in Philippians
Philippians 2:6 – 8 The Humility of Christ
It is hard to know how to approach the portion of scripture that we now have before us. In just a few verses we have the central mysteries of our faith densely put. One theologian...
Chapter 3 Paragraph 6 How God Implements His Decree to Save
One of the great concerns that people have whenever we talk about God’s planning the end from the beginning, especially as it relates to salvation, is the problem of how God saves us. If you...
in Philippians
Philippians 2:5 The Mind of Christ
The last 20 years or so has seen a real rise in what is called Christ-Centered Preaching. In addition to an emphasis on expository preaching, the goal in Christ-Centered Preaching is to ensure that Christ...
Chapter 3 Para. 5 Unconditional Election
One of the Solas of the Reformation is Sola Gratia, by grace alone. As we come to chapter 5 of the chapter on God’s Decree, we come to consider the positive position on how God...
in Philippians
Philippians 2:1 – 4 A Call for Unity
I am sure you will agree with this statement: as human beings we struggle to be in unity. This moment in particular is marked by tribalism. Once upon a time people would have a sense...
in Philippians
Philippians 1:27 – 30 Gospel-Worthy Response to Suffering
What are the temptations that the church faces when it undergoes persecution? We could probably predict that we would be faced with the temptation to water down what we stand for. There have been many...
Chap. 3:Para. 3 Gods Decree in Salvation
We come now to the most controversial part of the chapter where paragraph 3 takes us into the territory of double predestination. ‘By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his glory, some men...
in Philippians
Philippians 1:18b – 26 Living and Dying for Christ
You have heard that there are three types of people, optimists, pessimists and realists. Paul, because of the truths of the gospel and his priorities blows these categories out of the water. Because of God’s...
Chapter 3 Paragraph 2 God’s Decree Part Two
In a philosophy of history you are answering the question, how did things come to be the way they are, what are the driving powers that make things as they are? There are various answers...
in Philippians
Philippians 1:12 – 18 Gospel – Centered Joy
Your priorities will determine what gives you joy and what makes you sad. Many of our joys lie in in those things God made to be important to us like family and work. But sin...
in Philippians
Philippians 1:9 – 11 Paul’s Prayer
Your prayer life is a measurement of your spiritual life. Not whether you pray, for all believers pray, but how well you pray. One commentator puts it this way, ‘The measure of a person’s spiritual...
Seven Deadly Sins – Lust
We come now to our final look at the seven deadly sins from proverbs, and we have left lust for last. Traditionally lust was the obvious deadly sin and things like greed and envy and...
Seven Deadly Sins – Anger
Our next deadly sin is the sin of anger or wrath. Evolutionary science tells us that our anger is something that was once beastly that has become something beautiful. That we had a fight of...
in Acts
Philippians 1:1 – 2: Greetings in Christ
Some of the most stirring things have been written by saints who have been in prison for Christ. Scottish Puritan Samuel Rutherford who was imprisoned for his stand against the divine right of kings wrote...
Seven Deadly Sins – Greed Part 2
Last week we began our look at the deadly sin of Greed. We spent most of our time looking at definitions for greed, the problems it creates and warnings against it. Greed we saw is...
in Philippians
Philippians 1:1-2 Greetings in Christ
‘Thank God that I am not a gentile, a woman, or a slave.’ This was a common prayer that was once prayed in the synagogue and I believe that it is even being revived today....