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The Lord of Grace, Mercy, and Justice
God must give us new hearts if we are to repent (Eph. 2:8–10). But once these hearts are ours, we must turn to Him for salvation both from His wrath and our enemies. He will deliver us if ...Read More
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Reasoning with the LORD
Isaiah 1:18 is a great promise indeed, assuring us that no matter how much sin has stained our souls, God can cleanse us completely and make us stand before Him as His holy people. But for this to happen ...Read More
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Jonah’s Anger
Jonah’s depression over the death of a plant (Jonah 4:5–9), Dr. R.C. Sproul tells us, means that the prophet cared more about plants than about people. Jonah forgot that no sinner deserves God’s forgiveness—even ...Read More
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The Fifth Petition
When we ask the Father to forgive us in Jesus’ name, we are asking Him to do something that He has promised to do. Therefore, we can be confident that He forgives us when we seek His face. This is ...Read More
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The Mandate to Forgive
Calvin also comments, “No one may presume to approach God and ask forgiveness, who is not pure and free from all resentment.” If we are withholding forgiveness from those who have truly and humbly sought our pardon, then we are ...Read More
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The Duty of Forgiveness
The forgiveness we enjoy from God in Christ Jesus has consequences for our lives. First, we are absolved from guilt and never need to fear His wrath again. Furthermore, God’s forgiveness means that we, too, must forgive those who ...Read More
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Dying to the Law in Christ
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
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True Repentance
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
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Turning from Our Ungrateful Ways
Paul’s teaching in today’s passage actually leads us to expect that there should be former adulterers, homosexuals, thieves, blasphemers, alcoholics, and others in our congregations. The church of Jesus Christ must not close its door to any sinner ...Read More
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Embracing the Penitent
Although not everyone who has been subjected to church discipline repents, there are many times when a disciplined sinner is humbled by the church’s treatment and, forsaking sin, returns to the fold. When this happens, church leaders and laypeople ...Read More
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The Church and Forgiveness
John Calvin comments that Christ “does not convey to [the Apostles and their successors] what is peculiar to himself. It belongs to him to forgive sins… . [Instead, He] enjoins them, in his name, to proclaim the forgiveness of sins, that ...Read More
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Faith and Repentance
Repentance is serious business, but it is required only when actual sin has been committed. Knowing the difference between true sin and what others falsely assume to be sin demands the faithful study of Scripture. So, we should read God ...Read More
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Repenting of Our Righteousness
Today’s passage reminds us that God does not grade on a curve. We may consider ourselves better than others on a human level when we evaluate ourselves by imperfect human standards of justice, but the Lord evaluates us by ...Read More
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The Struggle With Sin
How is your personal walk with the Lord? Have you become calloused to the evils of sin manifest in you own life? Have you forgotten to spend time with Him? It is as we love Him more and more that ...Read More
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Luther’s Search for Assurance
Do you continue to feel guilt for the sins you have committed but have confessed to the Lord? If so, know that you need no longer feel this guilt if you have trusted in Christ alone for your salvation. He ...Read More
