There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. —Soren Kierkegaard. "…truth is true even if nobody believes it, and falsehood is false even if everybody believes it. That is why truth does not yield to opinion, fashion, numbers, office, or sincerity–it is simply true and that is the end of it" – Os Guinness, Time for Truth, pg.39. “He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God’s providence to lead him aright.” – Blaise Pascal. "There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily" – George Washington letter to Edmund Randolph — 1795. We live in a “post-truth” world. According to the dictionary, “post-truth” means, “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” Simply put, we now live in a culture that seems to value experience and emotion more than truth. Truth will never go away no matter how hard one might wish. Going beyond the MSM idealogical opinion/bias and their low information tabloid reality show news with a distractional superficial focus on entertainment, sensationalism, emotionalism and activist reporting – this blogs goal is to, in some small way, put a plug in the broken dam of truth and save as many as possible from the consequences—temporal and eternal. "The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it." – George Orwell “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” ― Soren Kierkegaard
In the Christian walk I love how Pastor Adrian Rogers contrasts these three “D” words: “Discipline says, ‘I need to.’ Duty says, ‘I ought to.’ Devotion says, ‘I want to.’”1 While all three of these “D” words are essential elements in our Christian journey only having a deep devotion to Christ and His commands will bring true lasting joy.
Discipline
In my own personal walk with the Lord, these past 43 years, I have found that exercising some of the essential elements of my journey with Christ, such as prayer and Bible reading, requires setting aside specific blocks of time each day in order to accomplish these precious disciplines. When Rogers equates discipline with, “I need to,” he is spot on. As Christians, without a disciplined way of living, we will never be consistent in reading our Bibles or spending quality time in prayer with the Lord. My friends there is just no way around the fact that we need to be disciplined disciples if we want to draw near to our Savior.
Duty
(Ecclesiastes 12:13) says: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.” As Christians it goes without saying that we “ought” to fear God and keep His commandments. And while the idea that we ought to do something, like obey the commandments of the Lord, to many has a negative connotation, obedience to Jesus is the best decision we can ever make because when we obey the Lord, blessings are sure to follow.
Devotion
While “discipline” and “duty” are important elements needed to walk with Jesus, the more we understand the role these words play in our journey with the Lord, I believe they will lead us to “wanting” to spend more time in “devotion” to Christ. As Christians, when we are fully devoted to following Jesus, (Psalm 16:11), which is one of my favorite verses in all of Scripture, will help you to realize why we should all want to follow closely after the Lord: “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Imagine knowing what path your life should take, that in Christ you will have fullness of joy, and that as believers we can experience true pleasures in life, both now and for all of eternity.
And if I can add one more “D” word to Rogers trilogy of “discipline,” “duty,” and “devotion” – “delight.” I love how (Psalm 37:4) puts it: “Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.” For when you “discipline” yourselves to carry out your “duty” to fear God and keep His commandments, not only will this lead to wanting to “devote” your entire life to Jesus, but it will lead to sheer “delight!”
Dr. Adam Tyson speaks to the struggles of Gen Z, addressing anxiety and confidence issues with practical insights from Psalm 84. Discover how creating a “highway to God” and seeking His presence can lead to lasting peace, purpose, and hope in your life.
Posted at Reformation Scotland:From time to time we need to stop and take stock of who our Lord and Saviour is. Whenever else we might do this, one opportunity is at a communion, when we remember the Lord’s death and look forward to His return. Samuel Rutherford reflected on the description of Jesus Christ given in Revelation 19:12, “he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.” Christ is knowable only to the extent that He reveals Himself, and even then, while we know truly, we can never know Him completely. In the following excerpt from a communion sermon on this text, Rutherford points to three ways that Christ Jesus is beyond our knowledge.
“He had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.” What nameless king is this? What? Is Christ unbaptised, that He lacks a name? Is there no one who knows His name? “What is His name, and what is His son’s name, if thou canst tell?” (Prov. 30:4). “He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare His generation?” (Isa. 53:8). Here is a strange thing! The angel says, “Thou shalt call His name Jesus Christ.” Nay, but His name is Himself, and His nature, and so He is an infinite God. None knows infinite Christ but Himself. Aye, surely Christ is an unknown person; though each one has “Christ Jesus” in their mouth, yet they know not what they are saying.
There are three mysteries in Christ that we cannot perfectly ken in this life, nor understand.
He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, LORD Jesus.
REVELATION 22:20
The people of God ought to be the happiest people in all the wide world!
Fellow Christian, consider the source of our joy and delight: redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, our yesterdays behind us, our sin under the blood forever and a day, to be remembered against us no more forever! God is our Father, Christ is our Brother, the Holy Ghost our Advocate and Comforter!
Our Brother has gone to the Father’s house to prepare a place for us, leaving with us the promise that He will come again!
Don’t send Moses, Lord, don’t send Moses! He broke the tablets of stone.
Don’t send Elijah for me, Lord! I am afraid of Elijah—he called down fire from heaven.
Don’t send Paul, Lord! He is so learned that I feel like a little child when I read his epistles.
