How hopeless is hopeless?

In Ephesians 2:12, Paul notes that prior to their salvation, the Gentile Ephesians had “no hope.” Which God me to wondering. Just how hopeless is hopeless? Just what will one who has no hope say about his life? Now not all men will recognize their hopelessness, and even if they do, not all will verbalize […]

Sunday Leftovers (8/23/09)

“The greatest thing in the world is to be saved.” Many, obviously, have believed this. But one man spoke that to his pastor even while he was lying on his death bed. And one of the realities that will stimulate us to believe that salvation is great is understanding just how lost we were prior […]

Sunday Leftovers (8/16/09)

The truth of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone has been a part of the church now for almost 500 years. You would think we would understand it with clarity. It’s been repeated and explained over and over in church after church. Countless sermons have been preached about it. Innumerable books […]

Sunday Leftovers (8/9/09)

“How often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” (Mt. 18:21; NASB) One South African home owner might have paraphrased that question, “how often shall I rescue a man who sins against me?” It seems that the man come home one evening to find nine men robbing his […]

Sunday Leftovers (8/2/09)

One of my favorite verses is Ephesians 2:7 — so that in the ages to come, He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. God’s mercy, love, and grace that result in the salvation of sinners is for the purpose of demonstrating the magnitude of God’s grace […]

How can you identify an unbeliever?

Last Sunday we examined Ephesians 2:1-3, where Paul’s reminder to the Ephesian readers is of all that they were prior to Christ — dead in sin — and how their depravity left them unable to please God in any way. The passage is also a means to identifying unbelievers. How can one determine if one […]

Sunday Leftovers (7/19/09)

The depravity of man is not a subject that is often widely embraced or enjoyed. “Thanks, Pastor, for telling me what a terrible sinner and how awful my condition is,” is not a typical response to the topic of sin and depravity. Yet two truths must be acknowledged — Scripture is unrelenting in its affirmation […]

Sunday Leftovers (7/12/09)

Though we would rarely verbalize it this way, at times our actions and attitudes reflect a doubt that God is able to sanctify and change us: “That’s just the way I am — I’ve always been that way, and I always will be that way.” Such an attitude reflects a doubt in the wisdom of […]

Sunday Leftovers (7/5/09)

When I was a child, growing up in my parent’s home, it was not uncommon for Dad to ask me to pray for something in the evening, and often it might be for missionaries. To my recollection, my prayers would invariably be something like this —”Dear God, please bless all the missionaries (in the whole […]

Sunday Leftovers (6/28/09)

It is human nature to break promises. Governments make and break promises. Advertisers and politicians make and break promises. Employers and employees, preachers and church members, parents and children, husbands and wives, and friends and relatives all make promises to each other which often are broken. Some are made with the best of intentions, and […]

Sunday Leftovers (5/31/09)

The mystery revealed by God is the gospel and its effects. The mystery that was not known in the Old Testament and has now been revealed by the Holy Spirit through the apostles and the prophets. Specifically, this mystery is the working of the gospel to include the Gentiles into the plan of salvation, according […]

Sunday Leftovers (5/24/09)

Preaching from Ephesians 1:7, John Calvin said, God puts our sins out of his remembrance and drowns them in the depths of the sea, and, moreover, receives the payment that was offered him in the person of his only Son. This is the gift of redemption that comes from God through the God-Man Jesus Christ. […]

Sunday Leftovers (5/3/09)

For all the questions that may be raised about the doctrine of divine, unconditional election, what is particularly striking about Ephesians 1:4 is its clarity and simplicity. That God was the one doing the choosing is unmistakable. That man is incapable of offering anything meritorious for his salvation, is also clear. God chose before the […]

Sunday Leftovers (4/26/09)

In preparation for yesterday’s message on Ephesians 1:4 (and the one or two that will follow it), I have not only done a fair bit of reading, but have also listened to a number of sermons that have benefited me. The ones I have linked below have been the greatest help to me. [Aside: I […]

Sunday Leftovers (4/19/09)

To bless God (Eph. 1:3) does not mean that we contribute anything to the person of God; He is God whether we bless Him, honor Him, acknowledge Him or not. To bless Him means to give thanks and to pronounce Him as being ever worthy of our praise and worship. To bless God is to […]