Jesus' sacrifice of himself on the cross is one of the richest moments of history. We could never exhaust everything that God accomplished through Christ on the cross. Herman Bavinck helps us out a bit. Bavinck gave offered a helpful list of what Christ has accomplished for his own glory: What Christ acquired by this … Continue reading What Happened When Jesus Died?
grace
Work of Faith Working
It was common for the ancient Greeks, and some of us today, to love idleness. To be involved with physical labor was a sign of the lower classes—to be a servant. But it is for this “work” that Paul praised the Thessalonians before God. But what does “work of faith” mean? The relationship of faith … Continue reading Work of Faith Working
Christian Participation in the Moral Order
O’Donovan defined morality as “participation in the moral order.”[1] As Christians participate in the culture, they must shine the light of Christ as wisely as possible. This demands that all sinners are addressed with respect as the image bearers of God. “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” and all need … Continue reading Christian Participation in the Moral Order
Our Need to Be Justified
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
How God Saves
"I planted, Apollos watered, and God gave the increase" 1 Corinthians 3:6 We often sing the words "I know not how the Spirit moves, Convincing men of sin, Revealing Jesus through the Word, Creating faith in Him." We can look to the Bible to see how God creates saving faith through the Word through His … Continue reading How God Saves
On Christian Love
Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all … Continue reading On Christian Love
What Does it Mean to Be a Believer?
Leon Morris described Romans 3:21-22 this way, "In what is possibly the most important single paragraph ever written, Paul brings out something of the grandeur of Christ’s saving work. He speaks of the righteousness of God, the sin of man, and the salvation of Christ. He views this salvation in three ways: as justification (imagery from … Continue reading What Does it Mean to Be a Believer?
The Ministry of the Word
Professor Dumbledore said, “Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.” Words used powerfully and beautifully made J.K. Rowling a best selling author. But God's words are infinitely more important. Remember what the Bible says about God's word. In the beginning was the Word--John … Continue reading The Ministry of the Word
Grace and Christian Ministry
Grace is “God’s unmerited favor”. However, this Bible word is used to describe two things. The word “grace” is used to describe God’s unmerited favor in the salvation of the lost, and Paul used to describe the ministry of God’s saved people. Grace “is effectively displayed in particular divine activities—supremely in the redemptive death of … Continue reading Grace and Christian Ministry
Need Some Rest?
Taking a little time away from work has been demonstrated to make individuals far more productive at their work. The Bible tells us a lot about rest. In fact, we have rest at the very beginning of creation. God worked for 6 days and "rested" on the seventh (Genesis 2:3). This "day of rest" God … Continue reading Need Some Rest?
Donnie's Dogmatics 