Category: What do you think?

The Cross and the Hope of Sinners

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STEVE MORGAN

The message of the cross is not only about what Jesus endured, but about what His death means for every person who has sinned. This includes all of us. Through the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Colossians, we learn that the cross is the center of our salvation and the place where our relationship with God is restored.

Paul wrote that before knowing Christ, people are “dead in their trespasses.” This does not refer to physical death, but to a spiritual separation from God. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, they did not fall down dead, but their sin cut them off from fellowship with Him. From that moment, all humanity has shared in this broken condition. Sin severs our connection with the source of spiritual life. Without that connection, we are alive in body but dead in spirit.

Through Jesus, that separation is healed. When a person puts faith in Him, it is as if the broken cord between God and the human soul is reattached. Life flows again from God into the heart. This is what it means to be “made alive with Christ.” Salvation is more than forgiveness; it is spiritual renewal. The one who was dead inside is now alive to God.

Paul continues by explaining that through the cross, Christ has forgiven all trespasses. This word all is crucial. No sin is too small or too great to remain outside His forgiveness. The blood of Jesus cleanses completely, not conditionally, but entirely. Every failure, every regret, and every wrong choice is covered by His sacrifice.

When God forgives, He also removes the lasting stain of sin. The inner guilt that clings to us is washed away. As the old hymn says, “Sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.” This forgiveness brings peace to the soul because it releases us from trying to fix the past or earn our way back to God.

The Bible describes three stages of salvation that all come through the cross. First is justification, when God declares a believer righteous, freeing them from the penalty of sin. Second is sanctification, the ongoing process by which the Holy Spirit frees us from the power of sin in daily life. Finally, there is glorification, when God will one day free His people from the presence of sin forever. Each stage rests on the power of what Jesus did at Calvary.

The cross also removes every obstacle that once stood between God and humanity. Paul describes it as the cancellation of a certificate of debt. In ancient times, debtors kept lists of what they owed, constant reminders of their obligation. Our sins make up a record of debt to God. It is a debt so large that no one could ever pay it. Yet when Christ died, He took that entire record and nailed it to the cross. Every charge that stood against us was erased.

This means that for those who belong to Christ, there will be no record of sin to face at judgment. Jesus bore that record Himself. The condemnation that was ours fell on Him instead. Because of that, believers stand free and forgiven before God.

Paul also writes that through the cross, Jesus disarmed principalities and powers. This speaks of His victory over Satan and all forces of evil. When Jesus died, it looked like defeat, but it was the moment of triumph. Satan lost his power to accuse or control those who trust in Christ. Though he still tempts and troubles, his authority is broken. His time is limited, and his final end is already determined.

Because Jesus has overcome, His followers also overcome. The book of Revelation says that believers conquer “by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” The blood of Christ is the seal of our salvation, the protection against the enemy, and the assurance that we belong to God.

For those who have been saved, the suffering of this world is the worst they will ever experience. Heaven holds no pain, no sorrow, no death. It holds only the fullness of life in the presence of God. All of this is possible because of the cross.

The cross is not simply a symbol of suffering; it is the proof that God is for us. The blood of Jesus declares that every debt has been paid, every barrier removed, and every weapon of the enemy disarmed. Those who trust in Christ stand forgiven, restored, and secure forever.

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who [a]are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 1:18

Seeing the Holiness of God Changes Everything

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ANDY ANDERSON

The Bible teaches that God is holy, and understanding His holiness changes how people see themselves, their lives, and their worship. Revelation chapters 4 and 5 describe a powerful vision of heaven where all creation bows before God and the Lamb, Jesus Christ. Consider that worship is not just about singing or emotion; it is about recognizing who God truly is and responding to His worth.

In the vision, heavenly beings continually praise God, saying “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty.” The elders fall before Him, casting their crowns at His feet, declaring that He alone deserves glory, honour, and power because He created all things. The same scene continues when the Lamb, Jesus, appears. The elders and angels worship Him because He was slain and has redeemed people from every nation through His blood.

Worship is not limited to songs or services. It is about understanding the holiness and authority of God. Heaven responds with complete humility and gratitude, yet many on earth struggle to do the same. The question is not whether God is worthy but whether people will humble themselves enough to worship Him as He deserves.

The preacher in the message emphasized that true worship begins when we let the Word of God move us. Church should never be treated as routine, because each moment in God’s presence carries eternal weight. God’s Word has the power to transform lives, but only if hearts are open and willing to respond.

When Isaiah saw a vision of God’s throne in Isaiah chapter 6, he realized how unclean he was. He said, “Woe is me, for I am undone.” Seeing God’s holiness made him see his own sin. Before that moment, Isaiah had been judging others, but once he saw the Lord, he recognized his own need for forgiveness. God then cleansed him and called him into service. Real change begins when a person sees the holiness of God and confesses their sin honestly.

King Uzziah’s life also teaches this truth. As a young ruler, he followed God and prospered, but when he became proud, he forgot that his success came from God. His pride led to his downfall. Isaiah witnessed this and later saw that even the greatest of men are nothing compared to the Lord who reigns forever. Human strength and success fade, but God’s holiness and faithfulness never change.

