“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV). When a sinner becomes a Christian, all phases of his life are new. The word “new” means “recently made, fresh, unused or unworn.” Being a new creation doesn’t mean that we are perfect; it means that we are changed and that we are being changed. Consider the phases of a new life for the Christian! What does it mean to become a new creation in Christ? A new creation consists of the following: An authentic life, a better life and a wonderful life is only found in Christ. When one becomes a Christian, he or she has a new life in Him, and that makes all the difference in this world and in eternity!

“Now all the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart” (1 Kings 10:24 NKJV). If you are looking for the prime example of wisdom in the Old Testament, there is none greater than Solomon. He lived a life of tremendous influence, wealth, privilege and opportunity. He accomplished great things, including the building of cities, expansion of agriculture, expansion of his kingdom, accumulation of wealth and, of course, erecting of the great Temple in Jerusalem. Those things speak of great success, but what is wisdom? Wisdom is demonstrated in a number of different ways. Wisdom is the ability to solve great questions and understand great mysteries. When two women argued about whose son was alive and whose was dead, Solomon was able to use the compassion he knew was in the heart of the real mother to solve the mystery. The Queen of Sheba came and asked all sorts and questions of Solomon. He was able to answer them all (1 Kings 10:1-3). Wisdom is the ability to apply one’s knowledge to real situations to accomplish great works. The Temple, Solomon’s palace, his stables, the treasure cities and all the works of his realm showed his wisdom (1 Kings 4). Even more, wisdom relates to understanding who you are and where you belong in the sight of God. A wise person understands that all the success, wealth, power and prestige that one might attain is fleeting. We come into this world …

Most of my life, I have heard and taught that the Great Commission as recorded in Matthew 28:18-20 has four commands in it. They are 1. Go, 2. Teach, 3. Baptize and 4. Teach. Even if the following remarks are not earth-shaking, it may be that they will encourage deeper study of God’s Word. It is my present judgment that there is one command in that commission, and the other parts of it are words or phrases telling how that command is to be obeyed. To start with, the word “Go” is not an imperative – a command – but is from the Greek word poreuthentes, which is a first aorist participle, and basically means, “When you go or wherever you go.” Of course, one still has to go, but Jesus does not have to command us to go. Each of us is doing that and will be doing that no matter what Jesus commanded! It is unscriptural to suggest that “If you can’t go, send,” as we have heard most of our lives. It would be just as scriptural to say, “If you can’t sing, play.” The fact of the matter is that you can go, even if it is from the hospital room to the room where the iron lung is. We heard of one who had to be in the iron lung the rest of his life who converted 13 souls! In the second place, the term “teach” is from the Greek matheteusate, which is first aorist active imperative and means “make a disciple.” …

The story is told of a thrifty man who one day decided to save money on donkey feed. Every day, he would add increasing amounts of sawdust into the donkey’s feed. Because the process was gradual, the donkey did not notice any difference as he cleaned up his manger. The man’s plan was working well, until the donkey suddenly died because of living on 100% sawdust. Similarly, spiritual food that contains the pure Word of God, once mixed with worldly sawdust [watered-down or social gospel], will eventually lead to spiritual death (2 Peter 2). Indeed, it is sad to see some members of the church act as though they cannot understand why so many spiritually malnourished Christian’s die [abandon the Lord’s’ church] even after being members of the church for many years. The psalmist recorded for us that God’s Word is a “lamp” to the feet and a “light” to one’s pathway (Psalm 119:105; cf., Proverbs 6:23). However, how can members of the Lord’s body make application of that “light” in their everyday living if they remain ignorant of that light (Hebrews 5:12-14)? What is the use of chiding weak Christians about their little faith if spiritually strong Christians do not teach them enough of the pure Word for them to be able to develop strong faith (Psalm 51:12-13; Romans 10:17; 2 Timothy 2:1-2)? All of the church pep rallies, sermons and lectures about Christian duty won’t do much good for weak-in-the-faith Christians, until they are taught the pure Word …

Over the last few months, a gentleman has been calling the church offices to make comments and ask questions about the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit. Our dialogue has been cordial, and it seems that the gentleman asking the questions is taking my comments on the matter seriously. At the invitation of a coworker some years ago, he attended a denomination that had a healing meeting. To his surprise, he came forward complaining of back pain, and he left the meeting with improved function and less pain in his back. I have no doubt that his back was better, but I highly doubt that it was done through some miraculous powers held by the one doing the healing meeting. When confronted with this conclusion, some questions arose in our discussions that he could not answer. If there are people in our age who can perform true biblical miracles, why are they not stationed at the various hospitals and critical care clinics through the world? After all, they could heal a person with no residuals and charge absolutely no money for their efforts. A follow up question might be, “If we have individuals in our time who can perform true biblical miracles, why are they not frequenting funeral homes and crematoriums to raise people from the dead?” People are quick to emphasize the positive aspects of the miraculous abilities of the Holy Spirit but not the negative ones. There is an example of Paul employing a miracle upon someone because …

