It is good for us to understand that the modern focus on marriage in the church is not how it has always been. The monastic movement, for all its flaws, was an attempt to take 1 Corinthians 7 seriously and to use your life to wholeheartedly serve Jesus without the divided interests that come from... Continue Reading

Hebrews 2:5–18 gloriously explains why the divine Son had to become human to redeem us from our sin and to restore us to the purpose of our creation. It’s no wonder that Jesus alone can save us, given our plight before God and the kind of Redeemer he is.   In the eleventh century, Anselm... Continue Reading

We need to hold onto the truth that God is sovereign, that even through hardships he is working what is good. If we don’t, when hardship comes we will either label God impotent (by blaming the evil) or we’ll question his goodness.   Imagine you wake up early in the morning and tuning into the... Continue Reading

Televangelists and mega-church pastors strut their stuff for all the world to see. Not all misuse and abuse their positions in this way of course, but far too many do. And how often does mere eloquence, wit, good looks or youth become some of the main qualifications?   In many ways things are not so... Continue Reading

Actions do have consequences in this world. If people are mean, they won’t have many friends. If plants aren’t watered, they will die. On the other hand, a person who is driving safely might be hit and killed by a drunk driver. Cancer may strike a little child for no known reason. Both believers and... Continue Reading

Machen witnessed with his own eyes the destructive effects of liberalism in the church of his day. Conservatives who side with Machen know too well the danger of liberal doctrines of Scripture and God and salvation. But conservatives need to be aware that liberalism can slip in the back door of the church in other... Continue Reading

As Prophet, Jesus represents God to us by preaching the law and delivering the good news of hope to guilty sinners. As Priest, Jesus represents us to God by covering our sin with his blood and offering up a satisfactory sacrifice that is well pleasing to God.   If you’ve spent much time around the... Continue Reading

By having this tent of meeting outside the camp, Yahweh was sending a message to Israel that, through their sin, they had become defiled. Their camp could not be a place of holy communion with Him because they had defiled themselves and become unclean. Thus, God was effectively saying that they wilderness was cleaner than... Continue Reading

As you consider the Old Testament, do not press the narratives into the service of application apart from Christ. First consider how Christ is organically connected to the text. How does the New Testament authoritatively explain the particular Old Testament text before you? Through the light of the revelation of the gospel of Christ, you... Continue Reading

Through the atoning blood of Christ our Savior, we can draw near to God by faith and worship Him “in the splendor of holiness” (Psalm 96:9). This is our highest privilege and deepest joy.   The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him” (Hab. 2:20). The prophet Habakkuk wrote... Continue Reading