Will you spend eternity separated from God in the place Jesus described as one where the fire is never quenched and the worm does not die? Or will you spend eternity in His presence, where He will wipe away every tear and there will be no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain?
And perhaps an equally important question is this: How can you know?
Some people base their assurance on church attendance, baptism, good works, or a prayer they prayed years ago. But can any of those things guarantee that we belong to Christ? And if we have genuinely been saved, should there be evidence in our lives?
Today, as Isaiah turns his attention toward God’s coming judgment on the whole earth, we’ll talk about eternity, salvation, and how we can have biblical assurance that we will “always be with the Lord.” And in Psalm 107, we’ll see a beautiful picture of what happens when sinners who cannot save themselves cry out to the only One who can.
We all sin in many ways. Even when we desire to do right, our motives can be mixed and self-serving. David understood the deceitfulness of his own heart and prayed, “Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me.”
What are presumptuous sins, and why was David so concerned about them? Could we be guilty when we knowingly choose to sin while reasoning, “I know it’s wrong, but God will forgive me”?
And there are other ways we can take God’s grace for granted. In Isaiah, God had mercifully delivered His people from disaster. But instead of recognizing His hand, humbling themselves, and repenting, they simply went on with their lives. God warned them that the next time might be very different.
What about us? When things unexpectedly work out, do we merely count ourselves lucky? Do we congratulate ourselves for handling things well? Or do we recognize God’s mercy and ask what He may be teaching us?
Today we’ll look at presumptuous sin, the danger of taking God’s grace for granted, the difference between worldly sorrow and genuine repentance, and why sometimes loving someone means being willing to confront—or be confronted about—sin.
Most of us probably wouldn’t say outright, “I’m not going to obey God.” Instead, we’re more likely to say, “I know I need to, but …” or “I’ll deal with that later.”
Maybe it’s a relationship we know needs to be reconciled, a sinful habit we need to put off, a spiritual discipline we’ve neglected, or something God has called us to do that we keep postponing.
But Scripture doesn’t give us the option of obeying God when it’s convenient or when we finally feel ready. Delayed obedience is disobedience. And so is partial obedience.
So, is there an area where you already know what God’s Word says but keep putting off doing it? Why are delay and partial obedience so dangerous? And if you’re struggling to obey, where can you turn for help?
Today we’ll look at those questions, along with some practical ways we can help one another grow in faithful obedience and some of the biblical resources I’ve found most helpful in counseling and discipleship.
We live in a world where evil can sometimes seem overwhelming. And when something especially horrific happens, as it does with increasing regularity, it’s easy to become angry, fearful, discouraged, or simply join everyone else in complaining about how bad things have become.
But God calls His people to something very different.
We’re not to mingle with the darkness until we’re indistinguishable from it. Neither are we to retreat into our Christian circles and merely complain about what’s happening outside. We’re called to be salt and light—to live differently, speak the truth in love, and hold out the hope of Christ to a broken world.
That means there will be times when we must call evil what it is, even when doing so is unpopular. But how we do it matters, too. We aren’t to be self-righteous, mean-spirited, or argumentative. Our goal isn’t to win an argument or gain the approval of people. Like Paul, we should “make it our aim … to be well pleasing to Him” (2 Cor. 5.9).
So, when darkness seems to be growing, are we merely whining about it—or are we shining? And what does being salt and light actually look like in times like these?
In our desire to make Christianity understandable and relevant, have we become afraid of biblical terminology? Words like doctrine, theology, sanctification, and justification may sound old-fashioned or overly academic. But when we stop teaching biblical concepts—and even the vocabulary that goes with them—we risk raising a generation that knows very little about what the Bible actually teaches.
And doctrine isn’t just for pastors, theologians, or seminary students. What we believe about God affects how we live every day—especially when life gets hard.
What happens when we have been taught that enough faith should bring health, financial blessing, happy marriages, and children who follow God—but those things don’t happen? Bad doctrine that once sounded encouraging can suddenly leave us questioning God’s goodness, our faith, or both.
In today’s reading, the Apostle Paul gives us a very different picture. He was hard-pressed, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down. Yet he could say, “We do not lose heart.”
