Category Archives: Pastoring

He Is Our Peace

“For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation.” (Eph 2:14)

In Isaiah 9:6-7, the Lord Jesus came as “the Prince of Peace” who gave the ultimate sacrifice to bring peace between God and humanity. Not only has the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ given us a new life, it also brings reconciliation between the Jews and Gentiles. The dividing wall of hostility that has separated Gentiles from Jews for centuries was the law of commandments and ordinances. The broken body of the Lord through the cross reconciled all men, including both Jews and Gentiles, to God.

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He Comforts Us

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“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2Co 1:3-4)

Paul calls God “the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.” God cares about us and helps us in our weakness and suffering. We may suffer for our faith or for the ministry. The source of suffering could be persecution, ideological disputes, differing ideas between members, natural and man-made disasters such as wars, famines, and a pandemic. But our Lord is an almighty, merciful, and loving God. He will help us. He will enable us to endure through our affliction when we rely on Him. The Holy Spirit is our comforter. The Bible says that “now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Rom 5:5). When we receive comfort from God, we are to pass on the comfort we have received to others who are in suffering.

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He Is Holy

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But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Pet 1:15-16)

God is holy and we should also be holy in all our conduct. The basic idea of holiness in the Bible is separation from all that is profane. In Leviticus, God was concerned with the ritual of the sacrificial system as well as with ethical requirements. The biblical distinction between “clean” and “unclean” is the way God designated the difference between what He could receive into His presence and what must remain apart from Him. Only people, animals, and objects designated as clean could enter the tabernacle, and later the temple, as part of the worship of God. Specific rituals were instituted by God for making an “unclean” person or object “clean”. The designation of “clean” and “unclean” also implies a distinction between ethical character and behavior that is acceptable to God from that which is unacceptable.

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He Is the Head

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“but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head–Christ –” (Eph 4:15)

Jesus Christ is our head. His will is our rule. His word is our law. We must be careful not to drift away from a firm commitment to Christ. To grow up in all things into Him, we need to know Him better and better so that after accepting Jesus Christ as Lord of our life, we will continue to follow Jesus and His leadership.

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He Is the Chief Cornerstone

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“Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.” (Eph 2:20)

The house of God is built upon the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone. The definition of the cornerstone from Wikipedia: “The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.”

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