Coram Deo: Fallen people reject God not because they do not know His power. Instead, they reject Him because all they know His power and purity. People who have no apprehension of the extent of His goodness, which is displayed in His extension of mercy to repentant men and women, tremble in terror because unholiness cannot bear the presence of holiness. But if we are in Christ, we have been forgiven and can stand before God in safety.
We tend to be too quick in accusing normal people, let alone the Bible, of contradictions. Now, we’re all capable of inconsistence, incoherency, and contradiction. But common courtesy requires at least that we give others the benefit of a second glance. —R.C. Sproul in April's Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: One day we will see the Lord face-to-face and enjoy His presence forever. Until then, we have been commissioned to preach the gospel and declare God’s saving grace to the nations. This mission is for us all, though in God’s providence, each of us has a different part to play. In obeying Him and carrying out our role in this mission, we demonstrate our gratitude to the Lord.
The gospel is only good news when we understand the bad news. —R.C. Sproul
The renewed mind is marked by a reliance on the Bible, the only infallible rule for faith and practice. Through the light of Scripture, we begin to understand God’s holy character and realize our sinfulness. —Chris Larson in Tabletalk Magazine
God is holy and just and rightly requires holiness and perfection from us. Sin cannot be in His presence; He won’t tolerate it. He is righteous and pure. We are the opposite. Yes, as His image-bearers we have the capacity to reflect some of the beauty of God. But as Paul also explained, “For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). We fall short. In our sinful nature, we are powerless to change ourselves. We are in need of saving from the wrath of God. So God gave His Son. —Trillia Newbell in April's Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: When we first come to faith in Christ, our theology may be filled with many errors. Over time as God matures us, however, these errors are corrected, and we grow in our knowledge of what is true and right. Let us seek this Christian maturity so that we would have a greater apprehension of God and His promises.
The prosperity gospel shrinks the gospel down to an unfiltered pursuit of our desires. It shifts the message from the spiritual to the materialistic. Let’s be clear about this: the prosperity gospel is about us rather than God. —Erik Raymond in April's Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: The type of persevering faith to which we are called is the faith that keeps its eyes on God and His promises. Unbelief scoffs at the Lord’s claims, but His people know that there is nothing surer than His Word. If you are facing impossible circumstances, ask the Lord to continue granting you the gift of persevering faith. If you are not facing a severe trial this day, pray that the Lord would sustain your trust if and when one comes.
The grand paradox or supreme irony of the Christian faith is that we are saved both by God and from God. —R.C. Sproul
Coram Deo: By His Word, Christ brings life to those who are dead, enslaved to sin and Satan. If we place our confidence in anything else besides His Word, we are trusting in something that cannot bring salvation. There is no “secret method” for growing the church and seeing people believe in Christ; rather, the faithful preaching and teaching of the Word of God is what the Lord uses to build His church.
Coram Deo: People do not fail to believe Christ because of lack of information but because their hearts are hard. John Calvin comments, “It is not mere ignorance that hinders men, but that, of their own accord, they search after grounds of offense, to prevent them from following the path to which God invites.” The Lord must awaken the hearts of unbelievers, or they will not be converted. That is why we pray for Him to change the hearts of sinners.
Most of us turn to God in prayer when we’re preoccupied with troubles beyond our control. We become sick; we can’t find a job; our children are in trouble—we all are preoccupied by these kinds of cares from time to time. And when they weigh heavily on us, we know that we can turn to Christ in prayer and ask for His help. —Richard Pratt Jr. in April's Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: Our sovereign Lord heals according to His will. That means faith is not an absolute condition for divine healing. Although God often heals those who trust that He will do so, sometimes He chooses not to heal those who have faith and to heal those who do not believe. We must trust in His sovereign goodness in these matters, knowing that in the new heaven and earth, God’s people will have no more sickness or trials to endure.
If history were to end tomorrow, we would probably look back on the era of digital communications as an era of chaos. We have proven our deep depravity in our ability to speak too quickly, too strongly, and too harshly. —Tim Challies in April's Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: The action of Jesus’ disciples’ shaking the dust off of their feet did not symbolize that everyone who rejected them was at that moment irrevocably doomed. Since the people would have understood the action as marking them off as unclean, it would give them something to think about. We must consistently warn people of the wrath of God even when they reject us. Later, they may think on that warning, and God may use it to bring them to faith.
