A Sacrificial Life

I have leaned on you since my birth; You are He who took me from my mother’s womb; my praise is continually of You.  Psalm 71:6  NASB Leaned on – The Hebrew word tāmak means “to grasp.”  The word sāʿad means “to sustain.”  Neither one is used in this verse, but it’s important to see the difference.  Here the word…

The End Game

For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Romans 1:21 NASB Darkened – If you thought that Paul’s verdict involved only the spiritual consequences of dishonoring God and being ungrateful, think again. Eliade notices…

Body of Evidence

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Romans 12:1 NASB Spiritual service – What images come to mind when you read these two words?  Do you get a pang of guilt because you…

The Red Letter Bible

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Romans 12:1 NASB Sacrifice – It’s all about blood.  I know that most of us are squeamish about blood.  When we see blood we think, “Pain!” …

Raising Your Hand

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Romans 12:1 NASB Present – When I was a child in elementary school, every morning the teacher took attendance.  This was not an informal process of…

The Keys to Recovery

For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Romans 1:21 NASB Honor/give thanks – Addictions affect the mind. You probably assumed that was the case with drug abuse, but it is just as true…

The Gospel for the Gentiles (3)

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.  Romans 1:21  ESV Give thanks – What does it mean to give thanks?  The answer has to come from a biblical point of view.   Paul…

The Gospel for the Gentiles (2)

 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.  Romans 1:21  ESV Did not honor – Paul delineates two critical failures of those whom God consigns to futility.  The first is that even though…

The Gospel for the Gentiles (1)

 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.  Romans 1:21  ESV Knew – Paul is acknowledged as the missionary to the Gentiles.  He was commissioned to take the good news to those outside…

Preparations

“And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.”  John 17:19  ESV Consecrate – “The language is equally appropriate to the preparation of a priest and the preparation of a sacrifice; it is therefore doubly appropriate to Christ.”[1]  Barrett’s comment about the Greek word hagiazo is now so commonplace…