Articles by Jason Patrick Hilburn
Jesus is called “The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6), yet He told His disciples, “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34). How can both statements be true?
There is no contradiction. In one sense, Jesus came to bring peace. In another sense, He knew that His coming and His teachings would bring division.
Jesus Came to Bring Peace
Jesus came to make it possible for men to have peace with God.… Read more
Some misuse Matthew 22:36-40, wrongly teaching that if we “just love God and love others,” we do not need to do anything else to please God. That is false.
Just because Jesus said that loving God and loving our neighbors as ourselves are the greatest commandments does not mean they are the only commandments. In fact, love for God requires obedience and is demonstrated by obedience (John 14:15, 21, 24; 1 John 5:3). The two “greatest commandments” do not eliminate Christ’s other commandments.… Read more
Many today try to justify actions by calling them “loving,” even when those actions contradict what God said. True love does not try to improve God’s standard—it follows it. God has valid reasons for His commands, and they are for our eternal welfare. When we ignore His commands in the name of love, we endanger the very souls we claim to love. Every one of the following actions works against the salvation of souls, in the name of love and tolerance:
Every year, there are lists of the “Top Ten New Year’s Resolutions.” They rarely change: lose weight, exercise more, save money, reduce stress, etc. There is nothing inherently wrong with these goals, but have you noticed they are usually self-centered and focused on temporary physical things rather than eternal ones?
Many people obsess over improving their aging and decaying physical bodies, while completely neglecting their souls that will exist forever. God says that bodily exercise has limited benefits, but godliness is profitable in every way (1 Tim.… Read more
If we know the Truth but refuse to live by it, this reveals a tremendous lack of love on many levels.
• A lack of love for God: If we truly loved Him with all our hearts, we would be doing His will to please Him and to be with Him forever (Mt. 22:36-38; 1 Jn. 2:3-4; 5:3).
• A lack of love for Christ: If we truly loved God’s Son, we would be obeying Him out of gratitude for His selfless sacrifice: “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (Jn.… Read more
When asking the question, “What if Jesus were coming back next week?” understand that there is absolutely no way to know when Jesus will return. Jesus said we cannot know when He will return, and even Jesus Himself did not know when He would return: “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father” (Mark 13:32). Paul wrote that there is no need to waste time speculating about “times” and “seasons” regarding Christ’s return: “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.… Read more
Many people now consider it socially acceptable for men to be shirtless in public, with much of their bodies on display. Is this pleasing to God? For many years, faithful Christians have taught that God set an objective standard for modesty that applies to both men and women when He clothed Adam and Eve in a garment that covered them from the neck to the knees. Scholars and commentators also note this same point.
In Packer and Tenney’s Illustrated Manners and Customs of the Bible, the Hebrew word translated as “coats” (KJV) or “tunics” (NKJV) in Genesis 3:21 is described as a garment that reached from the neck to the knees, and sometimes to the ankles.… Read more
Many who claim to be Christians do not seem to take sin seriously. They joke about their disobedience and show little concern for living righteously—but sin is what nailed our Lord to the cross. There is nothing more serious than that, and true love does not rejoice in iniquity (1 Corinthians 13:6). Impenitent sin is just as deadly after conversion as it was before conversion (Acts 8:12–24; 1 Corinthians 10:11–12; James 5:19–20).
Jesus, the very one who died to save us, also commands us to take up our cross of obedience and self-denial daily (Luke 9:23).… Read more
