By Force Law Matters: The Law and Kingdom of God (5) Growing in the Kingdom is an ongoing struggle. “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has been coming violently, and the violent take it by force.” Matthew 11:12 (ESV margin) Jesus had just finished saying that He ...
Pleasing God and Men Law Matters: The Law and Kingdom of God (4) God’s Kingdom is for His glory and mankind’s blessing. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable ...
Kingdom Greatness Law Matters: The Law and Kingdom of God (3) Jesus holds out the promise of Kingdom greatness for all who seek it. “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them….Therefore whoever relaxes one ...
A Kingdom of Priests Law Matters: The Law and Kingdom of God (2) The Church is the Kingdom promised to Jacob. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession.… 1 Peter 2:9 God promised a Kingdom to come through Israel, ruled by the descendants ...
Acorn to Oak Law Matters: The Law and Kingdom of God (1) The promise of the Kingdom is foundational to the Law. “The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.” Genesis 49:10 ...
Letter and Spirit Law Matters: The Law and the Scriptures (7) Let the letter of the Law lead you to walk in the Spirit Who gave it. …our sufficiency is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For ...
Old Covenant, New Covenant Law Matters: The Law and the Scriptures (6) The New Covenant brings the Old to completion. “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people…to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant that we, being ...
Law and Grace Law Matters: The Law and the Scriptures (5) We must make no separation between Law and grace. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law. Romans 3:31 For years, when I was preaching full time, it almost never failed. Let ...
Attitudes Toward the Law Law Matters: The Law and the Scriptures (4) We must nurture positive and expectant attitudes toward the Law of God. If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination. Proverbs 28:9 Neglect, indifference, or despite: these are not attitudes toward the Law of ...
The Three-way Look Law Matters: The Law and the Scriptures (3) Understanding God’s Word requires us to look three ways before acting. After they had finished speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me. Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. And with ...