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Top 10 Highlighted verses in the ESV Bible

I’ll leave you with these several scriptures: Top 10 Most-Highlighted Verses in the English Standard Version

1    Proverbs 1:7: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

2    Proverbs 3:5–8: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him…

3    Romans 10:9–11: because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved…

4    1 Corinthians 10:12–13: Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability…

5    Galatians 2:19–21: For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me…

6    Philippians 1:5–6: because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

7    Philippians 4:4–9: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything…

8    Colossians 1:9–14: And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding…

9    2 Timothy 3:14–17: …All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…

10    Hebrews 11:6: And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

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The Glorious Implication of Being ‘Born Again’

This is a very interesting and logical piece by a fellow we do not know, David Prince, about being born again, which my wife noted on Facebook:

No one brags about being conceived or born.

Only a fool or madman would claim any credit for that.

How did each of us come to be? Well, Dad’s sperm united with Mom’s egg, we were conceived, and then some forty weeks later, we were born.

It is hard to imagine a more passive experience. All this happened to us and for us.

Being conceived and born is thus a gift we receive, to which we contribute nothing.

So it is with being re-conceived and re-born as a Christian.

In 1 Peter 1, Peter twice speaks of us being “born again”: Verse 3: “According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be BORN AGAIN to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…”

Verse 23: “…You have been BORN AGAIN, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God…” Peter uses the Greek verb ἀναγεννάω (anagennaō), which more accurately means to be “begotten [or conceived] again” (vv. 3, 23).

Now understand the clear implications of this: just as when we were first conceived and born again, we contributed nothing, but all work was performed by our earthly parents, so also when we are reconceived and reborn, it is a work done upon us, a gift given to us by our Heavenly Father.

We had no involvement in it.

We are purely passive.

Therefore, we are not re-conceived because of some work we performed.

We are not reborn because we made a decision to do so.

We are not born anew because we reasoned our way into it, committed our lives to God, or cooperated in our new conception and new birth.

Just as none of us decided to be conceived and born the first time, neither did any of us Christians decide to be reconceived and reborn as children of the Father.

All glory goes to God, who by the Gospel brings us to faith in Christ, generates new life within us, makes us a new creation, and causes us be born again.

God gives, we receive. And that’s that.

Source: Pastor David Prince titled “The Glorious Implication of Being ‘Born Again’”

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God’s original plan for marriage

God’s purpose is “to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ” (Eph. 1:10 NIV), including the marriage and family relationship (Eph. 5:21–6:4), so that, per Paul’s prayer, “to him be glory in the church and in Jesus Christ throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Eph. 3:21).

Concerning Jesus’ teaching, we have seen that Jesus affirmed God the creator’s original plan for marriage, quoting both Genesis 1:27 and 2:24 (Matt. 19:4–6 and paragraph.). By this, our Lord strongly and emphatically confirmed that God’s original design for marriage (with the husband as the head and the wife as the submissive, supportive partner) continued to obtain for Christians rather than being replaced by a different plan (such as an egalitarian one). Another point of interest is that Jesus indicated that he came not to bring peace, but a sword, and faith in him (or lack thereof) would divide families (Matt. 10:34–36 and pars.). Hence allegiance to Christ and his kingdom must have priority over natural family ties. This, as will be seen, injects a crucial dose of realism into any approaches to church structure that work from the ideal intact family unit where the father is the head of the household. In many nuclear families, the father is either not a believer or absent altogether.

Jesus noted that there will be no marriage in heaven (Matt. 22:30) and explained that some even in this age would choose to remain unmarried “for the sake of the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 19:12). Taken together with Paul’s discussion of singleness in 1 Corinthians 7, this sheds an important eschatological light on the question of marriage and family in the church. It shows that marriage, while divinely instituted in the beginning and continuing to be in effect until the final consummation, is part of “the present form of this world” which “is passing away” (1 Cor. 7:31). God’s kingdom, on the other hand, endures forever (Rev. 11:15; 22:5).

Paul, likewise, in Ephesians 5:21–6:4, directed his commands to Christian husbands, wives, and children, calling on wives to submit to their husband, on husbands to love their wife sacrificially and to nurture her spiritually, on children to obey their parents and to honor them, and on fathers to train and instruct their children in the Lord rather than exasperating them or treating them harshly.

Since work relationships also were set within the context of the extended family unit, instructions for servants and masters were issued as well (Eph. 6:5–9). Thus the household continued to be the central unit in the New Testament era, and proper allowance was made for those households where one of the members (including spouses) may not have been a Christian (e.g., 1 Cor. 7:12–16; 1 Pet. 3:1–2).

Also, the same authority structure and call on the husband and father to protect and provide , both in the Old Testament and New Testament. Paul’s teaching lays out important biblical principles for marital and familial roles.

1 Curated Study Material from my Library: David W. Jones and Andreas J. Köstenberger, God, Marriage, and Family: Rebuilding the Biblical Foundation (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2010), 251.

 

 

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Logos Article: Are You Making These 7 Common Evangelism Mistakes?

