The Holy Spirit is the origin of the sword as the Spirit of Truth (John 14:17), the Holy Spirit is the believer’s resident truth teacher who teaches us all things and brings God’s Word to our remembrance. The sword is scripture. Scripture offers limitless resources and blessings to the believer. It is the source of... Continue Reading

The Father did not just snap his fingers, flip a switch, or wave a wand to make the everlasting joy of his people certain. The real world is more complicated than that, and real joy is far better. God is both unimpeachably just and teeming with love and mercy. To pay the penalty of the... Continue Reading

When we’re in seasons of waiting, we think something’s wrong with God. We might even think we’re in sin. Yet, we see from the Bible that waiting is often God’s plan for us and is therefore an intentional and purposeful part of faith. God has something to do, something to achieve in our waiting. Therefore,... Continue Reading

Vain are the sharp swords of infernal malice, and the perpetual battles of the serpent’s seed, for in the midst of the church the lame take the prey, and the feeblest warriors are crowned. The saved may well adore their Lord for his conquests in them, since the arrows of their natural hatred are snapped,... Continue Reading

What a benchmark for how we anticipate worship on the Lord’s Day! The very prospect of meeting with our brothers and sisters to glorify our triune God should arouse the deepest joy imaginable. One wonders how many of us have become so accustomed to the ‘new normal’ of remote worship in absentia that our spiritual... Continue Reading

Allow your parents to be grandparents and, if you have to, help them understand how to be good grandparents. If you are in that group of people for whom grandparents are not safe or healthy people for your kids, then invite them to special events like baseball games, church events, and birthday parties. If your... Continue Reading

Ruth gets home from the field with 30 pounds of barley and leftover lunch which she shared with Naomi her mother-in-law. Naomi can’t hardly believe it. She asks for the full story. Ruth, full of excitement and gratitude, tells her all about it. This is where you begin to see some light in Naomi’s struggle with bitterness.... Continue Reading

In some ways, Christless conservatism can be more tempting for many Christians than critical theory, since many people conflate conservatism with Christianity. However, conservatism without Christ is only philosophically and socially better than critical theory—nothing more. Conservatism without Christ—without the gospel—is just as damning as critical theory. Without Christ, conservatives like Thomas Sowell are just... Continue Reading

Jesus warns, “If you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14–15). Do you hear the suicide in forgivelessness? If we are too proud or bitter to hold out the hands of forgiveness, God... Continue Reading

Throughout the history of the church, there has always been a theology of the covenants. The Reformation recovery of the gospel and the biblical distinction between grace and works made it possible for Reformed theology to construct a detailed and fruitful covenant theology.   Until recently, it was widely held that covenant theology was created... Continue Reading