The way Christians live should give evidence of the truth of Easter. The way Christians live should also give people a foretaste of what life will be like when Jesus comes back to make everything right.
So far and no farther
It is as if God is saying to Babylon, “I will let you go so far and no farther.” Isaiah tells Babylon that they may think that they have the power to do whatever they please, but they do not.
On Grace and Mercy Combined
If we are honest, the fact that we are not moral train wrecks has more to do with God’s grace than our ability to live out the Christian life. So why not extend that same grace to others?
Grace combined with even a modicum of mercy will have a powerful effect.
Moving beyond the gospel?
In some churches I have attended, there is a sense that the gospel entails the elementary teaching of Christianity. To move toward maturity then requires that people move beyond the gospel into more “meaty” doctrinal teaching.
I have come to realize that this is wrong headed and leads not to maturity, but to immaturity. The effect of this teaching is the exact opposite of the desired result.
