Thursday 10 March 2016
The Word Made Flesh
The Ligonier Statement on Christology
We confess the mystery and wonder of God made flesh and rejoice in our great salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.
With the Father and the Holy Spirit, the Son created all things, sustains all things, and makes all things new. Truly God, He became truly man, two natures in one person.
He was born of the Virgin Mary and lived among us. Crucified, dead, and buried, He rose on the third day, ascended to heaven, and will come again in glory and judgement.
For us, He kept the Law, atoned for sin, and satisfied God’s wrath. He took our filthy rags and gave us His righteous robe.
He is our Prophet, Priest, and King, building His church, interceding for us, and reigning over all things.
Jesus Christ is Lord; we praise His holy Name forever.
Amen.
We confess the mystery and wonder of God made flesh and rejoice in our great salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.
With the Father and the Holy Spirit, the Son created all things, sustains all things, and makes all things new. Truly God, He became truly man, two natures in one person.
He was born of the Virgin Mary and lived among us. Crucified, dead, and buried, He rose on the third day, ascended to heaven, and will come again in glory and judgement.
For us, He kept the Law, atoned for sin, and satisfied God’s wrath. He took our filthy rags and gave us His righteous robe.
He is our Prophet, Priest, and King, building His church, interceding for us, and reigning over all things.
Jesus Christ is Lord; we praise His holy Name forever.
Amen.
Coram Deo (February 2016)
Coram Deo: One of the themes of Jesus’ ministry is that He is not bound to choose the most obvious candidates for ministry according to social convention. He may call people for service from what may be considered the most disgraceful backgrounds. This He does by grace, showing that our place in His kingdom and in ministry is not a matter of the Lord’s choosing those who are fully trained when called. God must equip us for ministry, and we see this is the case any time He calls an “unlikely” candidate.
When God awakens us, He regenerates our hearts, gives us the gift of new birth, and makes us alive. The Holy Spirit invades, conquers, and persuades us. He rips out our stubborn, self-trusting hearts of stone and replaces our dead hearts with new, living hearts—hearts that are made willing and able to believe; hearts that are soft and pliable in the hands of our Father, united and lovingly enslaved to Christ, and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. —Burk Parsons in February's Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: Spiritual blindness to our own condition must be overcome if we are to be saved from sin. As long as we do not believe we are sinners, we cannot receive the cure, for only those who know they need a cure will receive it. In order to move closer to God, we first have to confess how far away we are from Him.
The Bible’s truth does not depend in any way on whether a person believes the truth. —R.C. Sproul
Coram Deo: When the bridegroom was present, it was time to celebrate, and we will celebrate at the marriage supper of the Lamb when we see Jesus face-to-face (Rev. 19:1–8). Until then, while He is visibly absent, fasting is appropriate when we want to indicate the serious nature of particular prayers. John Calvin comments that “fasting and prayers are adapted to sorrow and adversity.” While we wait for Christ’s return, there are right times to fast.
Coram Deo: Christians have, throughout the history of the church, created many religious structures and rituals in order to develop a closer walk with God. At their best, things such as prayer books, specific patterns of spiritual disciplines, and other devotional aids have served as helpful frameworks that have assisted many people in deepening their piety. At their worst, when things that have not been given immediately by God are treated as having been given directly by the Lord Himself, they have become burdensome in the church. This reality shows how careful we must be not to treat good things as ultimate things, that we must not allow useful spiritual practices to become markers of salvation when our Creator has not made them such.
When we enter God’s presence and demand that He give us something or try to persuade Him to give us something as if we were His counselors who advise Him of a better way of doing things, we’ve entered into His presence not boldly as the Bible calls us to do, but arrogantly. —R.C. Sproul from Ligonier Ministries
Coram Deo: One fundamental error that most cults make is to take one passage of Scripture in isolation and exalt it over all others and at the expense of the meaning of other passages. But God has not given us only one passage. He has given us a canon of sixty-six books, and each passage must be interpreted in light of the whole of Scripture. Thus, we become better biblical interpreters the more of the Bible that we know. Let us study the whole counsel of God so that we might rightly understand it.
Coram Deo: We should look at the law and realize we cannot obey it perfectly for our justification. But the reason for our failure is not the impossibility of knowing the law itself but rather the presence of sin. Regenerate people are supposed to love the law of God and to find it a delight in their sanctification as they are conformed to the image of Christ. But if we treat God’s law as an end in itself and not as the means to know God, we will not know the law rightly or delight in it as we should.
