We know the gospel well enough to know that we are not in any way saved or justified by our works. We are saved to good works, and not by them (Eph. 2:8-10). At the same time, we know that God is mindful of our works, placing them at the point of fruit on the …
On Being a Lentendud
A few days ago I posted a little poem — one of my periodic forays into high art — about the affair of the sausages, as a result of which incident the Swiss Reformation began in earnest. It turns out that this poem and other related things generated some excitement on the Internet (and who …
A Lenten Meditation for Meat Lovers
Sing if you can the affair of the sausages, Brave Zwingli taking on Lenten observances. Honor then Wittenberg’s 95 theses, But Zurich was first with the meat reformation. What could be better than fat, roasting sausages, Striking a blow against vain gnostic scrupling? What could be better to set the soul soaring Than …
Sacrifice and Love, Grace and Gift
The prophet Habakkuk tells us in a certain place that though earthly food may fail us, God will remain our portion. He says it this way: Although the fig tree shall not blossom, Neither shall fruit be in the vines; The labour of the olive shall fail, And the fields shall yield no meat; The …
Wrongly Fencing the Fridge
I have urged you all to begin preparations that would enable you to love others in economic hard times, but this has not been intended to urge you to become selfish today for the sake of the possibility of loving someone tomorrow. The very best preparation for loving someone tomorrow is loving someone today. If …
Bread and Wine Multiply
The Lord Jesus enacted the true nature of the world for us when He fed the 5,000 and the 4,000. In both cases, He refuted the central tenet of unbelief, which is that resources are scarce, and that God must be a skinflint. Zero-sum thinking is the idea that more for one person means less …
Love Will Never Be Devalued
There is quite a striking difference between fear and prudence. The Scriptures tell us that we ought not to call “conspiracy” whatever the worldlings are calling conspiracy, and I would want to apply this to the breathless and panicked way that some have of responding to economic threats. Whenever an idol is toppled, this ought …
A Large Bowl of Mercy
When we think of manna, we tend to think of daily provision, or the fact that manna was the Lord Jesus in a type. This is all good, but there is a good deal more. Recall also that when the manna was gathered, it was to be gathered for that day—sufficient unto the day is …
Your Very Own Deacons’ Fund
As we watch the global economy, we are often dismayed or shocked. We are not dismayed or shocked at the fact of disaster—we live in a fallen world, and we know that disasters happen from time to time. But we are watching a slow-motion, self-inflicted, suicidal disaster. God has struck our leaders with a judicial …
Communion as Comfort Food
Our God is the God of all comfort. His Table is the Table of peace. We know that we are to confess and set aside our sins before we come, but we also need to be reminded that we should confess and set aside our fears. This is a holy Table, and so we know …