Psalm 15 begins with one of the most pertinent yet weighty questions humanity could ever ask: “O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill?” (Ps 15:1). This question suggests that there are requirements to be met before anyone is able to stand before God, to enter his presence, to enjoy fellowship with […]
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 […]
In Paul’s final warning to the Galatians, he reminds them again of the law-relying Judaizers – those who were clinging to a works-based righteousness in order to gain favor before God. Though they were rigorous and zealous law keepers, Paul points out that in reality they were seeking to avoid persecution for the cross of Christ, looking for more […]
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 […]
Having proclaimed the beautiful gospel truths of justification by faith and explained the adoption and sonship of the believer, Paul once again passionately voices his concerns for the Galatian church. These brothers and sisters in Christ, who truly had “come to know God, or rather to be known by God” (Gal. 4:9), were turning back to former rituals and law-observances, thinking […]
As we come to the conclusion of the third chapter of Galatians, Paul summarizes his previous arguments into one glorious and sweeping statement: “For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
When Peter began to separate from associating with the Gentiles, for fear of the Jews, Paul opposed him to his face. Though Peter knew that salvation had come to the Gentiles, that justification came by faith and not works, he nevertheless was acting in a way that showed the gospel was for those who kept […]
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 […]
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 […]
Evangelicals cherish the doctrine of justification by faith alone, that believers are declared “not guilty” before God based on the righteousness and merits of Christ. Yet when it comes to our sanctification – the process of our moral condition being brought into conformity with our legal standing – we are quick to abandon the gospel and instead […]
David, in Psalm 11, examines affliction and suffering from two perspectives: an earthly one, which would lead him to despair, and an eternal one, resulting in a blessed assurance that the Sovereign and Righteous God is seated on his glorious throne in the heavens. Yet, Pastor Matt explains that as our perspective shifts to our eternally righteous and holy […]
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3-4). The resurrection […]
