Posts from 2017 (Page 4)

Romans 4:25 tells us that Jesus was “raised for our justification.” To understand what this means, we have to remember that death was not a part of God’s original creation but was introduced as part of the punishment for sin (Genesis 2-3). Jesus could die on the cross only because the sins of others were imputed to Him, placed on Him so that He could…

“And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47) I am a church member. I like the metaphor of membership. It’s not membership as in a civic organization or a country club. It’s the kind of membership given to us in 1 Cor 12: “Now you are the body of Christ and individual members of it” (I Cor 12:27). Because I am a member of the body of…

“As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you” (Isaiah 66:13) Steve Lawson tells how when he got out of theological college he was preaching through Revelation when Mother’s Day came along. And because he is committed to sequential preaching he preached on the next passage before him, which happened to be about ‘the whore of Babylon’. “I felt good about it! We…

“And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47) I am a church member. I will seek to be a source of unity in the church. I know there are no perfect pastors, staff, or other church members. But neither am I. I will not be a source of gossip or dissension. One of the greatest contributions I can make is to do all I can in God’s power to help…

At John’s birth, Zechariah suddenly found himself prophesying of this coming Messiah and the purpose he would accomplish in and through the people He would save: “That we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve [God] without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days” (Luke 1:74-75) We who are delivered from the world to be followers of…

“And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” (Galatians 4:6–7)   We think often of Christ’s death and resurrection. But how often do we think of his ascension? The Apostles’ Creed says, ‘He ascended…

“Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures… He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)   One of my favorite C.S. Lewis quotes is ‘I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.’ This week we celebrate the death and…

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. (2 Corinthians 2:14, NIV)   The terminology Paul uses here to describe the gospel enterprise present gospel work as an exciting work indeed. He presents it as irresistibly advancing — it is a “triumphal procession.” The…

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of Heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, He died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into Heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God,…

I want to translate more accurately a very important passage of Scripture. It is the verse in Matthew 11:28 which reads, in the original: Come to Me all who labour and are heavily burdened, and I will refresh you. The idea is not merely to come to Christ to find rest from our futile efforts to keep the law, although rest does result when one stops striving to be saved by…