Contemplations
Presuming Upon Grace
“For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Jude 1:4) Jude’s words warn the church...
The Inestimable Sword of the Spirit
“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) As this passage in...
Obedience: The Heart of True Worship
“But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.” (Luke 11:28) Obedience is not typically the first word that comes to mind when we think of thanksgiving. But in the words of Christ recorded in Luke 11:28, it becomes clear that...
Helmet of Hope
“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”(Ephesians 6:17) Beginning in verse 10 of Ephesians 6, Paul exhorts the believers at Ephesus to “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” And then he proceeds to lay...
Chosen by Grace: God’s Covenant People
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9) Unlike the Covenant of Works (God's initial agreement with...
The God Who Refines and Restores
“And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.” (Malachi 3:3) In Malachi 3:3 we’re reminded of the refining process God...
The Almighty Who Was, and Is, and Is to Come
“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8) In this first chapter of Revelation God Himself declares, without qualification, that He is Alpha and Omega, the...
Salvation by His Mercy
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” (Titus 3:5) Titus 3:5 stands as a bold declaration of the true ground of salvation: “Not by works of...
A Better Choice
“For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”(Hebrews 11:10) In his unending search for happiness, the unbeliever is continually chasing after worldly gain and temporary pleasures, often devoting himself entirely to these pursuits....
Life in Himself: Father, Son, and Spirit
“For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.”(John 5:26) God is revealed not only as Creator and Governor, but as the everlasting Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and it is precisely in this relationship that His glory...
By His Power
“Then he answered and spoke unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.”(Zechariah 4:6) When faced with challenges and temptations, our natural tendency is to rely on our...
An Unchanging Savior for Every Hour
“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8) We are restless by nature. We assume that what has lasted a long time must surely wear out. That instinct will follow us into our thinking about salvation unless Scripture corrects us. And...
The Promises and Providences of God
“And the LORD hath performed his word that he spoke, and I am risen up in the room of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and have built a house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.”(1 Kings 8:20) Every line of redemptive history...
Christ in the Midst
“Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” (Titus 2:14) At the center of redemption stands the living Christ, who “gave Himself for us” not only to forgive sin but to purify a...
The Ultimate Ransom
“Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28) Matthew 20:28 reveals the heart of Christ’s mission: He came to serve and to give His life as a ransom sufficient to satisfy God’s justice...
A Heart Renewed by Divine Grace
“And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people,...
Knowledge without Action
“I know ye not, depart from me all ye workers of iniquity.” (Luke 13:27) Among the many warnings given by Christ, few are as sobering as His words in Luke 13:27: “I know ye not, depart from me all ye workers of iniquity.” Here the Lord exposes the spiritual tragedy of...
The God Who Dwells With the Broken
“For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” (Isaiah...
Held Together by the Eternal Christ
“And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” (Colossians 1:17) In Colossians 1, Paul carefully distinguishes a twofold preeminence belonging to Christ, necessary for guarding both His glory and the truth of the Gospel. The first preeminence is...
The Word That Searches and Sanctifies
“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. Neither is there any creature that...
Sanctification to Holiness
“This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that bears witness, because the Spirit is truth.” (1 John 5:6) In 1 John 5:6, the Apostle declares, “This is he that came by water and blood,...
The Assurance of Election
“Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.” (1 Thessalonians 1:4) In an attempt to understand the often overwhelming doctrine of election, we need to not see it as God’s hidden will or a matter of uncovering His secret decrees. Rather, in seeking to know for...
Neglecting Christ While Pursuing the World
“And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.” (Malachi 3:11) Fallen man, by nature, continually looks for excuses to...
The Residence of God
“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John...
Reverently Fearing God and His Goodness
“Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.” (Psalm 26:2) Psalm 26:2 reveals a heart bold enough to invite God’s omniscient scrutiny, one that trusts His goodness while fearing His holiness. Jonathan Edwards, in his Resolutions, urges believers to...
The Living God Who Quickens All Things
“I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickens all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession.” (1 Timothy 6:13) God is called the “living God” to distinguish Him from all false gods, and to set Him apart from every...
By Whom All Things Consist
“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things...
