About Difficult People and the State of Your Soul

About Difficult People and the State of Your Soul

It happens in the quietest moments and the busiest places. You step into the office, join a family gathering, or stand in line at a grocery store, and suddenly the atmosphere changes. One abrasive remark, one arrogant posture, or one rebellious attitude disrupts the entire environment. It is easy to look at that individual and ask, “Why are they like this? Why must there always be someone who spoils the peace?”

Scripture reveals that this constant collision with difficult people is neither an accident nor an administrative oversight in the order of the world. In Matt.13:24-30, Jesus presents the parable of the wheat and the tares. A farmer sows good seed in his field, but while men sleep, an enemy sows weeds directly alongside the wheat. When the servants ask if they should pull up the tares immediately, the master answers in Matt.13:28-30, "He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn." While the primary, eschatological interpretation of this passage points directly to the end times—when Christ returns in His second coming to execute final judgment—the principle holds an undeniable practical truth for our daily walk.

Until that final harvest arrives, the reality of this present age is that the righteous and the unrighteous reside in the exact same spaces. You cannot escape the tares; they are intentionally left in the field until the end. But while we often view these disruptive individuals as nothing more than an unpleasant nuisance, God views these encounters through an entirely different lens. He allows them in your life not merely to test your endurance, but to expose the true condition of your own heart.

Diagnosing the Root of Strife

Hebrews in Light of Grace (Part 8): The Fifth Course of Punishment and the Expected End

Hebrews in Light of Grace (Part 8): The Fifth Course of Punishment and the Expected End

Spiritual Liberty and Rightly Dividing the Target Audience

True liberty is one of the most misunderstood concepts in modern society. Men often speak of freedom as the unrestrained right to fulfil every personal desire, yet the world remains bound by internal addictions, destructive habits, and spiritual bondage. The Scriptures reveal that actual freedom is not found in self-indulgence, but in the person of Jesus Christ. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (2Cor.3:17). This spiritual freedom stands in stark contrast to the condition of a world trapped in sin, but to understand how God brings ultimate liberty to the earth, one must approach the Bible with careful attention to its design.

A foundational key to understanding God’s Word is recognizing the specific audience of any given passage. Misinterpreting who God is speaking to creates doctrinal confusion. When readers take statements intended for a specific group in a distinct historical or prophetic setting and claim them without regard to context, the clarity of Scripture is lost. For instance, instructions given directly to the Hebrew nation under the law or warnings aimed at a future generation enduring the end times cannot be haphazardly applied to Gentile believers today. Understanding the intended recipient—whether Israel, Judah, the Gentiles, or the Church—ensures that the narrative of God's redemptive plan remains clear and intact.

The Broken Covenant and the Five Courses of Punishment

Hebrews in Light of Grace (Part 3): The Historical Background of Hebrews

Hebrews in Light of Grace (Part 3): The Historical Background of Hebrews

The Need for Context in Scripture

When we approach any specific portion of Scripture without first understanding its historical and dispensational background, confusion follows very quickly. Hebrews is one of the clearest examples of this. It stands as the fifty-eighth book of the Bible, and it leans on the foundation already laid in the fifty-seven books before it. If isolated passages from Hebrews are lifted out of that larger line of revelation, it becomes easy to misread truths that are plainly established elsewhere in the Word of God.

To read Scripture accurately, a believer needs to recognize that God speaks across different time periods and to different groups of people. Every word of God is pure, plain, and right to those who seek truth, but spiritual clarity also requires us to respect the distinct settings in which God revealed His plan (Ps.12:6; Prov.8:8-9). That is why a faithful study of Hebrews must trace the movement of Scripture from creation through the calling of Israel, observing how God’s dealings develop across time. Without that context, someone could easily take a handful of verses from Hebrews and use them to challenge clear doctrines given to us for the present age of grace.

Two Realms, Man's Creation, and Earthly Dominion

The story of Bible history begins at the very start of creation. When God brought the universe into existence, He established two primary realms: the heaven and the earth (Gen.1:1). Scripture identifies the heaven as the location of God’s supreme throne, while the earth was fashioned to be His footstool (Isa.66:1). These were not empty spaces without meaning. They were filled with order, authority, government, and purpose.

Within these two realms, God established a complete system of rule. All things in heaven and on earth—visible and invisible, whether thrones, dominions, principalities, or powers—were created by Jesus Christ and for Him (Col.1:16). Every authority structure was originally designed to carry out the divine will and reflect the absolute glory of the Creator (Rev.4:11). This is also where the repeated biblical pattern of the number twelve becomes significant, as it appears in connection with governmental perfection: the twelve constellations, the twelve months of the year, the twelve tribes of Israel, and the twelve apostles who will sit on twelve thrones (Gen.49:28; Matt.19:28; Rev.21:12-14).

So from the beginning, Scripture presents creation not merely as a physical environment, but as a governed order under God’s throne.

Unmixed Grace: Why Human Effort Cannot Purchase Righteousness

Unmixed Grace: Why Human Effort Cannot Purchase Righteousness

It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking our personal goodness plays a hand in securing our standing before God. Many people profess a belief in salvation by grace, yet secretly attach a checklist of human effort to guarantee it. Scripture makes a clear distinction: grace and human effort cannot mix when it comes to being declared righteous.

