Grace
Sin is a Smooth Operator
Hyper-Grace Teacher? I speak and write a great deal about the freedom we have in Christ. Indeed, one of the most beautiful redundancies in the entire Bible is found in Galatians 5:1, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” In Romans 5, the apostle Paul is expounding on the grace of God,…
Read MoreThe Logic of Suffering from 1st Peter
I am encouraged, comforted, and emboldened by the many faces of Peter. In Peter, we see impulsive and reckless behavior spawned by his desire to protect Jesus (John 18:10). In Peter, we see a dramatic reversal of his bold assertion that he was ready to die with Jesus (Matthew 26:35), as he sheepishly succumbed to…
Read MoreFive Gems of Salvation
My first year in full-time ministry, I worked with a small church in Ruston, Louisiana. I still recall one Sunday morning, walking into the church building and overhearing a lively discussion going on in one of the adult classrooms. With a loud slap of his hand on the table, a frustrated man shouted, “Dammit! I’m…
Read MoreIt is Grace Upon Grace
In the opening of the Gospel of John, we have a beautiful description of God incarnate, coming to “pitch his tent” among humanity. In the midst of that description is this beautiful, poetic line: “For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” – John 1:16, ESV As though grace was not enough, we,…
Read MoreWashed Whiter Than
Isaiah opens his prophecy describing Israel as a terribly rebellious nation. We get no further than the opening statement before we have God’s lament, “Sons I have reared and brought up, but they have revolted against Me.” So extensive is their alienation from their creator that God says, “An ox knows its owner, and a…
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