To illustrate what he means by faith and works going together, James points to two Old Testament characters. The first and perhaps obvious one is Abraham (James 2:21-24). James reminds us of the statement that “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness” from Genesis 15. He argues that this was particularly… Continue reading Rahab
Tag: Forgiveness
Calling on the name of the Lord
One of the standout points in the story of Abraham is the statement that “Abraham called upon the name of the Lord.” We find it in Genesis 12:8 and 13:8 with particular connection to the altar between Bethel and Ai. When Abraham first goes into the land, he builds the altar and then when he… Continue reading Calling on the name of the Lord
What kind of church? A forgiven Church (1 Corinthians 6:1-11)
Introduction – “See you in court” Imagine two Christians falling out maybe over something petty – and taking it to court. We would be shocked. That’s the sense of what is happening here (v 1). The sense is “How dare you?” The correct response is disgust, disgrace, shame. This is the second time that Paul… Continue reading What kind of church? A forgiven Church (1 Corinthians 6:1-11)
Redemption
One of the great events of the Old Testament, in fact perhaps the greatest event in the history of God’s people was their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. About 400 years earlier, a man called Joseph had been sold by his brothers as a slave to passing traders. They in turn sold him on to… Continue reading Redemption
The wondrous gift
This is a short message to wish you all a Happy Christmas. What a wonderful way to celebrate the special day by being able to celebrate it on the Lord’s Day. I hope that you are celebrating with great joy and that this includes giving and receiving some fantastic gifts. All of the little presents… Continue reading The wondrous gift
… and Peter
Did you notice that little detail in Mark 16:7: “Go and tell his disciples and Peter.” Wasn’t Peter one of the disciples? Why is he singled out? We could read it to mean that he is being excluded. He is no longer one of the disciples because of his failure. But why then would Jesus… Continue reading … and Peter
Saying goodbye to mum: Between joy and grief
On December 2nd at just around 4am in the morning, my mum went to be with her Lord and Saviour. It has been a roller coaster 10 days prior to this. Mum had gone into hospital the week previously for planned surgery knowing that at her age there were risks but confident in Jesus that… Continue reading Saying goodbye to mum: Between joy and grief
Don’t miss it
We get really excited about that bit in Mark 11:22-25 which talks about having faith to move mountains. How many times have you heard it referenced in songs, prayers and sermons? We’ve seen that in context, those words relate to Jesus having just cursed the fig tree. Mark 11 is all about the authority that… Continue reading Don’t miss it
The shame myth
There’s a little myth that has gained currency over the last 30 years to the point where it is generally held as unchallengeable truth. The theory goes like this: Western cultures are all about guilt and retribution, Eastern cultures are all about honour and shame. Reformed/Evangelical Theology has paid too much attention to the former… Continue reading The shame myth
How can we keep hope in God’s mercy?
It’s not just us Christians that are out and about around the Commonwealth Games stadiums. There’s a whole range of religions and other campaigns seeking to promote their message – understandably giving the large crowds attending. Today as I headed down towards Perry Barr Stadium to welcome visitors to the Games I saw a large… Continue reading How can we keep hope in God’s mercy?
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