Grietje Commelin 
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father” (Galatians 1:3-4) Reading about Jesus Christ who gave himself for our sins, might give us the impression that … Lees meer
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age” (Galatians 1:3-4) Paul doesn’t need many words to get to the core: already in his greeting he stresses that Jesus Christ “gave himself for our sins to … Lees meer
“Paul … and all the brothers who are with me, to the churches of Galatia: Grace to you and peace from God” (Galatians 1:1-3) Paul was a missionary who proclaimed the gospel to people who had never heard it before. Throughout the Roman empire, people came to faith and formed new churches. In his “letter … Lees meer
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, … that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith” (Ephesians 3:14,17) In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul tells how he is praying for those believers. He is pleading for their spiritual growth and well-being. Essential for that is that Jesus Christ dwells in … Lees meer
“Whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and He knows everything” (1 John 3:20). As all born again Christians experience, being a believer does not mean being sinless. Even people who earnestly love God and have devoted their lives to him, experience that sin “clings so closely” (Hebrews 12:1). That is … Lees meer
“Watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.” (Luke 21:34) Jesus speaks about the coming of his Kingdom. Nobody knows when this day will come. Therefore, it is important to be prepared and to “stay awake … Lees meer
“I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11) One way to keep your heart pure, is to fill it with God’s words. God explicitly commanded the Israelites to do this: “You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart” (Deuteronomy 11:18). Having … Lees meer
“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!” (Psalm 139:23) David has a close relationship with God. He has written a song about the theme that God knows him: “Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether” (Psalm 139:4). At first sight, … Lees meer
“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you.” (Ezekiel 36:26) When God created humans, they were perfect. Their hearts were pure and sinless. But once they turned away from their Creator on Satan’s incentive, all this changed dramatically. Only a few generations later, we read how … Lees meer