jude 1: 23c — Corrupted Clothes”
Be merciful to those who doubt…
Jude continues to give us his advice. Perhaps what he says sounds surprising. After all, he has spent the larger part of his letter warning us against the ungodly. Now he says, “Be merciful to those who doubt…” Could it be that he is worried some might confuse doubting with being ungodly?
It is a fair question. If you have spent any time at all reading this blog you know that I have a lot of questions! And if ever there is a quiet moment, I can come up with more questions at the drop of a hat.
Continue reading “Jude 1: 22 — Doubt”
These people are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—
What is a “love feast?” Who eats there? Why should anyone have qualms about it?
Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 11, is a great resource on this question. He describes in detail what the love feast is, who and how to eat it, and why it should be taken very seriously.
What is it?
Continue reading “Jude 1: 12A — Food”
Woe to them! …they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.
In this unique passage, Jude does two things at once. He tells us one more thing about the ungodly people who pervert the grace of God. Then, in the same stroke of the pen, he tells us about their fate.
To put this story into context we need to look at a bit of Israel’s history.
Continue reading “Jude 1: 11c — Toast”
But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”
There is a danger here.
Jude is teaching us how to identify those who are walking in darkness. What he is NOT telling us to do is pass judgment on their souls. He tells us what God has in store for such people, but nowhere does it say we are to be the ones who condemn them. To illustrate this point, Jude reminds us of the archangel, Michael.
The archangel is understood to be over all the other angels. This angel is unique in relation to God and other angels. The text refers to another angel called “the devil.” This angel would have been known as Lucifer, or Satan. Satan’s power and influence were rivaled only by God in the heavens.
Continue reading “Jude 1: 9 — Discerning Darkness”
…and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.
Jude warns us about people who secretly slip into our churches and are ungodly, pervert the grace of our God, and deny Jesus Christ.
We have talked about the first two. What about the third? How do they deny Jesus?
One way to deny Jesus is to proclaim a false Jesus. These people redefine Jesus to fit their concept of religion.
Jesus is unique. The Jesus we meet in the Bible is unlike anyone else that has ever lived or will ever live. Jesus has power over all things physical and spiritual. Jesus knows you and me inside and out. He knows our hearts and what is in our minds. He “sees” everything about us. He is one with God the Father and serves Him faithfully.
Continue reading “Jude 1: 4d — The Test”
Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!
In yesterday’s post, “Job or Joy?,” we posed the question, “How do we apply this truth in our fellowship with other Christians?” The “truth” we were discussing had to do with what James said about faith and deeds. He wrote:
“…faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (James 2: 17b)
So how do we apply this truth to others in the fellowship of believers?
Continue reading “James 5:9 — Reflections”