Christianity and the World
How to Begin to Live as a Saint
Tuesday, May 15th, 2007Permalink for this post / Permalink for this series
As I’ve explained earlier in this series, if you’re a Christian, then you’re a saint, a person set-apart by God for relationship with Him and to serve Him in the world. So how do you begin to live as a saint on a daily basis?
First of all, […]
Hope in the Midst of Struggle and Suffering
Monday, May 14th, 2007Permalink for this post / Permalink for this series
In my last post I explained that Christian hope is focused in God and God’s future. It is not believing that everything in our lives will turn out as we’d like it to be. As a pastor I often meet with people before they have major surgery. […]
The Content of Our Hope
Friday, May 11th, 2007Permalink for this post / Permalink for this series
In yesterday’s post I wrote about how Christians live in the tension between the “already and not yet.” Though God’s kingdom has already begun to be present on earth, it is not yet here in all fullness. Though sin has already been defeated through Christ’s death on […]
Living in Hopeful Tension
Thursday, May 10th, 2007Permalink for this post / Permalink for this series
Yesterday I explained that Christians acknowledge the suffering and pain of this world, but live, nevertheless, with hope. Our hope is oriented to the future, when God will fully reveal His kingdom in the transformation of heaven and earth. This means that we live with a certain […]
People of Hope in a Hurting World
Wednesday, May 9th, 2007Permalink for this post / Permalink for this series
Genuine, lasting hope is in short supply these days. Oh, you might hear some hopeful words from political candidates. And every now and then somebody suggests that things might be getting better. But mostly we are inundated with bad news and the despair it engenders, whether we’re […]
God is With Us Even When We Suffer Because of Our Sin
Tuesday, May 8th, 2007Permalink for this post / Permalink for this series
In my last post I began to explain how suffering draws us into deeper fellowship with other Christians, and even with God. Astoundingly, this is true even when we suffer as a direct result of our own sin.
All suffering stems ultimately from human sin, but that does […]
Suffering and Christian Fellowship
Monday, May 7th, 2007Permalink for this post / Permalink for this series
In recent posts I’ve talked about how living as saints–people set apart from this world for God and His purposes–can sometimes lead to suffering. Often, however, our suffering comes not as a result of our faith in Christ, but simply because we live in a fallen world. […]
A Saintly Struggle
Friday, May 4th, 2007Permalink for this post / Permalink for this series
In my last post I explained how living “saintly” or “set apart” lives can lead to conflict, even suffering. I cited the example of Jim and Donna, whose unwillingness to let their son play soccer on Sunday morning alienated them from the coach and other parents. Today […]
The Cost of Being a Misfit
Thursday, May 3rd, 2007Permalink for this post / Permalink for this series
Jesus says that we who follow Him are to let our light shine into the world, so that people might see our lives and give glory to God. Shining the light of God into the world sounds like a safe, praiseworthy task, the sort of service for […]
What Sainthood is Not
Wednesday, May 2nd, 2007Permalink for this post / Permalink for this series
Jon Krakauer is best known from his gripping portrayal of tragedy on Mt. Everest in his bestselling book, Into Thin Air. But Krakauer has written other engaging books, including Under the Banner of Heaven, his study of Mormon polygamists, and also Into the Wild.
Into the wild is […]
In the World, But Not Of the World
Tuesday, May 1st, 2007Permalink for this post / Permalink for this series
So far in this series on Sainthood, Service, and Suffering, I’ve explained how Christians are called to be saints, that is, to be set apart from the world for God and God’s purposes. Yet, Christian saints do not live in seclusion from the world, or at least […]
Called to Holiness
Friday, April 27th, 2007Permalink for this post / Permalink for this series
In my last post I explained that all Christians are saints, in the biblical sense of the word. All who put their faith in Jesus Christ have been set apart by God for relationship with Him and to serve Him as special people in the world. So, […]
A Member of God’s Holy People
Thursday, April 26th, 2007Permalink for this post / Permalink for this series
In my last post I explained that every Christian, regardless of the quality of his or her discipleship, is a saint, a person set apart by God for His purposes. Each and every believer in Jesus is a member of God’s holy people. But what does this […]
Why You’re Like Saint Truman Burbank
Wednesday, April 25th, 2007Permalink for this post / Permalink for this series
In the hit movie from 1998, The Truman Show, Jim Carrey plays the role of Truman Burbank, a happy-go-lucky insurance salesman who lives in the perfectly manicured town of Seahaven, “the best place to live on earth,” according to the headline of the local paper. So it […]
Sainthood, Service, and Suffering: Introduction
Tuesday, April 24th, 2007Permalink for this post / Permalink for this series
Sainthood . . . service . . . suffering. What do these have to do with each other? What do they have to do with our hurting world? How can a better understand of sainthood, service, and suffering make a difference in our lives, and through us […]