Sermons, Articles, and Other Things

Context One matter that needs clarified is whether or not there is a particular reference to the devil here. The word translated as ‘evil’ can mean ‘evil one’. The word could be neuter or masculine because it is spelt the same in each. Since the devil tempts to evil, we can see how it can refer to him. The context of this petition is its link with the preceding one which was concerned with forgiveness of sins. A failure to forgive will result in temptation. It is also connected by the conjunctions at the start of each verse to the petition about daily bread. The implication is that physical strength can bring about circumstances in which we will be tempted.    Connections A person who has experienced forgiveness fears the power of sin. When he asks for forgiveness, he knows something of the awfulness of sin; and he hates it to such an extent that he never wants to experience its awfulness again. He prays for pardon aware of the power of sin to tempt him. If I treat carelessly ...

One of the common problems of life is deception. It occurs at all levels. Advertisements continually lead us up many roads of deception. The goal of many of them is not to convince us that the item is good and working – the government has rules in place to prevent that if the item is a con. Rather the deception is designed to convince us that we really need that product, and that once we have it, it will do wonders for us in our own sight and in the sight of others. We can convince ourselves that we have changed when in fact we haven’t. Everyone else can see that we have not changed.   Something similar can occur with distortions of the Christian message. John mentions such a deception in verse 8. Some people were claiming not to have any sin. This problem is not confined to ancient times. Spurgeon mentions an incident when he met a man who claimed not to have sinned for months. We may not recommend Spurgeon’s response, but it was effective in letting the man know he was a sinner. ...

In this petition, Jesus focuses on a particular area of Christian family life, the need of forgiveness. It has a corporate dimension because the Saviour uses plural pronouns: ‘Forgive us   our debts, as   we   forgive those trespass against us . ’ While this does not mean that we cease to pray as individuals, it does mean that we do not pray only as individuals.   Another detail to note about this petition is that it is the only one about which a solemn warning is given in the context: ‘ For   if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.’   The presence of the conjunction There is another detail in the context which may be worth noting. Arthur Pink observes that this is the first petition in the Lord’s Prayer that is preceded by the conjunction ‘and’. He then proceeds to say that there is a connection between praying for dail...

The contents of the chapter are divided by three references to a date (vv. 1, 10, 20), although the last two references are to the same date. The divisions are connected to three different messages that Haggai gave. We can consider the first one in which the message is to look ahead.   The date of this message, the twenty-first day of the seventh month, was the last day of the annual Feast of Tabernacles, which celebrated the arrival of the children of Israel in the land after the Exodus. The seventh month was also the month in which Solomon had dedicated his temple. It is likely that the people would have considered those events in some way at that time. So there would have been reminiscing taking place.   This first message was addressed to the political leader Zerubbabel, the religious leader Joshua, and the people in general. In this message, they are urged to look ahead and anticipate what God would do. Part of the problem that they faced was due to a wrong use of memory....

Sometimes a company wants a slogan or a mission statement that summarises what it is focused on. If someone said to us, ‘Tell me about God in three words,’ what would we say? We might respond, ‘Oh, that is not possible.’ But John here uses three words, and later on he has another three-word statement, ‘God is love.’ Of course, a slogan or mission statement is designed that questions will be asked about it, and something similar happens with John’s description about God. Indeed, John himself expands on it when he says that there is no darkness in God.    We can see from the context that by God John means the Father. (James calls him the Father of lights, which seems to be a reference to him as Creator.) John says here that Jesus revealed the Father, although there is not much in the Gospels about specific teaching about the Father as light. It has been suggested that what John means is that Jesus in his life revealed what the Father was like, that he as the Light revealed ...