A Monday Devotional on Self-Denial (Flavel)

The English Puritan Thomas Manton (1620-1677) wrote a helpful treatise on self-denial. He based the treatise on Jesus' words from Matthew 16:24: "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself..." (NASB). It's a longer treatise with some very helpful insight. Here's a paragraph that I marked up this morning. I hope it…

The Passive Obedience of Christ (Murray)

In Reformed theology we sometimes talk about the passive obedience of Christ. This is a reference to Jesus' suffering in the place of and for sinners. But we do need to know what "passive obedience" means and what it does not mean. Here's a nice explanation of this phrase by John Murray: The term “passive…

Preaching and the Lord’s Supper (Vos)

The Christian pastor's duty is to consistently and clearly preach the whole counsel of God which has Christ at the center (Acts 20:27; 2 Cor. 1:20; 1 Cor. 9:16, etc.). Christian sermons must come out of the Christian Scriptures which are all about Christ. And this reality also has to do with the Lord's Supper.…

Christ Loves You Therefore He Prays for You (Boston)

Volume one of Thomas Boston's Complete Works is basically a treatise on the main Christian doctrines (God, Scripture, creation, man, etc.). Each chapter gives the biblical teaching on these topics. In his chapter on Christ's priestly office, Boston gave seven reasons why Christ continually intercedes for his people. It's a comforting reality to know that…

Refuge in Christ’s Righteousness (Toplady)

This morning while studying the incomprehensibility of God I found this great hymn by Augustus Toplady. Based on the last stanza, it could be called "Love Incomprehensible." Here it is - it's great devotional reading for the day! 1 From thy supreme tribunal, Lord,Where justice sits severe,I to thy mercy seat appeal,And beg forgiveness there.2…