If Adam and Eve were equal in their roles and responsibilities in the garden prior to the fall, then Eve would have been held equally responsible as Adam in keeping the covenant, but this was not the case. It is Adam who was held responsible for breaking the covenant, not Eve, because he was the... Continue Reading

We are all called to offer ourselves wholly to God. “All of me to all of you, O God, because of Jesus.” Total surrender. Each of us is an ascension offering, daily giving ourselves to God, renewing our minds by his truth, and presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice. This is our spiritual worship. Following... Continue Reading

In the Scriptures, through many human authors in many circumstances, the one God speaks (Heb 1:1), and the unity in this diversity leads us to God’s final Word: Jesus Christ. Biblical theology is the attempt to relate the diversity and the unity alongside the likewise important disciplines of exegesis and systematic theology, all with the... Continue Reading

While the God-centeredness of God might lead us to expect a simple Christ-centeredness of Christ in his earthly ministry, this is largely not what we (yet) find in his state of humiliation. In End, Edwards points to John 7:18 (one of several statements from Jesus renouncing the pursuit of his own glory) as characteristic of Christ’s humbled state: “The... Continue Reading

God usually answers when we ask him to allow us to serve others. In every relationship, we have the opportunity to put others ahead of ourselves. The real change must take place at the level of our attitudes. Pray that he gives us the mindset of servants, the mindset of Jesus himself (Philippians 2:5).   Who... Continue Reading

The cross where Christ died (and rose again) demonstrates the overwhelming love of God for sinners, as well as the horrible grief and suffering this entailed. As we read in this ever so familiar passage: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish... Continue Reading

One of the first steps before us in order to cast out fears is to reorient our desires to the things God promises and away from the things we would like to guarantee for ourselves. The latter is a sure path to fear, anger, discontent, and conflict; the former is essential to casting out the... Continue Reading

The church is the meeting of God’s people. What happens in it is for the benefit of God’s people. Others are welcome to look in, but what we say and do is necessarily for the believers. It is in taking the gospel out to the world that preach the good news to the perishing.  ... Continue Reading

When Jesus calls to us, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden,” he gives us himself. When we come to the altar, we receive Jesus himself, for the Eucharist is nothing less than the real presence of Christ. He replaces the burdens loaded upon us throughout the week with a burden that... Continue Reading

Wisdom promises short-term pains but long-term gains. Proverbs 3:1–10 has five sections that call us to a certain action with an incentive that follows that action. It’s a “rule-reward” pattern. Verses 1–2 introduce the pattern and verses 3–10 show us how it works out in four specific areas.   “How much will you lose if you... Continue Reading