Building on the Foundation

Multiple commandments just seem to get overlooked, and I think that’s a real tragedy. Most of these commands are little commands, the smallest of commands, even, but they are still direct instructions from our Father in Heaven, which means we should take them seriously.  Faithfulness in the little things demonstrates our readiness to handle the big things and the things we consider to be important. We should take the little things a bit more seriously than we do, and instead of trying to moralize everything, as Christianity has been trying to do for generations, we should be absolutely obedient.  Most of these commands aren’t that difficult to follow either, and following them teaches us something important, both in diligence and in the actual command itself. God didn’t tell us to do things arbitrarily, and this knowledge of His nature gives us the ability to trust that His instructions are for our good.  One of these often overlooked commands is found in the instructions...

It's always a pleasure to get into the Word of God for a deep dive into what He has to say to us, and this particular series of studies is no different.  I’m particularly excited to present this specific project to you all, and it has been the largest project I've put my time toward since I began writing for this blog. My goal with this series of posts is to approach the biblical truth surrounding the topic of marriage with as much directness and perhaps even bluntness as possible. No beating around the bush, just the plain and simple truth of what God has revealed in His word.  I'm not a greatly experienced man in marriage, even though I am married, but the purpose of this article series is not to provide sage advice based on decades of practical experience. The purpose of these articles is to present the wisdom contained in the Word of God as simply and plainly as possible.  There are many sensitive topics surrounding marriage, but because of the purpose in writing, th...

  Both Old and New Testaments warn us again and again about false teachers and false doctrines. As we’ve observed before, it is so easy to be deceived if we don’t continually stand guard against it. In one of these many warnings, the apostle Paul wrote, “But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Cor. 11:3). What is this simplicity Paul spoke of? “Simplicity” is Strong’s # G572, haplotēs . Thayer’s Greek Lexicon defines it as, “singleness, simplicity, sincerity, mental honesty; the virtue of one who is free from pretence and dissimulation; openness of heart manifesting itself by benefactions, liberality.” Elsewhere in the New Testament, this word is translated as “liberality” (generosity) or “sincerity.” For example, “he who gives, with liberality [ haplotēs ]” (Rom. 12:8). The Septuagint employs this same Greek word to describe integrity, innocence, or uprightness (2 Sam. 15:11...