James

Have You Died?

January 30, 2025 by Tim Sherfy

You claim Jesus is the Lord of your life, but have you died to sin? Both cannot be true in one’s life. We cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). If we are a slave to sin, we cannot be a servant of God (John 8:34; Romans 6:16). In the same manner, if we are a slave of Christ, sin no longer has any claim on our lives (Romans 6:17-18). There is tremendous freedom in that realization. The chains of sin will drag us to an eternal death, but the blood of Christ penetrates those shackles and causes them to fall away (Colossians 2:13-14).

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We no longer have to carry the weight of our sins (Psalm 103:12; 1 Peter 2:24). As free men and women, why would we ever choose to hunt down those chains, reassemble them and clamp them back on? We need not do that, and if our commitment to Christ is genuine, we never will.

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Violating God’s Will

January 20, 2025 by Tim Sherfy

A couple of different thoughts have been fighting for attention in my mind for the past several days. One was sparked by reading Job 28:28, where God said, “The fear of the Lord is this: wisdom. And to turn from evil is understanding.” We’ve talked about what it means to fear the Lord before (see “The Fear of The Lord”), but this verse is so clear.

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We could take it to mean that it is wise to fear God, which is true, and we can also understand it to be a succinct definition of what fear of God looks like: to be wise. Wisdom will keep us from violating God’s will. Which brings me to the other topic that’s been on my mind: finding God’s will for your life. I’ve also written on that topic before, and if you want a deeper dive, see, “Explaining God’s Will for Your Life.” I submit you will never understand God’s will until you develop a proper fear of His holiness.

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Exchanging Truth for Lies

January 6, 2025 by Tim Sherfy

God’s Word never ceases to amaze in how relevant it remains. Anyone who thinks the Bible is an outdated collection of dusty writings isn’t paying attention. Almost 2,000 years ago, the Apostle Paul penned these words in his letter to the Church in Rome: “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served something created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen” (Romans1:25).

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We see this verse continue to play out in Western countries all over the world. Societies and cultures founded on the principles of Scripture and their faith in God have abandoned the truth of God’s Word to follow their desires, lusts, and pleasures (2 Timothy 3:1-4; 1 John 2:16). They are exchanging truth for lies, convinced their wisdom is superior to God’s (1 Corinthians 1:18-21).

Holy Things

January 2, 2025 by Tim Sherfy

As believers in Jesus, it is our responsibility to steward holy things. We have the written Word of God to preserve and honor (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We must be diligent and zealous in not profaning the Holy Spirit within us because He is holiness personified (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Our greatest stewardship lies in what we do with the gifts God gives to us (1 Peter 4:10-11). In “God Tells the Man Who Cares”, A. W. Tozer wrote, “We should and must learn that we cannot handle holy things carelessly without suffering serious consequences.”

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The consequence of being flippant about our faith, and the exercise of that faith, may very well be a faith that is not real (James 2:17). Without a genuine faith, there is no salvation (Hebrews 11:6). It’s hard to imagine any consequence more dire than that.

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The Direction of Your Life

December 30, 2024 by Tim Sherfy

One of the wonderful things about human beings is we can change the direction of our lives any time we desire. Sometimes this involves major life changes, like switching jobs, going back to school, or retiring. At other times, the change in direction is based in its entirety on adjusting our attitude or the habits we nurture. While wrapping any of these changes in New Year’s resolutions is a popular practice, no one needs to wait until then to change the trajectory of their lives.

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No matter how near or far away the next New Year is, you can decide to change your life today. There is no greater change you can make than deciding to follow Jesus with everything you have in every area of your life (Luke 9:23-24). No decision will have a greater impact on the direction of your life (2 Corinthians 5:17).