Righteousness, self control and the judgment to come

Posted on December 31, 2012 Written by Mark McIntyre 2 Comments

It may be true that the church has been out of balance the the preaching of “hellfire and judgment” to an unhealthy degree. What does Scripture say?

Made in God’s Image

Maybe seeing others as the image of God is part of how we can fulfill the command in Philippians 3:3 to regard the needs of others higher than our own needs.

It has been said that the church is the only army that shoots its wounded. Sometimes the wounds are caused by friendly fire. It is the responsibility of church leaders to identify and correct this when it happens.

No money in the revenge business

A line from the movie The Princess Bride got me thinking about revenge and forgiveness and what the Bible has to say about them.

On gadflies and prophets in the church

The prophets in Israel had the job of confronting the king to speak God’s word into his life. The “gadflies” in the church do the same. Leaders need to listen to them and not simply label them as troublemakers.

There is a way that seems right to a man

These verses should also inform us that because of our inclination to go wrong, a healthy dose of self-doubt regarding our ability to understand and apply the Bible is advisable. Our first parents displayed the ability to distort what God said and if we are honest, we will admit that we share this with them. It is our nature to hear what we want to hear and avoid the rest.

On the Church and politics

Whether you are elated or depressed about the result of the election, it is good to keep in mind that politics cannot solve the problems we face. The church is not, nor should it be a political institution.