Are you overly concerned about offending others?

Posted on March 14, 2026 by Wisdomforlife

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“Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?” (Matthew 5:12).

This was the question the disciples asked of Jesus I wonder how often they asked this question. 

Jesus’ answer is very direct and challenging – especially to those who are overly concerned about offending others. 

He didn’t say, “Please tell them I am sorry. They must have misunderstood me. I didn’t mean to hurt their feelings.” Instead, he replied, ‘Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father will be uprooted, so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch’” (Matthew 15:13-14, NLT). 

Jesus was unmoved by the concern that he offended the pharisees. Are we sometimes overly concerned about offending others? 

Are there times when we should expect offenses and actually understand them to be a good indicator? 

The words “ignore them” are forceful. Yet they are rarely understood and applied. Other translations say,

  • Let them alone (ESV)
  • Leave them (NIV)
  • Stay away from those Pharisees! (CEV)
  • Greek NT: ἄφετε (aphete) – to send away, release or leave alone 

How should we apply these words? Are there certain people we should “leave alone”? Do we allow the wrong people to set the agenda for life and ministry?

Is there a way to know which plants have not been planted by the Heavenly Father? What kinds of people fit the description of the Pharisees today (see link below, #4)? These are always important questions for the Church — especially for leaders.

Consider the following questions and resources: (discuss them with your leadership team)

Deeper reflection and discussion

  1. How do Jesus’ words in Matthew 15:12-14 relate to Matthew 7:6?  – “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.” (See: Dogs, pigs and…)
  2. Relate Matthew 15:12-14 to Jesus’ words: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”? (Matthew 18:3) (cf. John 5:44; Luke 18:9-13).
  3. How do Proverbs 9:7-9 and Titus 3:9-11 relate?
  4. Why do some Churches and their leaders let pharisees set the agenda for their ministries? To better understand contemporary parallels to the Pharisees, see: Are the Pharisees still among us? 
  5. How should missionaries apply this (in principle) to those who reject the gospel? (see: the recurring theme in these passages: Matthew 10:14-15; Luke 10:10-11; Acts 13:44-51; 18:5-6; 28:17-28
  6. See – Warning – Dangerous People

Steve Cornell

Posted in 18 Year factor, Antagonists, Church, Church growth, Church Leadership, Church membership, Confrontation, Discernment, Elders, elders in the Church, Local Church | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Seven stages that often follow God’s blessings

Posted on March 11, 2026 by Wisdomforlife
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Why does God have to attach warnings when He blesses His people?

With His blessings, God says,

  • “Watch yourself!”
  • “Be careful!”
  • “Don’t forget!”
  • “Be sure to remember!”

Questions for conversation

  • What does it tell us about ourselves that we need warnings with our blessings?
  • Do spiritual dangers come with material and physical prosperity?

Seven stages that often follow God’s blessings

  1. Prosperity increases
  2. Time passes
  3. Memory of hardship fades
  4. A change of heart slowly emerges
  5. We forget the God who blessed us
  6. We subtlety credit ourselves for the blessings
  7. We need more hardship to shake our complacency and bring us back to God

Os Guinness wisely noted that, “…rebellion against God does not begin with the clenched fist of atheism. It begins with the self-satisfied heart of the one for whom ‘thank you’ is redundant.”

We should live by the saying, ‘Nothing taken for granted. Everything received with gratitude. Everything passed on with grace.’ (G. K. Chesterton).

Let’s build times of remembering into the normal pattern of our lives. This will help us avoid the path away from the God who blesses.

Questions for deeper reflection

  • Do you allow time for reflection at the end of a day, a week, or a year?
  • Do you keep a record of God’s goodness to help you remember and give thanks?
  • Do you participate in any public gatherings for remembering?
  • Do you pause to thank God for the many small joys that come with each day?

We all need to take gratitude more seriously than we do.

Thought

“Cultivating a grateful heart is not just an add-on nicety, a civil tip of the hat to God as we steamroll through our day. A posture of purposeful, perpetual thanks to God is absolutely central to Christian character … the rhythm of divine renewal beats in the pulse of a purposefully grateful heart” (Ellen Vaughn, Radical Gratitude).

Steve Cornell

Posted in 18 Year factor, attitudes of unity, Blessed by God, blessing, Grace, Gratitude, Spiritual growth | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Has war become a spectator’s event?

Posted on March 9, 2026 by Wisdomforlife

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Does it feel strange (or even wrong) to watch a war in progress day after day on our screens? For many young people it resembles video games they’ve played for years. But it’s no game.

I sit in the comfort of my house watching bombs (our bombs) drop in another part of the world. But, I ask myself, does it feel different watching Russia invade Ukraine? The purposes seem different. And what about Iraq and Afghanistan?

What did we learn from our misguided idealism about exporting democracy to the Middle East. We crushed dictators and radical terrorists in some places. Yet, our hopes for democracy were also crushed. The harsh realism of a long term anti-democratic history contributed to this. 

There is widespread weariness with war among Americans. The notion of being the world’s police is not generally welcomed. In our weariness, however, we must not become complacent about the dangers in the world. We should not allow exhaustion with overseas wars result in delusional isolation. We live in a global community more than ever before.

Advanced capabilities in warfare like long range missiles and nuclear power have changed our concerns. These advancements have made it necessary for us to be global in our outlook. We (USA) are also the most powerful nation in the world – with that power is responsibility.How do we apply the proverb that says, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is dues, when it is in your power to act.” (Proverbs 327).

Does a global community add an enlarge dimension to the command to love your neighbor as yourself?

This seems like a good time to review our beliefs about war. 

  • Is it possible to have a just war? 
  • can a decision to go to war be the best choice?

If wars are viewed as necessary, at best, most people would consider them necessary evils. 

Many Christians feel that force is sometimes needed. They believe it is ‘necessary’ to save the lives of victims of injustice, including themselves. Yet such actions are considered ‘evil’ because they are seen as ‘inhuman’. These actions do not seem to follow the model of Christian living found in the life of Jesus” (Darrell Cole, Good Wars, First Things, October 2001).

Those who think this way put war in the category of “dirty hands” morality.

“The thought here is that we cannot both follow Jesus in living nonviolently and be ‘responsible’ citizens at the same time, so we go ahead and behave ‘responsibly’ (i.e., we use force), but we admit that in doing so we get our hands dirty, which calls for repentance. There is no such thing, in this view, as a warlike act that does not demand repentance. So, we commit sinful acts when we use force, even when it is employed for the sake of just ends. Thus warfare is viewed not as a possible positive good but as a necessary evil that taints all who touch it” (Cole).