O Lord Jesus, come Yourself! I am not afraid of Thee. You took the little children as lambs to Your fold. You forgave the woman taken in adultery. You healed the timid woman who reached out in the crowd to touch You. We are not afraid of You!1
Not saved! Dear reader, is this your mournful plight? Warned of the judgment to come, bidden to escape for your life, and yet at this moment not saved! You know the way of salvation, you read it in the Bible, you hear it from the pulpit, it is explained to you by friends, and yet you neglect it, and therefore you are not saved. You will be without excuse when the Lord shall judge the quick and dead. The Holy Spirit has given more or less of blessing upon the word which has been preached in your hearing, and times of refreshing have come from the divine presence, and yet you are without Christ. All these hopeful seasons have come and gone—your summer and your harvest have past—and yet you are not saved. Years have followed one another into eternity, and your last year will soon be here: youth has gone, manhood is going, and yet you are not saved. Let me ask you—will you ever be saved? Is there any likelihood of it? Already the most propitious seasons have left you unsaved; will other occasions alter your condition? Means have failed with you—the best of means, used perseveringly and with the utmost affection—what more can be done for you? Affliction and prosperity have alike failed to impress you; tears and prayers and sermons have been wasted on your barren heart. Are not the probabilities dead against your ever being saved? Is it not more than likely that you will abide as you are till death for ever bars the door of hope? Do you recoil from the supposition? Yet it is a most reasonable one: he who is not washed in so many waters will in all probability go filthy to his end. The convenient time never has come, why should it ever come? It is logical to fear that it never will arrive, and that Felix like, you will find no convenient season till you are in hell. O bethink you of what that hell is, and of the dread probability that you will soon be cast into it!
Reader, suppose you should die unsaved, your doom no words can picture. Write out your dread estate in tears and blood, talk of it with groans and gnashing of teeth: you will be punished with everlasting destruction from the glory of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. A brother’s voice would fain startle you into earnestness. O be wise, be wise in time, and ere another year begins, believe in Jesus, who is able to save to the uttermost. Consecrate these last hours to lonely thought, and if deep repentance be bred in you, it will be well; and if it lead to a humble faith in Jesus, it will be best of all. O see to it that this year pass not away, and you an unforgiven spirit. Let not the new year’s midnight peals sound upon a joyless spirit! Now, now, now believe, and live.
AND he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
In the new Eden as in the old there is a river, but it does not take its rise from the springs of earth, its source is the throne of God.
2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Eden of old had but one such tree, but it is common in the new Jerusalem, and prevents the possibility of disease and death ever invading that happy city. Fallen man might not eat of its immortal fruit, but man restored shall feast upon it freely.
3–5 And there shall be no more curse; but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. (How few are watching! How many trifle as if these things were mere dreams, or matters so remote as to deserve no consideration.)
8–10 And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God. And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
There is no hope of change of character in another state. Where death leaves us judgment finds us and eternity holds us.
12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
14, 15 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right (or privilege to approach) to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
18, 19 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Omissions and additions are equally forbidden. Those who have committed this crime of tampering with the Bible, have generally professed to be Christians, hence their penalty is that their names shall be blotted out of that sacred register in which they believed them to be enrolled.
20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. (As we close the year let us pray that our family reading may prove a blessing to us all. God grant that we may not read without profit, but may each one find Jesus in the Scriptures, as the merchant found the one pearl of great price hidden in the field.)1
We’re glad you’re joining with us in 2024 to read through the Bible. The first day of the year is a new day – we can move past the failures of yesterday and start the year right. What better place to start the year than in God’s Word as we begin 2024!
Genesis 1:1 — This verse talks about where the world began. If you’ve been to the Creation Museum, you’ve seen an incredible exhibit on the amazing work of God. If you were in the planetarium and saw the Created Cosmos presentation, you saw how amazingly immense the universe is – and yet the universe is so insignificant to God He just says he “created the heaven.”
Genesis 1:3 — If you’re wondering how you can have light before the sun – Institute for Creation Research’s Defender Study Bible notes:
The existence of visible light prior to the establishment of the sun, moon and stars (Genesis 1:16) emphasizes the fact that light (energy) is more fundamental than light givers. God could just as easily (perhaps more easily) have created waves of light energy as He could construct material bodies in which processes function which generate light energy. The first is direct (since God is light!), the second indirect. For the creation of such light generators, see note on Genesis 1:14.
Matthew 1 — Congratulations on making it through your first set of genealogies! While many skim through the genealogies, there’s some interesting names you can catch – 1:3 (Tamar), 1:5 (Ruth), 1:6 (Uriah); these three people would not be found in an elitist pedigree (each brings up an embarrassing story), but God in His mercy allowed them to be part of the family tree of His Son!
Psalm 1 — Here’s an outline of the chapter – notice the parallelism of the contrast:
By the way, did you catch the blessing God has for you in Psalm 1? If you delight in His Law, God has a blessing for you! And if you want to memorize Psalm 1, Patch the Pirate has a great song to help you!
And if you need wisdom, Proverbs 1 reminds you that wisdom is what the Book of Proverbs is all about!
Welcome to the Bible Reading Challenge – I’m excited to travel with you! ~ Randy
Share how reading through the Bible has been a blessing to you! E-mail us at 2018bible@vcyamerica.org or call and leave a message at 414-885-5370.
Do I make the honor of God the great object of my life and the rule of my conduct? If so, He will honor me. I may for a while receive no honor from man, but God will Himself put honor upon me in the most effectual manner. In the end it will be found the surest way to honor to be willing to be put to shame for conscience’ sake.
Eli had not honored the Lord by ruling his household well, and his sons had not honored the Lord by behavior worthy of their sacred office, and therefore the Lord did not honor them but took the high priesthood out of their family and made young Samuel to be ruler in the land instead of any of their line. If I would have my family ennobled, I must honor the Lord in all things. God may allow the wicked to win worldly honors; but the dignity which He Himself gives, even glory, honor, and immortality, He reserves for those who by holy obedience take care to honor Him.
What can I do this day to honor the Lord? I will promote His glory by my spoken testimony and by my practical obedience, I will also honor Him with my substance and by offering to Him some special service. Let me sit down and think how I can honor Him, since He will honor me.
