Introduction: As Reformed Christians, we naturally think in terms of covenants. We do this when thinking about our salvation, and the covenant of grace, and we also do it when it comes to some of our horizontal relationships—we have a rich understanding, for example, of … [Read more...]
What It Means to be Forgiven
Introduction: When we are forgiven for our sins, there are two fundamental aspects to this. First we are delivered, definitively, all at once, from the penalty of sin. Our sins and our lawless deeds God will remember no more. They are forgiven, meaning they won’t come up at … [Read more...]
Mere Gospel
Introduction: When it comes to how we live our lives, making our day-to-day choices, the world only becomes a tangled and complicated place if we are drifting lazily into a dark confusion wrought by sin. Think about it for a moment. Keep it simple. There are only two kinds of … [Read more...]
State of the Church 2019
Introduction: As you know, it is our custom to present a “state of the church” message every year around this time. Sometimes the message addresses the state of the church generally, as in, across the nation. At other times, like today, the message concerns particular issues … [Read more...]
Doing What He Says
Folly is not defined against a worldly standard. There is a kind of folly that exists there, true, a dumb and dumber kind of thing. But we are not concerned with that. In Scripture, folly is not a matter of intelligence, but rather of a moral indisposition to submit to God. Some … [Read more...]
True Companions
Meals together are to be a time of harmony. We are all of us companions here. The Latin word for companion comes from two words meaning “one who shares bread together with you.” As companions, we should want to be companions on more than just one level. We are growing … [Read more...]
Merry Christmas, and As You Were
I trust that God has blessed you and yours with a most merry Christmas. That said, it is time for you to go back to fellowshipping with them all, including even your cranky uncle. The normal letters feature here that runs on Tuesday will appear tomorrow, despite the fact that … [Read more...]
The Next Bethlehem
There are few things in this world more audacious than the doctrines underlying Christmas. And when we say this, we are not just talking about what God has done, in fulfillment of His great and precious promises, but we are also talking about what God is continuing to do, and … [Read more...]
Christmas with Both Feet on the Ground
Introduction: One of our great temptations is to project doctrinal anachronisms back into the past. When Jesus was living among us, and teaching His disciples, it is pretty easy for us to take post-resurrection realities, or post-ascension realities, or even post-Nicene … [Read more...]
The Christmas Gift
Introduction: Our celebration of Christmas is all about the arrival of the one who was given to us. For unto us a Son is given (Is. 9:6). The Christ was given. God so loved the world that He gave. In Isaiah’s promise, there are two words that are repeated twice, and they … [Read more...]
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