"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that He might create in Himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile … [Read more...] about Killing the Hostility
New Testament
We Are His Workmanship
"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved — and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us … [Read more...] about We Are His Workmanship
The Reward of Repentance
"I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork in in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor and gather His wheat into the barn, but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire." (Matthew 3:11-12) I grew up in … [Read more...] about The Reward of Repentance
The Fruit of Repentance
"But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them 'You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, "We have Abraham as our father," for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid … [Read more...] about The Fruit of Repentance
The Haunting Question
"Then in Jerusalem and Judea and all the region about the Jordan were coming out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins." (Matthew 3:5-6) Recently, I explored the haunting question asked of Elijah by God as he was hiding out in a cave on Mt. Horeb: "What are you doing here?" (1 Kings 19:9) I say that it is "haunting" because it … [Read more...] about The Haunting Question