Imagine for a moment the sweltering heat of a summer day. You try to find chilled refreshing water to quench your thirst, but all that’s available is stale lukewarm water. Despite your best attempts to stomach the unsavoury liquid, you end up spitting it back out. This is exactly what Jesus promises to the lukewarm … Continue reading The Church of Laodicea
The Church of Philadelphia
If a friend asks you, “what is it like being a Christian?”, how would you respond? I want to encourage you to take a moment to come up with an answer in your mind before you read on. I suspect many of us would want to speak of the goodness of knowing Christ, the joy … Continue reading The Church of Philadelphia
The Church of Sardis
Zombie movies have gripped audiences around the world for many decades. There is certainly something about the living dead that captures the attention of people. And yet, this concept of one who is dead yet still alive has been around for centuries. In fact, Jesus uses this very image when describing the church of Sardis. … Continue reading The Church of Sardis
The Church of Thyatira
Everyone would get the occasional spam message now and then that they have won $1,000,000 in a giveaway and that they must redeem the prize before the deadline. Underhandedly, they would also ask for your account information, insisting that this is the only way to claim the sweepstake. Most of these messages are filtered out … Continue reading The Church of Thyatira
The Church of Pergamum
Jesus’ third letter to the churches of Asia Minor is addressed to the church of Pergamum, a church that faced intense external pressure and persecution whilst also tackling internal immorality and heresy. Their moral compromise with culture is condemned by Christ and while it is shocking and disappointing, it is also not exactly foreign to … Continue reading The Church of Pergamum
The Church of Smyrna
Has it ever occurred to you that 1 in 8 Christians are persecuted for following Jesus? I guess for many of us that’s not something we are aware of or even think about. Yet when we come to the word of God, as Jesus speaks to his church in the book of Revelation, this is … Continue reading The Church of Smyrna
The Church of Ephesus
What would Jesus say to your church if he were to return today? For the church of Ephesus, there was no need for speculation as Jesus spoke to them through the Apostle John in the book of Revelation. On the exterior, the Ephesian believers appeared to be flawless. However, they had a profound heart issue … Continue reading The Church of Ephesus
The Seven Churches of Revelation
The book of Revelation has developed a reputation for being mysterious & prophetic apocalyptic literature, but digging beneath the surface reveals that the book is actually filled with rich pastoral implications. Written by the Apostle John during his exile on the isle of Patmos, the book of Revelation uses vivid symbolism and imagery of Christ’s … Continue reading The Seven Churches of Revelation
Blessed Are Those Who Are Persecuted Because of Righteousness
"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:10) As Jesus concludes the prelude to his Sermon on the Mount, he pronounces a final blessing unto those who endure persecution for righteousness’ sake. He elaborates on the hardships that his disciples will inevitably face, addressing them … Continue reading Blessed Are Those Who Are Persecuted Because of Righteousness
Blessed Are The Peacemakers
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9). The seventh beatitude that Jesus pronounces is a blessing for peacemakers; those who seek healthy and loving relationships with friends and even enemies. It is these humble destroyers of enmity and hostility that will be recognised as children of God, a … Continue reading Blessed Are The Peacemakers
Blessed Are The Pure In Heart
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8). Purity in heart is the sixth key to living a blessed life. Jesus draws our attention immediately to the internal workings of our own hearts, and not to the pious appearances we might display in the public realm. God sees what is … Continue reading Blessed Are The Pure In Heart
Blessed Are The Merciful
So far, we have read about some of the blessings for disciples of Jesus as they undergo a series of spiritual awakening and transformation - what now? Here comes our fifth beatitude, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” (Matthew 5:7) What does it mean to be merciful? And what exactly is … Continue reading Blessed Are The Merciful
Blessed Are Those Who Hunger and Thirst For Righteousness
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6) As we approach Jesus’ fourth teaching to his disciples, it is important for us to understand the weight behind his words in order to fully savour His promises. We tend to think of righteousness as moral behaviour, virtuous living … Continue reading Blessed Are Those Who Hunger and Thirst For Righteousness
Blessed Are The Meek
