The Apostle Paul and the Jews
Israel’s disobedience led to mercy to the Gentiles which will lead to mercy to Israel.
We who are Gentiles ought to learn the lesson, that if God did not spare the natural branches, there is no reason why He should spare the wild branches. This means that we are required to stand by faith (v.20) – to humbly trust the grace of God and to fear Him. Some have said that... Continue Reading
Our Radical Reworking of the Lost Sheep
You can’t fight sin, grow in grace, mature to be like Christ alone! We need one another, we need a flock, we need shepherding care.
There has definitely been an acceleration in the trend towards individualised discipleship. Some people simply feel like they don’t need others, they are flock-less sheep, and there is a danger that as churches and church leaders we’ve fed this as we have taught God’s word unawares through the lens of individualism, through individualistic application of... Continue Reading
What the Mightiest Man Could Never Do
All Authority in Both Earth and Heaven
He is the one who responds to our weakness rather than our strength, to our helplessness rather than our ability. He is the one who came to seek and save the lost, who came to gather to himself the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame, the one who came to respond in strength... Continue Reading
Treasures Gained by Wickedness Do Not Profit
Although the wicked may appear to prosper, their treasures do not profit them.
Christian, do not let the suffering of the righteous nor the prosperity of the wicked allow your feet to slip. Do not envy the wealth and ease of the wicked. Death comes for the mighty and rich as steadily as for the weak and impoverished, and then comes judgment. On that great day, prosperity and... Continue Reading
7 Aspects of the Nature of Marriage According to the Bible
How does the legal nature of earthly marriage point us to Christ?
The legal nature of earthly marriage, while dissoluble due to sin, is meant to exist until death parts a couple. Legality also implies consequences for failure, such as we find in the Old Testament where Hosea’s marriage to the prostitute Gomer was a warning to Israel not to play the harlot with the Lord and... Continue Reading
Loving and Longing
In His presence there will be joy with no mixture of grief.
Such is the Christian life. Full of love and full of longing. Graciously receiving all good gifts from our good Father, and looking for and hastening the coming of the Lord Jesus. Let us look to Christ with contentment and expectation. This was originally written before the birth of our fourth son. Now that... Continue Reading
When Christ is All in All
Selfish ambition reigns where the love of Christ has grown cold.
Where humility is lacking, disorder will reign; where humility is present, love, oneness of mind, and mutual agreement in the gospel will prevail. Humility is indispensable for unity. One of the implications of this is that a church marked by division and disorder is a church that, among other things, lacks humility. It is a church... Continue Reading
The Unity of Isaiah
John Oswalt's careful response: The glowing predictions of salvation to come are not to be found in preexilic prophecy.
Apart from the fact that (1) this view begs the question (cf. Micah 4), it must also be asked (2) why redactors felt encouraged to add these passages to Isaiah if the original form of the prophecy was so uniformly negative. Why not to Amos or Micah or Jeremiah? For that theory to be accepted, the... Continue Reading
How to Listen to a Sermon: 15 Practical Tips for Receiving the Word
How we listen to and receive the preached Word will greatly impact our Christian maturity and fruitfulness.
Maintain a posture of humility and submission to the Word. We can easily get distracted or think, “I know this already!” when a common passage is preached. We are always under the authority of God’s Word and our focused listening and submission to His Word will serve as worship to our God. Apply truths from... Continue Reading
Of Whom the World Was Not Worthy | Hebrews 11:32-40
When push comes to shove, will we shrink back in fear like the exodus generation, or will we have faith and receive the commendation of our Father?
We should not expect to have pleasant, easy, and comfortable lives through faith, and suffering is not a sign of little faith. Indeed, to be like our Lord, we are called to take up our cross and follow Him. But in so doing, we ought to rejoice because just as Christ triumphed through the cross... Continue Reading
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