By His Word “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” —Romans 8:1 We must be careful whenever someone promises that faith in Christ will guarantee wealth, uninterrupted health, or freedom from hardship. The gospel never tells us that believers will escape the trials of this present world. Jesus warnedContinue reading “A Taste of Heaven”
Tag Archives: grace of God
The Father Who Comes Looking
DID YOU KNOW Failure has a way of narrowing our vision. When we have made a mess of something important, we can become so focused on what we did wrong that we lose sight of what God is doing next. We replay the mistake, rehearse the regret, and quietly assume that our failure has becomeContinue reading “The Father Who Comes Looking”
When Grace Gives the Soul Room to Breathe
As the Day Begins “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” — Romans 5:20 There is something unsettling about the old practice of taking caged birds deep into mines. The birds were sensitive to poisonous gases, so if the air became deadly, they would collapse before the miners did. A. W. Tozer uses thatContinue reading “When Grace Gives the Soul Room to Breathe”
WHEN FORGIVENESS TEACHES THE HEART TO LOVE
DID YOU KNOW One of the most revealing scenes in the Gospels takes place around a dinner table. Jesus is eating in the home of Simon the Pharisee when a woman enters carrying an alabaster flask of ointment. Luke does not give us her biography. He simply tells us that she was known in theContinue reading “WHEN FORGIVENESS TEACHES THE HEART TO LOVE”
When Our Best Is Not Enough
The Bible in a Year “We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” —Isaiah 64:6 Most of us do not mind going to a doctor as long as the doctorContinue reading “When Our Best Is Not Enough”
CALLED BEFORE WE WERE READY
In the Life of Christ “Then He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ They immediately left their nets and followed Him.” —Matthew 4:19–20 When Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee and called Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John, He did not begin by examining their qualifications. HeContinue reading “CALLED BEFORE WE WERE READY”
WHEN GOD PUTS SIN BEHIND HIS BACK
The Bible in a Year “Behold, for peace I had great bitterness; but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption; for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.” — Isaiah 38:17 Isaiah 38 gives us one of those moments in Scripture where personal crisis opens theContinue reading “WHEN GOD PUTS SIN BEHIND HIS BACK”
WHEN GRACE FEELS TOO FREE
On Second Thought “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?” —Galatians 3:1 Paul’s letter to the Galatians confronts one of the most persistent temptations in the Christian life: beginning by faith and then attempting to continueContinue reading “WHEN GRACE FEELS TOO FREE”
The Greatness of Forgiveness
The Bible in a Year “For thy name’s sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.” (Psalm 25:11) As we journey through Scripture, we repeatedly discover that one of the greatest barriers between humanity and God is not God’s unwillingness to forgive but our unwillingness to acknowledge our need for forgiveness. David’s prayerContinue reading “The Greatness of Forgiveness”
Finding the Ransom
The Bible in a Year “He is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom.” — Job 33:24 As we continue our journey through the Scriptures, we arrive at one of the unexpected Gospel glimpses hidden within the book of Job. These words were spokenContinue reading “Finding the Ransom”