Paul’s most comprehensive treatise on miraculous spiritual gifts is found in 1 Corinthians 12-14. In the midst of this section, the Holy Spirit inspired the apostle to discuss the importance, characteristics and duration of love (1 Corinthians 13:1-13). Love was a key element in solving their division problems, which, in part, were fueled by wrong attitudes toward miraculous gifts. In pointing out the duration of love, Paul stated the cessation of miraculous gifts. Overview of the Passage Three preliminary truths must be understood to help us know the meaning of 1 Corinthians 13:8-13. First, it begins and ends with “love” (“Love” [“charity” KJV] never fails… the greatest of these is love” [“charity” KJV], 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 NKJV). The Corinthians acted as if miraculous gifts were all that mattered, but Paul showed that love is much more important than miraculous gifts. Second, there is an important comparison between “that which is in part” and “that which is perfect” (1 Corinthians 13:9-10). Thus, to whatever aspect the “in part” refers, it must be the same as the “perfect.” Paul was not comparing, as it were, “apples with oranges,” but “‘in part’ apples with ‘perfect’ apples.” Third, there is an important contrast between “now” and “then.” What was “now” (in Paul’s day) “in part” would at a future time (from Paul) be “perfect.” Whenever this “perfect” would come, there would no longer be a need for the “in part.” Again, whatever the “in part” represents must be the same as the “perfect” (just to a lesser …

The apostle Paul wrote, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18 NKJV). The cross has different meanings for different people, and it always has. To the people of Jerusalem in A.D. 33 the cross was just a cruel form of execution, usually reserved for the worst type of criminals. It was shameful, and that is the reason for the statement about Jesus that He “…endured the cross, despising the shame…” (Hebrews 12:2). However, for believers, the shame of that cross was overcome by the glory made possible by Jesus who died there. Paul wrote, “But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ…” (Galatians 6:14). What do we see in the cross? Do we just see a religious symbol to be worn as decoration? Do we see a form of torture and execution? Do we see hope for eternity? Let us notice some things that we should see in the cross. We should see the love of God. When Adam and Eve sinned in Eden, God drove them from His presence. Yet, He announced to them His intentions to overcome the devil’s influence and save man from sin (Genesis 3:15). God sent His Son to do that. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting …

Peter’s first letter is addressed to the “pilgrims” or “sojourners” dispersed over the world. The idea of sojourning in the New Testament “focuses on the believer’s temporary ‘sojourn’ on earth as a passing, finite preparation for eternity in the consummated kingdom of heaven” (Renn 915). Our transformation from a vision limited to earth to one reaching toward Heaven gives all followers of Christ reasons to praise God. We praise God because we are born of His mercy (1 Peter 1:3). Jesus told Nicodemus a man must be born again to see the kingdom of Heaven (John 3:1-7). That birth and the new life it produces occurs in the waters of baptism (Romans 6:3-4). Paul told Titus we experience the kindness and love of God, “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5 NKJV). We praise God because we have a living hope (1 Peter 1:3). Our hope is alive because Jesus was raised from the dead by God’s power (Romans 1:4). Paul reassured the Corinthian saints that the resurrection is real, describing Jesus as the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep in death (1 Corinthians 15:20). Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins in His death. “To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation” (Hebrews 9:28). The sacrifice of Jesus gives Christians a reason to …

The Bible opens with the account of creation in Genesis 1. We are told that God made all of the land animals on day six (Genesis 1:24-25). God showed His creative power and genius by how and what He created. We look at the animals that exist and our world, and we are reminded of the amazing power of God. Animals should be observed because of the appreciation we gain for the aesthetic detail God provided in the world. Still, animals can teach us other lessons. God used the animal world throughout Scripture to teach His people important lessons. A fish swallowed Jonah to humble him and change his heart (Jonah 2:1-10). The plague of frogs was used to teach Pharaoh that there was a power higher than him, and he needed to submit (Exodus 8:5-15). Jesus pointed to the birds of the air so His hearers would know there was no reason to fret and worry about their daily provisions because God provides (Matthew 6:26-27). One of the animals appearing most frequently in Scripture is the donkey. The word appears in both the Old and New testaments more than 100 times. Some of the mentions of donkeys are incidental and tell us about how much property someone possessed (Genesis 12:16). Other times, they were mentioned as the spoil of a town was cataloged (Numbers 31:34). Yet, if we read the Bible closely enough, we will see various scenes in Scripture connected to donkeys that teach us eternal lessons we …

Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them. And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, “Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” (Luke 5:29-32 NKJV) The event that preceded Jesus eating in the home of Levi was His calling Him to be an apostle (5:27-28). For Jesus to do so, Levi (Matthew) had to know Jesus was the Son of God. Not only from gratitude to the Lord, but for others to understand who He was, Levi invited tax collectors and others to come share a meal with Him and to learn who He was. This was offensive to the Pharisees and scribes who refused to have anything to do with those they felt fell into the category of sinners. How could Jesus have anything to do with sinners if He truly were the Messiah? The Pharisees and scribes questioned the Lord’s motives for being in the presence of Levi and his guests. For them, it was just another mark against Jesus. Certainly, one should not have fellowship with sinners to engage in sin with them (1 Corinthians 15:33). Jesus’ motives, however, were entirely different. He answered the Pharisees’ accusation …