The greatest work of art in the most elegant of settings is rubbish compared to the radiance of the testimony of God’s grace at work in you.
Category Archives: The Gospel of Matthew
Of Infinite Value
In considering the eternal value of the Word of God, let us not cheapen it in our mind or the minds of others, treating it as if it is just another literary work of antiquity. Let us hold it in high and reverent esteem with a firm persuasion that it is the very Word of God.
Let All the People Sing
In other words, the need of all people, is met in compassion for all people (namely the gospel of Jesus Christ), that God may receive praise from all people. The gospel is an invitation to come and praise the Lord forever. Let all the people sing!
Humble Faith
So, we come not to Christ with our birthrights, upbringings, pedigrees; we bring not our achievements, our deeds, our badges of merit. No, we come like dogs to the table, needy yet hopeful and find that the Master of the house is our heavenly Father.
He Is the One; There Is No Other
Belief is not circumstantial but is a gift of God’s grace and must be received as such. You cannot will it to be, and it will never be on your terms. Try harder and do better, exhaust your efforts on the treadmill of works, if you please, but the gift of grace is just that, a gift so that no one may boast.
From the Heart
The promise is not of a better heart but a new one, one with which we may love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind” (Matt. 22:37).
Faithless Familiarity
Let not our familiarity lead us to the hometown of faithlessness. Rather let us rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ, treasuring His gospel, and embracing His means of grace with faith and devotion.
Faith Comes from Hearing
Through our union with Christ we bear fruit. There may be varying yields according to God’s grace, but a true disciple is identified by bearing it.
Eyes to See and a Tongue to Speak
The unbeliever’s treasure is himself, and therefore his evil heart and the words it sends forth are for his own glory. But, for the Christian, our treasure is Christ, and out of Him and His Spirit’s indwelling presence flows words of praise to God and His glory.
Evidence of a Depraved Mind
And while Herodias held what she perceived to be her trophy of triumph, the Word of God triumphs through the faithful preaching of the Word that by the work of the Holy Spirit the depraved mind be conquered and sanctified by the Word of truth.
Planter, Pastor, Preacher 