My Works Have Nothing to Do With It
“For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast,” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
God gives us the gift of rest in his grace. I have been wondering how to have bold faith to fight my sin and bold grace in my life. How do the two interact? The truth is that I am always able to fight sin from the standpoint of rest. I have grace to set my head down upon, to recline upon. I always know what God’s answer will be for me when I go to him for forgiveness—it will always be grace. I can fight sin boldly knowing that I already have the complete forgiveness of God for all of my past and all of my earthly future.
I have a solidity of rest in this grace because I know that my works do not sway the hand or viewpoint of God. He has set himself for me in Christ, and this disposition is not going to change. Grace is as sure as the righteousness of Christ is complete. And, that is a place where there will be no shifting in God. Grace is foundational to my every breath and step as a Christian. If we are not living from grace, we are not living from the gospel. If we do not have a bold confidence in grace, then we are misunderstanding how the gospel is meant to inform our very lives.
I am thoroughly convinced that God wants us to make grace our haven. It is surely ours; we do not have to be timid about it. We know that his grace will meet all of our needs—and that it is a gift he will not be taking back from us. Rest in grace, reader. Rest in his gift that is not of yourself. It is heavenly and glorious—there is simply nothing like it.
Dear Jesus, my Lord, I thank you for the gift of grace that did not come from me and my works. I can live confidently because I know that your grace is my foundation and my footing. I can boldly fight the sin in my life because I am rested in my being through the gift of grace that will never leave. I thank you for such a peace and such a strength. My works have nothing to do with it—and that is the blessed eternal truth. Amen.
My Ten Favorite Books I Read for Seminary
As a recent seminary graduate, I have taken some time to reflect on my courses at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (where I took 14 credits) and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (where I finished the majority of my degree).
In terms of overall experience, my favorite classes were: The Problem of Evil, Psalms, Ethics, The Theology of Jonathan Edwards, and American Evangelicalism (whose books I excluded from the list below because they’re discussed here).
Favorite course books (below) are drawn from Hermeneutics, Systematic Theology, Introduction to Missiology, Ethics, New Testament, The Theology of Jonathan Edwards, and The Problem of Evil.
From Eden to the New Jerusalem, by T. Desmond Alexander
An insightful and compelling telling of the storyline of the Bible from beginning to end
40 Questions About Interpreting the Bible, by Robert L. Plummer
Solid and conservative answers to issues of Bible interpretation; highly recommend
The Holy Spirit: Theology for the People of God, by Gregg R. Allison and Andreas J. Kostenberger
A captivating read about the ministry of the Holy Spirit
Christian Mission: A Concise Global History, by Edward L. Smither
An overview of the history of Christian missions that is highly readable and delightful
The Abolition of Man, by C. S. Lewis
Lays the philosophical groundwork for objectivity as the basis for moral feelings and attitudes
Natural Law: A Brief Introduction and Biblical Defense, by David Haines and Andrew A. Fulford
Two metaphysical principles and one epistemological principle necessary for the philosophical foundation of natural law
Liberty for All, by Andrew Walker
How a government understands its relationship to temporal and ultimate authority
Jonathan Edwards, by Iain Murray
A detailed, inspiring overview of the life of Jonathan Edwards
Jesus's Final Week: From Triumphal Entry to Empty Tomb, by William F. Cook
An enlightening examination of the final week of Christ, harmonizing the gospel accounts
Where Is God: A Personal Story of Finding God in Grief and Suffering, by John S. Feinberg
A thoughtful and unique contribution to material on the religious problem of evil (as opposed to the theological/ philosophical problem of evil)
The Darkness of Self-centeredness Flees
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).
Jesus shines. The Scriptures will never let us overlook the truth that Jesus shines in the darkness. Jesus shone in a world filled with hopelessness, strife, and self-righteousness. So, he and his ways shine in our lives when we feel the tinges of all of those areas of darkness, and more. Jesus shines to show us the way to the Father.
Jesus came to be a light for our world. And, think of how the world needs the Lord Jesus. Self reigns in the world—and self-focused thinking creeps into our Christianity too. But, God did not make us to focus on self; he made us to focus on our God and live for him. He made us to find a way of life that could benefit others and heft all of the praise of our lives onto God, and not onto ourselves.
When we start thinking highly of ourselves, darkness creeps into our lives. When we fail to give God the thanks for the accomplishments we accrue, darkness creeps into our lives. When we think that we are great and fail to see ourselves in light of the true greatness of God, again, darkness creeps into our lives. We were not made for these loads of darkness. Only the light of the knowledge of God will free us. When Jesus comes, he sweeps through our minds and reorients our thinking. Our gifts, our good accomplishments, our abilities—they all come from God without whom we would have nothing.
The light of Jesus shines in the darkness of self-centeredness. It tears us away from what we thought we needed—to become great and accomplished in this world. His light causes us to accept his purposes for our lives, even when we won’t accomplish what we wanted, what we hoped, what we conceived of. Jesus’ way is better because it’s all about him. And fear not—though the darkness of self-centeredness is great, the light of God is greater—and it truly does change us.
My dear Jesus, I am sorry for the ways that I have lived for myself. I am sorry for the ways I have thought of myself instead of you. I am sorry for the ways that I have sought greatness or grandness. I am sorry. You are great, and your light makes this darkness in my life flee. You love faithfulness to you, and seeking your honor and glory down into the very corners of my life. You love when all of the greatness and glory are ascribed to you. And this is truly a different way of life—to live for you first. It is a blessed way of life. Let me take it up all the more. Correct me and be the light for my path, my Savior, I ask. Amen.
He Is Our Blessing
We are blessed to know Jesus. He is Lord of lords and King of kings. He is also the prize of our souls, the treasure of our beings, the pearl worth it all. Jesus is the treasure of our beings because he is so worthy.
One day, I went to ask Jesus: what is the reason for my life—please refresh me in the truth today? And, he replied that he is the reason for my life—his worthiness is the blessing of my days and the reason my life has meaning.
That we can know the King is marvelous and wonderful. What else can I say? Knowing Jesus is greatest pleasure—perfect and holy.
He is the blessing of our lives and souls. Jesus is remarkable to know. He is trustworthy with our emotions. He is tender with them, leading us on paths of hope and righteousness. He is worthy of our time; we will not regret one moment spent with Jesus. He is worthy of our investment of money—no amount too much to be poured out for him. He is worthy of our worship—plain and simple. He wants to be the subject of our obsession, as we lay ourselves at his feet.
Knowing Jesus is greatest gain. He reveals to us the Father, and we are filled with his Spirit to know him more and more. When Jesus is invited into our inner lives through prayer and the work of studying the Word, we are filled with endless joy. Jesus is the joy of our lives; we were made to know him. He is a pleasure to know, always filling us with good things. By contrast the thief steals and destroys. But Jesus gives abundant life.
I think of eternity in how we will need no more sun because the Lord Jesus himself will be our light. What wonder! To think of this reality fills my soul with praise. Jesus will take up the center of the new earth and heavens with a visibly glorious reality. We will need no more sun. We will behold his luminance, as he is the light of our very days. He will shine like all of the treasure of existence. He will be our greatest blessing.
And now, think of that reality as applicable to this day as a symbol. Think of Jesus shining to be your truest blessing in all of life. He loves to be sought over and over and over in our lives and days. We can return to him always to seek life and purpose, to seek hope and peace. And, he always gives. Days can drag; times can become weary. We can feel like the light has gone out from our eyes. But with Jesus, minute by minute, we have the strength to traverse these days of life. He is our true blessing.
In him, we behold the perfect Person who always treats us well—far better than we deserve. He delights to give us life and purpose and hope and peace. He delights to be the reason why we live our days. And too, his holiness is remarkable. He keeps himself separate from the evils of this world; we can always look to him as high and holy—the God who is forever set apart and gloriously good. We can trust his ways and his decisions for us because we know that he is perfect and our minds cannot comprehend him.
