The good news of salvation in Christ Jesus is not only that we have been reconciled to God but that we have also been adopted into his family. We are now “fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (Eph. 2:19). In view of this glorious calling, we are to walk in a manner worthy […]

Having confessed his sinfulness and rebellion against God, David continues to fall upon the mercy of God now in supplication – asking the God would purge him from his iniquity and cleanse him from all unrighteousness. But why does David so desperately seek forgiveness? Why does he repeatedly entreat God to wash him, to create […]

As Christians, how are we to handle fear, anxiety, and doubt? In a world where evil often appears to triumph, where pain and loss are common realities, how are we to deal with feelings of worry and uncertainty, our fear of death and suffering? The Psalmist provides an answer to this question by providing us with two […]

Just as we were once characterized by our spiritual death and alienation from and hatred of God, his immeasurable power in the gospel of grace has miraculously brought us from death to life for good works: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in […]

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked” (Eph. 2:1-2). So begins one of the most well-known and comprehensive gospel summaries in all of Scripture. Paul, writing to the Ephesian church, is determined to explain the immeasurable power of God that is at work in those who believe: just as Christ has been […]

As we read through Ephesians 1:3-14, seeing and savoring all of the wonderful spiritual blessings that are ours in Christ Jesus, we are presented with a stunning description of the Triune nature of God and the specific work of each Person in the Godhead. Moreover, this passage also encompasses all history, all people, and all things from eternity past to eternity […]

Psalm 14 is rather unique in that, unlike the more familiar psalms of thanksgiving and praise, it is entirely centered on the total depravity and deplorable condition of the human race. Moreover, this psalm is repeated almost verbatim in Psalm 53 and is also quoted at length in one of the most pivotal chapters in the New Testament! […]

Paul’s conclusion to his epistle to the Galatians is a beautiful summary of its contents. As we come to the end of this letter, we must remember to whom it was addressed, its purpose and major themes, as well its message to the Church throughout the ages. The issue of submitting our own righteousness to God is a […]

“For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” (Gal. 6:8). As we move towards the end of the letter to the Galatians, Paul has been explaining some practical ways in which believers can demonstrate […]

In Paul’s discussion of the believer’s freedom as found in the gospel of Jesus Christ, he warns the Galatians of two possible and dangerous errors: losing gospel freedom (Gal. 5:1-6) and abusing gospel freedom (5:13-15). While the Christian can foolishly turn back to legalism, to law-reliance as a means of acceptance before God, he can also approach […]

In Galatians 5 and 6, Paul appeals to the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer as further proof for the gospel of justification by faith. He demonstrates that only faith working through love, as a result of the freedom that comes from the gospel of grace, counts for anything. However circumcision and […]

Far from being an issue only faced by the Galatian church, the tendency to slip back into justification by works is a present reality in the church even today. The difference between gospel-centered law-obedience is far too easily replaced by a works-driven law-reliance. However, the solution for the true believer is that we must always remember […]

“And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness” (Romans 4:5). The story of the repentant thief who was crucified alongside of our Lord provides one of the most stunning pictures of sovereign grace, human inability, regeneration, and justification by faith alone in the […]

Just in case the Galatians were still unclear of what Paul had been arguing for in the last few verses – that the entirety of our salvation is by faith in Christ alone, who became a curse for us “so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might […]

Having made the profound and astonishing claim that “by works of the law no one will be justified” (Gal. 2:16), Paul now moves into a further explanation of the doctrine of justification by faith. What exactly is the relationship between the gospel, the good news of salvation by grace alone through faith in Christ alone, and the works of the […]