How could he endure so much without giving in to despair? And what can his response teach us about the importance of good doctrine when life doesn’t go the way we hoped?
Maybe we would never say outright that we know better than God. Yet every time we know what His Word says and decide our circumstances, feelings, desires, or reasoning justify doing something different, that’s essentially what we’re saying.
In Isaiah, we get a glimpse of Lucifer’s prideful desire: “I will be like the Most High.” And in the Garden, Satan tempted Eve with the same idea: “You will be like God.”
The temptation hasn’t changed. We still want the right to decide for ourselves what is best, what is right, and which parts of God’s Word apply to us.
But our choices don’t affect only us. Paul told the Corinthians that believers are living epistles—letters being read by the people around us. So what is the letter of your life saying about God? Does it say His Word can be trusted and obeyed—or does it say, “I know what God says, but I know better”?
Christians throughout the centuries have been persecuted, rejected, and martyred for their faith. Why does the world seem to hate us so much? Paul Nyquist, in his book Prepare: Living Your Faith in an Increasingly Hostile Culture, lists 3 reasons. And while we can’t avoid these truths, there is an important word of caution we need to consider.
We live in a culture where biblical Christianity is increasingly viewed as intolerant, offensive, or even harmful. Beliefs that were once widely accepted can now cost Christians friendships, opportunities, reputations, and sometimes much more.
Yet none of this should surprise us. Jesus told His followers that persecution would come. The question is: Are we prepared for it?
If greater opposition comes, will we respond with fear, anger, or compromise? Or will we have developed the kind of faith that enables us to stand firm, love our enemies, speak the truth, and trust God with the consequences?
Preparation for persecution doesn’t begin when the pressure becomes severe. It begins now—in what we feed our minds, how well we know God’s Word, how we respond to everyday mistreatment, and whether pleasing Christ is truly our greatest goal.
Sometimes God allows circumstances that should get our attention—events that expose our weakness, shake our sense of security, and remind us how much we need Him.
Judah had received just such a “warning shot.” But instead of turning to God and trusting His Word, many looked elsewhere for answers—to mediums and wizards.
Could America have received warning shots of our own? And rather than turning back to God, have we simply found our own modern-day sources of wisdom and security?
Where do we look when our nation is troubled, when the future seems uncertain, or when we’re afraid? To politicians, experts, commentators, and human solutions—or “to the law and to the testimony”?
Ultimately, the question is not merely what they will do. It’s what we will do. Will we trust God and His Word, or continue looking everywhere else for answers?
God, through the prophet Isaiah, had a great deal to say about judgment. And in Isaiah 3, He spoke directly to the women of Zion. Their clothing, jewelry, perfume, beauty, and appearance had become connected to something much deeper—a heart of pride and a desire to attract attention.
God warned that judgment was coming, even in the very areas they valued so highly.
But does that mean God is against attractive clothing, jewelry, perfume, or other ways we care for our appearance? And what principles might this passage give us about modern questions like tattoos, piercings, t-shirts, modesty, and fashion?
The answer goes deeper than a list of rules. It requires us to examine our motives, our consciences, and the effect our choices may have on others.
And there is another important truth in Isaiah’s warning. God wasn’t warning His people because He delighted in judgment. He was calling them to repent. And in the middle of those warnings, He gave His faithful people a wonderful word of encouragement:
“Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them.”
What does that promise mean when God’s judgment affects the culture and nation around us? And what kind of “divine supports and comforts” does God provide His people in difficult times?
But God didn’t send Isaiah to His people out of meanness. He sent him to warn them so they could repent and turn from evil and going their own way because God cannot be just, holy, and righteous and not judge evil. Something our nation, as a whole, needs to understand.
So, what does all this have to do with tattoos and t-shirts? And what words of encouragement did Isaiah include in his warnings?
But God didn’t send Isaiah to His people out of meanness. He sent him to warn them so they could repent and turn from evil and going their own way because God cannot be just, holy, and righteous and not judge evil. Something our nation, as a whole, needs to understand.
So, what does all this have to do with tattoos and t-shirts? And what words of encouragement did Isaiah include in his warnings?