Every attempt of man to build his own ultimate city and kingdom will end in chaos. Any success we enjoy will be short-lived, for the Lord will bring into judgment every hidden thing, every secret thought. Nothing built for the glory of man will survive His scrutiny. But what is done for God’s glory will endure forever. —R.C. Sproul in February's Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: When we confess our sins before the Lord, it is easy to remember our flagrant violations of His law. Harder to see, however, are those times when we have known what is right and yet have not done it. Perhaps we ignored a neighbor who was in need. Maybe we did not offer words of encouragement at the right time. Perhaps we neglected to take a stand for the kingdom. In prayer, ask God to forgive your sins of omission and to enable you always to do what you know is right.
Jesus gave us the incomparable privilege of calling God "Father." —R.C. Sproul
Unless we fix certain hours in the day for prayer, it easily slips from our memory. —John Calvin
God has no detailed “conversion blueprint” to which His saving work must universally conform. But, if any professed conversion is indeed God’s saving work, it always issues in the following: a life of growing communion with Christ; a life of increasing conformity to Christ; a life of continuous abiding in Christ; and a life of principled obedience to Christ. —Albert Martin in February's Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: In the drive to build a large church, elders can lose sight of what is most important—congregational discipleship. A large congregation might be spiritually mature, but it could also be that the tares outnumber the wheat in a given locale. The same dynamics are true of smaller churches as well. Let us encourage our pastors and elders to do the work of discipleship, and may we seek to be involved as well, according to our circumstances and abilities.
Coram Deo: Many believers have questions about the demonic such as “Can a Christian be demon possessed?” The fact that Satan is not equal in power to God helps us understand that though the devil is mighty, He is still subject to the Lord’s sovereign control. God’s omnipotent care for His children means that believers cannot be possessed by demons and that no scheme of the evil one will result in his ultimate victory over God’s people. Safe in the hands of Jesus, we need not fear anything Satan can throw at us.
The world is infatuated with the idea of love. Even the word itself, love, has degenerated into an all-encompassing, catch-all term that seems to be at the heart of a rising one-religion-politically-correct world language—a language of love that has become a religion unto itself. —Burk Parsons in Tabletalk Magazine
There’s much that can divide us today, and there’s no shortage of ways to express our views. The Internet provides instant access to varying ideologies and opportunities for sharing them, which often results in quarreling, at times unfortunately under the guise of Christianity. Quarreling isn’t anything new, and taking a stand for righteousness is, well, right. But as those who have been washed with the blood of Christ, we must not take our cues from the culture as we engage today’s issues. —Trillia Newbell in February's Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: Many people try to separate Christ from His Apostles, but that is not possible. True, only Christ is God incarnate and only Christ atoned for sin; however, the words of the Apostles carry the same authority as the words Christ spoke while on earth. The New Testament is the very Word of God and therefore the very Word of Jesus, because Jesus is God and because the Spirit of God inspired the Apostles. If we reject the words of the Apostles, we reject Christ.
The Christian home in a fallen world is a place of rooted optimism. Rooted in the place where God has called us and optimistic about a far greater place He is preparing for us. —John Tweeddale in February's Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: Today, we hear a lot about the need for diversity. But as we see from the political system and nations around the world, diversity without unity leads to infighting and even civil war. Scripture does call God’s people to embrace diversity, but it is a diversity that is unified in the common confession of the biblical faith. People from every background are welcome in the church—provided they repent of their sin and trust in Christ Jesus alone. Only Christ can unify the church.
We cannot change God. God is unchangeable. If changes are to be made, they must be made in us. —R.C. Sproul
Coram Deo: Dr. Sproul writes that “anyone who takes his faith seriously and speaks on behalf of Christ and His kingdom will be accused of fanaticism at some point.” When we follow Jesus, we will inevitably face people—perhaps even our closest relatives—who think we are strange, crazy, or maybe even evil. When this occurs, let us recall that Jesus Himself faced people who misunderstood Him. Still, He loved them, and so too must we love those who think we are fanatics.
The only pastors (and churches) who have been able to withstand the cultural onslaught regarding issues such as homosexuality are those that are grounded in the authority of Scripture and the truth of biblical teachings on marriage and sexuality. —Michael Kruger in February's Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: The Lord’s Supper is a tangible reminder that Jesus is our life-giving bread from heaven. As we partake of the bread, we are reminded that just as we need physical bread to sustain our bodies, so we need Christ to sustain our souls. As we partake of the Lord’s Supper, let us remember that Jesus is the only food that can truly satisfy. Furthermore, may we be reminded that the way He nourishes us is by faith. To eat the Bread of Life unto eternal life is to believe in Him.
