Category: What do you think?

A Warning from the End of the Bible

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AMY TURNER

In the closing words of the Bible, we find one of the most serious cautions God gives to His people. Revelation 22:18–19 tells us that anyone who adds to the words of this book will face the plagues written in it. Some readers worry this may apply to moments when they have misunderstood the Bible.

Misunderstanding God’s Word is always harmful because it can lead us away from truth, but that is not what Revelation is addressing here. The warning is about deliberately adding new ideas or teachings to the Word of God. This command appears at the very end of the Bible to remind us that nothing should ever be placed alongside or beyond what God has spoken.

Even though people sincerely want to know the Bible, false teaching can still lead them astray. The responsibility of every believer is to stay close to God’s Word as it is written, without changing or adding to it. The judgment described in Revelation is for those who attempt to expand or alter what God has completed.

Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other.

1 Corinthians 4:6

The Seriousness of Condemning Words

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JEFF TURNER

In Matthew 5:22, Jesus warns that calling someone a “fool” can place a person in danger of hell. This is not about casual name-calling but about speech filled with deep anger and contempt. The word “fool” in this context was a severe insult. It attacked not only a person’s intelligence but also their worth and character, treating them as if they were worthless.

Such language is more than unkind. This kind of speech reflects a heart that seeks to condemn and dehumanize. Speaking this way is rooted in hostility and rebellion, and it aligns with the behaviour of those who do not belong to God’s kingdom.

Followers of Christ are called to speak with grace and to avoid words that tear others down. Our speech should build others up and benefit those who hear, showing the love of Christ rather than the spirit of the world.

Let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but if there is any good word for edification according to the need of the moment, say that, so that it will give grace to those who hear.

Ephesians 4:29

Following God Brings Direction and Peace

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FLOYD ROGERS

Rushing ahead without waiting on God can lead to problems. When we act on our own, we often miss His timing. But when we follow God’s lead, we move only when He says it’s time. The first few steps may feel uncomfortable or uncertain, and sometimes, even later steps can feel just as challenging. Still, God may shift our path. He may ask us to turn in a new direction. We are called to trust Him, even when it doesn’t make complete sense.

God doesn’t leave us alone to figure things out. He promises to lead us, not just at the start, but all the way through.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go;
I will advise you with My eye upon you.

Psalm 32:8

The True Meaning of Encouragement

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AMY TURNER

Hebrews 3 reminds Christians to strengthen one another so that sin does not harden their hearts. Encouragement is more than kind words meant to make someone feel better. In the New Testament, the word translated as “encourage” comes from a term that means to come alongside and give instruction or warning.

Encouragement does include compassion, kindness, and support, but it also involves speaking truth about sin. Real care for others is not only about lifting them up but also about helping them see when harmful choices are shaping their lives. Scripture even says that the wounds of a friend can be trusted, meaning that honest warnings given in love are one of the strongest acts of friendship.

Jesus gave direction in Matthew 18 that if someone sees a fellow believer in sin, they should approach them with concern, address the problem, and guide them back toward holiness.

True encouragement, then, is both gentle and serious. It comforts, but it also cautions, pointing people away from sin and toward the life God calls them to live.

But encourage one another every day, as long as it is still called “today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

Hebrews 3:13

The Judgment Seat and the Value of Our Works

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JEFF TURNER

In 2 Corinthians 5:10, Paul teaches that every believer will stand before the judgment seat of Christ to be repaid for what was done in life, whether good or bad. This does not mean Christians will face God’s punishment. Scripture is clear that Jesus took the full penalty for sin through his death, bearing the judgment we deserved. Consider Romans 8:1 says, “Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

The word “bad” in this passage comes from a term meaning useless or without value. At this future judgment, worthless deeds, those with no eternal importance, will be set aside. These are not sinful acts, but activities that hold no lasting spiritual impact.

What will remain are the righteous works God has produced in us. These will form the basis of our eternal reward. This truth calls believers to focus on what matters for eternity, investing time and effort in works that honour Christ rather than in things that will pass away.

…each one’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each one’s work. If anyone’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward.

1 Corinthians 3:13–14