Absolute certainty is the antithesis of faith. Knowing something beyond the shadow of a doubt negates your ability to have faith in it. And, since faith is necessary to please God (Hebrews 11:6), Christians can know that absolute certainty of the reality of God and the veracity of His promises is not the goal of faith.
Read MoreSeeing how often we Christians find ourselves at a loss when asked to define exactly what we mean by the word and that it is a supremely important part of Christianity to begin with, it seems incumbent and vital to come up an appropriate working definition of what the Bible means by “faith”. And while “faith" is certainly a loaded word that carries an understandable amount of weight, the actual concept behind it is not hard at all.
Read MoreHow does one balance this directive of Christ to be meek with others throughout the Bible exhorting us to be “of good courage” or “strong in the Lord and in His mighty power”? What are to make of the apostle’s command, “Be on the alert. Stand firm in the faith. Be men of courage. Be strong?” It would seem that the ideal of meekness is diametrically opposed to these characteristics. Which one is it? Are we to lay down as passive recipients of whatever comes our way or are we to develop courage and strength according to the might and power of the Lord?
The key lies in the original Greek.
Read MoreChrist wanted for His disciples and wants for us a fullness of joy – a joy rooted in Him, able to withstand the most intense onslaughts the dominion of the enemy can bring to bear upon it, and lasting long beyond the length of our lives and into eternity.
But what is joy? I mean, what is it, exactly?
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