Jesus is the greater Priest who lives forever, and so he “can save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” Our salvation is sure and certain—and can never be undermined.
Christians sometimes debate whether we can forgive someone who does not ask for forgiveness. Many reasonably infer that if God forgives only those who seek his mercy, why would we hold to a different standard? Others stress God’s forbearance, namely, his mercy in passing over sins because of the cross. They point out that love covers a multitude of sins (1 Pet. 4:8). The two sides often talk past each other. I believe the reason lies in a loss of moral categories. As Alasdair MacIntyre observed, we still use the language of classical morality, but we have forgotten the structure...
In this article, I lay out several principles for Christian parenting from the Shema. That Moses had parenting in mind as he wrote the Shema can be seen in verse 2, which says that God was to be obeyed and feared by “you and your son and your son’s son,” and in verse 7, which says that Israel needed be diligent to teach God’s Word to their children. As he was about to die, Moses was concerned about how the faith would be passed down from generation to generation. This was because the success of Israel and their remaining in...
Jewish converts might wonder if they are really safe without going to the Levitical priests at the Temple. The point here is to show that Jesus is a legitimate priest—not in the Levitical order, but in the order of Melchizedek. Jesus is the legitimate, promised priest who really is able to deal with our sin and bring us into the presence of God. We can have great confidence and comfort—and must not drift away from him.
Over the past several years, I have developed a fascination with the book of Psalms. A Charles Simeon Trust online course on poetic literature whetted my appetite for this biblical genre, as did an in-person course on how to preach the Psalms. The more I learn about our great God and King through this songbook of the people of God, the more passionate I am to share these discoveries. Asking the Right Questions One of the reasons I’m so passionate about the Psalter is that for years, I read its songs as atomized units that spoke directly into my life...