Others believe that it is possible to have a just war that is Godlike in its purpose and implementation.

“Defenders of Christian Just War doctrine typically argue that we ought to be reluctant to fight wars that lack sufficient moral and rational justification. Defenders of the Just War tradition regret that they live in a world where they have to kill human beings in order to restrain evil; that is to say, they regret the Fall. But they find it to be even more regretful for Christians to stand idly by while people are being abused and killed unjustly” (Cole).

Could the decision to go to war be a loving one? Are there occasions when war fits under the command to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39)?

“When just, war can be a form of love. Where an enemy is perpetuating its horrible holocaust, is it not an act of love that intervenes, even militarily, to prevent that holocaust if a nation has the power to do so? And is not restraint in such cases a display, not of loving pacifism, but of lack of love— of the unwillingness to sacrifice anything for the sake of others? Indeed, such a war may be, according to Calvin, a Godlike act, since God himself restrains evil out of love for his creatures. This is not to say that we fallen human beings can manage to conduct just war perfectly, without sin, the way God conducts himself without sin; it is to say that failure to do the good that is in our power to do may reflect not only a want of courage, but a lack of love.” (Love in Hard Places, D. A. Carson) 

Just War

A Christian Just War theory must be controlled by the command to love your neighbor as yourself. The following principles will govern this type of war:

  1. The only just cause for going to war is defense against violent aggression.
  2. The only just intention is to restore a just peace—just, that is, to friend and foe alike.
  3. Military force must be the last resort after negotiations and other efforts (e.g. mediation) have been tried and have failed.
  4. The decision to engage in such a just war must be made by the highest governmental authority.
  5. The war must be for limited ends (i.e. to repel aggression and redress injustice).
  6. The means of a just war must be limited by proportionality to the offense. There must be no intentional and direct attack on noncombatants.
  7. War should not be prolonged where there is no reasonable hope of success within these limits. (D. A. Carson, Love in Hard Places)

“The Christian who fails to use force to aid his neighbor when prudence dictates that force is the best way to render that aid is an uncharitable Christian. Hence, Christians who willingly and knowingly refuse to engage in a just war do a vicious thing: They fail to show love towards their neighbor as well as toward God” (Cole).

Some will insist that it is impossible to have a purely just war where sinful humans are involved. Yet it must be asked if the possibility of wrong motives or actions overthrows the necessity to pursue just ends.

Although this is a fallen and broken world, sometimes aggressive violence must be stopped by principled force. In such cases, “war may be the right thing to do. It might be the moral thing, or even the loving thing. God help us because war is hellish and inevitably casts up some injustices on all sides” (Carson).

Steve Cornell

See also: Answering Questions about War

Posted in Anthropology, Capital Punishment, Christian worldview, Church and State, Common Good, Death penalty, Democracy, Democrats, Depravity, Ethics, Evil in the world, Good Wars, Human depravity, Just War, Justice, Politics, Problem of evil, Republican, socialism, sociology, War, Worldview | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Understanding God in a fallen world

Posted on March 8, 2026 by Wisdomforlife
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10 essential facts

1.The earth was originally intended as God’s gift to us for our good (Genesis 1:29-30). In God’s own words, it was “very good” (Genesis 1:31).

2.God gave humans responsibility to “fill the earth and govern it” to “rule over” the sub-human order (Genesis 1:28). 

3.Ultimately, “the earth is the Lord’s…” (Psalm 24:1:I Corinthians 10:26). We’ve been entrusted with it as stewards “to work it and take care of it” (Genesis 2:15).

4. As created beings, we are dependent on our Creator, yet God gave us a kind of freedom without coercion. We are created as responsible and accountable beings. 

5. Humans were originally created with a favorable relationship toward their Creator. However, they had the choice to confirm or reject this favorability with God. 

6. Our first parents chose to reject God’s rule, sending the human race into a state of rebellion against God. 

7. As a result of human rejection of God’s rule, “the earth had rapidly become “corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways” (Genesis 6:11-12). 

The word “corrupt” implies the diminishing of something good. Humans sinned and fell short of the glory of being created in the image and likeness of God. 

8. Very early in human history, God grieved over the world because He “saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.” 

“The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled” (Genesis 6:5-6).

God’s said, “I am going to put an end to all people. The earth is filled with violence because of them” (Genesis 6:13). Gratefully, there was one man who “found favor in the eyes of the Lord” and was spared – along with his family (Genesis 6:7).

9. Only eight people remained after God’s judgment, but God once again handed responsibility for life on earth over to humanity. This time it involved a role for humans to take responsibility for dealing with the violence that had filled the earth. 

“And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning. From his fellow-man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image” (Genesis 9:5-6).

10. God made a concessionary acknowledgement of the deceitful and desperately sick condition of humanity, saying “every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood” (Genesis 8:21;Jeremiah 17:9).

3 Conclusions 

1. We should give much more attention to our God-given stewardship and responsibility for conditions on earth.

2. Assurance of God’s great love and care   for us is not measured by earthly   circumstances or empty words. 

Instead, at a specific point in time, God showed his love for us. Christ died for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). 

When “the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us. He did this not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy” (Titus 3:5).

3. God’s final expression of love and care for us will be experienced in the place He is preparing. This place is our eternal home. 

The first heaven and the first earth will pass away. God will give us a new heaven and a new earth.

In this place, God himself will be with us. He will be our God. “He will wipe every tear from our eyes. There will be no more death. There will be no more mourning. Crying and pain will cease. For the old order of things has passed away. …Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 21:3-5). 

Steve Cornell

Posted in Anthropology, Apologetics, Christian worldview, Creation, Disciple-making, Discipleship, Evil in the world, Evil One, New Creation, Old Testament Law, Philosophy, Problem of evil, Science, socialism, Worldview | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

In the secret place with God

Posted on March 5, 2026 by Wisdomforlife
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-Thy kingdom come-

You get alone with God. You begin to pray to Him. It is only fitting, our Lord teaches, that you first focus on Him and His concerns.

Say this: “Our Father in heaven, more than anything related to our needs, we first ask. We ask that Your name would be honored. We pray that the fear of God would return to our land. We ask that your kingdom (or reign) would come. We desire it in such a way that your will is done on earth as it is in heaven.”

