Grace That Is Greater Than All Our Sin
As believers we have all the forgiveness we will ever need.
God’s grace is greater than all our sin: His grace does not encourage us to sin. His grace does not excuse our sin. His grace educates our minds and hearts in regards to that which our Heavenly Father hates and that which he deems to be good, wise, and pleasing. God’s grace does excite our hearts and gives us a holy passion to glorify and... Continue Reading
Anxiety: My Thorn In My Flesh
The struggle with anxiety is something that many, many people have in common.
You are not a bad Christian because you struggle with anxiety and/or depression. Many strong believers have struggled before: Charles Spurgeon, Martin Luther, John Calvin, to name a few. While we shouldn’t ignore our feelings and intuition, we need to remember that our anxious feelings lie to us. You are not a weak person because... Continue Reading
How to Mortify Sin
Sinful desires and habits are not only to be rejected, but exchanged for Christ-like graces and actions.
But notice that Paul sets this in a very important, broader context. The negative 0task of putting sin to death will not be accomplished in isolation from the positive call of the Gospel to “put on” the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 13:14). Paul spells this out in Colossians 3:12-17. Sweeping the house clean simply leaves us open... Continue Reading
What Is True Conversion?
In the biblical sense, conversion means a turning—a spiritual turning away from sin in repentance and to Christ in faith.
The whole purpose of conversion is to bring men and women into a right relationship with God. This is why Christ came, and it is the reason for which He died. It was God who was “in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself ” (2 Cor. 5:19). Conversion is the crying need of the soul.... Continue Reading
A Contra-view on Kevin DeYoung’s View of Persecution
Another perspective on the nature of and reasons for persecution.
Most Christians I know today in America have never experienced biblical persecution. They may have to endure disagreement with unbelievers, but that is not biblical persecution. Most Christians I know live in nice houses, drive nice cars, have good jobs, and take annual vacations. We all have it pretty good. Pastor Kevin DeYoung represents... Continue Reading
Praying Together
Brothers and sisters, like all the saints before us, we must be praying people
“We must be praying people, first, because we know that our only help is in the name of the Lord. It is the Lord who builds the house and watches over the city—who gives success to the church’s mission and spiritual life to its worship. In prayer together, we admit that we are helpless.” ... Continue Reading
4 Reasons To Be Glad That Life Is Short
While it is right to lament life’s brevity, we can also find in it reason to rejoice
“Each of us enters the world crying and leaves the world groaning, and between those times we carry a cross. Our comfort is this: Though we must bear a heavy cross, we have but a short way to carry it.“ One of the great sorrows of life is its brevity. This life is but... Continue Reading
God’s Faithfulness in Every Season
The beauty and wonder of spring, as amazing as new life and growth is, serves to point me to the One who holds the world in His hands
“Just as the seasons unfold throughout the year, just as the sun rises each morning, just as the cherry tree blossoms in spring, we can trust in God’s faithfulness. He is as sure as the sunrise each morning, the gravity that holds us to the ground, and the air we breathe.” I haven’t experienced... Continue Reading
The Reverse Logic of the Gospel
The dimensions of what God had to do in order to redeem are impossible to fully fathom
“In other words, his starting point was God and what he had done to secure salvation through his incarnate Son, not man and whatever sense of his need might be. From the perspective of the world of our day this may seem somewhat counter intuitive, given the extent to which Christianity has been marginalized as... Continue Reading
For the Christian Perfectionist
The Christian perfectionist knows and treasures the Gospel, but still wrestles with deep discouragement and even despair.
I’m not writing here about people who are Christians and happen to be perfectionists in other areas in life. I’m referring to those of you who love the gospel, live in the church without hidden sin, but struggle, maybe even to the point of despair, with the feeling of never being good enough before God. ... Continue Reading