Here is an article written by James Rayment about evangelism, courtesy of Logos.com, the platform where I manage my biblical resources.

Introduction

I run The Al-Ma’idah Initiative, an organization that trains Christians to communicate truth to Muslims in ways that resonate. I work out of a coffee shop in Seattle, where I regularly have conversations with people from a wide range of worldviews. Over the years, my evangelism relationships have led me on extraordinary adventures—from the streets of Guadalajara, Mexico, to the deserts of Saudi Arabia—and I have seen God do amazing things.
Yet I find most Christians dread evangelism. They feel inhibited from having conversations about faith with non-believers. But in my experience, their efforts at evangelism feel unnatural and unnecessarily difficult due to some simple mistakes.
Let’s identify and address these so that you can feel more confident—and even enjoy—what God has called each of us to do.
  1. Waiting to earn the right to share
  2. Avoiding controversial topics
  3. Rejecting those who resist
  4. Losing your composure
  5. Relying on a script
  6. Outsourcing your evangelism
  7. Trying to evangelize alone

1. Waiting to earn the right to share

Many Christians feel they must earn someone’s trust before sharing the gospel with them. So instead of being upfront about what they believe, they try to avoid bringing attention to their faith, hoping that one day, when the time is right, they’ll be able to speak as a friend whose input is valued.
But building a relationship on a shallow foundation of shared activities or pop culture without anything of depth requires Christians to shrink back from their identity and God’s Spirit within them. Yet it’s precisely this Spirit and our nature as “salt of the earth” that our non-believing friends need (Matt 5:13).
Sometimes Christians have an evangelism strategy that looks like this: Be someone’s friend for years, waiting for them to face an existential crisis, at which point we swoop in and share the gospel. (In this way, we are kind of rooting for our friends’ lives to collapse, so that we can help them rebuild.) Now, such collapse certainly happens to some. But remember, not every testimony is, or needs to be, a dramatic one. For instance, although Jesus’s healing ministry is memorable, there were also thousands in the crowds who just saw him and believed.

2. Avoiding controversial topics

Growing up as a Christian in the UK, every piece of conventional wisdom I received instructed me that the best thing Christians could do was steer clear of controversial issues, as such things get in the way of our ability to share the gospel. After all, the Bible does say to avoid foolish controversies (Titus 3:9).
Yet we err when we apply this too broadly. Consider that many of the controversies modern Christians want to avoid are the very things the Bible thinks important to address. Jesus and his apostles don’t merely address salvation. They address our sinful human nature as the reason we need God’s salvation in the first place. They address sexuality, money, politics, culture, and how we are to live as transformed individuals.
While many in our culture will be offended by what the Bible has to say about these topics, others will experience God’s Word as the remedy to a sickness they could never diagnose. In fact, I would argue that our failure to apply the Bible to a host of issues has created a vacuum that non-Christians, like Jordan Peterson, are filling with Bible-adjacent ideas.

3. Rejecting those who resist

When I worked for a well-known missions agency, I was trained to categorize people into three groups: seeker, neutral, or closed. I was taught to respond to each based on their openness to the gospel.
But while this may be a natural way to deal with people, I don’t believe it aligns with what the Bible teaches.
First, according to the Bible, the reason we are saved isn’t primarily because we seek God, but because God himself seeks us: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).
Further, if you look at the ministry of Jesus, some who were initially receptive to him, like Judas, later betrayed him. Others who were originally antagonistic to Jesus—like James (John 7:5) and Paul (Acts 9:1–2)—God redirected for his own purposes, making them into some of his greatest messengers.
One of my friends is from Turkmenistan. His brother-in-law was the first Turkmen to become a Christian after the fall of the iron curtain. My friend’s friend reacted, “Turkmen are Muslim! If you weren’t my wife’s brother, I would kill you right now!”
Sensible mission agencies would tell you this person is closed to the gospel and you should move on. However, being in the same family meant that there were months of heated arguments, which eventually resulted in my friend becoming a Christian—and eventually a pastor. In fact, he essentially became one of the founding fathers of Turkmen Christianity, facing imprisonment, torture, and assassination attempts. None of that has stopped him from faithfully teaching the Bible for decades and becoming the leading provider of Christian Turkmen content worldwide.
It haunts me to think about non-Christians we may have given up on due to their initial resistance. When you look at leaders like Moses (Exod 3–4) and Paul, both of these men were resistant before God intervened. And God did not squash their stubbornness and aggression; he redirected it for his glory.
http://logos.com/church?blog_campaign=l4c&blog_adtype=inline_middle

4. Losing your composure

Running a ministry to Muslims in a liberal city like Seattle, I’ve notice some interesting patterns. I’ve observed a commonality between those with revolutionary worldviews and those with Islamic ones: Both often expect me, their convinced ideological opponent, to respond to them with fear or anger. They either anticipate that I’ll bow to the inevitability of their ascendant ideology without pushback, or that I’ll react with unhinged fury, confirming their stereotype of the bigot or Islamophobe. What they are not prepared for is a jolly Christian who is friendly and honest, confident yet calm!
We’re familiar with Peter’s call to give a defense “with gentleness and respect.” But I’ve never sat through an evangelism training that emphasized courage. Yet courage is such an important part of evangelism that the Apostle Paul actually refers to it as a sign to them: “[A]nd not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God” (Phil 1:28).
Not only will being calm and courageous make us more interesting to talk to, it’s also a way of leaning on the promises of God.