Coram Deo: Many people in our relativistic age claim that there are many lights that can illumine the path out of spiritual darkness. Eastern religions, in fact, often speak of people as receiving illumination from Buddha or another respected figure. But Jesus is the only light who can show us the way back to our Creator. We dare not trust any other light than the Light of the World. If we trust only in Him, we will have all of the light we will ever need for salvation.
Obedience increases assurance because it is evidence of a living faith and proves that we are not hypocrites (James 2:14). Good works do not save us (Eph. 2:8–9), but a life of righteousness and love is strong evidence of having been born again (1 John 2:29; 4:7). —Joel Beeke in Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: The complexity of our world as well as its dangers prompt us to seek safety and security. Some people seek these things in the arms of a spouse. Others look for them in a bank account. Many people put all their hope in the government to keep them safe from evildoers. But as we know all too well, none of these things, or any other created entity, can guarantee safety. Only Christ provides the ultimate protection from all that can harm us. In Him we are safe forever from all enemies.
In a counterfeit conversion, there is no death to self, no submission to the lordship of Christ, no taking up a cross, no obedience in following Christ, no fruit of repentance–only empty words, shallow feelings, and barren religious activities. —Steven Lawson in February's Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: When Jesus calls His people to Himself, they always come. No sheep of the Good Shepherd can finally resist His call. The sheep who does reject this call was never His sheep to begin with. If Jesus has called us, we cannot lose our salvation. We will not finally turn away from Him, for He will overcome all our resistance to Him. He makes us willing to come because He is sovereign even over our salvation.
Coram Deo: The response of the Pharisees and the chief priests to Jesus is a powerful reminder that intellectual knowledge is not enough for salvation. These leaders did not dispute the reality of Jesus’ signs. Instead, they knew the signs and what they meant, but they still refused to follow Jesus. Saving faith requires knowing the truth, but it also requires putting one’s trust in that truth and the One whom it reveals. As we seek to know the truth, let us pray that we would trust what we learn.
In a proximate sense, it’s very important who sits in the White House. But ultimately, the most important matter is not who sits in the White House but who sits over the White House. The one who sits over the White House is the King of kings, the Lord of lords, and our Savior. —R.C. Sproul from Ligonier Ministries
Coram Deo: We have many good reasons to receive the Scriptures as trustworthy: archaeological evidence, sound historicity of the biblical books, the testimony of God’s people, the splendor of the content, and many more. However, we ultimately receive Scripture as the Word of God because the Holy Spirit speaks in and through Jesus to convince us of God’s revelation. If we profess to follow the Truth—Jesus Christ—then we must also follow what He calls the truth—the Bible.
Simply because someone can talk about Christian experience or doctrine doesn’t mean that he has experienced the reality of it in his heart. In fact, those with counterfeit religious experiences are much more prone to talk about them because they are motivated by spiritual pride and ambition, by a desire to be seen and known. —Sean Michael Lucas in February's Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: Jesus may use our difficulties to prune us and make us more fruitful. They also reveal those branches that were never really grafted into the vine, for under hardship, these branches will wither and die. But the faith of the true branches grows stronger under pressure. While we may not be happy about the trials in themselves, we can rejoice that God makes us more fruitful through them. How is God pruning you this day, and what kind of fruit are you yielding?
There is no question that the call of the gospel is to believe in Jesus Christ, which is why our preaching must regularly call people to faith. But if our preaching stops there without ever calling people to repentance, it is dangerously close to presenting a half-truth as though it were the whole truth. —Guy Richard in Tabletalk Magazine
What is it that makes the life of faith so good? It is not the absence of conflict but the knowledge that God is ours and we are His. It is the knowledge that though He calls us to obey, He has accepted His Son’s obedience in place of our failure, making us perfectly acceptable in His sight. —Joe Thorn in February's Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: Many people think that they are truly free when they can do whatever they want to do—even sin. Yet Scripture repeatedly tells us that true freedom is found in desiring and being able to do what is pleasing to God. Only those who abide in the teaching of Jesus—who rest on Him by faith alone and follow Him—have the freedom needed to love and do what the Lord commands. Let us pray for our friends and family who are slaves to sin that God would grant them true freedom in Christ.
