“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) Growing Dominion, Part 35 Jesus teaches us that if we are faithful in little, we will be able to be faithful over much (Luke 19:17). Someone who was a slouch as a teen-ager with his paper route is likely to be a slouch …
Big and Little
“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) Growing Dominion, Part 34 Radical individualism wants to believe that those who are faithfully living together in community are actually sowing seeds of discord in community. But life together does not mean overlooking everything. One of the basic principles of life together in …
The Covetous Heart
We come now to the last of the Ten Commandments, the prohibition of covetousness. And with this requirement, we come to the fountainhead of all our love to our neighbor — a prohibition of any sinful refusal to be glad and grateful for the blessings of others. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you …
Life Together
“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) Growing Dominion, Part 33 As evangelical Christians, we know that we are saved by grace through faith, and it is not of ourselves, lest any should boast. Our salvation, in other words, is gracious, and completely detached from any notion of merit or …
False Witness
This commandment strikes at the heart of falsehood and lies, which in their turn are the native language of the devil. Without truth and trust, biblical culture is an impossibility. “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” (Ex. 20:16). First, what is the context of false witness? The commandment prohibits lying against one’s …
Take It Slow
“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) Growing Dominion, Part 32 We have been emphasizing the possibility of progress, and, because we believe the promises of God we may even assert that progress is inevitable. Using the glorious imagery of the prophet, the lion will lie down with the lamb, …
Theft
Just as Moses assumes the permanence of marriage in His prohibition of adultery, so does he assume the legitimacy of private property in his prohibition of stealing. And as we have discovered with the other commandments, obedience is not as simple as it may appear — not all thieves break into houses at night. “You …
For Now
“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) Growing Dominion, Part 31 Many years ago, when I was laboring away in a class of classical Greek, whenever our instructor would give us some grammatical rule or other, the class would chant in unison, “For now!” We knew that somewhere, up around …
Savior and Healer
“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) Growing Dominion, Part 30 As we make applications of biblical principles, one of the primary places we should make application is in the realm of health. In Scripture, the word for savior and healer are the same word. A central part of Christ’s …
Wisdom and Application
“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) Growing Dominion, Part 29 Christian maturity comes down to making applications from the Bible. The Bible commends the wise, for example, and condemns the foolish. And so, if we are wise, the Bible praises us. If we are foolish, the Bible rebukes us. …