How should Christians handle authority? Well, Paul tells masters to treat their slaves with justice and fairness, and although slavery has been illegal in the United States since 1865, this principle can just as easily apply to anyone who has people who answer to him. Whenever Christians are in charge,…

So, how should the Christian life change our relationships with other people? In 3:14, Paul tells us that, as we are joined to Christ by faith, our lives will be marked by true love for one another. But this is not the selfish sort of desire that the Romantics are…

What is Christianity all about? Some legalists think it’s just an onerous list of do’s and don’ts. But Paul objects. For however important it is for Christians to live holy lives (3:5, 8-9), he insists that following such rules can’t save anyone. Because no ethical code, no matter how severe…

Opposition to the claims of Christ is nothing new. In verse 4, Paul talks about people using persuasive arguments to delude believers into denying Christ. In verse 8, he points to deceptive human philosophies which focus on the principles of this world. This sort of thing is still very much…

Why do we worship Jesus? It’s easy for us to focus on what He has done for us. Verse 20 recalls the marvelous truth that He has made peace between God and man by offering the perfect sacrifice for us on the cross. Moreover, because He shed His blood for…

What does it really mean to be a Christian? We often begin with things we should know and believe: understanding the grace of God in truth (v. 6), knowing that it is in Christ that we have redemption and forgiveness of sins (v. 14), and putting our faith in Him…

Can Paul be serious? How can I rejoice today, let alone always? Maybe you’re asking that question. Maybe you’re struggling with sickness in yourself or a loved one. Maybe you’re wrestling with an addiction or a besetting sin. Maybe you’re just tired out from the daily demands of life. But…

Bible Reading for August 5 – Philippians 3:12-4:1 Living the Christian life isn’t easy, and it requires a lot of determination and endurance. Paul compares it to running a race, straining forward to win the prize at the finish (v. 14). But what is this prize? Yesterday, we saw very…

Yesterday, we saw how much Timothy, Epaphroditus and Paul were willing to give up in order to serve the Lord. In today’s passage, Paul goes even further. He says that knowing Christ, even if it involves great suffering, is more valuable than anything else he could have in his life….

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…