Because we have been made righteous by faith, we are at peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. It is through him, and through faith in him, that we have been brought into the grace in which we stand. This is why we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And,...... Read More

For in Christ Jesus … the only thing that matters is faith working through love. Gal. 5:6 How do you know that you have real faith in a Real God? That’s the big question that we’re always trying to answer in this here blog space. Last time we were especially thinking about whether the faith...... Read More

For you are a chosen people, royal priests … God’s very own possession, so that you can declare the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his glorious light. 1 Peter 2:9 A few months ago I attended a retreat where the participants spent a good deal of time seeking to...... Read More

A Canaanite woman from that area came to him, crying out, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me, for my daughter suffers terribly from demon-possession.’ But Jesus did not answer a word. Mat. 15:22-23 To paraphrase the author of John’s Gospel, “If all the things that people have said about prayer were written down,...... Read More

4 The goodness and kindness of God our savior appeared to save us, not because we did anything righteous, but because he is merciful. He cleansed us, made us alive, and created us anew by the Holy Spirit, whom he gives to us without measure. This is all through Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, who makes...... Read More

This is what the Lord says: “The wise should not boast in their wisdom, the powerful in their power, or the rich in their riches. Let anyone who desires to boast boast in this: that they know me and understand that I am the Lord who reveals steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth,...... Read More

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who – though he was rich – became poor for your sakes (2 Cor. 8:9) After my last post, one reader pointed out that the content was rather high on the idealism scale. I have to admit that I shared the same concern. The problem...... Read More

Abraham believed God, and this was credited to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6). It is impossible to please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6). I would say that I experienced a blessed childhood. I had good parents, a stable family environment, lots of friends in the neighborhood and at school, no real fears to assail me....... Read More

The Father’s relentless, gracious pursuit of us is meant to deliver us from our consuming desire to love and serve ourselves above everything else. I don’t think that it would be shocking or controversial for me to say that Jesus is not particularly tolerant of unbelief or that he strongly opposes our indulging in or...... Read More

When God called him to go to a land he would later receive as his inheritance, Abraham obeyed and left his home, even though he did not know where he was going … and lived in tents as a stranger, even in the promised land, because he was looking forward to a secure city built and designed...... Read More