Contemplations
The Divine Demand for Righteousness
“And mine eye shall not spare thee, neither will I have pity: but I will recompense thy ways upon thee, and thine abominations shall be in the midst of thee: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.”(Ezekiel 7:4) Much can be learned from history if we take the time to...
Knowing Nothing But Christ Crucified
“For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:2) The church at Corinth serves as both an encouragement and a warning. Encouragement, because it was rich in gifts, knowledge, and outward ability. Warning,...
Seeing God in the Rhythms of Nature
“Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” (Acts 14:17) Nature’s rhythms—spring’s renewal, summer’s warmth, autumn’s harvest, and winter’s...
The Spotlight that Shines on Christ
“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of me.” (John 15:26) When Jesus promised the Comforter, He spoke of the third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit,...
Chosen and Secure in the Father’s Love
“Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.” (1 Peter 1:2) In the first chapter of his first epistle Peter shares...
The Patience of Christ
"Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously." (1 Peter 2:23) The patience of Christ in the wake of the onslaught of His accusers is one of the clearest displays of His perfect...
The God Who Makes All Grace Abound
"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work." (2 Corinthians 9:8) The sufficiency of believers flows from the sufficiency of God. Because God makes “all grace abound” toward...
Delivering Grace
“But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, ‘O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?’” (Matthew 3:7) John the Baptist's question recorded here in Matthew 3:7, addressed to those...
The Sovereign Government of God
“For it is the day of the LORD'S vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion. And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch. It shall not be quenched...
A Heart Made Willing to Obey
"Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience." (Ephesians 5:6) Paul urges the Ephesian believers not to be deceived by words that disregard the seriousness of sin by downplaying the...
Strengthened for Holy Perseverance
“I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments.” (Psalm 119:106) While salvation is wholly of grace, God’s children are called to diligently follow Christ, obey His Word, and pursue holiness. David's words in this psalm express such a...
Envy That Resents God’s Mercy
"But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 8:12) Christ interjects this warning into the conversation recorded in Matthew 8:12 while answering the request of a Roman centurion to heal...
Fear That Guards the Soul
"Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel." (2 Chronicles 28:3) The valley of the son of Hinnom became associated...
Gratitude for a Perfect Saviour
“For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.” (James 2:10-11)...
Every Deed Accounted For
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God;...
False Peace and True Fellowship
“If we say we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.” (1 John 1:6) The human heart possesses a remarkable ability to persuade itself that all is well when all is not well. In fact, one of the most dangerous conditions we read...
Neglecting the Means of Grace
“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” (Acts 2:42) Those early believers referenced in this second chapter of Acts realized that the ordinances of Christ were essential means through which...
God’s Response to Pride
"And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible." (Isaiah 13:11) The dominion of ancient Babylon, referenced often in the Old...
The Greater One Within
“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” (1 John 4:4) The world tends to portray the Christian life as burdensome and restrictive, as though obedience to Christ robs a person of joy...
The Work of God Alone
“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.” (1 Peter 1:23) Just as a newborn infant cannot effect its physical birth, believers cannot effect their “new birth.” Scripture makes it clear that...
The Danger of an Unconverted Heart
“Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit...
Christ Our Unshakable Rock
“He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.” (Psalm 62:2) Throughout Scripture, God is repeatedly referred to as the Rock of His people. He is the refuge to which sinners flee and the sure foundation on which faith rests. Just...
Learning From the Lord’s Rebukes
"Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because the Philistines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with a despiteful heart, to destroy it for the old hatred; Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will stretch out mine hand upon the Philistines, and I will cut...
The Weight of Sin and Need for Satisfaction
"I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself?" (Job 7:20) Job’s anguished cry pierces through the centuries and speaks directly to the human condition. When sin is...
The Word That Instructs and Guides
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) The sufficiency of...
The Sins God Hates
“These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies,...
So Great Salvation
"How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him." (Hebrews 2:3) The gospel of Christ is the greatest message ever proclaimed because it reveals the eternal love...
To the Praise of His Glory
“That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.” (Ephesians 1:12) The great design of God in saving sinners is not only that they might escape wrath, but that they might live to the praise of His glory. For when God effectually calls a...
