Apostasy & Stumbling Saints
Christ can use us greatly as we learn to trust him, making sure our faith genuine, and exercising it ambitiously whenever fears regarding our past, present, or future tempt us to retreat.
Discernment
Traditions & Authentic Rules
Christ’s dispute with the Pharisees regarding what constituted proper OT ceremonial obedience is a model for us as we consider our obedience to the moral rules of the NT.
Obsolete & Eternal Covenants
Christ’s first coming made the OT ceremonial laws obsolete and inaugurated a new arrangement of paired-downed godly practices that should be participated in with love and sincerity.
Sorrow & Profound Celebrations
We will experience a variety of sorrows on earth while we await Christ’s return, but our pain is mitigated by our anticipation, and the many foretastes of the kingdom which God supplies.
Reputations & Vital Responsibilities
When we encounter slander and opposition for standing up for Christ, we should redouble our resolve to please God by being faithful to our call to evangelize without compromise.
Urgency & True Importance
We need to see all of our seemingly urgent concerns in light of the incomparable gift of God?s gracious forgiveness secured for us by the life and death of Christ.
Wants & Genuine Needs
We must see the surpassing importance of the obedience God asks of us compared to the relative unimportance of most of the personal things we ask of him.
Curiosity & Real Conversions
We cannot afford to miss the eternally significant distinction between being simply being interested in Christ versus being truly converted to follow Christ.