6 Reasons Why Understanding Our Identity as Christians Matters
"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession..."
Nationalism. Privilege. Ancestry. Gender. Politics. All these cultural discussions have an element of identity at their core. Now, like never before, we seem to be asking that question not just about others, but about ourselves. “Who am I?” we ask. “To what do I belong?” The question of identity is a simple one. You... Continue Reading
“A Consuming Fire”: Holiness, Wrath, and Justice
The assumption in the world—and even in most of the church today—is that the love, mercy, and grace of God either swallow up the holiness, justice, and wrath of God or effectively trump them.
In this chapter, I want to examine a pair of biblical texts that I have preached on many times. However, I do not apologize for having made the point I wish to make before, for these are things we need to examine over and over again. The Bible says that “the LORD your God is... Continue Reading
Why Love is Greater Than Faith and Hope
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
We can say that Paul, by asserting the centrality of love in a Christian’s life, is consistent with the teachings of Jesus. Jesus famously said that the entire body of God’s law can be summed up by love─love for God and love for neighbors (Matthew 22:37-40)─and instructed his followers to be defined by love (John... Continue Reading
When You Feel Spiritually Adrift
Before the early catacombs were filled with fish or crosses, the anchor was used to encourage believers.
The anchor reminded Christians that their hope was secure in something that transcended this world. It pointed them away from themselves to someone strong and stable that they could be confident in. This is supported by the anchor imagery found in one of the earliest sermons we have, the letter to the Hebrews, dating sometime... Continue Reading
Performing Good Works
The life of the Christian is characterized with a preoccupation toward personal piety and holiness; this is the natural fruit that flows from the heart that is redeemed by grace.
Once the human heart is given new life unto salvation, Paul expects this man, woman or child to perform deeds in keeping with repentance. The language of Christians doing or performing deeds may make the Christian uncomfortable. It can even evoke cries of “Legalism!” But for Paul it is the natural fruit of a life... Continue Reading
Why Some People Reject Jesus
Some people are inexplicably drawn to Jesus while others are just as inexplicably repelled by Him.
Having left their homes to follow Jesus and His teaching, the crowds already know that He preaches like no other rabbi and that He can handle adversity with insight and authority. They have seen Him perform miracles that defy explanation and point to deeper truths about His identity and purpose. As an anthology, the... Continue Reading
Unless You Stop Loving Sin
The Heart of Repentance
Calling people to repentance is the reason Jesus came (Luke 5:32) and the message he commissions his followers to preach (Luke 24:47). It’s the only way anyone can avoid God’s judgment (Luke 13:3). Given the supremely serious consequences of not repenting, it’s important to understand what repentance is. Jesus said some surprising things during his ministry.... Continue Reading
Epaphras: An Example for Prayer
As simple as this verse is, it gives us some helpful points in how Epaphras prayed for others and how we can pray for others today.
Epaphras obviously did not literally pray 24/7. Paul’s “always” means that Epaphras constantly prayed for the Colossians as he had the opportunity to do so. We should look for times to pray for others and consistently make the most of these times. In closing his letter to the Colossians, Paul gave some greetings, including one from... Continue Reading
What’s Love Got to Do with It?
What is the significance of Christian love for our lives?
For our Lord Jesus, Christian love was more than a mere anecdote; it actually represented a nonnegotiable for discipleship. On the eve of His crucifixion, Jesus pronounced: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all... Continue Reading
Union with Christ: The Westminster Confession
“The Spirit applieth to us the redemption purchased by Christ, by working faith in us, and thereby uniting us to Christ in our effectual calling.”
“How do we receive those benefits which the Father bestowed on his only-begotten Son?” Calvin answers by saying we must first “understand that as long as Christ remains outside of us, and we are separated from him, all that he has suffered and done for the salvation of the human race remains useless and of... Continue Reading