Eternally Assured

"But this Mediator whom the Father has appointed between himself and us, ought not terrify us by his greatness, so that we have to look for another one according to our fancy. For neither in heaven nor among the creatures on earth is there anyone who loves us more than Jesus Christ does" - Snippet from Belgic Confession Article 26 Since it has pleased God to give us his Son as our Intercessor, let us not leave him for another- or rather seek, without ever finding. For when God gave him to us he knew well that we were sinners." - Snippet from Belgic Confession Article 26 CityAlight released the rest of their album last week. Once again they hit the ball out of the park when it comes to their simple and profound lyrics. When I love a song, I tend to listen to it on repeat until I get tired of it. Their song "Known & Loved" was wonderful. The lyrics made me stop and really think about what it means to be fully known and loved by God.  My favorite lyric was th...

"There is one gospel to which I cling. All else I count as loss. For there, where justice and mercy meet, he saved me on the cross. No more I boast in what I can bring. No more I carry the weight of sin. For he has brought me from death to life. I stand in the Gospel of Jesus Christ!" - CityAlight  CityAlight released a new single called "There is One Gospel"   this past Friday. I have been listening to this song on repeat. The lyrics are wonderfully simple and deeply rich. The last lyric for each stanza is, "I stand in the Gospel of Jesus Christ'.  I have been thinking the past few days about what that means. What does it mean for Christians to be able to stand in the Gospel of Jesus Christ?  Stand in Christ's Righteousness  To stand in the Gospel of Jesus Christ as a Christian means to stand in His righteousness. It is to understand that everything that He has earned for us in his living is now ours by faith.  We believers, who have been regenerated ...

Disclaimer: I know that this topic is very controversial and complicated.  If you already oppose this view, please know that I am not sharing this to try and change your mind. I am quite happy to agree to disagree amicably. This post is a result of thinking through the linked chart's implications, and is not meant to be an exposition on whether or not the doctrine of particular redemption is biblical.  I will include links at the end of this post to the materials I found valuable in helping me to think through this.   It has been a while since my last post that addressed the Reformed emphasis on the third use of the law. This  post will address the  implication of  how believing Limited Atonement ( I like using the term Particular Redemption) might impact my assurance. You can find the chart my friend made here for more context as well as my last post here .  Limited Atonement (Christ died only for the elect). Implication: How do I know Christ di...

" Today on weary nations the heav'nly manna falls, to holy convocations the silver trumpet calls. Where gospel light is glowing with pure and radiant beams, and living water flowing, with soul refreshing streams"  (O Day of Rest and Gladness - Christopher Wordsworth) "It is not insignificant that the liturgy of Sunday worship was developed early on in the church, to remind us that while God has prepared good works for us to do, we walk in them from the place of resting in the resurrection" - Ragged: Spiritual Disciplines for the Spiritually Exhausted by Gretchen Ronnevik I love consistency. I love my everyday rhythm of rolling out of bed, walking to the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee, and powering on my computer to begin a day's work. After work I enjoy watching an episode of "Call the Midwife".  To help me sleep, I've recently enjoyed listening to Harry Potter on audiobook and remembering the experience of reading the books for the first time...

" The rich young ruler understood that. It’s why he walked away from Christ in shame ( Luke 18:18–30 ). When Jesus told him to sell all his possessions and give everything to the poor, He wasn’t offering the young man salvation by works. The money itself wasn’t the point—it was a question of his willingness to do whatever the Lord told him to do. What would he give up for the sake of his eternal soul? It was a test of his obedience and what he valued most in his heart. And he failed miserably. Reconciliation to God doesn’t happen on our terms, according to our schedules, when it’s convenient for us. It’s a radical redemption and transformation, and it requires us to be penitent, submissive, and completely sold out for God’s purpose and work. Nothing less is acceptable" - Excerpt from Reconciled by the Response of Obedience I recently read an article from a well known ministry titled  "Reconciled by the Response of Obedience"   I was saddened by reading it and also v...

"Therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God" - Hebrews 12: 1-2 "...and the same apostle says that we are 'justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus', and therefore we cling to this foundation, which is firm forever..." - Snippet from Belgic Confession Article 23 - The Justification of Sinners "In a word, Christ is our wisdom, because he is the subject, the author, and the medium. He is our righteousness, that is, our justifier. Our righteousness is in him, as in the subject; and he himself gives this unto us by his merit and efficacy. He is our sanctification, that is, sanctifier; becau...

  Enough: adequate for the want or need; sufficient for the purpose to satisfy desire (dictionary.com)  Why I hate this word I have a love/hate relationship with this word because much of my Christian life was defined by it. The constant question that plagued me was "Am I doing enough?" Did I read the bible enough that day? Did I pray enough? Did I serve my neighbor enough? Did I love God enough? Did I surrender enough? Am I passionate for Christ enough? Did my life adequately display enough sanctification for me to be qualified to take comfort in the Gospel?  Do I even believe the Gospel enough?  I wonder how many Christians walk around with their minds constantly plagued by questions like this. I wonder and my eyes fill with tears, because I know that it is absolutely exhausting.  I often think about the hours of sermons I listened to that subconsciously urged me to keep looking to my "enough" to placate my conscience.  I knew acutely that the answer to a...