We are at the end of our look at the life of Jesus through scripture. The first section of His life was seen through verses focused on prophecy, arrival, and early life.
The next section of verses looked at Him as the Son, second person of the Trinity.
Now it’s the last day. It’s after Christmas. As we finish the last verse, we are looking through the lens of scripture at the hope and optimism of His return and that all will be made new. Happy New Year!
On to today’s picture verse.
Matthew Henry’s Commentary explains:
“Here is, 1. Christ welcomed into the upper world (v. 19): After the Lord had spoken what he had to say to his disciples, he went up into heaven, in a cloud; which we have a particular account of (Acts 1:9), and he had not only an admission, but an abundant entrance, into his kingdom there; he was received up, received in state, with loud acclamations of the heavenly hosts; and he sat on the right hand of God: sitting in a posture of rest, for now he had finished his work, and a posture of rule, for now he took possession of his kingdom; he sat at the right hand of God, which denotes the sovereign dignity he is advanced to, and the universal agency he is entrusted with. Whatever God does concerning us, gives to us, or accepts from us, it is by his Son. Now he is glorified with the glory he had before the world.”
Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 1818). Hendrickson.
Further Reading:
Ligonier Devotional: Seated at God’s right hand Our study of Christ’s ascension to heaven has thus far emphasized the critical nature of this event to our Savior coming into His kingdom. In line with the prophecy of Daniel 7:13–14, Jesus predicted that He would return to the immediate presence of His Father and receive the kingdom that was appointed for Him upon the completion of His earthly ministry (Matt. 24:29–30). … In addition to Jesus’ ascension and Jerusalem’s destruction, the session, or seating, of Christ at the Father’s right hand is also a part of His coming into His kingdom. Since the gospel tells us about the kingdom of God, we must understand the enthronement of our King.
Grace to You: The Forever Exalted Christ When Jesus went into heaven, He did what no Old Testament priest ever did—He sat down. They never sat down while ministering because their work was never done. But Christ’s work was done; He had accomplished the work of redemption on the cross, and therefore it was appropriate for Him to sit down. He remains on the right hand of the throne of God as the believer’s great High Priest and Intercessor (Hebrews 7:25; 9:24).
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Thirty Days of Jesus Series-
Thirty Days of Jesus Series-
Introduction/Background
Prophecies:
Day 1: The Virgin shall conceive Day 2: A shoot from Jesse Day 3: God sent His Son in the fullness of time Day 4: Marry her, she will bear a Son
Birth & Early Life-
Day 5: The Babe has arrived! Day 6: The Glory of Jesus Day 7: Magi seek the Child Day 8: The Magi Offer gifts & worship Day 9: The Child Grew Day 10- the Boy Jesus at the Temple Day 11: He was Obedient Day 12: The Son! Day 13: God is pleased with His Son
The Second Person of the Trinity-
Day 14: Propitiation Day 15: The Gift of Eternal Life Day 16: Kingdom of Darkness to Light Day 17: Jesus’ Preeminence Day 18: The Highest King Day 19: He emptied Himself
Jesus’ Ministries
Day 20: Jesus as The Teacher Day 21: The Good Shepherd Day 22: The Intercessor Day 23: The Compassionate Healer
Attributes Day 24: Jesus’ Omniscience Day 25: Jesus’ Authority Day 26: Jesus’ Sinlessness
The End of all Things
Day 27: He rises Day 28: Resurrection of First Importance Day 29: He ascended
Happy New Year from the HRA! This is the seventeenth year of the Heidelblog, and since 2012 the Heidelblog has had more than 11.5 million views and 3.5 million visitors. Thank you to our loyal readers and supporters. If you are just discovering us, welcome!
2024 On The Heidelblog
The top posts of 2024 tell us something about what was on the minds of our readers. The most popular post this year was actually first posted a decade ago, but this year more people found it than ever before: The Ten Points of Marxism. This post is a quotation from the Communist Manifesto and was posted purely for informational purposes, so that HB readers would be aware of the aims of communism and some of the marks, no pun intended, of the movement.
A second popular older post this year was our resource page How to find a Confession Presbyterian or Reformed Congregation. The popularity of this page is very encouraging. It means that people are looking for confessional Reformed congregations, which is one of the two major goals of the Heidelberg Reformation Association: 1) to recover the Reformed Confession; 2) to help others discover it.
Among the top posts for the year is our quotation of Carl Trueman’s 2018 essay defining “Big Eva” and and my 2022 essay on One Major Difference Between the Reformed and the Evangelicals meditating on the significance of the movement for the Reformed. The popularity of these essays suggests that the way confessional Reformed Christians relate to the Young, Restless, and Reformed movement remains a matter of intense interest.
There are other indicators on the HB that Reformed Christians (and those becoming Reformed) struggle with how to relate to the broader evangelical theology, piety, and practice. Another popular post this year first appeared ten years ago: Reformed Basics On Dichotomy And Trichotomy. It is a quotation from the late Reformed theologian Louis Berkhof (1873–1957) sketching the differences between the widely held view that humans are composed of body, soul, and spirit and the Reformed doctrine that we are body and soul.
The confessional Reformed in North America make up a relatively small band (we might be about 600,000 souls) in the midst of a sea of something approaching 60 million evangelicals. Most of those 60 million hold some kind of Baptistic theology with all its assumptions. Thousands of those who are exploring Reformed theology, in distinction from Baptist theology were reading our 2012 essay on Baptism and Circumcision.
What the heart loves, the will chooses, and the mind justifies. The mind doesn’t direct the will. The mind is actually captive to what the will wants, and the will itself, in turn, is captive to what the heart wants.
