Posts by John Staiger (Page 43)

Faith and Works#5. “On the Right Side of Judgement.”

The eternal judgement of the Sheep and the Goats of Matthew 25 came down to what they “did” for the Lord. The way that Jesus presents the two groups leaves you in no doubt as to the governing factors of those judgements. The Sheep on the right were judged righteous because they tended to the needs of the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned. Conversely, the Goats on the left were condemned because they…

Faith and Works#4. “Faithful Investors.”

One of the first hymns I sang (as still a visitor) at the Otumoetai Church of Christ in 1977 was, “I want to be a worker for the Lord.” I had never heard such conviction before. The message rang true as they sang:I want to be a worker for the Lord,I want to love and trust His holy Word,I want to sing and pray,Be busy every dayIn the vineyard of the Lord. The Parable of the Talents (Mt.25:14-30) is about…

Faith and Works#3. “Baptism is not a work of man.”

The greatest day of my life was the day that Peter Craig baptised me into Christ. I knew it then, and I am now more convinced than ever that it is so. That one decision put my life on an eternal trajectory that has brought me ever-present blessings in the Lord’s church, and the future hope of heaven. Baptism is no work of man. Jesus told Nicodemus that baptism was the point and means of his spiritual rebirth; “by water…

Faith and Works#2. “Fulfilling The Law of Christ.”

In this sin-fallen world, faith can neither stand alone nor standstill—if it does, it is because it is dead! (See James 2:26). Christian works are the living, practical expressions of one’s faith in Christ. James throws down a challenge to the “Faith Only” preachers: “But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (James 2:18). The apostle Paul, often used…

Faith and Works#1. “Faith without works is Dead” (James 2:26).

Whole denominations are founded on the premise that somehow Faith and Works are mutually exclusive when pertaining to salvation. Thus, it is not surprising that the Book of James was written off by Martin Luther as an “Epistle of Straw” because it contradicted a “Faith Only” doctrine of salvation. James contends that a person who claims to be saved because they believe in the existence of God is no better off than the demons. He says: “You believe that there…

Righteous Judgement#7. “Trial by TV.”

It has been almost 30 years since the OJ Simpson trial. I had never heard of him before the day that the world watched on as the police pursued him in the infamous White Ford Bronco SUV in 1994. His trial drew tens of millions to their TV screens, and an estimated 100 million watched the jury find him “not guilty” of the murders of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ron Goldman. Simpson cut a fine figure…

Righteous Judgement#6. “Judging the Future.”

When my kids were high school age, I asked them if they knew any Frank Sinatra songs. My expectation that at least one of them would break into “I did it my way,” was met with collective silence; not one of them knew a thing about “Old Blue Eyes.” Of course, it just highlighted the fact that “generations come and generations go” (Ecclesiastes 1:4). I’m sure that even Frank would smile to find out that, because of my kids, I…

Righteous Judgement#5. “Judging Snakes.”

In the 1980s I was invited to visit a preacher friend in a faraway city. When sitting down to eat his wife asked him how his visit with Mrs Smith went. “She is doing better,” he said, “but her boys were there standing outside the door waiting for me.” His wife asked him what he said to them, and his reply has stuck with me to this day. “I knew that they didn’t want me there,” he said. “So, I…

Righteous Judgement#4. “Changing Pictures.”

Somebody asked me recently how long I had been singing and playing the guitar. Puzzled at this, I asked them if they had mistaken for someone else. “No,” they said, “we have a photo of you.” Sure enough, they produced a 30-year-old picture of me, sitting with a guitar in hand, and most certainly looking the part. But sadly, my ability to look the part was the only authentic thing about it. It was at about the time that that…

Righteous Judgement#3. “A word to the wise is enough!”

Every parent, guardian, favourite aunt, and schoolteacher all end up praying the same prayer: “Lord, help this child to have some common sense.” It is not for nothing that the scripture says, “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of discipline will remove it far from him” (Proverbs 22:15). Of course, it should go without saying that an adult is a person who has left his childish ways behind. But given the average man’s capacity…