Coram Deo (January 2016)
Coram Deo: God’s salvation and written revelation are inseparable. When the Lord intervenes to save His people, He also inspires Scriptures to guide them. As God redeemed ancient Israel from slavery, He moved Moses to author Genesis–Deuteronomy. During the periods of conquest, monarchy, and exile, our Creator inspired prophets to write the Historical, Poetic, and Prophetic Books of the Old Testament. So, when the Lord acted definitively and finally in Christ to save sinners, the New Testament was inevitable.
Apologetics isn’t just for some Christians, it is for all Christians. We all must know what we believe, why we believe it, how to live it, how to defend it, and how to proclaim it—and we must do so with gentleness and respect. —Burk Parsons in Tabletalk Magazine
According to Jesus, there is a wide gate and a narrow gate, a life-and-death scenario, and a warning that few find life. It’s a sobering statement, blunt and serious. It’s difficult to imagine that Jesus and His listeners could consider this topic of spiritual trailblazing without thinking about David’s psalm on the same topic written so many years before. David says as a declaration to God’s goodness, “You make known to me the path of life." These two statements about the way to life—one spoken by King David and the other by David’s King—serve together to encourage disciples who often find themselves turned around on the path of life. —Tom Holland in this month's Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: Many believers neglect to study the Old Testament because they find it confusing or because they assume that it is less important to the Christian faith than the New Testament. As Mark’s gospel shows us, however, this is not the case. We cannot understand Jesus or His gospel without a proper grounding in the Old Testament Scriptures. Thus, it is important for us to read and study the whole counsel of God. Let us not neglect the study of either testament.
Coram Deo: Jesus’ message to the Jews, and by extension to all people, is the same as John’s: Men and women can have a place in God’s kingdom only if they repent of their sins and turn to the Lord alone for salvation (Mark 1:14–15). We cannot rely on our church membership, our history of Christian service, or the faith of our parents in order to be saved. Instead, we will be redeemed only if we turn from our sin and place our faith in Christ alone for salvation.
Today we are at the dawn of the digital revolution, and we are grappling with many of the very same fears people faced at the dawn of every other communications revolution. We fear the ubiquity of digital devices; we fear living so much of our lives in the glow of little screens; we fear the consequences of recording our thoughts and our lives in apps. But even now we can have hope. —Tim Challies in Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: The contrast between John’s water baptism and the baptism of the Holy Spirit also points to the fact that water baptism is insufficient if it is merely an outward rite that is not accompanied by true faith. What really matters is Spirit baptism—not a second blessing of the Holy Spirit after a first baptism in water but the sovereign work of the Spirit in changing our hearts and granting us faith. That is the only kind of baptism that will save. Have you received it?
Coram Deo: Jesus not only died for us; He also lived for our sake. His death on the cross is meaningless without His perfect life of obedience that qualifies Him as the spotless Lamb of God and attains the righteousness for believers that we could never attain for ourselves. Jesus has done what we cannot do, so we can be confident of our salvation if we trust in Him. God the Father sees us in Christ, His Son who never failed, so He cannot cast us out of His kingdom if we receive and rest on Christ alone.
Repent daily. Protect the weak. Sacrifice comfort. Forgive neighbors. Love enemies. Practice generosity. When we believers relinquish our perceived “due” and find rest in the grand privileges we possess as sons and daughters of God, the light of the gospel beams brightly before a desperate and dark world. —Don Bailey in Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: In his commentary Mark, Dr. R.C. Sproul notes how Jesus’ victory over temptation in the wilderness would have been particularly relevant to first-century Christians. They faced persecution and death for holding firm to their confession, and in Jesus they had an example of One who refused to worship any but the one true God even when He was promised the kingdoms of the world. This same Jesus will give us strength to persevere in faith if we seek His face.
America has, in the opinion of some, become Hindu, not just in the vocabulary we now use (avatar, karma, yoga, mantra, and so on) but in the widespread acceptance of the underlying Hindu affirmation of pantheistic “One-ism.” —Peter Jones in Tabletalk Magazine
We worship at the altar of our desires, but there’s someone so much greater and better. So, during those times when our idols rear their ugly heads, we pray and ask God to reveal Himself even more mightily. He’s already changed our heart of stone to a heart of flesh. We can rest assured that He will finish the work He began—including helping us put away our idolatry. —Trillia Newbell in this month's Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: The gospel is not a message that “you can have your best life now”; that “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life”; or that you must “ask Jesus into your heart.” Some of these statements may be true if qualified properly, but none of them is the gospel. The gospel is Jesus Christ—who He is and what He has done. If we are not preaching that, we are not preaching the gospel.