An article in the New York Times only confirms that the will is weak when it shows that the overwhelming majority of New Year’s resolutions are doomed to failure. According to research, 80 percent of those who make resolutions on January 1 have given up by Valentine’s Day. Nutrition experts say that two-thirds of dieters regain any weight lost within a year, and more than 70 percent of people who undergo coronary bypass surgery fall back into unhealthy habits within two years of their surgery.
Confront the reality that your resolution is likely needed because you are not loving God with your entire being and not loving your neighbor as yourself.
“Most of us think that we can change our lives if we just summon the willpower and try even harder this time around,” said Alan Deutschman, the former executive director of Unboundary, a firm that counsels corporations on how to navigate change. “It’s exceptionally hard to make life changes, and our efforts are usually doomed to failure when we try to do it on our own.” If you’re going to make a New Year’s resolution, here are a few things to keep in mind.
1. NOT ALL RESOLUTIONS ARE GOOD
Try to determine if the resolution is actually good. Are you planning on working out more? If so, is it because you want to be a good steward of the body God gave you or is it vanity? In reality, it is probably both. But what is the driving desire? Self-improvement or to glorify God?
2. JUST DO IT…
If your resolution is actually a good one, just do it. Go ahead and work out more, smoke or drink less, read your Bible more, pay down your debt and save more for retirement, focus on your marriage, spend more time with your children. Every once in a while, people start a New Year’s resolution and it sticks. But most don’t. That’s because (1) you are sinner and (2) your heart is an idol factory.
3. GRACE ACTUALLY WORKS
Confront the reality that your resolution is likely needed because you are not loving God with your entire being and not loving your neighbor as yourself. These two failures lead to havoc, discord, pain, and destruction. Jesus gave us the basic requirement: “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matt. 22:40).
That basic failure is why we need the gospel: Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection deal with the guilt and the stain of sin. Jesus is our propitiation and our expiation.
Jesus also gave us the Holy Spirit, who can change our desires and empower us to love God and neighbor. As Paul tells us, “it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13).
4. GOD GIVES GRACE TO CHANGE
As Cranmer realized, our wills are captive to what our hearts love, and we are powerless to change ourselves without the work of God’s Spirit changing our desires. When you think through New Year’s resolutions, here’s a prayer from the Book of Common Prayer as you ask God to work on your heart:
Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
In order for you to be accepted by God, you must be justified. This theological term describes people who have been declared righteous in God’s sight. But there is an important distinction between objective justification and subjective justification. The former occurred when Jesus willingly gave His life on the cross for everyone in the world, whereas the latter occurs when the eternal benefits of Christ’s sacrificial death are applied to you personally through faith in the Redeemer.
A beautiful example of objective justification is found in 2 Corinthians 5:19, where the Apostle Paul wrote, “God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.” In an objective sense, every sinner has already been justified. That is to say, Christ’s death on the cross paid for the sins of everyone. The Apostle Peter described objective justification this way: “Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18). John the Baptist preached objective justification when he proclaimed, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) And the Apostle John wrote, “Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2).
Paul wrote to Timothy, “Jesus gave Himself as a ransom for all men” (1 Timothy 2:6). What a beautiful description of objective justification! Paul also wrote, “Just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men” (Romans 5:18).
But why then isn’t everyone saved? In order to answer this important question, we need to wrap our mind around subjective justification. You see, in order to be justified on a personal level, it is necessary to believe that Jesus died not only for others, but also specifically for me. Subjective justification takes place when I place my faith in the cross and in the Savior who shed His blood to pay for my sins and purchase my eternal salvation. Objective justification means that Jesus is the Savior of the world, whereas subjective justification means that Jesus is my Savior. Those who trust Christ for the forgiveness of their sins are able to use the pronoun, my.
Paul wrote that God “justifies the man who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:26). This is subjective justification. “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law” (Romans 3:28). Paul also wrote, “We know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So, we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified” (Galatians 2:16). In addition, “All who rely on observing the law are under a curse … clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, ‘The righteous will live by faith'” (Galatians 3:10-11).
Objective justification has already taken place by Jesus on the cross. Subjective justification, on the other hand, only takes place when someone personally believes in Jesus as their Savior. Every believer is converted on the front end of his or her relationship with God, and subjective justification takes place at the moment of conversion. The Bible uses various terms to describe a converted person, such as born again, forgiven, justified, saved and redeemed.
And of course, every person who is born again sincerely wants to live for Jesus Christ. This inner transformation is produced by God, (see 2 Cor. 5:17) who is also the author of faith itself. Therefore, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).
Everyone has been justified on an objective level, but have you been justified on a subjective level? Do you personally believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior? Are you relying upon the Gospel rather than the Law to be saved and forgiven? Can you honestly say, “Jesus is my Savior.” If so, then the Holy Spirit brought you to faith in Christ, (see John 3:5-8; 1 Cor. 12:3) and “God works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose” (Philippians 2:13).
And so always remember this glorious fact: “Jesus was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification” (Romans 4:25). “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand” (Romans 5:1-2).
Dan Delzell is the pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Papillion, Nebraska.
OK, so here we are again: at the end of one year, and looking to step into another one – 2025. Since a recent piece of mine featured 40 quotes on Christmas, and I am still on a bit of a roll, I might as well present to you some key New Year quotes as well.
As we pass from one year to the next, folks often will make a New Year’s resolution. While this is of course not mandatory, it can be said that any time of the year is a good time to resolve to love God more, to be sold out for Jesus, and to make fresh commitments to Christ and the Kingdom.
