Faith Alone Is Never Alone
Is there outward evidence of your Christian faith? Or is faith a private matter kept quietly between you and God? Whether quiet or not, the Apostle James asks, “What good is it . . . if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?” (Jas. 2:14). Of course,…
Irresistible Grace
One of the key tenets of faithful Bible reading and study is: Context informs interpretation. It is a dangerous thing to extract verses out of context and form opinions in isolation. The result may be as innocent as a momentary misunderstanding or as catastrophic as leading the innocent astray. I am reminded of a man…
Christ’s Conquest Confirmed and Announced
So consequential is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to the Christian faith that the Apostle Paul says that were it not true, then we have believed a lie, our faith is worthless, we should be pitied, and we remain condemned in our sins, eternally unforgiven.[2] If the gospel is good news, absent…
Behold Your King
Imagine this: Jerusalem is crowded with pilgrims who have come to celebrate the Passover. The city is alive with anticipation. Thousands of Jewish families have traveled long distances to gather for the great feast that commemorates God’s historic deliverance of Israel from Egyptian slavery. The streets are busy, the markets are full, and the religious…
Made for More than Mammon
You and I were made for more than mammon? Let us then use wealth wisely in light of eternity, stewarding resources faithfully as those accountable to God, resting ultimately in Christ, our true and lasting treasure. Trusting in Christ alone, examine your heart and ask yourself: Am I investing my resources in what will last…
The Lavish Love of God
Let us then examine ourselves in light of this parable. Perhaps you recognize yourself in the younger brother. You have wandered far from God. You have squandered his gifts. The message of this parable is simple: Return. As the prophet Joel says, “Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful” (Joel 2:12).
Was Lost, but Now Am Found
We find factual statements of the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the Bible. We may think, for example, of the protoevangelium in the third chapter of Genesis, where God promises the offspring of a woman victory over Satan.[2] We may think of the ram in the thicket substituted for Issac in Abraham’s sacrifice on Mount…
Crucified with Christ
Such renouncing is not turning from something to nothing, as if we are to empty ourselves of all desire, but to everything that Christ is for us. Let us not look back to what we have said goodbye, like Lot’s wife, but look to Jesus, “the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the…
To the Highways and the Hedges
When you are invited to a dinner party, what things might you say to your host? “Thank you,” is always appropriate. Perhaps, “What a lovely home you have,” or “The meal was excellent,” “The conversation was engaging,” “You are a gracious host,” or even “May I have that recipe?” What you are likely not to…
The Wisdom of Humility
He was shamed, slandered, and tortured for nothing he did but what we did, even to the point of death, even death on a cross. He deserved none of it and took all of it, humbling himself that he might bring “many sons to glory” (Heb. 2:10). And as God’s sons and daughters, we glory…
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Planter, Pastor, Preacher 