In a personalized application, A.W. Pink wrote this: “Whatever be my lot. However low I may sink. Through whatever deep waters I may be called to pass. Get to Thyself glory in me and by me.” (Pp.162-163, S.M.)

That is the ultimate desire of everyone who has experienced the saving grace of God.

And the Lord Jesus has blazed this trail for us. On one occasion (recorded in John12:27-28a) in anticipation of the cross, Jesus expressed, “Now my soul has become troubled.” He asked, “And what shall I say, ‘Father save Me from this hour’?” But for this purpose I came this hour. Father, glorify Thy name.” That is the priority of life and death.

We need to recognize that the second request, “thy kingdom come”, extends from the first request. It is defined by the third.

To pray for the coming of God’s kingdom is to make a request. You are asking for the ultimate means for His name to be honored. God’s kingdom comes fully when “His will is done on earth as it is in heaven.” One could state it like this: The name of God is great among the nations from the rising to the setting of the sun. (Mal.1:11) Then it is of utmost importance that we pray: “Thy kingdom come.” God related the two petitions in Malachi 1:14. He said: “I am the great King. My name is feared among the nations.”

Prior to and during Jesus’ lifetime godly Jews waited expectantly for God’s kingdom (Mk.15:43; Lk.2:25). An ancient Aramaic prayer recited by them at the end of each synagogue service was: “Exalted and hallowed be his great name in the world which he created according to his will. May he let his kingdom rule in your lifetime of the whole house of Israel, speedily and soon. And to this, say: amen.” (Jeremias, Prayers, p.98, emphasis his).

The Talmud actually says, “that prayer in which there is no mention of the kingdom of God is no prayer at all.” (Quoted from J. MacArthur, p.55, ‘Jesus’ Pattern of Prayer’)

It is very clear that godly Jewish people lived with an earnest expectation for the kingdom of God. And knowing this, it should not surprise us to see their interest in Jesus. His forerunner, John the Baptist began his ministry with the message – “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mtt.2:2). When the magi arrived in Jerusalem at Herod’s palace – seeking Jesus, they said: “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews” (Mtt.4:17). When Jesus began his public ministry – He also said: “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mtt.4:17). 

In Luke 4:43 Jesus said to a constraining multitude: “I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose” (cf. Mk.1:14, 38) Luke reports that Jesus went “from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God”. 

Even in the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus declares: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mtt.5:3)

And from the perspective of the Jewish people this talk of the kingdom would immediately cause them to think of the promises and prophecies of the Old Testament.

II Samuel 7 – God gave this promise to David: “(…) your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.” In their minds, this son of David – proclaiming the good news of the kingdom might be the promised one of God – here to restore the kingdom of Israel. As to the nature of the coming kingdom, the prophecies of Daniel 2 and 7 would supply their point of references.

Daniel 2:44 predicts a specific time when: “(…) the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed. One that will crush and put an end to all earthly kingdoms, but will itself endure forever.”They knew, as Daniel 7 predicted, that “one like a son of man will be given (…)”

Daniel 7:14 says: “(…) dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.”

This is both what they wanted and how they thought of the kingdom. And for the most part, it was desired, not purely to see God’s name honored, but because the Jewish people had grown bitter toward the yoke of foreign rule; A yoke they had been under in almost uninterrupted fashion since the Babylonian captivity, when Daniel uttered those prophecies.

Devotional writer, W. Phillip Keller makes this observation about the early Jewish response to Jesus: “They were convinced Christ was their great, new, emerging monarch who, by supernatural force, would overthrow the oppressor. They were positive the might of the foreigners would be shattered, and they would be set free again.” (p.62, ‘A layman looks at the Lord’s Prayer’)

A reigning, sovereign, Messiah – ushering in God’s kingdom and crushing all earthly kingdoms – fit their frame of reference. But a suffering, serving Messiah was foreign and even repugnant to them. The ultimate expression of this comes to the surface when in a rage of anger they rejected Jesus before Pilate with the astonishing words: “We have no king but Caesar.” We know that even the true disciples held misguided ideas about the kingdom. 

As Keller goes on to observe: “(…) the disciples especially were utterly baffled and beaten by the final bewildering sequence of events that led their Lord to a criminal’s crucifixion at Calvary. It seemed strangely impossible to them that their Messiah, their Christ, their Anointed One, should suddenly meet an ignominious end. After all, was not the “Kingdom of heaven” always on His mind and heart? Yet now it had suddenly come to nothing!” (p.62, Ibid)

Like the Jewish people of Jesus’ day it is also important for us to have a proper understanding of the Kingdom Theme in scripture. Of course, it is a vast theme and many volumes have been written about it. But I would like to offer a few summary comments that I think will help us. Some of the confusion on the subject probably results from the fact that: “Jesus spoke of the kingdom as something past – Lk.13:28; present – Mt.5:3,10; 11:12; 12:28; 19:23; Lk.17:21; and future – Mat.6:10; 21:43; 25:31-34; Acts1:6-8.”

It broke in with His coming – but was yet future. Beyond this there is definitely a sense in which God has always been the sovereign King over all creation. King David expressed this in his prayer to God in IChron.29:11 – “Thine, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Thine is the dominion, O Lord, and Thou dost exalt Thyself as head over all.”

Again in Psalm 103:19, “The Lord has established His throne in the heavens; And His sovereignty rules over all.”

But, on the other hand, scripture will also refer to God’s kingdom as something yet to come. (Zech.1:9; Matt.6:10; also Isa.24:23; 52:7; Zeph.2:8-15)

Perhaps it would help to understand that presently there is a distinction between firstly God’s rule over the earth (which is comprehensive) and secondly God’s rule on the earth – which has not yet been fully established. In Matt.28:18 – Jesus plainly stated that: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him.” Heb.2:8a tells us, concerning Jesus that: “(…) in subjecting all things to him, He (God) left nothing that is not subject to Him. Don’t stop there however, because the rest of the verse says: “(…) But now, we do not yet see all things subjected to him.” (Heb.2:8b) Therefore, Paul will say of Jesus in ICor.15:25: “He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.”