So, in the unknowns we can have a point of worship. We set down our own faulty reasoning and trust that there is a God who is true and real and good and pure and holy—and we can worship him as such. That is deep and rich blessing. We are stunned by his greatness, this one who invites us to be his friend.
Jesus Christ is our blessing because he is near and because he is transcendent. He is beyond what our imaginations could conjure. He is beyond what our senses can discern. He is beyond what we can think or hope. And still, he draws near to us as we draw near to him. He is our perfect friend and our holy brother, taking humanity upon himself and making himself obedient to death for our sakes.
We have a perfect friend who died for us. We have a perfect friend who lives, and is our holiness and righteousness, such that we need not fear a holy God. He welcomes us with his grace and mercy—a tool for each hand to draw us near to his holy throne room. He has made us renewed and refreshed and, most of all, made new through his work on our behalf. He is, surely, our greatest blessing. He has told us forever who he is—the great and glorious, the one lowly and humble. He condescends to spend eternity with us. He condescends to call us his friends. And, that is what we are: those who find our happiness in Jesus.
To Show Me the Way
“In him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4).
Jesus came to earth to show us the way of life. Think of the way that he interacted with people in great compassion. Think of how he lived a meager life here for eternal glory in times to come. Think of how he performed healing miracles—giving us way to know that he is God of very God. Think of how he was humble and lowly with those who were burdened and had questions. Think of the way that he brought comfort and peace to those who were grieving. Think of how he submitted to the will of the Father—even when it cost him everything—showing us that we must also die to ourselves. Think of how Jesus prayed and prayed and prayed—staying connected to the Father all of his life.
Jesus did these things and so much more. His way of life, then, illumines our path. When we wonder how to act and be, we can go to the life of Jesus to find ourselves impressed with the beauty of his version of humanity. His way was hope and life and peace. His way was everything we need to know about what beauty in the form of frailty looks like. He took our body upon himself—the flesh of all mankind. And, he became obedient and resilient in all of his ways.
He was born of woman that we might be born again in him—unto a new way of life that is characterized by serving and humble steps with our God. Jesus lights the way for us. He is the Word, who lived and breathed and showed us how to truly live. May we emulate Jesus Christ in his marvelously humble life. If God can be that humble, surely we creatures can humble ourselves unto his way.
Dear Jesus, thank you that your life provided light for my path and footing for my steps. You are beautiful. The way that you lived your life here is stunning in majesty. For you set aside your heaven to come to earth for us. And, that is more that my mind can lay hold to understanding. But, I thank you for it. I love you for it. I need it. It’s gloriously kind. I pray that your patterns of life would become my patterns of life. Let me be more like you, my Light and Life. Thank you for coming to show me the way. Amen.
He Is Our Life
Jesus is life. He is the eternal Word from whom our life comes. And, he powerfully holds the world together with the workings of his being. He is our eternal resting place, he is our security, and he is our life. There is a certain amount of awe we can have on this earth as it relates to Jesus being our life. That is, we can take a moment to reflect, to really think about what it means that God sustains life.
Jesus is our means of being. He is our mode of operation. He is the reason we breathe, the life that we have, and our point of survival. Jesus is more than water, more than air, more than food, more than covering and protection—he supports the very life force that drives through each one of us. Jesus is the hope of our souls because he is the life of our souls.
He alone can disposition each soul for eternity. He is also Judge, giving to us our eternal life by determining that his sacrifice is sufficient for our eternal life. We will never meet a Judge more merciful that our Lord Jesus whose every pronouncement for the saved will be: life! life! life!
There is no more perfect hope than the hope of Jesus because there is no more perfect source of life. He is where we go to drink from the eternal fountain. He is the one who allows us to drink fully and without cost. There is hope through the gospel because Jesus is the good news. He is the source of living and the source of sacrifice. He is the source of our help and hope because of who he is as the Life.
