Read: Ephesians 2:4-10 For by grace you have been saved . . . it is the gift of God. (v. 8) Imagine if one were to speak the gospel to the deceased, to preach in cemeteries and mausoleums. Is that not what Christians are asked to do: preach to the spiritually dead? Because of his love and mercy, God “even …
Self-humbling Spirituality
Read: Matthew 4:12-17 Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near. (v. 17 NIV) Five hundred years ago, on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther posted his Ninety-Five Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. His first thesis reads, “Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, when He said Poenitentiam agite [‘do penance’], willed that the whole …
Right with God
Read: Romans 1:16-17 For in [the gospel] the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith. (v. 17) A culture of shame and guilt hangs like a fog all around us: social media comparisons, body-shaming, teen suicides. Many are collapsing under the pressure of social performance. We all yearn to know how we can be accepted. Martin Luther tried …
Dead Inside
Read: Ephesians 2:1-3 You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked. (v. 1) Late autumn is a season for celebrating the dead: Halloween (All Hallow’s Eve), All Saint’s Day, and All Soul’s Day (Day of the Dead) come October 31–November 2. Strangely, Reformation Day is also observed on the same deathly days. What does reformation …
Preach for Change
Read: 2 Timothy 4:1-5 Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season. (v. 2) Comparing Catholic and Protestant church interiors is illuminating. The altar in the center of a Catholic church speaks to the primacy of the Eucharist (also called Holy Communion or the Lord’s Supper). The pulpit in the center of a Reformed church, with Communion …