And this has been the practice of many great saints in the past as they made regular pledges of commitment and devotion to the Lord. Some of these resolutions have been left for us to study, and perhaps emulate. A very famous set of resolutions was made by the great American theologian and preacher, Jonathan Edwards (1703–1758).
Here then are 20 quotes about the New Year by 18 authors, most of whom are Christians:
Phillips Brooks
“The only way to get rid of your past is to make a future out of it. God will waste nothing.”
G. K. Chesterton
“The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul and a new nose; new feet, a new backbone, new ears, and new eyes. Unless a particular man made New Year resolutions, he would make no resolutions. Unless a man starts afresh about things, he will certainly do nothing effective. Unless a man starts on the strange assumption that he has never existed before, it is quite certain that he will never exist afterwards. Unless a man be born again, he shall by no means enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Jonathan Edwards
“Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriad’s of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever.”
T. S. Eliot
“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language And next year’s words await another voice.”
Elisabeth Elliot
“New Year’s Day is a good time to fix one’s eyes on the only One who knows what the year is to hold.”
Jim Elliot
“Happy New Year to each and every one of you… and let me leave you with this: ‘I pray that the Lord might crown this year with His goodness and in the coming one give you a hallowed dare-devil spirit in lifting the biting sword of Truth, consuming you with a passion that is called by the cultured citizen of Christendom ‘fanaticism’, but known to God as that saintly madness that led His Son through bloody sweat and hot tears to agony on a rude Cross – and Glory!’”
Sinclair Ferguson
“If you are a Christian, you really need only one New Year resolution, and Paul’s will be a great help to you. Especially if you’re a younger Christian or a younger person, a teenager, or perhaps a student, few things can be more helpful to you than to understand that this is the way to both simplify and integrate your life. This is what will give you direction. This is what will help you answer the great question, “What am I really for?” As one of the older translations puts it, “All I care for is to know Christ and the power of his resurrection, to share the fellowship of his sufferings and be made like him, that one day I may attain to the resurrection.” What a great New Year resolution. This one thing I do: I want to know Christ.”
Billy Graham
“The most important resolution you can make as another year approaches is this: to open your heart and life to Jesus Christ, and commit your life to Him. Don’t waste your time on resolutions that don’t ultimately matter; resolve instead to live for Christ.”
Martin Luther
“Glory to God in highest heaven, Who unto man His Son hath given; While angels sing with tender mirth, A glad new year to all the earth.”
John MacArthur
“If you’d like to have a New Year’s resolution, resolve to be pleasing to the Lord.”
The Apostle Paul
“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Arthur Pink
“O to enter this new year with the realization that the one who loved me and gave Himself for me, accompanies me into it! Then why should I fear what may lay ahead of me in 1948? Whatever may be my circumstances, whatever changes I may pass through, whatever I may be called upon to bear—Christ Himself will be my constant companion! But only faith—not imagination or feelings—will be able to realize and appreciate His presence.”
Leonard Ravenhill
“I’m determined this year, more than ever, to know Jesus Christ in a new way such as I have not known Him before. I want to discover His majesty; I want to discover the glory He had with the Father.”
Gordon P. Robertson
“Many of us make New Year’s resolutions. We often fall short. Our goals need to begin with a conversation with Jesus and His desires for us.”
Thomas Sowell
“My favorite New Year’s resolution was to stop trying to reason with unreasonable people. This has reduced both my correspondence and my blood pressure.”
Charles Spurgeon
“I wish, my brothers and sisters, that during this year you may live nearer to Christ than you have ever done before. Depend upon it, it is when we think much of Christ that we think little of ourselves, little of our troubles, and little of the doubts and fears that surround us.”
“Therefore, with earnest tones, I warn you that I bring new responsibilities, from which none of you can escape. For every golden moment you will be held responsible. O stewards of the manifold gifts of God, waste not your strength upon trifles, cast not away your priceless opportunities, fritter not away your precious hours: by the remembrance of eternity, I charge you live with an ardour of industry which will be worthy of remembrance in another world. O child of time, lay not up for thyself misery in the remembrance of misspent years, but live as in the presence of the all-seeing God. Believer in Jesus, gather jewels for his crown, and irradiate his name with glowing honours, so, as I pass away, thy record shall be on high, and thy reward in heaven. FAREWELL.”
A. W. Tozer
“I do not advise that we end the year on a somber note. The march, not the dirge, has ever been the music of Christianity. If we are good students in the school of life, there is much that the years have to teach us. But the Christian is more than a student, more than a philosopher. He is a believer, and the object of his faith makes the difference, the mighty difference. Of all persons the Christian should be best prepared for whatever the New Year brings. He has dealt with life at its source. In Christ he has disposed of a thousand enemies that other men must face alone and unprepared. He can face his tomorrow cheerful and unafraid because yesterday he turned his feet into the ways of peace and today he lives in God. The man who has made God his dwelling place will always have a safe habitation.”
“For some of us last year was one in which we did not acquit ourselves very nobly as Christians, considering the infinite power available to us through the indwelling Spirit. But through the goodness of God we may go to the school of our failures. The man of illuminated mind will learn from his mistakes, yes even from his sins. If his heart is trusting and penitent, he can be a better man next year for last year’s fault – but let him not return again to folly. Repentance should be radical and thorough, and the best repentance for a wrong act, as Fenelon said, is not to do it again. Charles Wesley called Pharaoh ‘a penitent in vain’ because he repented under the pressure of each plague and went back to sinning as soon as the plague was removed.”
John Wesley
“With regard to my own behavior, I now renewed and wrote down my former resolutions.
To use absolute openness and unreserve with all I should converse with.
To labor after continual seriousness, not willingly indulging myself in any the least levity of behavior, or in laughter; no, not for a moment.
