Seeking Christ’s righteousness

We utter the words of Matthew 6:33 quite easily — “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” But what does seeking the righteousness of Christ mean? Is this an opportunity for chest-thumping legalists to rejoice in their accomplishments? No. “The righteousness we are to seek has […]

Anxiety and God’s righteousness

Jesus was concerned to correct false views of righteousness. As an example, Jesus’ most famous sermon — the one given on the mount (Mt. 5-7) was given largely with a view of revealing God’s standard (and provision) of righteousness. The problem, as Jesus revealed it, is that there are competing forms of righteousness and none […]

Book blurbs

In the interest of “something is better than nothing,” here are a few blurbs and comments on some books I’ve recently completed reading: Title: Bringing the Gospel Home: Witnessing to Family Members, Close Friends, and Others Who Know You Well Author: Randy Newman Publisher: Crossway, 2011, 216 pp., $14.99 Recommendation (4-star scale): Summary: Newman not […]

Self-righteous or Christ-righteous?

Jerry Bridges and Bob Benvington (The Bookends of the Christian Life) ask some insightful questions to help determine if one is living out of self-righteousness or Christ-righteousness. When you analyze your Christian walk: 1) Do you tend to live by a list of dos and don’ts? 2) Is it difficult for you to respect those […]

The power of the gospel

Of First Importance publishes a quote each day that relates to the power of the gospel. Here are a few recent ones that have particularly encouraged my heart: I never despair of anyone becoming a decided Christian, whatever he may have been in days gone by. I know how great the change is from death […]

Self-righteousness, judgmentalism, and confronting sin

I’ve been listening to an excellent pair of sermons this week by Dave Harvey, entitled “The Surgeon, the Scalpel, and the Saint in Sin.” Preaching from Luke 6:27-36, Harvey addresses the question of how to confront a sinning believer without becoming self-righteous and judgmental ourselves. His basic premise is: “The manner in which we respond […]