The default sin of the human heart is to put ourselves first. “It really...
From the Alpha to the Omega: A Portrait of Jesus
How to Deal with Guilt, Condemnation and Shame with the Gospel
Joe and Barbara are both solid Christians. They regularly spend quality time in the...
A Brief Word on the Gospel and the Old Testament
The English word “gospel” is an approximation of the Greek word εὐαγγέλιον...
6 Things Christ Accomplished by His Death
Was Jesus’ death necessary? Why did He have to die, and what did he accomplish? Here’s a very brief summary of the six core things Christ accomplished in His death. Expiation Expiation means the removal of our sin and guilt. Christ’s...
How Jesus Would Have Understood the Old Testament to Have Been Written to and About Himself
There has been something of a biblical-theological revolution over the past several decades. It is not a revolution in which new doctrines are being uncovered, so much as it is one by which our understanding of a Christ-centered and...
Why Justification by Faith Alone is Necessary for Good Works
“Justification by faith alone frees me to love my neighbor disinterestedly, for his or her own sake, as my sister or brother, not as the calculated means to my own desired ends,” writes Timothy George describing the reason why the traditional...
What is the Doctrine of Justification?
John Calvin, the great Reformer, spoke for many when he declared that justification is “the main hinge on which religion turns”. Why is it so important? Because “unless you first of all grasp what your relationship to God is, and the nature of his judgment concerning...
Christ Our Substitute: The Meaning Of The Cross
Several biblical terms express (but do not exhaust) the ministry of Jesus as Substitute, and the meaning of the cross. Those are including (but not limited to) the following: Jesus as our PROPITIATION. “He is the propitiation for our sins…” (1...
Recommended Books on the Person and Work of Jesus Christ
This season at Servants of Grace, we’ve been taking a look at the person and work of Jesus. From attacks against the idea of Jesus dying in our place for our sin, to the exclusivity of Christ, many people have a great deal of questions about...
The Incarnation: Jesus Fully God and Fully Man
The doctrine of the Incarnation is very important to Christianity. It reminds us that Jesus is both God and man, which makes it possible to speak meaningfully about who Jesus is and what He did. In the 19th century, James Denney, a professor at...
Understanding the Gospel: Justification
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). At the heart of the biblical gospel is the amazing truth of justification. Without this truth, there would be no gospel at all. It...
Three Critical Truths About Propitiation
What Does It Mean? Propitiation (noun) prō-pi-shē-ā-shǝn: the act of gaining or regaining the favor of; in this case, a sacrifice that bears God’s wrath and turns it to favor. Why Does It Matter? Read that definition again, and it should be...
Jesus the Divine Word
The Gospel of John differs from the other gospel accounts in many ways, chiefly among them—the beginning of his account of Jesus. Like the other Gospel writers, John wants us to understand that Jesus is God made flesh—the only God who became...
The Three Offices of Christ
"Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed" Theology can be a daunting subject. When it comes to topics like the Doctrine of Christ, people can sink into their seats and ignore the subject, which is a terrible response to such precious biblical truth. Within the...
Five Truths About the Resurrection of Jesus
The resurrection of Jesus is foundational to the Christian faith, and yet, oftentimes, we only give it real thought around the Easter season. But the resurrection of Jesus is so important that Paul writes, “If Christ has not been raised, your...
Three Critical Historical Evidences For the Resurrection of Christ
The historical evidence for the resurrection of Christ is very good. Scholars such as William Lane Craig, J.P. Moreland, Gary Habermas, and others have done an especially good job of detailing that evidence.1 It is the aim of this article to...
Three Critical Truths about Redemption
“Redemption” is a rich word and perhaps somewhat unique among the great gospel words in our theological vocabulary, in that it’s a word that easily resonates with unbelievers. Some of our favorite stories, songs, and films are built around the...
Reigning with Christ on Daily Mission
To say that the heart of the gospel is Christ crucified would not be wrong (1st Corinthians 1:23; Galatians 6:14). To say that the heart of the gospel is the resurrection of Christ would not be wrong either, for by it our justification comes (Romans...
To Focus on Jesus and His Resurrection—Spotlight the Bible
Do not believe anyone who tells you that the way to focus on Jesus and His resurrection is to take the spotlight off the Bible. The entire Bible is a blessing to the believer, not a burden. It is not an obstacle to effective evangelism; it is...
“But Now”—Learning to Live in the Newness of Christ
It has often been observed that the “last days” are not just some future event of tribulation and doom, but are instead the days of Christ’s church, inaugurated by His resurrection. Thus, as Acts 2:17 and Hebrews 1:2 teach us, the last days...
Biblical and Historical Arguments for The Triumphant Resurrection of Christ
Jesus in John 11:25 said, “I am, the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.” The lengthiest explanation of Jesus’ resurrection is found in 1st Corinthians 15. This whole chapter is about how...
The Whole Bible in One Meal
I saw the new Star Wars film recently. The last scene (slight spoiler warning) is a wordless image that summarizes the goal of all the action of the film and points ahead to the plots of the sequels. Many films are like that: After all the...