Why do we need to be justified by faith and not by works (Ephesians 2:8)? “It is as though God had committed to our trust a perfect crystal vase, and had said, ‘if you keep that whole, and present it to me, you shall have a reward.’ But we have cracked it, chipped it; ah! … Continue reading Our Need to Be Justified
Is God One or Three?
Trinity? Christians worship the one God who exists as three persons. The doctrine of the Trinity is, indeed, a mystery. However, the doctrine is essential. The Scriptures describe the one God who is three persons—Father, Son, and Spirit. These three persons are distinct from each other, but the three persons are also one God. The … Continue reading Is God One or Three?
Fishing Without Jesus
Just after the resurrection, in John 21, Peter said, “I’m going fishing” and the other disciples typically followed him (Jn 21:3). They fished all night and caught nothing. Darkness and Nothing This isn’t the first time Peter had been out fishing all night and caught nothing. All the way back at the beginning of Jesus’ … Continue reading Fishing Without Jesus
WAS JESUS GOD? DOES IT MATTER?
Can We See Jesus’ Deity During the Incarnation? It is one thing for us to believe that Jesus was a real human who lived. It is another thing altogether for us to believe that he is God and that he was true God when throughout the entirety of his life. Wilhemus a Brakel noted that … Continue reading WAS JESUS GOD? DOES IT MATTER?
What Is God Like? Isaiah 46 and the God of Classical Theism
Most of us try to imagine God. That’s really something we shouldn’t do. The first commandments in the Decalogue are to have no other Gods and not to make any graven image of our God. Why shouldn’t we make any images of God? Perhaps the best reason we shouldn’t make any images of God is … Continue reading What Is God Like? Isaiah 46 and the God of Classical Theism
What Is God Like? Classical Theism and Isaiah 46
Most of us try to imagine God. That’s really something we shouldn’t do. The first commandments in the Decalogue are to have no other Gods and not to make any graven image of our God. Why shouldn’t we make any images of God? Perhaps the best reason we shouldn’t make any images of God is … Continue reading What Is God Like? Classical Theism and Isaiah 46
The Gospel
We typically use the Gospel refers to God’s plan to glorify himself by saving sinful humanity through the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of his Son. The word “gospel” is used around 120 times in your New Testament. Mark began his narrative of Jesus’ life as “the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” … Continue reading The Gospel
How To Read the Old Testament According to Jesus
Jesus said, “If you had believed Moses, you would have believed me, for he wrote of me” (Jn 5:46). As he trained the disciples on the road to Emmaus on how to interpret the Bible, Jesus said, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Wasn’t it necessary … Continue reading How To Read the Old Testament According to Jesus
Serve Boldly
Christian, the Bible tells us we can “come boldly before the throne of grace.” Jesus told a parable about a servant who was afraid to serve. Jesus said, “the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow … Continue reading Serve Boldly
WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT AND WHAT DOES HE DO?
WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT? Christians are saved by the work of the Triune God. First Peter was addressed to those who were “chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient and to be sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet 1:1-2). … Continue reading WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT AND WHAT DOES HE DO?
Some Notes On The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit
WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT? Christians are saved by the work of the Triune God. First Peter was addressed to those who were “chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient and to be sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet 1:1-2). Christians are commanded to baptize … Continue reading Some Notes On The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit