As the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. … The tribes of the earth will see the Son of Man arriving on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. … As for that day and hour, no … Continue reading
Since the earth will be destroyed, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness as you look for and hasten the coming of the day of God … which, according to his promise, will produce new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells? 2 Peter 3:11–13 It’s hard … Continue reading
Present the members of your bodies as slaves to righteousness for the purpose of holiness … and its outcome, eternal life. Romans 6:19–22 One way to paraphrase this wonderful promise is: If we do what accords with God’s design for people, we will become truly valuable to the lives we touch, which will yield the … Continue reading
May the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for fellow Christians, and for all others … so that your hearts might be established unblameable in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. 1 Thessalonians 3:12–13 When Jesus comes with all his holy … Continue reading
As I thought about a theme for this year’s Thanksgiving sonnet-prayer, I was struck by the gratitude Paul felt and expressed for being able to contribute to the growth of the saints after they came to Christ. This gratitude appears in three of his letters, one from early in his ministry and two from later. … Continue reading
If you cleanse yourself from wickedness, you will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. 2 Timothy 2:21 Cleanliness is a means to holiness. When the surgical staff sterilizes all the equipment in the operating suite, they make it holy. Insufficiently cleaned equipment is not useful to … Continue reading
When biblical authors label someone or something as “holy,” they are giving us a clue to the high value associated with that person or object. So we see, for example, holy men, holy husbands, holy people, holy prophets; and holy land, holy garments, holy water, and holy temple. God is called “the Holy One of … Continue reading
Those whose faith is weak need the help of those whose faith is strong. When our faith is weak, we are vulnerable to threats to our bodies and to our souls. Even though we once understood the crucified and risen Jesus to be God’s anointed king, his absence from our earthly realm sometimes makes it … Continue reading
The other day, while I was memorizing and meditating on Chapter 1 of 1 Peter, the Lord gave me something that I believe will strengthen me whenever tribulations strike. In the hope that some of you might also find this thought helpful, I will share it with you: 1 Peter 1:6–7 says, “In this [salvation … Continue reading
“Ah, Faithful God! Behold, you made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for you.” … “Behold, I am Yahweh, humanity’s creator; is anything too difficult for me?” Jeremiah 32:17, 27 “Here I raise my ‘Ebenezer,’ hither by your help I’ve come.” From Egypt … Continue reading