He Loves Me, He Really Loves Me
God hates my sin and commands me to mortify it, but that He loves me.
Though I do love Him, and truly I do, I still have some love for sin. There is still some of the traitor in me. I pledge allegiance to Him but too often prove allegiance to myself. What could there be for Him to love here? I’ve had this all wrong. As I study God’s Word... Continue Reading
The Voice of Freedom
We must discern true Freedom from the Lie. The voice of Christ will always take the form of his gracious law.
Your glorified Savior is meek and mild with his lambs, and his voice is one of tender freedom—freedom from the would-be oppressors. The spirit of this world, your flesh, and the devilish hoard want only to enslave and control you. They do not have your freedom and best interest at heart. Yet they will disguise... Continue Reading
3 Things about Jesus’ Reign You Need to Know—Whether You’re a Christian or Not
Jesus’ kingdom is established in God’s promise.
We long for every wrong to be punished with exactly the punishment it deserves. We long for every good deed to be rewarded with exactly the reward it deserves. Isaiah saw that Jesus’ rule would be perfectly fair, and that it would bring about exactly this kind of perfect justice: “He will reign, establishing and... Continue Reading
Faithfulness in Forgotten Places
Why small obedience matters to God.
When we labor in obscurity, he is near (Psalm 139:5). When our work escapes the notice of every human eye, it does not escape his (Luke 12:7). He catches every whispered prayer, every Godward groan. He stands ready at every moment to mark the smallest tasks we perform in faith. The wise man tells us why:... Continue Reading
More Than a Feeling
We do not ground our lives in our feelings, but the sufficient Word of God.
Whether in Bible studies or in writing, I’ve often seen Christians functionally equate Scripture and personal experience when it comes to issues of sufficiency. The danger of this approach is that it says, “Scripture is sufficient in every way,” but then adds “My feelings matter too.” And this cause problems in our view of growth... Continue Reading
3 Things to Remember When You Feel Like God Is Far Away
In Christ you are forgiven (Eph. 1:7) and have the righteousness of Christ credited to your account (Rom. 3:21-25).
Have you ever thought that you weren’t worthy to be a Christian, or that you weren’t a worthy friend of Jesus? The Scriptures reflect the character of God, which is perfect and pure (Ps. 19). How can we ever measure up? Without Christ, we can never obey God’s commands, and in this life we will... Continue Reading
What Does ‘Ex Nihilo’ Mean?
Unless that power of being is over us and prior to us, nothing could possibly be.
By what means did God accomplish the feat of creation ex nihilo? By His speech. Augustine called this the divine imperative or fiat. God spoke the words “Let there be” (Gen. 1:3, 6, 14)—meaning “There must be”—and things appeared. In the film Anna and the King of Siam, the king frequently says, “So let it... Continue Reading
There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood
Costly, offensive, beautiful forgiveness.
Christianity is unlike any other religion. Not merely because it is true, but because it is beautiful. Yet it offends a man before it can save him. It tells him that he is dead in sin. It tells him that he’s a rebel. It tells him that unless he plunges himself underneath the flood of... Continue Reading
The Kind of Preaching the Church Needs
Like those in John 12:21 who came to Philip with a request, the church must demand of its preacher: “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”
It’s easy to find great stories, emotional manipulation, and cultural pandering in many pulpits today. It’s harder to find biblical preaching. A dear pastor friend will often exhort younger men to ask themselves this convicting question when assessing their approach to preaching: “Am I using the Bible to preach my message, or is the Bible... Continue Reading
From the Head to the Heart: The Motivation Behind Obedience
Successfully moving from only hearing to faithfully doing.
In order to be faithful doers of the Word, we need to think more deeply about the biblical nature of ethical instruction and how to cross the bridge from hearing to doing. Recognizing the bridge that connects our listening and acting will help those of us who read the Bible daily, listen to sermons weekly... Continue Reading
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