When we come to Jesus to drink of his life, we are tired, weary, and worn. We are ready to be done with the paths of the world that feed self to the end of feeding self. We want to live for a purpose beyond ourselves—for a worthy reason. Jesus is our reason. He is life because he is the source of living. And, he is also our life because he is the purpose for living.
When our lives slow for a period of time, and we truly contemplate the meaning of life, we can only determine that there must be a reason for all that we experience. Jesus is that reason. His honor and glory are the reason we go through times of stretching and molding. We are being made to better reflect him. When we endure life for his sake, we are pleasing him and honoring his will for our lives. And truly, for all eternity we will exist for the praise of his glory.
Everything that we receive from him in our lives eternal—those eternal blessings at his right hand—we receive so that we can bless his heart. He loves to give, and he is blessed when we receive. We honor him when we receive the fullness of his life. In eternity, we will receive from his fount always. And so, on this earth, we can receive from his fount—help for the day and hope for all of our tomorrows.
Jesus is the light of our paths while we are on this earth—and that is how he provides us meaningful times while on this planet. He knows what is best for us and uses his word to be a light unto our paths. The unfolding of the word of Jesus gives light—and that light provides the course for our lives. The Word of God will never steer us away from the life that is in Jesus, but always bring us nearer to our source and purpose.
When we see Jesus in glory, we will see the fount and reason for the lives that we have lived on earth—we will see the reason for our hope and steps forward here on earth. And, when we are in those times when we feel stuck on this earth—when getting out of bed in the morning is more challenging that we would like to admit—let us turn our eyes to our life. If he has given us another day, then there is more for us to be and do. There is more that he is making us into, and there are more ways to be help and hope for those around us.
Jesus is blessing us collectively through our lives here—for, we come to him together as the bride of Christ to gain our light for life. We are drawn together as Jesus is our reason because we praise him together for being our true point of hope. He is the light for us individually and collectively as we join together to speak forth the reason for our forward motion. His life unifies our hearts. And, his life leads us forward step by step each day.
I Sprang from You
“All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made,” (John 1:3).
It is a refreshing truth—to dwell upon our beginnings, to remember the fount from which we sprang. It is a refreshing truth to believe and know that one has a Creator who oversees the days of life. It is a blessed reality to think that the creation had an origin in a Person—and that Person is still overseeing everything that was made, to give it life and being in the great common grace of our Lord. These are very blessed truths.
And, I am struck today by the reality that Jesus made all things, and upholds them through the Word of his power. I am struck because this truth makes me feel extraordinarily connected to him. The fiber of my being, the essence of my person, the shape of my spirit and soul, and synapses of my brain all find their origin in the Lord. I am bound to a Person for my state and existence. I thank God that when mankind fell from Eden, we never became out of the reach of the God who created us. He did not stop sustaining life.
God does well with those he created. He does well with his creation. He brings it to a fitting end and purpose. All things will be set right again—this will happen in accordance with his character. The God who set things up will set things right. And, praise God that I will be found in Christ on that holy day. Praise God.
Dear Jesus, thank you that I am so connected to you, the Person. It is not mere life that courses through me—it is you, the Life. I am so thankful that you sustain my existence, and so thankful that you created me. I praise you that I can know my Creator—you are not distant but present. You did not abandon your creation but chose to set it right again. I thank you for the connection eternally that I have to you. I sprang from you. I was given life in you. I am not autonomous, but utterly dependent. And, that is a truth that fills my soul with purpose. If you give life again this day, it is because you are the Life sustaining all things. Thank you for your strong arm of salvation to give life eternal. You do not undo me because of my sin; you rescue your creation. Thank you for providing a path of rescue for anyone who might believe in you. Amen.
He Is Our Home
Jesus is the Savior who had nowhere to call home: “And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’” (Luke 9:58). And yet, this is the Savior who is our home.