When God makes a covenant with His people, He can punish them for covenant breaking, but He never cancels the covenant promises He has made. —R.C. Sproul in Tabletalk Magazine
If God did not act first, no one would be saved. —R.C. Sproul
Coram Deo: Jesus is often regarded as a good teacher, but as many Christian apologists have noted, we insult Christ if we view Him as merely a good teacher. Our Lord was not simply a wise moral philosopher; rather, He spoke with divine authority. What He says, therefore, must be believed. His Words are truth itself, and if we do not heed what He says, then we will find ourselves outside of His kingdom on the last day.
A truly healthy church is one in which its members are theologians, coming to church each Sunday with a readiness to think and learn, with an insatiable appetite for more. —Iver Martin in Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: As Romans 8:19–21 indicates, the salvation that Jesus brings will encompass even the physical order. That cannot happen, however, until Christ deals with the evil powers that hold creation hostage. Jesus dealt the decisive blow of victory on the cross, and now He sets people free from the devil’s tyranny as the gospel goes forth. We are called to pray for this gospel to succeed wherever it goes that God’s elect will be freed to serve Him in gladness.
When our grief is debilitating and it feels impossible to function, God does not sit aloof in heaven. He does not leave us to figure out how to handle grief on our own or how to cast about for resources to get through it. He walks every step of the journey with us. —Elizabeth Groves in January's Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: Several biblical texts show us God’s sovereignty in revealing Himself. Our Creator does not show Himself on demand; rather, He chooses to reveal Himself and His purposes when He sees fit. This happened during Jesus’ ministry when He would not let others speak of Him. It happens today, as God chooses when and where to reveal His salvation to His elect and call them to faith through His Word. God is wise in how He reveals Himself, so let us not demand that He act on our timetable.
Creation groans as it awaits its final redemption, but this groaning is not futile. Over all creation stands the resurrected Christ—Christus Victor—who has triumphed over the powers of evil and will make all things new. —R.C. Sproul in Tabletalk Magazine
I bought my grandson his first baseball, bat, and glove today, and he muttered a necessary “Thanks.” So, I stopped him and said, “Look me in the eyes; put a smile on your face and say, ‘Thanks, Pops! This is great!’ ” After a few tries, he finally got it. Even when children know they should say “thank you,” we still have to teach them how to express their thanks effectively. Something like this is true for God’s children as well, no matter what age we may be. —Richard Pratt Jr. in January's Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: If Jesus, who is the Son of God incarnate, found it so necessary to pray, shouldn’t we also pray? Fellowship with the Lord in prayer is an absolute necessity if we will be sustained in life and ministry over the long haul. This is true whether we minister as pastors, in secular workplaces, or in our homes.
Coram Deo: Christ hates what sin has done to His creation, and He is full of compassion for those who suffer the effects of the fall. Our Lord’s grace and compassion is seen in His reaction to the disobedient leprous man in Mark 1:41. Some manuscripts state that Jesus was moved by anger, not pity. Dr. R.C. Sproul explains our Lord’s anger: “He was filled with a righteous indignation against the ravages of the fallen world, such as disease. He hated disease, but He cared for the person afflicted by the disease.”
God's graciousness is not totally removed from any individual during this lifetime. In hell, it is. —R.C. Sproul
Coram Deo: True faith takes risks and will stop at nothing to reach the object of faith. We see this in the account of Jesus’ healing of the leper, who did not allow social convention or ceremonial law to keep him from the Savior. He recognized the author of the law and knew that He had the power to do what the law in itself could not; thus, his approaching Jesus honored the spirit of the law, for He sought out the One to whom the law points. May we pursue our Savior with such fervent faith.
If Jesus is risen from the dead, then the things He did and said that are explicit or implicit claims to deity must be taken seriously. If He is who He claimed to be—the eternal Son of God—and if He offers complete forgiveness of sin to all who place their faith in Him, then the absolute pinnacle of true foolishness is to reject Him. —Keith Mathison in January's Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: Forgiveness is our greatest need. Disease, depression, sorrow, poverty, injustice, and all other ills are true needs; ultimately, however, all these ills exist because sin has corrupted creation. Not all of our problems are caused by our specific sins, but all of them are due to the fact that we live in a fallen world and suffer from sin’s corruption. If we are not saved from our sins, any fix to these problems is temporary and hell awaits us. Have you trusted in Christ for the forgiveness of your sins?
