It’s critical to know the difference between salvation and sanctification. When we get them confused, it can be a source of misunderstanding—and even anguish.Salvation is about your standing with God. (This is sometimes called “justification.”) By ourselves we are sinful and separated from him. But when we trust in Jesus and in what he has … Continue reading God’s will: your sanctification
spiritual growth
Spiritual muscle matters
Motivation matters. For example, people who do better in surgery are people who have a reason to live afterwards. It’s a matter of motivation.Or consider the 17-year old girl who didn’t want to go to soccer practice. But then her mom told her that the scout for the university soccer team would be there. “Why didn’t … Continue reading Spiritual muscle matters
Humility and hypocrisy
The opposite of religious hypocrisy is faithful sincerity. With God’s help we want to move from the first category to the second. Not only do we want to say we believe in Jesus, but to think and act like we believe in Jesus.An important ingredient is humility.In Mark 7 Jesus speaks with a Gentile woman. … Continue reading Humility and hypocrisy
A prayer for all Christians
“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24). There are different types of prayers. Free-form prayers are prayers you say as the words come into your mind. There are also set prayers. These are where the words are always the … Continue reading A prayer for all Christians
The threshold to God
In Mark 6 Jesus sent out the twelve apostles on mission. They cast out demons, healed people, and preached. Verse 12 tells us something specific about the content of their preaching: “They went out and preached that people should repent.” Let’s face it. Repentance isn’t a very popular topic. If you show up at a … Continue reading The threshold to God
The future you
In Chase the Lion, Mark Batterson talks about a special sermon by Dr. Halverson called the “old man speech.” Here’s the gist of what he says: You’re going to meet an old man one day down the road. He will be you. He is the composite of everything you are thinking, saying and doing right … Continue reading The future you
Suffering can produce perseverance
I recently learned about a bird in the Australian rainforest called the Cassowary. If you google a picture you’ll see that it is not to be messed with. It can fight off large predators, and even humans! A little known fact is that it plays a part in germinating the seeds of the rare Ryparosa … Continue reading Suffering can produce perseverance
To help you love others
In the previous devotional I encouraged us to think about spiritual disciplines. According to Jeff Loach, they are “historically and biblically rooted ways to deepen your relationship with God.” They are faith-based practices which form you to be more like Jesus. I referenced Bible-reading, prayer, corporate worship, and fasting. These are some of the most … Continue reading To help you love others
God doesn’t expect us to grow on our own
Spiritual disciplines. According to Jeff Loach, they are “historically and biblically rooted ways to deepen your relationship with God.” Although some people can get tripped up by the word “discipline,” they needn’t be. These are faith-based practices which form you to be more like Jesus. (Have you ever noticed that the word “discipline” looks a … Continue reading God doesn’t expect us to grow on our own
The ‘unforgivable sin’
I sometimes get asked about the ‘unforgivable sin.’ It’s found in Mark 3:28-30. Jesus said: “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—for they were saying, “He … Continue reading The ‘unforgivable sin’
