“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). Why? Because God is infinitely holy and excellent, perfect in every way, the source and sustainer of all things, apart from whom we have nothing, and to […]
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Never have so few words carried more far-reaching implications than the first verse of the Bible. For instance, in a single sentence God reveals Himself as the origin of everything, apart from whom nothing would or could exist, without whom we have nothing, and to
Every Good Is Grace—Every Breath, Mercy Read More »
“‘Vanity of vanities,’ says the preacher, ‘Vanity of vanities, all is vanity’” (Eccl. 1:1-2). Or, to paraphrase, “all is pointless, all is empty.” Ecclesiastes so reduces our many earthly activities to “chasing after wind” that it begs for an answer to the important question: What, then, gives life and living meaning and purpose? More to
Empty Pursuits Made Eternally Meaningful Read More »
Mr. Christian’s neighbor had a new bumper sticker: Practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty. To Mr. Christian, random and senseless acts seemed, well, random and senseless, so he asked his neighbor what it meant. His answer was startling and disturbing. “Selfish acts of doing something to get something are not virtuous;
Is Love to God No More Than Self-Love? Read More »
“Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians
We are saved by grace through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ—alone. Nothing can be added to Christ’s perfect work or to faith by which the salvation He accomplished becomes ours. Simple faith the size of a mustard seed unites to Christ, in whom the righteousness of His perfect obedience and payment
Why Saving Faith Is Impossible Without Repentance Read More »
God created, orders, sustains, and owns everything. Apart from God we have nothing, can do nothing, and can know nothing. He determines our existence, purpose, and destiny, without whom our every pursuit reduces to pointless absurdity. Therefore, we owe God all love, honor, and obedience—with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength—forever. Nothing, then, is
Death by Relevance Read More »
In the previous post we considered “no hope” as the words behind a broken spirit, the two words that carry such unbearable darkness that no one can withstand their power. We compared wishful thinking to the assurance of Christian hope, and saw that hope can be false, uncertain, or certain according to the ability and
Two Unbearable Words: The Nature of Christian Hope (Part 2 of 2) Read More »
Two small words. When heard on the battlefield, in the hospital waiting room, or in our darkest thoughts, they bring despair. Two words that carry such anguish that no one can withstand their power. What, then, are these two unbearable words? “No hope.” Proverbs 18:14 tells us, “The spirit of a man can endure his
Two Unbearable Words: The Nature of Christian Hope (Part 1 of 2) Read More »
Many popular preachers today teach that God always wants us healthy, wealthy, successful, and powerful in this life. Their message implies, and sometimes explicitly states, that we only lack these blessings because we lack faith. In other words, God intends none of these problems for His beloved children, while the blame for our earthly troubles,
Eternal Health, Wealth, Success, and Power Read More »