When there’s something in the Word of God that I don’t like, the problem is not with the Word of God, it’s with me. —R.C. Sproul
Coram Deo: In itself, something like the empty tomb is merely a curiosity. Without the inspired propositional revelation of Scripture that explains the event, we would not know that the empty tomb means Christ’s resurrection for the justification of all who believe in Him. We need the propositions of Scripture. These propositions are God’s words to us that explain what He has done for us.
Every nonbeliever must be seen as a divine appointment sent to us by God. While some will not respond, others will come to faith in Christ. The Word of God says, “We are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us." —Bassam Chedid in April's Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: Scripture never teaches that human beings are transformed into angels when they reach heaven. However, it does report that we will see God face-to-face. We can hardly imagine what this will be like, but we know it cannot be compared to the best things we have in the here and now. We will never be bored, and we will never grow tired of looking on the face of God. Are you looking forward to the beatific vision?
Christian contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God's wise and fatherly disposal in every condition. —Jeremiah Burroughs
Coram Deo: Angels make up a mighty army dedicated to advancing God’s purposes. This is good news for the believer, since if we are on God’s side—or better, God is on our side—the angels are on our side. Knowing this gives us added confidence that no enemy who stands against the Lord and His people can ultimately stand. When we pray for God’s will to be done, we are “unleashing” a vast host to conquer in His name.
The commands of God can be a heavy reality. The Lord calls us to love Him above all things, to love others as ourselves, and to love even our enemies. We are commanded to be content in all circumstances without coveting, and not only to tell the truth but also to defend those who are maligned. As sinners who break all of these commands, we can find the law to be crushing. They show us the way to go, and then reveal that we are prone to go our own way. —Joe Thorn in April's Tabletalk Magazine
Whether we like it or not, we can no longer bury our heads in the sand about Islam. There may have been a time in the West when Islam was an esoteric and foreign oddity. That time has passed. —J.D. Greear in April's Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: There are many ways that angels minister to the people of God, but the key point is that our Lord uses these beings for our benefit. His love is so great that He sends powerful creatures to minister to us in ways that we are not even aware of at times. If you are doubting God’s love this day, know that His use of angels in your behalf shows His great affection for you if you are in Christ.
Coram Deo: As Protestants, we might not be tempted to pray to angels, but we must be on guard against the idolatrous ideas that may creep into our own thinking. Maybe we start trusting angels, ever so slightly, to preserve us and forget about trusting the Lord. Perhaps we think what God’s Word says about angels is not enough, so we form our beliefs about these creatures based on other sources as well. Let us watch out for these and other forms of idolatry.
When God forgives us, we are forgiven. When God cleanses us, we are made clean. That is a cause for great celebration. —R.C. Sproul
Coram Deo: Since Satan’s favorite weapon against us is deceit, the only way to counter him is with the truth. That is one reason why it is so important for us to be armed with a sound knowledge of Scripture, which is the very truth of God Himself. As our minds are renewed through the study of the Lord’s Word, we are prepared to succeed in spiritual warfare against the devil.
We do not always choose our struggles or temptations, although we bear responsibility for what we do with them. They develop in us through a complicated interaction of temperament, internal and external influences, and our own hungry, broken, and sinful selves. —John Freeman in Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: The good news of the gospel is that God does not lay our sins to our account when we trust only in Christ for salvation. That doesn’t mean our sin cannot disrupt fellowship with our Creator. It does mean that if we have sinned, we need not fear to ask His pardon. He will forgive us, and if we are in Christ, we can be sure that He will keep us safe before Him forever.
Our conscience is a gift from our holy God to show us our sin and drive us to Him. The good news is that there is forgiveness in Christ, who paid the cost for our sin—for our childish outbursts and our raging rebellion. Let us give thanks to God for the gift of conscience and for forgiveness through faith in Christ when we transgress. —Kevin Gardner in April's Tabletalk Magazine
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