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
Reverence
“God’s glory draws our worship, and God’s will directs our worship. God is a jealous God, i.e. he has burning zeal for the holiness of his name. He will not share worship with another.”[1] To adore the transcendent and holy God demands total devotion to him and the adoration of him above every competitor. “For our God is a consuming fire” is … Continue reading Reverence
Ascending on the First Lord’s Day
We often get stuck at the crucifixion of Christ, but there is more to the story of Jesus. Jesus has been raised from the dead and Jesus has ascended to the right hand of the Father. Leo the Great said, “The ascension of Christ is our elevation. Hope for the body is also invited where … Continue reading Ascending on the First Lord’s Day
Christian Perseverance
Christian, what waits for you? Our goal should be endurance—endure to the end and find your reward. Our own Malcom George has successfully and admirably completed 71 wonderful years of service to God, church, and to the mission laid upon him. What an incredible example! In the New Testament, the Apostle John is perhaps … Continue reading Christian Perseverance
Divine Works of the Incarnate Lord
Was Jesus true God during his incarnation? Kenotic and Neo-Apollinarian Christologies deny the Jesus was true God or that he retained the fullness of divine attributes. If Jesus did not retain the fullness of divine attributes during his incarnation, then he would not be true God at that time. This theory cannot be accepted because … Continue reading Divine Works of the Incarnate Lord
The God Who Gives Life
The ability to give life is a particularly divine characteristic. God has the ability to give life because he has life in himself. God exists a se. Bavinck summarized “He is self-existent. He existed before all things, and all things exist only through him (Ps. 90:2; 1 Cor. 8:6; Rev. 4:11). In an absolute sense … Continue reading The God Who Gives Life
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