Ultimately this will happen when: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ.” (Rev.11:15) And when we pray: “Thy kingdom come”, this is what we want in the ultimate sense. But it does not mean that we cannot see his kingdom come in certain ways even now. Remember, Jesus will go on to teach his disciples in Matt.6:33 – To make the pursuit of God’s kingdom and righteousness priority of their lives. In the first coming of Christ, in his person, and work, and in his church – there is an “already/not yet” perspective concerning His kingdom.

Already – 

Certain blessings of the kingdom are experienced in the Holy Spirit. Romans14:17 says: “(…) for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

At salvation the believer is delivered from the kingdom of darkness and Satan, and transferred into the kingdom of God’s Son. (Col.1:13; cf.Jn.3:3-5; Acts26:18)

And at this transfer, we experience the blessings related to the kingdom: “the forgiveness of sins”. (Col.1:14; cf.Lk.1:71, 77) It is true of course that the earthly kingdom promised to Israel has “not yet” come. 

But, “in spite of the “not yet” of the kingdom in relation to Israel, the earthly church preached the good news of the kingdom of God (Acts8:12; 19:8; 20:25; 28:23; 30:31) – because certain aspects had broken into history.

Let me encourage you to avoid two extreme views of the kingdom. First of all, some Bible teachers make the mistake of treating the kingdom as only a future matter having to do with Israel. Those who do this, fail to appreciate the present expressions and experiences of the kingdom in the church. Sometimes the view is based on an arbitrary distinction between the phrases “kingdom of heaven” and “kingdom of God”. But “the phrases “kingdom of heaven” and “kingdom of God” are equally interchangeable. Both are used in Mt.19:23-24, compare also Mt.19:23 with Mk.10:23. Entering life and entering the kingdom are also used interchangeably Mk.9:45; Mt.25:31-34, 46.

People who hold this extreme approach are often overly sensitive about talk of building God’s kingdom. It is true that no human will bring in the millennial reign of Christ but this does not negate all present expressions of the kingdom.

The other extreme to avoid has to do with those who refuse to accept a future Kingdom for Israel. People who take this view want to see the kingdom completely in the church – in a spiritual way. They will speak of the church as the New Israel (something the N.T. never calls it).

Romans 9-11 in the N.T., and Zechariah 14 in the Old, – refuse to allow anyone to biblically embrace the idea that God has no future kingdom for Israel.

Dr. John S. Feinberg has stated that: “One need not deny the Kingdom’s presence in some sense in this age to safeguard a special expression of it later for national Israel. The spiritual dimensions of it can be operative now for all people (which allows the Sermon on the Mount to be relevant today) without precluding a future earthly 100-year social, political, and spiritual expression of the kingdom with special emphasis on Israel.” (p.68, ‘Continuity and Discontinuity’)

This needs to be cleared up because the early disciples were not the only ones confused about the kingdom.

Returning to the request we are dealing with – when we pray “Thy kingdom come” – yes, we are expressing a desire for that ultimate time when everyone and everything comes under the rule of God. The time when every knee will bow and every tongue confess…

Perhaps this is what the Apostle Paul had in mind when in ICor.16:22 he said: “If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be accursed, Maranatha (Come, O, Lord!).”

(CF. Rev.22:20)

Ultimately,  – we should long for the day Isaiah 2 speaks of: “For the Lord of hosts will have a day of reckoning against everyone who is proud and lofty, and the pride of man will be humbled, and the loftiness of men will be abased, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.” (vv.12, 17)

However, I agree with R.C. Sproul when he writes that: “The kingdom concept is difficult for us to understand in our present-day culture. Ours is a democracy, where the mere idea of a monarchy is repugnant. Remember that we are heirs of the revolutionaries who proclaimed, ‘We will serve no sovereign here!’ Our nation is built on a resistance to sovereignty.” (p.135, ‘Following Christ’)

But, true as that is, at salvation, a person bows to the sovereign Lord and enters his kingdom through being rightly related to the King. And in a very definitive sense, when we pray: “Thy kingdom come”, we are praying that more people would turn to God in that way. The word “kingdom” (basilea) means “reign” or “rule”. I am praying that more people would submit to God’s reign in their lives.

Consider the following illustration: “Bishop Taylor Smith, that great and godly bishop in the Church of England, put into one of his personal memos a moving statement of his own relationship to the Kingdom of God. He said, “As soon as I awake each morning I rise from my bed at once. I dress promptly. I wash myself, shave and comb my hair. Then fully attired, wide awake and properly groomed – I go quietly to my study. There, before God Almighty, and Christ my King, I humbly present myself as a loyal subject to my Sovereign, ready and eager to be of service to Him for the day.” (Pp.68-69, W. Phillip Keller)

When we pray, “Thy kingdom come”, we are praying that more people would approach God in that way! We are saying: “Heavenly Father, Act in such a way that people would submit to your rule in their lives.”

I do not hesitate to say that I am not interested in superficial or shallow attachments to Jesus – because I know that people who do not submit their will to God’s will – are not members of God’s Kingdom.

“All we like sheep have gone astray – each one has turned to his own way.” I don’t care how many salvation prayers people pray – if they are living a self-ruled life, if they show little desire to submit to God’s will, if disobedience without discipline characterizes their life – they do not belong to God’s Kingdom.

What does ICor.6:9-10 say?

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”

Galatians5:19-21

“Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” (cf. Eph.5:5)

Note the contrast between believer and unbeliever in Romans 8:5-9a:

“For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so; 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.”

Galatians 5:16-17

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.”

Verse 17 indicates that the presence of God’s indwelling Spirit restrains the believer from doing whatever he pleases i.e. from doing sinful, self-centered things.

A number of commentators deal with the prayers concerning God’s “kingdom” and “will” together. One in particular defines the kingdom of God in relation to his will. He writes: “The Kingdom of God is a society upon earth where God’s will is as perfectly done as it is in heaven.” (W. Barclay, p.211, V.I Matthew)

Obviously there never has been a society like that since the fall of the human race. But we must agree about the relationship between “doing God’s will” and “being in God’s kingdom”.

In Matthew 7:21 Jesus said – “Not everyone who says to Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.” (cf. 12:50; 21:28-31)

So when I pray, “Thy kingdom come” there is a definite relationship between that prayer and the prayer, “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”.

This is the tension we experience daily. Either God is reigning, and ruling my life or I am in control.

I have no doubt that millions pray this prayer without any serious intent on ever having it happen.

Keller aptly observes that, “The great majority are utterly unwilling to surrender the sovereignty of their lives to God. They have no intention whatever of abdicating the throne of their own inner wills and hearts to the King of Glory.

