Good Friday Friends...

Over the last several weeks, I have been reading "a 40-day Bible Study" book on Matthew's gospel by Dr. Charles Quarles, New Testament Professor at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. It is a walk through the gospel of Matthew over a 40 day period. Each day's devotion contains several parts: focus passage, a longer passage to read, commentary on the passage, a focus on Christ section, application section, and some reflection questions. 

I have found this to be a great resource and help in understanding the gospel of Matthew. The commentary is superb and substantive. There is no fluff here; yet, the application to real life...excellent! If you are looking for devotion book without the fluff and stuff, here's a good one. Click the link for Amazon: Planted in the Word - Matthew. 

One of the big takeaways for me: the tie in from Matthew 1 to Matthew 28 that Jesus is "Immanuel". Everything in between is the revelation of Jesus as God with us. That is the link throughout the gospel, and it becomes evident the more you read. 

Immanuel - God with us. 

In the Grip of God's Grace,

MBH

Good Friday Friends...

Living the Christian life often feels like taking one step forward and two steps back when it comes to our sanctification. The flesh we battle against rears its ugly head like a weed in the flowerbed you thought you had pulled up from the roots; yet, there it is...again.

You confess...you repent...you pray for the Lord's help to gain the upper hand. But, alas...the reality of Romans 7 hits hard again and again. 

Romans 7:21-24 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 

"Wretched man that I am" -- what a phrase to really motivate you toward obedience, right? It reminds me of the original lyrics to the great hymn "At the Cross" in verse 1 by Isaac Watts, "for such a worm as I". Thankfully, the Holy Spirit prompted Paul to keep writing in Romans 7 and 8 and prompted Isaac Watts to keep writing the refrain of that great hymn. 

Romans 7:25 "But thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord". 

And, then Romans 8:1 -- "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

When the battle with the flesh rages and we give in...when we lose...with humility and repentance we keep running to the cross of Christ because "at the cross where I first saw the light the burden of my heart rolled away". 

Hold Fast in the Fight for Holiness,

MBH