Humbled and Lifted by His Grace
“I know that thou canst do everything, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.” (Job 42:2) Job, one of the oldest books in the Bible, recounts the life of a godly man by the same name who, after a long period of suffering, questioning, and humbling,...
The God Who Cannot Lie
“In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.” (Titus 1:2) Our hope of eternal life, as this verse in Titus so beautifully reminds us, rests on one of the most comforting truths revealed in Scripture... that God cannot lie. We...
The Power of Hearing
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17) Faith is a gift of God, a product of His Word and His Spirit working together in our hearts. This divine process occurs when the Spirit of God plants the truths of God in hearts that are...
The Blessing of Abraham Through Christ
“That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” (Galatians 3:14) The gospel fulfills one of the greatest wonders of God's redemptive purpose, which is that the blessing...
Gathered Forever with Christ
"And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." (Matthew 24:31) The return of Jesus Christ is the great hope of every believer, allowing us to direct our...
Not Your Own
“If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” (1 Corinthians 3:17) Scripture teaches that all true Christians belong entirely to God. What an amazing truth, indeed, that every Person of the Trinity...
The Gift of the Son
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) Among all the declarations of God’s amazing grace found in Scripture, few are as well known or as rich in...
Living for the Glory of His Name
“For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, saith the LORD; that they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not...
A Call to Persevere
“And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.” (Jude 1:6) This passage in Jude is a sober example of what can happen if we do not persevere in...
The Greater Glory of the Gospel
“For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.” (2 Corinthians 3:9) The gospel of Jesus Christ is the clearest and most magnificent display of God's glory ever revealed to mankind. Scripture calls...
Our Glorious Future With Christ
“Which is his body, the fulness of him that fills all in all.” (Ephesians 1:23) Scripture promises believers a most magnificent destiny—an eternity where God’s fullness permeates everything and every facet of existence radiates His glory. On that eternal day,...
Chosen to Salvation Through Sanctification
“But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.” (2 Thessalonians 2:13) The work of salvation begins in the...
The Weight of Eternity
“In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.” (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9) Every person...
The Sweet Testimony of a Clean Conscience
“I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost.” (Romans 9:1-2) The testimony of a good conscience is one of the richest gifts given the believer in this life. When rightly informed by the Word and sanctified by the...
Growing in the Likeness of God
“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48) One of the clearest evidences of a renewed heart is a growing love for holiness. It is easy to love Scriptures that comfort, encourage, or reassure while disregarding those...
The Perfect Word of God
"The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes." (Psalm 19:7-8) The body of...
Choices that Carry Eternal Consequences
“And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried.” (Luke 16:22) This passage shares a very sobering reality: death does not end existence; it reveals it. And whether one lives in...
Hallowed Be Thy Name
“But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.” (Isaiah 5:16) Among the petitions our Lord taught His disciples, none comes before, “Hallowed be thy name.” Before daily bread, before forgiveness, before...
Found in Christ
"And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." (Philippians 3:9) One of the greatest dangers facing every sinner is the temptation to trust in...
Seek His Morning Mercies
“O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.” (Psalm 90:14) This Scripture captures the longing of the human heart for God’s mercy, a plea that reveals our deepest need for both His favor and His presence. It also urges us to seek...
The Folly of Pride
“For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.” (Malachi 4:1) Pride is...
Christ Remains Unchanged
“They shall perish; but thou remain; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.” (Hebrews 1:11-12) This passage in Hebrews draws a sharp...
Broken Covenant and Renewed Mercy
“And I turned myself and came down from the mount, and put the tables in the ark which I had made; and there they be, as the LORD commanded me.”(Deuteronomy 10:5) The Lord gave Israel His law, written on tables of stone, for a sign of His covenant with them. But...
God’s Unfailing Hand
“The LORD will perfect that which concerns me: thy mercy, O LORD, endures forever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.” (Psalm 138:8) The works of God are marked by a perfection that neither falters nor fails. Creation itself testifies to this truth, for in the...
Heirs of Grace
"That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." (Titus 3:7) Grace is the lifeblood of the Christian life. Every blessing we possess flows from the undeserved favor of God toward sinners in Jesus Christ. While yet...
The Promised Saviour
“Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus.” (Acts 13:23) Saving faith, as described by Paul in Ephesians 2:8-9, not only believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, but comes to Him for forgiveness and cleansing of...