5. Relying on a script

In my experience, much of the evangelism training in the Christian world—both East and West—focuses on simple methods or formulas designed to make evangelism easy to teach. There is certainly a measure of wisdom in that.
What I have observed is that many such methods, like the Four Spiritual Laws, are built for very specific contexts, like sharing the gospel with a stranger on a college campus. The downside of this simplification is that people may become well equipped to share on campus, but have a hard time adapting what they’ve learned once they leave that open marketplace of ideas (and their flexible schedules) for a more structured life with fewer natural opportunities to engage others.
The New Testament never gives us an exact formula for how to share the gospel. Instead, we see the gospel preached in different ways to different groups of people depending on context. Paul puts it this way: “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person” (Col 4:5–6).
Notice Paul’s assumption: “each person” may need a different answer. Therefore, we should not be preparing to repeat the same conversation over and over, but to apply the whole counsel of God to any situation. This takes more training and discipleship than an evangelistic script can provide, but it will serve us better in the long run and make evangelism more natural.

6. Outsourcing your evangelism

Growing up in England, where there were not as many evangelical Christians around, inviting friends to church always felt difficult. For me, that meant I felt a need to explain the gospel to my non-Christian friends in a way that made sense to them, because I didn’t expect church to resonate with them.
When I moved to America, I joined a rising Seattle megachurch—one that later imploded. For my first couple of years there, I loved it, and I couldn’t wait to invite people to hear the Bible clearly preached in a way that connected with our time and place. But once problems and church drama came to the surface, I was no longer excited to bring my non-Christian friends. This gave me an important realization: If I don’t share the gospel with my non-Christian friends, there might not be anyone else who does.
At this point I realized I had been slacking. I hadn’t been working to communicate Christianity in a way that my friends would understand. I had just been inviting them to hear someone else do it.
Now, inviting your friends to church is good. But consider that you may actually be better suited to share the gospel with them then your pastor or favorite speaker might. God is capable of introducing your friend to anyone—but he chose to put you in their life.

7. Trying to evangelize alone

To counterbalance my previous point, we also need to understand that the church is one body with many parts. Your words will uniquely resonate with some people and not others, and you probably know who those people are.
But you probably also know people in your Christian community who could reach those you can’t. Perhaps there’s a way you could introduce them?
And even for those you can reach, introduce them to your Christian community. Show them that it’s not about you being exceptional, but that God is at work, not only in your life, but also in the lives of others.
After all, Jesus said: “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). If your non-believing friends only encounter you alone, how would they ever get to see the love amongst Christians in action?
Jesus told his disciples he would make them “fishers of men” (Matt 4:19). Maybe we picture one guy with a line catching a single fish. But the fishing his disciples practiced was a team sport—several men shoulder to shoulder, each holding part of a net, wading through the water together.
So find your team. Walk shoulder to shoulder in speaking the truth in love to the people around you who need to know Jesus.
And I hope you have as good a time doing it as I have.
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Quick Notes: Ephesians

The Book of Ephesians is a letter written by the Apostle Paul to the church in Ephesus, a significant city in Asia Minor. Let’s examine the two main sections: chapters 1-3 focus on teaching what God has done for believers, while chapters 4-6 provide practical guidance on living and how believers should respond practically in their own transformed lives.

Chapters 1-3: Our Riches in Christ

Paul begins by celebrating the incredible spiritual blessings believers have in Christ. He emphasizes that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, which strongly indicates that God predestined believers to come into a relationship with Him. Further, in that unity with Him, we are to be holy and blameless. Through Christ, we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins, and are adopted as God’s children. The Holy Spirit is given as a seal and a down payment of our inheritance — an abiding confidence in eternal life.

A key theme in these chapters is the mystery of Christ, which Paul reveals: both Jews and Gentiles are united in one body, the church, through Christ. God’s plan was always to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under Christ. This unity is a powerful testament to God’s sovereignty, wisdom and grace.

Paul prays for the Ephesians to truly grasp the immense power of God at work in them – the same power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at God’s right hand. He stresses that salvation is by grace through faith, not by works, so no one can boast. We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works.

Chapters 4-6: Our Walk in Christ

Moving from doctrine to practice, Paul urges believers to “walk worthy of the calling” they have received. This involves living out their new identity in Christ. He emphasizes unity in the Spirit, calling believers to humility, gentleness, patience, and love, working to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. He highlights the various spiritual gifts given to the church – apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers – all of which are designed to equip the saints for ministry and build up the body of Christ.

