Justification and Martin Luther
God requires perfect righteousness for any human being to be justified in His presence.
The vast majority of professing believers at the beginning of the sixteenth century in Christian Europe understood that Almighty God has a holy hatred of sin; that He will condemn sinners who die in state of sin to an eternity of miserable punishment in hell. To be justified before Him required righteousness. It was... Continue Reading
In Christ Our Suffering Is Not in Vain
We follow Him unto death. But the gospel declares that we also follow Him through the gates of heaven.
If Paul’s suffering did not add merit to what was lacking in Christ’s sufferings, what did it add? The answer to this difficult question lies in the broader teaching of the New Testament in regard to the believer’s call to participate in the humiliation of Christ. Our baptism signifies that we are buried with Christ. Paul... Continue Reading
Let’s Not Miss Solomon’s Point These Days
It is becoming clearer to me, thanks in part to this virus, how looking for satisfaction in a life focused totally on that which is “under the sun” is pointless.
Augustine got where Solomon was coming from when he wrote in his Confessions, “Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.” Time is fleeting in this mortal life; better to believe, realize and experience what the true “chief end of man” is now... Continue Reading
The Omniscience of God is for Your Comfort
The omniscience of God is not just to be known, but tasted.
We read: “for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything” (1 John 3:20). This is an incredibly encouraging verse for those of you feeling bogged down with guilt and shame. Your heart might condemn you but God is greater than your heart. The last three words are... Continue Reading
The Good Shepherd
The blessings of the shepherding of the Good Shepherd are found in the church along with the other sheep.
The primary application of the Good Shepherd metaphor is to the flock. The primary beneficiary of Jesus’ shepherding, His care, His provision, His protection, is the church collectively—I individually benefit in so far as I am a part of the whole. His blessings are realized within the flock as He fends off wolves and thieves... Continue Reading
Living Like We’re Not in Control
The Christian way to live is to acknowledge our ignorance and inability to control life.
James says that we’re unaware of what tomorrow brings, and that our lives are too insignificant and short to think we can control the future. I’d be tempted to conclude that our efforts don’t matter. But that’s not where James goes. “Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or... Continue Reading
Maturity Changes Our Desires
Often, when we look at popular descriptions of what unbelievers think Heaven would be like (if they believe it exists at all), it is full of all the kind of things that they enjoy right now.
If God designs sex for marriage, and there is no giving in marriage in Heaven, then there is also no sex. Others deny that latter point. But it at least seems possible that there won’t be sex in Heaven, even if that being the case isn’t entirely clear. But that inevitably leads to the question, how... Continue Reading
Desperately Searching
God offers not only true sustenance; He offers abundance and delight.
God knows how gullible and desperate people are in their need, led astray by the promise of help. So He asks: “Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy?” (Isa. 55:2a). God urges them to take stock of what they are giving themselves over to... Continue Reading
Learning to Worship From the Cave of Isolation
Even the troubles of God’s people are a means to God’s glory being amplified.
A true humble recognition of trouble for the Christian includes recognizing the world as a place of brokenness and still trusting that God’s purposes will be completed in our lives. This can only be set as true in our minds and hearts if we know the covenant keeping, stedfast love and faithfulness of a God... Continue Reading
What Makes It Possible for the Christian to Rejoice in the Midst of Pain and Anxiety?
What is the rock-solid principle by which life can be lived?
As I live out the travail that follows life on this side of glory, hardly a day goes by that I am not forced to look at Romans 8:28 and remind myself that what I’m experiencing right now feels bad, tastes bad, is bad; nevertheless, the Lord is using this for my good. If God were... Continue Reading