What does it mean to live the Christian life, to live according to love and truth, as Paul told us to do in the previous passage? Sometimes, we need some flesh and blood examples to make things real to us, and that’s what Paul gives us today. First we see…

Okay, so is God doing the work in us, like verse 13 says? Or are we doing the work as verse 12 says? And what does it mean to work out our own salvation? Does that mean there is some sort of work we must do in order to be…

Why is it so important that Jesus is our Great High Priest? Most of us would probably point to verse 1, which emphasizes the sacrifice He offered up on our behalf, a sacrifice which, as verse 9 says, makes Him the source of eternal salvation for all who trust in…

What do you think is the most important part of the gospel? Is it living in a godly way? Is it the material blessings we receive? Is it trying to right the social wrongs we see all around us? Is it feeling at peace with God and with other people?…

Why should the Bible matter to us? Not least because they give us true knowledge of the God Who loves us so much. That’s the good news – God hasn’t left us just to wonder what He is like. Instead, verse 68 reminds us that God is always good, and…

If you had to look for a single place in the Bible that summarizes the entire gospel, this would be it. It includes the problem of human sin in 53:6 – all of us have gone astray, turning aside from God’s perfect law of love and embracing our own will,…

How do you pray for your friends and loved ones? If they could have one blessing, what would you want it to be? Health? Wealth? Happiness? However good all of these things may be, none of them are on the top of Paul’s list as he offers prayer for the…

When difficult circumstances come our way, sometimes we wonder why God would let such things happen to us. Perhaps we think God is trying to teach us something. We might even commit the error of Job’s friends and imagine that suffering always involves punishment for something we’ve done wrong. But…

How should Christians view dying? We know what Jesus said to the thief on the cross, the one who said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” We know Jesus said to him, “Today, you shall be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:42-43) Yes, because Jesus rose from…

We all want to be winners. We all want people to think well of us. Common sense dictates that it is desirable to be rich (v. 8), prudent, strong, and distinguished (v. 10). Much like the people of ancient Corinth, we modern Americans tend to admire the knowledgeable, the competent,…