There is no room for boasting, but there is plenty of room for gratitude. We don’t have to prove that we belong. We don’t have to establish our superiority. We can receive grace with open hands and welcome others on the same terms by which we were welcomed.   Read More

We’re accustomed to earning, proving, achieving, and repaying. We often bring that same instinct into our relationship with God. We try to demonstrate that we deserve forgiveness, promise to do better, or balance yesterday’s failures with today’s good behavior... But grace cannot be earned.  Read More

One of the hardest obstacles to grace is the belief that we can somehow earn it. We compare ourselves to others. We point to our accomplishments. We remind ourselves that we've done more good than bad. But God's standard is not comparison with other people. God's standard is God's own holiness.   Read More

An entrusted gift is never meant to end with the person who receives it. It is given so it can be faithfully delivered to someone else. Israel wasn't chosen simply to enjoy God's blessings. They were chosen so the nations would come to know the God who had called them.   Read More

The gospel is not primarily about changing our label. It is about God changing us. The Christian life is not built on external performance but on the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. The same God who forgives our sin also renews our hearts, writing His law within us so that obedience increasingly flows from love rather than obligation.   Read More

Paul's words are not meant to single out Israel for condemnation. They expose a temptation that exists in every generation of God's people. It is possible to know Scripture without allowing Scripture to shape us. It is possible to defend sound doctrine while neglecting a transformed heart. It is possible to wear the name of Christ while living in a way that makes others question whether the gospel has any power at all.   Read More