What Does It Mean To Be The Apple Of God’s Eye?
Because of the true Son of David, we become the apple of God's eye.
How can David claim to be the apple of God’s eye? Can he say this because it’s before his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah, her husband? Did he forfeit this claim after he committed such sins? And, what about us? Surely we couldn’t lay hold of this title. We know our sin.... Continue Reading
Repeated Sinning and the Hope of Forgiveness
When we return to God in brokenness and in confidence that he has already provided forgiveness in the blood of Christ, we will make it our renewed aim to be well-pleasing to him.
God has redeemed us so that we would walk in paths of righteousness. Jesus died to both the guilt and the power of sin so that those for whom he died can walk in newness of life. “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,” writes the apostle, “training us to... Continue Reading
The Blessed and Only God: Part One
What Christ has done flows out of who God is.
Let’s be honest, the knowledge of God is a bit of an acquired taste. At first it seems too remote or intellectual, like a piece of classical music; but on closer inspection, after repeated exposure and listens, you pick up on the beautiful patterns, the intricate textures, the emotions and images that are provoked and... Continue Reading
The Parable of the Rich Fool
This parable is short and simple, but at the same time it is rich and profound.
The man is living like a fool, like someone who does not believe in God or as someone who lives as though God does not exist. “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’ ” (Ps. 14:1). He is oblivious to the sovereignty of God. “But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your... Continue Reading
Why Did the Pharisees Hate Jesus So Much?
The Pharisees were exposed, and because they were exposed by the true and authentic holiness of Christ, they hated Him.
A lot of things had happened between the day of the formation of the Pharisees and the time of Jesus’ incarnation, when they masqueraded as devotees of righteousness and obedience. In a word, they were counterfeit. They were fake. And nothing reveals a counterfeit like the presence of the genuine. When you talk to... Continue Reading
How to Read Joel Theologically: Part One
Joel does not only call on people to return to the Lord and call on his name. His invitation to seek the Lord wholeheartedly is associated with a vision of God’s coming into his creation.
Joel begins with the awesome experience of the locust plague and transforms the experience into a transcendent message of the nearness and awesomeness of the Day of the Lord. Both the plague and the Day of the Lord occasion a renewed search for God without any pretense or self-justification. God promises his presence and vindication... Continue Reading
Don’t Just Live, Christian – “Walk”
We are to walk with God. That is the journey of intimacy.
There is a way you can live in which you don’t just live – you walk. And this is God’s intent for all of us who are in Christ. It’s to live in such a way that’s so different – so distinctive – that you can’t even describe it as “living” any more. The Hebrew word... Continue Reading
Hell Will Not Unsettle Heaven
The horror of judgment and promise of joy.
When the clouds roll back, and we peek into heaven, we see martyrs cry out for justice: “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” (Revelation 6:10). We hear an angelic call to worship “because the hour of his judgment... Continue Reading
The Inspiration of Scripture
We see that Paul had a very high view of God’s Word.
What does it mean that “All Scripture is breathed out by God”? I translated as “God-breathed” the Greek word θεόπνευστος or theopneustos, which is a compound word comprised of θεός or theos, “God,” and πνέω or pneō, “to breathe hard, or blow.” What does this tell us? The word πνέω speaks of of a conscious... Continue Reading
Revisiting Revoice: Same-Sex Attraction in Sanctification
One cannot remain neutral with regard to whether SSA is morally culpable sin or a gift from God. Far too much is at stake.
The way forward in the journey of sanctification is not a selfish focus on sinful desire, but a freeing focus on the fatal wound dealt to our sin in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. As 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so... Continue Reading