We can preach the gospel, we can pass out good literature, we can invite people to church, and we can employ a host of other legitimate means to extend Christ’s kingdom. But ultimately, as the apostle Paul puts it, “So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God... Continue Reading

The psalm closes with a staggering promise that the Lord will preserve the believer from all evil and will sustain the daily goings and comings of their life now and forevermore. Here we return to the apparent incongruity this passage presents. Are we to really believe that no harm will ever befall the believer? If... Continue Reading

Someone may have already counseled you to flee the scene when sexual temptation strikes — close the computer, put away your phone, leave the house, take a walk. It’s good advice. And it’s made better when we don’t just flee from sin, but flee to something. What if we took a walk and deliberately looked... Continue Reading

We are God’s workmanship of grace. The deeds of the flesh point to what proceeds from the natural man (unregenerate) and is the product of self-effort. The fruit of the Spirit point to what proceeds from the spiritual man (regenerate) and is the product of the Spirit.  “Deeds” speak to an assortment of godless behavior... Continue Reading

Fatherly love, correction, and direction is so important to us as human beings. And yet, in our time, it is so broken. I praise God for His grace where He is restoring fathers to homes and raising up new generations to be godly fathers. But regardless of whatever the situation is with our relationship with... Continue Reading

You might not be dancing for the Lord, but do you have at least an internal excitement for the Lord? Do you have a passion? This all connects with something C. S. Lewis said in a little book he wrote on the Psalms. He said, “The most valuable thing the Psalms do for me is... Continue Reading

Our lives are not contiguous straight lines of points where we see God’s will clearly at each one so we can move forward in spiritual maturity to the next command. No, this life is filled with seemingly haphazard circumstances that seem to pull us in every direction except where we think God wants us to... Continue Reading

We need to be reminded of God’s aseity because we are often guilty of using our own characteristics and experiences as the template for understanding the attributes of God. This can make God seem just like one of us, if we were able to keep our New Year’s resolutions. But that is not God. Our... Continue Reading

God does bless the faithful and reward the obedient. These blessings are not like wages that are earned or awards that are merited…This is the way it also works when our heavenly Father rewards our obedience. God does not owe us anything for our obedience because we owe our obedience to God. Yet God does... Continue Reading

When the church confesses the necessity of the satisfaction of God’s righteousness, this necessity is not something that is imposed upon God from the outside, but it is a necessity imposed upon God by His own character and nature. It is necessary for God to be God, never to compromise His own holiness, righteousness, or... Continue Reading