Practical instructions for daily living abound:

  • Putting off the old self and putting on the new self: This means renouncing former ways of life (lying, stealing, corrupt speech, anger) and embracing righteousness and holiness (speaking truth, working diligently, speaking encouraging words, forgiveness).
  • Walking in love: Imitating Christ’s selfless love, particularly in marriage, where husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church, and wives are to respect their husbands.
  • Family relationships: Children are to obey their parents, and fathers are not to provoke their children but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Slaves (servants) are to obey their masters, and masters are to treat their servants justly.
  • Spiritual warfare: Paul concludes by encouraging believers to “put on the whole armour of God” to stand against the schemes of the devil. This spiritual armour includes truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the word of God, along with prayer.

In essence, Ephesians is a powerful message about the incredible identity and spiritual blessings believers have in Christ, and the consequent call to live out that reality in unity, love, and spiritual strength within the church and in the world. It paints a grand picture of God’s redemptive plan to bring all things together in Christ.

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Book Review: Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God

Henry and Richard Blackaby, in their revised and expanded edition of Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God, outline seven realities that describe how individuals and churches can experience God and His work. These realities provide a framework for understanding God’s activity and participating in His purposes.

Here are the Seven Realities of Experiencing God:

  1. God is always at work around you. This reality emphasizes that God is not distant or inactive, but constantly at work in the world and in the lives of individuals. Experiencing God begins with recognizing and acknowledging His ongoing activity.
  2. God pursues a continuing love relationship with you that is real and personal. God desires an intimate and personal relationship with each person. This reality highlights the relational aspect of experiencing God, where He actively seeks to connect with us in a deep and ongoing way.
  3. God invites you to become involved with Him in His work. God doesn’t just want us to observe His work; He invites us to participate with Him in accomplishing His purposes. This reality emphasizes that God has a plan, and He often chooses to work through His people.
  4. God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways. God communicates with His people in various ways. This reality underscores the importance of listening for His voice through His Word, in prayer, through the events and situations in our lives, and through the community of believers.
  5. God’s invitation for you to work with Him always leads you to a crisis of belief that requires faith and action. When God invites us to join Him in His work, it often requires us to step out in faith beyond our comfort zones and natural abilities. This “crisis of belief” demands a decision to trust and obey Him.
  6. You must make major adjustments in your life to join God in what He is doing. Responding to God’s invitation and walking in obedience often necessitates changes in our plans, priorities, and even our lifestyles. This reality emphasizes the need for a willingness to adjust our lives to align with God’s will.
  7. You come to know God by experience as you obey Him, and He accomplishes His work through you. The deepest knowledge of God comes through firsthand experience as we obey Him. As we step out in faith and allow God to work through us, we see His power and character in new and profound ways.

We need to listen to God for his plans for you, before you plan for God only with your ideas.

Henry Blackaby, particularly through his widely influential work Experiencing God, strongly emphasizes the critical need to listen to God for His plans for you before you create your own plans for God. This core teaching is a foundational aspect of his approach to knowing and doing God’s will.

Here’s a breakdown of how Henry Blackaby initially taught this, based on a significant scipture, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” John 16:13

  • God Takes the Initiative: Blackaby consistently asserts that God is always at work and always takes the initiative in a person’s life. He created us for a love relationship and actively pursues it. Therefore, our role is not to come up with our own grand schemes and then ask God to bless them, but rather to discern what God is already doing and then join Him.
  • Focus on God’s Agenda, Not Your Own: A central theme is moving from a “self-centered” life to a “God-centered” one. This means shifting focus from “what do I want to accomplish for God?” to “what is God doing, and how can I join Him?” He argues that people often get busy doing things they think will help God, but if they haven’t first listened, they might be hindering His actual work.
  • God Reveals His Will Through Various Means: Blackaby teaches that God communicates His purposes and ways through several channels:
    • The Bible: God’s written Word is a primary source of revelation. (John 16:13)
    • Prayer: This is seen as a two-way conversation where we speak to God and also listen for His response.
    • Circumstances: The events and situations in our lives can be indicators of God’s activity.
    • The Church: God can speak through other believers and the community of faith.
  • The “Crisis of Belief”: When God reveals His invitation to join Him, it often leads to a “crisis of belief.” This is a point where one must decide whether to trust and obey God’s revealed plan, even if it seems illogical or requires significant adjustments, rather than clinging to their own pre-conceived notions.
  • Adjusting Life to God’s Activity: True discipleship involves making “major adjustments” in one’s life to align with what God is doing. This implies a willingness to alter personal plans, priorities, and even lifestyles in response to God’s leading.
  • Knowing God Through Obedience and Experience: Blackaby believes that the deepest understanding of God comes through obeying Him and experiencing Him at work through your life. You don’t fully “know” God by simply having intellectual knowledge about Him; you come to know Him intimately as you step out in faith and see Him accomplish His purposes through you, which stem from His initial revealed plan.

In essence, Blackaby’s teaching is a call to a radical shift in perspective: from planning for God based on our ideas to listening to God for His existing plans and then aligning our lives with them. This necessitates a deep, ongoing relationship with God, characterized by humility, attentiveness, and a readiness to obey.