When I think of home, I think of the candles burning, the fireplace roaring, and the doors closed to the outside elements. I think of a warm place, and a place where I can recline. I think of a place to welcome guests—provide food or lodging. I think of a place to share with family, and others who come to visit. I think of a home being the place where much of life happens—much of the routine of living. It is a place where I go to find the space to be myself—to stretch myself out and be, as much as possible.
I think of Jesus being our home, then. The Savior of the world being our resting place. He is the Savior who leads us home—away from the ways of the world and that loneliness to the ways of the Lord and his saving realities. He is constantly in the process of saving us from the world and welcoming us into his eternal presence. We grow to know him better and better through his Word in us to make us whole. We learn to stretch out with him—to be fuller and fuller versions of ourselves. And, he just simply is our place of comfort.
When I come home, I come to a place of rest. And Jesus—he is our rest. He is our home, in that we can be ourselves with him—indeed we learn who we are. Those weaknesses we thought were ours to bear until eternity, he relieves and lifts. He removes from us our besetting sins and he crowns us with joy and peace in his presence. Jesus is the light of our lives and the light of our days. He is where fire and candle dance in his presence and in his love. He is the place where we go for encouragement and comfort—for help and hope.
Where else do we have to go but to the everlasting arms of Jesus? There is no other place in this weary world for comfort and hope and help. There is nowhere else to go. There is nowhere else to be. There is nowhere else to be. Jesus wants us to find our home and help and blessedness with him. He wants us to go to him and be ourselves. He wants to be the foundation upon which we recline. Jesus is our hope and our help—our blessing and our security. He is all that a home should be, where we find our soul’s lodging and sustenance and rest.
When we trust in Jesus, we find the one who is our very best friend. The comfort and hope of our souls rest with him. And, is he not a marvel—that all of humanity, with all of the diversity of people, could find their true and perfect home with them? When a soul feels understood, it is said to find its “person”—its home. Jesus is that home for us. He is that rest and peace for us. He is that truth of person for us. Jesus is our unfolding hope—that is, he is where we can continue to develop and grow within a security of love.
Home is where love dwells. Home is where love expresses itself day by day. And, Jesus—he is with us through every day of our lives, providing home for our souls. Never does a day go by where he doesn’t welcome us to himself. Never is there a day that goes by in which he does not invite us to find respite and comfort with him. Our soul’s repose—for we are perfectly known and intimately loved—is in our Lord. As the old writers would say—avail yourself of Jesus. Take advantage of all of his blessings and comforts. Know that he is your soul’s home, and find your comfort there.
Jesus is where we go to find rest and help and peace. He is the light of our hearts, where we go when the weary world is crushing our spirits. He lifts and revives. He wraps his arms around us and breathes his life into our hearts. Jesus is the place where we rest our heads. He came to have nowhere to rest his head, such that we could recline on his breast all of the days of our lives. Let us go into him, close the door, and find the rest of our souls—known and wanted there in his holy presence.
For Speaking to Me
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God” (John 1:1-2).
Jesus is here called the Word—divine disclosure of the will of God. We are right to understand that God wants, therefore, to communicate with us. He wants us to understand him—not fully, of course, by truly. And, we come to understand him through the one who was sent of God. We understand him through Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh.
He dwelt among us. And, we know that he did and spoke everything in his life in accordance with the Father. They worked in perfect compatibility through Jesus’ mission on earth. The Father was delighted in the Son—and the Son took refuge in the Father through prayer.
We are right to believe that God wants to walk with us, to be with us, to communicate with us, and to work with us. We are right to believe that he drew near to us and took up our cause in a beautifully intimate way. We are right to rely upon his heart for us—his high priestly concern and attunement to our needs. We are right to treasure his very intercessions for us before the Father. We are right to believe that Jesus is for us.
Jesus is God. The Word is God. And, the Word has made God known to man.
