“The doctrine of justification by faith is one of the most majestic and comforting doctrines in the Scriptures, but it never appears alone in the life of the Christian. The work of progressive sanctification, a grace of equal beauty, always accompanies it.” Paul Washer   The second half of Hebrews 12:14 says that “without holiness... Continue Reading

The tabernacle texts show the Lord is not only a king who is holy but also a king who desires to be with his people. This is the very reason he gives for the building of the tabernacle: “Let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst  ” (Ex. 25:8). As noted... Continue Reading

If you are a slow reader, don’t be intimidated by others or feel like you are an efficiency failure. The important thing is to read and read good stuff.     Maybe this doesn’t apply to some of you because you are a fast reader. Congratulations! Maybe. But slow reading applies to many of us,... Continue Reading

When Jesus died on a Roman cross, he had just a few dozen followers. He’d claimed he was the great King whom God had promised to send to the Jewish people. But instead of being crowned, he’d been killed. A reasonable observer might have thought this little Jewish sect would fizzle out—extinguished like a cigarette... Continue Reading

I appreciate what Leeman sets out to do in ‘Using Authority Well’ and I think he does it well. He aptly explains why authority is so important to the home, church, and wider society, warns of both the costs of failing to use authority and of using it wrongly, and explains how men can embrace... Continue Reading

Thank him for Christ and for the glorious example of self-sacrificial love that feels anger not over personal affront but only over the glory of God and the good of others. Thank him for being a God who feels both righteous anger and steadfast love. Then thank God for helping you to know more of... Continue Reading

The Prayer Experiment is “written in a tone that blends the insights of Dallas Willard with the modern sensibility of John Mark Comer”, and the book encourages us to pray the Lord’s Prayer every day for an entire year. It explores how a consistent rhythm of praying the Lord’s Prayer can transform a person’s life by overcoming the... Continue Reading

We are united by story, having all been brought from death to life by the mercy of God. We are united in purpose, having been called to pursue holiness in this life as we prepare for the next. And we are united forever. We must run this race together.    Personal Union Union with Christ... Continue Reading

Ryle promoted evangelical faith, which is experiential, personal, and emotionally engaged, set against Christian formalism, legalism, and barren orthodoxy. His parish church, in the Suffolk village of Helmingham, is dominated by impressive seventeenth-century memorial statues, all portrayed in formal pose, kneeling or lying down, with a fixed gaze. “They never show any feeling”, Ryle quipped.... Continue Reading

Throughout his book, Hartley examines these polarizing perspectives and draws his own fair-minded conclusions.  He does so with well-documented and well-written prose, reminiscent at times of the late Shelby Foote.  Even though the biography primarily focuses on the Civil War years, military historians and confessional Protestants both should enjoy Hartley’s engaging presentation of a complex,... Continue Reading