Now, most people automatically think of the rending of the Temple curtain at the death of Christ.  But that’s not what the text says.  It says, “[he] opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh.” The torn curtain was the flesh of the Son.  In other words, on the cross Christ’s flesh... Continue Reading

What was the object of Abraham’s saving faith? It was the God who is able to fulfill the promises He has made. Abraham believed in the God who justifies the ungodly. Here we have the connection between the promise of God and the very act of justification itself. It was Abraham’s faith based upon the... Continue Reading

I was struck a few years back when reading through Sinclair Ferguson’s The Whole Christ where he made the remark that many pastors have within their libraries lots of books on preaching, and even books about preaching Christ, but surmises that there are probably far fewer on Christ himself.[1] This point is underlined by another comment... Continue Reading

God the Son has always been the Mediator. How do we know that? Paul says so in Galatians 3:19: “and [the Law] was put in place through angels by a mediator.”  Paul addresses the problem right away. A “mediator” implies two parties but God is one. There are three persons of the Trinity and there have... Continue Reading

Nothing is more practical than good theology. “Knowing about God is crucially important for the living of our lives,” writes J.I. Packer in his classic book Knowing God. “The world becomes a strange, mad, painful place, and life in it a disappointing and unpleasant business, for those who do not know about God. Disregard the... Continue Reading

We play with sin. We justify sin by saying that it is small. It is little stuff. It is not dangerous. It can’t hurt anyone. It is just a white lie. It is just a bit of gossip. No one is harmed. What we fail to consider is that sin can grow. Just like a small... Continue Reading

I realize that I am generalizing here, but I believe my generalization of the situation is valid as to a trend in worship. In a general way, with some minor differences, most metropolitan evangelical churches in the U.S. are worshiping the same way. I call it the “new evangelical liturgy.”   Over the years I have had the... Continue Reading

Your suffering is not your life. In Christ, oh, there is more! Remember these things that are true, and think upon such things. You will be sorrowful and yet always rejoicing as you fix our hope completely on the grace to brought to us when Jesus is revealed.   Suffering has a way of shrinking... Continue Reading

Here are four textual clues that can help us answer this question. And I have to admit at the get-go, I am attempting to understand Paul’s experience myself. So please read this as an example of thoughts-in-process. With that caveat in place, here we go.    Somewhat apologetically, Paul describes himself as a man “in... Continue Reading

The narratives in the Bible show us what kind of savior we need. The characters often positively or negatively demonstrate what type of savior for whom we are waiting. The prophets, priests, and kings of the Old Testament pointed forward to a person who would be the perfect prophet, priest and king on our behalf.... Continue Reading