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Dan Lee
The law is good. With this declaration of truth, Scripture shows us that God’s law was meant to bless us. But how does the law do this? At least in three ways as they emerge from this text: 1) protection from evil of the fallen world, 2) conviction for sin which leads us to salvation, and 3) sanctification of the believer unto their conformity to Christ. The law was designed to lead us to the Savior to save us and then to train us that we may be like Him in His love for God and love for man.
Dan Lee
The burden that drove Paul to write First Timothy was the distractions that could steer the church away from God’s purpose for her, namely, the administration of God which is by faith, the love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. Paul opens his letter with a strong appeal to his authority to ensure that Timothy understood the gravity of the issues at hand and that the church would receive Timothy’s leadership in this matter. In this passage, we find four strong encouragements to guide us away from the thousand termites that can eat away at our own walk with the Lord and the maturation of God’s church: 1) avoid speculative ideas, 2) understand our stewardship, 3) pursue godliness, and 4) exude holy love.
Dan Lee
As one preacher once put it: “The main things in Scripture are the plain things, and the plain things in Scripture are the main things.” This is indeed Scripture’s claim about itself, that the word of God is understandable in its gospel call to the free gift of salvation through faith in Christ and repentance from sin. But this is a very nuanced doctrine. Four such nuances are explored here: progress, study, Spirit, and limitation. May we all continually grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 3:18).
Dan Lee
Scripture is sufficient for all the matters about which it speaks. This means the Bible is all we need to do all that God desires for us to do, i.e., what we must believe and how we are to live before God. No other source of special revelation for faith and life is needed in addition to the Bible. Whether it is for salvation, personal godliness, or the life and ministry of the church, Scripture is what God has chosen to give us and it is enough. Were we to ask what books make up these sufficient Scriptures, we heartily answer, the Old Testament Jesus affirmed and the New Testament Jesus authorized, these 39 and 27 books of the two testaments are the word of God, and no more.