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Jeremiah 31: New Covenant in Christ

Below is a verse-by-verse explanation of Jeremiah 31 (ESV), where the New Covenant was foretold.

Jeremiah 31:1 – “At that time, declares the LORD, I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they shall be my people.”

God reaffirms His covenant relationship with His people. In Reformed theology, this anticipates the New Covenant, where God’s people are not just ethnic Israel, but all in Christ (Rom. 9:6-8; Gal. 3:29). The phrase “I will be their God, and they shall be my people” is the heart of covenant promise, ultimately fulfilled in Christ and the Church.

Jeremiah 31:2 – “Thus says the LORD: The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness; when Israel sought for rest,”

God’s grace is extended to the remnant. Reformed theology sees the “remnant” as those preserved by God’s sovereign election (Rom. 11:5), and the “wilderness” as a place of dependence on God, pointing forward to the spiritual rest found in Christ (Heb. 4:9-10).

Jeremiah 31:3 – “the LORD appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.”

God’s everlasting love and faithfulness are the foundation of the covenant. In New Covenant theology, this love is supremely demonstrated in Christ’s redemptive work (Eph. 1:4-5).

Jeremiah 31:4 – “Again I will build you, and you shall be built, O virgin Israel! Again you shall adorn yourself with tambourines and shall go forth in the dance of the merrymakers.”

Restoration is promised. The “virgin Israel” language points to renewal and purity, fulfilled in the Church, the bride of Christ, made pure by His sacrifice (Eph. 5:25-27).

Jeremiah 31:5 – “Again you shall plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant and shall enjoy the fruit.”

Blessing and fruitfulness are restored. In Reformed thought, this is typological of the spiritual fruitfulness of the New Covenant community (John 15:5).

Jeremiah 31:6 – “For there shall be a day when watchmen will call in the hill country of Ephraim: ‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion, to the LORD our God.’”

Unity in worship is anticipated. In the New Covenant, Gentiles and Jews are called together to worship God in Christ (Eph. 2:14-18).

Jeremiah 31:7 – “For thus says the LORD: ‘Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and raise shouts for the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise, and say, “O LORD, save your people, the remnant of Israel.”’”

Salvation and praise are central. The “remnant” is the elect, and the call to praise is fulfilled in the worship of the Church (1 Peter 2:9-10)

Jeremiah 31:8 – “Behold, I will bring them from the north country and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, the pregnant woman and she who is in labour, together; a great company, they shall return here.”

God’s gathering is inclusive and gracious. In New Covenant theology, this foreshadows the ingathering of all nations into the people of God (Rev. 7:9).

Jeremiah 31:9 – “With weeping they shall come, and with pleas for mercy I will lead them back, I will make them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble, for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.”

Repentance and restoration are God’s work. The “brooks of water” symbolize spiritual refreshment in Christ (John 7:37-39). God as Father is realized in the New Covenant (Gal. 4:6).

Jeremiah 31:10 – “Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands far away; say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.’”

God’s faithfulness extends to the nations. The shepherd imagery is fulfilled in Christ, the Good Shepherd (John 10:11), and the Church’s global mission.

Jeremiah 31:11 – “For the LORD has ransomed Jacob and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him.”

Redemption is by God’s initiative. In Reformed theology, this points to Christ’s atoning work (Mark 10:45; Eph. 1:7).

Jeremiah 31:12 – “They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the LORD, over the grain, the wine, and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the herd; their life shall be like a watered garden, and they shall languish no more.”

Abundant blessing and joy are promised. In the New Covenant, the Church enjoys spiritual abundance in Christ (John 10:10).

Jeremiah 31:13 – “Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.”

Transformation from sorrow to joy is a New Covenant reality (John 16:20-22; Rev. 21:4).

Jeremiah 31:14 – “I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, declares the LORD.”

Spiritual satisfaction is found in God. In Christ, all believers are priests (1 Peter 2:5, 9) and are satisfied in Him.

Jeremiah 31:15 – “Thus says the LORD: ‘A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.’”

This verse is cited in Matthew 2:17-18, fulfilled in the slaughter of the innocents, showing that even in sorrow, God’s redemptive plan is unfolding.

Jeremiah 31:16 – “Thus says the LORD: ‘Keep your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears, for there is a reward for your work, declares the LORD, and they shall come back from the land of the enemy.’”

Hope is promised beyond sorrow. In Christ, resurrection and restoration are assured (1 Thess. 4:13-18).

Jeremiah 31:17 – “There is hope for your future, declares the LORD, and your children shall come back to their own country.”

God’s promises are future-oriented. The ultimate return is to God Himself, fulfilled in Christ (Heb. 11:16).

Jeremiah 31:18 – “I have heard Ephraim grieving, ‘You have disciplined me, and I was disciplined, like an untrained calf; bring me back that I may be restored, for you are the LORD my God.’”

Repentance is God’s gracious work in the heart (Phil. 2:13). Restoration is by God’s initiative.

Jeremiah 31:19 – “For after I had turned away, I relented, and after I was instructed, I struck my thigh; I was ashamed, and I was confounded, because I bore the disgrace of my youth.”

