Exodus and God’s Eternal Plans, Pt. 2
The book of Exodus has established the glorious nature of salvation and looks forward to its fulfillment.
Exodus 5 opens with Pharaoh’s insolent speech. The king of Egypt questions the supremacy of God: “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice to let Israel go?” (Ex 5:2). He also asserts himself in the place of God when he declares, “Thus says Pharaoh,” (Ex 5:10) an intentional mockery of “Thus says the... Continue Reading
A Two-Fold Forgiveness
The judicial pardon that we have in our justification on account of the sacrificial death of Jesus is the foundation of our paternal pardon (1 John 2:1-2).
On the one hand, Scripture teaches us that all of our sins–past, present and future–are forgiven based on the once-for-all atoning sacrifice of Christ. On the other hand, Scripture teaches us that we must confess and forsake our sins in order to obtain forgiveness. We know that to confess and forsake our sins is not... Continue Reading
He Sealed His Fate with a Song
The Most Famous Psalm in Scripture
As he walked that harrowing road, he was rehearsing the Psalms and living out the ancient Script with every act of faith. On Tuesday, he drew the Psalm from its blessed scabbard, stumping the brightest minds of his day and silencing the loudest mouths. Now, their only recourse would be to kill him. The... Continue Reading
What Does “You are the Salt of the Earth” Mean?
The minute you became a Christian, He made you salt and light.
One godly man or woman, faithfully following Scripture and sharing Christ will stick out in the circle God has sovereignly placed them in. Like salt on meat, a faithful Christian will keep the circle God has sovereignly placed them in from decaying as fast as it would without them. I used to referee soccer... Continue Reading
Small Beginnings: J. C. Ryle in Exbury
Ryle’s early life teaches us the importance of not despising small beginnings.
Pastors are often tempted to be dissatisfied with their churches and long for greater prominence and larger congregations. But this dissatisfaction is part of the enemy’s lies and such outcomes must be left to the Lord. Instead we should see that God is also at work even in less than ideal situations. When we... Continue Reading
You’re Dead, Start Acting Like It
There is no more wrath for you to bear.
The irrefutable realities of the death and resurrection of Jesus are more than mere doctrinal points to quibble over; they are the soil from which our lives must grow, or as Paul says, the head from which we are nourished. “To live is Christ and to die is gain” is more than a hashtag for... Continue Reading
The Four-Hundred-Year Flower
Arminius, Dort, and the Battle for Grace
Because of my ethnic heritage and my Reformed upbringing, I’ve always had a soft spot for the Canons of Dort, even when many Christians — if they’ve even heard of Dort — have considered it an embarrassment of overwrought sovereignty and doctrinal hairsplitting. And yet, the Canons of Dort are not just for Dutch people, and... Continue Reading
Black Holes and the Wonder of Creation
the only way Einstein can develop a theory on paper, and have it play out in practice a hundred years later, is if our galaxies were designed by an Intelligence far greater than we can fathom.
The Psalmist tells us that the “voice” of this “speech” goes out “through all the earth.” The new image of a black hole is yet another way in which God’s “eternal power and divine nature” have been “clearly perceived … in the things that have been made” (Romans 1:20). Astronomers made news by capturing... Continue Reading
The Danger of Discontentment
It is the pursuit of the “Pop Life” that has led many believers astray.
Sadly, many Christians today are discontent with life. They have become emotionally and psychologically jaundiced from a sense that their life lacks that “pop”—that something—that person, that thing, that experience which they believe will provide the level of fulfillment, significance, and satisfaction they’ve longed for but have yet to discover. In 1985, Prince and The Revolution released the critically-acclaimed... Continue Reading
The Time Jesus Shared Depressing News
Jesus paints his disciples a bleak picture, assuring them their futures would include persecution and difficulty.
“But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that are going to take place and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:36). Here, Jesus calls the disciples to live watchful lives of continuous prayer and points them to their ultimate hope, salvation on... Continue Reading