The God who upholds the world is especially present to give strength to those who believe.
Despite its humble appearance, Christ's Church is the best group you could ever be a part of.
Faithful church government and church leaders are gifts to us, from Christ himself.
His good design includes laying out a grid for Biblical manhood and womanhood [in the worship of the Church].
God wants his churches to be filled with prayer. He wants us to pray with holy hands, and for our prayers to be all-encompassing, peace-pursuing, salvation-seeking, and God-glorifying.
To wage good warfare as Christians, we need encouragement (from God's word), the right equipment (faith and a good conscience), and knowledge about our enemies (how they became enemies, where they're headed, and the hope for them) if we hope to succeed.
Why did Jesus come? Paul says Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. And when Jesus saves sinners, he transforms them too!
And the aim of our work, on Jesus’s behalf, is to advance this love – to promote the influence of Christ’s love, both in ourselves, and in the people around us.
Paul warns of false teachers who were leading people away from the gospel, not necessarily by proclaiming blatant heresy, but by offering people lesser pleasures that distract from the true gospel, which calls us to find satisfaction in our blessed Triune God.
Paul won’t spend much time in this letter explaining how God saved us. He gives more attention to that in his other letters. But the understanding that underlies this whole letter is that we have a God who saves – a God who speaks for our good. And that explains why we listen to his voice, with trust and with joy...