True repentance involves shame over sin and a return to God, a fruit of the Spirit’s work (2 Cor. 7:10).

Jeremiah 31:20 – “Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he my darling child? For as often as I speak against him, I do remember him still. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him, declares the LORD.”

God’s fatherly compassion is central in the New Covenant (Luke 15:20; 1 John 3:1).

Jeremiah 31:21 – “Set up road markers for yourself; make yourself guideposts; consider well the highway, the road by which you went. Return, O virgin Israel, return to these your cities.”

God calls for intentional repentance and return. In Christ, the way back to God is open (John 14:6).

Jeremiah 31:22 – “How long will you waver, O faithless daughter? For the LORD has created a new thing on the earth: a woman encircles a man.”

This enigmatic phrase points to something radically new—interpreted by some as a prophecy of the virgin birth (see Calvin, Matthew Henry), or the reversal of roles in redemption.

Jeremiah 31:23 – “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Once more they shall use these words in the land of Judah and in its cities, when I restore their fortunes: “The LORD bless you, O habitation of righteousness, O holy hill!”’”

Restoration brings renewed blessing and holiness. In the New Covenant, Christ is our righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30).

Jeremiah 31:24 – “And Judah and all its cities shall dwell there together, and the farmers and those who wander with their flocks.”

All God’s people are included in the restoration, pointing to the unity of the Church (Eph. 2:19-22).

Jeremiah 31:25 – “For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.”

Christ fulfills this as the One who gives rest to the weary (Matt. 11:28).

Jeremiah 31:26 – “At this I awoke and looked, and my sleep was pleasant to me.”

Jeremiah’s vision brings hope and comfort, a foretaste of the peace found in Christ (Phil. 4:7).

Jeremiah 31:27 – “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast.”

God promises new life and growth. In the New Covenant, the Church multiplies and flourishes (Acts 2:47).

Jeremiah 31:28 – “And it shall come to pass that as I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring harm, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, declares the LORD.”

God’s sovereignty in both judgment and restoration is emphasized. He builds His Church (Matt. 16:18).

Jeremiah 31:29 – “In those days they shall no longer say: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’”

Personal responsibility is highlighted. In the New Covenant, each is accountable for their own response to God (Ezek. 18:20).

Jeremiah 31:30 – “But everyone shall die for his own iniquity. Each man who eats sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.”

Individual sin and accountability are underscored, fulfilled in the New Covenant’s emphasis on personal faith and repentance.

The forthcoming New Covenant prophesied by Jeremiah

Jeremiah 31:31 – “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.

This is the great promise of the New Covenant, fulfilled in Christ (Luke 22:20; Heb. 8:8-12). The New Covenant is not a mere renewal, but a fundamentally new arrangement.

Jeremiah 31:32 – “not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD.”

The Mosaic covenant was broken; the New Covenant is unbreakable because Christ’s obedience and sacrifice establish it.

Jeremiah 31:33 – “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

The heart of New Covenant theology: inward transformation by the Spirit (2 Cor. 3:3), intimate relationship with God, and the law written on the heart.

Jeremiah 31:34  – “And no longer shall each one teach his neighbour and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

Christ’s atonement for our sin is central here: “But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering, he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,   “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,” then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” Note this carefully — sin is forgiven by accepting Christ as Lord: Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin. Heb 10:12–18.

Universal knowledge of God and full forgiveness are New Covenant blessings, realized in Christ (Heb. 8:10-12).

Jeremiah 31:35-40 – Hover over these verses, which declare the certainty and permanence of God’s covenant promises, using the stability of creation as a guarantee. God’s promises are as unbreakable as the created order. The New Covenant is eternally secure in Christ (John 10:28-29).

Sources

  • Enduring Word Bible Commentary Jeremiah 31
  • Precept Austin Jeremiah 31 Commentary
  • Ligonier Ministries: The New Covenant (Jeremiah 31)
  • Theology of Work: Jeremiah 30–33
  • Matthew Henry’s Commentary on Jeremiah 31
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What is Common Grace

Why does God bestow common grace on undeserving sinners who will never come to salvation? We can suggest at least four reasons.

  1. To Redeem Those Who Will Be Saved. Peter says that the day of judgment and final execution of punishment is being delayed because there are yet more people who will be saved: “The Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness, but is forbearing toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief” (2 Peter 3:9–10). In fact, this reason was true from the beginning of human history, for if God wanted to save any people out of the whole mass of sinful humanity, he could not have destroyed all sinners immediately (for then there would be no human race left). He chose rather to allow sinful humans to live for some time, so that they might have an opportunity to repent, and also so that they would bear children and enable subsequent generations to live and then hear the gospel and repent.

