Hypocritical · Judging · Matthew · Mercy

Are Christians Forbidden From Judging?

Many times I hear from people who aren’t Christians, “you are judging, Christians are not supposed to judge.” They point to one of the few verses they know, which is Matthew 7:1a, which says, “judge not.” But they don’t have anything to say beyond that. If we only looked at those two words, we would… Continue reading Are Christians Forbidden From Judging?

Forgiveness · Lament · Lamentations · Mercy · New Year

New Mercies for a New Year

As we approach a new year, many of us are excited. We have had a great last year, and we are hoping that this year is the same. For those whose last year was not what they had hoped for, there can be new mercies this year. As the author of Lamentations writes “His mercies… Continue reading New Mercies for a New Year

God's Word · Grace · Love · Mercy

The Difference Between Grace and Mercy

Grace and mercy are major themes throughout Scripture. They are both such a blessing to us, but have very different meanings. Often people confuse the two terms because of their similarities. Let’s simplify them here. We are going to oversimplify the terms here, so note that this is not an in-depth study. GRACE: RECEIVING A… Continue reading The Difference Between Grace and Mercy

Grace · Legalism · Love · Mercy · Pharisees · Salvation

What is Christian Legalism?

There is a lot we could say about legalism and how to define it. Legalism comes in many shapes and sizes and can’t be easily pinpointed. In short, legalism is man-centered, performance-based faith – and is not God-dependent. It says that everything is earned through keeping rules. Or we could define legalism as “adding” to… Continue reading What is Christian Legalism?