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”
Category Archives: Coming to God
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”
Flipping the Script
“God is with us”—that’s vital to know, isn’t it? From Psalm 23 to Romans 8, the Scripture tells God’s people in no uncertain terms that He is with them. It’s a little strange in light of this that we spend as much time as we do wondering about the presence of God in our lives.Continue reading “Flipping the Script”
Faith and Philosophy
However else we are to understand Qoheleth (the “Teacher” or “Preacher”) in Ecclesiastes, it seems to me that it is important to pay attention to his wisdom statements—especially those where he speaks of his search for wisdom. The first such statement occurs in 1:16-17: “I said to myself, look I have increased in wisdom moreContinue reading “Faith and Philosophy”
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”
Dying to See
Paul will tell the disciples in Rome they are to count themselves “dead to sin but alive to God” (6:11). He has previously spoken of baptism as being the place where they “died to sin” (v. 2) and were “baptized into His death” (v. 3)—that is, the death of Jesus. How so? Jesus’ death (andContinue reading “Dying to See”
Doing the Right Thing for the Right Reason
John is a new disciple who struggles with prayer. He understands his need for it but he’s a little overwhelmed by his inability—it’s difficult for him to overcome a lifetime of not praying. He shared his struggle with another believer who told him that the commands of God aren’t of great significance—they’re just externals, whatContinue reading “Doing the Right Thing for the Right Reason”
Divorced from his Father
It was the first week of school. The teacher mentioned something about the students taking some class work home to show their parents. A little boy spoke up and said he couldn’t do that because he was divorced from his father. The teacher knew his situation and did her best to explain to the young boy thatContinue reading “Divorced from his Father”
A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green 