But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first. Mt. 19:30; 20:16, 25-28 God is generous: his mercy reaches to the heavens and he sovereignly grants his mercy to the least deserving. This is the lesson of our text. Which means that we should beware of serving God from mercenary …
Blessed art thou, Simon Barjonah. Mt. 16:17 Our Lord’s response to Peter is just as important as Peter’s answer to his question. The Great Benediction deserves our examination just as much as the Great Confession. And our Lord tells Peter that it is a blessed thing to confess Jesus as the Christ, …
The riches of his grace. Eph. 1:7 The book of Ephesians is full of those blessings which the apostle invites us to remember, and on this day of Thanksgiving, how better to spend our time than to contemplate such riches? God – Father, Son, and Spirit – has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in …
Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God. Mt. 16:16 Matthew 28 gives us the Great Commission. In this chapter we have the Great Confession and the Great Benediction. They are all related. Without the Great Confession and Great Benediction, there would be no Great Commission. As we will see, …
Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief. Mt. 17:19-20 In contrast to our sinful independence, God’s word calls us to trust in him: “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own …
This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. Mt. 17:5 This is something we need to be reminded of and often. This passage teaches us that, above all, Jesus is preeminent and central to our faith and life. Of all the things that grab our interest and attention, Jesus ought to have …
How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery . . . which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. Eph. 3:3, 5 Paul reminds us that in Christ we have been given the gospel of God through the apostles …
And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins. Eph. 2:1 The apostle reminds us that in Christ we have been raised from a death in sins (Eph. 2:1-10). Dear believer, if you are tempted to wonder why God is not doing something in your life, why he isn’t fixing a problem that you …
That ye may know what is the hope of his calling. Eph. 1:18 Paul reminds us that in Christ we have been given hope (see Eph. 1:8-14, 18) . A lot of people have no idea what their place is in this world. Or they just have no hope at all. They believe that when they die, that is that. And so there is …
In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. Eph. 1:7 Here, the apostle reminds us that in Christ we have the forgiveness of all our sins: “in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches …