“Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (Ps. 121:4). Traditionally sung by pilgrims traveling up to the temple in Jerusalem, this Song of Ascent declares the faithful, vigilant, keeping power of God over his chosen people. But can we Gentiles sing and apply this Psalm today? If we aren’t making pilgrimages to Jerusalem, celebrating Jewish feasts, or even […]
Having urged us to walk worthy of our calling, to put off the old man and put on the new, Paul now commands us to walk as children of light. For those who were once darkness but were now light and partakers of all the promises of Christ through the gospel, what fellowship can light have darkness? But not only has the […]
In continuing his exhortation to the Ephesians to put off the old self and instead put on the new, the Apostle Paul addresses two issues that have the potential to destroy the bond of peace within the body of Christ if not completely put away from us: corrupting speech and unforgiveness. By allowing literally “rotten” talk to come […]
The old self, that Paul is encouraging the church to put off and be replaced by the new man, was one completely defined and corrupted by deceitful desires (Eph. 4:22). Having been deceived by Satan to chase after the lusts of the flesh, the pleasures of this world, and the pride of life, we chose to find our […]
The people of God, reconciled to him through the death of his Son, to whom we are united by faith, are to live in a manner fitting of God’s workmanship. In view of God’s mercy, having been called out from the world to belong instead to the family and kingdom of God, we are to no longer […]
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 […]
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 […]
It is often the case that believers, though justified and made new creations by God’s grace, find themselves struggling with sin. Yet, instead of receiving help and encouragement from their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, they instead encounter haughty judgment and condemnation. Here Paul teaches that one of the most practical ways for the church to demonstrate the reality […]
Having preached and defended the gospel of grace – “the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe” (Rom. 3:22-26) – Paul has been laboring to articulate the life of freedom that God’s children may now experience. This new life that we have been called to is one characterized by, submitted to, and controlled by the Spirit. […]
