Just because we know in part, doesn’t mean we can’t be confident in what we know. However, we should always walk in humility, knowing there is always more to every story.

         We can have great confidence in the basic doctrines of faith that are clear in Scripture and should stand on these without compromise. At the same time, we can and should still have grace to those who do not see these doctrines as we do, because even basic Christian truths can’t be seen without the help of the Holy Spirit....

         We have been addressing the veils that must be removed to see the glory of the Lord without distorting it. The next veil is judging everyone and everything by one bad experience. 

         For example, I’ve heard of people visiting a church and making sweeping, general judgments about that church based on one visit. It may or may not have been an unusually challenging service, but the visitor concluded that the church was not doing well or—worse—said  it was a dead church based on that one visit. Every church, including thriving churches, will...

          Faith is the recognition of the One in Whom we believe; seeing Jesus as He is now—not just as He was or will be or as we think He should be. This is not as simple as it may seem, since we must see His glory with an “unveiled face” to see Him as He is (see 2 Corinthians 3:17). The veils that distort His glory are mostly our prejudices, opinions, or perceptions of Him that are tainted by our fallen human nature if it has not yet been crucified with Him. 

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         Faith is based on the recognition of the One in whom we believe. It is seeing Jesus as He is now, not just as He was or as He will be. Jesus said He is the manna that came down from heaven. He is the Bread of life. He said in Matthew 4:4, “It is written, ‘man shall not live on bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’” “Every word that proceeds" is present tense, not past tense. Just as the Israelites had to gather fresh manna every day, we must have fresh encounters with Him every...

          Not many Christians are disciples. If we read Jesus’ definitions of His disciples, we would know this is true. Even when He walked the earth, only a few who followed Him were His disciples. Being a convert, a believer in Jesus as the Messiah and in His sacrifice on the cross for our redemption is a start, but the Christian life is meant to be far more.  

          To be a disciple of Jesus is another level, as indicated by His definitions. In the first century, to be a disciple...