Biblical Studies

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." (Romans 8:1-4 ESV) In the previous posts I gave excerpts from Francis Schaeffer's talks with students in Lausanne in the 1960s. Crossway published these in 1998 as The Finished Work of Christ . I have been very enriched by reading through the Epistle to the Romans, using Schaeffer's easy-to-follow commentary. In chapter 6 of Romans, he shows how we must reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive to God through Jesus Christ. In chapter 7 he shows that trying to live up to the moral law -- no matter ...

"What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness." (Romans 6:15-18) In the previous post I gave some excerpts from Francis Schaeffer's talks with students in Lausanne in the 1960s. Crossway published these in 1998 as The Finished Work of Christ . I have enjoyed reading through the Epistle to the Romans, using this easy-to-read commentary. Here are a few more excerpts from his discussion on Romans 6:15-18...  The believers in Rome had been slaves of sin, but then they had obeyed God "from the heart." Theirs wa...

"What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness." (Romans 6:15-18 ESV) I have been so enriched reading through Paul's Epistle to the Romans, using Francis Schaeffer's commentary, verse by verse. His words were recorded as he met with university students for lunch at Lausanne, Switzerland, in the 1960s, and later published by Crossway as The Finished Work of Christ (1998).  Here are some excerpts from his discussion on Romans 6:15-18...  Each of us has great significance, as Christians and also as human beings. Eac...

A couple of years ago, I posted online, and via email, brief thoughts regarding nearly every chapter of the Bible. It was a two-year project in which I followed the Robert Murray M’Cheyne reading schedule in two parts. Upon the suggestion of others, I’ve decided to sort and gather these posts into documents covering each book of the Bible.  My goal was to summarize each chapter, to make some observations on the text, and to state why we have this passage in Scripture, or at least what we are meant to do with it. For many years in ministry in our university community I would meet with young adults in a coffee shop, reading and discussing a passage, and asking, what’s with this chapter? what do we do with it? With that in mind, most of these posts were written rather quickly, thinking back on those conversations, as well as on messages I may have given on the passage in church. Unfortunately, not every chapter of the Bible is included, but most are. All of this has been lightly ...

Sometimes I have been asked what are some classic Christian works that every believer should read or be familiar with. Excluding fiction and poetry, here are twenty of the best Christian classics, in my opinion: On The Incarnation , Athanasius. Confessions , Augustine. On Loving God , Bernard of Clairvaux. Pensées , Pascal. Commentary on Galatians , Martin Luther. The Institutes , John Calvin. The Pilgrim's Progress , John Bunyan.   Religious Affections , Jonathan Edwards. The Wonderful Works of God , Herman Bavinck. Christianity and Liberalism , J. Gresham Machen. The Inspiration and Authority of the Bible , B. B. Warfield. Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The Everlasting Man , G. K. Chesterton Mere Christianity , C. S. Lewis. Knowing God , J. I. Packer. The Cross of Christ , John R. W. Stott. Knowing the Times , Martyn Lloyd-Jones. Spiritual Depression , Martyn Lloyd-Jones Toward A Recovery of Christian Belief , Carl F. H. Henry. The Trilogy , Francis Schaeffer. And here...

"Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, 'Come!' And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer." (Revelation 6:1-2 ESV) In his lectures on the book of Revelation -- which I highly recommend -- Dr. S. Lewis Johnson commented on how historians view the historical process, and particularly, seek to understand how civilization and Christianity relate to each other. He comments on the views of two specific historians, Arnold Toynbee and Leopold von Ranke. Here's an excerpt...   "Toynbee also went on to point out that civilization might exist to facilitate the development of Christianity and the world. And after holding [another] view, he had finally come to believe that this was correct, that civilization itself exists in order to facilitate the development of Christianity in th...

"For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!' The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him."  (Romans 8:15-17 ESV) As we studied the riches of salvation, purchased for us by Christ upon the cross, one topic came up that is perhaps not given the attention it deserves. That is the truth about our adoption by the Father. We are his children and heirs of the new creation.   Through faith in Christ,  we experience a new birth, are forgiven, are declared righteous, being united with Christ forever, and are being sanctified and preserved by God. But there's more.  Adoption is the truth that we are brought into God's family as his very own children, with all the warmth and privilege...