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...
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...