Salvation

  • Taking Joy in the God of Salvation

    Habakkuk 3:17–19

    Believing God when “the chips are down” is one of the most difficult things that we will ever be called to do. Yet if we trust the Lord only when things are going well, then we do not really trust ...Read More

  • The Righteousness of God

    Romans 1:16–17

    Douglas Moo writes, “Justification by faith is the anthropological reflex of [that is, it reflects] Paul’s basic conviction that what God has done in Christ for sinful human beings is entirely a matter of grace” (Romans, p. 90). We ...Read More

  • Justice, Kindness, and Humility

    Micah 6:1–8

    Matthew Henry comments, “The legal sacrifices had their virtue from the reference they had to Christ the great propitiation; but otherwise, of themselves, it was impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” While people believe ...Read More

  • Reflecting God’s Glory

    Isaiah 60

    Today’s passage is being fulfilled even as it is also yet to be fulfilled. The Gentiles are coming to serve Israel’s God, and many of us are proof of that. However, we are still waiting for the day ...Read More

  • Securing our Faith

    Matthew 1:18–21

    The Old Testament also points to limited atonement or particular redemption. Israel’s high priest offered atonement only for the people of Israel, not for Israel and those who remained outside the covenant community. From first to last, the Bible ...Read More

  • Christ Our Ransom

    Mark 10:35–45

    Jesus ransoms us from the wrath of God, which means that we never need fear His condemnation if we trust in Christ alone for our salvation. In ransoming us from God’s wrath, our Savior also rescues us from bondage ...Read More

  • Judgment and Salvation

    Isaiah 59:14–21

    We who have been purchased by Christ might sometimes feel like we should just go along with the unrighteousness around us. Yet though the cost of following the Lord is great, and may even be greater in the days ahead ...Read More

  • Responding to the Servant

    Isaiah 55

    God works through means. In justification, the sole instrumental means He uses is the faith He gives us to lay hold of Christ’s perfect righteousness—the sole ground of our being declared righteous before Him. We must trust Jesus ...Read More

  • The Good News of God’s Reign

    Isaiah 52:1–12

    Restoration requires faith in the Lord, but we are not able to muster up in ourselves faith that will persevere to the end. We need an atonement that covers even our unbelief, and God must create in us new hearts ...Read More

  • The Primacy of God’s Glory

    Isaiah 48:1–11

    Dr. John Piper writes: “God’s own glory is uppermost in his own affections. In everything he does, his purpose is to preserve and display that glory. To say his glory is uppermost in his own affections means that he ...Read More

  • The Salvation of the World

    Isaiah 45:14–25

    Those of us from Gentile backgrounds who serve Christ probably do not consider this fact often enough: We are fulfillments of God’s promises to His people. The Lord promised that the nations would serve Him, and as men and ...Read More

  • Waiting for the Lord to Save

    Isaiah 40:12–31

    As we will see in the weeks ahead, the delay in God’s redemption that the exiles felt was due in part to their continued sin. The Lord would have to intervene in a powerful way to make His people ...Read More

  • The Lord Returns to His People

    Isaiah 40:1–5

    Verse 5 of today’s passage indicates that in God’s salvation of His people after the exile, His glory is revealed and all flesh sees it. God does not save us simply for our own sake, even though that ...Read More

  • Dying to the Law in Christ

    Galatians 2:20

    Matthew Henry comments on today’s passage: “The doctrine of the gospel, instead of weakening the bond of duty, did but the more strengthen and confirm it; and therefore, though he was dead to the law, yet it was only ...Read More

  • True Repentance

    Romans 8:12–17

    Repentance is a gift from God. We express contrition for our sins and their offense to our holy Creator, but the Holy Spirit must give us the ability to do this. Without His sovereign work, we do not care that ...Read More