Standing Firm Against Heresy
“I will worship toward thy holy temple and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.” (Psalm 138:2) At various times throughout church history heresies have surfaced within the church that challenge...
All Things Created for Him
“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things...
The Danger of Mistaking Judgment for Favor
“And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.” (Acts 14:11) Acts 14 records a moment that appears, on the surface, to be admiration and awe when the...
The Father’s Perfect Care
“But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” (Matthew 10:30) God’s intricate care for His people extends to the smallest details of their lives. Matthew 10:30 tells us that He even knows the number of hairs on our head! This truth assures us that nothing that...
The Glory of God’s Law
“These words the LORD spoke unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me.” (Deuteronomy 5:22)...
A Call to Celebrate God’s Promises
“Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob and glorified himself in Israel.”(Isaiah 44:23) This passage in Isaiah 44:23...
Chosen in Grace
“Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” (Ephesians 1:5–6) Before the foundation of the...
The All-Seeing Light
“He reveals the deep and secret things: he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.” (Daniel 2:22) One facet of God’s glory is found in the perfection of His knowledge which is immediate, complete, and unchanging. Nothing is ever hidden from...
Finding True Peace
“Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.” (Romans 12:14) The world often defines peace as the absence of conflict or hardship, a fleeting state that depends on external circumstances. Yet, true peace, as revealed in Scripture, is much more encompassing....
Hold Fast to the Risen Christ
“Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.” (Luke 24:39) The risen Lord did not leave His disciples to wonder. He did not ask them to accept a spiritual explanation detached from...
Established on the Faithful Promise
“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the...
The Assurance of Election
“Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.” (1 Thessalonians 1:4) The doctrine of election—that God has chosen certain individuals for salvation before the foundation of the world—offers believers a unique assurance. In 1 Thessalonians 1:4, Paul reminds the...
Seeing Nothing, Trusting Everything
“Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the LORD spoke unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire.” (Deuteronomy 4:15) God reminds Israel of something easy to forget and even easier to resist. When He spoke...
Thankful for the Truth That Exposes Our Sin
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8) The apostle John leaves no room for doubt about the true condition of humanity in his first epistle, declaring that anyone who claims to be without sin deceives himself....
Our Heavenly Father Knows
“Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” (Matthew 6:8) The scene in Matthew 6 involves a crowd of people gathered to hear what Jesus had to say. And on this particular day the Lord is teaching them...
God’s Holy Order
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but...
Man’s Journey from Innocence to Eternity
“Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.” (Ecclesiastes 7:29) One of the most searching verses in all of Scripture is found in Ecclesiastes 7:29: “Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright;...
God’s Providential Governance
“Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.” (Nehemiah 9:6)...
The Power of God Over Spiritual Enemies
“The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoices; and with my song will I praise him.” (Psalm 28:7) The believer’s greatest battles are not fought on visible fields, nor with earthly weapons. Rather...
Christ the Source and End of All Things
“All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:3-4) Scripture declares Christ as the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end (Rev. 1:8, 21:6, 22:13). It also testifies...
Children of God: Confirmed by Faith
“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:26) Assurance of salvation is one of the sweetest comforts of the Christian life, yet one of the hardest to attain. Many believers struggle to feel certain of their standing before God. Yet...
The Image of the Invisible God
“Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created...
Confessing Our Ruin
“Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.” (Ecclesiastes 7:29) The words of Solomon in this passage present a piercing summary of the human condition. In a single sentence he declares both the dignity of...
Asking God to Direct Every Choice
“And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, show whether of these two thou hast chosen.” (Acts 1:24) This verse in the first chapter of Acts teaches a foundational principle that all believers should practice. The occasion is a vacancy...
Anchored in God’s Immutable Word and Oath
“That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us.”(Hebrews 6:18) Hebrews 6 reminds the believer of the unwavering promises of God and urges us...
Humbled Beneath Sovereign Providence
“He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.” (Psalm 78:49) The sovereignty of God extends over all, even over the powers of darkness. Scripture never presents Satan as an independent ruler...
Every Needed Grace
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” (James 1:17) This text in the first chapter of James’ epistle describes God as One who gives, freely and...