Category Archives: Christian Life

‘Father, forgive them’

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A summary of ch. 30 of John Flavel’s The Fountain of Life

In Lk 23:34, says Flavel, we find the best of mercies desired for the worst of sinners.

Peter (Acts 3:17) and Paul (1 Cor 2:8) also stress the ignorance of those who crucified the Lord Jesus.  These people may have known many things, but they did not know that this was the Son of God, the Saviour of the world.  This was because

  • though they had the Scriptures, they misunderstood them: they could not believe that the Messiah would arise out of Galilee (Jn 7:52), or that he would die (Jn 12:34; cf.
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Holiness

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Introduction

‘Holiness’ means the same as ‘sanctification’. These terms occur 1,000 times in the OT; 300 times in the NT.

To be ‘holy’ means (a) to be set apart for a special (usually religious) purpose; (b) to be morally pure.

‘Holiness has love for its essence, humility for its clothing, the good of others as its employment, and the honor of God as its end.’ (Nathanael Emmons)

Many things are persons are referred to in the Bible as being holy, including:-

1.…

Self-inquiry

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This is a summary of a paper written by J.C. Ryle, and published as the first chapter of his book Practical Religion.

Text: Acts 15:36

Introduction

We live in an age of peculiar spiritual privileges.  There is a great deal of interest in the Christian faith, and in the way of salvation.

We live in an age of peculiar spiritual danger.  There is a great deal of nominal or superficial Christianity.

Questions for self-inquiry

1.  …

Inducements to sanctification

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It is the will of God that we should be holy, as saith the text, ‘This is the will of God, your sanctification’ (1 Thess 4:3).  As God’s word must be the rule, so his will, the reason of our actions. This is the will of God, our sanctification. Perhaps it is not the will of God we should be rich, but it is his will that we should be holy. God’s will is our warrant.…

Happiness

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Happiness comes:-

  1. when we make the Lord our God, Ps 144:15; Pr 16:20.
  2. when we have a secure moral base, Pr 29:18; Ps 128:1.
  3. through effective relationships with others Ps 133:1; Mt 19:18-19; 1 Cor 13.
  4. to those who are merciful, kind, generous, and compassionate, Pr 14:21.
  5. to those who see their work as a gift from God, Gen 2:15; Pr 12:27; 1 Thess 4:11; 1 Thess 3:6ff.
  6. to those who are truly wise, Pr 3:13; Php 4:5 ff.
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Habakkuk 3 – I will rejoice – sermon notes

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Habakkuk 3

Psalm 65:9-13 – God has given us many material blessings. And we have as many reasons to be thankful.

But what if there is nothing? What then?

Ch 1 – Habakkuk’s complaint. The Lord’s reply. Habakkuk’s further complaint. 2:1 – He sets himself to watch and wait for what God will say.

Ch 3 – Nothing in Habakkuk’s circumstances has changed. He is still facing an appalling prospect: the ravages of war, the horrors of invasion, the devastation of resources, the removal of all basic necessities.…

Passive graces

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‘When I speak of passive graces (writes J.C. Ryle in his celebrated book, Holiness), I mean those graces which are especially shown in submission to the will of God and in bearing and forbearing towards one another. Few people, perhaps, unless they have examined the point, have an idea how much is said about these graces in the New Testament and how important a place they seem to fill. This is the special point which St.…

1 Sam 1 – Hannah’s prayer – sermon notes

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Text – 1 Samuel 1

I wonder if you have heard of the ‘Great Prayer Experiment’?

Some while ago, doctors from Duke University Medical Center devised a test to see whether heart patients recovered more readily if they were prayed for.  The three year study involved 750 patients from throughout the USA and 26 prayer groups from different part of the world, including Christians in Manchester, Buddhists in Nepal and Moslems in America.  The findings suggested that prayer made no measurable difference to the long term health of the patients involved. …

Crooked speech

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What constitutes crooked speech? It is talk that isn’t straight, of course. It is bowed, off-kilter, circuitous, meandering. There are a few examples we could cite.

1. Falsehoods

Telling lies about ourselves or others is breaking covenant. Even if we’re just “stretching” the truth or “bending” the truth, entertaining distortions or investing in stereotypes, we cut a line unfit to build relationships or reputations of integrity with. You can’t be square with God and neighbor if all your lumber’s warped.…

Human wisdom in 1 Corinthians

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Corinth was a well-known intellectual centre. It was a cosmopolitan place, and many travelling teachers passed through. They sold wisdom, and charged big fees for it.

The gospel is not what the world would regard as wisdom. Rather, it is foolishness. Yet is is through the ‘folly’ of the cross that God has wrought salvation. There is indeed a true wisdom, but the Corinthians are still relying on the false wisdom of this world, 1 Cor 1:18-19 2:6 3:1.…