Brandon Wilkins

Justification:

"If this article stands, the church stands; if this article collapses, the church collapses.” -Martin Luther, Commentary on Psalm 130:4

Found in the wild

"For the naked majesty of God would, by its immense brightness, ever dazzle our eyes; it is therefore necessary for us to look on Christ. This is to come to the light, which is justly said to be otherwise inaccessible."

- John Calvin, Commentary on the Catholic Epistles

That's helpful. I suppose it depends on topic/context to determine a more balanced approach.

As a preacher, I would be curious to know more about this. What do you have in mind?

"For He is Himself uncreated, both without beginning and end, and lacking nothing. He is Himself sufficient for Himself; and still further, He grants to all others this very thing, existence; but the things which have been made by Him have received a beginning." -Irenaeus, A.H.

"In the Messiah’s ascent, flesh is brought up to the spiritual realm, where God resides, showing God will forever dwell with humanity. Jesus exalts human essence and abides in perfect fellowship with God himself." -Patrick Schreiner

~Inseparable Operations and the Atonement~

The Father sends the Son to propitiate our sins (1 John 4:10)

The incarnate Son gives himself as the atoning sacrifice (Gal. 2:20)

The Spirit presents this sacrifice to the Father (Heb 9:14)

~Inseparable Operations and the Doctrine of Providence~

The Father fixes times and seasons (Acts 1:7)

The Son upholds all things by his word (Heb. 1:3)

The Spirit imparts life to creation (Ps 104:30)

~Inseparable Operations in the Incarnation~

The Father sent Son to be born of woman (Gal 4:4), prepared a body for him (Heb 10:5)

Son took on flesh (Joh 1:14)

The Spirit overshadowed Mary, sanctifying the human nature assumed (Luke 1:35)

~Inseparable Operations in the Resurrection of Christ~

Jesus:

was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father (Rom 6:4)

has authority to take up his own life (John 10:18)

was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit (1 Pet 3:18)

Here's what we got this weekend at my church~

Good Friday: The 2nd Word from the Cross (Luke 23:34)

Easter SS: Old Testament Adumbrations of Easter

Easter AM: Luke 24:1-12, "Risen, Indeed"

Easter PM: John 1:18, "God from God, Light from Light, Very God from Very God" (Nicene Series #8)

Amen.

I asked ChatGPT to make a prayer based on Chapter 1 of Meredith Kline, Images of the Spirit, and to make the prayer in the style of The Valley of Vision.

This is part of what it came up with (not bad, imo):

“Why don’t they play popular music at the Super Bowl anymore.”

— Man who thinks 1996 was 10 years ago.

How welcome to the saints when press’d
With six days’ noise and care and toil,
Is the returning day of rest,
Which hides them from the world a while.

~John Newton hymn

"To see the Law by Christ fulfilled,
To hear His pardoning voice,
Changes a slave into a child
And duty into choice."

~William Cowper

'Go green lightning you're burning up the quarter mile
(Green lightning, go green lightning)'

YouTube video by The Gospel Coalition The Ground of Our Assurance — Don Carson

Referenced this wonderful illustration in my PM sermon from Hebrews 11:1-3, on the nature of faith.

Pray for your pastors. Many will have a difficult time sticking to the Gospel tomorrow for all kinds of people. But that is their work, the work of eternity, despite the many disappointments of this world.

Beautiful

Relevant Bible passage for some current national discussions.

Psalm 8 makes that very point 🙂

Include his own name. *Jeffrey

"Keeping the Heart" by the Puritan John "Flavor Flav" Flavel is free on Kindle today.

a.co/d/0UTjaqa

Looks like Bono

Sanctification is a gift of grace. We work out our salvation, because God works within us. The holiness of sanctification is Christ's holiness given & wrought in the believer. So, Xians have nothing to boast in, even in sanctification. Rather "by the grace of God I am what I am."

The understanding that what Christ has done for me, what God offers me in the Gospel, the joys of the kingdom outweigh by far anything I had known in living for myself--this is the heartbeat of the repentance, and the motivation to turn from self to Christ.

In the Reformed tradition, apprehension of the free grace of God, rather than terror, has always been understood to be the primary motivation of true repentance.

Reformed theology contrasts two kinds of repentance: legal (false) and evangelical (true).

Legal repentance says, "Repent, because what will God do to you if you don't?"

Evangelical repentance says, "Repent, because look at what you're missing out on if you don't."