Biblical Thanksgiving, Romans 12, and more…

Here are some of my favorite quotes from key Christian articles around the web, including what we all can learn from Christian missionaries, the nature of Biblical Thanksgiving, and a study in Romans 12.

3 Things American Citizens Could Learn from Christian Missionaries (Bruce Ashford, The Gospel Coalition)

Christian missionaries work hard to find common ground with their conversation partners. There are always things on which both parties agree. From that common ground, missionaries finds it much easier to persuade their conversation partners on other matters, precisely because they do so from a point of mutual understanding.

Thanksgiving is God’s Will (Meghan Hill, enCourage)

Biblical thanksgiving is not merely false cheer slapped on the surface of otherwise bad circumstances. Biblical thanksgiving is our acknowledgment that God is accomplishing his eternal purposes, even when we cannot clearly see what he is doing. We “give thanks in all circumstances” because we trust that those very circumstances come from the powerful and gracious hand of our covenant-making and covenant-keeping God.

Do What is Honorable: 10 Lessons from Romans 12 (Heidi Jo Fulk, Revive Our Hearts)

There is no better or worse, greater than or less than here. We’re not talking about worth, because every person’s worth—whether a believer or unbeliever—is established in being created in the image of God (Gen. 1:27; Matt. 6:26). Rather we see a picture of parts working together as a whole for the glory of God.

In The Middle of Suffering (Josh Moody, God Centered Life)

Of course, at one level Bildad is right. God does not pervert justice. God does do what is right. But Bildad makes an illogical and theologically inaccurate leap: if God does what is right, and if Job is suffering, ergo Job must have done something wrong. He has no space in his mind for the possibility that evil and suffering can fall upon the righteous.

Understand Your Guilt: Its Causes and Its Answer (Colin Smith, Unlocking the Bible)

The answer to false guilt is truth. The answer to true guilt is grace. And how wonderful it is that our Lord Jesus Christ is “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). In other words, everything that is needed to deal with guilt is found in Jesus Christ.