Weekly Article (Page 14)
What Is the Gospel?
Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel … by which also you are saved” (1 Cor 15:1ff) The nineteenth-century Princeton theologian Charles Hodge said, ‘The gospel is so simple that small children can understand it, and it is so profound that studies by the wisest theologians will never exhaust its riches.’ The gospel is absolutely fundamental to everything we…
“Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts…”. (1 Peter 3.13f)
Peter has been talking about believers living in a world hostile to the faith. In 3:13, we read this question, “Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?” You can imagine the looks that must have floated around the room when this …
And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. (Luke 2:18)
We must not cease to wonder at the great marvels of our God. It would be very difficult to draw a line between holy wonder and real worship; for when the soul is overwhelmed with the majesty of God’s glory, though it may not express itself in song or even utter its voice with bowed head in…
The beauty of Christ in the atonement
‘…completion of the atoning work is underlined by Christ’s sitting down, especially as we contrast it to how the Levitical high priests had to stand up in Tabernacle and Temple. In the Holy of Holies, there was the Ark of the Covenant, but no chair, for the priest must continue to stand as he sprinkled the blood on the mercy seat. The next year he would…
Are we simply robots?
John M. Frame addressing the charge that if people have no ‘free will’, people are simply robots: ‘Scripture is concerned, above all, to glorify God. Sometimes glorifying God humbles man, and those who believe Scripture must be willing to accept that consequence. We covet for ourselves ever more dignity, honor, and status, and we resist accepting a lower…
What do we value?
‘I think that many of us don’t care about redemption as much as we think we do. Yes, we know we have a sin problem, but in our heart of hearts, we just want life to work, and when it doesn’t, it isn’t too long before we are beginning to harbor questions about God’s goodness, faithfulness, and love. We are easily irritated with the minor…
Assurance
‘Doubts and fears have power to spoil much of the happiness of a true believer in Christ. Uncertainty and suspense are bad enough in any condition — in the matter of our health, our property, our families, our affections, our earthly callings — but never so bad as in the affairs of our souls. And so long as a believer cannot get beyond ‘I hope’, and…
“The earth is full of the goodness of the LORD” (Psa 33:5b)
Joyful, reverent, and fervent praise springs from knowing God in His power. The denial of the doctrine of creation directly undermines the worship of God, as does the denial of His sovereign control over all things, including the hearts of men. Our God reigns over the whole world and no one can…
The Pre-eminence of Christ
Someone has said that Jesus Christ came from the bosom of the Father to the bosom of a woman. He put on humanity that we might put on divinity. He became Son of Man that we might become sons of God. He was born contrary to the laws of nature, lived in poverty, was reared in obscurity, and only once crossed-the boundary of the land in which He was born—and that in His…
The first Christmas carol (Luke 1:46-56)
“My soul magnifies the Lord…” What is your favorite Christmas carol? Christmas carols are songs about Jesus’ birth. Mary’s song was the first Christmas carol. She sang about how big and great God is. Have you ever looked through a magnifying glass? Have you seen how things can look very big through that magnifying glass? Mary wanted her life to magnify God. She wanted…