The vision in Isaiah also describes heavenly beings who cover their faces and feet as they worship. Even they, created to serve God, humble themselves before Him. In this we see that reverence is not outdated. God’s holiness demands humility, modesty, and obedience.

The Bible says that even creation trembles before God. The mountains shake and the earth melts at His presence, yet many people remain unmoved. If the earth, which has no soul, responds to His power, then surely those who know Him should respond with deeper reverence.

Because of Jesus Christ, believers are invited to come boldly before God, not with pride but with humility and gratitude. Jesus’ sacrifice makes this possible. Without Him, no one could stand before a holy God. Prayer, worship, and obedience should flow from this understanding, not from duty but from love and awe.

Isaiah’s response after being forgiven was simple: “Here am I; send me.” When a person experiences God’s holiness and mercy, the only right answer is surrender. Saying yes to God means trusting Him completely, even when life is hard or uncertain. His holiness guarantees His faithfulness. He never lies, fails, or changes.

We should constantly undergo self-examination. God is still holy. He is still worthy of worship, obedience, and trust. People often hesitate to surrender fully because they want God to fit into their plans, but faith means fitting into His. When believers understand His holiness, they stop doubting His goodness.

God’s holiness reveals His worth. It exposes human sin. It demands surrender. But it also guarantees His faithfulness. He can be trusted completely. When we see Him as He truly is, we can only respond as those in heaven do. By falling before Him in worship, grateful for His mercy and confident in His promises.

1 Peter 1:16

because it is written: “You shall be holy, for I am holy.

Every new beginning calls us to worship

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WILLIAM KILLIAN

The Christian life is filled with new beginnings. From the moment a person turns to Christ, life itself is made new. God, in His mercy, brings change through renewal by giving spiritual birth through His Spirit. In John 3 we see Jesus explaining to Nicodemus that entering God’s kingdom requires being “born again.” This new birth changes the heart, leading a person to turn from sin and trust in Christ.

The Bible often speaks of this newness. Paul wrote that anyone in Christ becomes a new creation, the old life is gone, and everything is made new. He also taught that believers must set aside their old ways and live as people renewed in spirit and truth. This renewal is not a one-time event; it continues throughout a believer’s life. God gives His people many fresh starts. Every new beginning is another chance to trust Him again.

Noah’s Ark after the waters receded. IRS Images, 2025

The story of Noah offers a clear example of this truth. After the flood, when the waters finally receded, Noah and his family stepped onto a changed earth. Everything familiar was gone. Their home, neighbours, and community had vanished under the judgment of God. The first thing Noah did was not rebuild or plant crops. He built an altar and worshipped. His first act after surviving such destruction was to give thanks.

Noah’s worship showed deep gratitude. He recognized that he was alive only because of God’s mercy. While others perished, God preserved him and his family. Out of thankfulness, Noah offered clean animals as sacrifices. This was not a small gesture because it cost him something valuable. The animals he offered could have helped repopulate the earth or fed his family. Yet Noah gave them to God as a symbol of gratitude and dependence. True worship often requires giving up something precious.

Noah’s offering also showed his understanding of sin and forgiveness. Burnt offerings in the Old Testament represented atonement and complete dedication to God. The sacrifice was fully burned, symbolizing the worshipper’s total surrender. From the earliest days, these sacrifices pointed ahead to the perfect atonement that would come through Jesus Christ. Scripture tells us that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin. The blood of animals could not remove sin forever, they only pointed toward the cross, where Christ would give His life for humanity.

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
O precious is the flow
that makes me white as snow;
no other fount I know;
nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Jesus is the final and perfect sacrifice. His death fully paid for sin and brought forgiveness to all who believe. Through faith in Him, we receive the same mercy that saved Noah, not from a flood of water, but from the judgment our sins deserve.

Noah’s worship also demonstrated consecration. He devoted himself completely to God, acknowledging his dependence and desire to live in obedience. Christians today are called to do the same. Paul urges believers to present their bodies as living sacrifices, lives set apart for God’s purpose, holy and pleasing to Him. Living this way means submitting our will to God, allowing His word to shape how we think and act.

Finally, Noah’s faith was expressed through trust. After his sacrifice, God promised never again to destroy the world by flood. Even though human hearts remained sinful, God declared that the natural order, seedtime and harvest, day and night, would continue as long as the earth remains. This was a promise of mercy, despite humanity’s continued weakness.

Noah did not hear God’s promise immediately. The Scripture says God spoke these words “in His heart.” Yet Noah still believed. His faith was shown through his obedience and worship. In the same way, believers today are called to live by faith, trusting God’s word even when His promises are not yet seen.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

2 Corinthians 5:17

The Mountain of the Lord and the Hope of True Peace

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JOHN COPIC

Isaiah chapter 2 describes a vision that looks beyond the troubles of Judah to a future time when God’s truth will reach the whole world. The prophet Isaiah first spoke about the sin and rebellion of his people, but he also gave a message of hope. In this new chapter, Isaiah turns to what he calls “the latter days,” when the “mountain of the Lord” would rise above all others. This is not about a physical mountain but a spiritual truth: God’s kingdom will be lifted up as the place where all nations find instruction and peace.

