Living in the Light of the Resurrection
by Dr. H. Alan Dodson
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. I Corinthians 15:50-56
Reflecting on his salvation, a Christian powerfully realizes the promises of God. At the moment of justification, when God’s grace intervenes rescuing a sinner from eternal damnation, one grasps the great promise of Romans 10:13 that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (ESV)…
Why a Lamb?
by Todd W. Meadows
Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29b
In the opening chapter of John’s gospel, he introduces us to Jesus, the eternally existent Word (Jn 1:1) who made all things (Jn 1:3). Life itself resides in Jesus (1:4) and it is he who gives light to all men (1:9). He was the Word made flesh who dwelt among us and was full of grace and truth (1:14). He was before John the Baptist and greater than John the Baptist (1:24-28). It was this Jesus, the eternally existent Word made flesh, of whom John declared, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn 1:29)…
Dwelling in Christ
by Michael West
One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. Psalm 27:4-5
Has anything ever captivated you to the point that you are unable to stop looking at it? Perhaps you were once captivated by a fine piece of art, the vastness of the ocean, the grandeur of mountains. Why do these things capture us? Because we are wired to glory in what is greater. We love to delight ourselves in that which is grand, glorious, beautiful, and beyond us. And although those things are delightful, they pale in comparison to the greatness of God…
Finding God’s Promises in Christ Alone
by Dr. Daryl Cornett
For all the promises of God find their Yes in Him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. 2 Corinthians 1:20
Jesus clearly identified Himself as the fulfillment of prophecy. He made this audacious announcement to a typical Sabbath gathering in the synagogue in His hometown of Nazareth. He read from the scroll of Isaiah. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me…
Jesus Is God
by Dr. James D. Castlen
Each of the four Gospels in the New Testament presents the Person and work of Jesus Christ. Matthew portrays Jesus as the Jewish Messiah. Mark’s purpose is to reveal Him as God’s servant, while Luke emphasizes Christ’s humanity. In John’s Gospel, however, Jesus is revealed as the all-glorious Son of God, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father. From beginning to end, John’s grand thesis is that Jesus is God. John’s opening lines declare: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…
Overcoming Darkness
by Robert E. Burnett
Darkness is subtle. It often occurs gradually and seductively. As the sun goes down, the brightest daylight gives way to dusk until the night finally takes hold. In many ways, there is a romantic element in the darkness that attracts people for socialization and solitude. To aid vision in the night, people use artificial lights while they are navigating the events of an evening.
What Is the Nicene Creed?
by Dr. Daryl Cornett
Imagine living in the generation that had to take what we call today the Old Testament writings, the Apostolic teaching that had been handed down orally through five generations, and the circulating, but not officially collected and authorized writings that would eventually make up the New Testament, and put into words a proper description of Jesus Christ…
Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Consummation: How the Reformation Brought Light to Scripture’s Metanarrative
by Bill Haynes
Metanarrative – the word itself is somewhat intimidating. It’s not a word that we use in normal everyday conversation. When we talk about metanarrative, we are simply referring to the “big story.” The story that gives everything else its proper place within the story. In the Reformation, there was a return to looking at God’s “big story” in ways that had been neglected for generations…
Sola Gratia and Sola Fide: The Gift of Justification
by John Lucas
Suppose someone comes up and, without warning, punches you in the nose. Now even though it really hurt, you decide you are going to be the bigger person and forgive that person. But instead, they reply, “You don’t need to forgive me, I have already forgiven myself!” Now on top of that, a third person who just stood by and watched you get punched comes up and says, “Hey, don’t either of you worry about it. I’ve already forgiven you both!” What’s wrong with this picture? Who is the only person that has the right or the power to forgive? You guessed it: the one who received the punch from the start. The person who did the punching does not need to forgive himself, and the one who saw the punch doesn’t need to forgive. It is only the one who has been punched who can forgive…
Solus Christus: One Path to God
by Josh Haywood
The Reformation brought about a renewed commitment to the Word of God as the source of faith and practice for all the saints. Through that renewed commitment sprang the principles of the five solas. The fourth of these, solus Christus, is the heart of the gospel, that Christ, God in the Flesh, has come to save us. It is Christ alone that rescues us from sin and restores us to relationship with God. He and no other. Let us consider four aspects of solus Christus recovered by the Reformation and crucial for the church today…
Sola Scriptura: The Basis of Christian Belief
by Alan Dodson
Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Holy Scriptures or by evident reason (for I can believe neither pope nor councils alone, as it is clear that they have erred repeatedly and contradicted themselves) I consider myself convicted by the testimony of Holy Scripture…
Soli Deo Gloria: Glory to God Alone
by Scott Gilbert
The five solas of the Reformation represent guiding biblical principles for the Reformers. As two of the major issues of the Reformation were authority and the means of salvation, the first four solas present a clarion call to stand on Scripture alone, which tells us that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, and in Christ alone. The fifth sola, therefore, functions as a kind of summary and culmination of the others…
The Father’s Enduring Faithfulness For The Church | Psalm 100:5
Todd Meadows on Psalm 100:5 - On Psalm 100 Series
Faithfulness is a term that has been all but lost in our vernacular. From the seemingly never-ending line of politicians who make empty promises to the plethora of men and women who make vain vows of faithfulness during wedding ceremonies, faithfulness is a quality that seems to have been relegated to fairy tales. However, the Christian knows that faithfulness is not confined to legends and lore—it is a fundamental attribute of how God relates to the church…
The Call to the Father’s Faithfulness | Psalm 100:4
Scott Gilbert on Psalm 100:4 - On Psalm 100 Series
Psalm 100 is a call for the people of God to enter into His presence in joyful praise, particularly in giving thanks for His covenantal faithfulness to His people. Although there are other psalms that emphasize thanksgiving in light of God’s enduring faithfulness, this is the only psalm in which the title explicitly identifies it as a psalm for giving thanks…
The Father’s Sovereign Faithfulness As Creator and Redeemer | Psalm 100:3
Bill Haynes on Psalm 100:3 - On Psalm 100 Series
This verse begins with a declaration: “Know that the Lord Himself is God;”. That statement itself could stand alone and we could ponder it for the rest of our lives and never exhaust the truth in it. We must know and understand this about Whom we worship because it tells us the “why” of our worship. Knowing that He is God lets us in on the truth there is no other to be worshiped or to whom we submit. In our day far too many people see themselves as “self-made men” and they tend to adore their supposed creator, self! Nothing could be further from the truth. The truth that “God is” is foundational to all of life. The first knowledge must be to recognize the origin of our being…
Declaration | Psalm 100:1-2
James E. Castlen on Psalm 100: 1-2 - On Psalm 100 Series
This psalm emphasizes God’s universal kingship. It is an exhortation to all peoples everywhere to praise and thank God for His greatness, goodness, loving kindness, and faithfulness. The first two verses are instructive as we consider approaching God when His people gather for public worship…