Pray First (Eph. 3:12-21)

The prayers of Paul as recorded in his epistles are profound – not simply because of what they include, but also because of what they don’t include. As Pastor Tim Keller notes in his book on prayer: “It is remarkable that in all of his writings Paul’s prayers for his friends contain no appeals for changes in their circumstances.” While […]

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Reconciled Through the Cross (Eph. 2:11-18)

The good news, which we marveled at in Ephesians 2:1-10, profoundly alters the way we understand who the people of God truly are. The Ephesians were uncircumcised Gentiles, not circumcised Jews. They were not the physical descendants of Abraham. In fact, they were “alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, […]

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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 […]

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Satisfaction and Security in God (Ps. 16)

Despite adversity and danger from his enemies, David continually trusted in the Lord for his preservation and security. Here in Psalm 16, David begins by petitioning God for protection yet immediately begins to recount the deep joys and blessings that his God is to him! This rehearsal of who God is and has been brings […]

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The Message of Galatians (Gal. 6:14-18)

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 […]

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Faith Working Through Love (Gal. 5:1-6)

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 […]

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The Grace of the King

“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 […]

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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 […]

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Living by Faith (Gal 2:17-21)

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 […]

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