Isaiah says that people from every nation will say, “Let us go to the mountain of the Lord.” In other words, they will seek the knowledge of God and desire to walk in His ways. Christians understand this as a picture of the gospel spreading throughout the world. After Jesus came, the message of salvation began in Jerusalem and moved outward to all nations. The early church, first made up of Jewish believers, grew to include Gentiles from many lands. Men like Paul and Titus helped establish churches that carried on the mission of Christ, teaching others and raising new leaders. This fulfilled Isaiah’s image of people flowing toward God’s mountain, not in a physical sense, but by faith in Jesus Christ.

Isaiah also spoke about peace among nations. He wrote that people would beat their swords into plowshares and no longer train for war. The prophet’s words are carved on a wall at the United Nations, expressing humanity’s longing for peace. Yet history shows that human efforts alone cannot end conflict. Wars have filled every century, and peace treaties often fail. The problem lies in the human heart. The belief that people are naturally good ignores the truth of human sin. Real peace does not come from politics or power. Real truth comes from Christ, who brings peace between God and man.

Isaiah’s vision continues with a warning against pride and false gods. The people of Judah had filled their land with wealth, horses, and idols. They trusted in what their own hands had made. Isaiah mocked this foolishness: a man cuts down a tree, uses part of it for firewood, and with the rest makes an idol to worship. Such worship is empty and blind. The Bible teaches that idols are nothing, though evil spirits may stand behind them.

The prophet also spoke about the coming “day of the Lord.” This day will bring judgment on pride and idolatry. Those who exalt themselves will be brought low, and only the Lord will be lifted up. People will try to hide from His glory and throw away their idols, realizing too late how worthless they were. The “day of the Lord” will be a day of fear for those who reject God, but a day of rest and joy for those who belong to Him. For believers, it marks the beginning of eternal peace in the new heavens and the new earth.

Human pride cannot stand before God. Wealth, power, and idols, whether of gold or self, will all pass away. True security is found only in the Lord. Those who turn to Him find forgiveness and peace that no nation or ruler can give.

As Isaiah told us: The time will come when the Lord alone is worshipped, and all idols will vanish. Until then, believers are called to walk in His light, trust His Word, and share His message of salvation with the world.

For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,

Ephesians 2:14

When God Seems Silent He Still Remembers

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ANDY ANDERSON

Life often leads us through times that cause us to look back and remember how God has worked to bring us to where we are. Reflection helps us see His steady hand through both joy and hardship. Even in the darkest times, God remains faithful to His people, though it may not always feel that way in the moment.

The story of Noah reminds us that God’s care never stops. Genesis 8 describes how Noah, his family, and the animals waited in the ark as the flood covered the earth. For months, they were surrounded by water, cut off from everything they had known. The silence must have been heavy, and Noah may have wondered if God had forgotten him. But Scripture begins that chapter with an important truth: “God remembered Noah.” When the time was right, the waters began to fall, the land dried, and life began again.

To say that God “remembered” does not mean He had once forgotten. Instead, it means He acted in faithfulness to His promise. God remembers His people by keeping His word and fulfilling His covenant. This truth appears throughout Scripture. When Rachel was unable to have a child, God “remembered” her and opened her womb. When the people of Israel suffered under slavery in Egypt, God “remembered” His covenant with Abraham and rescued them. God always acts according to His promises, even when His people cannot see how.

The Bible tells of two main covenants that shape all of history. The first, made with Adam, depended on perfect obedience. When Adam broke that covenant, sin and death entered the world. But God revealed another covenant soon after, the covenant of grace. In it, He promised that one of Eve’s descendants would overcome evil and restore what was broken. That descendant is Jesus Christ.

Jesus lived the life of perfect obedience that no one else could. He fulfilled every command of God and then willingly suffered death on the cross to pay for sin. His resurrection proved that His work was complete and that God’s promise was unbreakable. Because of Him, people can be saved not by earning it, but by trusting in what Jesus has already done. Faith, not human effort, brings people into God’s covenant of grace.

Throughout the Bible, we see God’s remembering in action. He remembered His people when they were lost, afraid, or silent before Him. He remembered them through exile, slavery, and hardship. After centuries of waiting, He remembered His promise and sent His Son into the world. Even when people thought He had forgotten them, He was preparing their deliverance.

God still remembers His people today. When believers go through times of suffering, loss, or confusion, He does not turn away. Like Noah waiting in the ark, they may feel forgotten, but God’s promise stands. His faithfulness does not depend on our strength but on His unchanging character.

One day, everything God has promised through Christ will be fully complete. Until then, His people can trust that they are never abandoned. His covenant is sealed by the blood of Jesus, and His love does not fail.

When life feels uncertain and prayers seem unanswered, we can remember that God has engraved His people on the palms of His hands. He cannot forget those He has called His own.

Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever abandon you,”

Hebrews 13:5