“All we want in Christ, we shall find in Christ. If we want little, we shall find little. If we want much, we shall find much; but if, in utter helplessness, we cast our all on Christ, he will be to us the whole treasury of God” (Henry Whipple).
It takes a person of uncommon honesty to say simply, “What is the truth? That’s what I want, period.” But that is the very essence of faith and humility, the willingness to trust God and lean upon His wisdom when what He wants is not what we prefer.
Given our tendency to drift away from Christ, our only hope is in our willingness to be warned. Christ loves us too much not to call us back to the right way, but His call will not help us if we don’t see that it applies to us very personally.
It is from the bondage of untruth that Jesus wants to liberate us (John 8:32), and if we don’t let Him set us free from the untruth in our own hearts, it won’t matter whether our political situation in this world is one of freedom or slavery.
The rule of the Messiah does not come about by physical revolution (or even democratic voting). He breaks the nations not by dismantling them (for now, at least) but by reestablishing the truthful ideas and words they have denied (Revelation 19:15).
Without a humble recognition of how needy we are, we will have no interest in the gospel. Indeed, we will be angry. How dare this ignorant peasant from ancient Galilee tell us, “Unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins” (John 8:24)?
If, as rationalists, we rule out the possibility of God revealing Himself, then we should get used to the idea of having no God at all. The only God that unaided human reason can believe in is a God who is little more than a question mark.
If Christ bought the church with His blood, it is not our church to do with as we wish; it is His church. May we never quit calling it what it is. The church of God. The church which He bought with His Son’s blood. The church that belongs to Christ.
After having refused His rule, the saved are those who have returned to their rightful King, sought His forgiveness, and sworn allegiance to Him from now on. Christ is truly their head — not just legally or theoretically, but in the way they live.
The first thing necessary was for the people to repent of the sins for which they sought God’s forgiveness. So the only preaching that could have prepared them for the ...
In practical terms, a person’s burial and resurrection in baptism marks the beginning of a new life, so much so that it can be said that a new person has ...
We can deplore Israel’s lack of trust when they backed away from God’s command, but do we do any better? When it comes to obeying the gospel of Christ, do ...
If Jesus’ tomb was empty, we must decide whether its emptiness means He was resurrected. And most importantly, we have to decide whether, if Jesus was resurrected, that means “God ...
Psalm 110 is a powerful prophecy of the Messiah — every part of it meshes seamlessly with Jesus Christ. No wonder the New Testament writers saw in David’s words clear ...
The apostles played a pivotal role in the NT period. No one since then has possessed Christ’s authority as they did, and their teaching will always be the benchmark against ...
If it is our pride that is the root of our sin, there can be no deliverance for us if we won’t humble ourselves before our King. But are we ...
The messianic titles in Isaiah 9:6 (Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace) are epithets that could apply only to a divine ruler, a King worthy of receiving ...
Writing to Christians, Peter used all of the ideas in Exodus 19:5,6: “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that ...
Abraham is the prime example of how salvation works: the forefather of all who trust in God’s promises enough to actually walk by faith. And when the whole host of ...
“It is to [the coming Prophet] you shall listen,” Moses had said in Deuteronomy 18:15. And when Jesus was transfigured and seen talking to Moses and Elijah, God spoke from ...
When it comes to the most important parts of life, the broken heart is not a problem; it’s a blessing (Matthew 5:3,4). As long as sin is a reality in ...