Time is of the essence if you really want to “know” the Lord. God makes time for those He loves. Do you make time for God? “Know” in Jesus’ prayer and in both biblical languages means so much more than merely grasping facts. It means grasping a person.
The Bible divides people into two groups. There are saints and there are sinners. Among the saints there are two groups too, the sents and the senders. The Apostle Paul explains all of this as he begins to bring this big beautiful letter to the Romans to a close.
Romans 14:1-15:13 is one section best studied in three parts. It offers a philosophy of the Christian life based on Christian love. When followed, it maintains unity in a church filled with different people with different opinions about different matters on which there are different interpretations of Scripture.
Remember one of Paul’s aims in writing Romans was to promote unity among a diverse body of believers. The Apostle wanted them to be united in the theology of the gospel (chapters 1-11), and also in the philosophy of the Christian life (chapters 12-15).
Flowing out of the previous context’s emphasis on loving one another (ref. Romans 13:8ff), Paul shows us some ways to take action; or, in this case, inaction, in order to enjoy unity with fellow believers and put forth a full witness for Christ. Sometimes, we just have to love and let live.
Our Lord Jesus Christ capped His superlative life and sacrificial death with a surprising resurrection. And it was women’s intuition, not men’s, that perceived the full meaning of the gospel and began to broadcast it to others.
“Maundy” means mandate, or commandment. We name this day of Holy Week not after the foot washing Jesus gave His disciples, not after the last supper Jesus shared with His disciples that turned into the Lord’s Supper, but after the “new commandment” Jesus spoke to His disciples, then and now.
Only the one, true, triune, and living God is to be worshipped in the manner in which Jesus was exalted on Palm Sunday. The people cushioned His saddle and lined the roadway with the clothes off their backs (and as John’s Gospel tells us, leaves from palm trees). They praised Him and called Him King.
The Gospel of John was written so that people would believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and become His disciple. There is no theological nor practical distance between becoming a believer and being a disciple. It is a synonymous experience, for a person of true belief is immediately transformed into a true disciple.
Love and holiness are communicable attributes of God. Love and holiness are indispensable to the genuine Christian life. Love and holiness are what the world needs to see most in the body of Christ. And, love and holiness can both be known for what they do not do.
