I have to admit that I have a degree of sympathy for those in my generation who think the church is irrelevant. That’s because, if I’m allowed a moment of criticism, the American “church” has trivialized itself into insignificance. When the church acts like a political pundit or lobbyist organization it becomes irrelevant. When the... Continue Reading

Joseph believed that God was not only the maker of covenant promises but was also the keeper of those promises, and that in time, God would again visit His people and fulfill His promises. The English word visit is taken from a rich Hebrew word that often connotes God’s coming in history either to bring judgment on... Continue Reading

The Reformation rediscovered the work of the Holy Spirit as opposed to that of human religious activity, such as the priestly administration of the rites of the church. Zechariah 4:6 says God’s temple will be built “not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” Calvin said, “We ought to be... Continue Reading

The Gospel is God reconciling himself to the world in Christ.  Thus, for Calvin, this opening statement simply expresses the fact that though God has “withdrawn to a distance from us, he has drawn near to us in Christ, and thus Christ has become to us the true Emanuel, and his coming is God’s drawing... Continue Reading

Soldiers should expect combat in wartime. The passions of the flesh are waging war against your soul, and our adversary the devil is a prowling lion hunting fresh prey (1 Peter 2:11; 5:8). Ongoing conflict with both sin and Satan is the common experience of all believers. As J.C. Ryle wrote in his classic book Holiness, “True... Continue Reading

Nobody wants to be a Pharisee, yet our flesh seems naturally bent in that direction. The good news of the gospel seems too easy for our works-based, achievement-driven hearts. We know Christ achieved it all, but we still want to contribute. Even while we proclaim the gospel of grace, we fight the intense pull toward... Continue Reading

If there is no resurrection from the dead, if Christ has not been raised, then the Christian faith is empty, meaningless. It all hinges on the bodily resurrection of Jesus. It will not do to make the resurrection a metaphor for human renewal or the changing of the seasons or some other sentiment. The Christian... Continue Reading

Paul’s point is not simply that all things are the creative product of our great Triune God. Yes, all things, everything, came “from him.” He is the originating cause of everything that is. But Paul also tells us that everything that is, continues to “be”, continues to exist, and is sustained in being “through him.”... Continue Reading

Notice the virtue of listening in Proverbs 20:5: “The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.” The goals and motivations of the human heart are not easily discovered. The patience, skill, and ability of an understanding person are required to draw out those deep waters.... Continue Reading

We worship in our spirits, by the power of the Holy Spirit, but also with deep intellectual investment, with an eye fixed on the glory of the gospel as well as a heart tuned to its sentiments. Such worship is deeply didactic, it retrains the flagging disciple, it prohibits empty sentiment, it draws our attention... Continue Reading