In Psalm 71 (and in various other places), the biblical writer pleads with the Lord that he, the worshipper of God, not be put to shame. One of the faults we have in prayer is that we do not imitate this enough. We have drifted into what we think is a principled complacency—whatever God decrees …
Only Mercy
Father in Heaven, You are the one whose mercy endures forever. You have forgiven and restored other nations more guilty than we are, and other nations less guilty have proceeded on to perdition. We know that salvation is from You, and from Your sovereign good pleasure alone. We know that we are dependent upon Your …
Against the Wind
We not only struggle against sin itself, but we also struggle to understand sin rightly. One of the mistakes we make about it is that we think that time spent in sin is somehow enlightening, such that, after we repent, we can teach and inform others by means of our testimony. Now God does use …
What the Discipline is For
We have gathered here at a meal, the Lord’s Meal, and so we should want to be aware of anything that might get between us and the food. Table manners can present that kind of barrier. This happens when you don’t have any manners, and you have table anarchy, or if you have a complex …
Sins of Redefinition
Father in Heaven, we have wanted to deal with sin by redefining it, and we confess to you now, on behalf of a wicked generation, that our redefinitions have been self-serving and absurd. We have wanted to robe our bloodthirst in the sanctity of law, and we have wanted to reduce Your gospel to language …
Whether Rough or Smooth
One of the traps we fall into is that of defending ourselves both coming and going. We tell others that “all we ask” is that if someone has a problem with what we are doing, that they simply come to us with it. Talk to me, we say, and not about me. And there is …
Eating Grace By Grace
One of the glories of the new covenant is that we get to eat and drink our salvation. In the Garden of Eden, our first parents were privileged to eat their communion with God in the tree of life. And after our fall into sin, it is significant that the gospel is presented to us …
Loving Smooth Words
Father and God, we confess to You that as a nation we have not wanted the prophets to do anything but prophesy smooth words. We have hired flatterers and liars, and spin doctors, and then when the unavoidable truth comes upon us, we wonder why we were not warned. We chase away any who would …
Active Obedience in the Bread and Wine
It is significant that we come here for bread and wine, and not for the raw products that are used in the production of bread and wine. We eat the bread and drink the wine, and we do not eat a handful of raw grain as the disciples did once, and we do not eat …
Two Kinds of Blamelessness
There are two kinds of blamelessness. One is impossible for us to have, and the other is the full and settled expectation for all Christians. Compared with the holiness of God, not one of us as yet at the place where God could not find fault if He wanted to. In our vertical relationship with …