Entries by Philip Holder

GOD IS SPIRIT

“‘God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth’” (John 4:24). God is a person, but He has no physical characteristics. God is a person, not some unknowable cosmic force. In His Word, God is called Father, Shepherd, Friend, Counselor, and many other personal names. God is always referred to […]

THE ESSENCE OF IDOLATRY

“‘You thought that I was just like you; I will reprove you, and state the case in order before your eyes’” (Psalms 50:21). Idolatry is more than worshiping some inanimate object; it is having an unworthy conception of God. Western society, with all its culture and scientific knowledge, is in the same satanic trap that […]

WHAT MATTERS MOST

“Walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called” (Ephesians 4:1). Compared to walking worthy of Christ, nothing else is really important. Let’s review what Paul has taught us from Ephesians 4:1-6. God has chosen and called us to be part of His family, and He expects us to act […]

DILIGENTLY PRESERVING UNITY

“Being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). The unity of the Spirit must be earnestly maintained by humble, gentle, patient, loving Christians. Today’s Scripture spells out the goal of the worthy walk: the unity of the Spirit. Jesus prayed for Christians “that they may all be […]

FORBEARING LOVE

“. . . Showing forbearance to one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2). In order to walk worthy, we must forgive our enemies and love them. The term forbearance is not often used today and is therefore unfamiliar to many of us. The Greek word translated “showing forbearance” means “suppressing with silence.” It carries the idea […]

THE EFFECT OF PATIENCE

“Walk . . . with patience” (Ephesians 4:1-2). Patience is crucial to our testimony. The virtues of Ephesians 4:2-3 enable the church of Jesus Christ to have a powerful witness. Many think the key to evangelism is following a specific course or method, but according to Jesus, the greatest way to get people to believe […]

CHRIST'S PATIENT EXAMPLE

“Walk . . . with patience” (Ephesians 4:1-2). Jesus is our greatest example of patience in all that He endured to purchase our redemption. Paul tells us here that the worthy walk is one of patience, and once again we see that Jesus modeled it for us. Throughout the Gospels, He repeatedly demonstrated the three […]

CHRIST' GENTLE EXAMPLE

“Walk . . . with all . . . gentleness” (Ephesians 4:1-2). Jesus is the greatest example of gentleness: He became angry when God the Father was dishonored, but not when He, the Son, was. Jesus Christ is our supreme example of gentleness. Paul refers specifically to this in 2 Corinthians 10:1. Jesus Himself said, […]

GENTLENESS: POWER UNDER CONTROL

“Walk . . . with all . . . gentleness” (Ephesians 4:1-2 NASB) The antidote to our vengeful, violent society is biblical gentleness. More and more violent crimes are committed each year. We need a strong dose of biblical truth to cure these attitudes. The biblical solution is gentleness. The world might interpret gentleness or […]

IDENTIFYING WITH THOSE IN NEED

“Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body” (Hebrews 13:2). Because we too are human beings, God makes it possible for us to empathize with others who might be enduring hardship. The Apostolic Confession, an ancient church confession, says, “If any […]