To speak no word which does not tend to the glory of God; in particular, not to talk of worldly things. Others may, nay, must. But what is that to thee? And,
To take no pleasure which does not tend to the glory of God; thanking God every moment for all I do take, and therefore rejecting every sort and degree of it which I feel I cannot so thank Him in and for.”
Former President Jimmy Carter, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 100, leaves behind a legacy shaped by his faith and humanitarian work. Sirens sounded in Tel Aviv as the Yemen-based Houthis launched another missile at Israel Monday. the I.D.F. intercepted the threat. The impact of the civil war ravaged the Asian nation of Myanmar. More than 3 million people have fled their homes in recent years. The Treasury department notified Congress of a major security breach. The popular bible app YouVersion saw a significant spike in user engagement this year. The birth of a baby brings tremendous joy to most new parents. Then sleep deprivation and other challenges can take their toll– especially on mothers. Anxiety, depression, loneliness, and social media addiction: these are just some of the challenges facing today’s teens.
In our final podcast episode of 2024, Dr. Jay Richards returns to discuss three essential topics that often cause confusion and dissent among both Christians and non-Christians in America today: the history and purpose of government, macroevolutionary theory vs. intelligent design, and the root cause of chronic disease. Together, Frank and Jay address questions like:
What is the biblical purpose of government?
Where do our rights come from?
How should we define American exceptionalism?
Was America founded on Christianity or something else?
What did Thomas Jefferson mean by “separation of church and state” and how has the term been misused and misunderstood?
What is macroevolutionary theory and why does it fail to explain the origin of life and new life forms?
How should Christians respond to the “God of the gaps” objection?
Is Darwinism consistent with what we can observe in biology?
Why is America sicker than ever despite our ultra-advanced health care system and will RFK Jr. solve the problem?
From politics to science to health, Frank and Jay will cover a lot of essential truths in this year-end episode of ‘I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist’ that will still be relevant in the decades to come! If you want to learn more about any of these topics, be sure to check out our list of recommended resources below. Let’s continue standing for truth, defending the faith, and boldly living out the biblical worldview in every area of life in 2025!
If you enjoyed this podcast episode PLEASE HELP US SPREAD THE TRUTH OF CHRISTIANITY BY SUPPORTING OUR MINISTRY HERE. 100% of your donation goes to ministry, 0% to buildings!
Israel Launches Secret Raid on Iranian Missile Facility in Syria Israel carried out a daring commando raid in September on an underground Iranian missile production facility near the Syrian city of Masyaf, according to an exclusive report by KAN News. The covert operation targeted two critical sites: Syria’s Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC) and an underground facility operated by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.
Israelis remember Jimmy Carter’s legacy with mixed feelings During his single term as president, Carter facilitated an historic peace agreement between Israel and Egypt known as the Camp David Accords. Carter, who served as America’s commander-in-chief from 1977 to 1981, had a complicated relationship with Israel throughout his life.
Trove of ancient coins owned by Hasmonean king discovered during Hanukkah A hoard of coins which once belonged to a Jewish king from the Hasmonean dynasty were discovered in Israel’s Jordan Valley on the second day of Hanukkah last week. Researchers at University of Haifa’s Zinman Institute of Archaeology announced Monday that they had uncovered a rare hoard of coins that belonged to King Alexander Jannaeus, the second king of the Hasmonean dynasty, during a dig that took place over the Hanukkah season.
After fall of Assad, ancient Damascus synagogue opens its doors again As a result of the overthrow of the Assad regime in Syria, the handful of Jews left in the country can now visit again an ancient synagogue that had been off-limits since the civil war began thirteen years ago.
Biden: Trump won because I was forced to drop out of the race Outgoing President Joe Biden is confident that he would have beaten president-elect Donald Trump in a head-to-head matchup, and blames the Democratic party for pressuring him to drop out of the race, according to a Washington Post report.
Syria appoints foreign fighters to military leadership roles Syria’s new leadership integrates individuals from the Uyghur community, a Jordanian, and a Turkish national into the country’s armed forces, part of effort to unify rebel groups into a professional military structure.
German government collapses, sets date for elections The government dissolved in the wake of a no-confidence vote in Chancellor Olaf Scholz. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Friday dissolved the German parliament and set new elections for Feb. 23.
Jimmy Carter’s aid to the Ayatollahs Ettinger recalled, “President Jimmy Carter strongly supported the Ayatollah regime’s takeover of Iran. In 1978, Carter and his advisors concluded that the Persian Shah, America’s Gulf policeman, was obsolete, and they believed Ayatollah Khomeini, who was in exile in Paris, would suit the US as he was anti-Communist and anti-Soviet.”
Major incident: US Treasury Department says it was targeted by Chinese-sponsored hackers The US Treasury Department has alerted lawmakers to a cybersecurity breach involving a Chinese state-sponsored actor, marking what officials describe as a “major incident.” According to a letter obtained by CNN on Monday, the Treasury learned on December 8 from a third-party software provider that a stolen key had been used to remotely access certain Treasury workstations and unclassified documents.
Houthis brag about thirteen attacks on Israel The Iranian-backed Houthis say that they have carried out 13 attacks on Israel over the last ten days. The claims were repeated by Iran’s state media. This indicates how the Houthis are carrying out their attacks in order to show off their capabilities to the Iranian regime.
‘Destroy or Explode’: Anti-Israel Jordanian Pleads Guilty to Bomb Threat and Sabotaging Energy Facility in Florida Hashem Younis Hashem Hnaihen, 43, this past summer vandalized small businesses in Orange County, Florida, and left “Warning Letters” addressed to the US government in which he vowed to “destroy or explode everything here in America. Especially the companies and factories that support the racist state of Israel.” Later, he breached an energy facility in Wedgefield, Florida, where he “smashed” scores of solar panels and damaged other “electronic equipment.
