Only the one, true, triune, and living God is to be worshipped in the manner in which Jesus was exalted on Palm Sunday. The people cushioned His saddle and lined the roadway with the clothes off their backs (and as John’s Gospel tells us, leaves from palm trees). They praised Him and called Him King.
The Gospel of John was written so that people would believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and become His disciple. There is no theological nor practical distance between becoming a believer and being a disciple. It is a synonymous experience, for a person of true belief is immediately transformed into a true disciple.
Love and holiness are communicable attributes of God. Love and holiness are indispensable to the genuine Christian life. Love and holiness are what the world needs to see most in the body of Christ. And, love and holiness can both be known for what they do not do.
Government, proverbially speaking, is ordained by God, necessary for mankind, and to Christians. Paul says it is “for your good.” So what is it good for? Great things, actually, if we look at government and participate in government from God’s point of view.
If you are a Christian, “the reason” God saved you is He loves you (ref. John 3:16). He saved you to “let your love flow,” towards Him and your fellow Christians. He also saved you to “let your love fly” outward “to all living things,” meaning in this case people who are not Christians.
Dear Cade,
Instead of preaching at your ordination service, I thought I’d write you this letter instead. I wish someone had written one like it to me at my ordination. Things may not have turned out differently, but at least I would have been forewarned.
We must let our love flow, from God to us, from God through us. God’s love through us goes to our fellow Christians first (12:9-13), then on to non-Christians (12:14-21). Let’s look first at letting our love flow to our fellow followers of Jesus Christ.
The Apostle Paul established a paradigm in his biblical epistles that can be clearly observed in the book of Romans. He details Christian doctrine first (Romans 1-11). Then, he moves on to our Christian duty (Romans 12-16). The key to both is the life and death and resurrection, the grace and mercy and peace, the great gift of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.
The stoning of Stephen in Acts 7:54-60 was preceded and precipitated by the attempted stoning and eventual crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ. All three events are recorded by Luke.
“This world” aims for happiness, God requires holiness. It is wonderful when the two can coincide, but often they do not. A choice is required. The mind must be controlled, either by the spirit of the age, or the Spirit of God.
