The fleshly nature has two ways of expressing itself. The first is the one we are most aware and ashamed of: it is our desire to sin. But the second way is also bad, and maybe worse because we are not ashamed of it – we’re even proud of it: it is our desire for self-righteousness. When I say self-righteousness, I’m not talking about a holier-than-thou attitude, or a hypocritical righteous facade. I mean sincerely trying to do the right thing through one’s own willpower and determination, but apart from reliance on the power of God. This kind of ‘righteousness’ falls far short of the righteousness God requires for salvation or for living the Christian life. That law-keeping is insufficient …Continue reading →
This question came up recently on a Christian forum. Since I’ve written quite a bit about justification and sanctification lately, it would be a good idea for me to clarify what I mean by these terms. In the Bible, justification has to do with righteousness. It is about being declared innocent – not guilty – before God. The Law, summarized by the Ten Commandments, reveals God’s righteousness, and therefore it is closely tied to justification. A person can only be justified if the entire Law is kept faultlessly. To break just one Law imputes guilt on a person. Jesus Christ is the only Person to keep the whole Law without sin, but He did so in our place so we …Continue reading →
We tend to misunderstand what was going on in the Galatian church. Well, let me rephrase. I have misunderstood what was going on in the Galatian church, …but I do think many of us share the same misunderstanding. What I mean is, as we read Paul’s epistle to the Galatians, we assume they were trying to be saved by the works of the Law of Moses. It’s real easy to come to this conclusion when we see warnings of “a different gospel,” and read statements like “a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through the faith of Jesus Christ,” and “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” There is so much …Continue reading →
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. – 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 (ESV) The way a runner runs depends on the kind of race he’s in. When the distance is small, an all-out sprint to the finish line is probably best. But when the distance is great, more self-control must be exercised. For the best possible chance of making it to the finish line first, a runner must control his expenditure of energy such that he has just enough strength to make it across …Continue reading →
(From a message given September 23, 2007) One of my favorite times during our Sunday morning worship service is prayer time. We come as a body before our Lord with praises and thanksgivings for what He has done for us or for the people we know during the week. Sometimes we give thanks for miraculous healing, and other times for salvation. But we also come with many requests to meet needs. A large number of the needs that we bring to God are health related. So-and-so has the flu. So-and-so fell and broke her hip. So-and-so has terminal cancer. Things were not much different during New Testament times. During Jesus’ three years of ministry, many people followed Him to see …Continue reading →
Today’s Christians, myself included, tend to think of God wrongly. We think of Him as the honored guest in our lives. My wife and I like to have people over for dinner at times. Wanda likes to cook, and whenever we have guests, she’ll cook up something special – and maybe go overboard with it. And that is a good thing. It’s part of being hospitable. We also spend time talking with our guests, and maybe we’ll watch a movie together. But eventually, it’s time for the guests to leave. We then clean up and retire for the evening. That’s the nice thing about guests: you can enjoy the fellowship, and then enjoy getting back to your own lives when …Continue reading →
(This is the first part of the book How to Gain Victory Over Sin, available through Amazon.com and other booksellers. It is available both in print and as a free ebook. Information about the book is on my books page. Introduction The saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners… Dear Reader, I wrote this book to help a specific group of people, so I am going to assume two things are true of you: First, you are a born-again believer in Jesus Christ. You have put your trust in Him and His finished work on the cross to save you from your sins. God has taken away the burden …Continue reading →
Search me, God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way. It is good to take time to regularly examine the Bible, but it is far better to let the Bible take time to regularly examine us. The former gives us knowledge of the scriptures that can puff us up. The latter gives us knowledge of ourselves that humbles us, opening the door to repentance and the building-up that is of God. The former happens as we read and study the scriptures. The latter happens afterwards as we take time to meditate on what we have read and studied. The Bible is …Continue reading →
And Abraham said to his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. -Genesis 22:5 (JND) God told Abraham to offer his son, Isaac, as a burnt offering. Obediently, Abraham took Isaac on a three day journey to Mount Moriah where he was to accomplish the unthinkable, horrific task. God did not tell Abraham He would provide a substitute offering for his son. And yet, Abraham confidently told the servants he would return to them with his son alive. He also reassured Isaac that God would provide a lamb for the sacrifice (Genesis 22:8). How did Abraham know God would do this when God had …Continue reading →
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