Posts (Page 36)

Outward practical holiness is a very precious mark of grace. It is to be feared that many professors have perverted the doctrine of justification by faith in such a way as to treat good works with contempt; if so, they will receive everlasting contempt at the last great day. If our hands are not clean, let us wash them in Jesus’ precious blood, and so let us lift up pure…

“Marriage should be honoured by all, and the marriage bed kept pure”. Heb 13:4–6   Not all here today are married. Some of you are single by choice, and some of you are not.  Some of you are not yet of an age to even consider marriage. Yet marriage should be of interest to us all, and held in honour by us all – implying even by those who are not married.   Why?…

“To him be glory both now and forever.” — 2 Peter 3:18   Heaven will be full of the ceaseless praises of Jesus. Eternity! your unnumbered years shall speed their everlasting course, but forever and for ever, “to him be glory.” Is he not a “Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek”? “To him be glory.” Is he not king for ever?—King of kings and Lord of lords, the…

So far we looked at the four Life Goals God has for His children, then last week we saw three Life Assurances God gives us as we face the complexity of trials in our Christian lives, which range from those that God uses to test or prove and also improve our faith through to Satan’s temptations either in those trials or more directly. What great encouragement we received…

He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young. [Isaiah 40:11] Who is He of whom such gracious words are spoken? He is the Good Shepherd. Why does He carry the lambs in His bosom? Because He has a tender heart, and any weakness at once melts His heart. The sighs, the…

The clear desire of all Christian parents is the spiritual wellbeing of their children. We want our children to be saved, to be part of the company of the redeemed. We yearn for the blessing of God’s covenant grace to be on our children. While we recognize God’s sovereignty in salvation, this longing to see one generation follow another in knowing God motivates the…

“God, that comforts those that are cast down.” – 2 Cor. 7:6   If there is much to cast down the child of God, there is more to lift him up. If in his path to glory there are many causes of soul-despondency, of heart-sorrow, and mental disquietude, yet in that single truth—God comforts the disconsolate—he has an infinite counterbalance of consolation, joy, and hope.…

It can happen even in careful systematic theology. How much more so in popular parlance? We take what the Bible actually teaches, rephrase it so we can understand it, and end up believing our own phrasing, rather than the actual biblical truth. It’s not malicious, but it is dangerous. What follows are five common thoughts, common expressions, within the evangelical church…

Prayer is the act of forging a connection between two specific points: our human needs and the resources of God offered to us in Christ. You can start at either point, and reach to the other in prayer. True Christians have discovered that God, in Christ, offers them grace, mercy, pardon, peace, life, and love. This is revealed in the gospel, or “good news” of Jesus Christ…

Paul tells us that the Father’s motive in exalting Christ to the highest place and giving Him a name that is above every name is “the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:11). If we have any other end in view, then quite simply we will labour without the blessing of God. Zeal for the glory of God as the controlling motive of our thinking and working will deeply affect at…