David's Psalm 6 reveals his dark night of the soul, where he felt God's anger and displeasure, but ultimately, he called upon God's mercy and faithfulness, reminding us that God is a God of covenant promises and that we can experience spiritual struggle, yet still find comfort and peace in His presence. [... more]

The Christian life is a marathon race that requires spiritual endurance, and believers need to make regular stops at God's gospel aid stations, such as preaching, baptism, and the Lord's Supper, to refuel and replenish their spiritual glycogen stores. These means of grace are essential for spiritual growth, sanctification, and boldness in prayer, and they work together with the Holy Spirit to bring about a believer's relationship with the living God. [... more]

The gospel is at the heart of the church, creating, maturing, and transforming it through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Justification by grace alone, through faith alone, and in Christ alone is central to the gospel, and its clarity and purity can easily be lost in the church. The doctrine of justification is crucial, and its importance must be continually upheld in the church, as it is the main hinge on which all religion turns. [... more]

The Christian life is characterized by a struggle with ongoing sin, but grace abounds to believers who sin. Christ's death is a propitiation for all sins, both as an unbeliever and as a believer, and believers have an advocate with the Father in Jesus Christ. This understanding of the gospel is essential for assurance of faith and for persevering in the Christian life. [... more]

The Bible teaches that God demands perfect righteousness, but we are not perfectly righteous. The reformers gave a threefold answer to this dilemma: salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, and in Christ alone. This means that our works are not instrumental in salvation, but rather faith is a gift from the Holy Spirit. Christ's perfect obedience to God's law and his death on the cross have satisfied the penalty of God's law, making us righteous in God's sight. [... more]

Believers struggle with the question of whether God is angry with them when they sin, leading to a discussion on the distinction between God's vindictive wrath and fatherly chastisement. The law and gospel are explored, highlighting the freedom from condemnation and the importance of understanding the proper relationship between the law and the gospel. [... more]

The Christian life is a struggle between realism and perfectionism, with a focus on the mixed nature of believers' lives throughout redemptive history. The biblical narratives of Noah, Abraham, David, and Peter reveal their ongoing struggles with sin, yet God's free and sovereign grace delivers and justifies them, emphasizing the importance of looking to Christ for forgiveness and guidance. [... more]

Righteous prayer focuses on the praise of the Father, acknowledging his kingdom, power, and glory, and recognizing our dependence on him for all things. The Lord's Prayer concludes with a doxology, a form of words that offers praise to God for his glory, especially his work of creation and redemption. This doxology is a threefold ascription of praise to the Father, recalling and building upon the second petition where we pray for the kingdom to come. It acknowledges the Father's kingdom has come and is coming in the person and work of Jesus Christ, and that the Father rightfully and truly possesses his kingdom, and will possess his royal divine rule forever and ever. [... more]

Jesus teaches us to pray for divine deliverance, rescue from the devil's temptations, and protection from evil. He instructs us to invoke our Father in heaven, the great King, to deliver us in a time of crisis, and to trust in His power to keep us from sin and evil. This final petition in the Lord's Prayer is a cry for help, a cry for deliverance, and a reminder that we are continually exposed to internal and external temptations. Jesus' obedience in the wilderness, where He resisted Satan's temptations, is the basis for our deliverance, and we can confidently call on our Father for deliverance on the basis of our justification through faith in Christ. [... more]

Righteous prayer, as taught in the Lord's Prayer, focuses on the deliverance of the Father, a concept rooted in the covenant of grace and the promise of divine rescue from Genesis 3:15. Invocation, or crying out for help, is a key aspect of this prayer, as it acknowledges the Father's provision and protection in times of crisis and distress. Through the Lord's Supper, believers receive the answer to their prayer of invocation, finding strength and assurance in the Father's faithful promise to deliver them from all evil. [... more]

The Lord's Prayer focuses on seven major themes, all of which center on God the Father, and the fifth petition shows us that righteous prayer focuses on the forgiveness of the Father. Jesus teaches us to pray for the forgiveness of our debts, and God the Father grants that through His Son, Jesus Christ. The forgiveness of our sins comes with the cancellation of our infinite, unpayable debt to God, and it results in a new way of life. Jesus teaches us to imitate our Father in heaven by forgiving others, and our forgiveness is not the cause of God's forgiveness, but rather the evidence of genuine saving faith. [... more]

God's forgiveness of our moral debt is not a simple overlook of our sins, but rather a fulfillment of His justice through the life and death of Jesus Christ, who perfectly obeyed God's law and paid the penalty for our sins, allowing us to be debt-free in our relationship with God. [... more]

