LIVING AN OVERCOMING LIFE requires intentionality and an exercise of faith. It involves following hard after God. Specifically, it features yearning after Him in wonder; choosing a "resurrected" life in Christ. A.W. Tozer warns us that lack of holy desire leads to a stiff and wooden quality in our spirituality. "Complacency is a deadly foe …
Paul on Reconciliation
REGARDLESS OF WHAT OTHERS think of us, we are forgiven, redeemed, restored, set free from the past. Our lives have been turned around through the grace of God and the power of the cross. Lies, deceit, selfish motivation, manipulation, provocation—all are gone. We were not merely "remodeled" or "refurbished." Rather, the old self has passed …
Ephesians 1 & 2: Who We Are in Christ
THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS contains two main themes. First, Christ has reconciled all creation to Himself and to God. Second, Christ has united people from all nations to Himself and to one another in the Body of Christ. Ephesians provides vital instruction regarding who we are in Christ through redemption and sanctification; information which, unfortunately, …
Different
Fall leaves are dropping, autumn arriving in typical colors and smells. A cool breeze hints at winter. But not just yet. A lady sits on a front porch, smiling, as she watches a brilliant-red cardinal clinging, calling out from his perch. His persistence pays off and a young female swoops in, shy but determined. The …
Let’s Go to Theology Class: The Works of Christ
The following is a summary of my most recent lesson in pursuit of my master’s in theology at Colorado Christian University concerning the “Work” of Jesus. By Steven Barto, B.S., Psy. Grudem joins most Evangelicals in affirming that the penal substitutionary theory is the primary theory and most important way to understand Jesus’ atoning work. …
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Let’s Go to Theology Class: The Person of Christ
The following is a summary of my most recent class in pursuit of my master's in theology at Colorado Christian University regarding the Divine/Human Aspect of Jesus Christ. By Steven Barto, B.S., Psy. I found information under the heading Biblical Perspective—Jesus Christ: Both God and Man to be a great springboard for this discussion. Indeed, …
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The Peacemaker (Part 2)
The Peacemaker: A Biblical Perspective on Resolving Personal Conflicts and Letting Go of Resentment. Peacemakers are people to literally breathe grace. They draw continually on the goodness and power of Jesus Christ, and then bring His love, mercy, forgiveness, strength, and wisdom to the conflicts of daily life. God delights to breathe His grace through …
The Peacemaker (Part 1)
The Peacemaker: A Biblical Perspective on Resolving Personal Conflicts and Letting Go of Resentment. Peacemakers are people to literally breathe grace. They draw continually on the goodness and power of Jesus Christ, and then bring His love, mercy, forgiveness, strength, and wisdom to the conflicts of daily life. God delights to breathe His grace through …
Forming a Christian Worldview
IMPLICATIONS OF A WORLDVIEW Every worldview frames how one understands the world and how one acts in that world. Understanding the phenomenon of worldviews has implications for our thinking in at least three fundamental ways: (1) understanding what happens when variant worldviews meet, (2) recognizing the degree to which worldviews are inherited, and (3) acknowledging …
Reconciliation: A New Heaven and a New Earth
When God surveys the depraved mess mankind has become, he notes Noah's righteousness but describes the pervasiveness of sin and the repercussions of it this way: "As far as God was concerned, the Earth has become a sewer; there was violence everywhere. God took one look and saw how bad it was, everyone corrupt and …
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