Sunday, July 26, 2015

For The Lord's Day



“I am not worthy, Master and Lord, that you should come beneath the roof of my soul: yet, since you in your love toward all wish to dwell in me, in boldness I come. You command, ‘Open the gates’ – which you alone have forged; and you will come in with love toward all as is your nature; you will come in and enlighten my darkened reason. I believe that you will do this: for you did not send away the harlot that came to you with tears; nor cast out the repentant publican; nor reject the thief who acknowledged your kingdom; nor forsake the repentant persecutor, a yet greater act; but all of those who came to you in repentance, were counted in the band of your friends, who alone abide blessed forever, now and unto endless ages.”     – John Chrysostom (c. 347-407)

Sunday, July 19, 2015

For The Lord's Day



“Our need of Christ does not cease with our believing; nor does the nature of our relation to Him or to God through Him ever alter, not matter what our attainments in Christian graces or our achievements in Christian behavior may be. It is always in His “blood and righteousness” alone that we can rest. There is never anything that we are or have or do that can take His place, or that can take place along with him. We are always unworthy, and all that we have or do of good is always of pure grace.” - - B. B. Warfield, Works, vol 7, p. 113

Monday, July 13, 2015

For The Lord's Day +1



God Substituting Himself for Man
“The concept of substitution may be said to lie at the heart of both sin and salvation. For the essence of sin is man substituting himself for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting Himself for man. Man asserts himself against God and puts himself where only God deserves to be; God sacrifices Himself for man and puts Himself where only man deserves to be. Man claims prerogatives which belong to God alone; God accepts penalties which belong to man alone.”     
~ John Stott in The Cross of Christ

Sunday, July 5, 2015

For The Lord's Day



“… our audience in corporate worship is not people. Corporate worship is not about pleasing people, whether ourselves, the congregation, or unbelieving seekers. . Worship in the corporate gathering is about renewing our covenant with God by meeting with Him and relating to Him in ways that He has prescribed. We do this specifically by hearing and heeding His Word, confessing our own sinfulness and our dependence on Him, thanking Him for his goodness to us, bringing our requests before Him, confessing His truth, and lifting our voices and instruments to Him in response to and in accord with the way that He has revealed Himself in His Word.” -- Mark Dever in The Deliberate Church