Posted 11:50am CT Jan. 15, 2008 in Minneapolis, USA
LONDON 5:50pm – JO’BURG 7:50pm – MANILA 1:50am 16/1 – SYDNEY4:50am 16/1

Reviewed by Dave Cruver for Gloriscope

Blog Post: How to Read the Bible
By Ray Ortlund of Christ is Deeper Still

There are basically two ways to read the Bible — as a book of law, or as a book of promise. Our natural religious psychology wants to read the Bible as law: “God is explaining here how I can win his favor.” A law-hermeneutic is the pre-understanding we naturally bring to our Bible reading, every page. But in Galatians 3 Paul explains that he reads the Bible as a book of promise, and he wants us to as well. He sees every page of the Bible as gracious promise from God to undeserving sinners. Is there law in the Bible? Yes. But it was “added” (v. 19). Law was inserted after the promises to Abraham were established. It is promise that comes first (Genesis 12), then law comes later (Exodus 20). It is promise, therefore, that defines the all-encompassing framework within which we are to read everything else in the Bible.

You and I can confidently read the Bible with a hermeneutic of promise. Every page, including narrative, law, wisdom, praise, lament, prophecy — every page, most deeply understood, shines forth as a promise of grace to sinners in Christ.

Blog Post: Firmest Ground / Constant Claim
By Matthew Morizio of Gospel Muse

(D.A.) Carson: “But in one crucial verse (Rev.12:11), John tells us how these believers overcome the devil.

(1) “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb.” The preposition translated as by in the NIV should be rendered “on the ground of.” When all his accusations are brought before us — so many of them entirely justified, if we gauge things only by the quality of our faithfulness — Satan is silenced when we insist that our acceptance before God is grounded not in ourselves but in the death of Jesus Christ. “Who is he that condemns?” Paul exultantly asks. “Christ Jesus, who died — more than that, who was raised to life — is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us” (Rom. 8:34). We neither have nor need another ground for our acquittal.

Blog Post: Thy Sins Were Crucified With Him
By Josh Etter of First Importance

True spiritual mortification does not consist in sin not being in thee, nor in its being put upon the cross daily, nor yet in its being kept upon it. There must be something more to establish perfect peace in thy conscience; and that is the testimony of God concerning the body of sin. He has provided for thy perfect deliverance from it in Christ. Everything needful for this purpose was finished by Him upon the cross. He was thy Surety. He suffered for thee. Thy sins were crucified with Him, and nailed to His cross. They were put to death when He died: for He was thy covenant-head, and thou wast legally represented by Him, and art indeed dead to sin by His dying to sin once. The law has now no more right to condemn thee, a believer, than it has to condemn Him. Justice is bound to deal with thee, as it has with thy risen and ascended Saviour. If thou dost not thus see thy complete mortification in Him, sin will reign in thee.”

- William Romaine and Peter Toon, The Life, Walk and Triumph of Faith, Cambridge, England: James Clark & Company, 1979, page 280.

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TO GOD BE ALL THE GLORY!

Published in the U.S.A. Copyright © 4T4C News Corp. 2008. All rights reserved.