“You might think that you are unworthy to have such a great gift as union with Christ. Remember, however, Christ shed his precious blood to redeem you. That precious blood will enable you to miraculously advance in holiness through your union with Christ. Union with Christ is not a privilege you earn by your sincere obedience, or by your own attempts at holiness. Your union with Christ is not a reward of your own good works. Rather, union with Christ is a privilege that God gives to every Christian when they first become a Christian! Right when you enter into the Kingdom of God, you also enter...

I’m headed out to pick up Kari from a women’s retreat she taught/preached at this weekend (read her notes ). Dutch and I stayed home to play and pray, and are so excited to get our wife and mommy back. It was a joy to sit and read her notes while she preached and be praying for her through the various points. Kari posted her notes/manuscript from her two talks at the retreat — from Philippians 2:1-4: 1 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having...

“How can we recover the new affection for Christ and his kingdom that so powerfully impacted our life-long worldliness, and in which we crucified the flesh with its lusts? What was it that created that first love in any case? Do you remember? It was our discovery of Christ’s grace in the realization of our own sin. We are not naturally capable of loving God for himself, indeed we hate him. But in discovering this about ourselves, and in learning of the Lord’s supernatural love for us, love for the Father was born. Forgiven much, we loved much. We rejoiced in the hope of glory, in suffering,...

"Humility is the most essential thing in true religion . . . the great Christian duty is self-denial. This duty consists of two things: first, in denying worldly inclinations and its enjoyments and second, in denying self-exaltation and renouncing one’s self-significance by being empty of self. . . . The humble Christian is more apt to find fault with his own pride than with that of other men. . . . A truly humble person who has a low view of his own righteousness and holiness is poor in spirit and modest in speech. . . . He is apt to put the best construction on others’ words...

A few weeks ago we wrapped up Winter term at Cornerstone School of Ministry. In our NT 133 class we ended with John’s writings, first the Gospel of John and then his letters: 1st, 2nd and 3rd John. (My good friend, Director Adam Poole taught 1st John as I was away; I was both envious and joyful for I know his character, ability and passion for exposition of the Word. The students are extremely blessed to have him as their pastoral leader.) In John’s writings we saw the glory and beauty and love of Jesus on display for all the world to see, know and love. And yet we read of people questioning...

A short article/reflection of mine has been posted at Going to Seminary: “Transitioning One’s Soul to Finish the Day Well” SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Transitioning One’s Soul to Finish the Day Well", url: "http://www.deTheos.com/2008/03/26/transitioning-ones-soul-to-finish-the-day-well/" });

“Sin is what we do when you are not fully satisfied in God.” —John Piper, Future Grace, p. 9. “If we are not fulfilled and secure in God, we will inevitably seek other sources of happiness and security.” —Ken Sande, The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict, p. 112. SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Fully satisfied in God?", url: "http://www.deTheos.com/2008/03/24/fully-satisfied-in-god/" });

And so pride, or the loss of this humility, is the root of every sin and evil! It was when the now-fallen angels began to look upon themselves with self-complacency that they were led to disobedience, and were cast down from the light of heaven into outer darkness. Even so it was, when the Serpent breathed the poison of his pride–the desire to be as God–into the hearts of our first parents, they too fell from their high estate into all the wretchedness into which man is sunk. In heaven and earth, pride–self-exaltation–is the gate and the birth, and the curse, of hell. Hence...

“… the choicest believers, who are assuredly freed from the condemning power of sin, ought yet to make it their business all their days to mortify the indwelling power of sin… Do you mortify; do you make it your daily work; be always at it whilst you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you. Your being dead with Christ virtually, your being quickened with him, will not excuse you from this work.” – John Owen, Mortification of Sin SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Be killing sin", url: "http://www.deTheos.com/2008/02/15/be-killing-sin/"...

BEING SENSIBLE THAT I AM UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING WITHOUT GOD’ S HELP, I DO HUMBLY ENTREAT HIM BY HIS GRACE TO ENABLE ME TO KEEP THESE RESOLUTIONS, SO FAR AS THEY ARE AGREEABLE TO HIS WILL, FOR CHRIST’S SAKE. Remember to read over these Resolutions once a week. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’ s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general....