The Great Commission, then, isn’t intended for the Apostles alone, as some have argued. The Great Commission is the glorious mission of the church, which is built on the foundation of the Apostles and prophets (Eph. 2:20). Another common misconception is that the Great Commission is synonymous with evangelism. But look at the scope of... Continue Reading

While Edom thought they dwelt secure in their own mountain fortress, God promises that His own holy mountain would be the actual place of safety, security, and most poignantly, salvation (v. 17). Christ is not only the means of judgment in Obadiah, but He is also the fortress of salvation for all those who come... Continue Reading

While we gain assurance of our salvation through telltale signs of God’s workmanship, such as love for others and conviction of the truth revealed, our confidence is grounded in the God who appointed our salvation, accomplished it for us, and applied it to us. He holds us fast. Jesus will lose none of those the... Continue Reading

Are you longing for eternity now? The Bible’s revelation of the new earth provides enough concrete details to excite our imaginations.4 What God describes far exceeds pictures of floating cherubs, feathery wings, or encompassing light. Eternal life is truly life—overflowing with new experiences, inner fulfillment, and guiltless enjoyment. We do not lose anything good that we... Continue Reading

Which councils are we to accept, and which are we to reject? Evangelicals have a coherent, practical answer: we are to “test everything” in light of Scripture and “hold fast what is good” and abhor “what is evil,” including all falsehood (1 Thess. 5:21; Rom. 12:9; Eph. 4:25). Those who wish to embrace the Great... Continue Reading

My ongoing pastoral concern is that our doxology and praise is inadvertently introducing competitions and cancellations of various parts of the counsel of God. God does not deny Himself, and neither does His Word deny itself. Psalm 144 is a wonderful, tutorial, doxological look that consolidates various features of the Christian life that we have... Continue Reading

God is glorified in two ways by our works. First, by doing them we faintly reflect his glory. God is loving, joyful, kind, faithful, and self-controlled. The God who shows his goodness through tangible works of service every day loves to see his children growing up to be like him (Matt. 5:44–45; Heb. 13:20, 21). Jesus put... Continue Reading

Paul views Jesus in Jonah-like terms, one who is both a true Israelite and true Israel himself, and in whom even the godless and uncircumcised Gentiles can find reconciliation. What was there in God’s call to Jonah was only a dimly-lit picture, a veiled foreshadowing of something greater – it was, in the Biblical sense,... Continue Reading

We need to recognize that, through and through, the doctrine of atonement needs to be thoroughly Trinitarian. It’s centered on Christ. Jesus is the Son of the Father who is empowered by the Spirit.   The Apex of God’s Mission The atonement is the apex of the triune mission of God: Father, Son, and Holy... Continue Reading

Only God’s kingdom will endure the dissolving and remaking of the cosmos. As mighty as the kingdoms of earth may seem for the moment, they cannot endure the passage of time, let alone the day of judgment!   See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused... Continue Reading