As we approach the wonderful celebrations of Easter, let us remember that all our songs in approaching that day are songs of ascent. We are climbing a mountain, not as recreational hikers, looking for a panoramic view, but as worshipers, seeking to declare God’s praises in the high place that He has assigned for His …
Reciprocity
The Bible teaches us that we as Christians partake of Christ. When we come to this table, we partake of His body, and of His blood. But we do not partake of Christ in some isolated fashion, as though it were possible to partake of one narrow portion of Him. We partake of totus Christus, …
Surpassing Comprehension
Our Father and God, Your kindness to us surpasses comprehension. We are so grateful as we approach yet another Lord’s Day. We thank You for our salvation rest, we thank You for Jesus Christ, we thank You that our children and grandchildren can grow up loving You by the grace You have given. The food …
The B.T.K. Killer and the Objectivity of the Covenant
The recent arrest of Dennis Rader for the infamous B.T.K. killings presents an interesting dilemma for those who want to maintain, as I do, the objectivity of the covenant. For the sake of this discussion, I want to assume that the reports are true that Rader has confessed to a number of the killings, and …
Love Your Enemies
This instruction shows us the heart of the Christian ethic for individuals. A common error is that we take the biblical requirements for individuals and apply them to states, and also apply the requirements for states to individuals. We do not understand governments, and as a result we commonly do not understand the instructions given …
World Conquest
42. So the Christian faith is a religion of world conquest? That is exactly right. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the …
Marriage As Manifest Glory XIV
Introduction: Although it is not possible to separate the various aspects of marriage from one another, it is possible to distinguish them. We have come now to the third section in this series on marriage, a section that deals with marriage and sin. And in order to understand sin rightly, we have to understand forgiveness. …
Gospel Glory
35. Does the Old Testament contain visions of glory for the gospel era, and not just judgment at the beginning of that era? Yes. These Scriptures below are only a small portion of what could be gathered under this head. A diligent reading of the Old Testament will reveal many more. God gives a wonderful …
Resurrecting Grace
We begin by reviewing what we have covered. First, the condition of man is such that he cannot save himself, or contribute to his own salvation. Secondly, we saw that the Father elected some to salvation before the creation of the world. Election is the work of the Father. In our last installment, we looked …
Biblical Swearing
This subject of biblical swearing provides yet another example of the necessity of systematic study in the Scriptures. It is impossible to subject to the authority of just one text as we are reading it, because submission occurs at the point of obedience in real life. And when it comes time to swear, or not …