Displaying posts tagged with

“works”

Labour of love

The Christian life is a life of waiting and working. Advent puts us in mind of the waiting.  We look not only to Christ’s first coming, but ahead to His second coming, to judge the living and the dead. Here is how Old Testament saints waited for that first coming: “5 I wait for the […]

A man reaps what he sows

The saying is instantly recognisable as religious.  Even if few people know where it comes from, most will assume it’s biblical.  And they’ll assume that they know what it means. It’s about cause and effect right?  It’s saying: ‘What goes around, comes around.’  ‘If you play with fire, you’re going to get burned.’  ‘Everyone gets […]

The wages of sin is death

Driving across my wife’s home town of Belfast, it’s difficult not to come across this verse emblazoned on some billboard or other: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  (Romans 6:23) And it’s usually in the King James Version too! It serves […]

I am the Vine, ye are the branches

Last time we saw the incomparable enormity of Jesus.  He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  If we want to see God we must look no further but only at Jesus.  For, as He says, “The Father is in me and I am in the Father.” (John 14:10) While we are still reeling […]

Foot washing

How are you known by those around you?  What would their adjective be as they describe you? Busy?  Easy-going?  “Nice”?  Withdrawn?  Driven?  Glum? What about your church?  How is it known in your area? The night before Jesus died He spoke of one mark by which His followers are to be identified in the world.  One […]

The sheep and the goats

The gospel according to Jesus is a little different to the gospel according to me. The gospel according to me tells of a God who is, generally, far off but when he does involve himself it mainly concerns me, my loved ones and the success of Australian sports teams.  Therefore when Christ announces His news […]

The last shall be first and the first last

Have you ever discovered a co-worker’s salary?  How did it affect you?  It can be deeply destabilizing. There are good reasons that offices issue their payslips in sealed envelopes.  Knowing the wages of fellow labourers can inspire volatile jealousy and tear a workplace apart.  But why should it? Well, human beings are incurable rankers.  We […]

The fatted calf

When the prodigal came home, they killed the fatted calf. From the father, it was the most lavish gesture of reconciliation.  He would publicly welcome, celebrate and eat with his lost son. For the younger son, it was the most incredible token of the father’s forgiveness.  The father from whom he had only taken, now […]

Prodigal Son

The world divides into two camps – sinners and slaves. The sinners love freedom.  The slaves love respect.  The sinners opt out of the system to discover themselves.  The slaves opt in to prove themselves. When sinners are upset they riot or hold protest rock concerts.  When slaves are upset they write stern letters to the Daily […]

By their fruits ye shall know them

Jesus has told us “Beware” of wolves in sheep’s clothing.  They look like Christians, they speak in Christ’s name but they are false prophets.  And their false teaching devastates the flock. But how can we defend ourselves against this secret threat?  After all, these wolves look – at least from a distance – like sheep. […]