Filed under Sinclair Ferguson …

Discontent

Contentment is the being satisfied with the sovereign dispensations of God’s providence. It is the opposite of murmuring, which is the spirit of rebellion–the clay saying to the Potter, "Why have You made me thus?" Instead of complaining at his lot–a contented man is thankful that his condition and circumstances are no worse than they … Continue reading →

A MUST Read!

I always feel accomplished when I finish a book. However, I was excited and sad to finish this book. I really didn’t want it to end. I could read this book a hundred times and still not adequately grasped the truths contained in this small volume. The doctrine of adoption. One of the most life … Continue reading →

Addicted to Anxiety

We live in a society that is addicted to anxiety, and, therefore, addicted to possessions, hoping for a certainty that this world cannot provide. So much of life is dominated by the effort to control tomorrow, which is beyond our control. The gospel provides the only remedy for our deep-seated anxieties: this is the world … Continue reading →

Free to Live in the Light

In Christ, however, we have been set free from sin’s reign and dominion; because we have died with Christ (Ro. 6:2), we have been freed from sin. We are no longer ‘slaves to sin’ (Ro. 6:6). And now that we have been set free from sin, we have become slaves of righteousness (Ro. 6:18). We … Continue reading →

Prayer

This is what prayer really means: knowing that we have a secure relationship with God in which we can address him in the knowledge that he cares, and has the power to aid us. We should never forget the cost to God of the privilege of prayer we enjoy. Recognizing and appreciating it enables us … Continue reading →

Slander

James goes even further. To speak against a brother is to speak against the law (Jas. 4:11). Doubtless James has in mind Jesus’ exposition of the law: in the Sermon on the Mount, slander is simply another form of murder. It may not kill the body, but it assassinates another’s personality and his rightful reputation … Continue reading →

Character of God In Us

When people observe our lives, they ought to be able to see the character of God in us, because as his children, we are those in whom his image has already begun to be restored. -Sinclair Ferguson, Children of the Living God

It No Longer Rules

In Christ, he says, we have died to sin – it no longer rules over us. Yet we continue to battle against sin – we are not to let it reign over us (Rom 6:2, 12). The decisive victory lies in the past, in the work of Jesus Christ, and has become ours through our … Continue reading →

An Offense

Not to love our Christian brothers and sisters, not to seek their welfare, is an offence against the very nature of what it means to be a Christian. This is what John means when he says that it is utterly inconsistent to claim to love God, whom we have never seen, if we hate our … Continue reading →

Hallmark of the Family

But as a brother in the family of God, he is also kept, protected, guided, and guarded by his Elder Brother – ‘The one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one does not touch him’ (1 Jn. 5:18). This is the hallmark of the family. Doing right is not the … Continue reading →

Settled Direction of Righteousness

We have been born again into a new family, and the power of the Father of that family, the likeness of the Elder Brother in it, have been bestowed also on us. Yes, we sin and fail. But our lives grow in the settled direction of righteousness and holiness, because that is the nature of … Continue reading →

We Are His Brothers!

Jesus Christ is not ashamed to have us as his brothers! (Heb. 2:11). What do we have in common with him? By nature we are a disgrace to him, a cause of shame. He perfectly mirrors the image and glory of God; we have spoiled it. He served his Father with joyful obedience; we have … Continue reading →

Prodigal Son

Some comments on the parable of the prodigal son (Lk 15:17-19)… But, inevitable, the guilt-ridden son was calculating on the basis of his sin, rather than on the basis of his father’s character. Although this story is probably the best known and loved of all Christ’s parables, the lesson it teaches us as Christians is … Continue reading →

Just As Wonderful

We tend to have a very superficial appreciation of what God has done for us. When it dawns on us that we have entered into brotherhood with the risen Lord Jesus Christ, that we now participate in the power of his resurrection, that the glory of God’s image is being restored in our lives – … Continue reading →