When all is said and done, most of us from our earliest childhood believe we are the king of our own castle. We determine our own destinies; we arrange our own affairs; we govern our own lives. We become supreme specialists in selfish, self-centered living where all of life revolves around the epicenter of me, I, mine.

So if I sincerely, earnestly, and genuinely implore God to come into my life ad experiences, there to establish his kingdom, I can only expect that there is bound to be a most tremendous confrontation. It is inevitable that there will follow a formidable conflict between His divine sovereignty and my self-willed ego.” (W. Phillip Keller, pp.64-65)

Here we have an excellent summary of the process of Christian growth. I am being made like Christ who always did the things which please the Father and in the darkest, most trying moments of life prayed – “not my will but Thine be done”. The Spirit-filled life is one of willing one will with God”. It involves the ordering of one’s life (in all of its detail) in such a way that the name, kingdom and will of God are honored and accomplished. But it is precisely at this point that we experience the conflict – because the sinful tendency to reject the reign of God and usurp control that properly belongs to Him doesn’t disappear at salvation.

In a practical way, Jesus would have us pray that, “the rule of God be more completely established in my heart and the hearts of others.” We should to be very specific about it. Praying this way should cause us to examine the particular areas of our lives: personal life, business dealings, home life, church involvement, school activities, etc.

Here are a few questions for you to think through: Is the submission to the rule of God evident in each area? Can I call to mind any specific areas that I have not yet submitted to God? Does God’s present work on earth – the building of his church – get first place in my life? (cf. Mtt.6:33) Is it evident in my finances? Is it evident in my time and service? Or, am I so preoccupied building my own little nest and nest egg that I am too tired to be of service to God’s people at church?

Take a look at your priorities – what you make time for – because the judgment seat will reveal it all one day.

May God help us not to be like the priests of Malachi’s day who despised God’s name by reserving the best for themselves and giving God the leftovers. – -> See Mala.1:6-8

Matthew 6:33 – Seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness. Maybe some downscaling and simplifying of our goals so that life here and now can be genuinely invested in things that count for eternity. If the need is there: Stop despising God’s name. Throw away the excuses, stop believing the rationalizations and redirect your preoccupation from the temporal to the eternal. Give the glory to God due his holy name.

Q. 191. What do we pray for in the second petition?

A. In the second petition (which is, Thy kingdom come), acknowledging ourselves and all mankind to be by nature under the dominion of sin and Satan, we pray, that the kingdom of sin and Satan may be destroyed, the gospel propagated throughout the world, the Jews called, the fullness of the gentiles brought in; the church furnished with all gospel-officers and ordinances, purged from corruption, countenanced and maintained by the civil magistrate: that the ordinances of Christ may be purely dispensed, and made effectual to the converting of those that are yet in their sins, and the confirming, comforting, and building up of those that are already converted: that Christ would rule in our hearts here, and hasten the time of his second coming, and our reigning with him forever: and that he would be pleased so to exercise the kingdom of his power in all the world, as may best conduce to these ends.

Q. 192. What do we pray for in the third petition?

A. In the third petition (which is, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven), acknowledging, that by nature we and all men are not only utterly unable and unwilling to know and do the will of God, but prone to rebel against his Word, to repine and murmur against his providence, and wholly inclined to do the will of the flesh, and of the devil: we pray, that God would by his Spirit take away from ourselves and others all blindness, weakness, indisposedness, and perverseness of heart; and by his grace make us able and willing to know, do, and submit to his will in all things, with the like humility, cheerfulness, faithfulness, diligence, zeal, sincerity, and constancy, as the angels do in heaven.”

Steve Cornell

see also – Alone in the secret place with God and kingdom theme in Scripture

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Four major distinctions for understanding Scripture

Posted on March 3, 2026 by Wisdomforlife
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In Continuity and Discontinuity (Essays in Honor of S. Lewis Johnson, Jr.): Perspectives on the Relationship Between the Old and New Testaments,  John Feinburg identified the most important distinctions of dispensational teaching. The following quotes summarize his conclusions and are intended to help you understand the major points of dispensational teaching.

Four major distinctions

1. RELATIONSHIP OF THE O.T. WITH THE N.T.

The crucial point concerns identifying if something in the OT is still binding in the N.T. This includes prophecy about Israel’s future.

“If an O.T. prophecy or promise is made unconditionally to a given people and is still unfulfilled to them even in the NT era, then the prophecy must still be fulfilled to them. While a prophecy given unconditionally to Israel has a fulfillment for the church if the NT applies it to the church, it must also be fulfilled to Israel. Progress of revelation cannot cancel unconditional promises.” (p.76)

“If the NT explicitly rejects an OT institution, etc., it is canceled. But if God makes a point once (the OT), why must he repeat it in the NT for it still to be true and operative? So long as he neither explicitly or implicitly rejects the OT teaching, why assume it is canceled just because the NT does not repeat it? To argue that it is canceled because it is not repeated is a classic case of arguing from silence. On the other hand, it is not arguing from silence to claim it is still in force despite the NT’s silence, because God has already in the OT broken the silence and given us his thinking … the promises cannot be canceled even implicitly if they are made unconditionally! Unconditional promises are not shadows, nor are the peoples to whom they are given” (p. 76).

2. UNDERSTANDING THE OLD TESTAMENT COVENANTS 

“Concerning the covenants” dispensationalists see both a conditional and an unconditional element. What is unconditional is that God will fulfill the covenants to Israel. On the other hand, not every last Jew, ethnically speaking, will receive the benefits of those promises. Individual blessing under the promises is always conditioned upon obedience to the God who made the covenant. So, the particular Jews who experience the blessings of Israel’s promises are those who form the believing remnant of Jews throughout history. Unconditional promises guarantee that some Jews will experience covenanted blessings; through their obedience we learn who is of the believing remnant” (pp. 79-80). 

“The ultimate difference on the covenants between dispensational and non-dispensational systems is not just conditionality v. unconditionality, but which aspect(s) of the covenant promises one emphasizes. Dispensationalists demand that one emphasize the variety of elements of covenant blessing, not just the spiritual, and that one take seriously the need for the whole covenant promises to be realized sometime in the life of the nation to which they were addressed unconditionally. The total complex of promises (spiritual and material), meant to be fulfilled simultaneously, has never been realized conjointly in the history of this nation” (p.80).

