Category: Bible Study

“Thanks be to God, though once you were slaves of sin, you sincerely obeyed that rule of teaching which was imparted to you; freed from your sin, you became slaves of justice.” –Romans 6:17-18 The Lord reveals that every human being is by nature a slave. We may think we’re doing our own thing, but we’re really doing someone else’s. We don’t have a choice about being slaves, but we can choose whose slaves we will be. We can choose “the slavery of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to justice” (Rm 6:16). If we refuse...

“Ears open to obedience…” –Psalm 40:7 Sin is rebellion against an all-holy God. Because God is so great, sin is very evil – so evil that it penetrated and warped human nature. “Through one man sin entered the world and with sin death” (Rm 5:12). The effects of sin were so catastrophic that God became a human being, died on the cross, and gave us the opportunity to be born again into a new nature (see Jn 3:3). As powerful as sin is, Jesus’ obedience is much more powerful. “Just as through one man’s disobedience all became sinners, so through...

“The words, ‘It was credited to him,’ were not written with him alone in view; they were intended for us too. For our faith will be credited to us also if we believe in Him Who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.” –Romans 4:23-24 God promised Abraham that He would remove the supposed curse of childlessness and make him the father of many nations. Although Abraham was nearing one hundred years old without these promises fulfilled (Rm 4:19), “he never questioned or doubted God’s promise; rather, he was strengthened in faith and gave glory to God, fully persuaded that...

“You do not know what you are asking.” –Mark 10:38 The Lord commands us to “confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and favor and to find help in time of need” (Heb 4:16). When we do this, however, we should try to understand the implications of what we are asking (Mk 10:38). If we ask for many to be justified and saved, we are also asking that we share in Christ’s redemptive sufferings (Is 53:11; Col 1:24). If we pray for the will of the Lord to be accomplished through us, we are also asking for the...

“When they bring you before synagogues, rulers, and authorities, do not worry about how to defend yourself.” –Luke 12:11 Today the Church celebrates the feast of a martyr, St. Ignatius of Antioch. The word martyr means “witness,” but has come to denote a person killed for their faith in Jesus. Martyrs are so devoted to Jesus and the spread of His Good News that instead of giving up their witness to Jesus, they give up their life for Jesus. They depend on faith (Rm 4:16), never despairing in the face of persecution and suffering. Whether or not we are put...