Think of it—this one who cooked the disciples breakfast (John 21:1-14) is the one who is only begotten of the Father, in eternal bliss within the Godhead. God has spoken. And, he has done so through this wonder of a Person, Jesus Christ.
Jesus, I want to hear the words of these verses as though for the first time. I want to react with utter gratitude that you came to this earth to take on flesh and dwell with us. I want to wonder at the ministry you took up for my rescue. I thank you for being the Word made flesh. I thank you for the self-disclosure of God. The garden of Eden closed the opportunity to walk with you—until you came to this earthly soil and made a home with us. You caused to be possible what we, mankind, destroyed with sin. You, the Word, have made yourself known to us. And, as I begin this new year, I thank you for speaking to me in Jesus, the Word.
He Is Our Stability
When I set my head down on my pillow each night, I have peace and rest that I know Jesus Christ. I have made the ask: I have trusted in him for my salvation. I don’t fully know why, but it was frightening to trust in him and only him for the salvation of my soul. Trusting in myself is what I knew. It is what I felt comfortable doing. But then, I put myself in his arms alone, and I rested there. I was safe and secure. He is our stability of salvation.
Each night as I rest, and before my mind falls into its sleep, I think about Jesus and the firm foundation that I have with him. I think about how I can lean on him—that he is my rest and my peace. Each night, I renew my decision to trust in Jesus for my salvation by resting in him. If something were to happen to me in my sleep, I would still be resting on him when I awoke in the realms of glory.
Yet, still, while reflecting here and resting here on this earth, he is the stability of my day. I know what to expect, walking with my dear Jesus. I know that he will surprise me with his plans for my life. I know that he will surprise me with how he leads and blesses me. I know that he will take me into interesting and new directions. I know that he will reveal my life to me as it moves forward. While he is surprising and inventive concerning my life direction and his leadership of me, he is also stable.
I know that he is holy and pure and true. I know that he is leading me for his Name’s sake. I know that his love will never end—it will go on forever and ever. It is an everlasting love. I know that my walk is solid when I walk in his ways. I know that my days are full of his mercy and dependent upon his abounding grace. I know that he will be there in prayer, listening and guiding my spirit forward. I know that he lifts me and prepares me for what he wants me to do.
I believe that Jesus likes to be our place of security and solidity. I believe with all my heart that he loves when his saints depend upon him alone. There is peace in knowing that Jesus is our security and safety. I think about all of the evil forces of this world—the realm of demons and devil. He will protect us from attack and from all temptation, providing a way out. Jesus is the King, and his kingdom is present here wherever he is acknowledged as the King—wherever he is obeyed as such. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. And, as a participant in his realm, I know that all of the forces of evil without and all of the evil tendencies within will meet their demise.
Knowing that Jesus rules the world is the stability of our lives and existences. He is our stabling force. When we are overwhelmed by the workings of the world and by the spiritual forces that are against us, he commands us well through his power and glory shining in and through us through the Holy Spirit. There is nothing about our lives that surprises God. There is nothing about our futures that catches him off-guard. If we are in a time of testing, we can trust that Jesus is the Rock upon which we can lean.
At times, there will be testing in our lives. There will be trials and patches of rough earth upon which we need to travel. But our prayers work because God has deemed our prayer to be effective with him. Our cries to him work. He answers them. We know that he loves to answer the prayers of his saints. And, he will rush to our side, being our guide and our fearless presence. He will send his help of stabilizing strength. Jesus is worth our trust. He will guide us through—sometimes with a different path or different results than on our minds. But he will guide us through nonetheless. Our paths will be straight through whatever we face.
The Lord stabilizes us through our salvation, through his charming leadership, through his steadfast character, through grappling with all of the forces of evil against us, and through experiencing difficulties in our lives. There is security in knowing the King of kings. And, though perhaps we would prefer that he rush us to his presence the moment we accept salvation, we can trust that he is working out his plan and ways for his purposes and glory. And we—we have the opportunity to show him our love for him now through our reliance upon him, and our trust that he is our good all of the days of our lives.