Theology / Salvation

  • 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

  • The Savior of God’s Blind Servant

    Isaiah 42:18–43:7

    Today’s passage reveals divine election, for Isaiah speaks of a people who are precious in God’s eyes (43:4). This is not due to any good in them, given that the people are still blind to their sin ...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

  • Beholding His Glory

    1 Corinthians 15:12–58

    We are not inherently immortal, as the ancient Greeks believed, but depend on the Lord’s sustaining power for our continued existence. If we are in Christ, our souls go to heaven when we die, only to be reunited with ...Read More

  • Glory Through Glorification

    Romans 8:28–30

    Think about how amazing it is that the Lord has purposed to bring about His own glory in and through our glorification. God could have left us in our sin, and He would have been glorified in our condemnation. Yet ...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

  • Genuine Conversion

    2 Corinthians 5:17

    The way to life is the way of death—death to sin and self. Only if we first die to sin can we be raised to new life and become new creatures in Christ. This happens decisively at conversion, but ...Read More

  • Turning from Our Ungrateful Ways

    1 Corinthians 6:9–11

    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

  • Good Works and Assurance

    2 Peter 1:3–11

    Matthew Henry comments, “Those who are growing in grace, and abounding in the work of the Lord, shall have an abundant entrance into the joy of their Lord, and they shall reign with him for ever and ever.” Although gaining ...Read More