3. THE FUTURE OF ISRAEL

“A distinctive future for ethnic Israel is essential to dispensationalism. The church neither replaces nor continues Israel. There will be a distinctive future for ethnic Israel, despite the fact that spiritual aspects of the kingdom are now being applied to the church. Because of passages like Zech. 12:10, Matt. 24:29-30, and Rom. 11:25-27, dispensationalists expect a grand ingathering of Jews to Christ at the end of the tribulation as they “Look upon me, the one they have pierced (Zech. 12:10). Jews saved during the church age are members of it and find their identity with it. But O.T. Jewish saints and Jewish tribulation saints after the rapture will form the believing remnant of Israelites who see the fulfillment of the O.T. promises to Israel in a 1000 year earthly kingdom. OT prophecies predict a time of spiritual, social, political and economic blessing for Israel (e.g. Zech. 12-14; Is. 60; Jer. 31:27-40; Zeph. 3:11-20). Those prophecies are still unfulfilled. Thus, one can reasonably expect a distinctive future for Israel” (pp. 81-82).

4. UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHURCH

“Another distinctive of Dispensationalism is the belief that the church is a distinctive organism. By this, dispensationalists mean that the church does not begin until the NT era (most say at Pentecost). They also mean the church did not exist in any form in the OT. In the OT and NT eras, people are always saved by grace through faith in the truth God has revealed; but being saved is not the only defining characteristic of the church. A new organism began at Pentecost” (pp. 83-84).

Steve Cornell

Posted in Bible, Bible from God, Biblical Eschatology, Bibliology, Discipleship, Dispensational teaching, Hermeneutics, Interpretation of bible, Israel, Promises of Bible, Prophecy, Wisdom | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

God teaches worldview

Posted on March 2, 2026 by Wisdomforlife
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A Worldview is a way of understanding the world and your place in it. It’s an outlook on life. A philosophy of life. It usually includes a core set of beliefs and values that control your life.

Worldview on the street level is more of a gut reaction. Ask, “What’s your worldview?” or “What’s your view of life?” and the man on the street answers,

  1. “Hey, to each his own.”
  2. 
“You only go around once.”

  3. “What’s right for you is right for you.”

  4. “As long as nobody gets hurt, go for it!”
  5. 
“If it works for you, it’s fine with me.”

But these are simplistic and self-serving ways of looking at life. If you care about something more than yourself, you need a deeper outlook. You must want to tackle the serious issues plaguing society.

What is real?

Worldview (at the deeper level) addresses the question: “What is real?” People say, “Hey, reality for me is….” or “My reality is…..”.

Reality is often shaped by things that fill our lives. For many, it’s work, family, or television programs. It can also be hobbies, sports, relationships, holidays, vacations, or retirement. These are the day to day contexts of our lives. But is there a reality more ultimate, one that reaches beyond daily life and all our temporal meanings? This is the nagging question behind the human search for meaning and purpose. Humans long for ultimate reality (Ecclesiastes 3:11) but often seek it in the wrong places. Ultimate reality matters because this life is not all there is to existence.

Once this reality is found, it injects meaning and depth into all other realities. This new understanding stretches into eternity. This is the worldview lesson God teaches.

When God teaches a worldview lesson



“Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8:2-3).

God said, “I led you,” “I tested you” “I humbled you” “I caused you to hunger”— Why? “to teach you.” This is the most important spiritual lesson one can learn. It is a Worldview lesson: “Man does not live on bread alone.”Man lives “…on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

If we reversed what God said, we’d discover the prevailing worldview in a fallen world. 

It would be: “Man lives on bread alone.” There is a contrast of worldviews in this text. This contrast is as ancient as humanity itself. It is one that is still with us today!

Question: What would it look like if I lived by this worldview? “Man lives on bread alone”

We would live each day as if this life–sustaining it and enriching it– means everything.  Earthly and temporal relationships and possessions would be the basis and meaning of life. Thoughts toward God and eternity would only matter in relation to the sustaining and enrichment of this life. The fact is that we are born with this worldview as part of our nature.

Our nature is so strongly inclined toward a life based on temporal fulfillment. We must be taught through trials, just as the children of Israel were, not to live by this code. Our opposition to seeing things any other way is deeply lodged in us. The force of hardship is necessary to dislodge it.

This worldview: “Man lives on bread alone”is what we know by our senses. We are naturally inclined toward measuring everything based on the temporal and immediate (temperature, taste,comforts and pleasures). We easily live for what the eye desires, the flesh craves and the ego feeds on. This is the love of the world spoken against in I John 2:15-17. It is contrasted with what is eternal.

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever (I John 2:15-17).

Question: This way of viewing and living life is bound to the earthly and temporal. What does the other worldview look like? What would it entail if someone embraces a perspective not limited to the earthly and temporary? What is the impact if “man does not live on bread alone”? How does it change things if we live on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord?

This is a life ordered by a dependent and obedient relationship with the God who speaks. It is life “on/by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” Here is the person who flourishes under God’s word—His laws, decrees, precepts, judgments, actions, warnings, promises, etc….(cf. Psalms 1; 19; 119; Proverbs 2:6).



Question: What causes us to transition from one worldview to the other? According to the text in Deuteronomy, the discipline of God is the catalyst that moves us. God said, “I led you,” “I tested you” “I humbled you” “I caused you to hunger”—Why? “to teach you” To teach you the most important spiritual lesson one can learn: a worldview lesson: “Man does not live on bread alone.”“Man lives “…on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

God loosens our grip on this life and transfers it to eternity (cf. Col. 3:1; I Jn. 2:15-17; Phil. 1:21; 3:8-10; 2 Cor. 4:16-18). Study these verses and you will see that this is at the heart of spiritual transformation. This is the divine lesson in worldview and the heart of spiritual transformation. God’s worldview lesson will lead us to the ultimate reality ultimate found in the person of Jesus Christ. No where is this more powerfully described than in Colossians 1:15-20:

“He (Jesus Christ) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”

What difference does a personal Creator make?

If there is no creator, human existence is a cosmic accident. We do not exist by design or purpose; we exist by chance. This is a necessary, logical conclusion in the absence of a personal creator. And, if this is the true accounting for our existence, all notions of ultimate meaning are reduced to wishful thinking. They become irrational fantasies.

