Holding the Ambitious Heart in Check (Part 2 of 2)

Last week, we saw that ambition can be good insomuch as our ambition is to glorify God, whatever that means for us. But, unfortunately, ambition for ourselves alone is evil, leading to many sins. We should let others speak our praises if necessary, and if not, we might find ourselves without joy because we are looking for joy in ourselves instead of Christ alone. 

This week, we finish this 2-part series.

Self-Praise Means Nothing Before God

Paul dealt with ambitious false tea

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Holding the Ambitious Heart in Check (Part 1 of 2)

Ambitious to be like God, Adam and Eve partook of forbidden fruit (Gen 3:1–7). Ambitious to be like God, Satan asked Jesus to worship him (Matt 4:9). Ambitious to be like God, man denies his God and seeks abomination instead (Ps 14:1–3). Even as Christians, unholy ambition remains latent inside and lurks deep within our hearts. 

Ambition is not always evil. A man who applies himself well and excels in his skills will stand among kings as his reward (Prov 22:29). Ezra was sk

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Contending for the Faith: Jude 3–4 (Part 2 of 2)

Contend: So then, what does it mean to “contend”? The word translated “contend” has the idea of expending intense effort and energy. It comes from epagōnizomai, a relative of agōnizomai, from which we receive our English word agonize. Jude’s form of the word is used only here, but its relative refers elsewhere to fighting (John 18:36) or to participating in an athletic contest (Heb 12:1). Whether as a verb or noun, the New Testament repeatedly uses this word as a metapho

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Contending for the Faith: Jude 3–4 (Part 1 of 2)

Jude’s purpose for his letter his clear: “I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). What is “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints,” what does it mean to “contend” for it, and why do we need to do so?

The Faith That Was Once for All Delivered to the Saints

“Delivered” (paradidōmi) is the same verb Paul employed to describe how he instructed the church about the Lord’s Su

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The Blessings of God’s Effectual Call

The following loosely organizes many verses using at least one of three related words in the New Testament: “calling” (klēsis), “to call” (kaleō), and “called” (klētos). The calling in each of these verses involves God’s effectual call in which He brings the sinner to Himself for salvation. 

When and How: God’s calling comes to a sinner at some point during the life that the Lord assigned him (1 Cor 7:17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 24). Thanks to the grace of God and His Son (Gal 1

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Ananias: A Fearless Follower of Christ

Scripture presents Ananias an excellent example in Acts 9:10–19 and 22:12–16. From these passages, we can imitate him by being fearless followers of Jesus Christ. 

His Character

Devout According to the Law (Acts 22:12): Paul called Ananias “a devout man according to the law,” a term used only by Luke to describe Simeon (Luke 2:25), pilgrims visiting Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:5), and the men who buried Stephen (Acts 8:2). Based on his knowledge of the Old Test

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The Spoken and Written Word of God in 1 Thessalonians 2:13 and 5:27

(Continued from 2/5/23…) Concerning the written word of God, Paul put the Thessalonians under an oath before the Lord Jesus Christ to read his letter before the assembly (1 Thess 5:27). Paul’s command to publicly read this letter implied that this letter was Scripture (cf. 1 Tim 4:13). By binding his readers with an oath before the Lord Jesus indicated that Paul spoke for Christ. Thus, Jesus Himself commanded them to read this letter in the assembly. Though written by Paul

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The Spoken and Written Word of God in 1 Thessalonians 2:13 and 5:27

1 Thessalonians provides us with two verses (2:13 and 5:27) that help us explore the word of God, whether spoken or written. 

The Spoken Word of God (1 Thess 2:13)

In this verse, Paul twice calls the content of his verbal witness to the Thessalonians “the word of God.” Though Paul spoke verbally, he spoke the word of God—this word’s origin was divine.

As to the verbal and unwritten nature of his witness to “the word of God,” it was “heard” by the Thessalonians. Luke variously

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Is Man One, Two, or Three?

Paul prays in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 that God would “sanctify” his readers “completely,” including their “whole spirit and soul and body.” Does this verse indicate that man consists of three separate components—spirit, soul, and body? And if so, what is the spirit in distinction from the soul?

Paul uses these terms to stress the wholeness of sanctification, one that reaches every part of man. Paul prays, first, that God would sanctify all of them “completely” and, second, tha

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Job: An Example of Moral Integrity Part 2

Continued from last week…

Second, do not lie in order to act upon your lust (Job 31:5–8). 

These verses refer to falsehood and deceit in general, sins stemming from an inordinate desire in the heart to take wrongfully from another what can be seen with the eyes (Job 31:5, 7; cf. Prov 27:20b; 1 John 2:16). Job repeats the notion that God knew his integrity and would judge him for this matter as well (Job 31:6, 8). 

Applying Job 31:5–8 to sexual sin, we must remember that what

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Job: An Example of Moral Integrity Part 1

“The best of men are conscious above all others that they are men at the best.” This quote by Charles Spurgeon reflected upon Psalm 51:1, David’s cry for mercy after his sin with Bathsheba (cf. 2 Sam 11).

“The Book of Job” by Sir John Gilbert (1817–1897)

 

Job was a godly man who avoided this kind of sin. He was the godliest man of his time (Job 1:1, 8; 2:3; cf. Ezek 14:14, 20). He was conscious of what Spurgeon implied—even the godliest of men can fall into sexual sin and ne...
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Three Ministries of Pastors and Three Corresponding Obligations of the Church

In 1 Thessalonians 5:12–13, Paul identifies pastors not with a title but according to three of their primary functions.

Pastors work among God’s people. First, they “labor among you.” The verb “labor” can refer to fishing, walking, farming, tent-making, or any type of honest work with one’s hands (Luke 5:5; John 4:6, 38; Acts 20:35; 1 Cor 4:12; 2 Tim 2:6; Eph 4:28; 1 Thess 2:9; 2 Thess 3:8). Paul uses it elsewhere to describe the ministry of Christians (Rom 16:6, 12; 1 Cor

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Joy to the World: The King Will Come!

“To us a child is born, to us a son is given” (Isaiah 9:6). This promise was fulfilled when Mary gave birth to Jesus, fully God and fully man. He came and conquered sin and death, and we look for Him to come again. When He does, He will fulfill the rest of Isaiah’s promise: “The government shall be upon his shoulder… [He will] uphold [His kingdom] with justice and righteous from this time forth and forevermore” (Isaiah 9:6–7). Lest we wonder if Christ will really come agai

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A Dream Come True: The Birth of Jesus Through the Eyes of Joseph

Matthew 1:18–25 tells how “the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way,” and Joseph’s dream is a significant part of this passage. He had just discovered that Mary was pregnant and made a natural but incorrect conclusion that Mary had become pregnant through another man (Matthew 1:18–19).

Joseph was probably heartbroken. Mary seemed to have been unfaithful, shattering their future plans together. As Joseph slept, however, an angel delivered a message from God that comp

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On Seeking the Best Hymnody for Our Church cont...

Continued from last week… 

Some hymns can rise beyond questionable origins to become timeless staples for us today. New hymns can encourage us for a season but may not stand the test of time. Perhaps chapels, colleges, and camps can have simpler songs as long as churches do not replace their liturgy with lighter things. “For everything there is a season” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). When the local assembly gathers to let the word of Christ dwell richly in song, however, we must sing

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