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Forgiveness Without Repentance? Mike Johnson The Bible emphasizes the importance of forgiving those who sin against us. In fact, failing to do so is very frightening because, in Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus taught, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, […]
Reaping What We Sow (Galatians 6:7-8) Mike Johnson Near the end of Paul’s letter to the Galatians, in a section of practical applications, Paul warned, “(7) Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. (8) For he who sows to his flesh will of the […]
Restoring the Erring (Galatians 6:1) Mike Johnson The book of Galatians can be divided into three sections. Chapters 1-2 are autobiographical as Paul defends his apostleship, which is a foundation for what follows. Chapters 3-4 are doctrinal. Here, Paul defends his message about salvation through Christ without the works of the old law. Finally, chapters […]
Covering Sin (James 5:19-20) Mike Johnson James 5:19-20 says, “Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.” He is speaking of Christians […]
“I Just Wear the Clothes” Mike Johnson Many years ago, I was in a part of Tennessee with a rather sizable Amish population, which had resulted in a lot of tourism in the area. While there, I went into a store and noticed all the workers were wearing traditional Amish clothing. At some point, I […]
The Great Flood Mike Johnson Genesis 6-9 accounts for the great flood in ancient times. Chapters 4 and 5 tell about the descendants of Cain and Seth, the sons of Adam and Eve. From the text, we can conclude that Cain’s descendants were generally wicked, and Seth’s were generally righteous. It appears from chapter 6 […]
“Thanks, I Needed That” (Ecclesiastes 7:5-6) Mike Johnson “It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than for a man to hear the song of fools. For like the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.” In this verse, the writer contrasts the […]
To Obey Is Better Than Sacrifice (1 Samuel 15) Mike Johnson After Saul became Israel’s king, Samuel, a prophet, was told by God to inform him that he must “utterly destroy” the Amalekites due to them having mistreated Israel while in the wilderness. The command was very specific, making it clear that it included every […]
The Sinner’s Prayer Mike Johnson Many say the only thing needed to obtain salvation is to pray a simple prayer known as a sinner’s prayer. There are variations, but typically, this is a short prayer where people express their need for salvation, asking Jesus to come into their hearts. They confirm their belief that Jesus […]
How Jesus Faced Temptation Mike Johnson Christians often face temptations, and new Christians are especially vulnerable to the “schemes” of the devil (Eph. 6:17). The Bible describes Satan in John 8:44, saying, “. . . He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in […]
AN “UNFORGIVABLE” SIN? Mike Johnson 1 John 5:16 says, “If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about […]
THE SINS OF YOUTH (Psalm 25:7) Mike Johnson Sometimes, people try to minimize the sins of youth. A person may say, for example, “After all, young people must sow their wild oats.” However, David took the sins of his youth very seriously. In Psalm 25:7, he pleads with God, “Do not remember the sins of […]
JOB SINNED NOT! Mike Johnson Job 1 tells us of Satan’s quest to get Job, who was a righteous, to sin against God. Satan had told God that the only reason Job was upright was that God had, as Satan put it, “made a hedge about him.” Satan agreed with God that Job was righteous […]
“Blot Out My Transgressions” Mike Johnson In II Samuel 11 and 12, we can read the story where David committed adultery with Bathsheba. To cover up his sin, he had her husband, Uriah, murdered. Nathan, a prophet of God, eventually confronted him. At this point, David admitted he had sinned against the Lord. Most agree […]
How Do You View Sin? Mike Johnson In our society today, there is often acceptance of sin. In the past, however, shame was often associated with sin. Today, it is common for people to openly engage in sinful practices, not even attempting to hide them. For example, although now prevalent, a couple living together was […]
Presumptuous Sins Mike Johnson Psalm 19:13 says, “Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression.” What is a presumptuous sin? A presumptuous sin is a sin that is committed with arrogance and grows out of […]
My Sin Is Always Before Me (Psalm 51:3) Mike Johnson The writer of Psalm 51 expresses great sorrow for his sins. Most agree that David is the author, and he wrote it after his sin with Bathsheba. In 2 Samuel 11-12, we learn that David committed adultery, and then he committed murder trying to conceal […]
Why Is Sin So Bad? (Psalm 51:4) Mike Johnson Psalm 51 is thought to have been written by David in connection with his sin with Bathsheba. You might recall that he had committed adultery with Bathsheba, and he had her husband (Uriah) killed to cover up his deed. In Psalm 51, David was expressing his […]
Asking for God’s Mercy (Psalm 51:1-2) Mike Johnson Psalm 51:1-2 says, “Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.” David wrote this Psalm, it is thought, after his sin […]
The Enslaving Power of Sin Mike Johnson People today often picture sin as a pleasant delight. Sin, according to many, is not something to be “avoided” but is something to be “pursued.” People view the moral teaching of God’s Word as “old-fashioned,” and those who try to adhere to the high standard of the Bible and […]
ARE WE COMPLACENT ABOUT SIN? Mike Johnson Many years ago, my wife and I moved into a house close to a well-traveled train track, which trains traveled on throughout the night. At first, the whistles from the trains woke us up. Before long, however, the passing trains rarely disturbed our sleep as we grew accustomed […]
IGNORING SIN Mike Johnson An often made statement made by people today is, “I just don’t let it bother me.” In many areas, we would all be better off taking this approach. With sin, however, this is very dangerous. Many people are very complacent regarding their sin, and instead of seeking a remedy, they ignore […]
Hate Sin! Mike Johnson The Bible has a great deal to say about the subject of hate. People typically think that Christians are not supposed to hate, and generally, this is true. However, the Bible teaches that Christians are to hate sin! Many passages speak about hating evil or sin. Romans 12:9 says that we are to […]
Evil Surmising Mike Johnson I Timothy 6:4 speaks of the sin of “evil surmising.” The passage says, (KJV) “He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings.” What is evil surmising? We need to know what it is to see if we are guilty […]
WARN THE UNRULY Mike Johnson In I Thessalonians 5:14, Paul gave some critical teaching for all Christians. He stated that Christians are to “be patient toward all men,” they are to “uphold the weak,” and they are to “comfort the fainthearted.” However, the first responsibility he urges is to “warn those who are unruly.” This responsibility, in addition […]
BLAMING OTHERS FOR OUR SINS Mike Johnson It is widespread for people to blame their mistakes on others; we tend to want to shift responsibility. People also blame SIN on other people. Many did this in biblical times; regrettably, the blaming of sin on others also often takes place today. Commonly blamed for people’s sins today […]