Morality is reduced to personal or societal opinion. Matters of right or wrong cannot be determined in any final absolute sense since there is no transcendent morality. And the so-called problem of evil cannot be addressed. The logical outcome in the absence of a personal creator is that final human destiny is death. There is no true hope of anything outside of this life. Without God, we are cosmic accidents who exist by chance in a deterministic universe governed by raw natural selection.

If there is a Creator, a personal God made us male and female in his own image. Life has value, meaning, and dignity beyond the limitation of human opinion. Personal identity, human freedom and responsibility are genuine markers of existence.

Transcendent truths, which we intuitively recognize (Ecclesiastes 3:11), lift us out of the despair of human relativism. They go beyond the limitations of human inquiry. Yet we must acknowledge that this belief in God is a potential threat. It can undermine our continual bid for autonomy and self-sufficiency. Our determination to live by bread alone must be dislodged from our hearts.

Steve Cornell

Posted in 18 Year factor, Anthropology, Apologetics, Christian Counselor, Christian worldview, Christianity, Creation, Evil in the world, Faith, Following Christ, Jesus Christ, New Christian, New Creation, Philosophy, Science, Worldview | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Affirm God in all of life

Posted on February 28, 2026 by Wisdomforlife
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Proverbs is a book that, “seldom takes you to church” (Derek Kidner). There are a lot of Monday morning issues in Proverbs. Unlike other Old Testament books, the themes of covenant, law, and prophecy are not prominent in Proverbs. 

Proverbs wants to alert us to “details of character small enough to escape the mesh of the law and the broadsides of the prophets, and yet decisive in personal dealings.” 

“Proverbs moves in this realm. It asks what a person is like to live with or employ. It inquires how he manages his affairs, his time, and himself.  This good lady, for instance — does she talk too much?  That cheerful soul — is he bearable in the early morning?  And this friend who is always dropping in — here is some advice for him . . . and for that rather aimless lad . . .   Its function in Scripture is to put godliness into working clothes; to name business and society as spheres in which we are to acquit ourselves with credit to our Lord, and in which we are to look for His training” (Kidner, p. 13, TOTC, Proverbs).

The book of Proverbs wants to meet you in the street. It wants to go to work with you and attend class with you. It desires to go on vacation with you and sit with you at the dinner table.

Proverbs wants to meet you at home and at the social gathering. It seeks you out in the boardroom, the courtroom, and in the halls of government. Proverbs is interested in the friends you choose. It considers the advice you receive. It is also concerned with the way you handle finances.

Proverbs reach into the way you think. They delve into your thought-life. They will survey your attitudes and challenge your emotional responses. Proverbs is greatly interested in your speech — the words you use and how you use them. 

Proverbs is (in a sense) saying, “Look, life involves a lot of little choices and the little things do matter.  Make your choices carefully, understanding that there is a foolish way to be avoided and a wise way to be followed.” (Kidner)

Although Proverbs is not explicitly religious, as Kidner notes, “God is no afterthought here.”

The book of Proverbs advocates common sense. It also cautions against leaning on your own understanding. Furthermore, it exalts faith (3:5-6).  Proverbs emphasizes the importance of planning. It also stresses seeking wise counsel. However, it yields the final “yes” or “no” to the Lord (see 16:9; 19:21).  Proverbs highly advocates learning by listening. Observing is also emphasized. Proverbs 20:12 says, “The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made both of them.”

Proverbs works out what living for God means in the ordinariness of daily life. Concerning Proverbs 1:7, although fearing the Lord “…includes worship, it does not end there. Our adoration and devotion influence our everyday conduct. Each moment is seen as the Lord’s time. Each relationship is the Lord’s opportunity. Each duty is the Lord’s command, and each blessing is the Lord’s gift. It is a new way of looking at life and seeing what it is meant to be when viewed from God’s perspective” (David Hubbard).

Five essentials for walking with God   (From Proverbs 3:5-12)

Here we find the key components; the non-negotiable action points; the main elements of walking with God. Each one calls for an active response to God.  In verses 5-6 we get a clear picture that God is not a casual “add-on” to an already busy life.  We’re not trying to find a little time for God — we’re trusting him with all our hearts.  We are acknowledging him in all our ways.  This is not religion — it’s relationship. This is life!  Each of the five action points could be used as headings for discipleship curriculum.

  1. Trust God with all your heart (5)
  2. Acknowledge God in all your ways — know Him…. (6)
  3. Fear the Lord (7-8)
  4. Honor God with your wealth – as a first thought not an after thought (9-10)
  5. Don’t resent God when He disciplines you (11-12)

Each of these verbs are offered to help a son know what life with God looks like. These are not passive qualities but active engagements of those who walk with God. 

Steve Cornell

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Hope as an anchor for the soul

Posted on February 27, 2026 by Wisdomforlife
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Set your hearts on the realities of heaven. Why? Because it is “where Christ sits at God’s right hand.” (Colossians 3:1)

Consider these profound words. “For Christ … entered heaven itself. He now appears for us in God’s presence” (Hebrews 9:24).

Heaven is so desirable not because of the absence of suffering. As great as this will be, it is not the main reason. It is also not solely because of our reunion with those who died before us. As wonderful as this also will be, it is not the only attraction. Heaven is so desirable because it is the place where Christ sits at God’s right hand — for us.

We join with the apostle Paul. He said, “I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far” (Philippians 1:23).

After Jesus finished His mission by dying for our sins, He was raised from the dead. He returned to heaven and took the seat of highest honor. He appeared before God “for us.”

These two words “for us” are amazing!

Those who know Christ as their Savior are represented in the highest court. Let these words sink deeply into your heart: “Christ went into heaven itself to appear in the presence of God for us.”


“We who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us have this hope. It is an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It is an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf” (Hebrews 6:18-20).

“For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:3-4).

Reflection

“The Christian’s whole and only status before God is in Christ. True and wonderful though this is, however, the Christian’s existence is still here on earth.”

“He is still beset by temptations; he is hampered by weakness and frustrated by failings; he falls short of ‘the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ’ (Eph. 4:13); the perfection for which he longs is not yet. He needs a holiness not his own. This holiness is made available to him by the Lamb of God. The Lamb has made atonement for his sins and now interposes himself as his representative in the heavenly sanctuary. And this is the representation which Christ fulfills as he appears in the presence of God for us” (Philip E. Hughes, Hebrews, p. 349).