  1. To Demonstrate God’s Goodness and Mercy. God’s goodness and mercy are not only seen in the salvation of believers, but also in the blessings he gives to undeserving sinners. When God “is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish” (Luke 6:35), his kindness is revealed in the universe, to his glory. David says, “The Lord is good to all and his compassion is over all that he has made” (Ps. 145:9). In the story of Jesus talking with the rich young ruler, we read, “And Jesus looking upon him loved him” (Mark 10:21), even though the man was an unbeliever and would in a moment turn away from Jesus because of his great possessions. Berkhof says that God “showers untold blessings upon all men and also clearly indicates that these are the expressions of a favourable disposition in God, which falls short, however, of the positive volition to pardon their sin, to lift their sentence, and to grant them salvation.” It is not unjust for God to delay the execution of punishment upon sin and to give temporary blessings to human beings, because the punishment is not forgotten, but just delayed. In delaying punishment, God clearly shows that He has no pleasure in executing final judgment, but rather delights in the salvation of men and women. “As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn back from his way and live” (Ezek. 33:11). God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4). In all of this the delay of punishment gives clear evidence of God’s mercy and goodness and love.

  1. To Demonstrate God’s Justice. When God repeatedly invites sinners to come to faith and when they repeatedly refuse his invitations, the justice of God in condemning them is seen much more clearly. Paul warns that those who persist in unbelief are simply storing up more wrath for themselves: “By your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed” (Rom. 2:5). On the day of judgment “every mouth” will be “stopped” (Rom. 3:19) and no one will be able to object that God has been unjust.

  1. To Demonstrate God’s Glory. Finally, God’s glory is shown in many ways by the activities of human beings in all the areas in which common grace is operative. In developing and exercising dominion over the earth, men and women demonstrate and reflect the wisdom of their Creator, demonstrate God-like qualities of skill and moral virtue and authority over the universe, and so forth. Though all of these activities are tainted by sinful motives, they nonetheless reflect the excellence of our Creator and therefore bring glory to God, not fully or perfectly, but nonetheless significantly.

Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 2004), 663–665.

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Hebrews 9: Christ the Mediator of the New Covenant

We approach the Epistle to the Hebrews, especially chapter 9, its Christ-centred message, the fulfillment of Old Testament (OC) prophecy, and the superiority of Christ’s priesthood and sacrifice. Below is a verse-by-verse summary and definition of the book of Hebrews, specifically chapter 9.

Hebrews 9:1–2; 3-4; 5 These verses describe the earthly tabernacle and its contents, which were central to the Old Covenant. The tabernacle’s structure and furnishings (the lampstand, the table, the bread, the Holy of Holies, the ark, etc.) symbolized the separation between God and man due to sin. The OC tabernacle was a constant reminder of God’s holiness and humanity’s unholiness, and access to God was strictly limited under the old covenant.

Hebrews 9:6-7; 8; 9; 10: These verses focus on the rituals and ceremonies of the Old Covenant. The priests entered the outer room regularly, but only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies—and only once a year, with a blood offering for his own sins and the sins of the people. This system was intentionally limited and could not cleanse the conscience or provide true access to God. It was “imposed until the time of reformation,” pointing forward to a better way that would be revealed in Christ.

Hebrews 9:11–12; 13; 14: Christ is the “high priest of good things to come,” who entered a greater and more perfect tabernacle—not made with hands—and offered His own blood, securing eternal redemption. Unlike the repeated animal sacrifices, Christ’s sacrifice was once for all, cleansing the conscience from dead works to serve the living God. The superiority and finality of Christ’s sacrifice, which truly accomplished what the old system could not.

Hebrews 9:15;16; 17-18; 19; 20; 21-22: Jesus is the mediator of a new covenant. Through His death, He redeems those under the first covenant and enables believers to receive the promised eternal inheritance. The shedding of blood was necessary for the forgiveness of sins, as even the old covenant was inaugurated with blood. This underscores the necessity and cost of true redemption, fulfilled in Christ’s sacrificial death.

Hebrews 9:23; 24; 25; 26; 27-28: The earthly tabernacle and its rituals were mere Old Testament (OT) copies designed by God as foreshadowings of the heavenly realities. Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary but heaven itself, to appear before God on our behalf. His sacrifice was not repeated, but once for all, “to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” Just as people die once and face judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many and will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him.

Theological Emphases in Hebrews 9

Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy: Hebrews 9 is linked to three key Old Testament passages:

Psalm 110: 1-2; 3-4; 5-6; 7  (a new, eternal priesthood)

Jeremiah 31:33  (the new covenant, God writes his laws on our hearts)

Psalm 40:6; 7; 8 (a new, sufficient sacrifice)

Superiority of Christ: Christ’s priesthood and sacrifice are superior to the old system in every way, providing true access to God, cleansing the conscience, and securing eternal redemption1.

Finality of Christ’s Sacrifice: Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice fulfills and replaces all the types and shadows of the old covenant.

Summary Table: Hebrews 9 

Verses Old Covenant Focus Christ’s Fulfillment
1–5 Earthly tabernacle and its contents Separation from God due to sin
6–10 Rituals, limited access Inadequacy of the Old Testament system points to the need for Christ
11–14 Animal sacrifices Christ’s superior, once-for-all sacrifice
15–22 Blood of animals, the Old Covenant Christ mediates the new covenant with His own blood
23–28 Copies, repeated sacrifices Christ’s final, heavenly, effectual sacrifice

 

Hebrews 9 consistently pointed to Jesus as the fulfillment of all Old Testament types, the only true High Priest, and the mediator of a new and better covenant, whose sacrifice alone brings eternal redemption and access to God.