Coram Deo: Biblical faith is not naive wish fulfillment that believes in something just because it makes us feel better. Neither does it involve believing despite the evidence. Instead, biblical faith is confident trust in an objective but unseen reality for which there is much evidence. Christians have grounds to believe what they believe, and therefore we are not being irrational to believe in God and His raising of Jesus from the dead.
As Christians, we must beware of becoming self-righteous in our reaction to those who dehumanize people. There were Christians who were taken in by Hitler and Christians who defended slavery. We must not dehumanize those with whom we disagree. We especially want to make clear to those who have defended abortions or had abortions that all those who come to Jesus in repentance and faith find forgiveness. —W. Robert Godfrey in Tabletalk Magazine
When we ask questions in our pain, we are looking for the God who is there. It is the longing to see God act in ways He has said He will. When we ask questions humbly, we are not denying His character, but seeking the God who has revealed Himself to be just, merciful, good, and loving. When we pray—especially in our suffering—we raise our voices in a plea for God to answer us, waiting in faith that He will in His perfect providence. Let us not doubt. —Joe Thorn in January's Tabletalk Magazine
From a legal perspective, a vote for choice is a vote for abortion. —R.C. Sproul
Coram Deo: Christian faith is more than just belief that God exists. It does not take any special gift of faith to believe in the existence of the Creator, for many people have lived and died believing that God exists even though they never became Christians. Biblical faith involves believing also the specific promises of God. We must believe God, not simply believe in God. Ask the Lord this day to strengthen your faith in His promises so that you will continue to trust in Him alone.
A theologically astute, immature Christian is like a five-year-old flying an Apache helicopter. Here’s this massive weapon: it can destroy arguments and defend against heresy; it can soar to the heavens and take in glorious sights no one at sea level will ever witness… It’s fast. It’s furious. It’s impressive. But it’s also dangerous. —Kevin DeYoung
Coram Deo: Many people in this world will regard us as fools for leaving everything behind for God. So often, the sacrifices that we make do not lead to any evident reward in this life, so it is easy for earthly minded people to believe Christianity is a fool’s game. Yet, we know that the Lord will bless us abundantly at His return for all that we have given up for His sake (Mark 10:29–31). And as these heavenly treasures cannot be lost, we actually make the wisest decision possible when we follow Christ.
If left to ourselves, we would not only gravitate toward, but would be swept into idolatry. —R.C. Sproul
Coram Deo: Jesus says that servants are not greater than their master. If He suffered for His faithfulness to God, His disciples will also suffer for trusting in Him and living by His Word. If we share His vocation on earth, however, it follows that we will share in the glory He received for fulfilling His Father’s will and trusting Him without fail. Christ’s sure promise is that we will share in His glory. That is reason enough to trust Him even when it is hard to do so.
True faith always reflects itself in our speech and actions, albeit imperfectly. If our faith never manifests itself in our speech and life, then it is not a real faith. It is not a believing in the heart. —Guy Richard in Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: That faith is the gift of God is some of the best news we could ever receive. If faith is God’s gift to us, we do not have to depend on our own fervor or strength for our salvation. Since God is omnipotent, the only kind of faith He can give is persevering faith, faith that is strong enough to press through every doubt and trial. The faith we have is of divine origin, so we can look with confidence to Christ that He will keep us safe forever in and by this faith.
All Christians I know of who believe that the Sabbath is still in effect agree that on the Sabbath we should be worshiping, and also that on one day in seven there should be rest from unnecessary commerce and labor. —R.C. Sproul from Ligonier Ministries
Coram Deo: Without the proper diet, our bodies will be weak and sickly. The same is true of our faith. If we do not nourish it regularly, we will be tossed about by every wind of doubt, and we will fall into sin more readily. We feed our faith by hearing the preaching and teaching of God’s Word. This is the proper diet that the Lord has ordained for our souls. Let us take as many opportunities as we can to hear the Word of God so that we will grow strong in our faith.
All people have faith in something, but we are not saved simply by having faith. We are saved only if we have the correct object of faith. No one can come to the Father except through Jesus (John 14:6). If we are not people of faith in Jesus, we will be lost for all eternity. —Robert Rothwell in January's Tabletalk Magazine
Saturday 5 March 2016
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