To further bolster his argument against salvation by works, Paul brilliantly highlights the faith demonstrated by Abraham before he was circumcised. In so doing, he points out that “it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham” (Gal. 3:7); the blessing of Abraham is in fact available for Jew and Gentile alike who believe […]

Evangelical Christians today boldly profess that a person is justified by faith apart from works of the law (Rom 3:28). Yet many believe that in order to keep our right standing before God, to remain “saved”, we must continue in faithful obedience as if it is our own law-keeping and good works that merits righteousness before God! However, Paul is adamant […]

The doctrine of justification by faith is at the very heart of the Christian gospel. Paul lays this out clearly in his epistle to the Romans: “None is righteous, no, not one. . . Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may […]

As Paul continues to recount his experiences in Jerusalem, we learn that the gospel message he had been proclaiming – of justification by faith alone for both the Jew and Gentile – was ultimately accepted by the other Apostles: “when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave […]

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul describes himself as the least of the apostles because he persecuted the church of God (1 Cor. 15:9). However, after Paul’s eyes were opened to the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, he became a new creation, zealous for good works and the spread of the gospel. His testimony became a […]

As Paul begins his letter to the Galatians, his feelings are unmistakable: “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel” (Gal. 1:6). He is quick to address the fact that the Galatians, by adding good works as a condition for receiving […]

Paul’s epistle to the Galatians sought to address a major problem facing the early church. Because of false teachers, the church was quickly abandoning the gospel of grace, of justification by faith alone, in favor of a gospel of works and law. However, even in the introduction to his letter, Paul is quick to remind the Galatian churches of the gospel […]

Although the devil is called the “father of lies” (John 8:44), he is also known as the “accuser of our brothers”. His job has always been to accuse the saints based on the correct understanding that the penalty of sin requires judgment and spiritual death. However, through Christ’s death, resurrection, and exaltation he has achieved […]

Jesus, the baby born in the lowly manger, was the great plot twist in redemption’s story. The promise of a Messiah was made all the way back in the garden, in Genesis 3:15, and stretches across the pages of the Old Testament. Even in the final book of Scripture, we see a picture of this beautiful gospel […]

Philemon, the shortest of all Paul’s writings in the New Testament, is unfamiliar to most Christians, usually because of its brevity or because it doesn’t seem stand out like other epistles such as Romans or Ephesians. However, in this beautiful letter we find one of the most striking examples of the gospel, of law and […]

When the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the church at Pentecost, believers were empowered to be witnesses of the gospel of Jesus Christ, spreading the good news of the kingdom of God throughout the earth (Acts 1:8). And even in the face of severe persecution that broke out against the early church – intense suffering, hostility, and […]

An often neglected, yet absolutely essential, aspect of the gospel of Jesus Christ is his ascension. We are familiar with his life, his death, and his resurrection; we are familiar with the Great Commission, Pentecost, and the work of the Holy Spirit in the early church. Yet the ascension of Jesus – that pivotal moment when the Son of Man approached the […]

One of the most well-known of Jesus’ parables, the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) was told in response to a lawyer’s question of how to inherit eternal life. Rather than giving him the legalistic response he was looking for – a check list of actions and individuals he was to show love to – Jesus answered the […]

John 14:12 has been one of the most widely interpreted verses in the church, especially in recent years. What exactly does Jesus mean when he says we will do greater works than he did? Are we to believe that the church today should be “outdoing” the miracles of Jesus? If his greatest work was “to give […]

One of the most profound and mysterious truths of the Christian faith is the doctrine of the incarnation – “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). That Jesus was both fully God and fully man while on this earth, and that he emptied himself of his heavenly status and not his divine […]