‘The greatest of these,’ writes Paul, ‘is love.’ (1 Corinthians 13:13)
John Stott (The Contemporary Christian) poses the question, ‘What is the chief distinguishing mark of a Christian?’ Various answers might be given:-
1. Truth. Certainly, sound doctrine is vital to the health of the church. See 1 Tim 6:12,20; 2 Thess 1:14; 2 Thess 2:15; Jude 1:3. But ‘if I…can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge,…but have not love, I am nothing’ (1 Cor 13:2).…
Like a newborn baby, the new Christian,
1. cries, Rom 8:15
2. hungers, 1 Pet 2:2; Heb 5:12ff; 1 Cor 3:2
3. moves, Tit 2:14
4. rests, Ps 131:2 127:2
5. grows, 2 Pet 3:18…
The Puritan Thomas Watson lays down ‘four maxims or positions about justification.
1 That justification confers a real benefit upon the person justified. The acquitting and discharging of the debtor, by virtue of the satisfaction made by the surety, is a real benefit to the debtor. A robe of righteousness, and a crown of righteousness, are real benefits.
2 All believers are alike justified: justificatio non recipit magis et minus. Justification does not apply to some more than to others.!…
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 comes:-
Here are notes of a sermon on work, based on relevant passages in the book of Proverbs.
Work is, of course, a major part of most people’s lives. For many people, work (in the form of paid employment) takes up half their waking hours. And then there’s all the other kinds of work that people do – housework, school-work, voluntary work and all the rest. Many people – especially women – work long and unsocial hours caring for children and families, and this is surely one of the most valuable kinds of work of all.…
The Creator of the whole earth (Ps 24:1-2; 47:4) and unique Owner of Palestine (Lv. 25:23) made the patriarchs trustees of a land fit for kings, flowing with milk and honey (Dt. 31:20). He promised to give it to their descendants as a permanent inheritance (Gn. 17:8; Ex. 32:13). The occupation of the land, to be taken by stages (see 13:1-7), was launched dramatically by Joshua. It was then ‘allotted’ by God to Israel’s tribes by casting lots, (Nu 33:50-54) and so became their inalienable possession which noone could take forcibly from them.…
John Stott (Christ the Controversialist) outlines the following points, arising from Mark 7:1-13:-
1. Scripture is divine, tradition is human. What the Pharisees referred to as ‘the tradition of the elders’, vv3,5, Jesus calls, ‘the precepts of men’, v7, and ‘the tradition of men’, v8. ‘Thus we have our Lord’s own authority for distinguishing between Scripture and tradition as between God’s Word written and all human interpretations and accretions…Therefore as Jesus distinguished between Moses and the elders, so we must distinguish between apostolic tradition (which is Scripture) and ecclesiastical tradition (which is the teaching of the church). …