For deeper meditation on Christ’s representation, see: Romans 8:33-34; Hebrews 4:14-16; 7:23-27;I John 2:1-2. The apostle John said those who confess their sin (I John 1:9), have an “advocate” with the heavenly father (I John 2:2). The N.I.V. translates advocate as, “one who speaks to the Father in our defense.” It pictures a legal setting with Christ as counsel for the defense. And His position as advocate is based on His redeeming work (cf. 1 Timothy 2:5-6).

“Our advocate doesn’t plead that we are innocent…He acknowledges our guilt and presents His vicarious work as the ground for our acquittal” (John R. W. Stott, I John, TNTC, pp. 81-82).

We must guard against misguided understandings of representation. We should not picture a dualistic situation where a well-pleasing son is trying to persuade a hostile father to look on us with favor. God was the one who was in Christ reconciling the world to himself (II Corinthians 5:18-21).  God “spared not His own Son but delivered Him up for us all” (Romans 8:32; cf. 1 John 4:9-10).

Reflection

“The intercession of the Son, then, is in no sense a pleading with the Father to change his attitude toward us. Nor does the Father have to be reminded of the full redemption that he himself has provided for us in his Son—the very thought is preposterous! The presence in heaven of the Lamb bearing the marks of his passion is itself the perpetual guarantee of our acceptance with God, who gave his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 

“In ourselves, however, though we have the forgiveness of our sins through the blood of Jesus Christ and though we are united to him in love and trust, we are unworthy because Christ has not yet been fully formed within us (cf. Gal. 4:19) and we still sinfully fall short of the glory of God (cf. Rom. 3:23).

This consideration explains our continuing need of the advocacy and intercession of him who alone is accounted worthy before God (cf. Rev. 5:1-10).”

“It is in his worthiness that even now we rejoice in the blessings of the divine favor, for by the grace of God his merit has been reckoned to us as our merit, his heaven has become our heaven, and his eternal glory our eternal glory” (Philip Hughes, Hebrews).
 

Do we need the assistance of saints or angels to bring us to God?

“To imagine that saints or angels can be influenced to intercede for us is not only delusion; it is to cast doubt on the perfect adequacy of the intercession of Christ on our behalf and thus to deprive ourselves of the fulness of the security which is available to us only in Christ. Our Lord clearly taught that no man can come to the Father except by him (John 14:6) and that our requests to God are to be made in his name (John 14:13f.; 15:16; 16:23, 24, 26), precisely because there is no other name which avails and prevails with God (cf. Acts 4:12) (Philip E. Hughes, Hebrews, p. 353).

Christ alone is our mediator, advocate, intercessor, high priest, and way of access to the Father (Ephesians 2:18; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; John 14:6). “if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He (Jesus Christ) is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (I John 2:1-2; cf. Hebrews 7:26-27). 

“And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ” (II Corinthians 5:18). 

Let your heart dwell on these great words: “Christ went into heaven to appear in the presence of God for us” (Hebrews 9:24).

Steve Cornell 

Posted in Cross of Jesus, Encouragement, feeling hopeless, Hope?, Jesus Christ, Salvation, Security of salvation, Wisdom | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Did Cain have a sin nature?

Posted on February 21, 2026 by Wisdomforlife
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When considering the effects of Adam’s sin on humanity, it seems reasonable to look closely at the first children of Adam.

For all that has been written about the fall of humanity, very little is focused on Cain. Check the major works of theology on this theme. You won’t find substantive consideration of Cain.

Why is this?

If, as theologians believe, all humans are born with a sin nature, they are spiritually dead. Then, the first human to be born this way should be Exhibit A for discerning the effects of sin. 

Why wouldn’t we study what we know about Cain first? We should do this before reaching too many conclusions about being born with a sin nature. It also pertains to being spiritually dead in our sins.

The first use of the word “sin” is found when God confronts Cain. God said, “You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master” (Genesis 4:7).

Standard evangelical theology teaches that sin separates us from God. Spiritual death, among other things, we’re told, means that we cannot hear the voice of God. But this certainly doesn’t appear to be true for the first person to inherit Adam’s sin nature.

Later we learn that Cain “was of the evil one” (I John 3:12). The NIV translates it, “belonged to the evil one.” The language is related to being “begotten of” or “born of.” There is no doubt about Cain’s spiritual condition.

Yet Cain approached God to worship Him. Where did he meet with God? How did he know to worship God? God exposes Cain’s wrongful approach to worship. Then, God graciously invites Cain to approach Him as instructed. Cain was a sinner by nature. He was also spiritually dead. It seems strange that he would be given access to God. He was even invited to respond obediently. Of course, God graciously confronted Cain’s darkness, but He also provided him with an opportunity to do what is right.

Genesis 4:3-7

“In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.’”

Cain was not so deeply entrenched in his sin. This applies to both inherited and actual sin. Thus, further sinning, at least in this case, was not inevitable. The emphasis does not appear to be on Cain as a sinner by nature, one totally depraved. Instead, it focuses on Cain as someone who has the freedom to make choices regarding sin’s control.

Sin is pictured as temporarily at bay and subject to the choice of the one who is facing it. Cain must take it seriously. He must act quickly. Sin is ready to pounce on Cain if he opens a door of opportunity to it. Cain cannot claim ignorance or helplessness regarding sin’s power. He doesn’t have to be mastered by it, but if he doesn’t repent he will be consumed.

“Before the crime, Cain is both a potential prey and a potential Master of a predator called sin; Cain murdered because he fell prey to what he refused to Master.” (Miroslav Volf)

We should also look more closely at the way God described sin. What does the unusual lack of gender correspondence in the Hebrew language indicate? The word “sin” is feminine, while the surrounding terms such as “crouching” (lurking at the door) and “its desire” are masculine.

For discussion

  1. How should Genesis 4:3-7 influence our understanding of the effects of Adam’s sin on human beings?
  2. Why do theologians neglect this account when offering insight on inherited sin and spiritual death?
  3. Would this account challenge any assumptions in what is called reformed theology? 

Additional note

In the final analysis, Cain’s actions, outlook, and attitude vividly mirrored Satan. He demonstrated that he belonged to the evil one in his conceit: (I Timothy 3:6). He showed willful rebellion: (Isaiah 14:11-15) and discontentment: (Genesis 3:1-6). He was motivated by selfish ambition: (James 3:13-16), anger: (Ephesians 4:26-27), and murder: (John 8:44).

Steve Cornell

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