God's provision for our daily needs is a reflection of His generosity and care for us. The Lord's Prayer teaches us to trust in His providential care, acknowledging that all we have is a gift from Him. We are to intercede for others' needs, recognizing that our vocations are channels of God's love. The petition 'give us this day our daily bread' implies thankfulness for God's provision, moderation in our requests, and enjoyment of His blessings. It also highlights the importance of the physical world and our bodies, which are to be cared for and glorified by God. Ultimately, this petition points us to the gospel, where Jesus is the bread of life, and God's provision for our spiritual needs is fulfilled through His Son. [... more]

The Bible reveals God's kingdom as a rule of God and a realm where He rules, with God's people living in God's place under God's rule and blessing. From Genesis to Revelation, the story unfolds of how God's promise to send the serpent crusher, Jesus Christ, is fulfilled, bringing salvation and restoration to God's people. [... more]

Jesus teaches us to pray with reverence and intimacy, honoring God's name by our theology and practice, and seeking the consummation of the Father's kingdom through the Son, as the Holy Spirit cries out in our hearts for deliverance and the redemption of our bodies. [... more]

The Lord's Prayer teaches us how to avoid legalism and grow in genuine righteous prayer by rooting us in the gospel of grace and guiding us by the wisdom of God's law. Jesus instructs us to pray, 'Your will be done,' which refers to the moral or ethical standards of the kingdom of God, written in Scripture. We are to pray for the heavenly state of affairs to be reflected on earth in our lives, holding ourselves in readiness to give up our fallen desires and obey the revealed will of the Father. [... more]

The Lord's Prayer is a gift, a constant companion to the sacraments, and a reminder that all blessings come from God. Jesus teaches us to pray with a recognition of our Father's gift of adoption, and that our faith is a gift. The Lord's Supper is a sacrament that holds forth the guarantee of God's gracious provision of Christ's death, which has canceled all our debt. Through prayer, we are led to the Father, who directly leads us to the gift of His Son and the Lord's Supper, where we receive the blessings of the consummated kingdom. [... more]

The kingdom of God is a gift from God the Father, not something that can be earned or built by humans. Jesus teaches that the kingdom of God comes by way of promise or grace, and that entrance into the kingdom is a miracle of resurrection. The Holy Spirit conquers hearts through the proclamation of the gospel and the sacraments, bringing people into faith union with the king and making them righteous. The kingdom of God is never something that we bring into being, but rather it is established by God himself. When we pray 'Your kingdom come,' we are praying for the success of the worldwide spread of the gospel, the consummation of the Father's kingdom, and the restoration of God's rule and reign in its fullness. [... more]

Jesus teaches that righteous prayer is rooted in childlike trust and reverence, coming from a familial relationship with God as Father. He emphasizes that prayer is not a mechanical technique or formula, but an expression of gospel-based faith and adoption, allowing believers to enjoy the same fellowship with the Father as the Son does. [... more]

Jesus teaches that righteous prayer stems from the grace of God in the gospel, contrasting it with pompous, purposeless, and hypocritical prayers. He gives the model of the Lord's Prayer as a divine, gospel-saturated faith in the Father, rooted in sonship and guided by the wisdom of God's law. [... more]

John refutes the secessionists' claims to know God, abide in God, and be in the light by demonstrating their hatred for fellow believers and their rejection of the apostolic gospel. He emphasizes the importance of trusting in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and loving Christ's people as evidence of true faith and assurance of salvation. [... more]

John's letter to his readers in 1 John emphasizes the importance of knowing God and having assurance of salvation. He refutes false claims made by secessionists who left the church, focusing on the central purpose of 1 John: to know God and have assurance of knowing Him. John teaches that true knowledge of God is demonstrated by obedience to His commandments, and that the Holy Spirit is the one who brings about this union with Christ, causing believers to trust in His Son and love one another in the church. [... more]

John teaches that knowing God is not just about intellectual knowledge, but about a personal relationship with Him through faith in Christ. He emphasizes the importance of obedience to God's commandments, which are to believe in Jesus Christ and to love one another. John also stresses the need for believers to have assurance of their salvation, which comes from trusting in Christ's propitiation for their sins. [... more]

John's letter in 1 John is centered around the theme of knowing God the Father, which is made possible through the incarnation of Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit. John refutes the claims of those who claim to know God but do not keep his commandments, emphasizing that genuine knowledge of God comes only through faith in Christ. He teaches that to know God is to believe in Christ, trust in him as the only way to receive forgiveness for sins, and to have fellowship with the Father and the Son. [... more]

Children of God can have assurance of their salvation and not be put to shame when Christ returns, as long as they abide in Christ and hold to the apostolic gospel. This confidence motivates them to practice righteousness and live a life of obedience to God. [... more]

