When the church confesses the necessity of the satisfaction of God’s righteousness, this necessity is not something that is imposed upon God from the outside, but it is a necessity imposed upon God by His own character and nature. It is necessary for God to be God, never to compromise His own holiness, righteousness, or... Continue Reading

God requires attitudes characterized by “charitable thoughts, love, compassion, meekness, gentleness, kindness; peaceable, mild, and courteous speeches and behavior: forbearance, readiness to be reconciled, patient bearing and forgiving of injuries, and requiting good for evil.” Among the sins that the commandment forbids are “sinful anger, hatred, envy, desire of revenge . . . provoking words;... Continue Reading

Not all Big Old Books are spiritually beneficial, but most classics have survived because they plunge the pen deeply into the reality of human life. As we spend hours observing the life of another—be it Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishment, or Churchill in the The Last Lion, or Pierre in War and Peace—we cannot help... Continue Reading

What did Jesus do for us? He laid His life down for us. Therefore, we are to lay our lives down for each other for the motivation of that love. If we obey Him then Jesus says that we are His friends. Who then obeys Him and who does not? A servant obeys his or... Continue Reading

Christians today can be joyfully content in the Lord in the midst of food shortages, persecution, relational and church conflict, protests, unemployment, illness, death and everything else under the sun because Christians do not find life and purpose in those things. Life cannot be found in those things, because life cannot be found in created... Continue Reading

We might pursue holiness out of logical life planning. Reading God’s Word, we might see the sheer utility in God’s commands and wisdom. Obeying God, while difficult, often leads to simply a more successful life. But at some point, the cost of obedience will outweigh its usefulness. None of these are bad. But neither are they... Continue Reading

How many times have we had an impulse to deny ourselves — put down the drink, give away the bonus, go talk to that neighbor, confess the embarrassing sin — only to have some part of us, like Peter, begin to question our good resolves? “Now, now, there’s a more comfortable way to glory, isn’t... Continue Reading

In a season like this, we are all tempted to turn inward. That’s natural enough – we need to take care of ourselves, we are all by ourselves, and we all have our own opinions. But for the Christian, our focus should be different. Our eyes should be fixed on a different place. And ironically,... Continue Reading

Nothing happens in your life that God doesn’t already know. Tomorrow’s news headline might be a surprise to you, but even now, God is already aware of it and working in many mysterious ways to prepare you for what will come. This doesn’t make these events less shocking when they occur, but it does give... Continue Reading

The pastor who counsels, as he enters the pulpit, has a stomach of steel. He is rock-ribbed. He is used to looking across his desk, squarely into the eyes of his straying sheep, and pleading with them to return. He is accustomed to presenting biblical truth to the religiously-proud and challenging them on whether or... Continue Reading