Tag Archives: Faith

Serving As Christ’s Church

And so, serving as Christ’s church, alongside those who are for us, we advance the gospel to our neighbors and the nations, trusting God for the increase. For, as undeserving sinners saved only by the grace of God, we too desire others to receive the same. Indeed, “God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace [we] have been saved” (Eph. 2:4-5). Such is the testimony of Christ’s church.

Let This Sink In

Though Jesus’ disciples did not understand in the moment, they would, and through their testimony we do too. Indeed, the Son of Man was delivered into the hands of lawless men, that he who kept the law might make us the righteousness of God.[10] May this truth sink into our ears forever!

Christ’s Commissioned Church

And so, as maturing disciples, we make disciples by going, baptizing, and teaching, but we do not make them for ourselves. For Christ has promised to be with us “always,” not only for today but “to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20).

In One Spirit

After Jesus ascended to the right hand of God the Father almighty, in place of his physical presence he sent his Spirit, witnessed on the day of Pentecost in tongues of fire upon the apostles.[2] That day was unique in Israel, not because the Holy Spirit was absent from God’s people previously but because the Holy Spirit came in an unprecedented fullness, fulfilling Joels’ prophecy of the Spirit being poured out “on all flesh” (Joel 2:28), not indiscriminately but according to the sovereign grace of God.

When Christ Is Your Life

In the version of the Lord’s Prayer, taken from Matthew’s Gospel, we pray, “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matt. 6:12 KJV). The word translated “debts” implies that we have an obligation due God that requires forgiveness. Of course, Jesus uses this financial term figuratively for sin, an offense against the holiness of God that imputes an insurmountable debt, a debt we cannot pay.

From Mountain High to Valley Low

Have you ever had an experience that could be described as a “spiritual high”? Perhaps it was one summer after church camp (or every summer after church camp). Perhaps it was after a conference or during an especially uplifting Bible study. Or, perhaps it was a seemingly inexplicable time of spiritual growth. Whatever the case, you remember it, and then it went away, as if descending from mountain high to valley low.

The Glory of God’s Son

After Jesus’ disciples confessed his true identity as “the Christ of God” (Luke 9:20), he confronted their confession with the cost, saying, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (9:23). What he described is essentially what citizenship in his kingdom looks like here and now, but it was a stark contrast from what his disciples had envisioned (How can a kingdom be built through a cross?).

The Incalculable Value of Following Christ

And if you are looking for a guaranteed return on the investment on your life in Christ, here it is: The Lord Jesus Christ will return in his glory and the glory of God the Father who sent him, with his holy angels, to gather all who belong to him.

Who Is Jesus?

In Luke’s Gospel, at every paramount point of Jesus’ life prayer shows up. For example, there was prayer at Jesus’ baptism, prayer at his selection of the twelve apostles, prayer at his transfiguration, and of course he taught his disciples how to pray, and we find it here, among other places: “he was praying alone” (Luke 9:18).