Continuing with his statements that seem to defy how the world operates, Jesus tells His audience that: "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5) In a world that purports personal agency and assertion of individual rights for individual gain, Jesus asserts something radically different. He declares that it is the … Continue reading Blessed Are The Meek
Blessed Are Those Who Mourn
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). Jesus throws our minds into confusion once again with this maxim that runs in direct contradiction to the world’s logic. The literal definition of the word ‘mourn’, according to the Cambridge dictionary, means “to feel or express great sadness…” If that’s the case, … Continue reading Blessed Are Those Who Mourn
Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit
"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven" (Matthew 5:3). We come to the very first Beatitude of the series and we see Jesus breaking open his sermon with such a peculiar opening statement! What does he mean when he says “blessed” or “happy” are the poor in spirit…? The … Continue reading Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit
Introduction to the Beatitudes
French mathematician Blaise Pascal famously said that: All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end. The cause of some going to war, and of others avoiding it, is the same desire in both, attended with different views. The will never takes the least step … Continue reading Introduction to the Beatitudes
Glory to God Alone
Introduction “What is the chief end of man? Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” (Westminster Shorter Catechism Question 1) We have come to the final article on the five ‘Solas,’ foundational biblical principles central to the doctrine of salvation and distinct from the teachings taught by the Roman Catholic … Continue reading Glory to God Alone
Christ Alone
1. What is Sola Christus? Sola Christus is a Latin phrase for ‘by Christ alone’, which emphasises the most important foundation to the Christian faith, the cornerstone to be exact. It tells us that salvation is found in nothing nor anyone else but in Christ and Christ alone. 2. Background: Indulgences and the Protestant Reformation … Continue reading Christ Alone
Grace Alone
What is Sola Gratia? Sola Gratia is the Latin phrase meaning ‘grace alone’ and one of the key driving forces behind the Protestant Reformation, alongside faith alone, scripture alone, Christ alone and to God’s glory alone. Grace can be defined as ‘unmerited favor towards the undeserving’. Though the Catholic view affirms that we need God’s … Continue reading Grace Alone
Faith Alone
As I was picking up a free calendar from a student activities volunteer, I was asked, “Do you believe in parties?” My response in my sleep-deprived state was, “Well… I think they might exist?” which probably wasn’t the answer they were looking for. Just like how I misunderstood the volunteer, many people have trouble understanding … Continue reading Faith Alone
Scripture Alone
1. What is Sola Scriptura? Sola scriptura is the Latin phrase that means ‘Scripture alone’ and it was coined as one of the legendary slogans of the sixteenth-century Reformation movement against the false teachings of the Roman Catholic church. Chapter 1 Point 6 of the Westminster Confession of Faith summarises this doctrine nicely: The whole … Continue reading Scripture Alone
Introduction to the Five Solas of the Reformation
There was once a time when the church was headed on a collision course with the dethronement of scriptural authority and spiritual deprivation. Grace-seeking sinners were at the mercy of the papacy, indulgences - cancellations of sin - were sold to the guilt-trodden and many entrusted the wellbeing of their souls to the medium of … Continue reading Introduction to the Five Solas of the Reformation
Perseverance of the Saints
All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall … Continue reading Perseverance of the Saints
Irresistible Grace
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to … Continue reading Irresistible Grace
Limited Atonement
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is … Continue reading Limited Atonement
Unconditional Election
At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?” “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. “No … Continue reading Unconditional Election
Total Depravity
The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (Genesis 6:5) And you were dead in the trespasses and sins, in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power … Continue reading Total Depravity
Introduction to the Five Points of Calvinism
Hello people of ACG! We’ll be starting the year with this blog’s first topical series on the Doctrines of Grace, more popularly known as the Five Points of Calvinism. These Five Points do not exhaust all the gems that are found in the goldmine of Reformed Theology and certainly isn’t synonymous with the gospel; yet … Continue reading Introduction to the Five Points of Calvinism
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