Blossoming romance between Moscow and Tehran puts Israel, US on edge According to reports in Russian media, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is expected to make an official visit to Moscow on January 17, during which he and Russian President Vladimir Putin will sign the agreement, marking a crescendo in the growing closeness between Tehran and Moscow. All this, of course, unfolds against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and the strengthening of the Russia-North Korea-Iran axis, supported by solid Chinese backing.
Turkish officials say Israel ‘betting on wrong horse in Syria’ Senior Turkish officials warned on Sunday that Israel was “betting on the wrong horse in Syria” for its skepticism toward Ahmad al-Sharaa (formerly Abu Mohammed al-Golani) and risks missing a rare opportunity to collaborate with the new regime that “seeks to maintain stability in the country.” According to them, the “Iranian snake” benefits from Syria’s instability as Tehran has an interest in prolonging the conflict. “Israel and Turkey should have a shared interest in achieving stability as quickly as possible,” they added.
At least 4 dead as severe weather outbreak wreaks havoc across Southeast U.S. A severe weather outbreak wreaked havoc across the southeastern United States over the weekend, leaving at least four people dead, causing widespread destruction, and cutting power to thousands of homes and businesses on Sunday, December 29, 2024.
Strong earthquakes near Fentale volcano spark eruption concerns, Ethiopia A series of shallow earthquakes were recorded in recent days near the Fentale volcano in Ethiopia’s Main Ethiopian Rift region, raising concerns about a potential volcanic eruption. The last eruption at this volcano took place in 1820.
Court Stops HHS Attempt To Advance Abortion and Medical Mutilation A federal judge recently blocked new regulatory changes by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that illegally restrict doctors from protecting their patients and reporting abuse related to the harms of abortion and mutilating gender procedures.
“Civilizations Die From Suicide”: Here Are 16 Signs That Our Society Is Doing Exactly That When I write about “the collapse of society”, a lot of people out there think that I am exaggerating. Sadly, the truth is that I am not exaggerating at all. The United States was once the greatest country in the world, but now we have become one of the most self-destructive societies that the world has ever seen. We have turned our backs on the values of our forefathers, and we are literally destroying everything that they worked so hard to give us.
35,000 Jews have immigrated to Israel since last year’s Hamas Oct-7 terror attack Approximately 35,000 Jews worldwide have immigrated to the Jewish state since the Hamas Oct. 7 attack on Israel in 2023, according to a Jewish Agency report published on Sunday. The data revealed that Jewish immigrants hail from some 100 countries, with 31,000 moving to Israel in 2024.
Damascus Drones, And Scandal: An End Of The Year No One Could Have Anticipated As we head into the new year, several stories transpired at the end of 2024 that we weren’t expecting. The world watched in disbelief as the regime of Bashar al-Assad, which had ruled Syria for over five decades, collapsed in a shockingly rapid and dramatic turn of events. Rebel forces, a coalition of various terror groups united in their goal to overthrow the dictator, stormed the capital, Damascus, and declared the city and country “liberated.”
President-elect Donald Trump on Monday shared a ruthless highlight reel of Democrats in denial over Joe Biden’s cognitive decline after a veteran journalist slammed US media for not making it a bigger story.
“Good man, bad president”: Rob Finnerty paints a realistic picture of the presidency of the late Jimmy Carter, featuring stats that liken his tenure to those of other consequentially poor presidents, plus some “swampy” links to then-Senator Joe Biden.
Dennis Prager: A Great Convention — With One Big Mistake — I have never understood why Republicans ignore virtually any mention of the threat posed by the Democratic Party and the Left.
Matthew Continetti: The Biden Error — The events of 2020 seemed epochal. Trump’s election exposed them as aberrant.
Josh Hammer: They Lied to You — Never forgive, and never forget, what these lying miscreants have done to us — and to the republic.
Victor Davis Hanson: Try a Little Honesty About Israel — Here are 10 of their most common untruths about October 7 and the war that followed.
Ann Coulter: Kill Obamacare, Not CEOs — Can we all finally admit that Obamacare is an unmitigated disaster and everything Democrats said about it was a big fat lie?
Gary Bauer: Super Bowl Stirs Controversy — A faith-based ad based on the theme of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples has stirred up a lot of controversy.
Rich Lowry: The Intellectual Collapse of DEI — DEI has been one of the most morally perverse and damaging fads in recent American history.
John Stossel: Slavery in America — Wilfred Reilly’s new book rebuts anti-American propaganda that dominates many American schoolbooks today.
The number of Americans who told Gallup they were “satisfied with the way things are going in the U.S.” fell to just 12 percent in July 1979, an historic low not reached again until the depths of the financial crisis in October 2008. Carter’s job approval fell to an abysmal 28% in the summer of 1979; the next year, his attempt at re-election marked the worst showing for an incumbent since Herbert Hoover in 1932.
So with a conservative Republican in the White House, it didn’t take long before the media began rehabilitating the public image of the unpopular and defeated 39th President. As memories of the 1970s dimmed, journalists talked about Carter as the country’s “best former President,” the “world’s foremost statesman,” and even a “jazzed superhero” performing good deeds around the globe.
Instead of negative headlines about inflation and hostages, reporters treated the ex-President to softball questions such as “what is the secret, the magic of Jimmy Carter.” The decades-long good press has done its job — a late 2022 YouGov survey found nearly four times as many Americans now say they like Carter (58%) vs dislike him (15%).
