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The Greatest Commandment
When one of the religious scribes asked Jesus which commandment is most important, He answered: “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all …Read More
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When God is Not Enough
“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you” (Augustine, Confessions). “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but …Read More
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Union with Christians
The doctrine of union with Christ is central to understanding the riches of God’s grace in the gospel and all of its implications. Whether it be from the words of Jesus Himself, particularly in passages such as John 15 …Read More
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Love That Is Patient and Kind
First Corinthians 13 is one of the most famous passages in all of Scripture, for in it the Apostle Paul gives us a marvelous exposition of the character of godly love. He starts by showing the importance of love, writing …Read More
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Where and How Do We Draw the Line?
“In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, charity.” Sounds nice, but which are which? Everyone wants to be unified in what really matters, to agree to disagree on what isn’t as important, and to exercise love in …Read More
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Rekindling the Flame
“You never know what depths of sin and wickedness of hell are in your nature till you turn and start to walk the path that leads to God and Christ, the path that is paved with righteousness and truth, but …Read More
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The Motivation for Love
In his twentieth century classic, The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis imagines the demon Screwtape writing to his nephew Wormwood about the need to discover the secret as to why God loves humans. He writes, “The truth is, I slipped …Read More
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Enduring Love
There once were two weddings. The first took place on a pristine beach on a lake high in the mountains. The setting was breathtaking. The young couple showed that sweet nervous excitement that made everyone smile. A classical guitarist picked …Read More
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Love’s Significance
It is virtually impossible to exaggerate the importance of love. Nothing is more basic to true spirituality than this singular virtue. Nothing is more central to Christian living. At the very heart of authentic discipleship is love. Without love, we …Read More
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Love’s Attributes
In the early seventeenth century, Archbishop Ussher of Ireland desired to visit the home of a Presbyterian minister to see whether what he had heard about the man’s personal godliness was true. Ussher arrived at the pastor’s home …Read More
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True Love
God is love, and love never fails because God never fails. Love cannot be separated from God and cannot exist without Him. God’s love is the foundation and definition of love, just as He is the source, fountain, sustainer …Read More
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Love’s Shroud
If, as Jonathan Edwards proposed, heaven is “a world of love,” then love is pure, intense, and uncommon. But even here in this world, God wants us to display something of His heavenly love: “Above all, keep loving one another …Read More
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Soft Hearts, Solid Spines
The Internet allows unprecedented opportunity for communication between Christians from different theological traditions. The results have not been pretty. Comment threads are the Devil’s playground and blogs his amusement park. And even if we exclude online media, theological bickering …Read More
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Loyal-Love (Hesed)
In the Old Testament,hesedis a central theological term. It is a key attribute in the Lord’s self-description in Exodus 34:6–7, as well as an obligation that is placed on all of His people in Micah …Read More
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Encourage One Another
There are a lot of interesting conclusions to be gleaned from the laundry list of names in Romans 16. But the one I appreciate the most is Paul’s example of offering divinely inspired encouragement . According to my biblically informed …Read More