In Matthew 18:21–35, Peter asks Jesus the question we all want answered: “How many times do I have to forgive?” Jesus replies, not with math, but with incalculable mercy. He then tells the parable of a servant forgiven an unpayable debt who, upon being forgiven, fails to be forgiving and demands payment from his fellow. Forgiveness is not a new theme for Jesus. In the Beatitudes, He says, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy” (Matthew 5:7). And…
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) God did not just tell us He loved us and then left it there. As the preceding verse states, God demonstrated, revealed, and validated His love for mankind by allowing Jesus to be crucified, thus bearing the sins of all undeserving people. After showing us the greatest act of love, He now commands us to love others. (1 John…
Do you ever wonder if there is more to the Christian life? We trust Christ, worship faithfully, and seek to live rightly, yet still feel that there is so much more to experience. In Ephesians 3:14–21, the apostle Paul addresses this longing not with a command to try harder, but with a prayer. Paul reminds us that Christians are not spiritually impoverished. Scripture declares that God has blessed us “with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” and…