In the previous articles on the Insider Movements (IM), we have surfaced four IM commitments which counter the teaching of Scripture. 1. IM calls believers to stay in. God’s Word calls believers to come out.[1] 2. IM makes the old trump the…
Read Matthew 5:17-20 The first verses in this chapter examined the Christian’s character as described by the Beatitudes. Following that, we saw what the influence of Christian would be. In these present verses, we proceed to a different subject—the Christian…
When did you die? Michael Allen Rogers wrote recently that he died in 1957, when he was just eight years old.[1] Personally, I’ve had several near-death experiences, but I didn’t really die until 2006, partway through my undergraduate studies. The…
Read Matthew 5:14-16 If you remember Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth…” then you’ll recognize the parallel with this second metaphor. First there is the emphatic affirmation. You (plural, ‘y’all disciples’) yourselves are the light of the…
This article is the fourth in a series on the Insider Movement. The first article is titled “Stay in or Come Out?” the second part is “Old Trumps New or New Trumps Old,” and the third is called “Who am I and Who…
Read Matthew 5:13-16 One of the things that is clear from the Beatitudes is that they cannot be practiced in total isolation. Evidently, the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount were not designed primarily for monastic living. You cannot…
This article is the third in a series on the Insider Movement. The first article is titled “Stay in or Come Out?” and second part is “Old Trumps New or New Trumps Old.” Who Says? Since the events recorded in the third chapter…
In our prior article responding to the Insider Movement (IM), entitled, “Stay in or Come Out,” we examined a prevailing contrast between IM and Scripture: IM calls believers to stay in. God’s Word calls believers to come out. In this…
Read Matthew 5:7-12 The Beatitudes provide moral virtues for believers. But to avoid moralism, we should also note how each of these was perfectly incarnate in Christ; they each point us to our Savior. #5. Blessed are the merciful. (5:7)…
Because of its shared faith and shared confession in the risen Christ, the worldwide confessing Church must maintain mutual accountability in the advance of the gospel. To safeguard faithful missions in the global Church is an act of faith and…