While the popular and successful Reagan and his legacy were denigrated by the media during his retirement, liberal journalists have spent decades lavishing praise on Carter. From the MRC’s archives, a flavor of the coverage of the past thirty years:
■ “Perhaps the Democrat who best personifies this republic of virtue is former President Jimmy Carter. His reputation burnished by the elevated tone of his retirement, Carter would actually bring to the task energy, integrity and his legendary distaste for congressional business as usual. He could even boast a made-to-order campaign slogan: ‘After the Wright stuff, why not the best?’” — Time Senior Writer and former Carter Administration official Margaret Carlson recommending Jimmy Carter follow the disgraced Jim Wright as next Speaker of the House, June 5, 1989 issue.
■ “While Reagan peddles his time and talents to the highest bidder and Gerald Ford perfects his putt and Richard Nixon struggles to gain a toehold in history, Carter, like some jazzed superhero, circles the globe at 30,000 ft., seeking opportunities to Do Good.” — Stanley Cloud, Time Washington Bureau Chief, September 11, 1989 issue.
■ “And finally President Carter, you are now considered one of the world’s foremost statesmen. You’ve been called the best ex-President this country has ever had. Your reputation has been bolstered tremendously since you left office. How does that make you feel?” — Today co-host Katie Couric to Jimmy Carter, November 13, 1991.
■ Anchor Brian Williams: “Is it fair to call him the best former President in, at minimum, modern American history, and perhaps, well, I guess, the last 200 years?” Historian Marshall Frady: “Which embraces all presidencies, I think. Absolutely.” — Exchange on CNBC’s The News with Brian Williams, Oct. 11, 2002.
■ “There is hardly a troubled place in the world he hasn’t visited, worked in, in a quest to bring peace and spread democratic values….In many places, dusty and difficult places, James Earl Carter has brought hope and dispelled, as well as anyone alive these days, the vision of the ugly American.” — Anchor Aaron Brown on CNN’s NewsNight, October 11, 2002.
■ “President Carter’s crowning achievement, of course, the Camp David Accords, designed to forge peace in the Middle East. Unfortunately, that seems like a distant memory, but it’s so nice to see former President Jimmy Carter honored this way….It’s a terrific honor for him for all the work he did while he was President and, of course, he is considered by many as one of the finest former Presidents this country has ever seen.” — NBC’s Katie Couric on the December 10, 2002 Today.
■ Host Chris Matthews: “It seems to me Carter was dead on, on the need for energy sufficiency and dealing with the energy conservation, putting on a sweater, lowering the thermostat. All of those things made sense. He was right about the problem of nuclear proliferation, of arms getting to countries like Iran. He’s way ahead of his time on that. And also his concern for human rights. Right? So he was right, but?” The New Yorker’s Hendrik Hertzberg: “Well he was, in this particular speech…he was sort of a prophet. He spoke as a prophet. And, and I mean by that, not as someone who is predicting the future, but as someone who is diagnosing, diagnosing the national soul.” — Segment marking the 30th anniversary of Jimmy Carter’s “malaise” speech, MSNBC’s Hardball, July 15, 2009.
■ Correspondent Lesley Stahl: “When all is said and done — and many will be surprised to hear this — Jimmy Carter got more of his programs passed than Reagan and Nixon, Ford, Bush 1, Clinton or Bush 2.” Former President Jimmy Carter: “I had the best batting average in the Congress in recent history of any President, except Lyndon Johnson.”… Stahl: “A lot of critics of yours, when you were President, say that you’ve been a fantastic ex-President. You hear that all the time.” Carter: “I don’t mind that.” — CBS’s 60 Minutes, September 19, 2010.
■ “I love Jimmy Carter! Jimmy Carter is so honest and out there. You know sometimes, I hear people say, ‘Oh, Obama, his term could become like Jimmy Carter’s.’ Yeah, I wish. You know, Jimmy Carter did some real bold things, like returning the Panama Canal. Can you see a president trying to do that today? Or, or getting on national television and telling the American people that they’re lazy and they’re using too much energy?…I think this country needs a lot more of that sort of forthright honesty.” — HBO Real Time host Bill Maher on MSNBC’s Hardball, September 21, 2010.
■ “I want to ask you about foreign policy, given all of your expertise….What advice would you give in dealing with Vladimir Putin?…I just wanted to ask finally. With all your energy, what keeps you going? What is the secret, the magic of Jimmy Carter?” — NBC’s Andrea Mitchell interviewing Carter on NBC’s Meet the Press, March 23, 2014.
■ “I think it does say something profoundly about who we are as a people that Carter’s decency and goodness was taken for weakness and had to be remedied with the sort of bluster of a Ronald Reagan and that the idea we needed a cowboy to replace what people viewed as a man who wasn’t cowboy enough to be president, that he was too nice.” — MSNBC’s Joy Reid on The Last Word, August 20, 2015.
When Jimmy Carter lost the White House in a landslide to Ronald Reagan in November 1980, there was no sugar-coating his failures. Domestically, the country reeled from 
■ Anchor Brian Williams: “Is it fair to call him the best former President in, at minimum, modern American history, and perhaps, well, I guess, the last 200 years?”
■ Correspondent Lesley Stahl: “When all is said and done — and many will be surprised to hear this — Jimmy Carter got more of his programs passed than Reagan and Nixon, Ford, Bush 1, Clinton or Bush 2.”
■ “I want to ask you about foreign policy, given all of your expertise….What advice would you give in dealing with Vladimir Putin?…I just wanted to ask finally. With all your energy, what keeps you going? What is the secret, the magic of Jimmy Carter?”
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