We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me. 1 Timothy 1:9-11

Those who demand rights to morally live any way they want—cannot use the Bible to back their dictates. The idea that a person can behave in whatever way makes them happy is foreign to faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus is not an add on to the latest cause a corrupt culture is trying to institute. Christ and His teachings do not conform to the culture, the culture is to conform to the gospel of Jesus. Just as a disciplined soldier must follow agreed upon standards to be part of a vigorous army, so faithful disciples of Jesus embrace moral actions embedded in sound biblical teaching.

Paul answers the decadence of his day by clearly defining sound teaching as doctrine that conforms to the good news of a holy and happy God. Hope is instilled through the word by the Lord’s revelation of Himself in the person of Jesus—as divine clarity came through Christ. Christ’s perfection—God’s holiness. His gentleness—God’s mercy. His love—God’s compassion. His forgiveness—God’s grace. His death—God’s sacrifice. His resurrection—God’s life giving power. His obedience—God’s delight. Jesus modeled what He taught, as He sought to love from a morally healthy stance.

“A time will come when some will no longer tolerate sound teaching. Instead, they will live by their own desires; they’ll scratch their itching ears by surrounding themselves with teachers who approve of their lifestyles and tell them what they want to hear” (2 Timothy 4:3, The Voice).

Is your faith grounded in the God of the Scripture revealed in Jesus Christ? Does your behavior betray biblical teaching? Habitual sin is an indicator of a life that does not truly love Jesus, only posing in their profession of faith. The first step in following Christ is to be grounded in the gospel by belief and trust through conversion. You cannot begin to grow as a child of God until you have been spiritually born a child of God. Once a true disciple, you mature in the faith by embracing sound biblical teaching. A high view of Scripture grows into high moral standards.

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – Sound Teaching Cultivates Morally Healthy Living →

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?  Romans 6:1-2

Grace is a gift from God, one that requires responsible and wise stewardship. Grace is not a license to sin but permission to live. Grace is all about living for God and walking with Him. It engages with eternity by approaching God’s throne of grace with gratitude, awe, and boldness. God’s grace is a guarantee of eternal life. It is absolutely amazing because Christ collateralizes it. There has never been a shortage of your Savior’s grace.No group or individual has ever made a run on heaven’s grace account. You can go to the bank with God’s grace. It is as everlasting as the Lord.

However, though unlimited in supply, it may be the most underused resource available. People miss grace when they thrash and stumble about in their own strength. They apply bad theology. They believe in salvation by grace through faith, but drift into living on their own strength. Demons must chuckle when they observe Christians applying dead works.Working to earn God’s favor after receiving salvation is as futile as it was before salvation. Do not fall into the trap of graceless living for grace is God’s remedy for the self-indulgent. Grace values community with people and communicating with Christ. There is a spirit of acceptance and peace with those who receive and apply God’s grace often.

Learn to use grace responsibly. Grace is not a safety net for your fall into sin, for sin still has its consequences. Grace is not an excuse to sin and is not your pass for disobedience. Judgment, both harsh and extreme, is the natural outcome for graceless Christians. Grace is, more than anything, an honorable motivation for your attitude and actions. Without grace, you gravitate toward pride for not sinning. Yes, grace is a governor on your behavior, while never promoting pride.

Grace means you have a stewardship of wise choices to manage for the Lord. It gives you permission to be free in Christ, but your freedom is for Him. His kingdom agenda is what drives grace. Grace integrates all of life around faith. Christ does not compartmentalize the sacred from the secular. Grace includes, it doesn’t exclude. It discloses rather than hides. Sin is subservient to your Savior’s grace.

Grace gives you the perspective and power for forgiveness and honesty. It is the delivery channel of truth. Grace is your excuse for extending forgiveness and second and third chances—and more—to culprits. Use grace to remove sin’s stain from the fiber of your faith. Indeed, as you extend grace, you are more likely to receive grace. Be responsible with grace and you will be trusted with more. Grace saved you from sin; so don’t go back to your pre-grace condition. Because of grace, you are free from sin, not free to sin. Therefore, be a responsible and gracious follower of Christ.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your amazing grace, I pray I apply it responsibility.

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Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah. 1 Samuel 1:19

A radical romance is based on a rock solid relationship with Jesus Christ. When the Lord lights the flames of love between two faithful hearts, it’s heavenly. Their allegiance to the Almighty makes their allegiance to each other easy. Their love for the Lord ignites their love for one another. Their faith in God fuels their trust in each other. Their passion to know Christ produces a deep desire to know their lover’s heart. Radical romance flows from a radical worship of God.

A romance with radical results starts in the margins of our relationship with our spouse. Margin is the white space in our schedule that makes us available to support our husband or wife. She may sign up for a couple’s cooking class and would really enjoy your eager participation. He may love for you to accompany him to a sporting event, all decked out in his favorite team’s colors. Serve your spouse in a way they want to be served. Since it makes them happy, you are happy.

“Our Master [Jesus] said, ‘You’re far happier giving than getting’” (Acts 20:35, The Message).

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – Radical Romance  →