The gospel is the joyful news of free salvation to sinners through Jesus Christ alone, a revelation of God's unilateral promise to restore his kingdom, his rule, and blessing among men. It is the announcement that God's kingdom has come to man in the life, death, burial, and resurrection, and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel must reside at the center and heart of the church, being taught week after week after week, known and believed for eternal salvation. [... more]

The gospel is the driving force behind the church, and its centrality is paramount in all things. The church must be self-consciously gospel-centered to maintain effectiveness for the kingdom of God. The gospel is not just a message of good news, but a revelation and exhibition of the covenant of grace to men, offering forgiveness of sin and righteousness through Jesus Christ's substitutionary death. [... more]

Christians must acknowledge and lament their ongoing sin, which is a reality in their lives, but never acceptable. The gospel brings believers into fellowship with God and each other, and Jesus is our advocate with the Father, interceding for us when we sin, offering himself as propitiation for our sins, and exhausting the wrath of God on our behalf. [... more]

John's letter addresses the issue of fellowship with God and the secessionists' claims of a special anointing that allows them to move beyond the gospel. John refutes these claims, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging sin and the need for Jesus' atonement for sin. He teaches that the Holy Spirit's anointing is not a special gift, but rather the Spirit of truth working in us to illuminate our sin and our Savior. John's letter highlights the central role of the gospel in the Christian life, emphasizing the need for constant assurance of forgiveness and cleansing through Christ's propitiation. [... more]

Jesus' command to 'do this in remembrance of me' is rooted in the Old Testament context of the Passover, where God's remembering of his covenant faithfulness is a central theme. Just as the Israelites participated in the saving event of the Exodus through the Passover, Jesus institutes the Lord's Supper as a sacramental participation in the saving events of Christ, where God remembers his covenant promise to us and passes over us in our sin, giving us his favor. [... more]

Rachel McDonough shares three key scriptures and prayers to guide us in faithful stewardship, highlighting the importance of living lives of radical sold-out worship and pursuing joyful, loving relationship with God as our King and with our brothers and sisters for all eternity. [... more]

John's letter to believers assures them of their salvation and fellowship with God, refuting false claims of sinlessness and emphasizing the importance of confession and forgiveness through Christ's sacrifice. [... more]

John's letter in 1 John emphasizes the importance of fellowship with God, which is created through the proclamation of the gospel. He refutes the claims of those who have departed from the church, stating that they are walking in darkness and denying the reality of sin. In contrast, those who walk in the light, receiving the gospel, have fellowship with one another and are cleansed from all sin through the blood of Jesus. [... more]

Baptism is a Trinitarian act that marks believers as children of God, setting them apart with the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus' baptism is seen as a model for Christian baptism, demonstrating his obedience to the Father and his willingness to identify with sinners. Through baptism, believers are adopted as beloved sons of God, receiving the Father's full approval and delight. [... more]

Baptism is a powerful declaration of faith, a naming ceremony that signifies the triune God's promise to believers and their children. It initiates children into the visible covenant community, the church, where they are nurtured in the Christian faith and flourish. Baptism is not a sign of personal promise, but a visible gospel that signifies God's promise to be a God to us and to our children. [... more]

Baptism is a divinely ordained ordinance of God, administered through the visible church, as a means of initiating believers and their children into the covenant community of God's people, signifying God's promise to be a God to them and to their children, and proclaiming the gospel of justification by faith alone. [... more]

Baptism is a picture of the gospel and a central teaching in the Reformed Church. The Abrahamic covenant is a principle of pure promise based on inheritance by virtue of another's performance for you. The new covenant is the new administration of the Abrahamic covenant, and baptism is a one-time initiatory sign and seal of God's covenant promise, marking an individual as belonging to God's covenant community. [... more]

Baptism serves as a means of judgment for those without faith, but for those who trust in Christ, it is a sign of salvation and a means of grace. The sacrament of baptism is a visible gospel that directs our faith to the saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross, and it is not the water that saves us, but our faith in Christ alone. [... more]

Baptism is a Trinitarian act, signifying and sealing our union with the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It's a naming ceremony, giving us the family name of children of God, and a visible sign of our faith in Christ. Through baptism, we're brought into communion with the triune God, and we receive the assurance of our sonship, being declared beloved sons of God, with whom He is well pleased. [... more]

Baptism is a sacrament of initiation into the visible covenant community of the church, signifying and sealing a person's union with Christ and his church. It is a public act of being joined visibly to Christ and his church, and is a reminder of the paramount truths of the gospel. Baptism plays a central role in a person's life as a disciple, and its significance should be recovered and emphasized in the church. [... more]