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Romans 3: Law, Grace, and the New Covenant

Here is a detailed, verse-by-verse exposition of Romans 3, providing insights into the themes of law versus grace and the new covenant, with a special focus on Romans 3:21-31, where the righteousness of God, apart from the law, is revealed.

Note: As you read, you can view the Bible text by hovering over the scriptures or clicking them. In the primary texts of our study, I have them after the colon.

Romans 3:1-2: “Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God.”

Paul begins by affirming the special privileges of the Jews, chiefly that they were entrusted with God’s revealed Word (the oracles). This establishes that the Jews had a unique role in redemptive history, but this privilege does not guarantee righteousness or salvation by itself.

The law and prophetic revelation were given to Israel, but this does not mean they are justified by the law (the old covenant). The oracles point forward to the righteousness revealed in Christ, which is the true remedy for sin.

Romans 3:3-4: “What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! Let God be true though everyone were a liar, as it is written, “That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.”

Paul anticipates an objection: if some Jews are unfaithful, does that nullify God’s faithfulness? He emphatically denies this, affirming God’s unchanging truth and justice. God’s righteousness and faithfulness stand regardless of human failure. The law reveals human sinfulness, but God’s covenant faithfulness is the basis for justification, not human merit.

Romans 3:5-8: “But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) 6 By no means! For then how could God judge the world? 7 But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? 8 And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.”

Paul rejects the idea that sin could somehow glorify God or that grace encourages sinning. God’s justice and judgment remain intact. Grace is not a license to sin but a remedy for sin. The new covenant righteousness is a gift, not a reward for wrongdoing. This underscores God’s holiness and justice even as He offers grace.

Romans 3:9-18: “What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one. Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

This passage catalogues universal human sinfulness, both Jew and Gentile alike, emphasizing total depravity and the law’s inability to produce righteousness. The law exposes sin but cannot justify it. The vivid imagery of sin in every part of man’s being shows the depth of human corruption and the need for God’s remedy in grace.

Below is a table summarizing  Man’s Fallen Nature.

Romans
3:9 All humanity is guilty and will be condemned.
3:11a Man is not understanding; he lacks a proper view of God.
3:11b Man does not seek God on God’s terms.
3:12a Man does not move right; all have turned aside.
3:12b Man becomes useless in his efforts to please God.

The Law’s Purpose: Revealing Sin, Not Providing Righteousness

Romans 3:19-20: “Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”

The law’s role is to bring conviction and reveal sin, not to justify. It silences all boasting and makes all guilty before God. The law is a tutor to bring us to Christ by showing our inability to meet God’s standards. (Galatians 3:23-26). Justification cannot come through law-keeping but only through faith apart from works.

Romans 3:21-26: “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”

This is the heart of the gospel: God’s righteousness is now revealed apart from the law through faith in Jesus Christ, who is the propitiation (atoning sacrifice) for sin.

The divine provision for man’s unrighteousness. The righteousness of God is His own perfect standard, which He must demand, but now it is provided freely by grace through Christ’s redemption. This righteousness is not earned but imputed by faith, making the believer justified before God.

This righteousness is “apart from the law” in the sense that it is not based on human works or law-keeping but on the new covenant of grace established by Christ’s sacrifice. The law attests to this righteousness but does not produce it.

Romans 3:27-31: “Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.”

Paul concludes that boasting is excluded because justification is by faith, not works. God is the God of both Jews and Gentiles, justifying all who believe.

Faith does not nullify the law but fulfills and establishes it because its true purpose is realized in the righteousness that comes from faith. The new covenant does not abolish God’s standards but provides the means to meet them through grace. This underscores the unity of God’s plan and the universal availability of salvation through faith, not ethnic privilege or law-keeping.

Summary of Law vs. Grace and the New Covenant in Romans 3

The law reveals sin and condemns, but cannot justify or save. It functions to stop boasting and show humanity’s need for a Saviour.

The righteousness of God is His own perfect standard, which He demands but also freely provides through Jesus Christ.

Justification is by faith, apart from the works of the law, highlighting the new covenant of grace that supersedes the old covenant of law.

Though our sovereign head—our forefather Adam sinned, passing condemnation to us all, we have an escape: Grace is God’s remedy for sin.

: “I deserved Hell; Jesus took my Hell on the cross; there is nothing left for me but His Heaven.”

This gospel is not a human invention but God’s eternal plan revealed in Christ, exclusive and final.

Faith in Christ is the means by which both Jew and Gentile are justified, fulfilling rather than nullifying the law.

This detailed verse-by-verse approach to theological exposition on the contrast between law and grace and the establishment of the new covenant righteousness through faith in Christ. It highlights the profound shift from law-based righteousness to grace-based justification that Paul proclaims as God’s Saving Grace through Christ.