We resist grace because we do not believe He exists, and we suspect that if He does exist, He will manifest His power only to punish and judge. We cannot leave our confession hanging and vulnerable waiting upon the awful silence, we cannot believe that the alien touch from beyond the silence will be a […]
As there has been for literally millennia, there has been a lot of discussion lately in the blogosphere about law and gospel. I’m thinking of a recent post by Tullian Tchividjian: http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tullian/2012/03/23/law-and-gospel-part-1 Here’s a thought about how this works. I am convinced, utterly convinced, that it is important that young adult men should not poop […]
Mercury is in retrograde, and this is NEWS! http://shine.yahoo.com/life-made-easy/mercury-retrograde-survival-guide-155500286.html Not that we’re superstitious of course! But, things are going really well the last few days with certain trouble spots at work, KNOCK ON WOOD! Just don’t open an umbrella inside, or walk under a ladder. We’ve really got to get rid of that black cat […]
1 John 1:5-10 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5 God is light: this is the message John heard from Him who was from the beginning. We want to know what God says to […]
1 John 1:1-4 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands 1 John 1:1 We have an amazing statement here to start off 1 John. That which was from the beginning – think about that for […]
1 John 2:1-5 I’m doing a study through 1 John with my men’s group, so I’m posting insights from it here. Maybe it will make a nice little resource going forward. My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. 1 John 2:1 John has just finished saying […]
I want to make sure I drive home the takeaway point here. It is the great and abundant forgiveness we have received that IS our death. If we make light of our forgiveness, it muddies the water of our ‘baptism’ into His death, and the whole foundation that Paul builds his ideas about sanctification and […]
He [Paul in Romans 8:1) has not said, “God has done this and that and the other thing; and if by dint of imagination you can manage to pull it all together, you may be able to experience a little solace in the prison of your days.” No. He has simply said, “You are free. […]
I’ve been reading Genesis 25-33 about the life of Jacob. He is a very strange figure indeed, but I began to think about the events in his life from the perspective of grace. Here is a guy who is chosen beforehand more clearly than just about anyone else in history by God for blessing. He […]
Here is the question: There are a lot of statements in Paul’s letters, where he tells us very clearly, do this or don’t do that. They are imperative statements. Romans 12 is a great example: 9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one […]