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Patience and Power
Love begins with patience. Fundamental to every act of love is respect for the agency of the one loved. This is the main reason why God does not intervene in ways we think he should to prevent war, pestilence, famine, and other causes of large-scale suffering. His intervention takes the form of individual acts of…
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Transaction or Transformation?
“If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.” The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” He replied, “If you have…
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Doing God’s Will
In Matthew 7:21–23, Jesus warns his followers against a facile faith that trusts in saying the right words and doing notable deeds in his name. Not everyone who calls him Lord will enter his kingdom, but only those who do his Father’s will. Then he declares that on Judgment Day, many will appear before him,…