The Biblical Truth: An Absolute Separation

The Apostle Paul details this exact boundary in Scripture. When God counts a person as righteous, it is either an unmerited gift or a wage earned. It cannot be both.

"And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work." (Rom.11:6)

If you attempt to add your own performance to the gift of God, you nullify the very nature of grace. Grace means undeserved favor. A wage, on the other hand, is something you earn through labor.

"Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." (Rom.4:4-5)

When human effort enters the equation of salvation, man takes part of the credit. But God designed His plan so that all praise belongs exclusively to Him.

"To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved." (Eph.1:6)

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Eph.2:8-9)

Understanding the Difference: The Mortgage Analogy

The Power of Transforming Grace Seen Through Our Doctrine

The Power of Transforming Grace Seen Through Our Doctrine

In Paul’s short but profound letter to Philemon, we see a real-life application of the gospel’s transformative power. It is a letter that does not merely teach doctrine but demonstrates how doctrine must be lived. Through the example of Onesimus, Philemon, and Paul, we are called to elevate truth above self, allowing Christ within us to reign above every carnal impulse—above grudges, revenge, ownership, greed, lusts, and the pride of life.

Onesimus: A Life Transformed

Onesimus was once unprofitable—both spiritually and practically. A runaway slave who likely stole from his master, he embodied the fallen nature of man: seeking self-will above truth, circumstance above faith. But when he encountered Paul in prison, everything changed. By the grace of God, he was begotten in bonds—he got saved and regenerated anew in Christ. His transformation wasn’t just a personal improvement; it redefined his entire identity. He was no longer just Philemon’s servant; he became a brother in the Lord.

This is the reality of salvation. We are not just improved versions of our former selves—we are made new. Onesimus, once a thief and a fugitive, became “profitable” through Christ, Phm.1:11; Tit.3:8. Not because he gained worldly wealth or influence, but because the gospel infused him with purpose. Like Onesimus, we must recognise that transformation in Christ is not about external change but about internal renewal.

Philemon: A Call to Forgiveness

Philemon had every legal right to punish Onesimus. The world would say that justice demands retribution. Carnal nature whispers: Let him suffer. Teach him a lesson. Own your rights. But Paul makes a different appeal—not based on law, but on grace.

The Journey: Part 5 - Justification through Christ

Start here at the Introduction: The Journey Begins

The Journey: Part 5 - Justification through Christ

The topic of justification is often complicated by theological attempts to explain what happens in the spiritual context of a person's salvation. Though I do want to get a bit deeper into this topic in this post, it is notable that it can also be a very easy topic if one simply receives it by the same faith that brought you to salvation in Christ in the first place. To dive into this post let me start by defining the word justification from a Biblical stance.

What is 'Justification'

The Righteous are not Immune to Vanity

The Righteous are not Immune to Vanity

If your view of life is focused only on this current world and your time in it, then it is a natural thing to build a life, gain wealth, make memories, and aim for a comfortable retirement. However, this is not the view that the Bible promotes. In the context of a Biblical view, an eternal view, a view that places value on a human life after death, the Bible speaks of life as vanity, which literally means "vapor" or "breath", and is also translated as "meaningless", "emptiness", or "futility". Both Psalms and Ecclesiastes raise this topic throughout their pages,

If God can only save through the cross of Christ, then how can He be all powerful?

 

Question:

Is God's power to save people limited through the crucifixion of Jesus alone? If that is the case, then how can God be believed to have unlimited power?

Answer:

Read the answer to this question, here.

What happens to the righteous and wicked at death?

The following is my 'current' interpretation of the scriptures. I do not claim to be dogmatic on this topic, but then again, neither can anyone else. I'm answering this simply to provide you, the reader, with scriptures that you can interpret for yourself and formulate your own conclusion.

The word "hell" is translated as "grave" in both the Hebrew ("Sheol") and Greek ("Hades") languages. Grave represents death, or to sleep, or an unconscious state of inactivity.

Ecc.9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

Understanding the New Testament Gospel Differences (Part 4)

Understanding the New Testament Gospel Differences (Part 4 --- Righteous Works)

We continue with the comparison of the gospel of God and the gospel of Christ by looking at key elements that distinguish them from each other. I recommend to start at the beginning of this comparison to gain the necessary context of this series of posts.

Righteous works

Because the gospel of God was based on works, you will naturally see this works requirement manifest in the lives and actions of those who committed to, and were saved, under this gospel in the Acts period. For a Jew who believed in the gospel of God, that Jesus was risen and was the Christ, their works program did not change at all. They simply continued their routines based on the requirements of the Kingdom gospel, so there is not much we can learn from their accounts. However, by looking at examples from the saved Gentiles in this time, and what they did, we can glean an understanding that the gospel of God certainly had works unto salvation, as opposed to the gospel of Christ where we do not see this evidence.

S-A: (Rev20-6) He that hath part in the first resurrection

Scripture Analysis: (Rev.20:6) Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection