Isaiah felt undone in God’s presence (Isaiah 6) and that’s not a terrible thing. If the biblical witness teaches us anything, it is that though God is wholly approachable through Jesus, He is nonetheless holy, and we neglect this truth to our spiritual detriment. God’s holiness is often misunderstood. It is equated with purity andContinue reading “God’s Holiness and Our Hope”
Author Archives: A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green
Four of God’s Favorite Words
“Do not be afraid,” the angel told the women who had come to Jesus’ tomb. But they were. They were plenty of reasons to be afraid: * the stone was rolled away and (they thought) it wasn’t supposed to be, * it was early morning in a garden by aContinue reading “Four of God’s Favorite Words”
Faith and Coming to God (2)
3. Faith obeys and works, but never earns. The Scripture speaks of faith working (James 2:22), the “obedience that comes from faith” (Romans 1:5), and even uses “believe” and “obey” interchangeably (see Hebrews 3:19,4:6). But faith cannot earn any more than someone who is given money could boast of their economic standing. It is a grace-based ventureContinue reading “Faith and Coming to God (2)”
Faith and Coming to God (1)
We cannot save ourselves! If we could be good enough to be good enough, there would be no need for a savior. But we can’t—we’ve all sinned and “fallen short” (Romans 3:23). We need someone to do for us what we are unable to do for ourselves. Having said that, it’s just as wrong toContinue reading “Faith and Coming to God (1)”
Exploring Spirituality
Everyone, it seems, is interested in being spiritual (even many who don’t believe in God). Understanding what is meant by this isn’t always easy. Spirituality can be quite a fuzzy term. It’s not so fuzzy when it is used to indicate a deeper dimension that what is commonly associated with formal religious practice. Much ofContinue reading “Exploring Spirituality”
Broken Bread and Crushed Grapes
One of the more interesting historical possibilities concerns how the Nobel Prize came into existence. Many people know that the prize is named after Alfred Nobel, a Swedish man who lived in the last half of the nineteenth century. He was a prolific inventor who earned over 350 patents. He had an element (Nobelium) named after him. And, thereContinue reading “Broken Bread and Crushed Grapes”
Blind Spots and Open Eyes
I was in my truck at a stop sign, waiting to cross a somewhat busy street. Everything looked clear. I started to pull out but when I looked back to my right there was a car not twenty feet away. I immediately stopped about a quarter of the way into the street and the carContinue reading “Blind Spots and Open Eyes”
Baptism and Coming to God (2)
4. Baptism is part of the response of faith in coming to God. Galatians 3:26-27 says this: You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. Note the interchange of faith and baptism and how Paul calls on baptism toContinue reading “Baptism and Coming to God (2)”
Back to School
There are a couple of significant things have taken place recently: the Olympic Games concluded and school started. The Games have been great—from the spectacular pageantry of the opening ceremony to Michael Phelps’ extraordinary achievements. Whether you’re drawn to women’s gymnastics, basketball, track and field, tennis, softball, or any of the other events, there is something forContinue reading “Back to School”
Amazed and Alive
“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or think according to the power that is at work among us . . .” (Ephesians 3:20). What are we supposed to do with passages like this one? Texts like this are found throughout Ephesians. There’s 5:1 where we’re told toContinue reading “Amazed and Alive”
A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green 