Posts Tagged "Matthew"

QUESTION: “When does marriage end? Does it end at the “legal” end when a divorce becomes final? Or, does it end in biblical terms at the moment when a spouse commits adultery? “ The Bible speaks of marriage not as a contract, but as a covenant. There are several differences between the two, but the one that applies most in this case to this question is simply this...

How could God plan to sacrifice His Son?  How is that a loving, good, and right thing to do to a son whom you love? [NOTE: This is part four of a four-part series of posts based on a question brought to me by a friend.  If you haven't yet, check out Part 1 , Part 2, and Part 3.  I hope it's helpful to you. -Phillip] “I lay down my life that I may take it up again.” -John 10:17b In any discussion of the cross, we must never forget the resurrection.  Jesus says that He is sacrificing Himself, but that embedded in the core of the plan to die is also the joyful expectation of resurrection!  To forget this is to miss the heart of the story.  God doesn’t sacrifice His Son so that the Son will be dead, but so that the Son may be resurrected and in the...

How could God plan to sacrifice His Son?  How is that a loving, good, and right thing to do to a son whom you love? [NOTE: This is part three of a four-part series of posts based on a question brought to me by a friend.  If you haven't yet, check out Part 1  and Part 2.  I hope it's helpful to you. -Phillip] “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” -Hebrews 4:15 Anyone who has been through suffering can tell you that the comfort and love and encouragement that meant the most to them was that which came from someone who had been through similar suffering, too.  Nothing connects two hearts more deeply than suffering, and the greater the...

How could God plan to sacrifice His Son?  How is that a loving, good, and right thing to do to a son whom you love? [NOTE: This is part one of a four-part series of posts based on a question brought to me by a friend. I hope it's helpful to you. -Phillip] GOD IS LOVE. (1 John 4:8b) It is one of the most quoted and most popular truths of the Bible.  People all over the world –whether followers of Christ or not– smile and nod in agreement, for who wouldn’t want to hear that God is love? How, then, can such a loving God be willing to sacrifice His Son for His enemies?  It’s all well and good for the enemies, but what about the Son?  Doesn’t He deserve more love from the Father than anyone else?  How can God be good and yet plan to sacrifice His...

Principles do no good if there’s no practical way to apply them. Have you discovered this? High-minded ideals may be nice to think about, but to really make a difference in our lives, they need to have some skin on and work in the real world. The last two posts have been part of a three-part series on good works that stemmed from a conversation with a friend who had a question about a message I preached called “The Surface and the Substance”. (You can listen to the podcast here.) In posts, we explored Jesus’ command in Matthew 5:16, “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven”, which instructs His disciples to live in such a way that we draw attention to the goodness and glory...