For The Lord's Day

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

For The Lord's Day

"In adoption, God takes us into His family and fellowship, and He establishes us as His children and heirs. Closeness, affection, and generosity are at the heart of the relationship. To be right with God the judge is a great thing, but to be loved and cared for by God the Father is greater.” ~ J.I. Packer

For The Lord's Day

"The Bible is the record of the activity of God. God is the actor. God is the center. Everything is of God and comes from God, and turns to God. It is God who speaks. It is God who acts. It is God who intervenes. It is God who originates, who plans everything everywhere.   

  -- D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, 1943

For The Lord's Day

“Our need to be in charge of ourselves, others and situations often makes our relationship with Christ life’s biggest power struggle. We are reluctant to relinquish our control and allow him to run our lives. We may believe in him and be active in the church and Christian causes, but trusting him as Lord of everything in life can be scary. Even though we pray about our challenges and problems, all too often what we really want is strength to accomplish what we’ve already decided is best for ourselves and others. Meanwhile, we press on with our own priorities and plans. We remain the scriptwriter, casting director, choreographer, and producer of the drama of our own lives, in which we are the star performer.”

- -Twelve Steps to Living Without Fear, Lloyd John Ogilvie

For The Lord's Day

“If God had perceived our greatest need was economic, he would have sent an economist. If he had perceived that our greatest need was entertainment, he would have sent us a comedian or an artist. If God had perceived that our greatest need was political stability, he would have sent us a politician. If he had perceived that our greatest need was health, he would have sent us a doctor. But he perceived our greatest need involved our sin, our alienation from him, our profound rebellion, our death; and he sent us a Savior.”

 -- Donald A. Carson in A Call for Spiritual Reformation

For The Lord's Day

“If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God’s child, and having God as his Father. If this is not the thought that prompts and controls his worship and prayers and his whole outlook on life, it means he does not understand Christianity very well at all.       – J. I. Packer, Knowing God